Cowboys Notes: McFadden, Mayowa, Leary
Earlier today, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett announced that two notable players are dealing with injury issues. Offseason acquisition Benson Mayowa will undergo a very minor knee scope and will miss minicamp, but should be OK for most or all of training camp (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Furthermore, running back Darren McFadden has a broken elbow and will miss two months while he recovers (Twitter link via Gil Brandt of NFL.com). The good news is that both players should be healed up well in advance of the regular season.
- In a recent mailbag, a reader asked ESPN.com’s Todd Archer to weigh in on the Ronald Leary situation. Archer feels that if a deal were to materialize for the offensive lineman, it would happen later on in training camp when injuries start popping up. The Cowboys value Leary and their offensive line depth, so they’ll be holding out for a good deal. Archer adds that Dallas would rather wait for a potential compensatory pick in 2018 than settle for a fifth- or sixth-rounder for the 2017 draft.
Cowboys Sign Dax Swanson And Isaiah Frey
- Cornerbacks Isaiah Frey and Dax Swanson signed with the Cowboys, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Both players tried out for Dallas last week and apparently made a good impression.
- After being waived by the Cowboys, cornerback Terrance Mitchell will latch on with the other NFL club in Texas, as the Texans have claimed him off waivers, reports Mark Berman of FOX26 (Twitter link).
- Tight end Michael Williams (Patriots), cornerback Brandon McGee (Cowboys), and receiver Corey Washington (Lions) all reverted to injured reserve after clearing waivers, according to Balzer (Twitter link).
La Canfora: Jason Garrett Is On The Hot Seat
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examined the job security of each NFL head coach entering the season. In La Canfora’s estimation, Rex Ryan (Bills), Gus Bradley (Jaguars), Jim Caldwell (Lions), Mike McCoy (Chargers), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Bill O’Brien (Texans) and Jason Garrett (Cowboys) are the least secure coaches going into this year. Of that group, two (Lewis and O’Brien) were at the helm of playoff teams last season. Ryan has only been in Buffalo for a year, making him the shortest-tenured member of the septet.
Cowboys Waive Two Cornerbacks
- The Cowboys announced that they have waived cornerback Terrance Mitchell, who had one of their two interceptions by cornerbacks last season. The move is slightly surprising because Jason Garrett spoke highly of Mitchell earlier in the offseason, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer observes (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys also waived cornerback Brandon McGee with an injury designation.
Ronald Leary Switches Agencies
- Cowboys offensive lineman Ronald Leary – who wants out of Dallas – has switched agencies, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Daily. Leary has transferred from Kelley Drye & Warren to CAA Sports.
Jerrell Harris Goes To IR
- Linebacker Jerrell Harris, waived/injured by the Cowboys on Wednesday, is now on their IR after clearing waivers, tweets Wilson.
Cowboys Add Ex-Olympic Discus Thrower
- The Cowboys announced that they have signed former Olympian (and hopeful defensive lineman) Lawrence Okoye. In addition to the former discus athlete, Dallas signed linebacker Brandon Hepburn and tackle Bryan Witzmann, Wilson tweets. To make room, defensive end Caleb Azubike, linebacker Jerrell Harris and tackle Justin Renfrow were waived, Wilson tweets. A former Lions seventh-round pick in 2013, Hepburn has not seen action in a game but spent time with the Lions and Eagles in the past three years. He resided on Philadelphia’s IR in 2015. Okoye represented Great Britain in the 2012 London Summer Games, advancing to the event’s final round and finishing 12th.
Cowboys Not Signing Brandon Boykin
Brandon Boykin‘s nomadic 2016 will continue for the time being. After hosting the fifth-year cornerback on a visit Wednesday, the Cowboys won’t sign him at this point, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
The 25-year-old slot corner worked out for the Cowboys, making them the third team this offseason to make a serious effort to gauge his status — doing so after the Panthers, who ended up signing him before cutting him shortly after the draft, and Falcons.
