Cowboys To Host Malik Hooker, Damontae Kazee
3:23pm: Even after the Cowboys agreed to terms with Neal, they still intend to visit with Hooker and Kazee, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter).
1:25pm: Although their Keanu Neal interest may not be for a role as a full-time safety, the Cowboys appear interested in bolstering this position soon. They are set to meet with Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
Despite the latter two defenders being on Dallas’ docket, the team remains in the mix for Neal, Watkins adds. Neal, however, appears to be on the cusp of a position change. Hooker and Kazee would then profile as potential Cowboys replacements for Xavier Woods, though the recent Cowboys starter remains unsigned. And both the safeties set to visit Dallas are coming off severe injuries. Each tore an Achilles’ tendon early last season.
While Hooker played out his rookie contract with the Colts, the Cowboys’ interest in Neal and Kazee certainly makes sense. The Falcons drafted Neal in the 2016 first round and added Kazee in the 2017 fifth round. New Cowboys DC Dan Quinn was the Falcons’ HC for most of the free agent safeties’ respective Atlanta tenures.
Hooker entered the NFL with injury trouble and has not been able to shake those concerns over the course of his career. While the former Colts first-round pick did bounce back from a seven-game rookie season to suit up for 27 regular-season contests from 2018-19, he is coming off a two-game 2020 slate. Hooker suffered his Achilles injury last September.
Neal’s Falcons teammate for four seasons, Kazee delivered a breakthrough season replacing an injured Neal in 2018. Kazee intercepted an NFL-most seven passes and posted 10 passes defensed, and he started 29 games for the Falcons — all in place of Neal, who suffered major injuries in back-to-back seasons — from 2018-19. Kazee’s four-start 2020 screeched to a halt after his October Achilles tear.
The Cowboys have featured a need at safety for years; Woods’ UFA status has now magnified the void at this position. They signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix last year but cut him ahead of Week 1. The Cowboys proceeded to allow the most points in franchise history.
Cowboys, Keanu Neal Agree To Deal
Keanu Neal made his decision Saturday. He will stick with Dan Quinn, opting to sign with the Cowboys. Dallas agreed to terms with the ex-Atlanta safety on a one-year deal worth $5MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
The former first-round pick played five seasons with the Falcons, working in Quinn’s defense for most of that run. While injuries hijacked two seasons from the ex-Florida Gator, Neal returned last season and re-established his value to some degree.
Neal will receive a $3MM signing bonus, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets, with ESPN.com’s Todd Archer noting the deal maxes out at $5MM. It appears the Cowboys secured the ex-Falcon defender at a slightly lower rate. The Jets were the other team mentioned as a Neal finalist, and several other teams inquired about the veteran.
Friday night, Anderson noted Neal was a candidate to work as an outside linebacker on his new team. But with the Cowboys having two three-down ‘backers and a clear need at safety, Neal may make more sense to stay at the position he played in five years under Quinn. It turns out the Cowboys have a layered plan for Neal, with Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noting (via Twitter) he will be used at both safety and linebacker.
Still just 25, Neal worked as a Falcons starter immediately after joining the team. And in his three non-injury-marred seasons, Neal recorded at least 100 tackles. He posted 106 last season, with a career-high nine tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus graded him as its No. 33 overall safety. He will have a good chance of carrying those talents over to Dallas, considering the scheme familiarity he has with the team’s new defensive coordinator.
Multiyear Cowboys starter Xavier Woods remains a free agent, and the team plans to visit with Malik Hooker and former Neal teammate Damontae Kazee soon.
Keanu Neal Down To Cowboys, Jets; Planning Move To LB?
A host of teams showed interest in former Falcons first-round pick Keanu Neal, but the veteran safety appears to be down to two finalists. Neal is deciding between the Cowboys and Jets, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets.
Initially, the Panthers, Lions, Colts and Vikings inquired about Neal. While Neal would seem redundant on a Jets team that has Marcus Maye, Ashtyn Davis and the recently added Lamarcus Joyner, Anderson adds that the veteran safety plans on moving to outside linebacker.
Neal likely will not be a costly addition, but the multiple-suitor aspect is interesting for his value. After missing 28 games between the 2018-19 seasons, Neal returned to play in 14 for the Falcons last season. While he is still just 25, the ex-Florida Gator will bring extensive injury baggage to his next team. Neal suffered a torn ACL in 2018 and an Achilles tear in ’19.
In Neal’s three non-injury-wrecked seasons, he totaled at least 100 tackles. Pro Football Focus graded him as a slightly above-average safety in each of those slates, so a linebacker move would be interesting as Neal heads into his second act as a pro.
The Jets are shifting to a 4-3 defense; the Cowboys have used that scheme for a while. The Cowboys, in an ideal world, have two three-down linebackers in Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith. But injuries have intervened there, creating a need for depth. C.J. Mosley would man the middle for the Jets, after missing most of the past two seasons. The team may still be looking for help at outside ‘backer, and Neal played five seasons under Dan Quinn. Robert Saleh plans to run a similar defense in his first Jets season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/21
We’ll keep tabs on today’s “minor” moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Darius Clark
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: LS Patrick Scales
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Greg Senat
- Waived: T Drake Dorbeck
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DL Carlos Watkins
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: WR Mike Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: TE Blake Bell, RB Elijah McGuire
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: TE Johnny Mundt
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: DT Hassan Ridgeway
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Trent Sherfield
Cowboys To Sign LB Tarell Basham
It sounds like Tarell Basham is heading to Dallas. Agent Aaron Henderson tweets that the free agent edge defender is signing with the Cowboys (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal worth up to $6.5MM, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).
