Cowboys To Work Out Paxton Lynch
- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys will work out Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch today in Orlando after leaving the owners meetings, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. The Cowboys will head to Ohio State to work out prospects on Friday.
Patrick Robinson To Visit Colts
9:46pm: It appears Robinson’s decision to switch agents may indeed push him away from the Cowboys, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Robinson will visit with the Colts tomorrow. Plus, the agreement that Conner negotiated with Dallas may now be off the table entirely, as Moore tweets that the two sides “had an agreement in principle until [Robinson] changed agents.” From the Colts’ perspective, Robinson would represent a quality replacement for Greg Toler, who could depart in free agency.
7:58pm: We heard earlier today that the Cowboys were wrapping up a three-year deal with free agent corner Patrick Robinson and that the deal would be consummated once Robinson resolved his “agent situation.” As it turns out, Robinson has actually switched agents. According to David Moore of The Dallas Morning News, club officials began discussions with Kevin Conner but have now been told that Ron Butler represents Robinson.
Dallas began negotiating with Conner before Robinson’s visit with the team, and the two sides had agreed in principle to the parameters of a three-year deal before Butler advised the Cowboys yesterday that he now represents Robinson. The reasons for the switch are unknown, and it is a little difficult to get a read on how the Dallas media contingent interprets this development.
While Moore couched his report a little pessimistically, opining that Robinson’s switch had thrown a wrench into the negotiations, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the team has no intention of changing the deal that Conner had negotiated for his former client (Twitter link). Hill, who also authored the above-referenced tweet from this morning indicating that the deal would be completed once Robinson sorts out his agent situation, seems to suggest that, as long as Butler does not try to dramatically alter the contractual framework that has already been put in place, a deal will get done. Todd Archer of ESPN.com, meanwhile, says that the switch is the reason for the delay, and that Robinson was expected to sign yesterday (Twitter links). The fact that Robinson has not yet signed, and the fact that the team had still not met with Butler as of Archer’s tweets several hours ago, indicate that there may still be some work to do.
Robinson, of course, is one of the best free agents still available. After spending the first five years of his career with the Saints, he appeared in all 16 of the Chargers’ games in 2015, including 10 starts, and he put up 49 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. His play over 713 defensive snaps with the Bolts earned him a 30th-place ranking among corners at Pro Football Focus among 111 qualifiers. Robinson also played 31.7 percent of the Chargers’ special teams snaps. If he does ultimately wind up with the Cowboys, Brandon Carr‘s future in Dallas would be cast into greater doubt.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Cowboys Unlikely To Draft QB Or RB At No. 4
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t expect the club to take a quarterback or running back with the fourth overall pick, as Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.
Cowboys Close To Deal With Patrick Robinson
The Cowboys have already agreed to terms with one of the veteran free agents who visited the team on Monday, locking up running back Alfred Morris on a two-year deal. And it may just be a matter of time until the club also has an agreement with the other noteworthy free agent who was in Dallas on Monday.
According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), a three-year deal between the Cowboys and cornerback Patrick Robinson is “pretty much done.” Hill suggests Robinson just needs to “resolve his agent situation,” while David Moore of the Dallas Morning tweets that the team is expected to meet with Robinson’s agent today.
Cowboys To Sign Alfred Morris
10:15am: Morris’ two-year deal is fairly modest, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the contract has a base value of $3.5MM and can be worth up to $5.5MM.
8:45am: After hosting him for a visit on Monday, the Cowboys are signing free agent running back Alfred Morris, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Per agent Sean Stellato (via Schefter), it’ll be a two-year deal for Morris in Dallas.
A sixth-round pick in the 2012 draft, Morris made an immediate impact during his rookie season in Washington, amassing the third-most carries in the NFL (335) and finishing second in both rushing yards (1,613) and touchdowns (13). Morris declined the next two years, though he was still a productive workhorse, with at least 265 carries, 1,000 yards and seven TDs in both seasons.
The wheels came off a little in 2015, however, as the 224-pounder recorded personal worsts in carries (202), rushing yards (751), yards per attempt (3.7) and scores (one). Despite his statistical drop-off last season, which coincided with the arrival of 2015 third-rounder Matt Jones, it’s worth noting that Morris played – and started – all 16 games for a fourth consecutive season.
By signing with the Cowboys, Morris will be joining a team against whom he has had plenty of success over the years — his 710 career rushing yards and seven touchdowns against Dallas are easily the most he has put up against a single opponent.
