Jason Witten Signs With Cowboys
Jason Witten has decided to end his retirement and return to the Cowboys, according to a team press release. Witten walked away from the game last year to join ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast, but he has decided to put his broadcasting career on hold in order to resume his playing career. 
“The fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong,” the 36-year-old (37 in May) said in a statement. “This team has a great group of rising young stars, and I want to help them make a run at a championship. This was completely my decision, and I am very comfortable with it. I’m looking forward to getting back in the dirt.”
With this news, Witten is now set to return for a 16th pro season. From 2003-17, Witten was among the best tight ends in the league and earned eleven Pro Bowl nominations, a Cowboys record for any offensive player.
The veteran will earn a base salary of $3.5MM with a maximum earning potential of $5MM for the coming year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Witten will make less than he has in previous seasons, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes that this could be a bridge to a head coaching role for him.
Witten’s “unretirement” may drastically alter the Cowboys’ offseason plans. Previously, tight end was among the team’s biggest needs, but the Cowboys should be set with Witten, Blake Jarwin, Dalton Schultz, and Rico Gathers under contract. Geoff Swaim, an impending free agent, could also be re-signed to compete for a backup role.
By returning to the field, Witten leaves a void to fill in ESPN’s booth. That could help to explain the network’s interest in Greg Olsen, and the Panthers tight end could theoretically end his own career if offered one of the most prestigious jobs in sports television.
Witten has 1,152 career receptions to his credit, which ranks fourth in NFL history behind Jerry Rice, Tony Gonzalez, and Larry Fitzgerald. Meanwhile, his 12,448 receiving yards are good for second among all tight ends behind only Gonzalez (15,127).
Cowboys Hope To Retain Sean Lee
Jason Garrett praised Sean Lee‘s work last season, one that featured younger linebackers playing a bigger role on Dallas’ defense than the veteran stalwart did. Garrett wants the Cowboys to retain Lee.
“Nobody works harder than Sean Lee, but unfortunately durability has been an issue,” Garrett said, via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “That was a big reason we drafted these young linebackers the last couple of years because Sean has missed time. But when he has played, he has played really well. … He’s got a lot of football left in him and he’ll be a part of what we’re doing going forward.”
Lee, though, will almost certainly have to accept a sizable pay cut to see a 10th season in Dallas. This Cowboys offseason will be primarily about how they proceed with their extension-eligible young talents, and Lee’s $10MM cap number is now untenable. Dallas would save $7MM by releasing the two-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 33 before Week 1.
Hamstring injuries limited Lee to just seven games last season, and Leighton Vander Esch delivered immediately when called upon. He and Jaylon Smith are the Cowboys’ top linebackers for 2019, and both are on rookie deals.
NFL Evaluating David Irving, Could Suspend Him Again
The Cowboys are apparently willing to let defensive tackle David Irving hit free agency, and there are a number of reasons for that, as we explored earlier this month. Today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported that the league is evaluating Irving and could hit him with a suspension, which could be another reason why Dallas is content to let Irving walk.
Irving was suspended for the first four games of the 2017 campaign for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, and he missed the last four games of that season due to a concussion. In between, though, he was terrific, as he registered seven sacks in eight games and earned a second-round RFA tender last offseason.
Things went south for Irving after that, though, as he was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Between the suspension, injury, and personal matters, he played in only two games last season, which did not make for an ideal platform year.
Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News confirms (via Twitter) that the Cowboys were not expected to re-sign Irving anyway. The 25-year-old, who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2015, will doubtlessly get another shot in the league, but he will first have to concentrate on avoiding or limiting a third suspension.
That potential suspension, though, may not be related to PEDs or recreational drugs. Per Calvin Watkins of The Athletic, Irving’s ex-girlfriend, Angela Sanchez, has spoken with NFL senior vice president of investigations, Lisa Friel, about numerous alleged domestic violence incidents. We learned back in April that Sanchez accused Irving of domestic violence, but the police investigation into those allegations was closed because Sanchez recanted her claims.
Sanchez and Irving have a daughter together, and Irving has sole custody of her. However, Sanchez claims Irving has denied her court-ordered visitation, and that she has not seen her daughter since December 6. That is why, after rebuffing Friel’s attempts to speak with her in the past, Sanchez is willing to open up now. One of Watkins’ sources says that Friel has spoken with both Irving and Sanchez, and that both parties have credibility issues.
