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Cowboys To Add CB Mackensie Alexander

December 6th, 2022 at 5:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys lost longtime cornerback Anthony Brown to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 13. They will add an experienced option in the wake of that development.

Mackensie Alexander is signing with Dallas’ practice squad, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Alexander will rejoin former Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards with the Cowboys. The former second-round pick has not played this season.

After signing with the Dolphins midway through training camp, Alexander sustained an injury that led him to Miami’s IR. The Dolphins reached an injury settlement with the six-year veteran, allowing him to head back to free agency and sign elsewhere to retain 2022 eligibility. Had no settlement been reached, Alexander would have been unable to return from the Dolphins’ IR. Alexander underwent groin surgery this summer.

Alexander, 29, has worked primarily in the slot as a pro. He held that role for Minnesota during much of Mike Zimmer‘s tenure, playing out his rookie contract in the Twin Cities and then returning in 2021 after a Cincinnati one-off. Following Zimmer’s firing, the team did not bring him back; it instead inked ex-Packers slot Chandon Sullivan to a free agency accord. Alexander has 84 career games under his belt; he played 61% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps last season.

Jerry Jones had said the Cowboys would seek out cornerback help but did not express optimism. Alexander being both in his 20s and available at this point in the season could be a break for the contending team. The Cowboys also lost Jourdan Lewis to a season-ending injury in October. They finished Sunday night’s game with DaRon Bland and Kelvin Joseph as the primary options alongside Trevon Diggs. Joseph saw more action as a result of Brown’s injury.

Cowboys Concerned About Odell Beckham Jr.’s Health

December 6th, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. is on visit No. 3 of his three-meeting itinerary, but after the Cowboys’ public courtship led to attending a Suns-Mavericks game Monday night, some brake pumping appears in order about a partnership.

The Cowboys are concerned about Beckham’s knee following his physical, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The prospect of Beckham not being ready to play until at least mid-January has surfaced, and Werder adds it is possible a Beckham deal would not benefit a team until the 2023 season. The Cowboys have long been viewed as the favorite; Beckham visited the Giants and Bills last week.

As the OBJ sweepstakes have progressed, steady skepticism has existed regarding the standout wide receiver’s recovery leading to contributions during the 2022 season. Jerry Jones stopped short of guaranteeing Beckham can play this season, but said his ability to do so is “paramount” to a deal taking place. Though, the owner walked that back a bit by indicating an agreement is not completely off the table if Beckham cannot contribute until next season.

“I’m going to kind of keep that one at bay, because that’s degree,” Jones said during his latest 105.3 The Fan interview (via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). “It’s a lot different if you play one play or if you played or are available for a week and that week be the Super Bowl week, than if he’s available the next week. And so everything in between. I would say that’s a point of discussion — a player’s own belief of where he is in becoming ready to play is real big.”

Both Beckham ACL tears — in October 2020 and February 2022 — occurred in his left knee. The former Giants Pro Bowler is also now 30. Timelines connected to his return from the Super Bowl LVI tear ranged from mid-November to early December, but this Cowboys physical throws cold water on even the back end of this range. Sources close to Beckham informed CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson the wideout would be ready to contribute in the playoffs, after acclimating with a team during the coming weeks (Twitter link).

Beckham’s health also will have a major impact on his earning potential. The ACL tear hijacked what would have been a lucrative free agency pact, and although Beckham wants a multiyear commitment in the $20MM-per-year range, that price range has long seemed unrealistic. The Rams offered an incentive-laden deal months ago; that displeased the recent rental Ram. Beckham is planning to make his decision this week, though if the money is not at the level he wishes, would he shut this process down and reassess for 2023?

Beckham attended the NBA game with Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs and is continuing meetings with Cowboys brass and the team’s leadership council, which includes Dak Prescott and 10 other veterans. Cowboys players have long lobbied for Beckham, but his wild-card status remains. Neither the Giants nor Bills worked out Beckham, but the New York teams put him through medical testing. The Cowboys are also not planning to audition Beckham, increasing the uncertainty regarding his readiness. Although Beckham is believed to have been cleared last month, Tuesday’s latest pushes back against that clearance translating to immediate availability.

