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Rico Gathers

Cowboys Place Rico Gathers On IR

September 4th, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are placing tight end Rico Gathers on injured reserve, the team announced today. That will open up a roster spot that could be filled by the recently-released Kellen Moore, coach Jason Garrett tells reporters. Rico Gathers (vertical)

Moore was discarded prior to the initial 53-man cutdown in a move that left undrafted free agent Cooper Rush as the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Dak Prescott. Nothing is definite yet, but it sounds like Moore could return to the roster to serve as the third stringer, or possibly the second stringer, behind Prescott for the season opener against the Giants.

The shuffling of QBs doesn’t make much sense on the surface, but the Cowboys likely felt that they would lose Rush if they exposed him to waivers. Moore, who they like for their offense, probably is not viewed as favorably league-wide.

NFC East Notes: Cousins, Foles, Cowboys

August 29th, 2017 at 5:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The record-setting contract extension the Lions awarded quarterback Matthew Stafford on Monday will raise Redskins signal-caller Kirk Cousins‘ asking price and make it even more difficult for the team to re-sign him at season’s end, Mike Jones of the Washington Post points out. With Cousins scheduled to hit free agency next winter, the Redskins could place the franchise tag on him for a third straight year if there’s no deal in place prior to free agency, but that would mean guaranteeing him upward of $34MM. Jones expects the Redskins to apply the transition tag for a lesser cost – $28MM – and ultimately lose Cousins to a team willing to give him a massive long-term deal. The Redskins wouldn’t be entitled to any compensation in that scenario.

More from the NFC East:

  • Eagles quarterback Nick Foles hasn’t taken the field this preseason because of an elbow injury. Specifically, Foles has a flexor strain and inflammation around a nerve in his right elbow, a source told Les Bowen of Philly.com. While the source indicated that Foles had the same problem during his time with the Chiefs last year, it won’t affect his place on the Eagles’ roster or his regular-season availability, Bowen notes. The plan remains for him to back up Carson Wentz beginning in Week 1.
  • Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers has been dealing with a concussion for two weeks and could head to injured reserve as a result, Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. An IR placement for Gathers would keep him out of game action for at least the first eight weeks of the season and deprive Dallas of a burgeoning weapon. The former Baylor basketball player and 2016 sixth-round pick was a shoo-in to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster prior to his injury, Davison relays. Gathers’ absence would leave the Cowboys with the experienced James Hanna as their No. 2 tight end behind Jason Witten, though he’s coming off a season lost to injuries and isn’t a receiving threat.
  • Owner Jerry Jones says that Jaylon Smith will have an “accelerated approach” towards the upcoming season (Twitter link via Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram). That’s a departure in philosophy from before, when Jones said the team would be deliberate in its approach with the Notre Dame product.
  • Tight end Will Tye, defensive ends Kerry Wynn and Romeo Okwara, wide receiver Dwayne Harris, kicker Aldrick Rosas and offensive lineman D.J. Fluker aren’t sure bets to make the Giants’ roster and could be on the block, James Kratch of NJ.com observes. Although, given that trades in the NFL are rare and nobody from that group holds much appeal, Kratch doesn’t expect Big Blue to make any deals in the coming days.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Norwell, Cowboys

August 13th, 2017 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Buccaneers nickel corner Jude Adjei-Barimah will have surgery to repair the patellar fracture in his right knee and will be placed on IR, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. When we first learned of the injury, we heard that it could sideline Adjei-Barimah for roughly four months, meaning he would miss most of the 2017 campaign. Stroud’s report suggests that the 25-year-old DB will in fact miss the entire season.

In other bad news for the Bucs, linebacker Devante Bond, who was expected to open the season as the starting strongside linebacker, has a sprained PCL in his right knee, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Bond could still be ready for Week 1, but it may be four to six weeks before he plays again. Meanwhile, Laine adds that QB Ryan Griffin has a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder that will take a few weeks to heal. The team is not expected to sign another quarterback, which means that Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely win the backup job.

