Offseason In Review: Dallas Cowboys
Notable signings:
- Dan Bailey (K): Seven years, $22.5MM. $4.9MM guaranteed.
- Henry Melton (DT): Four years, $27.5MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- Jeremy Mincey (DE): Two years, $3MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Terrell McClain (DT): Three years, $3.05MM. $300K guaranteed.
- Anthony Spencer (DE): One year, $1.5MM. $250K guaranteed.
- Uche Nwaneri (G): One year, minimum salary benefit. $65K guaranteed.
- Amobi Okoye (DT): Two years, $1.6MM.
- Brandon Weeden (QB): Two years, $1.23MM.
- Caleb Hanie (QB): One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Ryan Williams (RB): One year, minimum salary benefit.
Notable losses:
- Miles Austin (WR): Released
- Everette Brown (DL): Waived
- Ryan Cook (C)
- Phil Costa (C): Waived
- Jason Hatcher (DT)
- Corvey Irvin (DT): Waived
- Edgar Jones (DE)
- Danny McCray (DB)
- Kyle Orton (QB): Released
- Ernie Sims (LB)
- Phillip Tanner (RB)
- DeMarcus Ware (DE/OLB): Released
- Brian Waters (G)
- Jarius Wynn (DE)
Extensions and restructures:
- Tony Romo (QB): Restructured contract. Converted $12.5MM of 2014 base salary into signing bonus.
- Mackenzy Bernadeau (G): Restructured contract. Reduced 2014 and 2015 base salaries by a total of $2.9MM in exchange for $1.6MM in guaranteed money.
- Sean Lee (LB): Restructured contract. Converted $4.75MM of 2014 base salary into signing bonus.
- Orlando Scandrick (CB): Restructured contract. Reduced 2014, 2015, and 2016 base salaries by a total of $8.25MM in exchange for a $3.75MM signing bonus. New deal also added two additional years for 2017 and 2018.
Trades:
- Acquired a second-round pick (No. 34) from the Redskins in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 47) and third-round pick (No. 78).
- Acquired a fifth-round pick (No. 146) from the Lions in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 158) and a seventh-round pick (No. 229).
- Acquired Rolando McClain and a conditional seventh-round pick from the Ravens in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick. Conditions for the traded picks, which also could turn into a swap of seventh-rounders, can be found within the linked story.
Draft picks:
- Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame (1.16): Signed
- Demarcus Lawrence, DE/OLB, Boise State (2.34): Signed
- Anthony Hitchens, LB, Iowa (4.119): Signed
- Devin Street, WR, Pittsburgh (5.146): Signed
- Ben Gardner, DE, Stanford (7.231): Signed
- Will Smith, LB, Texas Tech (7.238): Signed
- Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor (7.248): Signed
- Ken Bishop, DT, Northern Illinois (7.251): Signed
- Terrance Mitchell, CB, Oregon (7.254): Signed
Other:
- Promoted defensive line coach Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator.
- Hired Scott Linehan to call plays on offense.
- Exercised Tyron Smith‘s fifth-year option for 2015 ($10.039MM).
- Learned that Sean Lee will be sidelined for the 2014 season with an ACL injury.
- Received three compensatory draft picks.
- Won coin flip with Ravens for No. 16 overall draft pick.
- Had agreement with Will Herring fall through due to health concerns.
- Signed Bradie James to one-day contract so he could retire as a Cowboy.
- Signed 24 rookie free agents after the draft.
AT&T Stadium is an everlasting reminder that Jerry Jones isn’t a fan of the understated. That’s why it was rather surprising to see the Cowboys have a relatively quiet offseason in 2014.
The Cowboys made a major upgrade on their defensive line when they inked tackle Henry Melton. The Bears opted not to extend an offer to the 27-year-old before the start of free agency and had hoped to re-sign him after they figured out how much room they had to work with. Chicago never got the chance as Melton signed on with the Cowboys on a multiyear deal. The deal makes a lot of sense for both sides. Melton can earn nearly $28MM over four seasons if everything works out in 2014 and the Cowboys pick him up for another three seasons. If he struggles to stay on the field, as he did in 2013, the Cowboys can simply decline their club option and move on. Melton, who only played in three games last season, was said to be seeking a one-year, make-good contract, but he came away with the potential for a longer commitment. Even though 2013 didn’t work out as Melton had hoped, he made 14 starts and racked up a career high 31 tackles with six sacks en route to his first Pro Bowl in the season prior. He’ll look to get back to that level this season.
