Cowboys Extend Exec Will McClay
The Cowboys are holding on to vice president of player personnel Will McClay. After the McClay declined an opportunity to interview with the Texans about their GM opening, the team rewarded him with a two-year extension, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. 
The new deal, presumably, comes with a pay raise for his loyalty. The Cowboys wanted to keep McClay, a widely respected and highly sought after talent evaluator, even though he his blocked from the GM job with Jerry Jones in command.
As Archer notes, the Cowboys have drafted four Pro Bowl players – Zack Martin, Demarcus Lawrence, Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak Prescott – since McClay took over the college and pro personnel departments in 2014. In that span they’ve also tapped 14 players who start or play key roles for the team.
Anthony Hitchens Seeking $10MM Annually
- Cowboys free agent linebacker Anthony Hitchens is seeking $10MM per year on the open market, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Dallas ranks in the bottom-third of the league in available cap space, so that price point could force Hitchens out of the club’s range. Indeed, multiple beat writers don’t believe Hitchens will re-sign with the Cowboys, while the Colts — who now employ former Dallas linebackers coach Matt Eberflus — are expected to pursue the 25-year-old. A fourth-round pick out of Iowa in 2014, Hitchens appeared in 12 games a season ago and registered 55 tackles.
Latest On Cowboys WR Dez Bryant
The Cowboys have yet to make a decision on whether veteran wideout Dez Bryant will be with the club in 2018, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
“I don’t have a time frame just yet,” said Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones. “Obviously, it’s going to happen sooner than later. … We have to continue to work on our end and see where we are gonna end up on it.”
Bryant is due a $12.5MM base salary in 2018, and will count for $16.5MM on Dallas’ salary cap. If he’s released, the Cowboys would save $8.5MM but still be on the hook for $8MM in dead money. Dallas could designate the 29-year-old Bryant as a post-June 1 release and in turn save $12.5MM in 2018 space, but that extra room wouldn’t be available until June. As such, it wouldn’t help the Cowboys sign free agents in March.
Bryant has managed to get into the end zone 14 times over the past two seasons, but he hasn’t topped 1,000 yards since the 2014 season. 2017 also marked the first year that Bryant was able to stay healthy for all 16 games since that 2014 season. Bryant only posted 69 receptions and 838 yards, however, which isn’t in line with a salary that makes him the NFL’s eighth-highest-paid wideout.
Speaking at the scouting combine today, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett also sidestepped the issue of Bryant’s roster status. “We have a tremendous amount of love for Dez Bryant,” said Garrett, who indicated Dallas has yet to discuss personnel decisions (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). “He’s been a great player for us for a long time.”
Cowboys Rumors: Irving, Gregory, Jones
The latest out of Dallas:
- Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones confirmed that the Cowboys will tender restricted free agent defensive lineman David Irving (Twitter link via Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram). However, Jones says the team has not decided if it will be first or second round tender. Extending an RFA tender to Irving is a no-brainer, but the call on whether to make it a first- or second-round tender is a tougher decision. This year, the second-round tender will likely be in the $2.85MM-$2.95MM range. Meanwhile, the first round tender will probably be upwards of $4.1MM. The second-round tender should be enough to ward off interested teams, but the Cowboys could play it safe by assigning the first-round tender to Irving.
- Jones said the team is taking a “worst case scenario” approach to the potential reinstatement of defensive end Randy Gregory (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer). The former second-round pick has missed all but two games over the last two seasons because of a suspension, so the Cowboys aren’t expecting to have him back, nor do they know what he can offer them at this point. On a positive note, Gregory passed drug tests in the fall.
- On Tuesday, Jones indicated that the Cowboys will be moving on from cornerback Orlando Scandrick.
Cowboys To Cut Or Trade Orlando Scandrick
One way or another, it sounds like Orlando Scandrick‘s time in Dallas is about to come to an end. Team CEO Stephen Jones says the cornerback will likely be cut or traded, as Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram tweets. 