“Well, I’m not confident at all,” Jones said of Beckham’s status without seeing him work out, via Audacy.com. “And so that’s the issue. Now, we all realize that issue of health, that issue of availability is here every time. Just this one is very obvious and very pointed toward his injury that occurred last year in the Super Bowl. We’ve got a good bead on that. We’ve got a great read on his career. It’s not like a draft pick coming at you. We’ve got a lot of history here and you take a good look on everything — not only the obvious, which is his performance, but also any issue regarding health.”

“We’ve got to come in with our eyes wide open and it has to be addressed and that’s where you see if you can make a deal or not.”

News of Beckham’s return timetable being pushed to January would further point to the eight-year veteran considering a punt on the 2022 season and making a free agency push for 2023. A thin wideout market is expected to take shape, barring cap casualties. While OBJ would still carry injury concerns, teams flush with cap space would undoubtedly be interested. Though, losing an age-30 season would be a damaging blow.

Cowboys CB Anthony Brown Suffers Torn Achilles

December 5th, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys lost a starter in their secondary during last night’s blowout win over the Colts. Cornerback Anthony Brown exited the game in the third quarter, and his injury has been diagnosed as a torn Achilles.

The news confirms that Brown’s season is over, and marks a significant blow to Dallas’ defense. The 28-year-old had started every game this season, logging a snap share of 90%. His production – 44 tackles, seven pass deflections and a sub-55% completion percentage allowed – will be difficult to replace, especially given the season-ending foot injury suffered by slot corner Jourdan Lewis earlier this season.

Brown, a sixth-rounder in 2016, had been mostly healthy for five of his previous six NFL campaigns, all spent with the Cowboys. The lone exception was 2019, when a triceps tear ended his season in November. When making the announcement of this latest injury, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expounded on its significance to the team.

“I’m sick for him,” Jones said of Brown, via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams. “He’s had an outstanding career… and he, to me, is what a young player working hard, really having the right stuff, can become who’s not a No. 1 draft pick. I’m sick for him and sick for us.”

With Brown joining Lewis on the shelf for the remainder of the season, Dallas finds itself thin at the cornerback spot for the stretch run. 2021 second-rounder Kelvin Joseph stepped into a starting role after Brown’s injury, and will likely continue to do so moving forward. The Kentucky product was in the headlines this summer for his connection to a deadly shooting in Dallas, but he has since been cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

Joseph has primarily played on special teams to date, making just two starts in 21 career games. If he is able to take on an increased workload now, though, he could help maintain the level of play Dallas has enjoyed so far on the backend of its defense. The unit has allowed 180 yards per game through the air in 2022, the second-best mark in the NFL. Their ability to remain elite in that category will now be tested once again.

Latest On WR Odell Beckham Jr.

December 4th, 2022 at 10:14pm CST by Ely Allen

As we near the end of the free agency tour for veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., some reports are conflicting but, overall, we’re getting a clear picture of what the next few days will hold. After two visits up in the New York area, Beckham will head to the Lone Star State before making a decision, as expected.

A couple of days ago, a report came out claiming a “source familiar with (Beckham’s) plans” said the 30-year-old might be adding visits to his schedule following the three known destinations. That report, from Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, is contradicted by more recent reports concerning the plans for his decision. It was reported this morning that Beckham plans to return home after his visit with the Cowboys to “discuss his future with his family,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Beckham has had two visits already, spending two days with the Giants before heading straight up to Buffalo. Beckham is expected to head to Dallas on Monday. He’ll meet with the team during the day before being accompanied to the Dallas Mavericks game against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. After his night at the basketball game, Beckham is scheduled to meet with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and the team’s leadership group on Tuesday.

Rapoport’s report on the matter divulges that Beckham intends to make his decision by the middle of the week after the discussion with his family. That leaves a tight window after his reported itinerary with the Cowboys, provided by Machota, but doesn’t necessarily conflict with it. If that’s the plan, it means Beckham will likely head home on Tuesday after meeting with Prescott and the Cowboys. If mid-week is considered Tuesday to Thursday, that gives Beckham the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday to have his discussions before announcing Thursday at the latest.

