Morning briefing: 8-Nov-24 - Cowboys fans have given up on Mike McCarthy and the ‘24 season; now focused on ‘25 draft

NFC East linksBleeding Green Nation Eagles-Cowboys Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 10 enemy Previewing Philadelphia's NFC East matchup against Dallas.

The Dallas defense is allowing the second-most offensive points per game in the NFL. What's the reason for those struggles?

The first reason you have to point to is the injuries. Their top four defensive ends, Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland and Sam Williams have either missed some or all of the season. We are down to the bottom of the depth chart at defensive end. Thus, no pass rush. Combine that with a very weak interior defensive tackle position and you have a front four that gets bullied. The Cowboys have also been missing CB DaRon Bland all year, and his replacement, rookie Caelen Carson, has been injured and had his own struggles when healthy. The safety duo of Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker has gotten exposed in the passing game.

What are some of the biggest positives the Cowboys have going for them right now?

They should get a lot of compensatory draft picks for the 2025 NFL Draft . Okay, a little too cynical? How about linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. He missed his rookie year with an ACL tear, but has come back this year and is looking like a playmaker. He is quick, closes with amazing speed, and can deliver a hit. He is still raw, so there are issues with diagnosing plays and reading his keys, but that should all improve with playing time.

Mike McCarthy is totally getting fired, right? Who will be the Cowboys' head coach in 2025? And who do you want it to be?

Technically, he won't get fired, they will just let his contract run out after the season and then go looking for a new coach. But yes, in effect, he will be fired after this season. As for what comes next, the elephant in the room is Bill Belichick. It was somewhat discussed this past offseason although they decided to keep McCarthy. Belichick's name will definitely come up. I would rather they go in a different direction. A young offensive whiz kid like Ben Johnson at Detroit, or Bobby Slowik at Houston, somebody that fits that mold.

Blogging the Boys Cowboys have just 7 external free agents or trade acquisitions after deadline; list paints a grim picture The Cowboys don't have the roster to compete this season and the reasons why are right in front of them.

For a team that's enjoyed nothing more than reminding the world they won 12 games in the previous three seasons under Mike McCarthy, this win total is now only achievable by winning out in the final year of McCarthy's contract. It is hard to even look ahead at the schedule and find any game the Cowboys may be favored in until Thanksgiving versus the Giants, and possibly at the Panthers two weeks later. In a season already seemingly well past the point of saving, the questions that now surround the Cowboys are much more big picture about how a season that began with playoff aspirations went so wrong so quickly.

The NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday afternoon, and the Cowboys made just one move of note. They added Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. The draft pick value given for the player has already been questioned as Mingo has caught just 12 passes for 121 yards this season. A second-round pick out of Ole Miss two years ago, the Cowboys clearly like the upside in developing Mingo still on his rookie contract and having another body at wide receiver to somehow take pressure off CeeDee Lamb.

Mingo brings the number of active players on the Cowboys' roster that were added via free agency or a trade this season to just seven. The 6'2", 220-pound receiver joins RB Ezekiel Elliott as the only two on this list for an offense that was destined to regress given how they replenished none of what they lost in Michael Gallup, Tony Pollard, or even Tyron Smith given rookie Tyler Guyton's struggles so far. The other five players are all on the defensive side of the ball for first-year coordinator Mike Zimmer to work with in defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Carlos Watkins, pass rusher Carl Lawson, and linebackers Eric Kendricks and Nick Vigil.

The totality of this list paints a grim picture. When considering it covers just four position groups (counting Joseph, Watkins, and Lawson as all just defensive linemen), two within the front seven of the defense and two at the skill positions, the guise that the Cowboys actually know how to address their weaknesses and improve the roster fails.

"We tried" is not generally an acceptable response for most in any walk of life when asked about how they did or did not achieve something, and it certainly shouldn't be good enough for the most visible team in the National Football League - not when trying only gets you three wins in eight games so far.

Blogging the Boys Week 10 rooting guide for Cowboys fans It's getting rough for Cowboys fans in 2024, but there are still things to hope for across the week as a whole.

