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Darius Jackson

Cowboys Announce Roster Cuts

September 1st, 2018 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In addition to releasing veteran kicker Dan Bailey, the Cowboys have made several other moves in order to move their roster to 53 players:

Cut:

Green, a former third-round pick, has struggled mightily in his effort to become Dallas’ third offensive tackle. Ward, for his part, was acquired in exchange for wide receiver Ryan Switzer earlier this year.

Cowboys To Sign RB Darius Jackson

May 30th, 2018 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Darius Jackson is back in Dallas. On Wednesday, the Cowboys agreed to terms with their former sixth-round pick, according to Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram. 

Jackson did not see the field with the Cowboys in 2016 as he was buried behind the likes of Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. In December, the team cut him to make room for Darren McFadden, who was returning from injury. The Cowboys were hoping to sneak him on to the practice squad, but the Browns claimed him, utilizing their top waiver priority to beat out the Eagles, Giants, and 49ers. Clearly, word had gotten out about Jackson’s impressive performance on the practice field.

Unfortunately, a knee injury cost Jackson all of 2017, which halted his momentum. He’ll now look to compete with Rod Smith, Trey Williams, and seventh-round pick Bo Scarbrough for a backup spot behind Elliott.

Jackson put himself on the NFL map in his senior year at Eastern Michigan. After spending his first three years as a part-time player, Jackson ran for 1,088 yards off of 208 carries, giving him an eye-popping 5.2 yards per carry average. He also had 14 rushing touchdowns plus 21 catches for 201 yards and two scores.

Cowboys Working Out Darius Jackson

May 29th, 2018 at 12:15pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Despite reportedly planning on using the recently acquired Tavon Austin as a running back, and drafting Bo Scarbrough in the seventh round last month, the Cowboys are apparently considering signing another running back. They’re working out Darius Jackson, who was recently waived by the Browns (Twitter link via ESPN’s Todd Archer).

The Cowboys are quite familiar with Jackson, having taken him in the sixth-round back in 2016. Jackson made the 53-man roster his rookie season but was waived in December of that year to make room for Darren McFadden, who was returning from injury. Jackson was then claimed by the Browns where he spent the rest of the season. He missed all of 2017 with a knee injury.

Despite being on the active roster at various points for both the Cowboys and Browns, Jackson has never gotten a regular season carry. Before he was drafted, he was a standout at Eastern Michigan, scoring a school-record 16 touchdowns as a senior. Although the Cowboys already know a lot about him, they’re likely working him out to see how healthy he is and if he’s fully recovered from his knee injury.

With McFadden out of the picture, Rod Smith and Austin figure to soak up most of the playing time behind Ezekiel Elliott. If the Cowboys do decide to sign Jackson, that would leave him, Scarbrough, and journeyman Trey Williams all fighting for likely just one roster spot during training camp. Either way, whoever gets the final running back spot is unlikely to see the field much unless there’s a slew of injuries, as the Cowboys will want Elliott playing the vast majority of snaps. Jackson hasn’t shown much during his time in the league, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him get brought in for camp due to his familiarity with the team.

Browns Waive RB Darius Jackson

May 3rd, 2018 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns announced that they have waived running back Darius Jackson. Linebacker Dominique Alexander has also been let go with a failed physical designation.

Jackson entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2016. In December of that year, he was cut to make room for the return of Darren McFadden and the Browns scooped him up off of waivers. The Browns weren’t the only team with interest – the Eagles, Giants, and 49ers all tried to land Jackson, but lost out to Cleveland due to waiver priority.

The Eastern Michigan product has still yet to see the field in a real NFL game. Last summer, a knee injury ended Jackson’s season before it could start. If he is healthy now, he figures to draw consideration from teams and those aforementioned clubs could get involved.

Alexander, who entered the league as a UDFA out of Oklahoma in 2016, was a special teams player who also lost his 2017 season to a knee injury. Alexander’s role as a linebacker/special teamer will likely be filled by fifth-round pick Genard Avery.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/17

June 1st, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A slew of minor moves to kick off June…

