Von Miller stirs up Dallas Cowboys speculation with social media post – Joey Hayden, Dallas Morning News
The veteran pass rusher has linked himself to the Cowboys.
Von Miller to the Dallas Cowboys?
The veteran pass rusher and two-time Super Bowl champion caused a stir on social media Wednesday posting an edit of himself donning a Cowboys uniform to his Instagram story. Also, posted in the thread was a photo of Miller with Cowboys legends Emmitt Smith and Dez Bryant in a suite at AT&T Stadium during a World Cup match that took place last month.
Bryant later posted to X with a series of emojis, including
a shushing face, when the picture from the England-Croatia game was alleged to be a recruiting venture.
Cowboys believe they have a ‘secret formula’ to improve their pass rush – Jon Machota, The Athletic
Can Christian Parker mastermind a better pass rush in Dallas?
Knowing that pass rusher was a significant offseason need, Dallas was heavily involved in trade talks with the Las Vegas Raiders to add five-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby. After the Raiders agreed to trade Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks, the Cowboys moved on, trading a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary.
A month later, Dallas used a first-round pick to draft UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.
Those two are expected to play alongside Donovan Ezeiruaku, whom the Cowboys drafted in the second round last year, to form the face of Dallas’ pass rush.
Yet, is that enough?
“We’re very confident with the guys that they brought in,” said Ezeiruaku, who is working his way back from January hip surgery to repair a torn labrum. “We have a pretty dynamic room and a very athletic room. The confidence is there. Our goals are very high. That (pass rush) is something we feel like we need to accomplish in order for this team to be successful.”
Those three would have been defensive ends in Dallas’ previous scheme. Under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s 3-4 base, they will be outside linebackers. The Cowboys’ other offseason activity at the position group included not re-signing veteran Jadeveon Clowney, who remains a free agent. Clowney led Dallas with 8.5 sacks last season but is not considered to be as much of a fit for what Parker is trying to do this season.
The Cowboys re-signed Sam Williams to a one-year deal and added veteran Charles Snowden to a group that also includes James Houston, Marist Liufau, Tyrus Wheat and Isaiah Land. Liufau is making the move from inside linebacker.
The Dallas Cowboys have a glaring weakness on offense, but they’re built to overcome it – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
Dak Prescott’s skill level makes up for the Cowboys issues at left tackle.
Why the Cowboys are built to overcome left tackle concerns
Here’s the thing about the Cowboys’ pass protection issues: they’ve already proven they can work around them. In 2025, Dak Prescott was the best quarterback under pressure in the NFL.
When under pressure, Prescott led the league in:
success rate
PFF passing grade
completion percentage
passing yards
Data via PFF and Pro Football Network
How did he do it? He got rid of the football quickly without resorting to check downs, pushing the ball downfield consistently. And lost in the numbers above is the fact that he prevented pressure from happening at a stunning rate. PFF measures the percentage of dropbacks in which the quarterback was responsible for the pressure, and Prescott ranked 34th in the NFL. Most quarterbacks who ranked ahead of him either played fewer snaps or weren’t nearly as productive.
Beyond Prescott himself, the Cowboys have elite pass catchers in CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, and tight end Jake Ferguson, who remains a reliable short-to-intermediate target even if you’d like to see more explosiveness from him.
Then there’s the scheme. The Cowboys coaching staff did a tremendous job marrying the passing game to the run game in 2025. The Cowboys leaned into max protection looks off play action, using their running back and tight end to assist in pass protection. They also had multiple answers for countering blitzes, whether from linebackers or defensive backs. If opponents forced one-on-one matchups through exotic pressures, Dallas had schematic counters ready.
Second-year jump? These Dallas Cowboys have a chance to make in 2026 season – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News
The Cowboys will certainly benefit from these players elevating their level of play.
Recently, former Cowboys offensive lineman Robert Jones asked Booker a similar question to what he was asked during organized team activities last month: How different is it playing in the NFL now that he has a whole season under his belt? Booker cracked a big smile when he shared his answer to Jones with reporters recently.
“I know the playbook, and now that I have a great grasp of the playbook,” Booker said, “I’m able to focus more on my technique and the execution of the plays.”
That should be encouraging, considering where Booker had ascended to as a rookie. As Booker noted last year during training camp, playing in the NFL can sometimes be like “doing algebra in a fist fight.” There’s a lot to handle. Booker didn’t look overwhelmed at all during his first season out of Alabama. In fact, the former first round pick looked like he had a good handle on things. He was in the top half of right guards in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. He also had the highest ranking among rookie guards ahead of Detroit’s Tate Ratledge and Seattle’s Grey Zabel.
Booker also didn’t sound like a rookie last year. The Cowboys drafted him because of his “alpha” reputation at Alabama. By the time the season ended, Booker was vocal. Quarterback Dak Prescott said he would often hear Booker yell “dominate” during pregame work.
Booker already is on an ascending trajectory. The question is how much higher can that trajectory aim after his second season?
5 most important position battles for Cowboys heading into training camp – Brian Martin, Blogging The Boys
These position battles will have tons of eyes on them in Oxnard.
Left tackle
In order to help keep Dak Prescott upright, the Cowboys absolutely need to either Tyler Guyton or Nate Thomas to prove themselves worthy of the starting left tackle job. Guyton is the favored of the two, but inconsistencies and injuries have so far stunted his development. Thomas is probably option No. 2, but he too must prove himself. If neither of those two step up, All-Pro LG Tyler Smith may need to be kicked outside, further shuffling and weakening Dallas’ offensive line.
Backup quarterback
The Cowboys offense is in good hands as long as Dak Prescott remains healthy for the entire year, but could be in trouble if he doesn’t. Both Joe Milton and Sam Howell bring something different to the QB2 position battle, but if either is needed to start for any amount of time the drop in production could be substantial. Howell is the more proven of the two with starting experience, but Milton has the most upside. Will either separate from the other? Both will be given the opportunity to do so in training camp.
Backup running back
With a new long-term extension after surpassing all expectations last year, Javonte Williams will be Dallas’ workhorse RB for the foreseeable future. His physical running style though caused him to wear down a bit at the end of last year, making the RB2 position all the more important behind him. Whether it’s Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah or someone else, the Cowboys need someone capable of giving him a breather from time to time to keep him fresh for the entire season. No rock should go unturned to find the best backup.
Daily discussion question: How many people in your life text you after a Dallas Cowboys win? What about a loss?