Melton will be filling the space left by the departure of Jason Hatcher and it’s hard not to like that trade-off for the Cowboys. Despite the time missed in 2013, Melton is younger and probably better suited for Dallas’ defensive scheme. That’s not to say there won’t be challenges for this Cowboys front seven. Hatcher has joined up with the rival Redskins, longtime Dallas mainstay DeMarcus Ware is with the Broncos, and linebacker Sean Lee is done for the season after suffering an injury during OTA’s. On the defensive line, the Cowboys are expected to trot out a front four of George Selvie, Melton, Nick Hayden, and free agent pickup Jeremy Mincey. The Cowboys dropped Ware because of his $16MM cap number for 2014 and Mincey comes in at a much more reasonable $3MM over two years with just $500K guaranteed. Further down the depth chart, the Cowboys added former Texans defensive tackle Terrell McClain on a three-year deal, re-signed pass rusher Anthony Spencer to a one-year deal, and defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, a former No. 10 overall pick.
In the wake of Lee’s injury, the speculation starting coming in fast and furious as to which high-profile linebacker the Cowboys would sign. Would it be former Bears star Brian Urlacher? Would they coax London Fletcher out of retirement? Or how about Jonathan Vilma who was coming off of a 2013 knee injury? The answer: none of the above. Justin Durant will man the middle linebacker position, Kyle Wilber and Bruce Carter will likely be on either side, and rookies DeMarcus Lawrence and Anthony Hitchens will be among those in support.
On the other side of the ball, the conversation is more about who won’t be there in 2014 rather than the additions. New Jersey native Miles Austin, who enjoyed a breakout season with the Cowboys in 2009, has been plagued by a pesky hamstring in recent years and hasn’t been the same player. Not many would have guessed that backup quarterback Kyle Orton would be the center of attention in Dallas throughout the spring and summer, but that’s exactly what happened. After a standoff where Orton intimated that he wouldn’t suit up for the Cowboys and Dallas badly wanted him to play, the Cowboys wound up cutting the bearded QB loose earlier this month. Now, it turns out Orton doesn’t plan on retiring at all and will look to play elsewhere while still enjoying his signing bonus money. It’s a crummy situation for the Cowboys who are without a strong backup behind starter Tony Romo, but on the bright side, they have a little additional cap flexibility this year which could help facilitate extensions for Dez Bryant or Tyron Smith.
The Cowboys didn’t make massive changes this offseason but then again, in a wide open NFC East after an 8-8 season, they didn’t necessarily have to.
Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Garrett, Mathis, Rudolph, Packers
After three straight 8-8 finishes, the 2014 season has been dubbed a make-or-break season for Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett by several NFL pundits, but owner Jerry Jones doesn’t think that’s necessarily the case. At least, that’s what he’s saying publicly (link via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com).
“In terms of the record of this team, this is not a make-or-break situation for Jason,” Jones said. “Members of this staff, we’ve got a job to do. We obviously are gonna see what we’re doing this afternoon and what we’re doing the next day and the next day and the next day. … We’ve put a lot of effort in training as a franchise into Jason Garrett, and I want to take advantage of that.”
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….
- Although Eagles offensive lineman Evan Mathis wants a new contract and was considering a holdout, he ultimately decided to report to camp, determining that was the best course of action, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter links).
- As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets, Vikings GM Rick Spielman expressed interest again today in locking up tight end Kyle Rudolph to a contract extension. Rudolph has indicated multiple times that he’d like to remain in Minnesota long term, so there seems to be mutual interest in working something out.
- Speaking to reporters today, Packers GM Ted Thompson said his team’s three goals heading into the offseason were to re-sign as many of their own players as possible, selectively add players from other teams, and draft effectively (Twitter link via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com). In Thompson’s view, Green Bay was able to achieve those goals.
