On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys conducted their exclusive tryout session for college athletes from the area at The Star, and among those present was a well-known individual: E.J. Smith.
Emmitt Smith, a Hall of Fame player for the Cowboys and the NFL’s career rushing leader, is his parent. E.J. Smith achieved prominence playing high school football at Jesuit in Dallas, subsequently attending Stanford before concluding his collegiate career at Texas A&M.
“Quite impressive,” stated Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys’ coach. “As you know, I value kinship greatly. His game footage reveals him as a remarkably strong and effective short-yardage back. Indeed, observing his movement firsthand and noting his demeanor, he’s truly admirable.”
For an extended period, the Cowboys have considered their “Dallas Day” tryout a significant benefit, owing to the caliber of athletes from the region who participate in leading collegiate programs nationwide. Additionally, they can attract potential players from SMU, TCU, and North Texas for these sessions.
Among the participants for the Cowboys this year were athletes like Garrett Nussmeier, the LSU quarterback from Flower Mound (Marcus), and James Brockermeyer, the Miami center from Fort Worth (All Saints). It’s worth noting that not every attendee performs drills; some prospects, those with superior evaluations, merely hold discussions with scouting personnel and coaching staff.
Although every team is permitted to host 30 national invitees, the Cowboys possess the flexibility to apply the Dallas Day classification to several elite prospects.
“Our pool of top 30 talent expands considerably,” Schottenheimer explained. “We effectively have a roster of about 45, or perhaps 48, top individuals. This is attributable to our geographical position and the excellent work performed by our scouting department.”
Hosting a Super Bowl event
The focus here is not on the Cowboys’ lack of Super Bowl appearances. Rather, it concerns AT&T Stadium’s scarcity of Super Bowl hosting duties. Upon its inauguration in 2009, there was an expectation that the venue would join the informal circuit for the NFL’s premier championship contest.
Conversely, the stadium has only welcomed the event on a single occasion, Super Bowl XLV in 2011, where Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers – the very team McCarthy affiliated with this current season, a year following the conclusion of his head coaching period with the Cowboys.
Complications arose concerning meteorological conditions and a debacle involving seating arrangements, resulting in numerous legal actions, and the metropolitan area has refrained from submitting a Super Bowl proposal ever since. SoFi Stadium commenced operations in 2020 and is slated to stage its second Super Bowl in 2027. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is scheduled to host its second Super Bowl in 2029. Furthermore, new venues are anticipated in Nashville, Chicago, and Washington D.C.
“With the emergence of all these recently constructed stadiums, I must admit it presents a challenge,” observed executive vice president Stephen Jones. “Oftentimes, when a new stadium is erected, a Super Bowl hosting opportunity is part of the package. We will monitor the situation.”
This summer, AT&T Stadium is set to be the venue for nine World Cup contests. During February, the Dallas Stars are scheduled to compete in a Stadium Series matchup at the location. The Final Four championship event is expected to revisit in 2030.
“The timing and circumstances must be optimal,” stated Jones, the owner and general manager. “Hosting a Super Bowl involves numerous intricate details and obligations assumed by both teams and host cities. We are confident in our capacity to organize such an event. We will pursue it when appropriate. The process of securing a Super Bowl often involves considerable backstage negotiations. These factors are all taken into account.”
Backup Quarterback Battle
Securing a reserve quarterback did not appear to be a priority for the Cowboys as the offseason commenced; however, they acquired Sam Howell on a one-year contract, and he is slated to contend with Joe Milton III for the role of Dak Prescott’s secondary signal-caller.
“Upon reviewing Sam’s tape, our thought was, ‘Imagine having both Sam Howell and Joe Milton on our roster?’ We want to afford those two the opportunity to contend. Both possess extraordinary talent and formidable arm power,” Schottenheimer remarked. “Sam has started over twenty games in the league, which is a significant asset.
“This is an uncapped rivalry; we are enthusiastic about both players getting the chance to vie for the spot, and one can never possess an excess of quarterbacks to cultivate. I believe our system excels at nurturing quarterback talent. Sam expressed eagerness to join us and undergo development according to our methods. We anticipate positive outcomes.”
Offensive Considerations
A significant portion of the Cowboys’ offseason attention has centered on defensive strategies, and it is anticipated that they will persist in bolstering this area during the initial round of the draft, where they presently hold the 12th and 20th selections.
However, what is the situation regarding the offensive unit?
“Each evening before departing, [Offensive coordinator] Klayton Adams approaches my office door and asks, ‘Excuse me, Schotty, do you recall me? Over here? Yes, I occupy that particular office,'” Schottenheimer recounted. “My appreciation for the draft and its entire procedure stems from its inherent lack of foresight.”
“I genuinely believe we have arranged our strategy to acquire the most talented player accessible. We have positioned ourselves to execute various maneuvers, whether that means trading down, trading up, or fulfilling any necessary actions. Nevertheless, if the most outstanding player remaining is unequivocally an offensive talent, we will undoubtedly deliberate on that option and, given Jerry’s inclination, proceed with the selection.”
Brief Updates
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The Cowboys are aiming to conduct combined practice sessions with a pair of teams during their training camp in Oxnard, California. This prospect is partly contingent on the league’s finalization of the preseason schedule. Expect the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams to collaborate once more, with the possibility of another NFC team joining the arrangements.
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In anticipation of their regular-season contest in Rio de Janeiro, the Cowboys’ projected itinerary involves training for two days at The Star before traveling to Brazil later in the week. By contrast, when the Cowboys faced the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014 at Wembley Stadium, their full week of preparation was conducted in London.
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According to Schottenheimer, defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku is progressing as planned to achieve complete readiness for training camp, following his hip operation during the offseason. He further noted that Ezeiruaku will be cleared for individual exercises within the offseason regimen but will be excluded from participating in any collective team drills.