The Cowboys may still add a running back in the draft, but the way the team’s depth chart currently stacks up, it appears Morris and Darren McFadden will shoulder the majority of the rushing load, with Lance Dunbar serving as the primary pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raiders Decline Benson Mayowa’s Offer Sheet; Cowboys Sign Mayowa
Defensive end Benson Mayowa is now a member of the Cowboys. The Raiders have declined to match the offer sheet on the up-and-coming edge rusher (per agency Reign Sports on Twitter), allowing him to go to Dallas. 
Earlier this month, the Cowboys signed Mayowa to an offer sheet promising him a three-year deal and a $3.3MM signing bonus with base salaries of $700K, $2.5MM, and $2.75MM. The final year of the contract, 2018, is voidable based on sack and playing-time incentives.
The Raiders had until Wednesday to decide whether to match Mayowa’s offer sheet, but they used only four of their five allotted days to reach a verdict. Because Mayowa came into the league as an undrafted free agent, the Raiders are not entitled to any compensatory draft picks.
Mayowa, 24, has only made three starts so far in his NFL career, but he has appeared in 30 total games for the Raiders and Seahawks. In 2015, he recorded 16 tackles, a sack, two fumble recoveries, and a safety. Despite his lack of experience, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones has said that the Raiders see a tremendous amount of upside in the youngster. Ultimately, Dallas believes that Mayowa possesses the attributes they want in an edge rusher and they’re willing to roll the dice on him a bit to see if they can mold him into a star.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wilson: Details On Lance Dunbar's Contract
- Lance Dunbar, RB (Cowboys): One-year, $1.25MM deal. $100K signing bonus. $800K salary. ~$22K per-game active bonus. $500K stats incentive. $40K workout de-escalator. (Twitter link via Wilson).
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Cowboys Rumors: Robinson, Morris, Mayowa
Earlier today, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones spoke with reporters to address a pair of open items. Here are some of the highlights:
- The Cowboys are still talking with free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson and free agent running back Alfred Morris, but there is no deal for either player yet (Twitter link via David Moore of The Dallas Morning News). Both players visited Dallas on Monday and it was expected that one of them would sign with the club, with Robinson being the more likely of the two to land with the Cowboys. The Cowboys had interest last offseason in Robinson before he ended up inking a $2MM deal with the Chargers.
- Jones said Cowboys are still awaiting the Raiders’ decision on whether to match their offer for Benson Mayowa, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys signed the defensive end to an offer sheet that would give him a three-year deal and a $3.3MM signing bonus with base salaries of $700K, $2.5MM, and $2.75MM. Oakland has until Wednesday to reach their verdict.
- The Cowboys see a great deal of upside in Mayowa and they believe that he possesses the attributes that they want in a pass rusher (Twitter link via Archer). Mayowa, 24, has only made three starts so far in his NFL career, but he has appeared in 30 total games for the Raiders and Seahawks. In 2015, he recorded 16 tackles, a sack, two fumble recoveries, and a safety.
Cowboys Rumors: P. Robinson, A. Morris, T. Smith
Cornerback Patrick Robinson and running back Alfred Morris are visiting Dallas today, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported this morning (via Twitter) that there’s an expectation that at least one of them – likely Robinson – could sign with the club. Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram confirms (via Twitter) that the Cowboys are indeed closer to getting a deal done with Robinson than they are with Morris, though nothing has been finalized yet.
- The Cowboys are scheduled to have a private workout with Florida State linebacker Terrance Smith today, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Smith projects as a probable late-round pick.
Robinson, Morris Speak With Jason Garrett; Cowboys Wouldn't Match Ravens' Weddle Offer
- Patrick Robinson and Alfred Morris are scheduled to meet with Cowboys position coaches tonight and Monday after arriving in Dallas today. The former Chargers cornerback and Washington running back, however, spent time on the phone with Jason Garrett before he left for the NFL Owners’ Meetings in South Florida, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones told media, including David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “Jason’s spent some good time on the phone with them,” Jones said. “So have we. Obviously, we tried to get them in there before we left but in their particular cases it didn’t work out that way.”
- Jones told media, including Moore, Eric Weddle was interested in joining the Cowboys, but the team wasn’t ready to go where the Ravens were financially to secure the 31-year-old safety’s services. Interested in coming to Dallas partially due to special teams coach Rich Bisaccia having been on the Chargers’ staff in 2011-12, Weddle ended up landing in Baltimore for four years and $26MM. Both Bisaccia and Garrett contacted Weddle during free agency, however, Moore reports.