Tyrone Crawford

Cowboys’ Tyrone Crawford Retires From NFL

Tyrone Crawford has retired from the NFL, head coach Mike McCarthy announced. Crawford, still only 31, has been limited by serious hip injuries on both sides. 

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Crawford, a 2012 third-round pick, struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. He battled back from a 2013 Achilles tear to deliver a solid 2014 campaign. He notched 37 tackles, three sacks, and four tackles for loss that season, leading to a five-year, $45MM re-up. He kept up the solid work despite positional changes and shoulder injuries, but his damaged hips halted him after from 2019 onward.

Last year, Crawford appeared in all 16 games, but didn’t look like his old self. So, after 25 sacks across eight seasons, one of the Cowboys’ longest-tenured players is calling it a career. We here at PFR wish Crawford the best in retirement.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/20

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from IR: OL Phil Haynes
  • Placed on IR: CB Neiko Thorpe

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/20

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyrone Crawford
  • Claimed off waivers from Colts: DL Ron’Dell Carter

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

NFC East Notes: Crawford, Eagles, Giants

Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC East:

  • The Cowboys plan to start Tyrone Crawford at defensive end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, and Crawford recently provided some positive news on his surgically repaired hips. “Surprisingly, I’m feeling great,” Crawford recently said (via the team’s official website). “Obviously, double hip surgery is nothing to play around with. But I’m feeling awesome, ready to go.” The 30-year-old’s hip problems date back to the 2018 campaign, and between him, Randy Gregory, Aldon Smith, and fifth-round rookie Bradlee Anae, there is plenty of promise — but not a ton of certainty — in Dallas’ pass rushing contingent.
  • The Eagles surprisingly selected Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round of this year’s draft, but the team plans to deploy Hurts as a gadget player in much the same way the Saints have used Taysom Hill. Given that, and given Carson Wentz‘s injury history, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP believes Philadelphia needs to go out and sign a veteran signal-caller. The Eagles believe they can be a championship contender in 2020, and a player like Cam Newton or Joe Flacco could keep the club afloat in the event of a Wentz injury. In Shorr-Parks’ estimation, the same cannot necessarily be said for Hurts, Kyle Lauletta, or Nate Sudfeld.
  • Like it or not, the Giants‘ offense will not contain too many elements from what the team ran last year and will instead look a lot like the system that new OC Jason Garrett ran in Dallas (Twitter link via Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network). Garrett garnered plenty of criticism over the years, but the Cowboys did finish first in yards per game and second in offensive DVOA in 2019. New York head coach Joe Judge clearly believes 2019 is a good indicator of what a Garrett offense can do.
  • Yesterday, we learned that the Giants are exploring training camp sites outside of New Jersey, one of the states hit hardest by COVID-19.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Williams

While the Cowboys have imported two of the 2019 Panthers’ three defensive line starters — in Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe — they are not looking to move on from Tyrone Crawford. The Cowboys have asked Crawford to yo-yo between defensive end and tackle in his career, and with the two high-profile veterans coming to Dallas, it is reasonable to wonder about their longtime lineman’s role. But as of now, it should be expected Crawford will be Dallas’ starting D-end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News notes. Despite Crawford only playing in four games last season, the Cowboys are also not expected to ask the 30-year-old lineman to take a pay cut from the $8MM salary he is due in 2020, Moore adds. Crawford, whose contract is up after 2020, would be taking the place of Robert Quinn opposite Lawrence. Quinn signed a mega-deal with the Bears.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • The Eagles entered the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes, but the Cardinals’ offer of David Johnson and a second-round pick surprisingly won out. Howie Roseman said Thursday the deal the Texans offered him was different than what the Cardinals ended up agreeing to, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). It is not known what the Eagles offered, but this marks the most recent instance of them entering the pursuit of a high-profile AFC South player and not winning out. Roseman bowed out of the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes last year. The lofty Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson cap numbers would have made a Hopkins extension interesting for Philly to navigate.
  • Despite the Cowboys signing both McCoy and Poe to help on their interior defensive line, they are not likely to look outside the organization to help on their interior O-line. Travis Frederick‘s successor will probably be an in-house move, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Considering the Cowboys drafted Connor McGovern in the 2019 third round and re-signed Joe Looney — their 2018 replacement for Frederick — it should not surprise they will look internally at center. The Cowboys placed a second-round grade on McGovern last year, and even though he missed all of last season, the Penn State product should have a good shot at succeeding Frederick.
  • Although nearly half the league used a franchise or a transition tag this year, the GiantsLeonard Williams tag may have been the most interesting decision. New York’s Williams tag will cost at least $16.1MM (the defensive tackle price) and could run as much as $17.8MM (for defensive ends), but Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes the Giants are not likely to sign the former Jets first-rounder to a deal that averages $16MM per year. If that is the case, Williams should be expected to play 2020 on the tag.
  • The Cowboys gave Kai Forbath a one-year, $1.18MM deal, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The veteran kicker, who succeeded Brett Maher last year, will receive a $137K signing bonus.
  • The Giants‘ deal for ex-Patriots special-teamer Nate Ebner is a one-year, $2MM pact, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Ebner will receive a $950K roster bonus and a $1.05MM base salary.

