Cowboys Backing Away From Greg Hardy?
The Cowboys haven’t spoken with Greg Hardy during free agency, executive VP Stephen Jones told media, including David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
Arguably the best player still on the market, the mercurial defensive end represents a PR risk for any team that begins negotiations with him. Entering his age-28 season, Hardy finished two seasons with over 10 sacks — including a career-high 15 in 2013 — but has missed 19 games in connection with a domestic violence incident and wasn’t exactly a model citizen in Dallas last season.
“[He’s] a free agent we haven’t had discussions with, if you want to say that,” Jones told media.
Earlier this week, we heard two teams were interested in Hardy but were trying to keep their interest under the radar in fear of attracting bad publicity.
Even amid Hardy’s struggles to acclimate in Dallas, the Cowboys said at multiple junctures they’d like to keep Hardy long-term. But the team steadily backed off that stance as the season went along. Hardy finished last season with six sacks after missing the first four games of the season due to a suspension.
Hardy ranked 21st on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list, behind only Ryan Fitzpatrick (No. 19) among still-available UFAs.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Cowboys To Visit With Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves, Workout Miss. State's Prescott And Johnson
Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves has visits lined up with eight clubs, including the Jaguars, Ravens, Cowboys, and Buccaneers, reports Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). Hargreaves, considered one of the best defensive backs available in the draft, will probably garner interest from any team picking in the top 15.
- The Cowboys have scheduled a private workout with Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson says the meeting will take place today, while Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) says the workout will occur on Monday, but regardless of the specifics, Prescott could make sense as a mid-round pick for the Cowboys. Prescott, who was arrested for DUI last week, has also met with the Panthers, Steelers, and Browns, per Wilson.
- Prescott isn’t the only Mississippi State prospect to workout for the Cowboys, as Wilson reports (via Twitter) that receiver Robert Johnson will also audition for the club on Monday.
Patrick Robinson To Visit Cowboys
SATURDAY, 8:49am: Robinson will indeed be visiting the Cowboys on both Sunday and Monday, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
FRIDAY, 7:34pm: The Cowboys are working to set up a visit with free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson, reports Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. As of earlier this month, the Giants, Dolphins, Bears and Eagles were all reportedly interested in Robinson, though New York, Miami and Philadelphia have since made notable changes to their cornerback groups.
If Robinson visits Dallas, he’d be the third corner to do so since free agency began. The first, Nolan Carroll, ultimately 
re-signed with the Eagles. Longtime Bengal Leon Hall visited the Cowboys earlier this week, but no deal appears imminent.
The Cowboys had interest last offseason in Robinson, notes George, though he ended up taking a $2MM deal with the Chargers. Robinson appeared in all 16 of San Diego’s games, made 10 starts, and put up 49 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. His play over 713 defensive snaps with the Bolts earned him a terrific 30th-place ranking among corners at Pro Football Focus (111 qualifiers). Robinson also played 31.7 percent of the Chargers’ special teams snaps.
Prior to last season, Robinson spent the first half-decade of his career with New Orleans after it chose him in the first round of the 2010 draft. The 28-year-old appeared in 58 regular-season games (32 starts) with the Saints and accumulated nine interceptions, including a personal-best four in 2011.
In the event Robinson signs with the Cowboys, it could spell the end of Brandon Carr‘s four-year tenure with the team. As of last week, the Cowboys were “intent” on decreasing Carr’s $13.8MM cap hold for next season. His place on the roster reportedly hinges on whether he takes a pay cut and/or whether the club adds another veteran corner. At the moment, Dallas’ top three corners are Carr, the recently re-signed Morris Claiborne, and Orlando Scandrick.
The potential Robinson visit is the third headline the Cowboys have created today. They’ll bring in running back Alfred Morris for a Monday visit, and they signed Raiders defensive end Benson Mayowa – a restricted free agent – to an offer sheet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cowboys Sign Benson Mayowa To Offer Sheet
5:22pm: The deal is for three years and contains a $3.3MM signing bonus and base salaries of $700K, $2.5MM and $2.75MM, per Getlin (on Twitter). The final year of the contract, 2018, is voidable based on sack and playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
4:08pm: The Cowboys have signed Mayowa to an offer sheet, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. The Raiders have until Wednesday at midnight ET to match the offer.
2:49pm: The Cowboys are expected to sign defensive end Benson Mayowa to an offer sheet today, assuming his physical goes well, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Todd Archer of ESPN.com first reported that Mayowa was making the trip to Dallas, while Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweeted that a physical would be a part of the visit.
