Cowboys news: Dallas got some answers in Hall of Fame game, but will likely get more in Rams scrimmage

Check out today’s latest and greatest news surrounding America’s team!

Notes: Gilbert’s Start; Williams At Center; More – David Helman, Rob Phillips, DallasCowboys.com

What were some of the takeaways from the Hall of Fame game?

The last time Garrett Gilbert started a game at quarterback, he filled in for an injured Dak Prescott last November against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thursday night’s preseason opener probably felt a little like déjà vu. With Prescott back in Oxnard, California to rest a strained shoulder muscle, Gilbert made another start against Pittsburgh alongside a few of the Cowboys’ projected offensive starters.

Gilbert played two series and completed 9 of 13 passes for 104 yards for a 93.1 rating. Both drives were promising – the offense got inside the Steelers’ 10-yard line – but the Cowboys had to settle for field goal attempts twice, making one in an eventual 16-3 loss.

“In preseason football, you’re looking for drives to be established,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said. “Anytime you can get into double-digits (plays) on a drive … so we were able to move the ball. We stalled down there in the red (zone) area.

“But I thought Gilbert did a really good job. I’m sure there’s a decision or two that we’ll look at that he may have wanted back. But I thought he was very productive in his work.”

On the first drive, Gilbert hit tight end Dalton Schultz for a 15-yard pass into Steelers territory. But Gilbert was sacked on second down from the Pittsburgh 4, and his third-down pass was nearly intercepted.

The offense drove to the Pittsburgh 7 on the next series, where Gilbert fumbled the ball while getting sacked. Cowboys lineman Brandon Knight recovered it, leading to a failed field goal try.

Spagnola: Parsons Already Just Doing His Thing – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com

Micah Parson looks like a cornerstone.

But hey, did you see No. 11? Micah Parsons? Football player, not to be defined by a position? All over the field?

And before we go any further on the Cowboys’ first-round pick, 12th in the draft, let’s point out this was the first game of football he’s played since the Cotton Bowl to conclude his 2019 season for Penn State. And let’s remember, too, he only played two full seasons at Penn State.

Parsons catches my attention every day in training camp. He catches Dan Quinn’s and head coach Mike McCarthy’s, too. To the point that those guys have to govern themselves not to wear him out playing him here and there in practice. But can you blame them?

Well, he also caught the attention of Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin. With Parsons playing his college ball in the state of Pennsylvania, certainly he probably knew all about him heading into the draft this year, from his time at Penn State and bet his time in high school also.

As Parsons was finishing his press conference at the makeshift podium after the game, someone told him, “Hey, Coach T wants to say hi.” He turned the corner, and there was Tomlin.

And with those intense eyes of his, he looked at Parsons and said, “You do your thing. … You do your thing.”

Boy, oh boy, in the little time he played here Thursday night against the Steelers, did he ever _do his thing_. Did it from the strongside linebacker spot. Did it from the middle linebacker spot on the nickel defense.

PIT 16, DAL 3: Few Standouts as Cowboys Open Preseason w/ Loss – Jess Haynie, Inside the Star

There was some good and some bad from the Cowboys in week one of preseason.

On defense we got a glimpse of Nahshon Wright’s solid work in coverage and as a tackler. While one big pass was made to Chase Claypool against Wright, there was a blatant push-off by Claypool that went uncalled. That flag probably gets thrown if we weren’t in preseason.

There were smatterings of noteworthy moments, such as Quinton Bohanna destroying a RB who tried to block him or Reggie Robinson making a nice open-field tackle. But this definitely wasn’t a night where anyone’s stock made a meaningful jump.

The worst nights seemingly belonged to QB Ben DiNucci, OT Brandon Knight, and WR Reggie Davis. You could also talk about Hunter Niswander as the substitute kicker, but that’s really not what he’s supposed to be doing anyway.

Jerry Jones announced before the HOF game that Jimmy Johnson will be inducted into the Ring of Honor – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys

Will Jerry and Jimmy making up help break the streak?

The Dallas Cowboys played a football game on Thursday night, but even before any toe met any ball, the team made some news. While the non-Cowboys and Steelers teams in the NFL will only play three preseason games this year, the reason that Dallas and Pittsburgh played a fourth is because they were part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. Obviously they were at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Saturday and Sunday will feature the induction speeches from both the classes of 2020 and 2021 (since there was no enshrinement ceremony last year) and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson is a part of the former.

