Latest On Ezekiel Elliott Investigation
As the Cowboys get set to take on the Packers in today’s much-anticipated playoff matchup, more details have emerged on the league’s investigation into the assault allegations levied against Cowboys’ star running back Ezekiel Elliott by his ex-girlfriend. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL submitted follow-up questions to Elliott within the past month, and Elliott is still in the process of responding to those questions.
As Schefter writes, no resolution to this matter is expected before the end of the season. Any discipline that the league hands down would therefore impact Elliott’s 2017 campaign.
By now, of course, the story is a familiar one. Elliott’s ex-girlfriend, who has also been cooperating with the league’s investigation, has claimed that she was abused by Elliott on five separate occasions. Elliott was not arrested and did not face charges related to the alleged incidents, but that does not mean that he is exempt from league-imposed punishment.
We heard in November that the league viewed Elliott as “Public Enemy No. 1,” that it is attempting to be as thorough as possible as it looks into Elliott, and that it is determined to avoid the same type of mistakes it has made in past domestic violence incidents. In December, Tim Rohan of TheMMQB set forth the league’s new, time-consuming protocol for investigating these matters.
On the field, Elliott has been everything the Cowboys hoped he would be when they selected him with the fourth overall pick of this year’s draft. The former Buckeye had 322 carries for a whopping 1,631 yards (both league bests), and he added 32 catches for another 363 yards. He scored 15 touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. He and rookie quarterback Dak Prescott helped lift the Cowboys to the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they have Dallas fans dreaming of a Troy Aikman–Emmitt Smith type of partnership.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/10/17
Today’s minor moves:
Reserve/Futures Contracts
Miami Dolphins
- LB Lamin Barrow
- CB Daniel Davie
- T Jesse Davis
- QB Brandon Doughty
- RB Storm Johnson
- LB Deon Lacey
- DE Arthur Miley
- TE Chris Pantale
- RB Senorise Perry
- TE Terry Poole
- DE Julius Warmsley
- LB Brandon Watts
San Diego Chargers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Practice Squad
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Lenny Jones
- Cut: DT Shelby Harris
Packers’ Jordy Nelson Has Broken Ribs
Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Monday that Jordy Nelson could suit up for Sunday’s playoff game against the Cowboys. While that could technically happen, it doesn’t sound all that likely right now. Nelson suffered “at least” two broken ribs this weekend against the Giants and it would take an “incredible effort” for the wide receiver to get on the field, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Packers Release DT Mike Pennel]
Nelson took a big hit from cornerback Leon Hall in the first half of Green Bay’s 38-13 win over New York. That night, he was sent to the hospital to be monitored. It sounds like he may have to sit out on Sunday, but the good news is that the Packers’ other receivers did a great job of holding down the fort without him. In total, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams combined for 241 yards and four touchdowns against the G-Men. By the same token, the Cowboys’ secondary is arguably stronger than the Giants’ unit without Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Packers certainly want to have Nelson on the field if at all possible.
If Nelson can’t go, the Packers’ WR unit will consist of Adams, Cobb, Geronimo Allison, Jeff Janis, and Trevor Davis. The Packers also have Antwan Goodley and Max McCaffrey on the practice squad.
Jaylon Smith Expects To Play In 2017
- Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith believes he’ll be playing in 2017, writes ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. The second-round pick missed the entire 2016 season as he recovered from a serious knee injury. This news didn’t surprise the Cowboys coaching staff. “He’s worked very hard at it and doesn’t surprise us one bit,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “One of the reasons he was so attractive to us as a player is just the approach that he’s taking. Those were the reports from the people around him for three years at Notre Dame and that’s been our experience with him. Obviously he had a serious knee injury last year, but we felt like, ‘Hey, if anybody can come back from this, this is the guy who can.’ He’s got an incredible attitude, always upbeat, always positive, always working very hard.”
[SOURCE LINK]
Randy Gregory Gets One-Year Suspension
The two games Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory played this season will be his last for a while. The NFL has officially suspended Gregory for one year without pay for violating its substance abuse policy.
The threat of a one-year ban had been hanging over Gregory’s head since he failed a drug test in November. Gregory elected to appeal that failed test, enabling him to take the field during the process, but his hearing with the league this past Tuesday didn’t yield the results he or the Cowboys wanted.
Gregory will now miss the Cowboys’ playoff run, however long it lasts, and all of next season. He’ll have to apply to commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement when the suspension expires. The earliest he’ll be able to do that is Nov. 6, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill, who adds that Gregory won’t have access to the Cowboys’ facilities during his suspension (Twitter links).
