Cowboys’ Tony Pollard To Spend Time At Slot WR?
The end of the 2021 season left a bad taste in the mouths of the Cowboys and their fans, but one bright spot was the play of backup running back Tony Pollard. The 25-year-old should see more playing time in 2022, but not just in the backfield. 
Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News details that Pollard is in line to spend time as a slot receiver this season, in an effort to maximize his skillset. He was a factor in the passing game during each of his first two seasons in Dallas, totalling 60 targets during that span. As he did in every other category, though, he increased his productivity in that department in 2021, with 39 catches for 337 yards.
Those totals – along with his 5.5 yards-per-carry average and effectiveness as a kick returner – require the Cowboys to find ways to put him on the field. As Watkins makes clear, however, doing so will not come at the expense of Ezekiel Elliott‘s workload. The former No. 4 overall pick still has five years remaining on his contract, and will look to rebound from a disappointing end to 2021, which was hampered by a knee injury.
Even if Elliott does remain a workhorse back, Pollard should still be able to receive close to the 169 total touches he had last season, if not more. In the absence of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb should be in line to operate more on the outside in 2022, along with Michael Gallup (when healthy). That would leave snaps available for the Memphis alum in the slot.
Watkins names Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey as comparable backs to the usage Pollard may receive this season, albeit on a much smaller scale. While it remains “doubtful” the latter receives a contract in the vicinity of the one Dallas gave Elliott, Pollard would of course help his free agent value with a repeat of last season’s performance, as 2022 is the final year of his rookie contract. His remarks on the prospect of a hybrid role show his willingness to embrace an increased workload.
“I’m open to anything just being on the field, being able to make the most of my opportunities” he said. “If I have to line up in the slot a little more, whatever it takes, I’m ready to do it.”
Cowboys LB Devante Bond Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury
The Cowboys have received an unfortunate update on the injury front. Linebacker Devante Bond suffered a knee injury in OTAs which will require season-ending surgery, per ESPN’s Todd Archer (Twitter link). 
Bond, 28, spent time last year on Dallas’ practice squad. He would have been in competition to land on the backend of the Cowboys’ roster, which has seen plenty of changes in the edge rush department. Most notably, the team is looking to replace Randy Gregory, who backed out of an extension to sign in Denver. The team has added Dante Fowler in free agency, and drafted Sam Williams in the second round to try and offset the loss.
A sixth-round pick in 2016, Bond began his career in Tampa Bay. He started six of 29 contests with the Buccaneers, after losing his entire rookie campaign due to a hamstring injury. In 2019, he was released days before it came out that he was being suspended for PED usage. He finished out the season in Chicago.
That offseason, the Bears re-signed him, though it didn’t lead to much in the way of playing time. Bond saw the field for just nine special teams snaps. Over the course of his career, he has totaled 39 tackles and has yet to register a sack. While today’s news leaves a vacancy on the Cowboys’ roster, it may therefore also leave his NFL future in doubt.
Cowboys Finish Signing 2022 Draft Class
The Cowboys have officially signed their entire draft class. The team announced today that they’ve signed fourth-round tight end Jake Ferguson to his four-year rookie pact.
Ferguson was relatively consistent during his four years at Wisconsin. In 47 games, the tight end hauled in 145 receptions for 1,618 yards and 13 touchdowns. Thanks to that production, he was the eighth tight end off the board during this year’s draft, going to Dallas with pick No. 129.
Dalton Schultz isn’t participating in OTAs while he looks for a new deal, so Ferguson will have a chance to show what he’s got with increased reps. The rookie will be competing with the likes of Sean McKeon and Jeremy Sprinkle for the second spot on the depth chart.
With the signing, Dallas has signed all nine of their draft picks:
Round 1: No. 24 Tyler Smith, OL (Tulsa) (signed)
Round 2: No. 56 Sam Williams, DE (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3: No. 88 Jalen Tolbert, WR (South Alabama) (signed)
Round 4: No. 129 Jake Ferguson, TE (Wisconsin)
Round 5: No. 155 (from Browns) Matt Waletzko, OT (North Dakota) (signed)
Round 5: No. 167 DaRon Bland, CB (Fresno State) (signed)
Round 5: No. 176 Damone Clark, LB (LSU) (signed)
Round 5: No. 178 John Ridgeway, DT (Arkansas) (signed)
Round 6: No. 193 (from Browns) Devin Harper, LB (Oklahoma State) (signed)
Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb Grows Half-Inch
- CeeDee Lamb has both bulked up and, strangely, grown a half-inch this offseason. The 23-year-old Cowboys wide receiver has gained 10 pounds and said he grew to 6-foot-2 1/2, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News notes. With Jerry Jones calling Lamb a superior No. 1 option to the since-traded Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup unlikely to be ready for Week 1, Lamb will have plenty on his shoulders to start the season.
Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz Frustrated By Contract Negotiations
After showing up for the previous round of Cowboys OTAs, Dalton Schultz intends to skip this week’s conclusion of the team’s voluntary offseason program. The extension talks are not proceeding to the franchise-tagged tight end’s liking, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
The tight end position has shifted into focus this offseason, this coming as wide receivers’ salaries are skyrocketing. David Njoku‘s $14.2MM-per-year Browns extension will affect the other two tagged tight ends — Schultz and Miami’s Mike Gesicki — and Dallas’ talks with Schultz had not exactly oozed progress entering the summer.
[RELATED: Schultz Seeking Long-Term Stay With Cowboys]
The Cowboys gave Blake Jarwin a four-year, $22MM deal in 2020 — when the team let the unretired Jason Witten walk in free agency — but Jarwin’s injury trouble changed the team’s plans again at the position. Schultz ended up becoming the team’s true Witten heir apparent. He stepped in to start 14 games in place of Jarwin in 2020, hauling in 63 passes for 615 yards and four touchdowns. Schultz’s 2021 encore — 78 receptions, 808 yards, eight TDs — led to the Cowboys slapping the $10.9MM tag on him.
Schultz, 25, has already signed his franchise tender. That locks him into the $10.9MM salary while also allowing the Cowboys to fine him for missing minicamp later this month. Given the sizable salary raise Schultz booked in March, it would seem a minicamp absence would be a legitimate course of action. Waging a training camp holdout is a costlier call, but there will be a resolution by that time.
No Schultz extension by July 15 ensures he plays a season on the tag. The Cowboys have seen this scenario play out recently, on a much higher-profile level, when Dak Prescott failed to come to terms on a deal before the 2020 tag deadline. Schultz’s $10.9MM cap figure would not rival Prescott’s 2020 price, and the team may be keen to rent Schultz for a season before determining if a big-ticket tight end deal is worthwhile.
Dallas has committed to Michael Gallup as its No. 2 wide receiver this year, via an $11.5MM-AAV deal in March, and has CeeDee Lamb on his rookie contract. The team can put off a Lamb extension until 2024, if necessary, due to the fifth-year option. The Cowboys have $22MM-plus in cap space, with their La’el Collins cut generating post-June 1 funding, but may be skittish on paying Schultz top-five tight end money. Njoku became the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid tight end, but Schultz’s 2021 showing is statistically superior to any of Njoku’s five seasons. This will almost certainly be an issue for the Cowboys and Dolphins, who have seen Gesicki top Njoku’s best work twice, and create intrigue in other tight end negotiations — likely Darren Waller‘s as well — in the near future.
Nine Teams Gain Cap Space From Post-June 1 Cuts
Although early June no longer serves as a stretch in which a wave of veterans are released for cap-saving purposes, June 2 still serves as an important calendar date for certain teams annually. Nine teams qualify as beneficiaries this year.
Eleven players were designated as post-June 1 cuts this year, via CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. Due to a longstanding CBA provision, teams that designate players as post-June 1 releases see the dead-money burden lessened for that year. Teams can designate up to two players as post-June 1 releases each year.
Here are 2022’s post-June 1 cuts, along with the belated cap savings the teams picked up Thursday:
Arizona Cardinals
- DL Jordan Phillips; 2022 cap savings: $10MM (story)
Chicago Bears
- RB Tarik Cohen; 2022 cap savings: $4MM (story)
- LB Danny Trevathan; 2022 cap savings: $3.3MM (story)
Cleveland Browns
- TE Austin Hooper; 2022 cap savings: $9.5MM (story)
Dallas Cowboys
- T La’el Collins; 2022 cap savings: $10MM (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- LB Cory Littleton; 2022 cap savings: $11.8MM (story)
- DE Carl Nassib; 2022 cap savings: $8MM (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- DT Fletcher Cox; 2022 cap savings: $2.1MM (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- DE Carlos Dunlap; 2022 cap savings: $5.1MM (story)
Tennessee Titans
- WR Julio Jones; 2022 cap savings: $9.5MM (story)
Washington Commanders
- S Landon Collins; 2022 cap savings: $11.9MM (story)
As detailed in PFR’s glossary, post-June 1 cuts spread dead-money hits over two years. These teams will be taking on dead money this year and next. A few of the 2023 hits are substantial, but the league’s cap-space hierarchy changed significantly Thursday as well.
Because of multiple restructures, Raiders will carry $9.9MM in Littleton dead money next year. The Cowboys will take on $8.7MM in 2023 for cutting Collins, while the Titans will be hit with $8.4MM for their Jones release. Cleveland, which just gave David Njoku a $14.2MM-per-year deal, will carry a $7.5MM dead-money cost next year due to shedding Hooper’s eight-figure-AAV deal early. The Eagles will be tagged with $11.5MM for their Cox cut, with Corry noting that is the net difference because of a $3.2MM salary cap credit regarding Cox’s 2022 bonus proration. Philadelphia re-signed the perennial Pro Bowler on a one-year, $14MM deal.
