Miles Sanders hints at Dallas Cowboys’ new offensive identity – Matt Galatzan, SI.com

The new running back in town tips the hand of the Cowboys offense and what the plan will be this year.

The Dallas Cowboys are going to look different in 2025. Not only does Dallas have a slew of free agent signings and players acquired through trade, but they also, of course, have an entirely new coaching staff led by head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

Naturally, with so much change, there are plenty of questions surrounding what exactlty the team’s new identity could be under the new staff – particularly on the offensive side of the ball under first year offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. And according to freshly signed running back Miles Sanders, there is going to be a focus on a physical run-first attack on offense.

“The plan for the offense is to go through the run,” Sanders said via DallasCowboys.com. ”You don’t get too many places where the offensive coordinator is an offensive line coach, and I know he’s playing a big part in the plan, I’m excited.”

Obviously, running the football was a major weakness for the Cowboys for the majority of the 2024 season, with Rico Dowdle’s late-season emergence standing as the only silver lining to their rushing attack all season. So it should be no surprise that the team would look to improve that part of their offense in a big way.

Spagnola: Making no bones about run intentions – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com

More talk about the running game in Dallas.

Exhibit C: This, too, is no oversight. Schottenheimer, not only the head coach, is also running the offense and will be calling plays. He didn’t hire a traditional OC, sort of what his support role as OC for Mike McCarthy was that past two seasons. Oh no, he hired a noted offensive line coach in Klayton Adams, the past two seasons the O-Line coach in Arizona, where in 2024 the Cards finished seventh in rushing yards with a franchise 16-year high of 2,451, an average of 144.2 a game and 5.3 a carry, with 18 rushing touchdowns. This with running back James Conner leading the way with 1,094 yards and eight TDs, along with quarterback Kyler Murray running for 572 on 78 carries. And in 2023, the Cardinals finished fourth by averaging 139.1 yards a game along with 17 rushing touchdowns, Conner going for 1,040 yards and seven TDs and Murray just 284 yards and two scores.

When Adams was asked if he might still have a hand in coaching the offensive line while the OC, he said, “I definitely won’t stay away from that.”

Then comes the new offensive line coach Conor Riley, the former offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Kansas State the past six seasons. The Wildcats the last two seasons averaged more than 200 yards rushing and 32 points a game. Check this out: In 2023 with Deuce Vaughan a rookie with the Cowboys, K-State still averaged 204.1 yards rushing a game and scored 32 rushing touchdowns. And this past season the average jumped to 215.5 a game and 21 rushing touchdowns.

Riley knows why Schottenheimer came calling.

“Coach Shottenheimer has talked about it. It’s going to be a physical, physical identity. He’s made it very clear we have to win up front, and we have to win up front on both sides of the football. And then along with that, how do we take advantage of that physicality and utilize the play-action game and getting the ball in the playmakers hands?” Riley said, the Cowboys doubling down with the offensive line, and really tripling down since Ramon Chinyoung remains as the O-Line assistant.

Cowboys’ first-round pick is becoming clearer and clearer – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat

Dallas may already shown their intentions with how recent transactions have played out.

We also know Dallas was interested in wide receiver Cooper Kupp to some extent. Needless to say those four positions – receiver, cornerback, linebacker and defensive tackle – are the biggest needs on the roster. After the first wave of free agency, though, it is becoming increasingly clear what position the front office will target with the No. 12 overall pick.

Cowboys are clearly targeting a wide receiver in first round of NFL Draft

While the Cowboys has clear needs at corner, receiver, linebacker and defensive tackle, they have at least added one player at those positions. They have yet to add a new receiver.

As of this writing, Dallas has added LBs in the form of former first-round pick Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn, who impressed under Matt Eberflus in Chicago. They traded for former Bills first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam and signed veteran defensive tackle Solomon Thomas as insurance behind Osa Odighizuwa at the three-tech position. Wide receiver is the one outlier.

The front office didn’t show much urgency to re-sign Brandin Cooks, who inked a two-year, $13 million pact with the Saints. That’s a good deal for an aging receiver, but nobody would have batted an eye if Cooks was brought back given the state of the WR room.

CeeDee Lamb is a top-five player at the position, but Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy leave a lot to be desired. Tolbert is best served as a WR3 and Turpin is more of a gadget player than a downfield threat.

There is a cavernous hole at WR2. While this is not the draft to need a receiver, there are three prospects worthy of a first-round selection: Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, Missouri’s Luther Burden and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka.

Cowboys 2025 draft: 10 sleepers in this year’s draft – Mike Poland, Blogging the Boys

Keep these names in mind this April when the Cowboys are on the clock.

1. QB Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)

Rourke is considered a sleeper in this year’s NFL draft because he has the size, arm talent, and experience that NFL teams covet, but he flies under the radar due to his age, deep ball accuracy and his late ACL injury which adds questions on his availability this year. Look past those issues and you’ll find a quarterback with good experience, quickly able to read defenses, and is resilient and unyielding on the field with great leadership. Put in the time and stay patient with Rourke and he’ll pay any team back that drafts him with a solid backup quarterback that’s quick to develop.

2. RB Bhaysul Tuten (Virginia Tech)

Tuten ranks outside the top-100 in the consensus rankings and on PFF he ranks as low as 187. With his electrifying speed (4.32 second 40-yard time), and his explosiveness (10-yard split of 1.49 seconds), it’s clear Tuten is an athletic demon on the field. Tuten is a quick and agile slasher capable of excelling in a zone-blocking system, and his exceptional movement abilities suggest he has the potential for significant productivity. His 2,242 all-purpose yards and 29 total touchdowns the last two seasons shows just how productive he can be. The reason he’s so easily overlooked is he’s pert of a very deep and talented running back class, but who ever picks him is getting a very talented running back.

3. DT CJ West (Indiana)

Another draft prospect from Indiana that ranks outside the consensus top-100, and West is probably the most highly-valued Indiana player in this year’s draft. He’s better suited as a 1T defensive tackle or can push into the nose tackle position if coaches try to steer him that direction. But West’s run defense is very enticing and as a rotational piece in the middle of the defensive line he could become extremely impactful. His 11.4% run stop win-rate is fourth-most in this class, only slightly behind Mason Graham.

4. WR Ja’Corey Brooks (Louisville)

Brooks is probably one of the lesser-known prospects on the list. After transferring from Alabama, Brooks emerged as a big-play threat and put up some good numbers last season. Some scouting services don’t even have Brooks ranked on their big boards, as such his consensus rankings has him at 254, that’s undrafted. But Brooks has a lot to offer as a late-round flyer or priority undrafted free agent and should be able to make his way onto an active roster in the NFL. You may struggle to find a scouting report on Brooks but watch his tape, it’s intriguing. His blend of size, athleticism, and big-play ability is something every team should want to tap into. He showcased his talent as a deep threat, leading the FBS in receptions of 20 yards or more through Week 9 last season. He shows strong hands and body control, excelling in contested catches and tracks the ball downfield at an elite level. Plus he has good versatility which adds more fuel to his value thanks to his ability to play both outside and in the slot.