Now at 3-5 and having lost QB Dak Prescott for multiple weeks, if not the rest of the season, the Cowboys' chances in 2024 have all but evaporated. But as eyes turn away from the playoffs, we now focus on the 2025 NFL Draft and how high up the board Dallas could now land. That means, with adjusted priorities, we should still be very interested in how the rest of the league is doing from week to week.

Our rooting guides have previously focused on playoff contenders in the NFC. But as we turn our attention to the draft, the AFC becomes equally important. The Jaguars can just as easily trump the Cowboys for a higher pick as the Panthers, so we'll be widening our scope for the rest of the season.

Thanks to some teams having not had their bye weeks yet, the Cowboys are the only 3-5 team in the league. Several teams (Bengals, Bucs, Colts, Seahawks) are right behind them with 4-5 records, and we'll pull them into the list if they start getting in Dallas' way. But for now, the Cowboys would have the 11th pick in the 2025 Draft.

They'll likely move up the board this week with the Eagles coming to town. Dallas would've been the underdogs even with Prescott, and now Cooper Rush is in the unenviable position of dealing with Philly in his first start since 2022. Even if Micah Parsons makes his return, the Cowboys still feel woefully outmatched in this one.

Big Blue View Giants injury news: Darius Slayton unlikely to travel to Germany Jalin Hyatt will get an opportunity

The Giants leave for Munich Thursday night and Slayton, who was concussed during last Sunday's loss to the Washington commanders , remains in the league's concussion protocol.

Slayton, a free-agent-to-be, was involved in trade rumors before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline but remained with New York.

Slayton's absence will provide a massive opportunity for second-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who has had a disappointing season thus far. The 2023 third-round pick has just 1 catch for 6 yards on 8 targets. Hyatt has played just 12 combined snaps on offense over the past three weeks.

Pro Football FocusDallas CowboysHighest-graded player:Edge Micah Parsons (82.4) Parsons has only played in four games due to a lingering ankle injury, but he's still been a force. Even though his overall grade is 10 points lower than it was in 2023, he still ranks 13th in overall grade for edge rushers with 100 or more snaps, and his 82.8 pass-rushing grade is tied for 11th.

Biggest surprise:ILB Damone Clark Dallas' defense has underperformed in Mike Zimmer's first year, but Clark has been a bright spot. His 77.1 overall grade is the best of his three-year pro career and second on the Cowboys. The former LSU Tiger has recorded grades of 74.9 or better in run defense, tackling and pass-rushing.

Stat to know: The Cowboys have the fewest rushing yards after contact in the NFL (455) and the second-fewest explosive rushing plays (15).

New York GiantsHighest-graded player: Dl Dexter Lawrence (90.0) Lawrence has been one of the saving graces for this 2-7 Giants squad. "Sexy Dexy" is the second-highest-graded defensive lineman in football, and his 33 pressures rank second at his position.

Biggest surprise: CB Andru Phillips It's not often that you can locate a long-term productive slot player in the third round, but the Giants appear to have done that with Phillips. His 76.8 coverage grade is the best among any Giants defensive back, and he's added a 74.0 run defense grade. Altogether, Phillips' 79.2 overall grade is ninth among qualifying corners.

Stat to know: The Giants are 31st in offensive touchdown drive percentage (13.8%).

Philadelphia EaglesHighest-graded player:WR A.J. Brown (90.2) Brown missed three games due to a hamstring injury, but there's been no slowing him down when on the field. His 90.4 receiving grade is second to only Collins, and his 129.9 passer rating when targeted is sixth.

Biggest surprise:ILB Zack Baun The Eagles hadn't found much resolve to their inside linebacker problem over the last few seasons, but Baun has looked like a terrific answer. The former Saint ranks second among qualifying Eagles defenders with an 81.6 overall grade. Baun's 90.1 coverage grade is the second-best among all linebackers.

Stat to know: The Eagles lead the NFL in 4-minute plays, a reflection of them having late leads in every game.

Washington CommandersHighest-graded player:QB Jayden Daniels (88.6) What a magical rookie season it's been for Daniels, the second overall pick in this year's draft. Not only has he propelled Washington to a 7-2 record, but Daniels has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Daniels' 88.6 overall grade ranks third and would be the best for a rookie gunslinger since Russell Wilson in 2012 (90.6).