This is now the third ban in Gregory’s two-year pro career. Each suspension has come from a substance abuse violation, and the first two forced him to sit out the opening 14 games of the Cowboys’ season in 2016. Cognizant of his issues, Gregory checked into a treatment facility last July, but he still hasn’t been able to overcome his problems. The former Nebraska standout entered the league with drug-related concerns, including a failed test at the 2015 scouting combine, which caused his draft stock to plummet. Gregory had first-round talent, but he fell to Round 2, where the Cowboys nabbed him with the 60th overall pick.
Injuries and suspensions have combined to keep Gregory off the field for 18 of 32 regular-season games since his entrance into the pros. While the 24-year-old hasn’t made a significant impact when he actually has played, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has decided to this point that Gregory’s potential outweighs his baggage.
Gregory amassed his first career sack in a Week 17 loss to the Eagles, but that will be his last notable contribution for the foreseeable future.
NFL To Decide Randy Gregory’s Fate Soon
The NFL will make a decision on whether to suspend Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory within the next seven to 10 days, reports Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. That means Dallas, the NFC’s top seed, will know Gregory’s fate before its Jan. 15 divisional round matchup.
Gregory had a Tuesday appeal hearing with the league stemming from a November failed drug test that could trigger a one-year ban. If it does, it would be the third suspension in Gregory’s two-year career. The 2015 second-round pick from Nebraska missed 14 games this season because of his first two suspensions, and it appeared he wouldn’t play at all after his latest failed test. Gregory elected to challenge the ruling, though, which allowed him to return to the field in Week 16. In the only two games he played during the regular season, Gregory racked up nine tackles and his first career sack.
If the league does bar Gregory from participating for the next year, it seems unlikely to affect his status with the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones hasn’t shown any willingness to give up on Gregory, whose substance abuse issues date back to his time as a college star. Those problems led Gregory to fall to the draft’s 60th pick, where the Cowboys took a gamble on his upside. Gregory’s on-field impact has been minimal thus far, however, and the Cowboys managed a 13-3 record in 2016 without any significant contributions from the 24-year-old.
Cowboys Sign Shaq Evans To Practice Squad
- The Cowboys signed receiver Shaq Evans to their practice squad. Evans had been available since the Patriots cut him from their practice squad Oct. 20. The former UCLA Bruin has also spent time with the Jets, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, and Jaguars. He hasn’t yet recorded a statistic in the NFL.
Cowboys Sign Jonathan Cooper
The Cowboys have signed guard Jonathan Cooper and cut fellow guard Ryan Seymour in a corresponding move. Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram reported earlier Wednesday that Dallas and Cooper had agreed to terms (Twitter link).
Cooper, who was recently cut loose by the Browns, worked out for the Cowboys this week and made a solid impression on coaches. The former No. 7 overall pick hasn’t come close to living up to expectations, but the advanced stats indicate that he was pretty decent in his short stint with Cleveland.
The Cowboys are still waiting on the return of La’el Collins, but Cooper can help shore things up on the interior line until he gets back. Cooper figures to slot in as a depth piece behind starters Ronald Leary and Zack Martin and reserve Joe Looney.
The Cowboys have a first-round bye before getting started in the divisional round.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/3/17
Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters.
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Cap Capi
- WR Marvin Hall
- WR Chris Hubert
- G Kaleb Johnson
- OL Daniel Munyer
- RB Elijhaa Penny
- CB Ronald Zamort
Carolina Panthers
- FB Darrel Young
Dallas Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs
- OT Isaiah Battle
Minnesota Vikings
- OT Reid Fragel
- P Taylor Symmank
San Diego Chargers
- OL Brett Boyko
- CB Randall Evans
- CB Mike Lee
- LB Chris McCain
- S Adrian McDonald
- TE Jake McGee
Tennessee Titans
- OLB Reshard Cliett
- TE Tim Semisch
Cowboys Audition Jonathan Cooper
The Cowboys have worked out former first-round pick Jonathan Cooper, according to multiple sources who spoke with ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). The team is currently discussing whether to add the guard to the active roster.
Cooper, the No. 7 overall pick in 2013, was released last week by the Browns. It’s not immediately clear how he would fit in the roster with the Cowboys looking to bring La’el Collins back from injured reserve.
The Browns didn’t feel like Cooper was worth holding on to for Week 17, but the advanced metrics painted him as an above-average interior lineman over the past ten weeks or so. Football Focus has assigned Cooper a 73.2 overall grade in his 183 snaps, a score that would have put him in the middle of the pack amongst guards if he had enough playing time to qualify.
In other Cowboys news, Randy Gregory may have bought himself some more time before his appeal hearing, which could allow him to play in the postseason while things get sorted out.