Hooper’s release pushes Cleveland’s cap space to beyond $40MM; the Browns’ overall cap-space edge is now a whopping $15MM. That should help the team address multiple needs ahead of training camp. Other teams have more options now, too. As of Thursday, the Raiders hold the NFL’s third-most cap space ($22.5MM, per OverTheCap). The $10MM the Cowboys saved moves them up to fourth in cap space ($22.49MM), while the Bears ($22.2MM), Commanders ($18.4MM) and Seahawks ($17MM) now sit fifth, sixth and seventh.
A handful of this year’s post-June 1 cut crop joined Cox in taking advantage of the modern setup, which allows these cap casualties to become free agents immediately — rather than waiting until June to hit the market. In place since the 2006 CBA, this adjustment let veterans loose early while keeping their cap figures on teams’ payrolls through May. Collins quickly joined the Bengals, while Littleton landed with the Panthers, Hooper signed with the Titans, and Phillips returned to the Bills. The remainder of this group remains unsigned. The savings this lot of teams inherited Thursday may help some of these players’ causes in free agency.
Former Cowboys, Bears RB Marion Barber III Dies
Former Cowboys and Bears running back Marion Barber III was found dead Wednesday in his Frisco apartment, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He was 38.
Frisco police responded to a welfare check at Barber’s apartment when someone called about a water leak. Upon arriving, the police forced their way into the apartment. As of the time of this reporting, the cause of Barber’s death is unknown.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down. He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
The Plymouth, Minnesota, native played in the NFL from 2005-2011. Barber was a fourth-round draft pick for the Cowboys out of the University of Minnesota where he played his last year as a Golden Gopher with his brother, former Texans safety Dominique Barber. In his final Minnesota season, Marion made college football history when he and former Patriots running back Laurence Maroney became the first teammates in Division I football to each rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.
Barber would make that a habit, finding success in the NFL despite being officially designated as Julius Jones‘ backup. Barber found his role as a third-down and red zone running back in Dallas. He finished his sophomore season third in the league with 14 rushing touchdowns, trailing only LaDainian Tomlinson‘s record-setting 28 and Larry Johnson‘s 17. In 2007, Barber was named to the Pro Bowl, receiving an invite despite not making a single regular-season start.
Barber ran with an aggressive, punishing style, leading the league in broken tackles in 2007. His identity as a power back earned him the nickname “Marion the Barbarian,” as he embodied his oft-quoted mantra “hit or get hit.” Barber’s last season in the NFL saw him join the Bears to back up Matt Forte. After the Bears failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2011, Barber announced his retirement. He finished his career with 4,780 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns.
The headlines following Barber’s NFL career tell a sad story. Barber ran into legal issues in 2014 and 2018, Hill adds, with both instances serving as cautionary tales on mental health. Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant tweeted almost a year ago lamenting the state of his former teammate saying he couldn’t even enjoy watching a video of Barber’s highlights know that Barber was “down and out bad.”
Cowboys, TE Dalton Schultz Not Close To Long-Term Deal
The notable extension given from the Browns to David Njoku is likely to have an impact on the tight end market going forward. That makes Dalton Schultz of the Cowboys a name to watch over the coming weeks.
[RELATED: Browns, Njoku Finalize Four-Year Extension]
Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News details the circumstances surrounding the 25-year-old with respect to a lucrative contract. After two seasons of minimal production, Schultz has become a trusted target for quarterback Dak Prescott, and one of the top young players at the position. In 2021, he continued his career ascension with 78 receptions, 808 yards and eight touchdowns.
Those numbers made him an easy choice to receive the franchise tag in March. If he plays on the one-year deal, he will earn $10.9MM; while that would rank him in the top-10 in the league in terms of yearly compensation, the Cowboys have stated their intention of committing to him long-term. Schultz himself has reciprocated that sentiment, leaving many to believe that the tag will serve as simply a placeholder for a lengthy extension.
However, Watkins notes that there doesn’t seem to be the same level of urgency present on the team’s side regarding a new deal, compared to other notable ones signed by the likes of DeMarcus Lawrence and Prescott in years past. While he adds that “it’s assumed talks will intensify” as the July 15 deadline draws nearer, that news signals that a contract placing Schultz closer to the top of the TE market isn’t around the corner at this point.
“I let my agent handle all that business and right now I’m just focused on OTAs” the former fourth-rounder said last week. There doesn’t appear to be any tension between the two parties on the subject of a second contract, but there is apparently much to be done if they are to finalize one before the deadline.
