Cowboys Worked Out Christian Hackenberg
- While it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll draft a quarterback this year, the Cowboys are interested in the possibility of adding a developmental signal-caller to their depth chart. One prospect who might fit that bill is Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg, and Dallas held a private workout for him on Wednesday, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Hackenberg will also work out for the Eagles next week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Cowboys Work Out Tyler Boyd
- Pitt wide receiver Tyler Boyd confirmed that he has had workouts with the Cowboys, Patriots, Chargers, and Rams (Twitter link via SiriusXM). He’ll also have formal visits with the Panthers and Cowboys next week.
Cowboys, Joe Looney Agree To Terms
The Cowboys may have the best group of offensive line starters in the league, and they look to have strengthened their front’s depth. A day after visiting the Cowboys, Joe Looney will sign a two-year deal with the team, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
Looney will likely fill in as the backup center/guard on game day, a slot recently vacated by Mackenzy Bernadeau after he signed with the Jaguars.
The 25-year-old Looney started 10 games the past two seasons for the 49ers and Titans, respectively. Looney filled in at guard and center for the Titans in 2015. Pro Football Focus didn’t rave about the 25-year-old’s performance in filling in for Brian Schwenke, tabbing Looney as its No. 34 center. But Looney will be backing up Pro Bowlers in Travis Frederick and Zack Martin in Dallas.
Bernadeau was active for all 32 of the Cowboys’ regular-season games the past two years and started two games. He joined Jermey Parnell in leaving Dallas for Jacksonville.
Originally a fourth-round pick of the 49ers’ in 2012, Looney did not make the team in 2015 and landed in Tennessee, where he saw action in eight games.
Robert Nkemdiche To Visit Cowboys
Nkemdiche had dinner with the Cowboys last night and will officially visit the team’s facility prior to the draft, but Dallas is just one of 14 teams he’s scheduled to visit, according to Pauline. The Niners, Chargers, Raiders, Buccaneers, and Bears are also on the docket for Nkemdiche.
Cowboys Hosting Jason Jones, Joe Looney
After landing defensive end Benson Mayowa from the Raiders, the Cowboys remain in the market for help on the edge, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Dallas is bringing in veteran defensive end Jason Jones for a visit. Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link) hears from Jones that he’s flying in tonight and meeting with the team tomorrow.
It’s no surprise that the Cowboys continue to seek defensive end help, since both Greg Hardy and Jeremy Mincey are free agents. As for Jones, the 29-year-old has been a full-time starter in Detroit for the last two seasons, picking up a total of 9.5 sacks in his last two seasons. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 43rd out of 110 qualified edge defenders, assigning him solid grades as both as a pass rusher and a run defender.
- In addition to meeting with Jones, the Cowboys will also host offensive lineman Joe Looney, sources tell Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Looney can play guard and center, and would be a candidate to replace Mackenzy Bernadeau as an interior depth piece in Dallas.
- The Cowboys have interest in safety Dashon Goldson, and Washington is also open to the free agent safety’s return, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who expresses surprise that Goldson remains unsigned.
Cowboys Want To Rework Brandon Carr’s Deal
The subject of Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr‘s cap charges has been a hot topic since the end of the 2014 season — at this time last year, reports were circulating that Dallas wanted Carr to take a paycut (a move that he rejected and ultimately never took place). But once again, as Carr enters the final season of a five-year deal, the Cowboys are hoping to reduce the corner’s compensation, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who reports that the club has had talks with Carr’s agent Ben Dogra.
[RELATED: Cowboys to sign RB Alfred Morris]
Carr, 30 in May, has started all 48 possible games since joining the Cowboys (and has actually never missed a start during his eight-year career), but he hasn’t registered an interception in the past two seasons and graded as the No. 73 cornerback among 111 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Carr is scheduled to earn a base salary of $9.1MM in 2016, and according to Archer, the largest sticking point in negotiations with the Cowboys is Carr’s potential worth on the open market. Dallas believes Carr would be signed quickly were he to be released, but it thinks he’s more of a $5-6MM per-year player.
“He, like everyone on our defense, we would like them to be more impactful, more productive,” head coach Jason Garrett said of Carr at the owner’s meetings. “Brandon has to improve but everybody across our defense has to improve. He has been a steady player for us. He has been a productive player for us at times. It’s a valuable position. And he has done a good job covering guys at very challenging spot throughout his time with the Cowboys.”
The Cowboys have certainly made no secret of their goal of improving their secondary this offseason, as, in addition to re-signing Morris Claiborne, they’ve also met with Nolan Carroll, Patrick Robinson, and Leon Hall, the latter of which is still available. Reports also indicated that the club would target Bengals free agent Adam Jones to replace Carr were he to be released, but those plans may have been scuttled when Jones re-signed with Cincinnati.
Dallas could still look to the free agent market in the hopes of adding more options to their defensive backfield, but the corner market is rapidly thinning. Hall, Brandon Boykin, Jerraud Powers, Antonio Cromartie, Sterling Moore, and Charles Tillman are the only cornerbacks remaining who were either ranked or earned an honorable mention on PFR’s list of the best 2016 defensive free agents. Elsewhere in the secondary, the Cowboys are said to be seeking upgrades at safety, having lost out to the Ravens in their pursuit of free agent Eric Weddle.
Cowboys, Rams Not Planning Another L.A. Practice
- Despite the teams now training near Los Angeles, Cowboys and Rams aren’t planning to partake in another training camp scrimmage due to the brawl that occurred last year when the teams had joint practices in Oxnard, Calif., Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The Rams will be training at UC-Irvine this year, but Jason Garrett hasn’t engaged in any discussions on bringing the teams together again.
Cowboys Worked Out UCLA Offensive Lineman
- The Cowboys are the latest of seven teams that have ventured to UCLA to work out offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (on Twitter). Benenoch is regarded as a potential top-75 draft choice.
Taylor: Cowboys Need To Upgrade RB Corps
- Even with Morris in the fold, the Cowboys have a less-than-ideal running back situation, opines Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com. The Cowboys will try a balanced attack to aid quarterback Tony Romo – who has gone 38-11 as a starter while throwing 30 times or fewer and 41-38 otherwise – but Taylor doesn’t expect a backfield trio of Morris, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar to fare particularly well. Thus, the team should use a second- or third-rounder on a running back and let the others compete for backup roles behind the rookie, Taylor believes.
Cowboys Work Out Dak Prescott, Marquez North
- Dak Prescott will work out for the Broncos and other teams in early April, according to Chase Goodbread of NFL.com. The former Mississippi State standout rushed for more than 800 yards in both his sophomore and junior campaigns. Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson and Cardinals QBs boss Freddie Kitchens trekked to Starkville, Miss., to work out Prescott this week as well. Following his Broncos workout, Prescott will visit the Bills and Eagles, Goodbread reports.
- Tennessee wide receiver Marquez North worked out for the Cowboys, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle/National Football Post reports. North tore his labrum in 2014 and saw injuries limit him to six catches last season but decided to enter the draft as a junior anyway.