- Panthers offensive lineman Edmund Kugbila will undergo back surgery and will miss the season, GM Dave Gettleman announced today (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Giants, Davis, Bucs, Clabo
Giants linebackers coach Jim Herrmann believes the team may have stumbled on a true gem with fifth-round pick Devon Kennard, writes Howie Kussay of the New York Post. “I liked him on film, obviously our college scouting liked him on film,” Herrmann said. “He played at USC and he played under four different coordinators, and played four different positions, so I think he kind of got lost in the college shuffle a little bit there.” More from around the NFL..
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters, including Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter), that a lot of the team’s “dramatic” offseason decisions freed up money that the club can use to hammer out extensions with Tyron Smith and Dez Bryant. It’s likely that Jones is referring to the situation with Kyle Orton that ended with his release earlier this month
- According to a report from WUSA 9, former Redskins tight end Fred Davis is wanted by D.C. police for a domestic violence incident. It’s just the latest in a string of troubles for the former NFL notable who was suspended indefinitely for substance abuse and charged with a DUI over the winter.
- Bucs GM Jason Licht says he will keep five running backs on the roster if they can help win games, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Licht added that the team is excited about Bobby Rainey. There has been speculation that the 26-year-old, who was picked up off waivers in October of last year, was on the bubble heading into the season.
- After Tyson Clabo was signed by the Texans, the best available right tackles in the NFL are David Stewart, Eric Winston, Tony Pashos, Jonathan Scott, Dennis Roland, and Jeremy Trueblood, opines Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Bears GM Phil Emery was highly complimentary of new backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). “That’s as good of a quarterback workout we’ve seen since I’ve been here,” the GM said of the former Notre Dame QB’s June tryout.
- The Bears put veteran tight end Travis Beckum and journeyman offensive lineman Thomas Austin through tryouts Wednesday, a source told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Beckum, 27, has been looking to find a home in the league after suffering a torn ACL in the Giants in their Super Bowl XLVI victory following the 2011 season. Austin has played eight games in the NFL with one start, spending time with the Colts last season. Unfortunately for both men, Biggs gets the sense that it’s unlikely either will get contract offers from Chicago.
- Scott Brown of ESPN.com (on Twitter) is glad to see center Fernando Velasco catch on with the Panthers after the way he stepped up for the Steelers last season in the absence of Maurkice Pouncey. The 29-year-old was graded as Pittsburgh’s fourth-best lineman by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2013.
- The deal for new Lions wide receiver Reese Wiggins is a minimum salary deal for three years with nothing guaranteed and no bonuses, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Jerry Jones: Kyle Orton Doesn’t Plan To Retire
Kyle Orton won’t be playing for the Cowboys in 2014, but he’s not necessarily done with the NFL. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters, including Marc Sessler of NFL.com, that the backup veteran quarterback has no intentions to call it quits and want to keep playing in 2014, just not for Dallas.
Jones explained that Tony Romo‘s former backup planned to report for camp in order to force the team’s hand, but wasn’t going to actually suit up in games for the Cowboys.
“Once he gave an indication that he was not going to retire and come back with all the other aspects of not having participated in the spring work that we did…then it was decision time on our part.” Jones said. “You need to be out there, you need to be on the field, you need to be doing your best every play, or somebody else can step up there. That’s all alive and well in this decision. But it’s important to understand that we were paying Kyle a lot of money. That money can go toward paying (someone) that can help us win in our judgment more than having that much invested in him, his position of backup quarterback.”
Orton, 31, had strongly indicated throughout the offseason that his preference was to end his playing career, but the Cowboys hoped he’d either return or formally retire so that they could recoup some of his bonus money. Ultimately, Orton won the stare down with Dallas and was granted his release. While he won’t get his base salary of $3.25MM, he did manage to keep his entire signing bonus. The Cowboys are down a backup QB, but they have a little additional cap flexibility this year, which could help facilitate extensions for Dez Bryant or Tyron Smith.
Orton, who has spent time with the Bears, Broncos, Chiefs, and Cowboys has more than 15,000 career passing yards to go along with 83 touchdowns in 75 total contests (70 starts). It sounds like he’ll look to add to that total in 2014.
Minor Moves: Seahawks, Saints, Panthers
We rounded up the NFL’s minor moves this afternoon and we’ll round up the latest here..
- The Seahawks are set to sign wide receiver Morrell Presley, who was with them earlier this offseason, tweets Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.