Irving’s recent Instagram post is not likely to help his cause. In the post, he wrote, “I’m in the NFl [sic] because I’m great at what I do. I’m not in the NFL because I’m an Eagle Scout , or the perfect model citizen. I didn’t put on a mask or kiss ass to be where I am. Im here on natural ability . This is God’s plan. Not mine. Trust me , I’m adjusting to it as well. Once I step on the field and stop performing , THEN we have a problem .. . So does anyone have anything to say about my play?”
It’s been a tough day for Cowboys pass rushers, as we learned earlier this afternoon that Randy Gregory has been suspended indefinitely.
Cowboys’ Randy Gregory Banned Indefinitely
Cowboys edge defender Randy Gregory has been suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and the terms of his conditional reinstatement, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Unfortunately, this is not the first rodeo for the 26-year-old. 
[RELATED: NFL Awards Compensatory Draft Picks To Cowboys, Other Clubs]
Last year, Gregory returned from another ban to appear in 14 games for the Cowboys. In a mostly reserve capacity, the Nebraska product showed why the Cowboys invested a second-round pick in him back in 2015. Gregory finished out the year with six sacks, 25 total tackles, and two forced fumbles, giving the Cowboys reason to be excited for his 2019 campaign.
“The expectation for Randy is the exact same: to get him back on the field playing as soon as possible,”said Gregory’s attorney Daniel Moskowitz (via USA TODAY Sports’ Jori Epstein). “Our personal confidence in him has not wavered. This is about more than football. We appreciate the public recognizing this is a private matter and thank the Jones (family) and Cowboys for their continued support.”
The ban marks Gregory’s fourth career suspension for substance abuse. The league has relaxed its stance on repeat offenders of the policy, but the road back to the field is tough when a player violates the policy while under conditional reinstatement. With that in mind, Gregory’s case probably won’t be revisited until 2020, at the earliest. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Gregory is no longer subject to the standard reinstatement process, which means that it is unclear exactly what he has to do to work his way back onto the field. His fate is entirely in the hands of Roger Goodell, who simply decides if and when Gregory will be permitted to return.
The Cowboys may look to fortify their pass rush in the draft now that Gregory’s status is in doubt. Team VP Stephen Jones said he has known that the indefinite ban was coming for some time, but he obviously declined to comment on how it would impact the club’s draft strategy (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).
Gregory’s suspension may also ramp up the pressure on Dallas to get a deal done with DeMarcus Lawrence, who has threatened to hold out if tagged for a second consecutive year. The Cowboys recently made an offer to Lawrence, and they’ll wait up until the March 5 deadline before pulling the trigger on the tag.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Cowboys Make Offer To DeMarcus Lawrence
The Cowboys made an offer defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence recently, team executive Stephen Jones says (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer). Jones is hopeful that the two sides will reach a long-term accord before March 5, the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag. The Cowboys will start extension talks in earnest with agent David Canter later this week at the combine in Indianapolis. 
“It’s the last day you’ve got to tag him but at the end of the day we know it’s not over if it doesn’t get done by then,” Jones said. “I hate to put deadlines on anything. Would we like to get it done? I’d like to have it done yesterday. We’ve just got to continue to work.”
Lawrence has said that he will not cooperate with a second consecutive franchise tag, so the Cowboys are holding off on using the placeholder. The $20.5MM would keep him from the open market, but it would also mean that Lawrence will be a no-show for the offseason program and training camp. Beyond that, a holdout could extend into the regular season.
In 2017, Lawrence recorded 14.5 sacks, 58 total tackles, and four forced fumbles. Instead of doing a long-term deal last year, the Cowboys asked him to prove himself once more. He answered with 10.5 sacks, 39 quarterback pressures, and a second consecutive Pro Bowl nod, so this time the asking price is even higher.
Lawrence’s targeted deal is unclear, but he may be looking to match or top the contracts of Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack. Those recent pacts topped the $22MM mark in average annual value.
Cowboys Won’t Tender Darian Thompson
The Cowboys will not tender an offer to restricted free agent safety Darian Thompson, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (Twitter link). However, the Cowboys would like to bring him back at a lower rate.
