Cowboys LB Damien Wilson Arrested
Cowboys linebacker Damien Wilson has been arrested for two counts of aggravated assault with deadly weapon, as CBS Dallas tweets. Wilson was cuffed on Tuesday night near Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas where MLS soccer team FC Dallas played a game and concluded the evening’s festivities with a fireworks show. The 24-year-old posted bond and has been released from holding.
[RELATED: Cowboys’ David Irving Suspended Four Games]
Wilson has appeared in every possible regular season game for the Cowboys over the past two seasons. Last year, he made a career high five starts and registered 30 total tackles plus half a sack.
Wilson was pushing to be the Cowboys’ starting strongside linebacker for Week 1, but he could now be on shaky ground with the team and the league office. If Wilson’s legal situation drags on, the Cowboys may need to look at external options. There are a handful of notable linebackers remaining on the open market, including former Lion DeAndre Levy.
Poll: Which 2016 Division Winners Will Miss Playoffs?
A year ago at this time, the Broncos, Panthers and Cardinals were popular picks to rank among the NFL’s elite teams in 2016. Denver was the reigning Super Bowl champion, after all, while Carolina was coming off a 15-1, conference-winning campaign and Arizona was second to the Panthers in the NFC. Each of those teams won their divisions two years ago, and not only were they unable to repeat that feat in 2016, but all three watched the playoffs from home last winter. They were among a whopping six division-winning clubs from 2015 that failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, joining the Bengals, Redskins and Vikings.
If the volatility from 2015 to ’16 is any indication, some of the league’s eight division champions from last year are in trouble as the upcoming season approaches. Once again, both Super Bowl representatives won their divisions in 2016, with the Patriots coasting in the AFC East and the Falcons knocking the Panthers from the NFC South throne. Like the Pats and the Falcons, the Chiefs, Steelers, Texans, Cowboys, Seahawks and Packers are aiming to repeat atop their divisions this season.
Of those teams, the Patriots look as though they’re in the best position to secure their division again. The Bill Belichick– and Tom Brady-led outfit has ruled the AFC East eight consecutive times, and during New England’s latest Lombardi Trophy-winning season, the club was a 14-2 juggernaut that easily led the league in point differential. While Brady’s a year older, set to enter his age-40 season, he hasn’t shown any signs of mortality, and even if he suffers an injury or falls off dramatically in 2017, the Patriots may have a starting-caliber quarterback behind him in Jimmy Garoppolo. Of course, there’s also plenty of talent on hand elsewhere on the Pats’ roster, including new additions in wide receiver Brandin Cooks, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, defensive lineman Kony Ealy, linebacker David Harris, tight end Dwayne Allen and running back Mike Gillislee.
There might not be any shoo-ins to repeat among the league’s seven other returning division winners, but it’s hard to bet against clubs with franchise quarterbacks. In the cases of the Falcons (Matt Ryan), Packers (Aaron Rodgers), Seahawks (Russell Wilson) and Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger), there’s little reason to expect anything other than excellence from under center, which makes potential playoff berths more realistic for each. The Cowboys also seem to have an outstanding signal-caller in sophomore Dak Prescott, who was so stunningly great as a fourth-round rookie that he took Tony Romo‘s job and essentially forced the four-time Pro Bowler into retirement.
Kansas City (Alex Smith) and Houston (Tom Savage) aren’t as well off under center, though the Chiefs have done plenty of winning in the regular season since turning to Smith in 2013. But if he and the untested Savage disappoint this year, they have first-rounders behind them in Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, respectively. Poor performances or injuries could force either Mahomes or Watson into action, perhaps paving the way for the emergence of a Prescott-like rookie this year in KC or Houston and making another postseason appearance more likely.
While some of these teams look to be in enviable shape at QB, the game’s most important position, things could still go awry. The Panthers had the reigning MVP 12 months ago in Cam Newton, but his play took massive steps backward, as did the team’s, en route to a 6-10 season and a last-place NFC South finish. The likelihood is that some of last year’s division winners will end up in similar situations in 2017, going from playoff teams to bitter disappointments overnight.
Cowboys’ David Irving Suspended Four Games
Cowboys defensive end David Irving has officially been suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season after violating the league’s PED policy, the NFL announced today.
News that Irving had reportedly failed a drug test broke last month, but it was unclear what length of time Irving would be forced to miss. A positive test for a diuretic or masking agent without a banned substance detected calls for a two-game ban, while a positive result for an anabolic agent, however, would mean a four-game suspension. Despite indications that Irving may have been able to fight a four-game ban, the NFL has decided to give him the lengthier punishment.
Irving, 23, appeared in 15 games for Dallas last season and developed into a serviceable pass rusher, especially near the end of the year. All told, he managed four sacks and 17 tackles while grading as the league’s No. 29 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. Now, Irving’s 500+ defensive snaps are likely to go other defenders — such as first-round pick Taco Charlton — for the first quarter of the season.
Given that he’s set to earn $615K next year, Irving will lose roughly $145K in base salary as a result of this suspension. He’ll be allowed to participate in all Cowboys offseason activities and preseason games.
