Cowboys Cut WR Deonte Thompson
The Cowboys have released Deonte Thompson, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). With limited options at wide receiver this year, Thompson seemed likely to make the cut.
Thompson inked a one-year, $2.5MM deal with Dallas in March. The pact included a $1MM signing bonus, so he walks away with a decent chunk of change despite never playing in a meaningful game for the Cowboys.
Thompson spent time with the Bills and Bears last year. Between the two clubs, he turned in the best season of his career with 38 grabs for 555 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos and the incumbent Bills also expressed interest in the late bloomer before he hooked on with Jerry Jones & Co.
Cowboys’ Rico Gathers Arrested
Rico Gathers hasn’t helped his case to make the Cowboys roster. The tight end was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana last night, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Police say they found Gathers in possession of less than two ounces of marijuana. The 24-year-old was released from jail this morning after posting bond. Marijuana possession is a violation in Texas (where Gathers was arrested), and he could be subject to the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Despite not having played football since the eighth grade, the Cowboys selected the 6-foot-8 Gathers in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. The Baylor basketball player has the athleticism to play football, but he hasn’t been able to put it together during his tenure in Dallas. The tight end has yet to appear in an NFL regular season game.
Gathers was already going to have a tough time making the Cowboys roster. He hauled in 10 passes during the preseason, but he was still listed behind behind Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin and rookie Dalton Schultz on the depth chart.
Cowboys To Cut Kony Ealy
Kony Ealy‘s stay in Dallas did not last long. Added earlier this offseason, the former Panthers second-round pick will not make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster after the team made the decision to cut him Friday, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).
A 2014 second-round pick, Ealy is a vested veteran and will not have to pass through waivers. He’s a free agent after failing to make the Cowboys.
This marks the second straight cut-weekend transaction for the once-highly regarded defensive lineman. The Patriots waived him last year, leading to a Jets claim and 15 games of regular-season action for Gang Green. With the Cowboys, however, he was on the bubble. Dallas tried him at defensive tackle as well but will cut the experiment short.
The Cowboys, who have Randy Gregory back in the fold, are a bit deeper on their defensive line than in the recent past. Former second-rounder Jihad Ward is also on their roster bubble.
Chiefs Trade OL Parker Ehinger To Cowboys
We learned earlier tonight that the Cowboys were trading cornerback Charvarius Ward to the Chiefs, and now we’re getting details on what they’ll be getting in return. ESPN’s Adam Teicher reports that Kansas City will be sending offensive lineman Parker Ehinger to Dallas.
The 2016 fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati had difficulties staying on the field during his tenure with the Chiefs. He did start four of his five games as a rookie, but a knee injury ended his season prematurely. In 2017, Ehinger was limited to only one game (one start), but the Chiefs apparently had optimism that he’d be able to start at left guard this year.
However, the lineman was benched for Cam Erving during training camp, and Kansas City apparently decided that they were fine rolling with their current backups. That grouping includes Andrew Wylie, Bryan Witzmann, Jordan Devey and rookies Ryan Hunter and Kahlil McKenzie.
The 25-year-old will now try to crack the Cowboys roster, which is currently dealing with injuries to Marcus Martin and Travis Frederick. The six-foot-six, 310-pound Ehinger will presumably compete with Cameron Fleming, Chaz Green, Joe Looney, and Kadeem Edwards for backup reps.
Cowboys Trade CB Charvarius Ward To Chiefs
Charvarius Ward is heading to Kansas City. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports (via Twitter) that the Cowboys are trading the rookie cornerback to the Chiefs. The deal is expected to be finalized on Friday.
Ward had a standout collegiate career at Middle Tennessee State, compiling 74 tackles, two interceptions and 13 passes defended over the past two seasons. After going undrafted during this past year’s draft, he ended up catching on with the Cowboys.
The organization gave the rookie a chance to show his talent, as Ward ended up playing in 58 snaps through three games this preseason. The six-foot-one, 201-pound cornerback compiled seven tackles and a pair of passes defended during those outings.
As ESPN’s Adam Teicher tweets, the move is unlikely to shake up the Chiefs’ depth chart. Ward will likely slide into the team’s sixth and final cornerback spot behind Kendall Fuller, Steven Nelson, Orlando Scandrick, David Amerson, and Tremon Smith. This means Keith Reaser, Will Redmond and Makinton Dorleant are either competing for a final roster spot or at risk of being cut.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys cornerback depth chart seems to be solidified with Byron Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Duke Thomas, and Marquez White.
Cowboys Searching For O-Line, Safety Help
The trade market’s heating up as teams configure their 53-man rosters, and one team isn’t making it a secret it’s seeking upgrades.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Wednesday the team is exploring additions to bolster their safety and offensive line spots. Specifically, Jones said the Cowboys want to fortify their interior offensive front, which suffered a critical setback when Travis Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre disease. Joe Looney resides as the Dallas starting center now, and the Cowboys either want depth behind him or competition.
“We feel good about Joe,” Jones said, via Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. “I think we do, I think the personnel group does. The coaches do. And more importantly I think Dak [Prescott] really feels good working with him. At the same time we’re not naive. We’re certainly looking for interior offensive linemen as well as the safety position. It’s no secret. If we can find something that makes sense, we want to improve our football team.”
Frederick is a short-term IR candidate to open the season, but that might not be necessary. The Cowboys are optimistic the All-Pro snapper may recover in weeks rather than months.
