Mike McCarthy shows there’s a new sheriff in town in mysterious Cowboys practice

 Mike McCarthy is not, and will never be, Jason Garrett. This is very good news for those of us who reference the four-year Bill Parcells era of 2003-06 as a welcome oasis in the desert between the dynasty of Jimmy Johnson and today. Now, let’s be clear: Parcells was cantankerous, arrogant and, more often than not, a bit rude. But he was 100-percent normal in the world of football coaches and their clear distrust for all competitors around the league. 

https://theathletic.com/2033954/2020/08/31/mike-mccarthy-shows-theres-a-new-sheriff-in-town-in-mysterious-cowboys-practice/ 

How the 2020 NFL schedule rotation presents Dallas with a very stiff challenge

 We are now a mere 13 days away from the return of the NFL season. I have a number of exercises to go through every year to get ready, making predictions and selections on who might emerge at the end of the year to dive into the playoff situation and ultimately the Super Bowl. Today’s project is to look at how the schedules will factor into how we assess which teams have the easier path and which ones have real issues to navigate. 

https://theathletic.com/2028962/2020/08/28/how-the-2020-nfl-schedule-rotation-presents-dallas-with-a-very-stiff-challenge/

Can the Cowboys offense really produce 4 1,000-yard players? And does it matter?

 There are many things about this NFL training camp that matter with regards to us crowning another league champion in five months’ time. There are also plenty of things that probably don’t matter, but are being discussed because they affect things like fantasy football or Madden ratings next season. I would argue this topic is way more the latter than the former. Football is a sweet symphony of many parts making beautiful music together. 

https://theathletic.com/2021562/2020/08/25/can-the-cowboys-offense-really-produce-4-1000-yard-players-and-does-it-matter/ 

Sturm: Luka Doncic is one of the best players alive. He’s just getting started

 This is the first column I have ever written about Luka Doncic. Those of us in sportswriting are too often guilty of hyperbole. Perhaps even that statement was hyperbolic to demonstrate my point. We occasionally overstate things that are simply “decent” to hopefully value-add some significance to a mundane game, season or career. And that is a shame. 

https://theathletic.com/2018868/2020/08/24/sturm-luka-doncic-is-one-of-the-best-players-alive-hes-just-getting-started/ 

Why Cowboys’ scheme and support could set DeMarcus Lawrence up for big 2020

 Here’s an undeniable fact: DeMarcus Lawrence currently owns the largest contract in Dallas Cowboys history. There will come a time when that will be surpassed, as we are certain Dak Prescott has already turned down a bigger deal altogether and Amari Cooper just signed one that came very close to Lawrence’s number. But for now, and for the last 18 months, D-Law’s five-year, $105 million deal running from 2019 through 2023 holds the title. The reality was not that difficult to understand. '

https://theathletic.com/2007826/2020/08/20/why-cowboys-scheme-and-support-could-set-demarcus-lawrence-up-for-big-2020/ 

State of the Cowboys: Optimism reigns, but the burden of failure remains intact

 If you are the type to engage in traditions, you will be pleased to know I’m aware this is one of mine. This year, above all other seasons, we are breaking from traditions against our will, but that can’t stop me from making sure I try to keep a little normalcy, as a sportswriting creature of habit. For the last 23 seasons, I have been employed to cover Dallas Cowboys training camp on-site. For many of those, I have been employed to write about them. 

https://theathletic.com/2001914/2020/08/18/state-of-the-cowboys-optimism-reigns-but-the-burden-of-failure-remains-intact/ 

Why new DE Everson Griffen could be Cowboys’ best one-year difference-maker yet

 Everson Griffen is a fantastic football player. In case there is any uncertainty in that sentence, allow me to make myself even clearer. I didn’t say he used to be a fantastic football player (although he has been for some time). I also didn’t say he will be in a few more years (because it is tough to forecast a player’s future into his mid-30s). I am saying he is one at this moment in time — precisely when the Dallas Cowboys have pounced.

https://theathletic.com/1996428/2020/08/14/why-everson-griffen-will-be-the-cowboys-latest-one-year-difference-maker/ 

Examining the Vander Esch-Smith position swap: Is it the right call for Dallas?

 Surely, this has been the slowest early August in recent Dallas Cowboys history when it comes down to anything news-worthy. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk aboutLeighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith appear to be switching specific linebacker roles in the Cowboys defense for 2020. Now, of course, we are doing an enormous amount of guesswork on what that means, given that we aren’t positive what the defense is going to look like.

https://theathletic.com/1986835/2020/08/11/examining-the-vander-esch-smith-position-swap-is-it-the-right-call-for-dallas/ 

Examining the Cowboys’ defensive coverages in 2019, and what will change in 2020

 The end of the Jason Garrett era has been handled differently by different people. If you follow this particular writer, you know from our somewhat controversial “Jason Garrett Week” earlier this summer that I was pretty sure a change was due by the Spring of 2013. Here, my opinion sort of matters. So I would tell you that most of my general feeling is this: He had plenty of positives, but the vanilla predictability on both sides of the ball seemed to transcend his coordinators. Is it truly fair? 

https://theathletic.com/1976883/2020/08/06/examining-the-cowboys-defensive-coverages-in-2019-and-what-will-change-in-2020/ 

CeeDee Lamb vs. the Longhorns in 2019: One of the best performances ever seen

 The future first-round (and Cowboys) wide receiver dominated in the Red River Shootout.

https://theathletic.com/1969309/2020/08/03/ceedee-lamb-vs-the-longhorns-in-2019-one-of-the-best-performances-ever-seen/