The Cowboys dangled Scandrick on the trade block during last year’s draft, but ultimately did not come to terms on a trade with the Saints that would have brought safety Kenny Vaccaro to Dallas. Scandrick stayed on board for his ninth season in Dallas, but he was dogged by injuries and landed on IR in December. Around that time, the 31-year-old acknowledged that he might not return to the only NFL team he’s ever known.
“I’m prepared for whatever,” Scandrick said. “I’m still going to play football. I’m still a good football player when I’m healthy. We’ll see what happens. … I’m not at the point of my career where I’m willing to just be an inactive guy or a guy that’s not a part of what’s going on and can’t help the team win. I just want to play somewhere I can finish things out the right way.”
Scandrick is scheduled to carry a $5.28MM cap hit in the coming year, but the team will probably part ways with him and eat $3.88MM in dead money in order to save $1.4MM against the cap.
In 2017, Scandrick registered just 38 total tackles and graded out as one of the ten worst qualified cornerbacks in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. It’s possible that he could draw some trade interest, but it would be surprising if the Cowboys got a significant return for him.
Salary Cap Rollover For All 32 NFL Teams
This week, the NFLPA updated its salary cap report to include the rollover amounts for all 32 teams in the NFL. The Browns, as expected, lead the league in $58.9MM in cap space rolled over from the previous season. Here is the full rundown of each team’s rollover amounts:
After the Browns, the 49ers ($56MM), Titans ($30.3MM), Jaguars ($27.8MM), and Jets ($17.3MM) boast the highest rollover amounts in the league. The Dolphins ($69K), Saints ($287K), Giants ($365K), Eagles ($514K), and the Seahawks ($547K) have the least amount of rollover. In total, teams carried over nearly $340MM from last season, good for an average of $10.6MM per club.
Roger Goodell To Fine Jerry Jones?
Jerry Jones‘ extensive 2017 fight against Roger Goodell about his contract extension looks like it will cost him. Ken Belson of the New York Times reports the commissioner is preparing to fine the Cowboys owner “millions of dollars” for what Goodell deemed an act of sabotage by Jones in attempting derail his extension last year. That and Jones’ ongoing defense of Ezekiel Elliott will lead to this punishment, several sources informed Belson.
This fine will exceed $2MM, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). As Mike Florio of PFT notes, the NFL’s Constitution and Bylaws stipulates that the commissioner cannot fine more than $500K for conduct detrimental to the league. However, the NFL is not technically fining Jones, per veteran reporter Ed Werder (Twitter link). Instead, the league is seeking repayment for approximately $2MM in legal expenses relative to his threats to sue the league.Goodell was initially reluctant to take action, but the NFL Finance Committee and other owners are in support of this plan.
Jones threatened to sue the NFL last year over a matter he said stemmed over Goodell’s contract. He hired an attorney and was prepared to sue the six members of the league’s compensation committee in November, and Belson reports the owner attempted to influence NFL officials during Elliott’s case. Belson reports Jones will be ordered to pay the legal fees the compensation committee spent defending itself as well as the legal expenses the NFL spent “defending its decision to suspend Elliott.”
Goodell’s contract went through, with Elliott serving the six-game suspension that Jones and the NFLPA vigorously fought for months. This extensive process left Jones — who once supported a Goodell extension — at intense odds with the commissioner and the Arthur Blank-chaired compensation committee. And this action — foreshadowed, to some degree, late last year — by the league likely won’t quell the animosity any time soon.
Cowboys Not Expected To Re-Sign Anthony Hitchens?
The Cowboys have a number of objectives this offseason, but they will certainly prioritize signing Zack Martin and Demarcus Lawrence to long-term deals. Lawrence will get hit with the franchise tag at some point prior to the March 6 deadline, which will give the two sides until July 16 to work out a multi-year contract. Martin, meanwhile, is still under club control through the 2018 season, but Dallas has been talking about extending him for some time now.