[RELATED: Jerry Jones Says Cowboys Will Pursue Safeties]
This year, the low tender is expected to cost roughly $2.045MM, which is more than Dallas is willing to spend on a role player. However, they’ll meet with agent Ron Slavin at the combine in Indianapolis and see if they can work out a cheaper deal, presumably of the one-year variety.
Thomspon, a former third round pick of the Giants, joined the Cowboys off of the Cardinals’ practice squad. He was largely in a special teams role for Dallas, though he did start all 16 games for the G-Men in 2017.
NFL Awards Compensatory Draft Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks to several teams, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The full rundown, which is below, includes two third-round picks for both the Rams and Patriots.
The NFL awards compensatory draft picks to teams, as directed by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The compensatory pick system provides additional picks to teams who lose more/better qualifying free agents in the previous year than gained. As the NFL explains:
“Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. No club may receive more than four compensatory picks in any one year. If a club qualifies for more than four compensatory picks after offsetting each CFA lost by each CFA gained of an equal or higher value, the four highest remaining selections will be awarded to the club.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the number of compensatory selections to the number of clubs then in the League (32). This year, six clubs: the Ravens, Bengals, Colts, Rams, Giants, and 49ers qualified for compensatory selections under the net loss formula but will not receive those picks because the final numerical values of the CFAs who were lost by those clubs ranked 33rd through 39thamong the final numerical values of all compensatory selections. Each of those six clubs will receive compensatory selections for other CFAs lost whose final numerical values ranked within the top 32. “
Third Round
- (No. 33 in third round-No. 96 overall) Redskins
- 34-97 Patriots
- 35-98 Rams
- 36-99 Rams
- 37-100 Panthers
- 38-101 Patriots
- 39-102 Ravens
Jerry Jones Says Cowboys Will Pursue Safeties
Jerry Jones only helped add fuel to the fire today regarding Earl Thomas potentially joining the Cowboys. When asked if the organization would pursue some help at safety, the team’s owner made his answer pretty clear.
Of course, it’s important to note that Jones never explicitly mentioned Thomas, but it’s pretty easy to assume that the organization will pursue the veteran defensive back. The mutual interest between the two sides has been covered extensively, although the NFL recently made it clear that the Cowboys didn’t tamper when it came to the 29-year-old.
Of course, Dallas ultimately may look to leverage Thomas’ interest in joining the Cowboys. The team is projected to have around $50MM in cap space, but a solid portion of that total will go towards a DeMarcus Lawrence franchise tag and other extensions. As a result, the team may not have a whole lot of money to give Thomas.
Cowboys Not Ready To Spend Big On Thomas?
Linked for more than a year now, Earl Thomas and the Cowboys could be a match soon. Thomas seems certain to hit the market, and the Cowboys offered a second-round pick for him last year. It would only take money to bring Thomas to Dallas this year, but the sides may not be as strong of a match. The Cowboys hold nearly $50MM in cap space, but a big chunk of that will likely go to another DeMarcus Lawrence franchise tag. Other funds will be earmarked for extensions for several young talents. The Cowboys could use safety help, but Albert Breer of SI.com does not get the vibe the organization will be ready to shell out top-end safety money to bring Thomas to Dallas.
Cowboys To Re-Sign LS L.P. Ladouceur
The Cowboys’ long snapper since the Bill Parcells years, L.P. Ladouceur will not be hitting free agency.
Another deal for Ladouceur is expected to commence soon, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic reports (on Twitter). It will be a one-year for Ladouceur, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
This will be Ladouceur’s 15th NFL season. He has played only for the Cowboys as an NFL snapper.
Ladouceur, who will turn 38 next month, made $1.1MM last season on a one-year agreement. Given the going rate for long snappers, it won’t be expected the 2019 accord will be too far north of that figure.
With Jason Witten having retired, Ladouceur is the longest-tenured Cowboy — by a considerable margin. He has played in 230 straight games (counting the Cowboys’ nine playoff contests since 2006). Witten’s 239 regular-season games represent the most in Cowboys history, so it would take Ladouceur coming back in 2020 to eclipse that. Ladouceur will be in position to pass Ed “Too Tall” Jones on the franchise’s games-played list by October, however.