Basham spent the past two-plus seasons with the Jets, starting 12 games for the organization. He had a career year in 2020, finishing with 36 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles in 16 games (nine starts).
The 2017 third-round pick out of Ohio spent the first year-plus of his career with the Colts. In total, he’s appeared in 58 career games, collecting 7.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 23 QB hits.
The Cowboys have been busy adding to their defensive line today, inking a pair of free agents in Brent Urban and Carlos Watkins.
Cowboys, DL Brent Urban Agree To Deal
Veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban will head to Dallas. The seven-year vet agreed to terms on a one-year Cowboys contract, according Kate Urban (Brent’s wife), on Twitter.
Urban most recently played for the Bears, suiting up in all 16 games for the playoff-qualifying team last season. He has also played for the Ravens and Titans.
A former Ravens fourth-round pick, Urban spent five seasons in Baltimore. He worked as a 16-game starter for the playoff-bound 2018 Ravens squad but saw the Titans blunt that momentum by releasing him midway through the 2019 season. The Bears provided a bounce-back opportunity, however, scooping him up soon after and then re-signing him during the 2020 free agency period.
Last season, the 29-year-old D-lineman registered 2.5 sacks and made eight starts for a Bears defense that ranked in the top 10 in DVOA. Urban played 35% of Chicago’s defensive snaps last season and figures to be a rotational option for a Cowboys defense in need of extensive help after a brutal 2020 outing.
Cowboys Sign LS Jake McQuaide
After a decade with the Rams organization, Jake McQuaide is moving on. The Cowboys announced (on Twitter) that they’ve signed the former Pro Bowl long snapper to a one-year deal.
McQuaide joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State in 2011, and he proceeded to spend the next 10 years with the Rams organization. The veteran hasn’t missed a single regular season game since joining the Rams, and he’ll leave the organization ranked 16th in franchise history in games played.
Outside of one offensive snap in 2019, the 33-year-old has exclusively appeared on special teams. Besides his long snapping duties, McQuaide has also compiled nine tackles. He earned Pro Bowl nods in both 2016 and 2017.
Cowboys Re-Sign Jourdan Lewis
The Cowboys are bringing back cornerback Jourdan Lewis, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Lewis’ new contract will be for three years and and is worth up to $16.5MM, including $8MM in guarantees.
Lewis started a career-high 13 games in 2020 after struggling a bit for playing time with Kris Richard in charge of the DBs from 2018-19. However, that doesn’t mean that he performed well, as he graded out as one of the worst corners in the league according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He was frequently beaten by opposing receivers, and some believe that the Cowboys would do well to shift him over to safety.
After all, he has demonstrated solid ball skills and playmaking ability, with four interceptions, four fumble recoveries, six sacks, and a defensive score over his four-year career. And the one area in which PFF considered him an above-average performer was pass rushing.
Whether or not Dallas serious entertains the notion of changing Lewis’ position remains to be seen, but obviously the club has seen enough upside to keep him around for another several seasons. After losing Chidobe Awuzie to the Bengals, the Cowboys made sure to keep another homegrown DB from the 2017 draft in the building.
Keanu Neal Drawing Significant Interest
Free agent safety Keanu Neal is attracting significant attention on the open market. Per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, the Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Vikings, Colts, and Panthers have all expressed interest in the Falcons’ defender (Twitter link).
After seeing his 2018-19 campaigns almost completely wiped out by injury, Neal managed to suit up for 15 games (14 starts) in 2020. He wasn’t brilliant, but he did pick up 100 tackles while grading out as Pro Football Focus’ 33rd-best safety out of 94 qualifiers. The fact that he was able to stay healthy and will only be 26 when the regular season starts is certainly driving the interest in his services.
After all, prior to suffering a torn ACL in the 2018 opener — he also sustained a torn Achilles during the third game of the 2019 season — Neal was establishing himself as one of the better young safeties in the game. He was selected by Atlanta with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 draft, and he racked up 106 tackles in 14 starts in his rookie campaign.
He built on that performance in 2017, starting all 16 games and piling up 116 tackles en route to a Pro Bowl nod. He moved with fluidity and demonstrated a nose for the football, as evidenced by his high tackle totals and the eight fumbles that he forced over his first two seasons in the league. Though he did not force any fumbles in 2020, nor was he as strong in coverage as he was before the injury trouble, there is reason to believe that he can return to his previous levels of performance.
Dallas, of course, has long been looking for a long-term solution at safety, while the other clubs Anderson mentions also have clear openings on the back end of their secondaries. The Jets, who recently hit Marcus Maye with the franchise tag, are an interesting fit, as GM Joe Douglas has been said to be opposed to paying big money to safeties. A Maye-Neal tandem would be a talented but expensive pairing, though trading Maye would certainly be a possibility.
One way or another, it does not sound like Neal will be returning to the Falcons, who are also preparing to bid adieu to safety Damontae Kazee and who have already parted ways with DB Ricardo Allen.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/21
Tomorrow is the deadline for NFL teams to extend tender offers to their own restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Chiefs: G Andrew Wylie
- Colts: S George Odum
- Cowboys: DT Antwaun Woods
- Dolphins: OL Adam Pankey
- Packers: CB Chandon Sullivan, TE Robert Tonyan (second-round tender)
- Raiders: K Daniel Carlson (second-round tender)
- Texans: DT P.J. Hall, CB A.J. Moore
Non-Tendered:
- Packers: DL Tyler Lancaster
- Seahawks: LB Shaquem Griffin
- Vikings: RB Mike Boone, DL Ifeadi Odenigbo