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Dallas Cowboys News & Rumors

Cowboys Seeking DT Addition

August 2nd, 2024 at 10:09am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys hosted several veteran edge rushers yesterday, and in two cases that effort produced an agreement. Both Al-Quadin Muhammad and Shaka Toney landed Dallas deals following a succesful workout.

Those additions will provide the team with depth at the defensive end spot in the wake of Sam Williams‘ ACL tear. The Cowboys are still interested in making moves in the front seven during the summer, however. COO Stephen Jones informed Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dallas is seeking help at the defensive tackle spot.

2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith did not have a strong rookie season, and plenty of attention will be aimed at his ability to develop this season. The Michigan product logged a snap share of just 28% last year, but he could take on a larger workload moving forward. The Cowboys do not have a big-ticket contract on the books at the moment after watching Johnathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore depart in free agency.

Dallas still rosters 2021 third-rounder Osa Odighizuwa, veteran Carl Davis as well as rookies Justin Rogers and Denzel Daxon along the defensive interior. Odighizuwa has started all but four of his 50 career games, and he enters 2024 as a pending free agent with the potential to help his market value with another consistent season. The team will be aiming to improve against the run in 2024, and Smith taking a step forward would be critical in that effort.

The Cowboys entered Friday with just over $12MM in cap space. That figure will change once the Muhammad and Toney deals are official and if/when any extensions for Dak Prescott or CeeDee Lamb are worked out. A modest addition could still be made at the DT spot, though, and it will be interesting to see if Dallas lines up any visits with the remaining free agents at the position.

Cowboys To Sign DE Shaka Toney

August 1st, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

It looks like the Cowboys will be taking two defensive ends from their Thursday workout. In addition to adding Al-Quadin Muhammad, they are signing Shaka Toney, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson.

Toney joined Muhammad, Carl Lawson and Justin Hollins at the Dallas workout. While Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler followed Dan Quinn to Washington, the Cowboys will check on a former Commanders DE contributor.

This represents a second chance for Toney, who missed all of last season due to a gambling suspension. Washington did not immediately waive Toney, separating him from some of the other gambling offenders last year, but the new regime cut ties this offseason. The Cowboys look set to see how Muhammad and Toney fare, potentially giving two rushers a chance to vie for one roster spot following Sam Williams‘ ACL tear.

A 2021 Washington seventh-round pick, Toney mostly operated as a reserve in Montez Sweat-fronted DE groups during his two-year on-field run. The Penn State product combined for just 1.5 sacks in that span but played in 26 games. He was then part of the initial wave of gambling suspensions, joining a host of Lions. The Commanders kept Toney, who was found to have bet on NFL games while on team grounds, last year. Once Toney was reinstated, however, the Adam Peters regime dropped him. Toney’s Washington exit came shortly after the Armstrong and Fowler arrivals.

Toney, who also worked out for the Giants in May, did register 21.5 sacks in four seasons with the Nittany Lions. He and Muhammad join a Cowboys DE corps including starters Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, along with second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland. A prospective Toney-Muhammad competition may also produce a practice squad spot for the loser (or both); Muhammad is also set to miss Week 1 due to a PED suspension.

Cowboys Line Up DE Workouts

August 1st, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

In need of depth along the edge, the Cowboys have scheduled four workouts for veterans who remain on the market. Carl Lawson, Shaka Toney, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Justin Hollins are set to visit Dallas today, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Sam Williams suffered an ACL tear which will keep him sidelined for the 2024 campaign. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain on track to handle a heavy workload, but Williams’ absence leaves the team short on valuable depth. In the wake of his injury, the Cowboys started evaluating the available options still in free agency.

Lawson faced high expectations upon signing with the Jets in 2021, but an Achilles tear delayed his debut New York campaign by one year. He managed seven sacks upon returning to health, but last year he logged only 101 defensive snaps and did not make a statistical impact. The 29-year-old has taken visits with the Dolphins and Panthers this offseason, and he will aim to turn his Dallas visit into an agreement.

