David Irving Away From Cowboys Due To Personal Issue
While the Cowboys are looking like the team to beat in the NFC East, David Irving‘s contract year has not gone well. The defensive lineman has only played in two games and is now away from his team again.
Dealing with a high ankle sprain, Irving hasn’t been at Cowboys practice or any recent team meetings, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News notes, adding that the free agent-to-be is dealing with personal issues as well.
Irving was suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse, missing the Cowboys’ first four games, and was entangled in a custody battle for his daughter this year. While Irving won that battle, he did not report to training camp on time and was evicted from his Dallas home, George adds.
Jason Garrett excused the talented interior pass rusher from the team to deal with personal issues, but the team’s view of the latest Irving absence isn’t known. Irving won’t play Thursday against the Saints, but George adds the Cowboys are hopeful he will be back at some point next month.
The Cowboys kept Irving via second-round RFA tender ($2.91MM) but have an interesting offseason ahead, with Dak Prescott becoming extension-eligible and 2015 first-rounders Amari Cooper and Byron Jones entering fifth-year option seasons. Irving won’t be a top priority, but he may need to return to the field soon to make an effort to re-establish his value.
He registered seven sacks in eight games last season, thriving as a defensive tackle in Dallas’ 4-3 scheme.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers (Seahawks): TE Darrell Daniels
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Darian Thompson
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Garrett Dickerson
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Quadree Henderson
Oakland Raiders
- Signed off Ravens’ practice squad: TE Darren Waller
- Waived: WR Johnny Holton
- Placed on injured reserve: DE Jacquies Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Demone Harris
- Waived: S Godwin Igwebuike
Latest On Extension Talks For Amari Cooper, Dak Prescott
The Cowboys indicated earlier this month that they are planning on signing the newly-acquired Amari Cooper to an extension. However, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes, the two sides have not yet had any talks regarding a new deal. Cooper is under club control through 2019 under the fifth-year option that Oakland had previously exercised, and Cooper would be a legitimate franchise tag candidate for at least the 2020 season if it comes to it, so the Cowboys have not prioritized a new contract. However, Schefter said player and team do plan to discuss a long-term extension after the season, and that Dallas is prepared to pay Cooper.
Cooper’s price, though, is only going up. He is starting to look a little like his old self in Dallas, and he exploded for 180 yards and two scores in the team’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Redskins. Now riding a three-game winning streak, the Cowboys have suddenly become the favorites to win the NFC East, and Cooper — who has 22 receptions for 349 yards and three TDs in four games with the team — is a big reason for that.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examines what a new contract for Cooper could look like, and he suggests that any deal reached prior to the 2019 season would need to include at least $30.6MM in fully-guaranteed money, and probably more. Plus, in light of recent contracts for players like Sammy Watkins and Brandin Cooks, Cooper could easily make a case for a deal that features an average annual value of $16MM+. Cooper is represented by agent Joel Segal, who of course did wonders for Khalil Mack earlier this year.
In addition to Cooper, the Cowboys are also planning an extension for third-year signal caller Dak Prescott. as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network confirms (video link). Owner Jerry Jones and executive VP Stephen Jones are reportedly convinced that Prescott is the team’s franchise quarterback, and they plan to pay him accordingly. As Florio notes, it will be difficult to determine a true starting point in negotiations for Prescott, but Rapoport says that Dallas wants to lock up both Cooper and Prescott for the foreseeable future this offseason and that the club is making financial preparations now. The Cowboys have not yet initiated talks with Prescott’s camp either but will do so at season’s end.
As we heard yesterday, star running back Ezekiel Elliott may be left out once Dallas has finished paying Prescott, Cooper, and (potentially) Demarcus Lawrence.
Cowboys Might Not Extend Elliott?
The Cowboys are riding high off their recent three game winning streak, but they’ll have to get serious soon. While head coach Jason Garret’s future with the team has been discussed endlessly, they have some personnel decisions to make that have flown mostly under the radar. The Cowboys have a bunch of young players, and will need to make some tough decisions soon, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
The Cowboys have a bunch of players who will need to either be extended or let go in the near future, including Dak Prescott, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Ezekiel Elliott. All three will be looking for a ton of guaranteed money, and they might not be able to keep everybody. While owner Jerry Jones has said repeatedly the team plans on extending Prescott, Florio notes that Jones hasn’t “said much if anything about Elliott getting a new deal.” Florio writes that “it’s possible that the Cowboys won’t ever make a major financial commitment to Elliott”, and points to how they handled the DeMarco Murray situation a few years ago as evidence they might not value running backs that highly. It hasn’t been talked about much, but it’s a very interesting perspective and it definitely seems possible Elliott doesn’t get locked up longterm in Dallas.