  • The Giants have signed wide receiver Jerome Lane, an undrafted rookie from Akron. He is the son of former Pitt basketball star Jerome Lane, whose backboard-shattering dunk in 1988 led to Bill Raftery’s famous “Send it in, Jerome!” call. The younger Jerome Lane was a standout college athlete in his own right, as he hauled in 101 receptions (on 17.8 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns with the Zips from 2015-16.
  • The Browns have signed running back Terrence Magee and waived fellow RB Darius Jackson with an injury designation for his knee. Magee combined for five carries with Baltimore and Seahawks from 2015-16. Jackson didn’t see any action as an undrafted rookie in 2016, but the former Eastern Michigan standout generated some interest after the Cowboys cut him in December. Along with the Browns, who plucked Jackson off waivers, the Eagles, Giants and 49ers put in claims.
  • The Chiefs have signed a pair of players – tight end Orson Charles and safety Damariay Drew – and waived receiver Jamari Staples and safety Devin Chappell. The 26-year-old Charles is the most notable member of the group, having combined for 31 games and nine catches with Cincinnati and Detroit across the 2012, ’13 and ’16 seasons. Drew went undrafted this year out of Cal, while Staples (Louisville) and Chappell (Oregon State) also went unpicked this spring.
  • The Bills have added cornerback Greg Mabin and cut defensive back Jonathan Dowling. Mabin, undrafted from Iowa, spent some time with the Buccaneers earlier this spring. Dowling, who has been in and out of the Buffalo organization since 2015, hasn’t appeared in a game since 2014, when the then-Raider played in seven contests.
  • The Giants have waived corner SaQwan Edwards and re-signed fellow corner Nigel Tribune, tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Edwards, a 2015 undrafted free agent who hasn’t yet played a regular-season game, only spent two-plus weeks with the Giants after they added him in mid-May. Tribune, undrafted from Iowa State, first signed with Big Blue on May 11.

Four Teams Tried To Claim RB Darius Jackson

December 15th, 2016 at 9:11am CST by Zachary Links

When the Cowboys released Darius Jackson, the league took notice. The Browns, of course, used their top waiver priority to snag the rookie running back, but they weren’t the only team to put a claim in on him. The Eagles, Giants, and 49ers all tried to snag Jackson off waivers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Darius Jackson (vertical)

The Giants have had issues in the backfield all season long and there’s a lot of uncertainty about the position headed into next season. Rashad Jennings was initially brought to New York with the idea that he would be the team’s workhorse in the backfield. Instead, he has struggled to stay on the field thanks to various injuries. There has been talk about Paul Perkins, but he hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunities this year and he hasn’t done much with the few chances given to him. Bobby Rainey has been used as an effective pass-catching weapon and blocker, but he doesn’t have the makings of a No. 1 RB. Shane Vereen recently returned to action, but his status is up in the air after suffering a concussion. All in all, the Giants were curious to see what they could get out of Jackson and they were willing to either cut Rainey or carry five tailbacks to find out. Of course, given their record, the Giants faced long odds of landing Jackson.

While the 9-4 Giants are in line for a playoff spot, the 49ers and Eagles are pretty much playing with an eye on 2017. At 1-12, the Niners are No. 2 in waiver priority behind Cleveland. The Eagles, meanwhile, are no higher than seventh in the queue.

The Niners are currently carrying four running backs in Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris, and Mike Davis. Davis, a 2015 fourth-round pick, may have been expendable given his lack of usage this season. In eight games this year, he has only 19 rushing attempts for 50 yards.

The Eagles are dealing with multiple injuries at running back. Recently, Wendell Smallwood was shut down for the year with a knee injury and Darren Sproles is in concussion protocol. If Sproles is unable to go against Baltimore this week, the team will start Ryan Mathews and use Kenjon Barner and the newly-promoted Byron Marshall in support. With a successful claim, Jackson could have slotted in as the team’s No. 4 RB with the Eagles attempting to sneak Marshall through waivers and back on to the practice squad.

Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch first reported that the Niners put in a waiver claim on Jackson.

NFC Notes: Cards, Rams, Eagles, 49ers, Giants

December 14th, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There were no arguments from any of the Cardinals’ hierarchy regarding the decision to release wide receiver Michael Floyd on Wednesday, owner Michael Bidwill told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “Yes, across the board,” Bidwill said on whether cutting Floyd on the heels of his second DUI arrest was a consensus choice. In summing up Floyd’s nearly five-year tenure with the Cardinals, Bidwill said, “He was a 2012 first-round draft choice for us, a person we thought would eventually take Larry Fitzgerald‘s position and be the No. 1 receiver for the future. Deeply disappointing that we moved on and he didn’t work out as a person we had a lot of faith in.”