Right now, the Cowboys are the reported favorite to land the recovering receiver. It still is not entirely clear what Beckham’s recovery timeline will be, which has been a main focus in his visits so far. Each candidate only has five regular season games remaining on the schedule, but Beckham made a point of choosing suitors who would continue playing when the regular season is over. There’s still a hope that we will see Beckham arrive just in time to make a run in the postseason, much like he did with the Rams last year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/22

December 3rd, 2022 at 7:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the league’s minor transactions leading into the Sunday-slate of Week 13 games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Cowboys WR James Washington Back At Practice; Tyron Smith Nearing Return

December 2nd, 2022 at 10:43am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 2: McCarthy confirmed the Cowboys’ Smith timeline Friday, indicating the team is hopeful the 12th-year blocker can return to practice next week, The Athletic’s Jon Machota tweets. Smith, 32, suffered the injury August 24. Should Smith show sufficient form in practice, the Cowboys are expected to reinstall him at his left tackle post.

NOVEMBER 30: Two key Cowboys IR moves could commence soon. Wide receiver James Washington returned to practice Wednesday, starting his 21-day activation clock. Tyron Smith‘s DFR transaction does not appear far off.

Mike McCarthy said Smith is close but not yet ready to practice, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. But the Cowboys are eyeing Week 14 for Smith’s return to work, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds. Smith has been out since late August because of a torn hamstring that required surgery.

Smith being designated for return next week would mandate a regular-season activation, as teams have 21 days from the DFR transaction to move a player back onto the 53-man roster. Only one team, the Steelers, has thus far let a player’s IR-return clock expire without an activation this season. But the Cowboys have consistently eyed a late-season Smith return.

[RELATED: PFR Week 13 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

There will be no position drama when Smith is ready to come back. Jerry Jones put a stop to that recently, indicating during a 105.3 The Fan interview (via Archer, on Twitter) Tyler Smith would move back to guard once Tyron Smith was ready to play. Tyron Smith has been Dallas’ primary left tackle for 11 years. Despite frequent injury trouble, the former first-round pick — an All-Decade performer — has been one of the best in the game when available.

Tyron’s return would inject more optimism into this Cowboys operation, which has been the most promising Dallas squad since 2016. The team can slide Tyler Smith to left guard, and Jones does not anticipate any trouble for the first-round rookie in moving inside. Tyler Smith, however, was not running away with the guard competition against Connor McGovern during their training camp battle. Tyron Smith’s injury changed the team’s plans, and the Tulsa product has started every game back at his college position with Dallas.

The Cowboys have considerable insurance at left tackle, with Jason Peters also in the fold. Peters has since moved to guard but has not seen too much action in his age-40 season. He has been used as a sub and has gone through some games without seeing any time. Mostly recently, Peters did play 20 snaps against the Vikings. McGovern has been the Cowboys’ primary left guard starter. Still, Peters and Tyron Smith have a combined 17 Pro Bowls on their resume. Adding in Zack Martin‘s seven, the Cowboys have one of the most accomplished O-line contingents in modern NFL history. Tyron Smith’s return represents the final piece to the puzzle.

Circling back to Washington, he has missed the season because of a Jones fracture. The training camp foot injury forced Dallas to deploy an inexperienced set of CeeDee Lamb receiver complements early this season, but the team might have a veteran-laden group when Washington returns. The Cowboys have seen Michael Gallup begin to show his pre-injury form, and they are the frontrunners to sign Odell Beckham Jr. The high-profile free agent is set to visit Monday.

Signed to one-year deal worth the league minimum, Washington is no stranger to seeing his role reduced. The Steelers moved Chase Claypool ahead of him previously and did not re-sign him in free agency. Washington has not cleared 400 receiving yards in a season since 2019, when he worked mostly with college teammate Mason Rudolph. Given the Cowboys’ receiver situation and Washington’s injury hiatus, he likely will go a third straight season without 400 yards. But the fifth-year veteran could still be a valuable backup for Dallas.

Odell Beckham Jr. Not Planning To Work Out For Giants, Bills, Cowboys

December 1st, 2022 at 11:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Months in the making, Odell Beckham Jr.‘s free agency tour will begin Thursday with a Giants visit. Friday, Beckham will depart for Buffalo, with perhaps his most pivotal meeting — with Dallas, which is viewed as the favorite — set for Monday.

These visits will not involve any Beckham workouts, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, who notes the eight-year veteran wide receiver is not planning to audition for any of the three teams he will visit. While marquee free agents visiting teams and not working out is nothing new, Beckham’s plan will place a greater emphasis on the interested teams’ medical evaluations.