Cowboys Notes: Jerry, Dez, Witten

This is not exactly surprising given that he’ll turn 78 in October, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not planning to remain at the helm beyond the expiration of the next CBA, as Jon Machota of The Athletic tweets. Of course, the proposed CBA that will soon be voted on by the league’s workforce is another 10-year agreement, so it makes sense that Jones, who has owned the club since 1989, would be prepared to step down around the time the players and owners sit down again in another decade or so.

However, he is adamant that the proposed CBA is the right move for the league and should be ratified by the players.

Now for more from Dallas:

  • Former star wideout Dez Bryant hasn’t played since 2017, but he wants to continue his NFL career and recently expressed his desire to rejoin the Cowboys. For what it’s worth, Jones said he hasn’t ruled it out, as Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Jones even revealed a little more than we may have liked, saying he has considered the matter while in the shower.
  • Jones would also like tight end Jason Witten to return to the team, as Hill notes (Twitter link). However, it sounds like Jones has a reduced role in mind for Witten, and it remains to be seen whether Witten — who is open to signing elsewhere — will be receptive to that.
  • Likewise, Jones wants to retain pass-rusher Robert Quinn (Twitter link via Hill). The last we heard, the Cowboys had not discussed a new contract with Quinn — understandable, as the club has bigger fish to fry at the moment — but Quinn posted 11.5 sacks in a resurgent 2019 campaign, and Jones hopes there is a way he can keep him in Dallas.
  • Another member of the Cowboys’ front seven, Tyrone Crawford, is under contract through 2020, but the Cowboys could save $6.9MM by cutting him. That could be tempting, given that Crawford played in just four games in 2019 and had surgery on both of his hips. However, the 30-year-old said he could return to the field this spring, and Jones expects him to be on the roster, though he is definitely a restructure candidate (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News).
  • Cowboys DE Michael Bennett signed a new contract with the Cowboys after Dallas acquired him from the Patriots in October that allows him to hit free agency this year. As such, his comments to ESPN’s Josina Anderson indicating that he wants to play in 2020 are not surprising (Twitter link). It sounds as though Bennett, 34, wants to hook on with a contender, and there should be a market for his services.

Latest On Cowboys’ Tyrone Crawford

Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford underwent surgery to both hips to repair a labrum tear, Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram tweets. His injury was much more serious than initially thought, but he still plans on returning in the spring and playing in 2020, Hill hears. 

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Crawford didn’t look like himself this year as his hip issue limited him to a part-time role. Initially, the Cowboys planned on having him rest up and return, but they ultimately placed him on IR after a two-game breather on the bench.

Before all of this, Crawford was largely healthy throughout his Cowboys career. He missed only a handful of games between 2012-2018 and last year he started in all 15 of his games and notched a career-high 5.5 sacks.

Crawford, 30, has one more year to go on the five-year extension he inked with the club back in 2015. He’s slated to count for a $9.1MM cap figure in 2020 with a base salary of $8MM.

