How Watt's new deal impacts Parsons' next contract
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Newsweek
3 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Dallas Cowboys Star Gets Honest on Contract Situation
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As the Dallas Cowboys are expected to eventually work out a new contract with the veteran star, Micah Parsons, many are wondering whether the organization will soon have to discuss an extension with the star offensive lineman, Tyler Smith. On Sunday, most of the Cowboys' 2025 roster reported to California for training camp. Smith was among the group, and addressed reporters ahead of the team's first practice. Smith was asked about his current contract situation, which doesn't seem to have any steam on extension talks just yet. Whether he's searching for an early extension or not, Smith makes it clear that the ball isn't in his court at this time. "That's not up to me," the star lineman told reporters. "I can only control what I can control, and that's coming in and working." Cowboys LG Tyler Smith when asked if he'd like to get contract talks started: 'That's not up to me. I can only control what I can control, and that's coming in and working.' — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 20, 2025 Smith, a Texas native, attended Tulsa for his college run from 2019 to 2021. Entering the 2022 NFL Draft, Smith was a projected first-round pick. The Cowboys made those predictions a reality. With the 24th overall pick, the Cowboys called on Smith to become a key member of the offensive front. From the jump, Smith was a full-time starter for Dallas, appearing in 17 games, playing 99 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Tyler Smith #73 of the Dallas Cowboys drops back to block during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium on December 9, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Tyler Smith #73 of the Dallas Cowboys drops back to block during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium on December 9, 2024 in Arlington, he dealt with some setbacks during year two, Smith still appeared in 14 games, collecting 941 snaps of action, which accounted for 97 percent of the Cowboys' offensive snaps when he was healthy. Last year, Smith started the 16 games he played. For the second time in his career, he appeared in over 1,000 snaps. He was whistled for just one holding call and one false start throughout the entire season, which is a career-high for the third-year veteran. At this stage in his career, Smith is a two-time Pro Bowler. He was named Second-Team All-Pro during the 2023 NFL season. If the Cowboys aren't going to be willing to pay Smith, some other team surely will. This year, Smith will have a base salary of $2.5 million, carrying a cap hit of $4.6 million. There is a team option available for Dallas in 2026, but an established player like Smith might want long-term security at this stage of his career. The Cowboys have already proven they aren't going to rush to get deals done. Currently, the star pass rusher Micah Parsons is in a position where he wanted an extension early on, but he's still waiting. Although Parsons was viewed as a potential holdout candidate ahead of training camp this season, the veteran pass rusher is reportedly making his way to camp this upcoming week. Dallas doesn't have any high-profile holdouts this year. However, they have multiple players to keep an eye on as the stars typically want to get paid earlier. For more Dallas Cowboys and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Former Cardinals Desmond Ridder, Jesse Luketa get opportunities with Cardinals opponents
Desmond Ridder signed with the Bengals and Jesse Luketa had a tryout with the Cowboys. A pair of former Arizona Cardinals players either have or could have a new team as NFL training camps begin. On Sunday, quarterback Desmond Ridder, whom the Cardinals acquired via trade in the 2024 offseason, signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He replaces Logan Woodside, who was released. Ridder spent the 2024 offseason and preseason with the Cardinals, but Clayton Tune beat him out for the backup quarterback job. Ridder began the season on the practice squad but was later signed by the Las Vegas Raiders and appeared in six games, starting once. For Ridder, it is a return to a city he knows well, as he played collegiately for the University of Cincinnati. Another former Cardinals, linebacker Jesse Luketa, who spent three years with the Cardinals and was drafted by them in the seventh round in 2022 out of Penn State, had a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys, according to Cards Wire's Howard Balzer. In 10 games last season, he had a career-high three sacks but his season ended with a thigh injury. If Luketa signs, the Cardinals potentially could play against both him and Ridder. The Cardinals face the Cowboys on the road in Week 9 and the Bengals in Week 17 on the road. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Cowboys 53-man roster projection sees former 1st-round pick with fully guaranteed deal cut
