Cowboys Meeting With Olave, Burks
One of two Ohio State wide receivers expected to become first-round picks later this month, Chris Olave will tour two NFC East teams’ facilities this week. The Cowboys are hosting Olave on a visit Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud pass catcher will also meet with the Commanders on Thursday, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Olave and Terry McLaurin were teammates in 2018, Olave’s freshman year, and Breer adds the wideouts are close. Having traded for Carson Wentz, the Commanders (pick No. 11) are in need of a complementary pass catcher alongside McLaurin. They have not chosen a first-round wideout since Josh Doctson in 2016. The Cowboys (No. 24) have pulled the trigger on a first-round wideout recently — CeeDee Lamb in 2020 — but Jerry Jones based the Amari Cooper trade on resource allocation, and Dallas adding a low-cost wideout alongside Lamb and the rehabbing Michael Gallup would make sense. Though, the Cowboys are interested in offensive linemen as well.
- Also ranked as a first-round prospect, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is meeting with a few teams this week. The Cowboys hosted the 225-pound playmaker Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that the Buccaneers will meet with Burks later this week. The Saints are also hosted the 6-foot-2 target last week, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. It would surprise if the Bucs (No. 27) went wideout in Round 1, given their Mike Evans–Chris Godwin–Russell Gage setup, but the team could use a cheap building block due to employing three eight-figure-per-year wideouts. The Saints (Nos. 16, 19) are rather desperate for receiving help, with Michael Thomas having run into significant injury trouble over the past two years. New Orleans now has two first-round picks, putting wideout squarely in play.
Cowboys, Falcons, Packers, Texans Pursued DeVante Parker
The Patriots’ latest wide receiver trade sent DeVante Parker from one AFC East team to another, but at least four teams from outside the division discussed acquiring the former first-round pick.
The Packers, Falcons and Texans engaged in talks with either the Dolphins or Parker’s agent about the veteran wide receiver, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the Cowboys resided in the mix as well (Twitter links).
Parker went to the Pats in a deal that sent the Dolphins a third-round pick, with Fowler adding talks between the rivals heated up on the pro-day circuit. The career-long Dolphin wanted to be dealt to the Patriots, per Fowler and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).
Dallas’ receiver room changed in March, when the team dealt Amari Cooper to Cleveland for little compensation — at least compared to what the Cowboys parted with to acquire Cooper — and let Cedrick Wilson Jr. defect to Miami. The Dolphins’ Wilson move and their Tyreek Hill blockbuster left Parker without a certain role in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. This led to the seven-year vet going on the trade block.
Green Bay joined Dallas in dealing its No. 1 wideout in March, sending Davante Adams to Las Vegas. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Chiefs commitment leaves the Packers with little at receiver. The Falcons have seen their receiving corps gutted over the past 10 months, to the point they do not have a No. 1- or No. 2-caliber receiver on their roster. The Texans do not have much beyond Brandin Cooks at the position. And the oft-traded wideout is going into the final year of his Rams-constructed contract.
Parker is signed through the 2023 season and is on the Patriots’ books at $5.65MM and $5.7MM for the next two years. While the 29-year-old target has not been especially consistent, he has a 1,200-yard season on his resume (2019) and carried a contract that looks quite reasonable considering where Adams and Hill took the market last month.
This Date In Transactions History: Cowboys Release Tony Romo
Five years ago today, the Cowboys released longtime quarterback Tony Romo. At least, that’s how the official record reads. Romo — who had ceded the starting job to rookie Dak Prescott in 2016 — retired in order to begin his broadcasting career. 
“We wish Tony and his family nothing but the best,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “As an organization, we did what he asked us to do in terms of his release, and we wanted to do what was ultimately in his best interest and in the best interest of his family. Tony has been a wonderful representative of the Cowboys organization for 14 years, and he left everything he had on the field. He will leave us with many great memories and a legacy of being, truly, one of the greatest players in Cowboys history. We are thrilled for him and his family that he will be able to continue working as a professional in the game he so dearly loves. He is a young man who is just getting started on a long journey in life. All the best my friend.”
Romo, who was on the verge of his 37th birthday, took over for Phil Simms at CBS. His health, he said, wouldn’t allow him to continue playing football. Still, even with his surgically-repaired back, the nature of his retirement led to lots of speculation. After the Cowboys granted his release, Romo was now free to sign with any team. At one point, he considered joining up with the Jets, but ultimately declined. Over the summer, Romo continued to leave the door open ever so slightly, saying that he wouldn’t rule out returning to the Cowboys in an emergency situation. That emergency call never came in though, and Romo has been in the booth ever since.
In effect, this all played out as a standard retirement. Romo didn’t leave the game exactly the way he wanted to, but he did complete a league-high 69.9% of his passes in 2014, his last full season. All in all, Romo collected four Pro Bowl nods over the course of his career in Dallas while earning upwards of $127MM in NFL earnings alone.