Latest On Cowboys WR James Washington
James Washington is on-site with his new team, but not conducting any on-field work right now. The wideout is sidelined by a foot injury, per a report in the Dallas Morning News. 
As it details, the 26-year-old is wearing a walking boot on his left foot, which will likely keep him off the field for all of this month’s voluntary work. While Washington did “downplay its severity”, the ailment is of course delaying his first formal reps with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense. On the other hand, the Oklahoma State product said that he will be available in time for minicamp in mid-June.
Washington signed in Dallas after hitting free agency for the first time. His time in Pittsburgh was marked by significant optimism at one point, especially following the 2019 campaign. That year, he posted 44 catches for 735 yards and three touchdowns. Having only registered nine starts and made 54 receptions since then, however, it came as no surprise that he departed at the end of his rookie contract.
Washington will have a strictly complimentary role to play in Dallas’ offense, given the presence of fellow wideouts CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, as well as tight end Dalton Schultz. After the team traded away Amari Cooper and saw Cedrick Wilson depart in free agency, though, there figures to be significant snaps available for him. Overall, he is remaining optimistic that he will be able to develop chemistry in time to make his presence felt once the season starts.
“I’m getting mental reps” he said. “We can always develop timing and get on the same page.”
NFC East Rumors: Feliciano, Giants, Cowboys, Dickerson
New Giants’ interior offensive lineman Jon Feliciano had some interesting comments about how his time in Buffalo came to an end, according to Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com. After not being utilized in the Bills’ overtime loss to Kansas City, Felicano was quoted saying part of him thought they “got what (they) deserved.”
After riding out his rookie contract as a reserve lineman in Oakland, Feliciano signed a two-year deal to join the Bills. Despite only starting four games for the Raiders as an injury-replacement for Kelechi Osemele, Feliciano earned a starting job playing right guard for all 16 games of his first year in Buffalo. A shoulder injury and torn pectoral muscle delayed the start of his 2020 season, but, upon his return, he started the final nine games of the season, winning the Bills’ 2020 Ed Block Courage Award.
Feliciano signed a three-year extension before the 2021 season and began the year starting six of the first seven games at left guard. A calf injury landed him on injured reserve for a little over a month, but, upon his return, he was not welcomed back to his starting job, with Ike Boettger manning the position. Even when Boettger was unavailable in the playoffs, Buffalo turned to Ryan Bates, who had recorded the first four starts of his career earlier in the season, in lieu of putting Feliciano back in the starting lineup.
With the apparent contempt over the situation in Buffalo, it’s a bit of a surprise to see Feliciano follow his offensive coordinator, now-Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and his offensive line coach, Bobby Johnson, to New York. Johnson has a lot of respect for Feliciano, who he’s coached since their time together began in Oakland. A potential draw might have been that Feliciano will get the opportunity to play center for the Giants after playing at guard dating all the way back to his college days in Miami.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC East, starting with another rumor about Big Blue:
- Daboll earned his first head coaching job due to his success calling plays in Buffalo. He hired former NFL quarterback Mike Kafka as the Giants’ new offensive coordinator after Kafka served as the Chiefs quarterbacks coach & passing game coordinator the past two years. Kafka has never called plays for an offense, as Chiefs head coach Andy Reid calls plays in Kansas City, but Daboll and the G-Men have provided Kafka the opportunity to try so far in offseason practices, according to Josh Alper of NBC Sports. It’s a show of good faith by Daboll and a low-risk chance, as Daboll can easily take the reins if they don’t believe Kafka is ready for NFL play-calling yet.
- With the Bronco’s franchise rumored to be selling around $4.5BB, Peter King of NBC Sports was curious about the value of the NFL’s most valuable franchise, the Cowboys. According to Forbes, King says $6.5BB. According to popular NFL business consultant Marc Ganis, King says $8-8.5BB. According to Cowboys’ owner/president/general manager/supreme ruler Jerry Jones, King says over $10BB. Jones quickly added without provocation, “But let me make this very clear, I’ll say it definitively: I will never do it. I will never sell the Cowboys. Ever.” So feel free to put away your checkbooks. Jerry isn’t interested.
- When the Eagles drafted Landon Dickerson out of Alabama last year, the idea was that the Crimson Tide’s unanimous All-American center and Rimington Trophy winner would eventually serve as the replacement for long-time center Jason Kelce. Well, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic, their plans may have shifted. Dickerson proved too talented to keep off the field and found his first opportunity at playing time at left guard. The chemistry with Dickerson next to tackle Jordan Mailata has the Eagles’ brass excited and eager to keep the tandem next to each other. This plan likely informed their decision to use their second-round pick this year on Nebraska center Cam Jurgens. Jurgens also has the flexibility to play guard and center, but with Dickerson likely to stick at guard, Jurgens becomes the clear front-runner to eventually replace Kelce.