Toney entered the league as a Commanders seventh-rounder, and he played primarily on special teams during his two seasons in Washington. A gambling suspension kept the 26-year-old out of the NFL last season, but he was reinstated in April. That was quickly followed by his Commanders release, leaving him free to sign with an interested team. This is Toney’s second known visit and his first since May.

Muhammad is a veteran of 84 games and 34 starts, but he did not see any regular season game action last season. He received a six-game PED suspension late in the 2023 campaign; since the Colts did not make the playoffs, that ban will include the first week of the coming season. Muhammad did not make a strong impact during his one-year Bears stint in 2022, but he served as a full-time Indianapolis starter the previous year and collected six sacks.

Hollins, 28, has spent time with five different teams in his career. His most productive campaign came in 2022 (3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss) while playing for the Packers and Rams. Hollins made at least one appearance with three teams in 2023, playing primarily on special teams. A third phase role would likely await him in Dallas.

The Cowboys entered Thursday with just over $12MM in cap space, enough flexibility to make a low-cost addition along the edge. Each of those four players will no doubt be available on team-friendly deals, and their performances today will impact Dallas’ decision at the position.

Cowboys COO: Ball In Dak Prescott’s Court; Team Communicating With CeeDee Lamb

July 31st, 2024 at 1:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Friday further solidified the quarterback market. After Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence signed $50MM-plus-per-year extensions this offseason, Jordan Love‘s hold-in and Tua Tagovailoa‘s partial hold-in wrapped after they followed suit. This leaves one major quarterback situation unresolved.

Dak Prescott remains in a contract year, and the ninth-year Cowboys QB is practicing. Prescott wields tremendous leverage over the Cowboys due to his current contract, and after a summer report indicated the team was planning to make a strong offer, COO Stephen Jones said during an appearance on KTFM San Antonio (h/t The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the ball is in Prescott’s court presently. Whether this means the Cowboys have made their offer or not, the team is waiting to hear from the QB’s camp.

[RELATED: The Cowboys’ Contract Dilemma]

The 30-year-old passer has not detailed his demands yet, but he is set up to do very well. If Prescott is to re-sign with the Cowboys, he will command a contract north of where Lawrence, Love and Joe Burrow have set the bar ($55MM). As we have detailed, Dak cannot be franchise-tagged and adds to his bargaining position via a 2024 cap number ($55.13MM) and the dead money that would hit the Cowboys’ 2025 payroll ($40.13MM) if he is unsigned by the start of the ’25 league year.

“It’s definitely not the money,” Prescott said (via NFL.com’s Jane Slater and Daniel Jeremiah) of his Cowboys situation. “A little bit of it is respect. In the same sense, what motivates me is just coming out here each and every day and getting better and being able to control that, I’m at peace with. … When you focus on that, the money comes. As you said, these other guys, they’re the ones setting the bar in that, and as I said, it’s an obligation that I have to my team, my family, and to the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFL.”

The tag being out of the picture gives Prescott the ability to control this process. The Falcons’ Kirk Cousins contract, despite the veteran QB going into his age-36 season coming off an Achilles tear, illustrates the free agency offers that would likely be available if Prescott hit the market. Prescott has said he wants to finish his career in Dallas but added the obvious caveat that quarterbacks often change teams. Given the makeup of Dallas’ roster, suddenly needing to find a new starting quarterback next year would obviously threaten to unravel this nucleus’ contention prospects.

This all points to the Cowboys needing to make a monster offer — perhaps at or near $60MM per year with favorable guarantees — to prevent their QB from moving toward free agency.

Lamb can be tagged in 2025, but the Cowboys have made an offer. Jones said during his KTFM appearance the team heard back from the All-Pro wideout recently. Lamb is headed into his fifth-year option season. While the Oklahoma alum may not require a contract that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, the Cowboys will at least need to approach the Justin Jefferson numbers ($35MM AAV, $110MM guaranteed, $88.7MM fully guaranteed) to complete a deal.

“We keep having multiple exchanges with CeeDee,” Jones said. “He actually sent us something late (Sunday). We continue to grind away on it. I would characterize both negotiations as very cordial and upbeat. We’re optimistic we’ll continue to work toward getting something done.”