Giants doctors will examine Beckham, who has twice torn his left ACL since October 2020, and this routine will surely continue in Buffalo and Dallas over the next few days. The Giants’ medical evaluation will include an MRI, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Some skepticism regarding Beckham’s capabilities has emerged around the league recently, but the standout pass catcher is believed to have been cleared for work in November. Early December once resided on the latter end of OBJ’s projected return timetable, but his Rams contributions have still convinced teams to wait late into this season.

Beckham, 30, will meet with new Giants power brokers Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, along with staffers who were with the Giants during his five-season New York stay, and reconnect with John Mara. More serious discussions will be expected to commence Friday, Schwartz adds.

The Giants gave Beckham a five-year, $90MM extension just before the 2018 season began, and while that year did include a bounce back from a lost 2017 season, OBJ’s 1,052-yard campaign also happened during a season in which he criticized Eli Manning in a TV interview. The then-Dave Gettleman-led Giants regime traded Beckham to the Browns in March 2019. Among the players exchanged in that deal, only Dexter Lawrence remains with one of those teams.

As for Beckham’s fit with the Schoen-Daboll Giants, he would slide in as a potentially lethal X-factor — depending on his readiness and grasp of Daboll’s system — and help a Giants team that has seen its receiver plan change drastically from September. Ex-Beckham teammate Sterling Shepard is out for the season; so is second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson. Kadarius Toney is now in Kansas City, and Kenny Golladay‘s $18MM-per-year pact has produced next to nothing. Months-long trade candidate Darius Slayton, who was drafted a month after the OBJ trade, is now Daniel Jones‘ No. 1 target.

Jones and Beckham never played together, but if OBJ returns to the Big Apple, he would be a critical aid to the fourth-year quarterback and the team’s quest to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. That season marks Beckham’s most recent Pro Bowl year. Despite injuries and a poor Cleveland fit, he has remained on the star tier. Teams’ offers during this unique free agency derby will be telling. Beckham is believed to be seeking a multiyear commitment.

Cowboys To Waive DE Tarell Basham

November 29th, 2022 at 3:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys dangled Tarell Basham in trades before the deadline, despite the veteran pass rusher being on IR at the time. No takers emerged. Nearly a month later, Dallas will still move on.

Dallas is waiving Basham on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Basham is attached to a two-year, $5.5MM deal agreed to in 2021. Less than $700K remains on that deal, potentially opening the door to a claim. Mike McCarthy said this transaction came about because of a roster crunch, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets, with the team needing to clear space for Tyron Smith and James Washington eventually.

Although the Cowboys used one of their injury activations on Basham this season, he has not seen much action since returning. Basham played eight defensive snaps against the Packers in Week 10; he has not been active for any other game since the Cowboys moved him off IR. The Cowboys have assembled a deep pass-rushing contingent, leaving less work available for Basham, who collected seven sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons.

This move follows the Cowboys’ decision to cut defensive tackle Trysten Hill shortly after the trade deadline. The team shopped both Basham and Hill during the season. The Cardinals claimed Hill’s rookie deal; Basham being tied to veteran money complicates his status to some degree.

A third-round pick in Chris Ballard‘s first Colts draft, Basham did not last too long in Indianapolis. The Colts moved on in 2018, but the Jets came in with a waiver claim in October 2018. Basham spent the next three seasons in New York. He created a bit of a market for himself in his 2020 contract year, forcing three fumbles and tallying 3.5 sacks. The Cowboys added him to new DC Dan Quinn‘s stable up front and used him as a six-game starter in 2021, when both DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory missed time due to injury.

This year, however, the Cowboys bought in bulk up front. Gregory’s 11th-hour decision to spurn the Cowboys led the team to re-sign Dorance Armstrong, add Dante Fowler in free agency and draft Sam Williams in Round 2. With Lawrence going through a much healthier season, Dallas did not have much room for Basham. The sixth-year defender spent much of his season on IR after a Week 1 quadriceps injury but is healthy now.

Cowboys Still ‘Full Steam Ahead’ On OBJ

November 28th, 2022 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. being removed from a flight Sunday will not impact the Cowboys’ pursuit of the free agent wide receiver. Confirming the team’s intentions to go through with its planned visit, Mike McCarthy said Monday the team is “full steam ahead” with regards to OBJ.