Now let’s take a look at a few more NFC rumors:

  • Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets that the Buccaneers are expected to bring in another kicker in the wake of Roberto Aguayo‘s dismissal, but the new signing will be used for camp/preseason reps. That suggests that Nick Folk, and not a new acquisition, will be the team’s starting kicker.
  • Panthers guard Andrew Norwell is playing under a one-year RFA tender worth $2.75MM this year, but he hopes to get a long-term deal before the end of the season, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Norwell graded out as the league’s No. 11 guard in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, and has started 29 games over the past two seasons, firmly entrenching himself at left guard opposite Trai Turner. Turner, of course, recently received a lucrative extension from Carolina, and Norwell wants in on the action. He has even hired Turner’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to help him get paid.
  • Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot has until Wednesday to appeal his six-game suspension, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Elliott will likely file the necessary paperwork on Tuesday.
  • Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers was hugely impressive in Dallas’ preseason game against the Rams last night, posting four catches and a touchdown. That builds upon the solid showing he had in the team’s first preseason matchup last week, and it is clear that he is the most explosive tight end on the roster. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Gathers has come a long way in a short time — the Cowboys selected Gathers, a collegiate basketball player, in the sixth round of the 2016 draft — and makes the fairly obvious point that Gathers has a legitimate shot to make the team.
  • The Redskins are very thin at outside linebacker following Trent Murphy‘s season-ending ACL tear, so they are moving ILB Pete Robertson outside to give themselves another pass-rusher, as Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post writes. Robertson, a UDFA in 2016 who has yet to play a regular season snap, did lead the Big 12 with 13 sacks as an outside linebacker for Texas Tech in 2014.

NFC East: Giants, Rosas, Cowboys, Eagles

May 13th, 2017 at 10:26am CST by Ben Levine

The fact that Aldrick Rosas is the only kicker on the Giants roster is an indication that the organization is willing to roll with the 22-year-old next season. Despite the former undrafted free agent having no NFL experience, special teams coordinator Tom Quinn is confident that his kicker will be prepared.

“We will try and simulate (games for) him and then you have the preseason to go with that,” Quinn told Ralph Vacchiano SNY.tv. “We’ve had a couple of nice young kickers in here with (Chris) Boswell (in 2015) and Brandon McManus (in 2014). They’ve gone on to do well. It’s not always perfect with the young guys. Sometimes there’s going to be a little bit of hiccups. We’ll see where we go with that.”

As Vacchiano points out, the Giants could easily sign a veteran free agent kicker to compete with Rosas. The team also has Travis Coons participating at the rookie minicamp this weekend. Quinn noted that with “no more two-a-days and limited practice,” the team would struggle to find “kicks” for multiple players.

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFC East…

  • The Giants gave undrafted offensive lineman Chad Wheeler a $20,000 signing bonus, the highest among the team’s undrafted rookies. The Giants also have a need for an offensive tackle, which is why Dan Duggan of NJ.com believes Wheeler has a shot of making the team. The writer also lists defensive tackle Jarron Jones, offensive lineman Jessamen Dunker, wideout Travis Rudolph, linebacker Calvin Munson, cornerback Nigel Tribune, fullback Shane Smith, and safety Jadar Johnson among undrafted rooks who might have a shot at making the final roster.
  • Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers earned an incredible $499,990 to play on the team’s practice squad last season. With Jason Witten‘s career winding down, the former sixth-round pick will have an opportunity to play a significant role in the team’s offense this season. “It’s night and day for [Gathers] in a good way from last year,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan told Matthew Martinez of the Star-Telegram. “When you know what you’re doing and you’ve got your body in football shape, it’s amazing what you can do, and that’s the biggest difference from where he was a year ago until now.”
  • We learned yesterday that the Eagles agreed to pay second-round cornerback Sidney Jones his full 2017 base salary even if he spends the season on the NFI list.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/17/17

January 17th, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Promotion

Atlanta Falcons

Practice Squad

Green Bay Packers

Reserve/Futures Contracts

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

  • TE Rico Gathers
  • WR Andy Jones

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

  • WR Rashad Lawrence

Extra Points: Texans, Broncos, Cowboys, Bills

January 16th, 2017 at 9:28pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Texans head coach Bill O’Brien will return to the organization next season, but will he opt for the same starting quarterback? O’Brien wouldn’t commit when asked if he was going to stick with quarterback Brock Osweiler in 2017.

“Before I talk about those types of things, I have to evaluate it myself,” O’Brien told ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop. “I’ve got to talk to our coaching staff, get their input, personnel people, get their input. So I wouldn’t be a good head coach if I stood up here and said, this is what I’m planning to do. The game is less than 48 hours ago. We’re going to evaluate everything.”