Could the Cowboys offense undergo an unexpected shakeup this summer? Status quo should not be counted on. It's finally time. The Dallas Cowboys have packed up the team buses and filled the charter plane, heading west to Oxnard, CA to begin their 2025 training camp. With practices commencing on Tuesday, what better time to predict what things will look like come the end of August when the 90-man roster is whittled down to 53 than the present? Dallas is deep in some areas, like edge rusher with a ton of high-pedigree bodies of all ages, and shallow in others, like the defensive interior. The team took a sharp turn from their 2024 talent acquisition process, grabbing veterans on both the free agent and trade market to offset some of their losses. In that vein, here's an updated projection for the team's 53-man roster, which will be decided in full on August 26 following the third and final preseason game. The savvy reader will add up the counts and see there are only 52 names on the main roster; the suspicion is Dallas is going to make some sort of move to bring in a starter from somewhere else before Week 1. Quarterbacks (2 on roster, 1 on practice squad) Expecting a strong summer performance from both Dak Prescott and second-year acquisition Joe Milton. Milton may not be active on game-day to start the year, though, as the club might allow Will Grier to be the practice-squad call-up for the first several games and then decide whether to roster him. This was the method they used with Cooper Rush, to allow them to protect another player on the 53-man roster until an IR trip opened up a spot. Roster Locks Practice Squad Running Backs (3 + 2) The two veteran offseason signings are going to make the club. When he was OC in Seattle, Schottenheimer never carried a fullback, though in his third of three seasons did employ bigger backs Carlos Hyde and Bo Scarborough, who were only about 5-7 pounds lighter than Hunter Luepke. We have Luepky getting a practice squad spot if he clears waivers, until the team is comfortable with giving Phil Mafah snaps in games that count. Roster Locks Pretty Secure Practice Squad Cut Candidate Tight Ends (3 + 1) I think it's a strong possibility that when it gets time to trim the roster, the Cowboys are going to trade Luke Schoonmaker. It seems a real possibility that Brevyn Spann-Ford will surpass him in the hierarchy, and the team may be able to recoup a Day 3 pick for the former second rounder. The idea is laid out here. Roster Locks Pretty Secure None Think They Make It Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash Cut or Trade Candidate Wide Receivers (6 + 3) The infusion of talent in the trade acquisition of George Pickens took this group from questionable into the conversation for one of the league's best. Instantly the Cowboys have a WR3 in Tolbert who has skins on the wall, a big-play gadget WR4 in Kavontae Turpin, and the upside of young players such as Jonathan Mingo and Ryan Flournoy where if either shows future WR2 capabilities it's one of the deeper groups in the NFL, led by First-Team All-Pro candidate CeeDee Lamb. Roster Locks Pretty Secure None Think They Make It Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash Cut or Trade Candidate Offensive Linemen (10 + 2) Predicting the Cowboys roll with 10 offensive linemen on the initial roster makes us a little more comfortable than recent versions of the projections. Six linemen are here for sure, with another two seeming like very smart bets. Outside of those eight, there's a player who was stashed with an injury last camp, a veteran looking to return after a year away from the game, and then a late-round flyer and late FA addition who the team. The youth along the offensive line breeds both hope and anxiety, and how well they've developed and can play out the gate under the new regime dedicated to their play is going to define how the club's season goes. Roster Locks Pretty Secure Think They Make It Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Defensive Ends (5 + 1) Perhaps the easiest group to size up, the Cowboys should have one of the league's best edge rusher rotations in 2025. Led by 2021 first-round pick Micah Parsons, the group has spent draft capital (three second-round picks) and free agency dollars on high-pedigree additions, including two former first rounders added to the fold. Training camp battles will be about earning a place in a deep rotation, and for a handful of others, likely fighting for one practice squad spot. In this iteration, we see Dallas letting Payton Turner go, despite his $1.4 million contract being guaranteed and his former first-round pick pedigree. Roster Locks Pretty Secure Think They Make It None Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Defensive Tackles (5 + 2) It's a pretty wild drop off from the amount of talent in one of the DL rooms to the other, but here goes. Roster Locks Pretty Secure Think They Make It Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Linebackers (5 + 1) The Cowboys are probably worse at linebacker heading into 2025 than they were 2024, due to the injury to up-and-coming star DeMarvion Overshown. There's hope, however, due to the new DC being a linebacker guru. Matt Eberflus brought an up-and-coming player with him, as well as a high-pedigree veteran who joined via trade. Roster Locks Pretty Secure Think They Make It Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash Cut or Trade Candidate Cornerbacks (6 + 2) A change here, as we're including Trevon Diggs on the opening roster. While I don't believe he's ready to go for Week 1, I do think that he will practice some in training camp and the team won't be able to put him on PUP. What about Returnable IR to start the year? Instead of making him wait a minimum of four games and using one of eight returnable slots, Diggs is just inactive for the first few weeks. Roster Locks Pretty Secure None Think They Make It Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Safeties (4 + 1) The Cowboys are going to be deploying a split safety look, so this depth chart feels a bit shallow. Perhaps an addition from outside the roster happens. Roster Locks Pretty Secure Think They Make It None Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate Special Teams (3 + 1) Roster Locks Pretty Secure Think They Make It Practice Squad PUP/NFI/IR Stash None Cut or Trade Candidate None
