David Irving Won’t Lose Free Agent Status

In a case similar to that of Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving will not see his 2019 free agent status affected by his absence from training camp, a source tells Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.

Irving needed to report to Dallas’ camp 30 days prior to the start of the regular season in order to preserve his unrestricted free agent status next offseason. But because Irving, who is skipping camp to work on personal issues, has an agreement in place with the Cowboys, his contract will not toll, meaning he can hit the open market in the spring.

A former undrafted free agent, Irving hit restricted free agency this past offseason, and ultimately re-signed with the Cowboys on a second-round tender, which will pay him $2.9MM for the 2018 campaign. He’ll only earn a prorated portion of that total, however, as he’s suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

In 2017, Irving served another suspension (eight games for performance-enhancing drugs), but was effective in his half-season of play. In 338 defensive snaps, Irving managed seven sacks and graded as the league’s No. 23 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.

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