- Saints outside linebacker Cheta Ozougwu has cleared waivers and been placed on New Orleans’ IR, according to MIke Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- In addition to Fernando Velasco, the Panthers have added another former Titans lineman in Kevin Matthews, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean. Matthews recently tried out for Miami but didn’t catch on there.
- Defensive tackle Chris Whaley, who suffered a knee injury, has cleared waivers and reverted back to the Cowboys IR where he can rehab for the season, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
- The Browns claimed offensive tackle Abasi Salimu off waivers from the Rams, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The Browns also waived former Duke wide receiver Conner Vernon, according to Caplan (Twitter link). Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter) adds that defensive back Royce Adams and linebacker Brandon Magee have also been cut by Cleveland.
- LInebacker Darrin Kitchens (leg contusion) cleared waivers today and is now on the Bills’ injured reserve list, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
- The Packers cut linebacker Shaun Lewis, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Cowboys cut Jarrod Pughsley from the injured reserve today with an injury settlement, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
- The Panthers cut former University of Miami center Jared Wheeler, Wilson tweets. Wheeler was one of nine UDFAs signed by the Panthers back on May 12th.
- The Broncos signed former Indiana kicker Mitch Ewald, Wilson tweets.
NFC Notes: Austin, Wilson, Conte
Tavon Austin did not provide the degree of immediate impact the Rams were hoping for when they chose him eighth overall last year. In an AP story, Austin was bluntly honest about why he didn’t play as fast as he’s capable: he struggled with the complexities of his first NFL playbook. “I didn’t really know what was going on,” Austin said. “Everything looked like Spanish and sounded like Spanish to me.”
Here’s some NFC links:
- Giants running back David Wilson, recovered from neck surgery, announced on Twitter that he’s been cleared for full-contact action.
- Bears safety Chris Conte faces a training-camp battle for a starting position, but it’s unknown if he’s physically ready for the beginning of camp, writes the Chicago Tribune’s Rich Campbell. Conte had shoulder surgery in late March, at which time the team said he would need four to five months to recover.
- Bears second-year right tackle Jordan Mills has hired Drew Rosenhaus as his contract adviser, according to Yahoo Sports reporter and legal analyst Rand Getlin.
- Buccaneers free agent acquisition Evan Dietrich-Smith has just one year as a full-time starter under his belt, but “the Bucs see him as an anchor on their offensive line,” says ESPN’s Pat Yasinkas in a post listing the team’s top five newcomers. “At 28, Dietrich-Smith may be just entering his prime.”
- Jeremy Ross was a pleasant surprise for the Lions last season, especially on special teams, says MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke. With him and Ryan Broyles expected to have spots on the roster behind Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, that leaves fifth-rounder T.J. Jones, Corey Fuller and veterans Kris Durham and Kevin Ogletree battling for one or two spots.
- This season is make-or-break for Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, writes ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer.
Minor Moves: Hagg, Giants, Pats, Cowboys
After a quiet few weeks, roster moves around the NFL are picking up again, with most training camps just around the corner. We’ll track today’s minor moves here, including signings and cuts of players with no or little NFL experience. Here are the latest moves, with additional transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Safety Eric Hagg has informed the Broncos he intends to retire, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Hagg, who appeared in 23 total games in two season with the Browns in 2011-12, had signed a futures contract with Denver earlier this year.
- According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Giants have acted quickly to fill Chris Snee‘s roster spot, signing offensive lineman John Sullen, who auditioned for the team last month.
- Former BYU defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna, who was cut by the Giants last month has signed with the Patriots, according to a team release. The club waived Seali’i Epenesa to clear room on the 90-man roster for Manumaleuna.
Earlier updates:
- Free agent wideout Dezmon Briscoe has signed with the Cowboys, according to agent Erik Burkhardt (via Twitter). Briscoe, who caught 35 passes for the Buccaneers in 2011, was waived-injured by the Redskins prior to the 2013 regular season. In order to sign Briscoe, the team waived defensive tackle Chris Whaley with a non-football injury designation, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.
- The Bengals have maintained an opening on their 90-man roster, waiving rookie wideout Alex Neutz today, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).