Anthony Hitchens, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in a couple of weeks, is not the same caliber of player as Lawrence and Martin. However, he is a quality linebacker who will surely generate plenty of interest on the open market, and neither David Moore of the Dallas Morning News nor Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram believe the Cowboys will be able to retain him.
Both scribes point to recent comments from executive VP Stephen Jones to suggest that Hitchens will not be in Dallas next season. Jones said of Hitchens, “I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s one of those guys who is available. You can count on him. He understands this game is a tough game. He put himself in harm’s way out there when a lot of players wouldn’t do it. He’s the type of guy you want on your football team … At the same time, we all know he’s not the ‘quote, unquote’ Pro Bowl football player. He’s not the guy who’s getting all the accolades but he’s the type of guy you want on your football team so it does make it hard.”
Hill believes that, if Hitchens wants to stay in Dallas, he will have to take a team-friendly deal and turn down more money elsewhere. After all, the Cowboys have just $19MM in cap room at the moment, while other potentially interested teams — like the Colts — are considerably more flush.
Former Dallas LBs coach Matt Eberflus was recently named the Colts’ new defensive coordinator, and Hill believes a Colts-Hitchens union makes perfect sense. Indeed, Indianapolis will be moving from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 under Eberflus, and Hitchens would help the team make that transition.
Assuming Hitchens does leave, Hill says Dallas will need to prioritize the linebacker position in the draft, but as the 2018 draft class is rife with quality LB prospects, the Cowboys should be able to adequately replace Hitchens’ production.
Dez Bryant Discusses Contract Situation
There have been recent rumblings that the Cowboys could approach Dez Bryant about taking a pay cut. Appearing on the Ben and Skin radio show on 105.3 The Fan, the wideout said the organization hasn’t yet approached him about his contract.
“I just think it’s crazy,” Bryant said (via Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram). “I’ll be straight up honest. I think everything I’ve got, I deserve it. And I can get into way more details with that, but I’ll leave that up to when it’s time for me to sit down and talk with the Joneses – whenever that is.”
After signing a five-year, $75MM deal back in 2015, Bryant is set to earn a $12.5MM base salary next season. He’ll also have a $16.5MM cap hit in 2018, the third-highest mark among wide receivers.
Bryant made it clear that he wants to stick around Dallas, and he admitted that he was frustrated with a lackluster 2017 campaign. The 29-year-old did play in 16 games for the first time since 2014, but he only hauled in 69 receptions for 828 yards (leading to a career-low 12.1 yards per reception) and six touchdowns.
This isn’t the first time Bryant has addressed his contract situation. Back in December, the receiver said he had no interest in taking a pay cut. However, the organization will surely consider the move, and Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones said those conversations are coming.
“No one wants to compete and get after it more than Dez,” Jones said. “At the same time, we all know this is a business where everybody has to be accountable. Certainly, everybody knows that. That’s a tough one. Certainly, we’re going to be grinding it out and trying to determine what is in the best interest of our business.
“Dez understands this is a business. No one thinks more of Dez Bryant than, starting at the top, Jerry, and certainly me, his teammates, coach [Jason] Garrett, Will McClay. We all have a tremendous amount of respect for Dez. That’s one of the things that we’re going to have to work through as we move into our future.”
Cowboys Interviewed Bobby Johnson
- Bobby Johnson interviewed for the Raiders’ HC job, although it might not have been the most on-the-level meeting since a Jon Gruden deal was reportedly already agreed upon. But the former Raiders tight ends coach now has a gig elsewhere. The Colts hired Johnson as their assistant offensive line coach, Alex Marvez of Sporting News reports. Johnson spent the past three seasons on Jack Del Rio‘s staff as Oakland’s TEs coach and spent time on the Jags’ and Bills’ staffs prior to that. Johnson will be working under Dave DeGuglielmo, who was caught in a tough spot when he agreed to terms with Indianapolis when Josh McDaniels was still set to become head coach. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) Johnson also interviewed to be the Cowboys‘ O-line coach.