Cowboys’ Randy Gregory To Play This Week?
It seemed nearly impossible one month ago, but Randy Gregory is now slated to suit up for the Cowboys as the regular season winds down, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. As previously reported, Gregory will practice this week. Barring league interference, Rapoport hears that he will play this week against Detroit. 
[RELATED: Tony Romo May Request Release In 2017]
Still appealing a one-year ban, Gregory has been given the green light to participate in team activities while things get sorted out. While some fans have grown impatient with Gregory’s off-the-field troubles, owner Jerry Jones has been steadfast in his support of the defensive end.
“I, of course, know the details of his situation, and I can’t and I won’t comment on details about it,” Jones said. “But I am not giving up on Randy Gregory for the Cowboys and certainly not giving up on him as a person in life — at all. Not that it makes any difference that I do, but I do not dismiss him from our future.”
The Cowboys are now 12-2 after topping the Buccaneers on Sunday night. Dallas has clinched a playoff berth and they now have their sights set on locking down the NFC East. With one win in the final two games, they’ll shut the door on the Giants. According to Five Thirty Eight, the Cowboys have a 97% chance of winning the NFC East at this point.
Tony Romo May Request Release In 2017
Tony Romo could ask the Cowboys to release him this offseason rather than offer him in trade talks, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. A release would allow Romo the opportunity to scour the free agent market for the right fit as he concludes his career.
[RELATED: Cowboys Activate Darren McFadden]
Releasing Romo could have benefits for the Cowboys as well, especially when it comes to the salary cap. If Dallas trades Romo, the club will absorb $19.6MM in dead money in 2017 and save just $5.1MM, and would realize the same totals if it cuts Romo before June 1. But if the Cowboys designate Romo as a post-June 1 cut, they would only take on $10.7MM in dead money next season while saving $14MM on the cap. In that scenario, Dallas would then see $8.9MM in 2018 dead money, as well.
However, by trading Romo, the Cowboys could theoretically reap some sort of draft pick compensation, and ensure that Romo doesn’t land with a division rival such as the Redskins (assuming Washington doesn’t re-sign Kirk Cousins). By retaining control over his rights, Dallas could ship Romo to another division, or even better, to the AFC, and not have to worry about facing him repeatedly. As Florio notes, though, Romo enjoys a solid relationship with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, so it’s possible the two could work out a gentleman’s agreement that grants Romo his release in exchange for the veteran QB not signing with a rival.
The Broncos and Cardinals have already been mentioned potential landing spots for Romo, and he’s reportedly “keeping tabs” on other clubs, potentially including the Dolphins, per Florio. Miami could be faced with an extended Ryan Tannehill absence, and if his recovery bleeds over into 2017, the Dolphins could have interest in a veteran such as Romo.
Cowboys Notes: Dak, Romo, Linehan
- Despite Dak Prescott‘s recent struggles, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that things would have to get much worse for the Cowboys to consider switching to Tony Romo. But Rapoport adds that Dallas OC Scott Linehan will be a sought-after head coaching candidate this offseason, and his departure could have a major impact on Prescott moving forward (Twitter link).
- As the Ezekiel Elliott domestic violence investigation drags on, Tim Rohan of TheMMQB wonders why it’s taking so long, and if the league is just prolonging the process to keep up appearances. Rohan lays out in excellent detail the steps that the league’s investigative team takes in a post-Ray Rice world, and how that process could explain the lengthy delay in the NFL’s issuing a final word on the Cowboys‘ star running back.
Cowboys Promote Zach Moore
- The Cowboys announced that they’ve promoted defensive lineman Zach Moore to the active roster to fill the roster spot vacated by IR-bound offensive lineman Chaz Green.
Breer On GM Search, Harbaugh, Draft
When it comes to being a GM, is it more about who you know than what you know? In his latest column, Albert Breer of The MMQB spoke with one league official who suggested that the NFL’s career development advisory panel has something of a fraternity-vibe.
“It’s all full of nepotism. It’s a joke. And it starts with Charley Casserly,” the personnel man said.
Casserly rejected the idea that he, Ron Wolf, Bill Polian, Ernie Accorsi, John Madden, Tony Dungy and Carl Peterson are aiming to line up their friends with jobs, but he did acknowledge that connections help.
“It’s so different than it is with coaches,” Casserly said. “Coaches are so clearly defined. You know who calls the plays, you see them on TV, coordinators have press conferences. It’s just not like that in scouting. Are they pro? College? None of them are making big decisions. What you need is networking. It’s not politicking.”
Casserly was directly involved with the Jets’ coach and GM search process in 2015. Gang Green wound up hiring Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan – two former co-workers of Casserly’s.
Here’s more from Breer:
- Breer identified the following executives as people who could immediately jump into a GM job somewhere: Chiefs VP of player personnel Chris Ballard, Patriots VP of player personnel Nick Caserio, Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Texans director of player personnel Brian Gaine, Packers director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Trent Kirchner, Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay, Cardinals VP of player personnel Terry McDonough, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Falcons assistant GM Scott Pioli, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf.
- The widespread feeling in NFL circles is that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be back in pro football eventually, even if it’s not happening right now. For his part, Harbaugh says that he is incredibly happy as the Wolverines’ coach.