Just before the Cowboys and Steelers kicked off, Johnson was on the FOX set where he serves as an analyst throughout the season and he was joined by the network’s top color analyst Troy Aikman (Johnson’s former quarterback), and team owner Jerry Jones. It was a Cowboys reunion.

As the group were sharing stories and laughs, Jerry Jones did what he should have done long ago. He announced that Jimmy Johnson will be enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.

A Preview Of Cowboys-Rams Practice Saturday – Rob Phillips, DallasCowboys.com

Don’t forget about the Rams and Cowboys scrimmage!

OXNARD, Calif. – A day and a half after returning from their preseason opener against the Steelers in Canton, Ohio, the Cowboys will welcome the Rams to training camp Saturday for a joint practice.

Saturday’s practice begins at 5 p.m. Central Time (3 p.m. Pacific) and will be streamed live on DallasCowboys.com. It will also air live on TXA 21 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Here’s what to expect:

Saturday’s practice won’t include tackling, but it will feature some competitive situations. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy described it as a “professional thud” in terms of physicality. “These practices give you an opportunity to get a lot of quality work done and lower the risk that you obviously have to go through to play in preseason games,” he said.

McCarthy and Rams coach Sean McVay have spoken several times about the plan for Saturday’s practice. “We’ll hit pretty much every situation,” McCarthy said. “We’ll go right through the script. We’ll start with special teams and then we’ll have a seven-on-seven red zone, one-on-one D-Line rushing – I know you guys love that drill, so you’ll be fired up for that. Then we’ll go with the seven-on-seven red zone and a team-backed-up drill, then a team red zone, a team third down. Then we’ll have a full move-the-ball segment where you just call it and move the field, put the ball down and play. Then we’ll finish with a two-minute. We’ll pretty much try to hit every situation.”

Dallas Cowboys: Dak deal is bigger bargain after Bills paid Allen – Cole Patterson, A to Z Cowboys

It took a whopping five months, but Dak’s deal is already looking better and better.

The Dallas Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a massive four-year, $160 million deal in March. It was the second-richest contract ever signed by an NFL player. Only Patrick Mahomes has signed a deal for more money.

Prescott’s deal was met with some criticism, even from Cowboys fans. On paper, that looks like — and is, of course — a ton of money. However, that is the way that the quarterback market is going. You have to pay big money to a franchise signal caller. The price never goes down; rather, the number increases year after year.

Deshaun Watson signed a four-year, $156 million deal with the Houston Texans prior to Prescott inked his contract. Not too long before Watson, Russell Wilson signed for a four-year, $140 million deal.

It was just a matter of time before a different quarterback surpassed Prescott’s yearly average. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield are all eligible for contract extensions this offseason. It appears that the Ravens, Bills, and Browns would all like to keep their QBs in town.

That means that they will have to pay up — and the Dak Prescott deal will look like an even bigger bargain for the Cowboys.

JOSH ALLEN SIGNS DEAL WITH BILLS

On Friday, a quarterback did sign for a bigger contract than what the Dallas Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported that Josh Allen has signed a six-year, $258 million contract with the Buffalo Bills. That equates to $43 million per year. Prescott, for comparison sake, is making $40 million per year on average.

BTB Podcast Schedule

• Monday: Jersey Boyz with Dave Sturchio, Bret Ernst, and Keith Ernst
• Tuesday: The 75O with Tony Casillas and RJ Ochoa
• Wednesday: Talkin’ The Draft with Connor Livesay, Cole Patterson, and Dalton Miller
• Thursday: Ryled Up with Roy White and Tom Ryle
• Friday: Girls Talkin ‘Boys with Kelsey Charles and Meg Murray
• Saturday: Cowboys Hoy with Mauricio Rodriguez

We also offer daily episodes of The Ocho where we give you that day’s latest headlines so that you always stay caught up. The BTB podcast network is available on all major podcast avenues.

You can find your preferred platform right here. Make sure to subscribe, rate the feed, and leave a review! Our latest episode is available in the feed down below.