Osweiler finished his first season in Houston with 2,957 yards, 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. It seems like offensive coordinator George Godsey may have earned the brunt of the blame for the team’s offensive woes, as the coach and the organization parted ways earlier today.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the Broncos are set to interview two coaches for their special teams coordinator vacancy: Richard Hightower and Greg McMahon. Hightower joined the Bears last offseason as their assistant special teams coach, and he previously spent time coaching the 49ers, Browns, and Redskins. McMahon served as the Saints special teams coordinator from 2008 through 2017. The longtime coach was let go by the organization in early January.
  • The Raiders have promoted midwest scout Trey Scott to the position of Assistant Director of Player Personnel, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Scott has spent the past four seasons with the organization, and he previously spent time working with the Redskins.
  • The Cowboys announced the signing of 12 players today, but the team isn’t done making moves. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets that the team is still trying to finalize deals with practice squad players Rico Gathers and Andy Jones. Gathers, a tight end, was a sixth-round pick in this past year’s draft. Jones, a former undrafted free agent, spent much of the season on the Cowboys practice squad.
  • Bills safety Aaron Williams has dealt with mulitple neck injuries, but his dad told John Wawrow of the Associated Press that the former second-rounder intends to keep playing. “He’s leaning toward coming back,” Anthony Williams said. “We’ll take it slow and go from there.” The 26-year-old has been productive when he’s been on the field, but he’s been limited to only 10 games over the past two seasons.

Extra Points: Jets, Cowboys, Buccaneers

November 14th, 2016 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL as we wrap up this Monday evening…

  • Will the Jets wind up moving on from coach Todd Bowles? Brian Costello of the New York Post thinks it’s fair to start thinking about who Gang Green’s next coach could be. When/if that happens, Costello writes that the Jets should hire an offensive coach who has developed quarterbacks and has experience. Since Al Groh, all of the Jets’ hires have been first time hires. It’s also worth noting that every coach since Rich Kotite has been a defensive guy: Bill Parcells, Groh, Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan, and Bowles.
  • Cowboys tight end Geoff Swaim suffered a serious pectoral injury and will have surgery, reports Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). The second-year player has hauled in six catches for 69 yards this season. Jon Machota of the Dallas News tweets that the team has discussed bringing in another tight end, and he notes that James Hanna is not expected to return anytime soon.
  • The Cowboys have been happy with the way tight end Rico Gathers has improved on their practice squad. However, Machota tweets that the team is unlikely to promote the sixth-round pick. Gathers, who didn’t play football in college or high school, made a name for himself as a player on the Baylor basketball team.
  • Buccaneers left guard J.R. Sweezy is still progressing from his offseason back surgery, reports ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine. Unfortunately, a source tells the reporter that the veteran is likely to finish the season on the reserve/PUP list.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC East

September 5th, 2016 at 9:10am CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, and Redskins are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day (all links go to Twitter unless noted otherwise):

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins

Cowboys Trim Roster To 53

September 3rd, 2016 at 5:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have made the following moves in order to cut their roster down to 53:

Cut:

Waived/Injured:

  • DE Mike McAdoo

Reserve/Suspended:

NFI:

Draft Signings: Steelers, Cowboys, Raiders

May 20th, 2016 at 5:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s draft signings:

  • In addition to Smith (listed below), the Cowboys announced that they’ve also agreed to terms with sixth-round pick Rico Gathers. The 6’6″, 273-pound former Baylor basketball player did not play football at the collegiate level, but is expected to pursue an NFL career at tight end. Dallas has now locked up six of its nine 2016 draft picks.

Earlier updates:

  • The Steelers have agreed to terms with second-round pick Sean Davis on a four-year deal, according to a source who spoke with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. The Steelers have since confirmed the deal. Davis has now become the fourth Steelers draft pick to sign his rookie pact.
  • The Cowboys have signed second-round linebacker Jaylon Smith to a four-year deal, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. It remains to be seen when Smith will take the field, however. The prevailing belief is that he will need a redshirt year because of the serious knee injury he suffered in January. If Smith spends the season on the NFI list, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2020 instead of an unrestricted free agent, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter).
  • The Raiders announced the signing of sixth-round linebacker Cory James. James, selected No. 194 overall, played in 51 games with 46 starts over four seasons at Colorado State, totaling 230 tackles (112 solo), 24 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed.
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