Biggest surprise:Edge Dorance Armstrong The Commanders defense isn't on the level of their offense, but it's gotten some standout play from guys like Armstrong. The former Cowboy has flourished while sticking with Dan Quinn: Armstrong's 73.7 overall grade is the best of his career. The 27-year-old's 81.9 pass-rushing grade is easily his highest since he entered the NFL in 2018.

Stat to know: The Commanders have run the most red-zone plays in the NFL (124).

NFL league linksNFL.com Niners HC Kyle Shanahan: RB Christian McCaffrey expected to play Sunday vs. Buccaneers San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR Thursday that he expects McCaffrey to play Sunday against the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I expect to get him out there," Shanahan said.

The reigning Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year, McCaffrey has been sidelined all season with Achilles and calf injuries . CMC returned to the practice field this week in a limited capacity and is now set to return to the playing field.

McCaffrey has missed the first eight games of the 49ers' season, but he's been working through his injuries for longer than that.

During training camp, Shanahan announced that McCaffrey would be held out of preseason play as a precaution and would also miss a few weeks of practice. McCaffrey would miss far more than that, though. The running back's injury saga began with a surprising Week 1 absence . He was eventually put on injured reserve and concern grew when he traveled to Germany to get expert treatment.

Now he's finally back.

Discussion topicsPro Football Talk Bad officiating mars final drive in Bengals-Ravens Joe Burrow had good reason to scowl tonight.

A 428-yard passing performance, including 234 of them and three touchdowns to receiver Ja'Marr Chase, was undermined by the failure of the officials to see two clear fouls on what could have been the go-ahead two-point try.

Defensive holding, not called. Forcible contact to the head of Burrow, not called.

Amazon Prime rules analyst Terry McAulay said that both should have been called. And Al Michaels wasn't bashful about calling BS on the fact that the no-calls robbed the Bengals of another shot at converting a two-point conversion that would have forced the Ravens to try to get in range for a potential game-winning field goal with 38 seconds left.

All too often, officials shove the flags deeper into their pockets in moments like that. But the rules are still the rules, and when the rules are broken it shouldn't matter whether the foul occurred in the last minute of a game, or the first.

The Athletic (paywall) The best college football player in America, period, Hunter is absolutely the top cornerback and has an argument as WR1. People talk about generational ability a lot, but Hunter actually has it. We haven't seen a WR selected this high since Keyshawn Johnson, and we've never seen a CB here. We've also never seen a Travis Hunter before.

Power, grace and dependability are a few ways to describe what we've seen from McMillan in three years at Arizona. The 6-foot-5, 212-pounder has three 10-catch games, two 200-yard games and 10 contested catches already this season (pushing his career contested catch total to a whopping 34). Drake Maye could have fun with this.

If we were simply stacking this draft class' top 30 players, there would not be a quarterback in the upper half. However, if we'd have attempted that same exercise this time last year, neither Bo Nix nor Michael Penix Jr. would've been on the list at all. I'd pick Mason Graham if I were the Raiders, but I'm not Mark Davis — and I don't know whether he can say no to Deion Sanders' son. Shedeur Sanders isn't a top-10 player, but I do think he's first-round worthy.

The Browns are not in any position to be rolling the dice on a QB with this pick. Tackle is also a major need, and Campbell, a three-year starter who's still just 20 years old, can blossom into a franchise anchor. The Browns need one of those on offense — badly.

The Titans need a lot. Will Levis might not be the answer at QB, but things won't go any better if Tennessee adds one of the 2025 QBs to its current roster. Tackle could be an option here, too, but at some point, Tennessee's offense needs to add a young weapon who scares defenses.

If a team can give Ward a year to sit, watch and adjust to the speed of the NFL, then I don't mind the idea of taking him top 10. If you're asking him to save you tomorrow, though, you might be disappointed. Ward has gotten better every year he's played, but his tape against big-time defenses is still pretty limited — a playoff appearance could help there.