Cowboys’ Tyrone Crawford Done For Year

Cowboys defensive end Tyrone Crawford is done for the year, per a club announcement. The hip issue that plagued him throughout the offseason and kept him out of two games this year will sideline him for the rest of the campaign. 

This hasn’t been a banner year for Crawford. First, the Cowboys weren’t sure if he’d be suspended for his role in an offseason bar fight. Then, his hip bursitis limited him to a part-time role this year, before ultimately leaving him with no role.

The Cowboys will likely turn to Joe Jackson and Trysten Hill for extra support and will probably add another defensive lineman to fortify the unit. The defensive line has been iffy on the whole and there’s still no word on Randy Gregory‘s status, so this is a rough one for the Cowboys.

On the plus side – Robert Quinn has looked strong so far this year and Antwaun Woods is back on the field after a three-game absence. The Cowboys will look to shake off their surprising loss to the Jets when they face the Eagles on Sunday night.

Cowboys Notes: Elliott, Garrett, Lawrence

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett says he has stayed in contact with Ezekiel Elliott during his holdout (Twitter link via Jon Machota of The Athletic). He went on to say that the conversations have been “all very positive,” though there’s still no word on when Elliott will show up for work.

Publicly, both sides are attempting to paint a fairly rosy picture of what’s taking place. Last week, a story likely leaked from Elliott’s camp indicated that he is in shape and ready to go for the upcoming season, despite his absence from practice. Meanwhile, Garrett was quick to tell reporters that he is on good terms with his star running back.

While we wait for movement on the Elliott front, here’s more from Dallas:

  • The Cowboys are set to activate defensive linemen DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford from the PUP list, a source tells ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). Lawrence had shoulder surgery soon after signing his five-year, $101MM contract in April and has been out of action for the last few months. Crawford, meanwhile, is working through a hip issue that kept him out of the offseason program. Unfortunately, safety Byron Jones (hip) and receiver Noah Brown (knee) remain on PUP.
  • This week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones acknowledged that a new deal for Dak Prescott would put him in the top tier of compensation for NFL quarterbacks.

Injury Notes: Brown, Luck, Gore, Watt, Jones, Lawrence

Here’s the latest on all the injuries to big names as training camps get underway across the league:

  • There was a brief uproar earlier when it was mysteriously announced that Antonio Brown would start camp on the Raiders’ non-football injury list. However, the as of now undisclosed issue that caused Brown to be placed on the NFI was described to Field Yates of ESPN as “very minor” (Twitter link). Further, Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune tweets that the Raiders have known of the injury for two weeks, and that Brown will probably only miss a week of camp time. Despite the initial panic, it doesn’t sound like this is anything you need to monitor going forward.
  • Andrew Luck was sidelined by a calf injury during the Colts’ offseason program, which sparked some concerns about his Achilles. However, Luck told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network today “my Achilles is not at extra risk of anything. It’s fine” (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, Pelissero notes Luck participated in team drills today, and that his limited workload has only been precautionary.
  • Speaking of the NFI, Bills GM Brandon Beane said that running back Frank Gore has been removed from it, per longtime Bills beat reporter Joe Buscaglia (Twitter link). Gore had been dealing with a minor injury, but has passed his physical and is cleared to practice. Gore will be competing for carries in a crowded Buffalo backfield that also features LeSean McCoy and rookie Devin Singletary.
  • J.J. Watt started camp on the Texans’ PUP list, but he’s now been removed and cleared to practice, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Watt was limited to just eight combined games in 2016 and 2017 due to injuries, but he played a full 16-game slate last year. Watt wasn’t the only Texan to get cleared, as James Palmer of NFL Network tweets that DeAndre Hopkins was also cleared and activated from PUP.
  • Byron Jones, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and Noah Brown will start camp on the PUP list for the Cowboys, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Fortunately, Dallas is expecting all of them to be ready for the start of the season. Lawrence had offseason shoulder surgery, Jones had surgery on his hip, and Crawford is also dealing with a hip injury. Last we heard, there had been no progress in extension talks between the team and Jones.