Three more Cowboys players were added to the NFC’s initial Pro Bowl roster on Tuesday, which included seven players selected by the team.
This week’s events in Orlando will feature defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, guard Tyler Smith, and tight end Jake Ferguson. Smith will replace guard Zack Martin, according to the Cowboys, so nine Cowboys will participate in the festivities.
Lawrence takes Nick Bosa’s place on the 49ers defense. He was chosen for a fourth Pro Bowl despite recording 50 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble.
George Kittle, the tight end for the 49ers, is being replaced by Ferguson. In his second NFL season, he caught 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns.Super Bowl odds are updated once more, favoring the 49ers by two
The line has changed several times in the short time since the matchup was announced.
In Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers were the early 2.5-point favorites over the Chiefs. It was down to one point for the 49ers as of this morning.
The 49ers are once again the two-point favorites, according to the DraftKings sportsbook.
The Chiefs should continue to be considered the underdog. They used it to their advantage and won two games on the road in the 2023 playoffs. And they will undoubtedly be happy to be the underdog team in the betting.
That will only facilitate their eventual return to the right side of history. It should be extremely difficult to pick against a team with, regardless of the spread,
Mekhi Becton was the right tackle and veteran Duane Brown was the left tackle going into the 2023 season for the Jets. But Brown’s injuries kept him out of the game for the majority of the season, and Becton—who will be a free agent—had occasional trouble filling in on the left side.
New York brought in an accomplished veteran in Billy Turner, and they also had high expectations for recent draft picks Max Mitchell and Carter Warren. It is anticipated that the team will search outside the organization for reinforcements because none of those players were able to establish themselves as long-term options to begin with.
Tyron Smith, an offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, is one pending free agent. Might Joe Douglas make him one of his off-season targets?
Let’s examine the benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages Skill and Experience
No one can dispute Smith’s skill. When healthy, the former top-10 pick is considered one of the league’s best blindside pass protectors. He has eight Pro Bowl appearances under his belt. With Aaron Rodgers back in the starting lineup and his health being of utmost importance, the Jets need that precisely.
Smith hasn’t given up more than three sacks in a season since 2015, and he didn’t give up a sack until Week 17 of this year. Since then, he has only allowed ten sacks in total during regular-season play. He would obviously be a significant improvement over Becton, who surrendered 12 sacks in 2023 alone.
Scheme Adherence
Smith still has a lot of experience in an offensive system that is very similar to the one the Jets are using, even though he may not be as athletic as he once was. Smith has been a member of a Cowboys team led by Mike McCarthy for the last few seasons; McCarthy also served as Rodgers’ head coach for the majority of his career.
In search of a title
Smith has never participated in or won a Super Bowl, and if he leaves a Dallas team that has experienced numerous postseason setbacks, he might believe that he has a better chance of doing so before the end of his career. Whoever he plays for in the upcoming season, he should undoubtedly be motivated.
Smith is 33 years old, and the Jets may be hesitant to sign a player in his later years after Duane Brown and Laken Tomlinson both began to show signs of age after signing recent large-scale contracts.
Smith appeared to have passed his prime in 2022 after missing the majority of the campaign due to a hamstring tear and underperforming when he was added back into the starting lineup on the right side. Due to a neck injury, he also missed nearly the whole 2020 season. Over the previous eight seasons, he has missed at least three games.
The Jets should face fierce competition for Smith’s services if he decides to enter the free agent market because starting tackles who are dependable are apparently in short supply.
However, Smith’s availability is by no means guaranteed. He might choose to consider retirement or decide to re-sign with the Cowboys.
Temporary Transfer
In the unlikely event that the Jets sign Smith, it will probably only be a temporary solution. Smith likely made more money than the $6 million he signed for a one-year contract in 2023. However, considering his age and past history of injuries, he might have to accept a one- or two-year contract instead.
Even if they do, the Jets will likely still need to search for a longer-term solution.
Although many would consider Smith’s addition to be somewhat ill-advised, the Jets should arguably adopt that mentality given that Rodgers will likely be their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
It’s important to take advantage of the chance to draw in a skilled individual with Smith’s caliber of experience. The Jets will need to back up this move with backup plans, though, in case he gets hurt or doesn’t perform to his typical level.
The new general manager of the Chargers is in place.
On Monday, there was word that the team was working with Joe Hortiz, the director of player personnel for the Ravens, to finalize a deal. The two parties have now reached an agreement on a deal that will bring Hortiz to Los Angeles, according to several reports on Tuesday.
Throughout his NFL career, Hortiz has been employed by the Ravens. He started out with the group in 1998 and assumed his current position in 2019.
Hortiz will start working with Jim Harbaugh, the new head coach of the Chargers, to assemble the team’s roster as soon as it becomes official. The salary cap problems that former general manager Tom Telesco left behind will make that effort more difficult, but quarterback
For the New England Patriots, the NFL free agency period in March will be crucial.
They have a ton of salary cap space available and a roster full of weaknesses, most of which are on offense. According to OverTheCap, the Patriots are expected to have the third-highest amount of cap space out of the 32 teams, with a little over $66 million.
Earlier this month, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, “We’re bringing in talent, 1,000 percent.” “Have a sizable cash and cap space. Burn a little cash.”
