Latest news with #ConorRiley
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys well-rounded coaching staff means opportunistic rushing attack
The Dallas Cowboys want to rush the ball more in 2025. The question these days is how exactly they plan on doing so. Newly minted head coach Brian Schottenheimer has a history of inside zone, and with the investments made in the Cowboys interior offensive line, one could reasonably assume it will be a major part of the future. New offensive coordinator Klayton Adams brings inside zone schemes to table as well. His time running the Arizona Cardinals offensive line shows he employs a more balanced variety of blocking schemes on his offense, but inside zone leads the pack. Advertisement Conor Riley, the Cowboys' new offensive line coach, is in a similar vein to Adams. Riley leans on inside zone most, but also uses his fair share of other schemes to round out his attack. It's worth noting Adams and Riley both use less outside zone than Dallas ran last season, and both run high degrees of pulling and counter plays. This well-rounded offensive coaching staff has laid enough breadcrumbs over the years to give a fairly solid indication as to what to expect from the Cowboys ground game in 2025. They like big personnel packages like 12 and 13 personnel (2TE and 3TE packages) and they like athletic linemen who can move. Most importantly they appear to like diversity in their play calling. Their familiarity with various running concepts make them more adaptable than most. If the Cowboys' young offensive line is better in some concepts than they are others, Schottenheimer, Adams and Riley are able to adapt to play to the strengths of the line. It just so happens the Cowboys running back room also supports such adaptability. Consisting of Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Jayden Blue, Phil Mafah, Hunter Luepke and Deuce Vaughn, there is no clear RB1 the scheme must fit. Who gets the carries in 2025 could come down to which RB best matches the Cowboys' best blocking scheme. Advertisement In general, NFL offenses are all fairly diverse in their run blocking schemes. It's important to mix it up to keep defenses playing honest. But the Cowboys' specific trinity of coaches indicate their rushing attack is particularly diverse and particularly focused on developing and discovering the strengths of their linemen. It explains the modest investment in the RB position this offseason and explains why Tyler Booker was the first draft pick they made in April. The Cowboys invested heavily in offensive line-focused coaches this offseason and it should pay off in efficiency and resiliency. You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys well-rounded coaching staff means opportunistic rushing attack
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
$2.7 million fan favorite facing roster extinction after free agency flood at his position
Dallas Cowboys fans felt like their team had uncovered a golden nugget following the 2023 NFL draft. T.J. Bass, an Oregon product, was two-time First-Team All-Conference player in the Pac-12. He received $150,000 worth of guarantees as one of the team's premier undrafted free agents, then went out and proved his worth, making the initial 53-man roster as a rookie. Bass started two games as a rookie, and another three in his second season, but entering his third year he's going to have to prove himself to a new regime. The head-coaching switch from Mike McCarthy to Brian Schottenheimer means there's a new staff of position coaches, and Klayton Adams and Conor Riley went out and found several new bodies to work in the potential scheme change. Advertisement RunDown Position: Offensive Guard Age: 26 Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 325 pounds Hometown: Deming, WA High School: Mount Baker College: Oregon (Film Study Video) Draft: 2023 Undrafted Free Agent Acquired: UDFA Contract: Three-year contract (2023), $2.7 million 2025 Base Salary: $1 million Career Earnings: $1.6 million (per Over The Cap) Profile October 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys guard T.J. Bass (66) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Not only did Dallas sign Robert Jones, Saahdiq Charles and Hakeem Adeniji, they also used a first and sixth-round pick on the interior of the line with Alabama's Tyler Booker and Bass' former teammate Adeniji Cornelius. The latter is going to be moved inside. The team also brought back ERFA Brock Hoffman, who beat out Bass for the primary interior backup role last summer. Advertisement All of these players will be significant competition for the former Duck as he'll have to swim upstream to make the roster again in 2025. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Dallas Cowboys player profile: No. 66 OG T.J. Bass
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New Cowboys' OL coach among best in CFB, making way to pros
The Dallas Cowboys have completed the majority of their coaching hires, but the vacant offensive line coach position has remained a mystery. That is until now as a leading candidate has now been hired. Conor Riley has been the offensive line coach at Kansas State University for the past six seasons and is regarded as one of the best assets in the country. ESPN's Bruce Feldman was first to identify Riley is who Brian Schottenheimer identified to be in charge of the big uglies, and now the deal has been made. The Cowboys have made it a point to improve their running game and Riley, along with new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, certainly fit the criteria. Under Riley, the Wildcats recorded three consecutive seasons in which they averaged 200 rushing yards per game. Before his time in Manhattan, Riley coached for six seasons at North Dakota State, where he helped the Bison to five straight National Championships. The team averaged an astounding 235 rush yards per game during his tenure including the 2018 season where the team averaged 286.2 yards a contest. Riley will get to coach his former K-State pupil Cooper Beebe, who the Cowboys drafted last season in the third round. He also gets to reunite with running back Deuce Vaughn, who played three seasons with the Wildcats, all under Riley leading the big boys up front. This will be a big jump for the 22-year college veteran as Riley has never coached in the NFL before. Those concerns may be put to rest as Riley has spent the majority of his coaching career leading the offensive line which began as a graduate assistant in 2003. He also played on the offensive line for Omaha from 1999 through the 2002 season. Dallas still has a few open positions to round out their staff, including receivers coach, but the expected arrival of Riley will go a long way to curing what ailed Dallas in 2024.