The Cowboys continue to practice without Lamb, who joins Haason Reddick and Trent Williams as holdouts. The team must fine Lamb $50K per day missed, but with the receiver on a rookie contract, the fines can later be waived. Given the positive tone Jones is trying to convey, it seems likely the Cowboys would waive the fines if Lamb is extended soon. Reports indicating both players are Dallas’ priorities have come out, but the team is clearly eyeing new deals for each offensive pillar.

Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs Off PUP List

July 30th, 2024 at 12:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trevon Diggs‘ recovery from an ACL tear sustained during practice has reached a key stage. The All-Pro cornerback is ready to practice once again. He is officially off Dallas’ active/PUP list.

The Cowboys had nearly a month to activate Diggs from their active/PUP list, a training camp-only designation, but his being ready before August represents a positive direction for this particularly rehab odyssey. Team officials, per the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, have been confident Diggs will be ready for Week 1. Today’s activation certainly points to a return on time.

Dallas managed to remain a top-tier defense despite losing the former 11-interception player early last season. DaRon Bland delivered a ballhawk season for the ages, setting an NFL record with five pick-sixes. The Cowboys now have 11- and nine-INT players rostered at corner, and they are close to playing together once again. Dallas has planned a Diggs-Bland-Jourdan Lewis trio at the position under new DC Mike Zimmer, and the veteran coach will see his top troops together for the first time.

It sounds like the Cowboys will ease Diggs back into action, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. That makes sense given that the fifth-year corner is just more than 10 months removed from the injury. Diggs going down so early last season helps him on this front, and the injury did not end up costing him any value. The Cowboys extended the former second-round pick during last year’s training camp, and the injury soon made signing early — as opposed to playing out his rookie contract — an important decision.

Diggs, who will turn 26 in September, earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021 — after he became the first 11-INT player since Cowboys then-rookie Everson Walls in 1981. Diggs parlayed that season into a five-year deal worth $97MM. That still ranks fifth among CBs. In terms of AAV, this year’s batch of cornerback accords — for the likes of Jaylon Johnson, L’Jarius Sneed and Tyson Campbell — did not eclipse that. Though, each of the three 2024 big-ticket CB extension recipients outdid Diggs for guarantees.

The team has not re-signed Stephon Gilmore, who remains a free agent. But Zimmer will soon see how the Diggs-Bland-Lewis trio looks in practice. Diggs has started 46 games for the Cowboys, becoming one of the team’s many draft finds in recent years. The Alabama alum will hope to join Lewis in putting an injury-marred chapter behind him.

Cowboys Eyeing DE Help

July 29th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Ben Levine

With Sam Williams lost for the season thanks to a torn ACL and MCL, the Cowboys are doing their due diligence on potential replacements. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, the team has been “reviewing the tape” on available veteran defensive ends. However, Moore cautions that the team hasn’t lined up any visits/workouts.

[RELATED: Cowboys’ Sam Williams Tears ACL]

While Williams was once buried in the positional pecking order, the Cowboys were going to lean on their depth following the losses of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler this offseason. Dallas is fortunate that they still have plenty of talent on the edge; Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence will continue to lead the depth chart, and the organization also used a second-round pick on Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland.

Beyond that trio, the options are less than inspiring for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. 2023 fourth-round pick Viliami Fehoko Jr. is the team’s most significant recent draft investment of the bunch, but any of the back-of-the-depth-chart options (including key special teamer Chauncey Golston, 2023 UDFAs Durrell Johnson and Tyrus Wheat, and 2024 UDFA Byron Vaughns) could step into any leftover snaps. There’s a good chance the Cowboys will be patient and evaluate this grouping before pouncing on any free agent options.

Plus, the free agent market has been pretty much picked through. Yannick Ngakoue likely represents the best option at the position, with the likes of Carl Lawson, Markus Golden, and Shaq Lawson also sitting unsigned. The Cowboys will also have more options at their disposal as rival squads trim down their rosters, so there probably isn’t any urgency to find a Williams replacement right now. Stephen Jones basically acknowledged as much when discussing the position with Moore.