The Cowboys already added a safety to their roster in former Kris Richard Seahawks pupil Jeron Johnson, but he’s only played four games since the 2015 season and is in Dallas for depth purposes. Xavier Woods remains out, as does his replacement, Kavon Frazier. However, the Cowboys are hopeful Frazier will be sufficiently recovered from his shoulder malady to play in Week 1.
As for the obvious safety upgrade, Jones said the Cowboys have not discussed Earl Thomas with the Seahawks “lately.” Thomas remains a holdout, and nothing of note’s transpired regarding his Seattle situation in weeks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Darius Victor
Buffalo Bills
- Released: S L.J. McCray
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Darius Hillary
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Kyle Bosch, OL Matthew Diaz
- Waived: WR Ricky Jeune, OL Dustin Stanton
Houston Texans
- Released: WR Chris Thompson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR: S Don Carey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers (Texans): DT Marcus Hardison
- Waived/injured: OL Zachary Crabtree
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Larry Rose
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Anthony Denham
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Ja’Quan Gardner
- Waived: S Chanceller James
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Deontae Skinner
Latest On Cowboys C Travis Frederick
The Cowboys are cautiously optimistic about center Travis Frederick‘s outlook, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s too early to say whether he’ll be placed on injured reserve, but one source tells Rapoport that his recovery will be measured in weeks rather than months. A formal decision on Frederick will come next week, so they will not place the lineman on IR before Saturday’s roster deadline. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Move Tyrone Crawford To DT]
Frederick, one of the league’s best centers, was recently diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome, a rare auto-immune disease. For however long he’s out, the Cowboys will use third-year pro Joe Looney in the middle.
Under the league’s revised rules for the injured reserve, each team is permitted to bring two players back from IR each season. The player does not have to be earmarked for return in advance, but the player must spend at least eight weeks on the inactive list. If the Cowboys feel that Frederick is unlikely to be ready before November, they may place Frederick on IR in order to free up a roster spot.
Ealy, Ward On Verge Of Being Cut?
- The Cowboys‘ move of Kony Ealy to defensive tackle may not be enough to save his roster spot. Dallas is deeper up front this year, and although Ealy was a 2018 UFA signing, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the former Panthers second-round pick off the 53-man roster. Former Dallas waiver claim Brian Price resides in front of Ealy, in Hill’s view, for a roster spot. Ealy signed a one-year, $1.25MM contract, with a $200K signing bonus, in April. Also lost in the shuffle here is recent Cowboys trade acquisition Jihad Ward, who Hill doesn’t see making the roster. Both of these former second-round picks will at least need to show well in Dallas’ final two preseason games to have a shot.
Cowboys Notes: Collins, Jones, Swaim, WRs
The Cowboys boast more defensive line depth than they have in the recent past, and they are expecting to have one of their starters back in time for the regular season. Executive VP Stephen Jones expects Maliek Collins to be ready to go by Week 1. Jones indicated during a Saturday radio interview with 105.3 KRLD-FM (via the Dallas Morning News) that Collins, who suffered another foot injury this offseason but was activated from the PUP list last week, may well be on a pitch count upon returning. He may no longer be a starter, however, with Tyrone Crawford having moved to defensive tackle. Crawford and Antwaun Woods are currently Dallas’ inside starters. Collins has started 30 of the 32 games he’s played since arriving as a third-round pick, so this would create some depth — something Jones said isn’t as prevalent at defensive tackle as it is at end — inside.
Here’s the latest out of Dallas:
- Stephen Jones dismissed the prospect of Byron Jones returning to safety due to the team’s situation there. Byron Jones is now a cornerback, with new secondary coach Kris Richard preferring taller corners who can press, and Stephen Jones has praised the development the former first-round safety’s made at his new position.
- Kavon Frazier is now working as Dallas’ starting strong safety, replacing the injured Xavier Woods for the time being, and that’s resulted in Jeff Heath moving to free safety, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Cowboys do not view the recently signed Jeron Johnson as a starter but instead more of a depth piece behind the current first-stringers. Watkins writes the Cowboys discussed George Iloka, who opted for the Vikings on a league-minimum agreement, but liked Johnson because of his positional flexibility. Stephen Jones hinted at (Twitter link, via the Morning News’ Jon Machota) another safety potentially being added after preseason cuts commence.
- While the Cowboys discussed Earl Thomas with the Seahawks, they did not replace Jason Witten with a high- or medium-profile player. Geoff Swaim, a 2015 seventh-round pick with nine career catches, will replace the future Hall of Famer in the starting lineup, per Watkins, who adds 2017 UDFA Blake Jarwin is the No. 2 tight end. Rico Gathers may not have a way onto the roster, with Watkins expecting Dallas to carry three tight ends. The Cowboys drafted Dalton Schultz in the fourth round, and he almost certainly will be the No. 3 player here.
- Stephen Jones dropped an interesting hint about what the Cowboys may be planning with their reconfigured wide receiver corps. The team may choose to carry more than six at this spot. “Traditionally we’ve kept five or six receivers. But if I’m a betting man, I think that ends up being more than five or six,” Jones said (Twitter link, via Machota) of how the Cowboys plan to handle their Week 1 roster. Watkins views Allen Hurns, Cole Beasley, Tavon Austin, Terrance Williams and third-round rookie Michael Gallup as locks. UFA addition Deonte Thompson and second-year man Noah Brown are currently dealing with injuries, but it doesn’t look like they’re out of the running as a result.