Cowboys Included Offset Language In Ha Ha Clinton-Dix's Contract
- Shifting to another team’s safety situation, the Cowboys did not view Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as a starter, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Instead of keeping the seventh-year veteran around as a backup, Dallas cut bait. Darian Thompson is expected to start alongside Xavier Woods, but Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Daryl Worley and rookie Reggie Robinson could see time there if necessary. The Cowboys could recoup $1MM if Clinton-Dix signs elsewhere via the offset language in his contract, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
- Aldon Smith collected a $100K bonus from the Cowboys, per Archer. That brings his total in 2020 roster bonuses to $440K. Smith, who has not played since the 2015 season, agreed to a $910K base salary that pays out just more than $40K in per-game roster bonuses. If Smith were to reach eight sacks, he would collect $500K, Archer adds. For 10 sacks, the former All-Pro would receive a $1MM bump. In the event of a less likely 14-sack season, that total rises to $2MM.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/20
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Colin Thompson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, LB Justin March, LB Joe Thomas
- Placed on IR: WR Ventell Bryant
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: DT Beau Allen
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: WR Jeff Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Nick Bellore
- Placed on IR: G Phil Haynes
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/20
Here are Sunday’s minor moves. The players who landed on injured reserve are eligible to come off teams’ respective lists after three weeks. For 2020, teams can also activate an unlimited number of IR players — as opposed to the two-man max of 2019.
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed (from Washington): T Timon Paris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed (from Dolphins): G Deion Calhoun
- Signed: CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Cowboys): DE Joe Jackson
- Claimed (from Bills): DT Vincent Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Ventell Bryant
- Signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, LB Justin March-Lillard
- Released: LB Joe Thomas
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: T Brent Qvale, LS Jon Weeks
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed (from Eagles): TE Noah Togiai
Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed (from Giants): LB Ryan Connelly
New York Giants
- Claimed (from Chiefs): T Jackson Barton, S Adrian Colbert
- Claimed (from Browns): WR Damion Ratley
- Waived: S Sean Chandler, OL Chad Slade
- Placed on IR: LB David Mayo, S Xavier McKinney
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Lions): RB Jason Huntley
- Placed on IR: S Will Parks, WR Quez Watkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: J.J. Nelson
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed (from Titans): LB D’Andre Walker
- Waived: DB Linden Stephens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: C A.Q. Shipley
Cowboys To Sign Brandon Carr To Practice Squad
Brandon Carr is coming back to the Cowboys. However, he will do so in an unusual way. The 12-year veteran agreed to join Dallas’ practice squad, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
As recently as a few years ago, he would not have been eligible to do so. But the NFL has loosened the practice squad eligibility requirements, and in this COVID-19-altered landscape, more veterans are allowed on taxi squads. Carr will bring a preposterous 192 career starts to the Cowboys’ practice squad.
Carr, who started every game for Dallas from 2012-16, visited the Cowboys earlier this week. The Ravens made him a free agent by not picking up his 2020 option.
Teams are allowed to carry up to six veterans with unlimited experience onto their P-squads this year. Carr will obviously be the most experienced of Dallas’ practice squad players. Here are the rest of the players on that unit, as of Sunday afternoon:
- T Issac Alarcon
- LB Francis Bernard
- DB Deante Burton
- DE Ron’Dell Carter
- DT Justin Hamilton
- LB Ladarius Hamilton
- C Marcus Henry
- TE Cole Hikutini
- WR Jon’Vea Johnson
- DB Luther Kirk
- RB Sewo Olonilua
- WR Aaron Parker
- DB Saivion Smith
- DB Chris Westry
Cowboys Claim WR Malik Turner
The Cowboys have added another pass-catcher, as Dallas claimed former Seahawks and Packers receiver Malik Turner off waivers Sunday morning.
A 2018 UDFA from Illinois, Turner spent most of his rookie season on Seattle’s practice squad. He played a decent-sized role on offense for them last year though, appearing in 15 games and making three starts. Overall he played around 22 percent of the offensive snaps while also playing a big role on special teams. He finished the year with 15 receptions for 245 yards and a touchdown, averaging a robust 16.3 yards per catch.
Seattle originally tendered him as an exclusive rights free agent, then pulled that tender. He waited until August to sign with the Packers, then was cut yesterday. The Cowboys have a great receiving trio of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb, but they don’t have much after that so it makes sense to pick up someone like Turner and see if he can develop behind them.
Cowboys To Place T La’el Collins On IR
The Cowboys will begin the season without starting right tackle La’el Collins. They will place the veteran blocker on IR, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes.
However, the Cowboys did carry Collins over to their active roster after the 3pm cutdown deadline. And because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Collins will not have to miss the usually mandatory eight games. He will be eligible to return after three this season.
Both Collins and Sean Lee appear on Dallas’ active roster, but Lee will also begin the season on this new temporary IR. Collins is battling a hip injury.