More from the NFC:

  • Indications are that the Rams would like to retain general manager Les Snead, but that could depend on whom the team hires as its next head coach, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. Snead is helping chief operating officer Kevin Demoff in the Rams’ search for a successor to the fired Jeff Fisher, though Demoff didn’t give the GM a public vote of confidence Monday. “It would be a mistake right now to say we’re satisfied with where we’re at on a personnel side and to ensure that Les would be back,” declared Demoff. “I think Les would be the first person to stand up here and say the same thing.”
  • Eagles guard Brandon Brooks had a brief hospital stay in late November and has missed two of the team’s past three games because of a stomach illness. It turns out Brooks’ physical issues stem from anxiety, he announced Wednesday (via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “What I mean by anxiety condition is not nervousness or fear of the game,” Brooks explained. “I have an obsession with the game. It’s an unhealthy obsession right now. I’m working with team doctors to get everything straightened out and get the help I need.” Brooks is now taking medication and seeking professional help to curb his anxiety. Fortunately, the 27-year-old doesn’t expect the condition to affect his ability to continue in the NFL. “It’s nothing I’m ashamed of,” said Brooks. “I’ll get the help that I need, and life will go on. I’ll be fine. Career will be fine. I am concerned about it, obviously, but I’m not ‘woe is me’ at this point.”
  • The 49ers put in a waiver claim on running back Darius Jackson, a league source tells Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Unfortunately for the Niners, the Browns had top priority on the waiver wire and nabbed him instead.
  • The Giants worked out running backs Russell Hansbrough, Brandon Brown-Dukes and Julian Howsare on Wednesday, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan. Hansbrough ended up joining their practice squad.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns Claim RB Darius Jackson

December 14th, 2016 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns claimed promising rookie running back Darius Jackson off waivers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys dropped Jackson from the roster yesterday in order to make room for the return of Darren McFadden. Darius Jackson (vertical)

Jackson, a sixth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan, did not see playing time this year as he was buried behind talented backs like Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. The Cowboys were likely hoping to sneak Jackson through waivers this week and sign him to the practice squad, but word has been out on Jackson for some time now. If Jackson has been as solid in practice as coaches have been saying, then the Cowboys could come to really regret losing him.

Jackson stayed all four years at Eastern Michigan and seized a starring role in his senior year. In 2015, the 6’0″, 221-pound tailback rushed for 1,088 yards off of 208 carries with 14 touchdowns. He also added 21 catches for 201 yards and two scores.

Cowboys Sign Ezekiel Elliott

May 18th, 2016 at 1:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have formally signed their presumptive running back of the future. The team announced today that No. 4 overall pick Ezekiel Elliott has put pen to paper. Ezekiel Elliott

In the weeks leading up to the draft, the Cowboys were heavily connected to both Elliott and FSU defensive back Jalen Ramsey with their top pick. Ultimately, Jerry Jones’ fondness for the Ohio State product won out, giving the Cowboys a well-rounded tailback to join veterans Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris. Elliott will receive a four-year deal worth nearly $25MM in accordance with his draft slot.

That deal comes with a healthy $16.3MM signing bonus and a cap number of $4.5MM that escalates all the way to $7.94MM in the fourth and final year. Of course, as a first-round selection, the Cowboys will reserve the right to retain Elliott for an additional year via his fifth-year option.

In addition to Elliott, the Cowboys have also inked sixth-round picks Darius Jackson, Anthony Brown, and Kavon Frazier.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Draft Updates: Ravens, Lynch, Texans

April 19th, 2016 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The final visit for Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch will take place in Baltimore, according to agent Leigh Steinberg, who tweets that Lynch will meet with the Ravens on Wednesday. Holding the No. 6 overall pick, the Ravens seem like an improbable first-round suitor for Lynch, so perhaps the team is just doing its due diligence in case it trades down in the first round or Lynch slips to round two.

Here are more draft updates from out of the AFC:

  • The Texans hosted Louisiana Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel for a visit this week, and are also hosting Eastern Michigan running back Darius Jackson today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Houston fortified its offensive backfield by signing Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller in free agency, but could still be eyeing additional depth.
  • We heard yesterday that Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller had a Monday visit with the Jets and a Wednesday visit in Carolina this week. Aaron Wilson fills in the gap in Fuller’s schedule, tweeting that the young corner is meeting today with the Titans.
  • The schedule for Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah includes a pre-draft visit with the Chargers this Wednesday, writes Aaron Wilson in a piece for the Chronicle. Wilson reported yesterday that Ogbah was also visiting Carolina and Atlanta this week, though he doesn’t include the Panthers in his list of Ogbah’s visits in his latest piece.
  • Texas A&M cornerback Brandon Williams has been busy during the pre-draft visit, making five visits and taking part in 14 private workouts, according to Aaron Wilson, who tweets that Williams is meeting with the Steelers today. Utah running back Devontae Booker and Michigan safety Jarrod Wilson are also in Pittsburgh to visit the Steelers, Wilson adds (via Twitter).
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