“We’ll just see,” Jones said. “It depends on the guy. Everybody is pouring over the tape and seeing if there is anything. But we’re very pleased with what Kneeland has done so far.

“If the right guy is there, we’ll pull the trigger. If not, we’ll kind of keep playing along, see how our guys do and go from there.”

As for Williams, Moore notes that the defender will undergo surgery in August to repair his torn ACL and partially torn MCL. The earlier we’ll see Williams on the field will likely be a month or two into the 2025 campaign.

Cowboys’ Sam Williams Tears ACL

July 29th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Ely Allen

JULY 29: Williams also suffered a partial MCL tear yesterday, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. That will add further to his recovery time as he turns his attention to the 2025 campaign and his ability to rebuild his free agent value.

JULY 28: The Cowboys were set to enter the 2024 NFL season with defensive end as a position of strength. Unfortunately, an early training camp injury has changed that picture a bit in Dallas. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, defensive end Sam Williams is reported to have suffered a torn ACL, ending his third year in the league before it had a chance to get off the ground. After initial speculation from Pelissero and the team, Ian Rapoport was the one to confirm the positive MRI results.

Williams joined the Cowboys’ defensive front in 2022 after getting drafted out of Ole Miss in the second round. His rookie year saw him buried on the depth chart behind Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler, yet he still managed to tally four sacks while rotating in. He also showed his disruptive nature in other ways, finishing only behind Parsons on the team with 10 tackles for loss.

In his sophomore campaign, Williams worked his way past Fowler on the depth chart and even outproduced Lawrence, finishing the season third on the team in sacks with 4.5. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has been friendly to Williams over the years, ranking him as the 54th-best pass rusher out of 119 at the position in 2022 and the 51st out of 112 in 2023 — both years in limited time. Last year, PFF graded him with the 37th-best pass rushing grade in the league.

Up to now, health had hardly been an issue for Williams. In two years of NFL play, Williams only missed two games, both in his rookie season, and one of them was the result of a car accident. He was arrested shortly before the 2023 season but didn’t end up missing any time as a result of the incident.

With two of his competitors for snaps, Armstrong and Fowler, now set to take starting reps for the division-rival Commanders, Williams was in line for a larger responsibility and snap share in 2024. After running fifth and fourth on the depth chart in his first two seasons, Williams had once again worked his way up and was set to run as the third defensive end for the year.

The team utilized a second-round pick on Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland in April to helps minimize the impact of Armstrong and Fowler’s departures, but now, Kneeland will likely be asked to step up into the role Williams was set up for. Kneeland wasn’t an elite pass rusher for the Broncos, only amassing 13.0 sacks in five years; his seasons in college actually much resembled the NFL production of Williams’ first two years, so perhaps he’s well-equipped to step into that role.

Unless Dallas turns to the veteran free agent market, which they may have to do, the Cowboys will have to rely on other players for that lost depth. Viliami Fehoko returns in 2024. A fourth-round rookie last year, Fehoko failed to make any game appearances before being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury in mid-November. He was activated in January but still didn’t see the field. Tyrus Wheat is the other depth option after appearing in 12 games for the Cowboys last year as an undrafted rookie.

While that may not be enough for Dallas, and they may need to seek some free agent help, one thing that’s certain is that Williams will not be able to contribute this year. That makes 2025 a crucial year for Williams as it will be the final year of his rookie contract and his final chance to show what he can bring to a defense that already rosters an All-Pro star in Parsons.

NFL Workout Rumors: Dawkins, Lions, Akers

July 28th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The name of recent UFL linebacker Noah Dawkins is starting to make the rounds in NFL camps. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Dawkins worked out recently with both the Cowboys and Bears.

Dawkins’ introduction to the NFL came in 2019 when he signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent following an impressive pro day at The Citadel. He was signed off the team’s practice squad to the Buccaneers active roster, appearing in 10 games without recording any defensive statistics. In the next three years, he spent time with the Jets and Bears.

