Cowboys To Place TE Geoff Swaim On IR
The Cowboys are still in pole position to win the NFC East, but their offense was dealt a blow today as the team will place tight end Geoff Swaim on injured reserve, according to veteran Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. (Twitter link).
Hill adds that the team will promote running back Darius Jackson from the practice squad to take his spot on the roster. Swaim underwent wrist surgery last month, but the team hoped at the time he’d be able to return for a playoff push. Although they’ve kept him on the roster all this time, they finally decided they couldn’t wait any longer.
After Jason Witten retired, Swaim was expected to step up and become the lead tight end in the offense. A fourth-year player out of Texas, Swaim was having by far the best year of his career before going down. Through nine games, he reeled in 26 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown.
Jackson was drafted by the Cowboys in the sixth round back in 2016, and is already in his third stint with the team. He’s been waived multiple times, and spent time with the Browns and Packers. He’ll provide immediate depth behind Ezekiel Elliot, but likely won’t be too much of a factor.
Cowboys Work Out WR Sammie Coates
The Cowboys are kicking the tires on wide receiver Sammie Coates, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Coates was cut loose by the Texans earlier this week and was not claimed on waivers, making him a free agent. 
Coates had one catch for 12 yards this year and mostly played on special teams for Houston. That’s likely to be his role in Dallas, if signed, though he could have an opportunity to do more since Tavon Austin is still working his way back from a groin strain.
Coates’ best season to date came in 2016 with the Steelers when he had 21 catches for 435 yards and two scores. In 2017, however, he had just six catches for 70 yards and zero touchdowns for Cleveland and his production dipped even further this year. Coates’ 37 snaps this year marked a career low.
The 8-6 Cowboys have a 94% chance of winning the NFC East, according to FiveThirtyEight. If they win at least one of their final two games, they’ll clinch the division and a playoff berth.
IR/Return Decisions: Panthers, Searcy, Cowboys, Jaguars
With the 2018 campaign nearly in the books, NFL clubs are making their final decisions on players to return (or not return) from injured reserve. Each team is allowed to bring two players back from IR, but said players must have been retained on their respective club’s initial 53-man roster. Once an IR player returns to practice, his club will have three weeks to decide whether to activate him to their 53-man roster; if he’s not activated, the player will remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Here’s the latest on IR/return players:
- The Panthers have opted not to activate safety Da’Norris Searcy from injured reserve, tweets veteran reporter Howard Balzer. Searcy was designated to return three weeks ago, but once that 21-day window expired without him having been placed on Carolina’s 53-man roster, Searcy was done for the year. It’s entirely possible the Panthers would have activated Searcy if they were anywhere near playoff contention, but most postseason models give Carolina less than a one percent chance of securing a playoff berth, so the club probably didn’t feel the need to risk Searcy’s health. It’s doing the same thing with quarterback Cam Newton, shutting down the veteran signal-caller with two games to go. Searcy inked a two-year deal with the Panthers this offseason, but Carolina would incur just $650K in dead cap by cutting him.
- The Cowboys have designated cornerback C.J. Goodwin to return from injured reserve, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). If he is activated, Goodwin isn’t likely to play a major role on a Dallas defense that ranks as a top-10 unit in DVOA. The Cowboys already have three locked-in nickel package starters in Byron Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, and Anthony Brown, but Goodwin could offer depth and play on special teams, joining fellow reserve defensive back Jourdan Lewis in that regard. Goodwin has only played 188 total defensive snaps over his four-year pro career, but he’s never posted a season in which he played fewer than 45% of his club’s special teams snaps.
- The Jaguars have designated linebacker Donald Payne to return from injured reserve, per Balzer (Twitter link). Payne is a pure special-teamer (he’s played just three defensive snaps since joining Jacksonville in 2017), as the Jaguars deploy Telvin Smith and Myles Jack as their starting linebackers. On the year, the Jaguars rank third in special teams DVOA, per Football Outsiders.