Cowboys Sign Rookie CB Jourdan Lewis
The Cowboys have agreed to terms with third-round cornerback Jourdan Lewis, and as such, wrapped up their 2017 draft class, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
Lewis, a Michigan product, was the No. 92 overall selection earlier this year, and was one of three cornerbacks drafted by the Cowboys in 2017. Dallas lost several members of its secondary, including starting corners Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, to free agency, so Lewis should be able to garner playing time immediately. Per Archer, Lewis will start out seeing action in sub packages.
Here’s an overview of the Cowboys’ draft class:
- 1-28: Taco Charlton, DE (Michigan)
- 2-60: Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Colorado)
- 3-92: Jourdan Lewis, CB (Michigan)
- 4-133: Ryan Switzer, WR (North Carolina)
- 6-191: Xavier Woods, S (Louisiana Tech)
- 6-216: Marquez White, CB (Florida State)
- 7-228: Joey Ivie, DT (Florida)
- 7-239: Noah Brown, WR (Ohio State)
- 7-246: Jordan Carrell, DE (Colorado)
Cowboys Audition QB Seth Russell
The Cowboys continue to look at outside quarterback options. On Tuesday, the team auditioned Baylor product Seth Russell, according to David Smoak of ESPN Central Texas (Twitter link).
“The workout went really, really well,” Russell said. “Scouts said they were going to send the film to the coaches and then they would let me know in 2-4 weeks, maybe sooner. They said I looked a lot stronger and had more zip on the ball. Legs looked really good and athletic.”
Russell was not drafted this year and he was not able to make the Raiders’ 90-man roster after participating in their rookie minicamp in May. However, the local kid’s skillset might still appeal to Dallas coaches. From his perspective, it sounds like he has a chance of getting signed.
The Cowboys have been searching for QBs to give them additional support after Dak Prescott and Kellen Moore. Right now, UDFA Cooper Rush and Zac Dysert occupy spots on the 90-man roster, but one of those two players could theoretically get bumped for Russell.
NFC East Rumors: Cousins, Redskins, Cowboys
More bad news on the Kirk Cousins front. Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links) hears that there isn’t a real price that will make the Redskins quarterback happy. The two sides, she adds, are at a point where they need each other but don’t want each other.
This comes on the heels of an Adam Schefter report indicating that a deal between now and mid-July is unlikely. Although there is an improved tone in talks, there apparently hasn’t been much in the way of forward progress. But, if Cousins is truly unhappy with the Redskins, then the problem is much more serious than just a disagreement over money.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- After converting to defense in 2016, quarterback Jameill Showers is working to make the Cowboys‘ roster as a safety. He faces competition from players with more experience in the secondary, but so far the early reviews for him are positive. “I’m really happy with what Showers has done,” Cowboys secondary coach Joe Baker told Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “He’s turned his body from a quarterback body into a defensive back body, which looks a lot different. You can tell he looks slimmer. He’s moving a lot better. The whole athleticism part of it is so much different at that position, and so I’m really proud of how he’s worked. He’s still got a ways to go, but movement-wise in terms of his backpedaling, changing direction, all those things we do as defensive backs, he’s really doing a nice job.”
- The Cowboys worked out wide receiver Marquez North on Monday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
Cowboys "Mistakes" In 2016 Draft
- The Cowboys‘ 2016 draft saw them land a franchise quarterback and an elite running back, but as with any draft, there were still potential misses. With that in mind, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News looked at the five players that the Cowboys likely regret passing on. The list starts with Eastern Kentucky defensive end, Noah Spence. Spence went No. 39 to the Bucs, five picks after Jaylon Smith, and made up for a slow start by finishing out with 5.5 sacks and three fumbles. Moore also lists defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (No. 69 overall, Jaguars), cornerback Tavon Young (No. 104 overall, Ravens), wide receiver/return specialist Tyreek Hill (No. 165 overall, Chiefs), and linebacker Corey James (No. 194 overall, Raiders) as missed opportunities.
Brice Butler's Roster Spot In Jeopardy
- Cowboys receiver Brice Butler will head into camp with his roster spot in jeopardy, relays David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Butler could face a challenge from rookie seventh-round pick Noah Brown, notes Moore, and the Cowboys also have shoo-ins to make the roster in fellow wideouts Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and fourth-rounder Ryan Switzer. Butler was a seventh-rounder himself not long ago, in 2013, and put up his first 16-game campaign last year. All told, he caught 16 passes for 219 yards and a career-high three scores.
Opinion: Cowboys Will Miss Barry Church
The Cowboys‘ biggest miss this offseason was losing safety Barry Church to free agency, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer opines. Jeff Heath has shown some promise in a limited window, but Church had four straight seasons with at least 100 tackles and his production will be hard to replace. In retrospect, Archer writes that the Cowboys should have gone to him before the start of the 2016 season with an offer or made a stronger pitch to keep him before the market opened in March. While the Cowboys made some other smart moves on defense, Archer seems to think that Dallas will regret letting Church get away.
Kellen Moore Could Be Cowboys Backup QB
- While finding a backup quarterback appeared to be an important item on the Cowboys‘ offseason itinerary, the club may be content with incumbent No. 2 Kellen Moore, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys, who lost Tony Romo to retirement and Mark Sanchez to free agency, have expressed interest in veterans such as Josh McCown, but have yet to add another passer behind starter Dak Prescott. If Moore does stick as Dallas’ backup, it could be because he has a backer in offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who refers to Moore as a “machine.”