There have been times this spring that Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has been surprised by the quiet air.
There’s never total silence of course, not with the whistles, air horns and chatter that provide the soundtrack to practice. But now that the Cowboys are deep into their offseason practice schedule, the void left by veteran tight end Jason Witten’s retirement and receiver Dez Bryant’s release are noticeable in the pauses in conversation in meeting rooms and the huddle.
You can see him thinking at a different level and just being more comfortable in our offense, and then challenging everyone else to play at that level with him, center Travis Frederick told USA TODAY Sports. People gravitate to him naturally. People want to follow him. Guys are looking to him for that, and he’s accepting of that, and he knows his responsibility.
Some things with the Cowboys’ offense won’t change. Linehan will still call the plays, though head coach Jason Garrett hired new assistant coaches for quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends and the offensive line. Running back Ezekiel Elliott will remain the focal point, though he could take on a larger role in the passing game.
If Edelman’s suspension is upheld, he would miss games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions and Dolphins.
With Edelman sidelined, New England could have to look elsewhere on the roster for go-to receivers after the team traded Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason. Chris Hogan would potentially see an increase in targets, while Malcolm Mitchell, Philip Dorsett, Jordan Matthews and others fight for playing time.
It doesn’t account for all of his statements or address the multitude of tweets he has sent about the issue – nor other private conversations that have reportedly occurred inside the NFL about his impact.
It remains to be seen whether the totality of those incidents will be enough to convince the system arbitrator in Kaepernick’s case or a federal judge to conclude that forcing depositions of Trump, Pence or others is necessary.