- Is Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen the next under-the-radar quarterback prospect a la Carson Wentz? It was Craig Bohl who recruited Carson Wentz to North Dakota State and he is now Allen’s coach at Wyoming. It’s hard to say whether the 6’5″, 222-pound signal caller has the same kind of talent, but his stock is rising. “He’s a big ol’ kid with a big arm, and he’s pretty athletic too,” said one AFC exec. “We gotta learn more about him, but the tools are there.” Allen, a redshirt sophomore, has plenty of time to develop.
- Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck recently predicted that Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush will be an “incredibly high draft pick” this year. Apparently, talent evaluators do not agree. “He may get drafted late because of the [lack of] quality at the position,” said one area scout assigned to CMU. “He’s an accurate thrower with deceptive athletic ability to extend plays with his feet. Not a dynamic or explosive athlete, but good enough to avoid the rush and create at times. Average arm at best, but he’s got solid touch on intermediate and deep balls. He just lacks elite velocity.”
Chaz Green To Go On IR
- Offensive tackle Chaz Green will undergo back surgery Friday and the Cowboys will place him on IR, as Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram writes. Green, a third-round pick in 2015, didn’t play as a rookie thanks to hip surgery. He appeared in four games this season and started two.
Cowboys Leaning Towards Activating Collins
The Cowboys are leaning toward activating left guard La’el Collins from injured reserve instead of rookie defensive end Charles Tapper, Brandon George of the Dallas News writes. No final decision has been made, however. Collins was meant to be the Cowboys’ starting left guard this year, but he has been out since Week 3 with a toe injury and was forced to undergo surgery. Fortunately, Dallas has been able to lean on Ronald Leary in his absence.
Cowboys Notes: Gregory, Dak, Romo
The Cowboys expect defensive end Randy Gregory to return to practice on Monday, tweets Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Reports last week also indicated the Gregory was close to to returning to the field, but the NFL subsequently informed the Cowboys that Gregory would not be allowed to practice. Still appealing a one-year ban, Gregory’s status for Dallas’ Week 16 game Lions is still unclear, but his being allowed to practice is clearly a good first step.
- Despite Dak Prescott‘s struggles against the Giants in a close loss in Week 14, the Cowboys are insistent that they won’t be turning things over to veteran Tony Romo any time soon, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. “You can make it as simple or complex as you want to make it,” head coach Jason Garrett said this week. “It’s pretty simple for us: Dak’s going to play quarterback as we go forward.” Meanwhile, a debate is reportedly raging with the Cowboys organization, as some decision-makers believe Romo should be given live game snaps in order to prepare him if Prescott is injured, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Four Teams Tried To Claim RB Darius Jackson
When the Cowboys released Darius Jackson, the league took notice. The Browns, of course, used their top waiver priority to snag the rookie running back, but they weren’t the only team to put a claim in on him. The Eagles, Giants, and 49ers all tried to snag Jackson off waivers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Giants have had issues in the backfield all season long and there’s a lot of uncertainty about the position headed into next season. Rashad Jennings was initially brought to New York with the idea that he would be the team’s workhorse in the backfield. Instead, he has struggled to stay on the field thanks to various injuries. There has been talk about Paul Perkins, but he hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunities this year and he hasn’t done much with the few chances given to him. Bobby Rainey has been used as an effective pass-catching weapon and blocker, but he doesn’t have the makings of a No. 1 RB. Shane Vereen recently returned to action, but his status is up in the air after suffering a concussion. All in all, the Giants were curious to see what they could get out of Jackson and they were willing to either cut Rainey or carry five tailbacks to find out. Of course, given their record, the Giants faced long odds of landing Jackson.
While the 9-4 Giants are in line for a playoff spot, the 49ers and Eagles are pretty much playing with an eye on 2017. At 1-12, the Niners are No. 2 in waiver priority behind Cleveland. The Eagles, meanwhile, are no higher than seventh in the queue.
The Niners are currently carrying four running backs in Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris, and Mike Davis. Davis, a 2015 fourth-round pick, may have been expendable given his lack of usage this season. In eight games this year, he has only 19 rushing attempts for 50 yards.
The Eagles are dealing with multiple injuries at running back. Recently, Wendell Smallwood was shut down for the year with a knee injury and Darren Sproles is in concussion protocol. If Sproles is unable to go against Baltimore this week, the team will start Ryan Mathews and use Kenjon Barner and the newly-promoted Byron Marshall in support. With a successful claim, Jackson could have slotted in as the team’s No. 4 RB with the Eagles attempting to sneak Marshall through waivers and back on to the practice squad.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch first reported that the Niners put in a waiver claim on Jackson.
Browns Claim RB Darius Jackson
The Browns claimed promising rookie running back Darius Jackson off waivers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys dropped Jackson from the roster yesterday in order to make room for the return of Darren McFadden. 
Jackson, a sixth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan, did not see playing time this year as he was buried behind talented backs like Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. The Cowboys were likely hoping to sneak Jackson through waivers this week and sign him to the practice squad, but word has been out on Jackson for some time now. If Jackson has been as solid in practice as coaches have been saying, then the Cowboys could come to really regret losing him.
Jackson stayed all four years at Eastern Michigan and seized a starring role in his senior year. In 2015, the 6’0″, 221-pound tailback rushed for 1,088 yards off of 208 carries with 14 touchdowns. He also added 21 catches for 201 yards and two scores.