The Giants are bringing in Beckham for a two-day visit beginning Thursday, but Big Blue’s slot on the meeting itinerary has not affected the league’s expectations. The Cowboys, who will host Beckham on Dec. 5, are viewed as the favorites. An executive for a team linked to Beckham said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, on Twitter) he sees the Cowboys as 2-1 favorites to land the former Pro Bowler.

Buffalo is still involved as well, and Von Miller has been pushing for a reunion for several months. The team has lost Jamison Crowder to a fractured ankle, and a Beckham-Stefon Diggs–Gabe Davis–Isaiah McKenzie receiver quartet would be quite formidable. The Bills are expected to meet with Beckham this weekend, Miller revealed during his recent podcast (h/t ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg on Twitter). The Chiefs and the Ravens are believed to still be in the mix; so were the 49ers, as of mid-November. but no known visits are scheduled beyond the aforementioned trio.

In on Beckham for weeks now, the Cowboys have already begun discussions with the eight-year veteran. Jerry Jones spoke with him on Thanksgiving Day. Beckham is not planning to drag out his decision much longer, with Hill adding he is expected to pick a team soon after his Dallas trek.

Beckham, 30, would represent a gamble by a Cowboys team that gave $23MM guaranteed to a receiver (Michael Gallup) coming off an ACL tear. Beckham also bombed, fit-wise, with the Browns. Of course, he regenerated his market by helping the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. The Cowboys will have less time to integrate Beckham compared to the Rams, who signed a healthy version of the wide receiver in early November last year.

Judging by the relentless courting Cowboys players have done, the team is unconcerned about OBJ’s fit in McCarthy and Kellen Moore‘s offense. Some around the league are curious as to how capable Beckham (two ACL tears since November 2020) will be of contributing to a Super Bowl contender, despite an early-November report indicating the wideout was expected to be cleared midway through this month. And it will be interesting to see if a team comes close to the now-well-traveled pass catcher’s Chris Godwin– or Mike Williams-level asking price. Answers to these questions finally appear imminent.

Latest On Odell Beckham Jr.

November 27th, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 27: As reported previously, the first stop on Beckham’s 2022 free agent tour will be the Giants, who will host their former first-rounder on December 1 and 2 (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). OBJ will meet with the Cowboys on December 5. Rapoport confirms that Beckham will meet with the Bills as well, though it’s unclear if his Buffalo summit will come before or after his trek to Dallas.

NOVEMBER 25: There continues to be tremendous interest in free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as he plays the field to determine his new home. While many teams have been mentioned as suitors for Beckham’s talents, the progress of his recovery from two knee surgeries in as many years is still a main cause for concern with most teams, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN.

Darlington goes on to quote “more than one decision maker” from around the league saying that “the assumption that Odell will be healthy enough to make an impact…has been largely overstated.” Beckham is not only having to come back from the ACL injury that ended his 2021 season, and its resultant surgery, but also a second surgery on his knee that was intended to help repair issues from the first surgery. There has been a concerning lack of reporting in regard to the progress of Beckham’s recovery, which is certainly a reasonable respect towards Beckham’s privacy concerning his health, but without any information, it becomes incredibly difficult to speculate on the outcome of Beckham’s free agency and his eventual impact on a team, old or new.

Regardless, Beckham continues to shop for a new home. Our most recent reports have divulged plans to visit the Giants then Cowboys, both considered to be the top-two contenders for Beckham’s services. It appears that Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones had no intentions of saving his recruiting for Beckham’s in-person visit, though, as the two parties made official contact yesterday, the same day as the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day win over New York, according to Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Jones reportedly reached out to Beckham on the phone, telling reporters that he “had a good visit” and that an official in-person visit is being set up, though nothing specific has been scheduled as of yet. On what Beckham could bring to the Cowboys at receiver, Jones said, “I think Odell stands on his own as far as being able to be additive…Odell could help us. I believe that right now.”

Jones did echo the sentiments of Darlington above, though, telling the media that he “doesn’t know anything about Beckham’s health and rehab.” Not only did he stress the importance of Beckham’s health, but he also emphasized that the price has to be right. “Availability is huge,” Jones commented. “But the financial part of it is really huge, too.”

From here, it is believed that Beckham will visit his former team in New York and potentially the Bills, as well, before an in-person visit with the Cowboys. He also reportedly remains in contact with the Chiefs and Ravens as many playoff-hopeful teams look to add a strong receiver for a playoff push, provided Beckham’s readiness to return and contribute has not been overstated.

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