The news of Dallas passing on Boykin comes after we heard the former Eagles and Steelers contributor had hip trouble that could put his career in jeopardy. That would explain the aforementioned teams’ reasons for passing on a chance to sign a corner that’s been fairly consistent when deployed during his career.
However, Boykin, while saying his Dallas workout went well, denies the initial report that he’s dealing with hip trouble and blames said report on Steelers secondary coach Carnell Lake. The former Eagles fourth-round pick did not see much time at corner with the Steelers last season, but after injuries forced their hand late in the year, the 5-foot-9 cog showed well. Ranking as a top-40 Pro Football Focus corner, Boykin did not allow a pass of longer than 33 yards to be completed against him for the second straight year.
The Panthers hosted Boykin on a late-March visit and signed him soon after. But despite Josh Norman departing for Washington, D.C., soon after, Carolina cut him in mid-May after taking three corners in the draft. The Falcons worked out the Georgia native a few days later, but he remained on the market.
The first-time UFA’s search for his next employer, though, continues after the Cowboys balked.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Cox, Sproles
Wide receiver Terrance Williams could be on the verge of netting a big payday, but it’s not clear if the Cowboys can afford it, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. Williams, who is entering the final year of his contract, has never missed a game for the Cowboys. He’s not an elite receiver, but after Mohamed Sanu inked a five-year, $32.5MM deal with the Falcons in free agency and Allen Hurns signed a four-year, $40MM extension with the Jaguars, Archer sees something similar in his future.
Williams will get that money in 2017 one way or another, Archer writes, but it might not come from Dallas. To date, he writes that it does not sound as if there have been many or any discussions about a long-term pact.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox says that he expects to be at training camp in July (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer). Cox reported to the team this week in advance of their mandatory minicamp.
- Eagles running back Darren Sproles confirmed to reporters that he had no frustration about any trade offers and staying away from the Eagles had nothing to do with wanting a new contract (Twitter link via Turron Davenport of USA Today). The Eagles reportedly got some trade interest in the running back during the draft and some speculated that his absence from OTAs was related.
- The Redskins like their options at left guard, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post writes. That group includes Shawn Lauvao, who played well at left guard before being placed on IR with an ankle injury after Week 3, and fill-in Spencer Long. “At guard you see the improvement quite a bit,” coach Jay Gruden said recently. “Just the knowledge and the confidence that all the players get going into their second and third year, they get a little more confidence of how we do things. The calls or the ability to react a lot quicker with movement on the defensive line and knowing where to go and how to get there. [Long] has already got the athletic ability. He is a big man that can run and he is strong, so now if he brings the confidence and the knowledge of the system with him, he’s going to be very, very good.”
- What does the future hold for Giants backup quarterback Ryan Nassib? Jordan Raanan of NJ.com recently looked into what could be next for the Syracuse product.
Cowboys To Meet With Brandon Boykin
6:56pm: In addition to Boykin, the Cowboys also worked out defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye, defensive backs Dax Swanson and Isaiah Frey, offensive tackles Cameron Bradfield and Bryan Witzmann, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, and tight end Nate Askew, according to Archer.
3:29pm: The Cowboys will meet with free agent cornerback Brandon Boykin, according to sources who spoke with Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Boykin was signed by the Panthers in March but he has been a free agent since being released last month.
[RELATED: Cowboys Not Interested In Dwight Freeney]
Despite not seeing significant playing time in Pittsburgh, Boykin ranked as a top-40 cornerback in 2015 (out of 111 qualified players), per Pro Football Focus. The diminutive corner has always shown flashes of upside, particularly in his six-interception 2013 campaign, but has never really gotten the opportunity to be a full-time player with just seven career starts. Now, he’ll look to join the Cowboys as a low-cost slot cornerback with upside.
While Boykin didn’t earn a spot on PFR’s top 50 free agent list, we placed him sixth among free agent cornerbacks when we broke down 2016’s top defensive free agents, placing him ahead of veterans like Leon Hall and Patrick Robinson due to his relative youth and upside. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked Boykin as the fifth-best free agent still left on the board, ahead of names like Mike Neal, Chris Culliver, and Antrel Rolle.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.