Cowboys Pass On Signing Barry Church
While the Cowboys are not ruling out a potential future Barry Church re-signing, the NFC East leaders are not planning to bring him back at this point, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports.
The longtime Dallas safety, waived by Jacksonville last week, surfaced as a possible option for a return to Texas. However, the Cowboys will stick with their current back-line defenders for the time being.
Cowboys officials discussed re-signing Church because of his knowledge of Rod Marinelli’s system, Moore notes, but the team plans to hold off on a reunion. Rookie Ronnie Harrison supplanted Church in the Jaguars’ starting lineup, and the 30-year-old defender cleared waivers.
Safety resided as a rumored priority for months in Dallas, with the team eventually upping its Earl Thomas offer to a second-round pick. The Seahawks didn’t budge, and the Cowboys stuck with their incumbents. Xavier Woods and Jeff Heath remain the first-stringers in Dallas.
Sean Lee Activated, Will Back Up Leighton Vander Esch
- Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee is active today for the first time since November 5 and will play a reserve role behind rookie phenomenon Leighton Vander Esch, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Lee still provides value when healthy, but Jane Slater of the NFL Network tweets that Lee told the team he did not want to start and interfere with Vander Esch’s progress. It remains to be seen how Lee will be deployed moving forward.
Cowboys Eyeing Barry Church?
The Jaguars waived safety Barry Church yesterday, and it sounds like his former team could have some interest. Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder tweets that the Cowboys “will evaluate their interest” in Church if he ultimately clears waivers.
As our own Zach Links pointed out yesterday, a team could theoretically claim Church, pay him his $368K game checks for the rest of the year, and then release him from his deal in the offseason. However, the more likely scenario is that Church will end up going unclaimed, at which time any team could sign the 30-year-old.
Church joined the Jaguars during the 2017 offseason on a four-year, $21.6MM deal. In eleven games this season, Church has compiled 38 tackles, one sack, and one interception. However, he’s been generally poor in coverage, and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 79 safety out of 83 qualified players.
The veteran was much sharper in 2017, and he had a standout 2016 campaign during his final season in Dallas. Church might not necessarily knock Xavier Woods or Jeff Heath out of the starting lineup, but he’d at least provide some veteran know-how as a backup. Throughout the early parts of the season, the Cowboys were connected to Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, so they’re definitely receptive to adding some reinforcement at the position.
Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends GM Candidates
The Fritz Pollard Alliance has released its annual list of minority candidates for general manager vacancies. Much like the latest batch of recommended coaching hires, the suggested GM list is more than twice as long as last year’s. 
[RELATED: Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends Head Coaching Candidates]
Here’s the full rundown, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link):
- Ray Agnew (Rams)
- Joey Clinkscales (Raiders)
- Quentin Harris (Cardinals)
- Alonzo Highsmith (Browns)
- Brad Holmes (Rams)
- Champ Kelly (Bears)
- Martin Mayhew (49ers, ex-Lions GM)
- Will McClay (Cowboys)
- Jimmy Raye III (Lions)
- Jerry Reese (ex-Giants GM)
- Doug Whaley (ex-Bills GM)
- Doug Williams (Redskins)
Clinkscales, Highsmith, McClay, and Williams were all featured on last year’s list, but none of those executives landed GM jobs. The only executive from the last round of recommendations who did not carry over to this year was Ray Farmer, the former Browns GM who is currently serving as a senior consultant with the Rams.