Assuming the Cowboys finalize an offer sheet and Mayowa signs it, the Raiders would have five days to decide whether or not to match it. The team assigned the defensive end a low-end tender, worth $1.671MM. Because Mayowa came into the league as an undrafted free agent, the Raiders wouldn’t be entitled to any compensatory draft picks if they opt not to match an offer sheet.
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.
We’ll have to see whether the Cowboys and Mayowa officially get something done, and what the terms of the deal are, but if the Raiders want to keep him in the fold, they’ll have the flexibility to match. Per OverTheCap.com, Oakland entered the day with the seventh-most cap room in the league — I don’t believe that figure includes Donald Penn‘s new contract with the team, but the Raiders should still have more cap flexibility than the Cowboys.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Alfred Morris To Visit Cowboys
Free agent running back Alfred Morris will make his first visit of the offseason on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Morris will head to Dallas to meet with the Cowboys. Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com first tweeted that the Cowboys were expected to host Morris on Monday.
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 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 mentioning that Morris played his fourth consecutive 16-game season.
According to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link), Morris received some interest from the Broncos before they brought back C.J. Anderson. However, with Denver presumably out of the mix, Morris will make his first visit with the Cowboys, who re-signed Lance Dunbar on Thursday. Darren McFadden is currently projected to be the top back on Dallas’ depth chart.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mississippi State DL Ryan Brown To Visit Cowboys, Others
- Mississippi State pass rusher Ryan Brown has official visits scheduled with the Raiders, Texans, Cowboys, and, Dolphins.
[SOURCE LINK]
Cowboys To Re-Sign Lance Dunbar
The Cowboys will re-sign Lance Dunbar, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It will be a one-year deal worth $1.75MM. 
Dunbar, 26, was on the verge of becoming a legit weapon out of the backfield for the Cowboys last season, racking up 21 receptions in just three full games, including 10 catches for 100 yards in Week 3 against the Falcons. However, in his fourth game, Dunbar suffered a torn ACL that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
The tailback earned a career-high 47 touches in 2014, carrying the ball 29 times and adding 18 receptions. Over the years, the North Texas product had also contributed on special teams and returned the occasional kick for the Cowboys.
Before re-signing with the Cowboys, Dunbar also had visits with the Bears, Seahawks, and 49ers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Upshaw, Pats, CJ2K
Linebacker Courtney Upshaw remains on the open market here in mid-March, but his field of suitors could soon grow a little bit larger. A league source tells Mike Florio of PFT that the 49ers and Patriots could jump into the mix for the Ravens free agent linebacker. The former second-round pick, who is visiting with the Jets today,was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.
Here are the latest free agent rumors from around the league:
- The Dolphins announced that Chris Johnson has wrapped up his free agent visit. That announcement infers that there is no deal – at least, not yet – between CJ2K and Miami. Johnson is said to be deciding between the Dolphins and the incumbent Cardinals.
- Before putting pen-to-paper with the Ravens, the Cowboys stood as the other finalist for Eric Weddle, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. The safety had a multitude of offers and before he was down to two clubs, Weddle weeded out proposals from teams that were not positioned to in 2016. One of those teams, according to agent David Canter, made Weddle the most lucrative offer of any suitor.
- Former Ravens linebacker Daryl Smith is visiting the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens cut Smith earlier this month in order to save roughly $2.6MM against the 2016 cap. Smith, who joined the Ravens for the 2013 season after spending nine years in Jacksonville, hasn’t missed a game in his three years in Baltimore, starting the last 48 regular-season games for the club. In 2015, he racked up 121 tackles to go along with three sacks and an interception.
FA Rumors: Upshaw, Cowboys, Hall, Dansby, Mays
Free agent linebacker Courtney Upshaw will meet with the Jets on Thursday, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Upshaw has made 64 straight regular-season appearances (51 starts) since Baltimore took him in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 26-year-old recorded 51 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles last season. In terms of overall performance, Pro Football Focus ranked Upshaw 84th out of 110 qualifying edge defenders for his work during the 2015-16 campaign. He was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.
The latest on some other unsigned players around the NFL:
- Linebacker Karlos Dansby, whom the Browns released Wednesday, would like to join the Cardinals, Bengals or Packers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Yeah, I think the Bengals are licking their chops right now,” he said. “I hope they are. We’ll see what it is.” Notably, Dansby started his career in Arizona as a second-round pick in 2004 and piled up 25.5 sacks before leaving at the close of the 2009 season.