Bengals Place Adolphus Washington On IR
Another day, another Bengals player sidelined. This time, it’s defensive lineman Adolphus Washington being shut down for the year due to a knee injury. To take his place on the roster, the Bengals signed defensive tackle Christian Ringo off of the Cowboys practice squad. 
Washington was a third-round pick of the Bills in 2016, but didn’t do much during his time in Buffalo. Washington appeared in 15 games (11 starts) as a rookie, compiling 21 tackles and 2.5 sacks. However, the defensive tackle was arrested prior to his sophomore campaign, and the Bills subsequently shopped him for a fifth-round pick. In September, they released him, and he hooked on with the Cowboys practice squad. Soon after, the Bengals inked him to a main roster deal. His Bengals run ends with six tackles and one sack.
With Washington out, the Bengals went back to the Cowboys’ taxi squad once again. Ringo has suited up for 15 games in three NFL seasons and may get a chance to add to his resume in the final games of the 2018 season.
Tyron Smith Expected To Return Next Week
While the Cowboys offensive tackle wasn’t listed as inactive, Tyron Smith sat out today’s matchup against the Redskins today. Fortunately for Dallas, it sounds like the veteran will be back next week. Owner Jerry Jones told Calvin Watkins of The Athletic that Smith should be 
back for next week’s game against the Saints (Twitter link). Jones added that he was expecting the lineman to play today.
The 27-year-old suffered what’s been described as a “stinger” during last week’s win over the Falcons, and he was seen wearing a brace on his elbow during today’s victory. Cameron Fleming ended up sliding into the starting lineup for the Cowboys, but Smith will surely regain that role next week. If the Pro Bowler was forced to miss extended time, Dallas could have also given a look at backup linemen Xavier Su’a-Filo and Adam Redmond.
Smith, a 2011 first-rounder, was having another solid season through the Cowboys first 10 games. The lineman has made five straight Pro Bowls, and he was named as a first- or second-team All-Pro for four of the past five seasons. He ended the 2017 campaign on the IR after having dealt with knee, back, groin, and hip injuries, but he’s made it through the 2018 season mostly unscathed.
Gallup To Play On Thanksgiving
Jones revealed what went down in a recent interview he did, saying “Several years back, I was approached by several owners that asked if I would consider selling the team, and the team being a more elite team and I take Los Angeles and build Los Angeles.” Jones explained that he never wanted to sell the Cowboys and it obviously never happened, but Jones re-establishing the L.A. market for the NFL would’ve been highly entertaining, if nothing else.
- After the tragic passing of his brother, Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup‘s status was understandably in doubt for today’s Thanksgiving game. While he missed practice this week, Gallup will in fact play against the Redskins in today’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s great news for the Cowboys’ suddenly resurgent offense, and our thoughts are with Gallup and his family.
Cowboys TE Geoff Swaim To Undergo Wrist Surgery
Geoff Swaim suffered a wrist injury this weekend, but his season isn’t necessarily over. ESPN’s Todd Archer tweets that the Cowboys tight end is out indefinitely after breaking his wrist. While Swaim will need surgery, coach Jason Garrett indicated 
that the tight end could return later this year.
With Jason Witten retiring, Swaim was expected to take on a bigger role on offense, and he hasn’t disappointed. The tight end was already having a career season through nine games (nine starts), hauling in 26 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown. In his previous three seasons, the 2015 seventh-rounder out of Texas had only compiled nine receptions. The 25-year-old has battled through a knee injury through much of the season, and a wrist injury will just add to his list of ailments.
While there isn’t a definitive timetable for Swaim’s return, we can assume that he’ll at least miss Thursday’s matchup against the Redskins. In that case, the Cowboys will have to turn to a combination of Dalton Schultz, Rico Gathers and Blake Jarwin. That trio has combined for only nine catches this season.
Cowboys Waive CB Darian Thompson
Darian Thompson‘s tenure with the Cowboys has come to an end… for the time being. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Dallas has waived the defensive back to make room for recently-promoted defensive tackle Christian Ringo. However, Rapoport notes that he expects Thompson to return to the organization if he clears waivers.
Thompson, a former third-rounder out of Boise State, had a breakout campaign with the Giants in 2017. He finished the season with 75 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception, although Pro Football Focus only rated him as the 66th-ranked safety in the NFL. The 25-year-old missed his entire rookie campaign with a Lisfranc injury, and he was slowed down by a hamstring injury through much of the 2018 preseason.
The Giants’ new regime decided to move on from Thompson in early September, and he was subsequently added to the Cardinals practice squad. He was signed to the Cowboys active roster in early October, but he couldn’t carve out a role in Dallas. He appeared in four games without compiling a single defensive stat.
With Jameill Showers on the injured reserve, the Cowboys now have three healthy safeties on their roster in Xavier Woods, Jeff Heath, and Kavon Frazier.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/18
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted to active roster: DT Christian Ringo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Godwin Igwebuike
- Waived: DE Demone Harris