Of the dozen suggested executives on this list, only three sat for GM interviews in the last cycle: Mayhew (Panthers), Raye (Texans), and Whaley (Packers). McClay was asked to interview for the Texans opening, but declined the opportunity and instead signed a two-year extension to stay with the Cowboys. McClay may garner consideration again this time around, but he might not be interested in leaving Dallas.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Justin Evans
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Ashton Lampkin
- Placed on injured list: DB Robert Jackson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Oni Omoile
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT DeShawn Williams
- Released: DE Anthony Winbush
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR C.J. Board
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Martez Carter
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Woodrow Hamilton
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Roubbens Joseph
- Placed on injured list: OL Casey Dunn
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Jonathan Anderson
- Signed from Seahawks’ practice squad: DT Vincent Valentine
- Placed on IR: LB Thurston Armbrister
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: CB Taron Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Trevon Young
- Placed on IR: Dominique Hatfield
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: OL Cameron Hunt, OL Denver Kirkland
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: S Tyree Robinson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Tanner Hudson
- Placed on IR: LB Kevin Minter
Washington Redskins
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: G Kyle Fuller
- Waived: C Demetrius Rhaney
Extra Points: Packers, Martin, Draft, Raiders
Bashaud Breeland‘s workout parade concluded in Green Bay, but his Packers contract is nearly its expiration. The veteran cornerback would re-enter the market in a better position, doing so a year after a golf cart-related injury harpooned his value. But Breeland, who said many teams would not medically clear him after his foot injury, would be interested if the Packers approached him about staying before he hit the market. Although, he said the Packers have not discussed an extension with him yet.
“If I have the opportunity, I would,” Breeland said, via Ryan Wood of Packersnews.com, of a possible extension or offseason Packers re-signing. “At this point in time, the Green Bay Packers have first dibs because I’m here. They can make it happen at any moment.”
The Packers are not known as extravagant spenders but are keen on locking up their own talent. Breeland has only played in four Packers games, but on Sunday, the former Redskins starter recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a score. Both Tramon Williams and Davon House‘s contacts expire at season’s end as well, but the Packers still have recent high draft picks Jaire Alexander, Josh Jackson and Kevin King locked up long-term. Next year’s cornerback market may include the likes of Darqueze Dennard, Ronald Darby, Bradley Roby and Bryce Callahan while also housing veterans Morris Claiborne, Kareem Jackson and Brent Grimes.
Here is the latest from around the league as Week 14 winds down.
- Zack Martin re-aggravated his MCL sprain during the fourth quarter of the Cowboys‘ overtime win over the Eagles on Sunday, and Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes the All-Pro guard will likely be limited in practice this week. Martin has never missed a start in his five-year career, but MCL sprains are often multi-week injuries. The possibility Martin misses multiple games in order to right himself for an expected playoff game is on the table, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. If Martin does sit against the Colts, Connor Williams would start at right guard, per Archer.
- So far, the prevailing word surrounding possible top-five pick Justin Herbert is another year in Eugene, Ore. But longtime evaluator Gil Brandt, now with NFL.com, tweets he would make substantial bet that the Oregon quarterback declares for the 2019 draft and becomes a top-five selection. Teams like the Giants, Jaguars and Buccaneers would likely be interested if Herbert left early.
- Texas Tech wide receiver Antoine Wesley will depart school early. Responsible for 1,410 yards this season — third-most in Red Raiders history behind Michael Crabtree and Keke Coutee — Wesley announced Monday (on Twitter) he will leave Lubbock and head to the NFL.
- Scot McCloughan could be a name to watch in the Raiders‘ GM or de facto GM search, Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes (subscription required). The former Redskins and 49ers GM interviewed with the Raiders for a position under Reggie McKenzie after the 2014 season, but Tafur notes McCloughan wanted personnel control. He then took Washington’s GM job before an ugly divorce. Jon Gruden and McCloughan’s tenures in Green Bay briefly overlapped in the mid-1990s, and Tafur notes McCloughan got along well with Jay Gruden in Washington.
- The Broncos worked out 15 players on Monday. Defensive linemen Winston Craig, Jon Cunningham, Marcus Hardison and Christian Lacouture took part in the group audition, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). Defensive backs Jude Adjei-Barimah, Sojourn Shelton and Henre’ Toliver joined linebacker Greer Martini in working out in Denver, per Klis.