Texans GM Brian Gaine knows Ezekiel Elliott is one of the NFL’s best players - Mat

Cowboys news: Why it takes “11 guys to slow down” Ezekiel Elliott.t Mosley http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/tyrone-crawford-jersey , SportsDayMuch like any opponent, Gaine knows that Ezekiel Elliott must be prioritized because he’s one of the league’s most elite players.How Ezekiel Elliott surprised teammates, sparked Cowboys last Sunday - Jon Machota- SportsDayElliott sparked his teammates prior to their week four victory with his energy and leadership.Ezekiel Elliott stepping out of his comfort zone for Dallas Cowboys - Todd Archer, ESPNThis team needed someone to fill the pregame leadership role occupied recently by folks like Jason Witten or Sean Lee. Elliott ran with the opportunity.Silencing Houston’s home crowd key vs. Texans - Margaux Gill, DallasCowboys.comThe Cowboys are 0-2 on the road this season, which is unlike the Cowboys teams of the Jason Garrett era. Cowboys know offense still needs to improve and especially on the road - Stefan Stevenson, Fort Worth Star-TelegramWe’ve seen that this offense can find some juice at home but now they have to prove it on the road against the Texans.Cowboys defense will have to step up their game on the road against the Texans - Michael Sisemore, Blogging The BoysTexans QB Deshaun Watson is poorly protected but Dallas only averages 2.5 sacks on the road. That’s not good for a defense that is predicated on pressure being their strongest attribute.Cowboys defense must shake habit of allowing chunk plays - David Helman, Dallas CowboysThe Cowboys defense is among the best against the big play but have seen an uptick in that category over the last two games.Resetting the NFC East: Has Eagles’ slow start opened up the division? - ESPN StaffThe assumption was that the Philadelphia Eagles would run away with the East, but that ain’t happening.Cowboys have the best pass rusher no one talks about - Stephen White, SBNation.comRetired NFL defensive end Stephen White takes a closer look at Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence, one of the league's best pass rushers.Two Cowboys players named to PFF 2018 first-quarter All-Pro team - Michael Renner, Pro Football FocusNo Womens Brett Maher Jersey , it's not the league leader in sacks.It's also not the league leader in rushing yards.So who does that leave?Bill O’Brien: DeMarcus Lawrence can “wreck a game” – Josh Alper, ProFootballTalkLawrence may not get credit from PFF, but he's sure getting credit from the Texans head coach.David Irving and Randy Gregory expected to play Sunday despite missing practice - David Moore, SportsDayIrving and Gregory were not at practice Thursday for different reasons but both still plan to play against Texans.Why did Randy Gregory and David Irving miss Thursday's practice? - Clarence Hill, Fort Worth Star-TelegramNo need to panic, two of the Cowboys pass rushers missed practice but they weren't for troubling reasons.What will Cowboys do to make room for David Irving? - David Moore, SportsDayWho can it be now? The Pro Bowl (weird as it was at times) is done and the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching staff is home. While the offensive coordinator job is still technically open, all signs are that Kellen Moore will wind up filling it, with Jon Kitna as the quarterback coach. We still have to wait for that to become official, but now the team should be ready to move onto the the next phase of things: Free agency. And this season, as is normal for the Cowboys, the biggest decisions concern their own free agents. Everyone knows DeMarcus Lawrence is the big target to retain, but that is a case where the only real thing for the team to decide is just how hard they are going to negotiate the handsome price they will pay for him.However Authentic Travis Frederick Jersey , there is one rather complicated situation for the team to handle, and that is what to do about slot receiver Cole Beasley. He has expressed unhappiness over his role in the offense, leading to speculation that he is basically gone in free agency. Despite that, Beasley has often played a vital role for the Cowboys as the go-to slot receiver, especially when they really need to convert on short-to-medium third downs. He is very difficult to cover one-on-one, and now that the team has added Amari Cooper and seen the emergence of Michael Gallup, and Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz have improved, Beasley has real value on the field, whether he is the target or making it easier for Dak Prescott to get the ball to someone else. Part of his discontent seems to lie with the way offensive coordinator Scott Linehan didn’t appear to want to incorporate him into the game plan.But Linehan has graduated to ex-offensive coordinator. It remains to be seen how presumptive OC Moore will seek to utilize slot receivers. He may have an encouraging message for Beasley if he wants to stay.There is also the question of just how much Beasley was being left out of the game plan. 2018 was not really a down year for him. It was his second best season behind 2016 in yardage, targets, and receptions. He caught 75% of the balls thrown his way, and averaged just over 10 yards a catch. And while he only had three touchdowns, the one he grabbed to win the final regular season game was a clear exhibit of just how good a weapon he can be.So the Cowboys have to make a decision on whether they really want to let him go in free agency (assuming he would be receptive to a new deal with Dallas). The question in that case is just how much they are willing to pay for him. It is anticipated that he would be expecting a contract worth between $6 and $8 million annually. Are the Cowboys willing to pony up that much? If not Authentic Leighton Vander Esch Jersey , what will they do to replace him?Well, if they aren’t, they have to have a plan for that replacement - and that is far murkier than the OC status. Beasley is a specific talent, able to get open almost at will, with good hands and more speed than many think. If he is not retained, the Cowboys have some uncertain alternatives. They can try to re-sign Tavon Austin, but he has a significant injury history, missing nine regular season games since coming to Dallas last year. His record as a pass receiver is not nearly as good as Beasley’s, with only a 59% catch rate. He is an electrifying return man, which is perhaps reason enough to try and re-sign him, but that does not make him a reliable option in the slot. They also have Cedrick Wilson, who spent his rookie season on IR. Wilson is seen as having a chance to be a very good slot receiver, based on his performance in training camp before his injury Youth Deonte Thompson Jersey , but it is just potential, where Beasley is a proven commodity. Otherwise, they could try a bit of slot-receiver-by-committee, but recent history with that whole “by-committee” thing is not encouraging.That leaves free agency and the draft. And frankly, there is little chance of finding someone who can replace Beasley’s contributions either route. A free agent of anywhere near his abilities is going to cost just about as much, so why not spend the money on someone who already knows the quarterback? And while Moore is expected to make some real changes to the offense, he should keep a lot of the same terminology and some of the concepts to make things as easy on his players as possible.Still, the team may be tempted to try and replace Beasley with a much cheaper draftee. It is seen to be a good draft for wide receivers, with players like Marquise Brown and Andy Isabella possibly being there when the Cowboys select in the second or third round. But if I were involved in the personnel decisions at the Star, I would be advocating strongly that the team make an offer to Beasley, and be willing to work with him to keep his talents on board. The team has nearly $55 million in cap space per Over the Cap and has shown it can find more whenever it needs to. Investing in their own free agents has been a strategy of the Cowboys for some time now, and it is one that should be continued with Beasley. They can afford it. And he is worth it. Custom Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys