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David Irving

NFL Evaluating David Irving, Could Suspend Him Again

February 26th, 2019 at 5:39pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys are apparently willing to let defensive tackle David Irving hit free agency, and there are a number of reasons for that, as we explored earlier this month. Today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported that the league is evaluating Irving and could hit him with a suspension, which could be another reason why Dallas is content to let Irving walk.

Irving was suspended for the first four games of the 2017 campaign for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, and he missed the last four games of that season due to a concussion. In between, though, he was terrific, as he registered seven sacks in eight games and earned a second-round RFA tender last offseason.

Things went south for Irving after that, though, as he was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Between the suspension, injury, and personal matters, he played in only two games last season, which did not make for an ideal platform year.

Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News confirms (via Twitter) that the Cowboys were not expected to re-sign Irving anyway. The 25-year-old, who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2015, will doubtlessly get another shot in the league, but he will first have to concentrate on avoiding or limiting a third suspension.

That potential suspension, though, may not be related to PEDs or recreational drugs. Per Calvin Watkins of The Athletic, Irving’s ex-girlfriend, Angela Sanchez, has spoken with NFL senior vice president of investigations, Lisa Friel, about numerous alleged domestic violence incidents. We learned back in April that Sanchez accused Irving of domestic violence, but the police investigation into those allegations was closed because Sanchez recanted her claims.

Sanchez and Irving have a daughter together, and Irving has sole custody of her. However, Sanchez claims Irving has denied her court-ordered visitation, and that she has not seen her daughter since December 6. That is why, after rebuffing Friel’s attempts to speak with her in the past, Sanchez is willing to open up now. One of Watkins’ sources says that Friel has spoken with both Irving and Sanchez, and that both parties have credibility issues.

Irving’s recent Instagram post is not likely to help his cause. In the post, he wrote, “I’m in the NFl [sic] because I’m great at what I do. I’m not in the NFL because I’m an Eagle Scout , or the perfect model citizen. I didn’t put on a mask or kiss ass to be where I am. Im here on natural ability . This is God’s plan. Not mine. Trust me , I’m adjusting to it as well. Once I step on the field and stop performing , THEN we have a problem .. . So does anyone have anything to say about my play?”

It’s been a tough day for Cowboys pass rushers, as we learned earlier this afternoon that Randy Gregory has been suspended indefinitely.

Cowboys To Let David Irving Walk?

February 18th, 2019 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are planning to let David Irving hit free agency. The mercurial defensive tackle who played in just two games last season, after registering seven sacks in an eight-game 2017, will be allowed to walk, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Although the Cowboys currently hold nearly $50MM in cap space, they have much higher priorities than retaining an often unavailable defensive tackle. Beyond another franchise tag situation with DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas has complex contract math upcoming. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Byron Jones and Jaylon Smith are extension-eligible.

Additionally, the Cowboys were not pleased with how Irving handled his high ankle sprain last season, Moore adds, noting the talented interior defender only occasionally appeared at the team facility for rehab after receiving a second opinion on his injury.

Irving began a second straight season with a drug suspension, after missing time in training camp to deal with a custody battle over his daughter. Personal issues extended into the season for Irving as well.

While it won’t be hard to imagine another team taking a chance on the 25-year-old talent, the Cowboys do not appear ready to make an effort to prevent that from happening.

David Irving Away From Cowboys Due To Personal Issue

November 27th, 2018 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Cowboys are looking like the team to beat in the NFC East, David Irving‘s contract year has not gone well. The defensive lineman has only played in two games and is now away from his team again.

Dealing with a high ankle sprain, Irving hasn’t been at Cowboys practice or any recent team meetings, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News notes, adding that the free agent-to-be is dealing with personal issues as well.

Irving was suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse, missing the Cowboys’ first four games, and was entangled in a custody battle for his daughter this year. While Irving won that battle, he did not report to training camp on time and was evicted from his Dallas home, George adds.

Jason Garrett excused the talented interior pass rusher from the team to deal with personal issues, but the team’s view of the latest Irving absence isn’t known. Irving won’t play Thursday against the Saints, but George adds the Cowboys are hopeful he will be back at some point next month.

The Cowboys kept Irving via second-round RFA tender ($2.91MM) but have an interesting offseason ahead, with Dak Prescott becoming extension-eligible and 2015 first-rounders Amari Cooper and Byron Jones entering fifth-year option seasons. Irving won’t be a top priority, but he may need to return to the field soon to make an effort to re-establish his value.