Cowboys Not Moving Micah Parsons To DE
After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, Micah Parsons is expected to have another highly productive campaign in 2022. Given his prowess rushing the passer, some thought he would be in line for a full-time positional switch from middle linebacker to defensive end. In an interview with the team’s website, head coach Mike McCarthy said that won’t be happening. 
[RELATED: Parsons Played 2021 Season On Injured Knee]
“That’s a very fair question” McCarthy said, referring to suggestions Parsons line up on the edge permanently. “But we’ve made it clear: we want him moving around.”
Drafted 12th overall as the consensus top linebacker, Parsons acquitted himself quite well at the position during his time there. Early on in the season, though, he switched to DE after an injury to DeMarcus Lawrence left the Cowboys thin on edge rushers. Regardless of where he lined up on the field, the Penn State alum put up impressive numbers all year.
Parsons totalled 84 tackles, 13 sacks and 20 tackles for loss across 16 games played; as a result, he was recognized with not only the DRoY award, but also Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods. As McCarthy himself noted, however, those sack totals were split between his time at either position. His overall ability to not only rush the passer, but also defend the run and drop into coverage clearly has the team eyeing more of a ‘Swiss Army-knife’ type of role for him.
The Cowboys ultimately lost Randy Gregory in free agency, and later signed Dante Fowler to help replace him. Even if they add pass-rushing help in the draft later this month, Parsons will likely still have plenty of snaps on the edge moving forward. Barring a repeat of last season’s injuries, though, he will also spend significant time in his more natural position.
Latest On Cowboys WR Michael Gallup
The Cowboys paid up to keep Michael Gallup in Dallas, but the team might not see the receiver playing on his new contract until late September or early October. Cowboys director of player personnel Stephen Jones told reporters that Gallup could miss two or three games to start the season, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram on Twitter.
Gallup continues to rehab a torn ACL suffered in January, so it’s good to know the injury shouldn’t force him off the field for much of the 2022 campaign. When the Cowboys inked Gallup to a five-year, $62.5MM deal, they provided themselves with some injury insurance; according to Hill, Gallup’s contract includes $1MM in annual per-game roster bonuses.
Gallup has spent his entire four-year career with the Cowboys, including a 2019 campaign where he had 1,107 receiving yards. In nine games this past season, Gallup had 35 receptions for 445 yards and two scores.
The Cowboys will certainly need Gallup in the lineup considering the losses of Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson this offseason. Jones hinted that the organization could consider adding receivers via the draft.
“We are going to have to draft well,” Jones said (via Hill). “We lost two really good receivers in Amari and Ced. We are looking to find some people who make plays. That receiver situation certainly jumps out.”
Cowboys Not Pursuing Bobby Wagner
Conflicting reports surfaced on the Cowboys’ interest in reuniting Dan Quinn and Bobby Wagner. Executive VP Stephen Jones effectively cut off the Wagner-Cowboys connection Tuesday.
Despite Wagner remaining a free agent, Jones said the future Hall of Fame linebacker is not a Cowboys target. The 10-year Seahawk has been connected to several teams this offseason, with the Rams and Ravens being the two leaders at this point.
“Obviously Dan’s had a history with Bobby and knows him well [so] you look into it,” Jones said of a Wagner pursuit, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill (on Twitter). “He’s a great, great football player, Hall of Fame-type player. But as it turned out, it didn’t work out with us.”
Even as the Cowboys looked into Wagner, the price point never appeared to make sense for the team. The Cowboys made Amari Cooper a salary dump in a trade and made La’el Collins a cap casualty. The Cowboys have $15MM-plus in cap space, but they never appeared a serious Wagner suitor. Quinn coached Wagner for two seasons in Seattle, but they last worked together in 2014. In the time since the Cowboys were connected to Wagner, they re-signed Leighton Vander Esch to a one-year deal worth just $2MM.
The Rams and Ravens have hosted Wagner on visits, with the Ravens believing they have submitted a strong offer to the eight-time Pro Bowler.
Cowboys Preparing To Draft O-Lineman Early
Two Cowboys starting offensive linemen are now on AFC teams, with Connor Williams defecting to the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent and La’el Collins moving to the Bengals after becoming a cap casualty. Dallas hopes to bolster this position group early in the draft.
While a proclamation to draft an offensive lineman early does not ensure this will take place, the Cowboys have not addressed the position in free agency and have their top two blockers — Zack Martin and Tyron Smith — set to turn 32 this year.
“Famous last words: We’ll get one unless [CeeDee] Lamb or [Micah] Parsons is there,” Jerry Jones said of drafting an O-lineman early, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “And then add one more to it. … I’ll accept criticism when the time comes for not knowing what we’re doing.”
This refers to the Cowboys passing on bigger needs to draft Lamb and Parsons, respectively, the past two years. While both picks worked out, the Cowboys are fairly thin up front. But the team does have elite talent in Smith and Martin. And Pro Football Focus ranked Dallas’ 2021 O-line first overall, creating an interesting decision for a Cowboys team that could conceivably field a quality first-string line without a rookie factoring in. Smith has missed at least three games in each of the past six seasons, however; he missed six in 2021.