- The Cowboys aren’t working toward a deal with Wednesday visitor Leon Hall, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). The veteran cornerback has thus far spent his entire career with the Bengals since they chose him in the first round of the 2007 draft. Hall started in four of 14 appearances last season, picked off two passes, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ 33rd-best corner (111 qualifiers). Like Upshaw, Hall also earned an honorable mention from PFR before free agency.
- Even though Hall to the Cowboys doesn’t exactly appear imminent, they are working on a deal with restricted free agent Benson Mayowa, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com. The Raiders gave Mayowa, a defensive end, an original-round tender. As a former undrafted free agent, that means they won’t get any compensation for him if they decide against matching a hypothetical offer. Mayowa, 25 in August, has accrued 30 appearances (three starts) and two sacks during his three-year career.
- The Bengals “have made good progress” on a contract with Taylor Mays, writes Geoff Hobson of their official website. Mays is scheduled to miss the first four games of next season because of a suspension. Nevertheless, Cincinnati wants him back as a nickel linebacker to replace Emmanuel Lamur – who signed with the Vikings – Hobson notes. Mays spent 2011-14 with the Bengals before joining the Raiders last season.
- Linebacker O’Brien Schofield took to social media Wednesday to discuss his future. “By no means have I counted the Falcons out but I’m waiting for the right opportunity for my family and I. It’s a business so I’m patient,” Schofield tweeted. The 28-year-old signed with Atlanta last offseason and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts). Schofield said last week that he and the Falcons “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a contract.”
Reactions To Chandler Jones Trade
On Tuesday, the Patriots and Cardinals completed a noteworthy deal when edge rusher Chandler Jones was shipped to Arizona in exchange for offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round draft choice. The talented Jones is coming off of a career year in which he recorded 44 tackles to go along with a career-high 12.5 sacks, earning his first-ever Pro Bowl selection. The Pats, meanwhile, got themselves a former first-round pick who can play either center or guard while adding to their upcoming draft stockpile.
Here’s a look at some of the reactions to (and fallout from) the swap:
- Now that the Patriots have traded Jones, re-signing outside linebacker Jamie Collins is a high priority, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). In 12 games last season, Collins racked up 89 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 5 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. Collins is presently due to make a little north of $900K in 2016 and they believe that he is more likely to be receptive to an extension offer than Jones would have been. The Pats, Cole says, feel that they can get something done sooner rather than later.
- The Cardinals are not expected to sign Jones to a long-term deal until after the 2016 season, according to Cole (video link). Once Calais Campbell‘s hefty contract comes off the books, Arizona will have more room to give Jones a big deal.
- The Patriots probably saw the writing on the wall when Malik Jackson and Olivier Vernon got monster contracts this offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Based on the way both players were paid ($14.25MM/year for Jackson, $17MM/year for Vernon), Fitzgerald estimates that Jones was in line for close to $20MM/year, and that sum would have been too rich for New England’s blood. As for Cooper, Fitzgerald notes that the Patriots will probably decline his 2017 option. The lineman’s option year calls for him to earn well over $10MM but, as of right now, he’s more like a $3MM player.
- Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com ran down some of the main reasons why the Patriots traded Jones. Among them, of course, is the projected cost of a new deal for Jones down the line. He also notes that New England is in a good spot at defensive end. New England has Jabaal Sheard as well as an aging, but still productive, Rob Ninkovich to help pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Patriots are also hopeful that they can get production out of Geneo Grissom and Trey Flowers plus new addition Chris Long.
- The Jones trade is reminiscent of the team’s Richard Seymour swap in 2009, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss writes. The Pats shipped Seymour to the Raiders for a 2011 first-round choice at a time when the team was unsure about whether they’d be able to re-sign him after the season.
- Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Logan Ryan, and Malcolm Butler (restricted) are all due to be free agents next year, and it would have been difficult to try and re-sign all of those contributors in addition to Jones, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com writes. Of that group, Jones would have required the most money of anyone thanks to the way that Jackson and Vernon got paid this month. When it comes to Cooper, Barnwell wonders aloud if a change of scenery could turn things around for the former first-rounder.
- Peter King of The MMQB says that the Patriots made the right choice when looking at the numbers. Of course, it also helps that the Pats were able to add Long. Long, he writes, gave up an extra $2-3MM that he could have instead earned with the Falcons, Lions, Washington, or Cowboys.