- The Chargers have waived center Nick McDonald, the team announced today (via Twitter). The offensive lineman had inked a reserve/futures contract with the club back in January.
- With the newly-open roster spot, the Chargers will bring aboard Khalil Wilkes, a Stanford product who participated in the club’s minicamp in May. Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (via Twitter) that the team has agreed to terms with the undrafted center.
- One of the players who went unselected in this month’s supplemental draft has found a home, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that defensive tackle LaKendrick Ross is signing with the Bengals. Ross, who tried out for the Bengals today, had 11 teams attend his workout prior to that supplemental draft, though Cincinnati wasn’t among that list. The Bengals had an open roster spot already, so no corresponding move will be necessary to bring Ross aboard.
NFC East Notes: Robinson, Sanchez, Escobar
After running through some AFC East notes this morning, let’s run down the NFC East:
- Ebenzer Samuel of The New York Daily News examines fives issues facing the Giants as training camp nears, including which of the team’s promising-but-unproven receivers will replace Hakeem Nicks and if Jason Pierre-Paul is truly healthy.
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com projects the Giants‘ roster for 2014.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that the Giants‘ competition at tight end will be the team’s most exciting roster battle to watch, and he believes Adrien Robinson is the early favorite.
- Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com wonders if the Eagles should make a play for Andre Johnson.
- Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com looks at how the Eagles‘ roster might shake out. He writes that Mark Sanchez is the presumptive favorite to win the backup quarterback job, and that if head coach Chip Kelly utilizes Darren Sproles more as a receiver than as a traditional running back, that could open the door for backs like Matthew Tucker and Henry Josey to make the squad.
- Rainer Sabin and Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News look at five major issues facing the Cowboys this summer, including, of course, who will replace Sean Lee and when Henry Melton and Anthony Spencer will return to practice.
- Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com contributes his projections on the Cowboys‘ 53-man roster, noting that although Gavin Escobar is entrenched behind Jason Witten as the team’s No. 2 tight end, his role figures to expand as he may be used more frequently as a No. 3 wideout.
- John Keim of ESPN.com projects the Redskins‘ 2014 roster. Keim notes that both the offensive line and defensive line will be especially fluid as training camp progresses.
Cowboys Sign Dallas Walker
The Cowboys didn’t waste much time filling the roster spot that opened up when the team released Kyle Orton yesterday. According to agent Angelo Wright (Twitter link), his appropriately-named client Dallas Walker has signed with the Cowboys. The tight end, whose signing was confirmed by the team, figures to be the 90th man on the roster when Dallas opens training camp next week.
Walker, 26, played his college ball at Western Michigan, going undrafted in 2012. After spending some time with the Georgia Rampage of the Ultimate Indoor Football League last spring, Walker signed with the Chargers, but was ultimately cut by the team in August before the regular season got underway.
Walker figures to be a long shot to make the Cowboys’ roster for the 2014 season, though Todd Archer of ESPN.com did point out earlier today that the team could use another blocker at the position. At 6’6″ and 235+ lbs., Walker has the size to contribute in that capacity.
NFC East Links: Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles
The Cowboys will carry some dead money on their cap this year and next after releasing Kyle Orton, but Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News wonders if the signing of Orton wasn’t “dead money” from the beginning. As Sherrington explains, a pricey, reliable veteran backup makes sense for a Super Bowl contender, but the Cowboys would’ve been better off developing a young quarterback as the No. 2 option behind Tony Romo rather than investing heavily in someone like Orton.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Count former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman among those who was a little surprised that the team didn’t draft Johnny Manziel with the No. 16 pick in May, as Travis L. Brown of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. “There’s a lot of other needs, as we saw last year, that this team has, so it was probably the right thing not taking him, but I was a little surprised. I think that had to have been a difficult decision for Jerry [Jones].”
- The Cowboys have carried four tight ends in the past, but if they do so again this year, it will likely mean adding a blocking tight end that isn’t currently on the roster, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
- ESPN.com’s John Keim previews a handful of position battles to watch in Redskins training camp, including a pair on the offensive line and two more on special teams.
- Evan Royster, who has been with the Redskins for the last three seasons, may find himself on the outside looking in this year, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
- In his latest mailbag, Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com explores what the Eagles would do in the event that Nick Foles takes a step back and struggles in 2014.