He spent this past UFL season with the Michigan Panthers, totaling 35 tackles and an interception. He wasn’t part of the initial rush of players from the UFL getting NFL interest, but he seems to be growing in popularity. In addition to his recent workouts, Wilson reports that Dawkins has garnered interest from multiple other teams.

Here are a couple other workout rumors from around the NFL:

  • The Lions entered training camp with one of the league’s more intriguing position battles as Michael Badgley and UFL phenom Jake Bates duked it out for the kicking job in Detroit. The incumbent Badgley was forced out of the battle when he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury on Thursday. Despite this setback, special teams coordinator Dave Fipp isn’t simply handing the job to Bates. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Fipp and the Lions brought in a slew of legs to compete with Bates this summer including Matt Ammendola, Lucas Havrisik, Matt McCrane, and Andre Szmyt. Bates was shining at points of his viral UFL campaign but got cold down the stretch. After Bates missed three of eight field goal attempts in practice yesterday, per Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman, it makes sense for Fipp to bring in some competition to keep the UFL star honest.
  • Former second-round running back Cam Akers has struggled to find his place in the NFL but recently signed with the Texans for his next opportunity. Interestingly, Wilson notes that, before his successful workout in Houston resulted in a contract, Akers was scheduled for a workout with the Raiders this past week. Akers has his chance now to battle for time behind Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce in Houston, but his chances may have been a bit better in Las Vegas. The Raiders have a few names in Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, and Ameer Abdullah, but White is relatively inexperienced with just four starts to his name, Mattison struggled in his first season of full-time starting duty last season in Minnesota, and Abdullah hasn’t eclipsed 200 yards rushing in a season since 2017. It’s interesting to see Akers sign with Houston when he may have had an opportunity for more playing time with the Raiders.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/24

July 28th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves to close out the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Activated from active/NFI list: TE Erick All

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Thuney has been working his way back from a pectoral injury. After suffering the strain in a Divisional Round win over the Bills, the injury held Thuney out of the team’s final two wins over the Ravens and 49ers. Having passed his physical, Thuney will return to practice in order to take the next steps on his way back to the field.

The Giants weren’t the only team to submit a waiver claim for Rourke as he continues to try and turn his success in the Canadian Football League into an NFL opportunity. Now, after being buried on the depth chart behind Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito, Rourke is able to look elsewhere for that chance at playing time in the NFL.

Cowboys Release Gareon Conley; CB Plans To Retire

July 28th, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have released cornerback Gareon Conley, per a team announcement. The club just signed Conley in June in the hopes that the 2017 first-rounder — who last suited up for regular season action in 2019 — could make a comeback in Dallas, where he would be reunited with Paul Guenther (Guenther, currently a Cowboys assistant, was the Raiders’ defensive coordinator from 2018-19, when Conley was a starter for the then-Oakland outfit).

Rather than continue his journey back to an NFL roster, Conley has decided to retire, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. As Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, Conley requested his release, and the Cowboys obliged.

Conley, now 29, played in just two games for the Raiders in his rookie season in 2017 due to injury, but he was elevated to the starting lineup the following season, the first year of Jon Gruden‘s second stint with the club. The Ohio State product played reasonably well in his first extensive professional action, earning an average 64.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and accumulating three interceptions — including one pick-six — among 15 passes defensed.

He remained a starter in 2019 and performed at a similar level, which was enough for the Texans to send a third-round choice to the Raiders at that year’s deadline to acquire Conley’s services. However, it was not enough for Houston to exercise his fifth-year option, which turned 2020 into a platform year. Unfortunately, instead of making his case for a lucrative second NFL contract, Conley never got into another meaningful game.

He underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery in the 2020 offseason, and though he was medically cleared to return to practice that August, he landed on IR before the season started. As it turned out, the ordinarily minor procedure led to unexpected complications, and Conley eventually required another surgery.

Conley filed a grievance against the Texans stemming from his medical issues, a matter that was recently settled for $100K. He officially exits the game after having played in just 31 contests (26 starts), though he did earn $10.5MM over the life of his rookie deal.

We at PFR wish Conley the best in retirement.

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