The Cowboys have Terence Steele penciled in to replace Collins; Steele can be kept off the unrestricted free agent market until 2024. Connor McGovern‘s rookie deal runs through season’s end, giving Dallas a possible Williams replacement on a line with solidified starters in Smith, Martin and center Tyler Biadasz. The Cowboys are unlikely to add a veteran O-lineman for more than the league minimum this offseason, Gehlken adds.
Dallas hit big on first-round interior O-linemen when they last addressed the position that early, landing perennial Pro Bowlers in Martin and Travis Frederick. The Cowboys hold the No. 24 overall pick. The top three tackles — Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross — are expected to be long gone by the time the NFC East champs go on the clock, though Northern Iowa tackle Trevor Penning could be in range. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slots Penning 26th and has Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green as this class’ top guard, ranking the latter as the No. 28 prospect. The Cowboys hold each of their own picks in the second and third rounds but do not possess any additional Day 2 choices.
Cowboys View Steele As Long-Term RT
- The Cowboys made La’el Collins a cap casualty, but the team is confident in the player poised to replace him. Dallas views Terence Steele as a potential “decade-long” option at right tackle, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes. A UDFA out of Texas Tech, Steele has made 27 starts over his first two seasons, subbing for both Collins and Tyron Smith. The Cowboys turned to Steele during Collins’ five-game PED suspension last year and used him as their primary right tackle starter in 2020, when Collins missed the entire season. This has given Dallas a notable evaluation period on the oft-used backup. Steele is not eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2024, giving Dallas more time to determine his future.
Cowboys Add Brian Schottenheimer To Staff
After spending a season in Jacksonville with Urban Meyer, Brian Schottenheimer will resurface in Dallas. The Cowboys hired the veteran offensive coordinator as a consultant Thursday.
This will be Schottenheimer’s first run with the Cowboys and first time coaching under Mike McCarthy, who is entering his third season as Dallas’ HC. Schottenheimer is expected to help on both sides of the ball.
Schottenheimer, 48, ended last season as the Jaguars’ play-caller, taking over for interim HC Darrell Bevell. Schottenheimer and Bevell were Meyer’s top offensive assistants, but they took on more responsibility after the Jags fired Meyer in mid-December. The Cowboys will be Schottenheimer’s ninth NFL team.
An NFL staffer going back to 1997, the second-generation coach has been an OC for three teams. He will join McCarthy and OC Kellen Moore among Cowboys offensive decision-makers. Ben McAdoo served as a Cowboys consultant last season, helping both the team’s offensive and defensive staffs make weekly preparations. McAdoo left recently to become Carolina’s offensive coordinator. Formerly an OC with the Jets, Rams and Seahawks, Schottenheimer worked as the Jags’ QBs coach for most of last season.
Contract Details: Koo, Armstrong, Whitehead, McKissic, Seahawks, Gladney
Here are the details from the latest agreed-upon contracts around the league:
- Younghoe Koo, K (Falcons): Five years, $24.25MM. Koo received a $6.25MM signing bonus and will earn a fully guaranteed $1.75MM 2022 base salary, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. The final three years of Koo’s deal are nonguaranteed; none of Koo’s cap hits exceed $6MM.
- Jordan Whitehead, S (Jets): Two years, $14.5MM. The Jets fully guaranteed Whitehead $7MM and, according to OverTheCap.com, the veteran safety’s cap hits will be $4.2MM and $10.2MM.
- Austin Johnson, DL (Chargers): Two years, $14MM. Initially reported as having a max value of $14MM, Johnson’s deal carries a base value of that amount. It comes with $10.6MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
- Dorance Armstrong, DE (Cowboys): Two years, $12MM. The Cowboys fully guaranteed Armstrong $6MM, and Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets his 2022 cap figure checks in at $3.38MM. The deal also features a $1MM sack incentive.
- Quinton Jefferson, DL (Seahawks): Two years, $9.5MM. The Seahawks guaranteed Jefferson $5.2MM to return. This includes a $1.2MM 2022 base salary, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.
- J.D. McKissic, RB (Commanders): Two years, $7MM. Enticing him to renege on a Bills agreement, the Commanders guaranteed McKissic $3.6MM. The deal includes $1.5MM in performance incentives for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.
- Jeff Gladney, CB (Cardinals): Two years, $6.5MM. The former first-round pick will receive $4MM guaranteed, SI.com’s Howard Balzer tweets. In addition to his $2MM signing bonus, the Cards guaranteed Gladney’s 2022 base salary ($1.5MM) and $500K of his 2023 base ($2.5MM). Gladney will count just $2.5MM against Arizona’s cap this year.
- Rashaad Penny, RB (Seahawks): One year, $5.75MM. To keep Penny, the Seahawks guaranteed him $5.07MM. Penny will carry a $5.51MM cap number, Henderson tweets. Incentives for rushing yards, receiving yards and touchdowns could take the deal to $6.5MM.