Cowboys Promote Jameill Showers, Will Play S
This offseason, the Cowboys decided against trading for a veteran backup quarterback because of their confidence in rookie Dak Prescott and second-year QB Jameill Showers. It turns out that they like Showers a lot, but not necessarily as a signal caller. Showers is being promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster as a strong safety and special teams player, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Showers missed the Cowboys’ initial 53-man cut but he was quickly signed to the practice squad. This week, Showers was spotted practicing with the Cowboys’ defensive backs and it appears that it was more than a one-off experiment. The athletic 6’2″ Texas A&M/UTEP product will now try his hand at a new position.
Showers will now wear No. 28 instead of the No. 7 he donned as a QB.
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Cowboys To Try Out Kicker Aldrick Rosas
- Aldrick Rosas will be among the kickers auditioning for the Cowboys on Friday, Charean Williams of the Star Telegram tweets. Rosas, formerly of Southern Oregon, signed with the Titans after this year’s draft. They cut him Sept. 2.
Dez Bryant Likely Out Sunday
Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant will test his injured right knee in practice Friday, but he’s unlikely to play Sunday against the Bengals, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Bryant, who suffered a hairline fracture in Week 3, sat out Dallas’ 24-17 win in San Francisco last Sunday. The 3-1 Cowboys are now set for a more difficult test in the form of the playoff-contending Bengals (2-2).
Injuries have helped cut down Bryant’s production since last season, unfortunately, as the 27-year-old has suited up for just 12 of the Cowboys’ past 20 games. His statistical drop-off has also coincided with the more serious injuries quarterback Tony Romo has dealt with going back to last year.
Romo hasn’t yet taken the field this season because of a back issue, thereby paving the way for rookie Dak Prescott to take the reins. The fourth-rounder from Mississippi State has easily exceeded expectations, having completed 67.9 percent of passes and gone 131 attempts without an interception. Only 11 of Prescott’s 89 completions have gone to Bryant, whom Prescott has targeted 23 times, after the three-time Pro Bowl wideout picked up just 31 grabs and three touchdowns on 74 targets in 2015. Bryant also averaged a career-worst 12.9 yards per catch, which is up slightly this year (13.6).
Off the field, Bryant has reportedly exhibited a “pattern of irresponsible behavior” since the Cowboys drafted him 24th overall in 2010. The ex-Oklahoma State star has missed between 20 and 40 team meetings during his NFL career, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with a source informing him that Bryant’s longevity is in question because of poor sleep and dietary habits. However, the Cowboys have stuck by the immensely talented Bryant, who is under team control through 2019 thanks to the five-year, $70MM deal he inked in July 2015.
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Cowboys Auditioning Kickers
The Cowboys are working out a group of kickers today as Dan Bailey deals with a back injury (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Dallas will audition former Bears kicker Robbie Gould as well as former Redskins and Saints kicker Kai Forbath, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Before being cut by the Bears in early September, Gould spent the past 11 seasons in Chicago, converting 85-percent (276-323) of his field goals and 99-percent of his extra points (379-383). After a disappointing 2014 campaign where he only made 12 appearances and finished with a career-low field goal percentage, the veteran seemed to have bounced back in 2015. Gould connected on nearly 85-percent of his field goals, and his kickoffs continued to be as consistent as ever. For one reason or another, he was not kept on board for 2016.
Bailey missed a 47-yard field goal attempt against the 49ers on Sunday, but he did sink a 22-yard chip shot in the fourth quarter. It doesn’t sound like the Cowboys are looking to replace Bailey in the long term.
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Cowboys G La’el Collins To Have Surgery
Cowboys left guard La’el Collins will undergo toe surgery today to repair a ligament tear in his right big toe and will be placed on injured reserve, according to sources who spoke with Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Dallas was hoping that Collins would not require surgery, but it was determined to be the best course of action after meeting with three different specialists, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. 
Previous reports indicated that surgery would mean up to a 12-week absence for the second-year lineman. After the surgery is performed, we should have a better idea of Collins’ timetable. Under the league’s new IR rules for 2016, Collins could theoretically return to practice after six weeks and play in eight weeks. Teams may only bring one player back from IR each season, however.
Since Collins went down earlier this year, Ronald Leary has replaced him in the starting lineup. Leary wanted out of Dallas this offseason, but the Cowboys are glad they held on to him.
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14 Players Returning From Suspension
Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.
The following players have completed their suspensions:
- QB Tom Brady, Patriots
- DL Armonty Bryant, free agent (waived by the Browns today)
- CB Jalen Collins, Falcons
- LB Aaron Colvin, Jaugars
- DT Marcell Dareus, Bills
- T Seantrel Henderson, Bills
- DE Arthur Jones, Colts
- DE Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
- LB Aaron Lynch, 49ers
- DE Rob Ninkovich, Patriots
- G Chris Scott, Panthers
- DL Damion Square, Chargers
- T Zach Sterup, free agent
- TE Darren Waller, Ravens
The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.
Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.
Dez Bryant Exhibiting “Irresponsible Behavior”
Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant missed an MRI and team meetings earlier this week because he feared the worst on his injured right knee, but those absences were just the latest in a “pattern of irresponsible behavior,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Bryant has been late or completely missed between 20 and 40 meetings and or medical sessions during his career in Dallas, per Schefter.
[RELATED: Tony Romo Targeting Week 8 Return]
The Cowboys organization and his agents at Roc Nation have helped him become more accountable, and Bryant has even hired a driver to ensure that he attends team functions on time. But one source told Schefter that Dallas can be accused of enabling Bryant, issuing him fines for his behavior instead of handing out more significant penalties. Another source, per Schefter, is concerned about Bryant’s career longevity, as his poor sleep and dietary habits could limit his staying power.
Bryant, however, doesn’t believe his actions to be a serious issue, according to Schefter, and the Cowboys have publicly supported their star receiver. As one Cowboys player said, Bryant is perhaps being treated differently because of his talent level. “If you were hoping for him to come to a scheduled meeting, he may or may not be there, but if you need a first down on third-and-14, throw it to Dez,” said the anonymous player.
On the field, Bryant may be able to return sooner than originally thought. A source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that Bryant has a bone bruise, and that he should be able to play in less than three weeks.
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Cowboys’ Tony Romo Eyeing Week 8 Return
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is hoping to return to action in Week 8 following the club’s bye, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). This coming Thursday will mark six weeks since Romo suffered a broken bone in his back, and at that point, Romo will begin increasing his conditioning and throwing regimen, per Rapoport.
[RELATED: Latest On Dez Bryant]
Fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott has led Dallas in Romo’s absence, and he’s led the club to a 2-1 start while playing pretty well. He’s completed 67% of his passes for 767 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, while also adding two scores via the ground. And while Romo will presumably reclaim his starting spot once he returns, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones did hedge his bets a tad in August.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to Bledsoe and Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is, Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”
The Cowboys didn’t place Romo on injured reserve, so they won’t need to make a roster move if and when he returns. If he can come back in Week 8, Romo would face the division rival Eagles, followed by contests against the Browns, Steelers, and Ravens
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Latest On Cowboys’ Dez Bryant
While initial reports indicated that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant had been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his knee, a source who has seen Bryant’s MRI said the pass-catcher has a bone bruise, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). As such, Bryant is expected to miss less than three weeks while dealing with the injury.
[RELATED: Cowboys Holding Off On La’el Collins’ Surgery]
Bryant reportedly missed an MRI exam and team meetings on Monday and Tuesday because he feared the worst with his injured right knee, but per Rapoport, the ailment doesn’t present any long-term risk. Bryant’s decision to skip his duties opened him up to team-imposed fines, though there’s no word on whether the Cowboys will discipline him.
So far this year, Bryant has 11 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown to his credit. Last season, Bryant saw career-lows across the board as he caught 31 balls for 401 yards and three touchdowns.
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Latest On Dez Bryant
Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant missed an MRI exam and team meetings on Monday and Tuesday because he feared the worst with his injured right knee, head coach Jason Garrett revealed Wednesday (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com).
“He’s a very passionate guy, like we’ve talked about, and he really thought he was going to get some bad news when he got the MRI on Monday,” said Garrett. “Like some of us do in life, at times, he avoided it and didn’t come in to take care of his business on Monday or Tuesday. Then he came in on Wednesday and took care of that part of it (the MRI). We got the information. He suspected it was worse than the information that we got.”
Bryant’s decision to skip Monday and Tuesday opened him up to team-imposed fines, though there’s no word on whether the Cowboys will discipline him.
For his part, Bryant added in a tweet (sic), “I made a poor decision based on how I felt about my knee coach JG addressed it to me and I understood the consequences.”
Upon returning to the club Wednesday, Bryant underwent an MRI, as Garrett mentioned, and received the news of a hairline fracture. There’s a chance Bryant will be able to play against the 49ers on Sunday, but he could also miss multiple weeks. Bryant tweeted Thursday that his status is “day to day” and said he received “great feedback” on his knee from Dr. James Andrews.
Dallas played much of last season without either Bryant or quarterback Tony Romo and stumbled to a 4-12 record. The Cowboys are already halfway to matching that win total through three weeks, but they’ve gotten there without Romo. The back injury the veteran suffered during the preseason opened the door for fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott, who has held his own thus far. Still, the Prescott-led Cowboys obviously don’t want to go without their most accomplished wideout, Bryant, who has picked up 11 receptions, 150 yards and a touchdown this season.
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