The former LSU standout has become one of the NFL’s better right tackles, doing so after making a mid-career move from the guard spot. The Cowboys lost swing tackle Cameron Fleming to the Giants in free agency but signed former Browns and Chiefs backup/spot starter Cameron Erving this offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/20
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DT Miles Brown, WR Hakeem Butler, OL Sam Jones, P Ryan Winslow
- Waived/injured: OL Brett Toth
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: DT Hinwa Allieu, FB Mikey Daniel, T Evin Ksiezarczyk, RB Craig Reynolds
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: FB Patrick DiMarco
- Waived: LB Vosean Joseph, LB Corey Thompson
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Tommylee Lewis
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Brady Aiello
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: OL Cody Wichmann
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Chris Lacy
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: DE Caraun Reid
- Waived: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Matthew Flanagan, OL Blake Hance, OL K.C. McDermott, OL Garrett McGhin, LS Matthew Orzech, OL Ryan Pope, OL Austen Pleasants, WR Marvelle Ross
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DB Adonis Alexander, LB Daniel Bituli, TE Kendall Blanton, C Cohl Cabral, G Jamil Demby, WR Earnest Edwards, DB Jake Gervase, DB JuJu Hughes, RB John Kelly, G Jeremiah Kolone, WR J.J. Koski, DB Dayan Lake, DB Tyrique McGhee, LB Derrick Moncrief, WR Easop Winston
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: RB Salvon Ahmed, DB Nate Brooks, CB Breon Borders, DT Brandin Bryant, WR Matt Cole, T Jonathan Hubbard, G Danny Isidora, WR Kirk Merritt, TE Chris Myarick, CB Ken Webster, TE Nate Wieting
New York Jets
- Waived: LB James Burgess
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DB Michael Jacquet, DE Matt Leo, TE Caleb Wilson
- Released: DT T.Y. McGill, CB Trevor Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Jonathan Kongbo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: OL Zack Bailey, RB Ray Calais, ILB Noah Dawkins, S D’Cota Dixon, K Matt Gay (story), WR Cyril Grayson, S Javon Hagan, TE Tanner Hudson, DL Jeremiah Ledbetter, OL Nick Leverett, TE Codey McElroy, CB Herb Miller, WR Bryant Mitchell, RB Dare Ogunbowale, WR Josh Pearson, DL Benning Potoa’e, ILB Chapelle Russell, WR Spencer Schnell, QB Reid Sinnett, CB Mazzi Wilkins
NFL To Reinstate Cowboys DE Randy Gregory
Randy Gregory may well have a chance to revive his career. The oft-suspended Cowboys defensive end received news the NFL conditionally reinstated him Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Gregory confirmed the development (on Twitter).
Fairly recently, the Cowboys were not counting on Gregory being reinstated in time for the start of the season. But the team continued to have the former second-round pick in its plans. Gregory has been suspended four times and has not played since 2018, but the Nebraska product may be set for a role with the 2020 Cowboys after all.
Gregory, however, still has more checkpoints to clear. While he can report to the Cowboys on Monday, he cannot practice until Oct. 5, Pelissero and NFL.com’s Jane Slater report (via Twitter). He will not be permitted to play in a game until at least Week 7. The 27-year-old defender will be paid, however, while he goes through this acclimation period, Pelissero tweets.
Gregory could join fellow suspension regular Aldon Smith as a rotational Cowboys pass rusher before the season’s halfway point. These two certainly represent risks, but neither is costing the team too much. Gregory is set to make just $825K in base salary this season.
Suspended for substance abuse twice in 2016, once in 2017 and again last year, Gregory remains on his rookie contract. He has certainly not lived up to expectations. Once viewed as a surefire first-round talent, the ex-Cornhusker has registered just seven sacks and played in only 28 of a possible 80 NFL games. But six of those sacks came in 2018, and Gregory could fit in on a suddenly deep Dallas defensive end crew. The Cowboys signed Smith and Everson Griffen this offseason to work alongside DeMarcus Lawrence.
Cowboys Host Brandon Carr On Visit
The Cowboys are checking in on an old friend. They brought in veteran cornerback Brandon Carr for a visit Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
A Cowboys starter from 2012-16, Carr spent the past three seasons with the Ravens. Despite Baltimore’s deep cornerback group, Carr continued his start streak — one that now sits at 192 games. Baltimore declined Carr’s 2020 option.
Dallas lost Byron Jones but still has contract-year corners Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie. The team also used second- and fourth-round picks on corners — Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson — and signed Daryl Worley. Slot corner Anthony Brown is also back in the fold, following a new deal in free agency.
Carr, 34, has also seen time at safety. The Ravens used him there at points last season, and the Cowboys have a sudden need after making Ha Ha Clinton-Dix a surprise cut. Carr’s ex-teammate, Earl Thomas, has not been connected to the Cowboys in several days.
Carr certainly brings more experience than any current Cowboys defender — and just about any active NFL DB — and is among the most reliable players of his generation, availability-wise.
Pro Football Focus has viewed Carr’s work as average to slightly above average in recent years, but he still played 76% of the snaps for a strong Ravens defense last season. With the Cowboys, Carr lived up to his iron-man reputation. He never played fewer than 94% of Dallas’ defensive snaps in any of his six seasons with the team.
Rams Cut Kickers Austin MacGinnis, Lirim Hajrullahu
In a move that may or may not make the final episode of the latest Hard Knocks season, the Rams have decided on a kicker.
The team made the decision Friday to waive kickers Austin MacGinnis and Lirim Hajrullahu. This will leave Sam Sloman, a seventh-round pick out of Miami (Ohio) as Greg Zuerlein‘s successor.
Sloman separated from the other two competitors over the past week, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (on Twitter). Sloman made 87% of his field goals as a senior for the Redhawks last season.
The Rams signed MacGinnis and Hajrullahua as UDFAs this year. This will mark the first time since 2011 the Rams will head into a season without Zuerlein as their kicker. They opted to let the Pro Bowl specialist walk in free agency, when he signed with the Cowboys.