NFL Workout Updates: 9/17/19

Here are Tuesday’s updates from the workout circuit, all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter unless otherwise noted.

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • T Gerhard deBeer, Christian DiLauro, Brandon Hitner, C James Murray (link)

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Redskins

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/19

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cowboys’ Michael Gallup To Miss Time

Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup is having arthroscopic surgery to trim his meniscus and will miss 2-4 weeks of action, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Fortunately, he did not suffer any other structural damage, so he’s not looking at an extended absence. 

At minimum, the Cowboys will be without Gallup for games against the Dolphins and Saints. Beyond that, he could be sidelined for Week 5 against the Packers and Week 6 against the Jets.

Gallup, a third-round pick in the 2018 draft, emerged last season with 33 catches for 507 yards and two scores. That was good for an average of 15.4 yards per catch, setting him up for a big year as a deep threat in Dallas’ offense. Big production could still be on the way, but he’ll have to put a pin in things after tallying 13 grabs for 226 yards through two weeks.

Without Gallup, Randall Cobb, Devin Smith, Cedrick Wilson, and Tavon Austin could see more targets as supporting cast members to Amari Cooper.

Dak Prescott Extension Talks Hit Impasse; Latest On Amari Cooper

The pendulum in the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott negotiations continues to swing. A week after we heard that an extension for Prescott was “imminent,” negotiations have again reached a bit of an impasse, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

RapSheet suggests that the length of the deal may be the holdup. It seems that the Cowboys want to give Prescott an extension of at least five years, just as they have with their recent significant signees. But Prescott’s direct market comps, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, just inked four-year extensions with their respective clubs, and Prescott is likely eyeing a shorter-term deal so that he can cash in a second time a year sooner.

Prescott has previously indicated that he is not worried about playing while negotiations are ongoing, and his Week 1 performance only boosted his value. Rapoport said, “[i]t doesn’t seem like things will happen for the foreseeable future. Obviously that could change but that is the read right now.”

As for wide receiver Amari Cooper, we last heard that he and the Cowboys may be in something of a stalemate. Cooper’s patient approach has allowed him to watch the wide receiver market continue to soar, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes that the 2015 first-rounder will continue to be patient. He is eligible for free agency in March, and while he would like to remain in Dallas, Schefter says there is no guarantee he re-ups before testing the open market.

Cowboys Have Discussed Taco Charlton Trade

The Cowboys have recently talked to teams about potentially trading Taco Charlton, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport hears nothing is imminent, though talks could heat up this week.

If Dallas is able to deal Charlton, a 2017 first-rounder, it does not sound like the club would get much of a return. Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder observes that the team has been trying to trade the Michigan product for weeks, if not months, and the fact that Charlton has been inactive for the first two weeks of the 2019 campaign while the Cowboys are thin at DE due to suspensions does not help his value (Twitter link).

Plus, Charlton underwent two surgical procedures this offseason, and in his first two years in the league, he has not done much to dispel pre-draft concerns about his explosiveness. After posting three sacks in his rookie season, Charlton managed just one in 2018 despite starting seven games.

Still, another team with pass-rushing needs will likely be willing to deal a little bit of draft capital in the hopes that a change of scenery can help unlock Charlton’s potential.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/19

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Promoted from practice squad: T Jake Rodgers
  • Waived: OL Corey Levin

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Redskins

Taco Charlton Trade In Play For Cowboys?

  • Moving to a third NFC East team’s defensive front, Taco Charlton has yet to reward the Cowboys for their first-round investment in him two years ago. Despite Robert Quinn being suspended, the Cowboys made Charlton a healthy scratch against the Giants. A trade would not surprise Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams, with the veteran Cowboys reporter noting the team may still be looking for a safety. The Cowboys are the only known team to contact the Dolphins on now-available Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Cowboys Interested In Minkah Fitzpatrick?

The Cowboys may be exploring high-profile defensive back additions again. With the Dolphins giving Minkah Fitzpatrick permission to seek a trade, the Cowboys have engaged in discussions, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald notes.

Other suitors loom, with Salguero adding the Dolphins have talked to “several” teams. But the Cowboys are the first to be connected to the second-year defensive back. Stephen Jones confirmed during a 105.3 The Fan interview the Cowboys have engaged in talks with the Dolphins in the past 24 hours but declined to specify the nature of those discussions, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota (on Twitter). Throwing a bit of cold water on the prospect of Fitzpatrick in Dallas, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News notes (via Twitter) the Cowboys have merely kicked the tires here.

After being connected to Earl Thomas for most of 2018, the Cowboys offered a second-round pick. That did not satisfy the Seahawks, and the sides moved on. Dallas retained its starting combination of Xavier Woods and Jeff Heath for this season. The Dolphins are said to want a first-round pick for Fitzpatrick, the 2018 No. 11 overall selection.

It’s also unclear at what position the Cowboys or another team would prefer Fitzpatrick play. The Alabama product has played both cornerback and safety, with the Dolphins also having him work in the slot and at linebacker this season. The endless roving has frustrated Fitzpatrick, who represents one of the Dolphins’ few remaining assets that would fetch a high price in a trade. Miami has already unloaded Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, Robert Quinn and Ryan Tannehill in 2019 deals. GMs have been contacting Chris Grier about Dolphin assets since the Tunsil trade.

Fitzpatrick could be under a new team’s control through the 2022 season. A fifth-year option decision will not be due until May 2021. None of his base salaries exceed $2.5MM on his rookie deal.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/19

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad decisions:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: RB Bruce Anderson

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Jerry Jones Says Dak Prescott Extension Is ‘Imminent’

Everything continues to point toward Dak Prescott getting his long-awaited extension from the Cowboys any day now. Speaking to the media after Dallas’ season-opening win over the Giants, owner Jerry Jones hinted that an agreement is right around the corner.

Jones said after the game that an extension is “imminent,” according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. “What’s imminent? Well, days. Days. Or something like that.” In our most recent update earlier this morning, Prescott insisted he wasn’t concerned about talks and everything seemed to be progressing nicely. Jones’ comments today are the latest indicator of that. Prescott had one of the best games of his career against New York, throwing for 405 yards on only 32 attempts while tossing four touchdowns.

Performances like that are sure to embolden Prescott’s representatives, who are likely seeking record money. Jared Goff just got the largest guarantee in NFL history from the Rams, and Prescott could be seeking to eclipse that. The Mississippi State product is set to be a free agent at the end of the year, but there hasn’t ever been much panic since the Cowboys could control him through the franchise tag if worst came to worst.

Dallas has been locking up players left and right, and Prescott could be the final domino to fall this season if talks continue to stay stalled between the team and Amari Cooper. If Prescott is going to keep playing like he did in Week 1, it’s definitely in Jones’ best interest to get something done quickly before the price gets even higher.

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