Elliott Decision Not Expected This Weekend
- Although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said an NFL decision on running back Ezekiel Elliott could be handed down “imminently,” no announcement is expected today nor this weekend, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The league is reportedly wrapping up its investigation into domestic violence allegations against Elliott, and while Jones claimed his own review of the evidence indicated Elliott had done nothing wrong, a short suspension is still expected. If Elliott is banned, Dallas will turn to a cadre of Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris, and the newly-signed Ronnie Hillman in the backfield.
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Cowboys Make Two Roster Moves
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys To Sign Luke McCown
The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year contract with quarterback Luke McCown, according to his agent, Mike McCartney (Twitter link).
The season-ending surgery that Zac Dysert underwent earlier this week put the Cowboys in the market for another signal-caller, but it seemed they were searching for a developmental player. At 36, McCown certainly doesn’t qualify, but the Texas native will at least provide the club with an experienced option behind Dak Prescott and Kellen Moore. Before picking up McCown, Dallas was down to undrafted rookie Cooper Rush as its third option under center.
The brother of Jets starter Josh McCown, whom the Cowboys have courted in the past, Luke McCown entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Browns in 2004. Since then, he has also spent time with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Saints and Falcons. He has totaled 62 appearances and 10 starts, the most recent of which came with New Orleans in 2015. All told, McCown has completed 216 of 356 passes (60.7 percent), averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and thrown nine touchdowns against 15 interceptions.
Cowboys Likely To Sign Another QB
Third-string Cowboys quarterback Zac Dysert is expected to miss the 2017 season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disc, and Dallas is now likely to sign another signal-caller to replace him on the roster, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
While the Cowboys want to add a new quarterback, neither Colin Kaepernick nor Johnny Manziel is on the club’s radar, per Archer, who had reported in May that Kaepernick was “not a fit” for Dallas. Manziel, meanwhile, has reportedly had conversations with multiple teams concerning a return to the NFL, but it doesn’t sound like that comeback attempt will happen with the Cowboys.
Instead, Dallas is searching for a developmental passer, a young player who will help the club get through training camp. That rules out other veterans such as Robert Griffin III, Shaun Hill, and Christian Ponder, and also indicates the Cowboys are content with Kellen Moore as Dak Prescott‘s backup, reports Archer. Moore has only attempted 104 passes during his five-year career, but has a supporter in Dallas offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who calls Moore “a machine.”
Speculatively, 2017 undrafted free agents Austin Appleby (Florida) and Seth Russell (Baylor) could be candidates to join the Cowboys roster. Appleby had been a member of the Dallas squad until being waived last month to make room for Dysert, while the Cowboys auditioned Russell in late June but didn’t sign him. Either would be an option to compete with fellow 2017 UDFA Cooper Rush (Central Michigan) for Dallas’ No. 3 quarterback job.
Cowboys DE Damontre Moore Suspended
Cowboys defensive end Damontre Moore has been suspended two games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Moore was arrested for DWI in December.
Moore, a third-round pick in 2013, has already bounced around to give teams during his short NFL tenure, and had agreed to a two-year deal with Dallas this spring. Set to earn $775K for the upcoming season, Moore will now forfeit nearly $100K in game checks — if he makes the roster. Moore is no lock to secure a spot on the Cowboys’ defense, as his limited track record means he’ll be competing with Benson Mayowa, Charles Tapper, and others for a reserve role.
Moore is just the latest Cowboy to run afoul of legal or NFL rules this year, as running back Ezekiel Elliott, defensive end David Irving, linebacker Damien Wilson, and cornerback Nolan Carroll have all either been arrested or are facing league discipline. Aside from Moore, only Irving has been handed a ban (four games), although an Elliott suspension is also expected.
Given that he’ll miss the first two games of the season, Moore will be absent for contests against the Giants and Broncos.
Jerry Jones Expects Decision On Ezekiel Elliott Soon
The NFL was reportedly close to ending its investigation into domestic violence allegations against Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott nearly a week ago, but his fate is still unknown. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expects that to change soon, though. “I think we’ll have a decision imminently,” Jones told SiriusXM on Thursday (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). “Of course, I don’t know what that will be and wouldn’t want to have conjecture in any way involving that.” Jones claimed over the weekend that his own review cleared Elliott of any wrongdoing, and he once again defended the superstar rusher Thursday. “What I have seen, though, is the presentation of Zeke and his people, and I’ve seen the league’s presentation. There’s no domestic violence involved here,” Jones insisted.
Cowboys Notes: Hillman, Elliott
- The Cowboys’ signing of running back Ronnie Hillman on Thursday has nothing to do with a potential suspension for Ezekiel Elliott, reports David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Rather, the Cowboys added Hillman as both a possible Lance Dunbar replacement and someone capable of accruing touches during the summer and taking some of the stress off the team’s other backs in the coming weeks. As for Elliott, who was bracing for a suspension two weeks ago, the NFL probably won’t announce his fate until later in the preseason, per Moore.
Cowboys To Sign RB Ronnie Hillman
The Cowboys are signing veteran running back Ronnie Hillman, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hillman auditioned for the Cowboys earlier this week, along with ex-Jaguars running back Denard Robinson.
[RELATED: Zac Dysert Likely To Miss Season]
Dallas already has Ezekiel Elliott, Alfred Morris, and Darren McFadden on the depth chart, but they’re reportedly still looking for someone to fill Lance Dunbar‘s shoes in the RB4 role. Hillman could be the man for the job and that could spell bad news for undrafted running back Jahad Thomas and fullback Keith Smith.
Hillman was once a key part of the Broncos’ offense, but he has not been the same player since his surprising release from Denver before last season. Hillman appeared in eight games with the Chargers and Vikings, compiling only 131 yards on 41 carries (3.2 yards per carry). In 2015, however, he posted career highs in yards (863) and yards per carry (4.2).
Zac Dysert Likely To Miss Season
A year after dealing with significant summertime injuries to quarterbacks Tony Romo and Kellen Moore, the Cowboys’ depth chart under center has already taken a hit in 2017 – albeit a minor one. Zac Dysert underwent surgery to fix a herniated disc and is likely to miss the season, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
In a best-case scenario, Dallas wouldn’t have needed Dysert this season, as the team’s hope is that starter Dak Prescott and his top backup, Moore, will stay healthy through 2017. But Dysert’s injury leaves only undrafted rookie Cooper Rush behind Moore, which could force the team to search for depth from outside the organization. Dysert’s loss doesn’t exactly deprive the Cowboys of an experienced option, though, considering the 27-year-old has never appeared in a regular-season game.
The Cowboys added Dysert as a waiver claim from the Cardinals in June. The 2013 seventh-round pick from Miami of Ohio has spent time with seven NFL organizations.
Cowboys Won't Sign WRs They Auditioned Wednesday
- Searching for a Lucky Whitehead replacement, the Cowboys worked out wide receivers Corey Washington and Marvin Bracy on Wednesday, but they won’t sign either, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The only one with NFL experience is Washington, who appeared in eight games with the Giants in 2014 and caught five passes. Bracy hasn’t played competitively since his redshirt year at Florida State in 2012. The speedster left football to focus on track, which worked out well. He was a 100-meter Olympian at the Rio Games in 2012 and is a former United States 60-meter dash champion.