He registered seven sacks in eight games last season, thriving as a defensive tackle in Dallas’ 4-3 scheme.

Cowboys’ David Irving Suffers Injury

November 2nd, 2018 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving says he will not play Monday night due to a high ankle sprain (Twitter link via Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram). He added that the injury could sideline him for up to four weeks. 

Irving went down in practice on Thursday and tests confirmed that he’ll need a substantial amount of time to heal. It’s a frustrating development for the 25-year-old, who already missed the first four games while serving a suspension and a fifth game while addressing personal issues. So far this year, Irving has only suited up for games against the Jaguars and Redskins, and he could be looking at a half-season of activity when all is said and done.

Of course, this is a key year for Irving as he is slated to hit unrestricted free agency after the season. Last year, after being moved to defensive tackle full-time, Irving showed his potential by finishing with a career-high seven sacks.

So far, Irving has four total tackles on the year including one sack which he recorded in the third quarter against Washington on Oct. 21.

Latest On Cowboys’ David Irving

October 11th, 2018 at 10:23am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving has yet to suit up for the Cowboys this season and an ongoing issue could prevent him from contributing to the club going forward, as Brandon George and David Moore of the Dallas Morning News write. Irving is entangled in a custody battle for his daughter and was recently served with a restraining order from the mother of his child.

Irving was served with the temporary restraining order in early October. He did not take kindly to it, and reacted angrily towards the female processor. The defensive tackle yelled at the woman, waived the paperwork in her face, and may have made contact with the processor using the documents. Authorities are investigating the incident and may charge him with “offensive touching,” a misdemeanor.

Irving’s ex-girlfriend Angela Sanchez is seeking full custody of their child and wants the ability to take her daughter back to her home in California. That doesn’t sit well with Irving, and perhaps doesn’t bode well for his ongoing efforts to remain sober. Irving’s marijuana use landed him a four-game suspension to start the season, but he has not been consistently practicing with the team since being reinstated. His Cowboys teammates are understanding, but are also eager to see him rejoin the club.

“He’s got to show up,” defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford said. “He’s got to show up to practice to play. He knows that. We know that. It’s obvious you have to know what we’re doing during the week. I feel like when he comes in he’ll get everything he needs to know to get out there on Sunday. “The issues that are going on with David are things that have to be handled, and that’s what he’s doing. He’s handling that. I don’t fault the man for handling what he has to handle as a man.”

Luckily for Crawford and the Cowboys, it sounds like things are trending in the right direction. Irving reported to the team on Thursday and coach Jason Garrett expects him to practice (Twitter link via Clarance Hill of the Star Telegram). If all goes well, it’s possible that Irving will rejoin the Cowboys for their Sunday showdown with the Jaguars.

Cowboys DL David Irving To Miss Week 5

October 6th, 2018 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys moved David Irving onto their active roster earlier on Saturday and placed Travis Frederick on IR to do so. However, they will not have the defensive lineman at their disposal on Sunday night.

Irving did not make the trip with the Cowboys to Houston and will miss his would-be 2018 debut, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News reports (on Twitter).

Both Jerry and Stephen Jones said this week they expected Irving to suit up against the Texans, but Stephen Jones said the young defender was dealing with “some personal issues” (Twitter link via Machota). Irving missed the Cowboys’ first four games because of a substance-abuse suspension. The Cowboys excused him from practice on Thursday.

This situation has more to do with Irving’s family, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). The Cowboys are sticking by their third-year contributor, viewing this as “out of Irving’s control,” Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.

This is a key year for Irving. He stands to be an unrestricted free agent after the season. He was given a second-round RFA tender ($2.914MM) after a strong eight-game showing in 2017. Moved to defensive tackle full-time, Irving finished with a career-high seven sacks last season. He has not played in a game since November 2017.

Cowboys To Place C Travis Frederick On IR

October 6th, 2018 at 11:34am CST by Ben Levine

Travis Frederick is indeed heading to the IR to make room for defensive lineman David Irving. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports (via Twitter) that the team is placing their center on the injured reserve. The team will activate Irving to take the open roster spot. We heard yesterday that this was the expected move, although a final decision hadn’t been made at that point.

Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome before the start of the season, and we heard about a month ago that the offensive lineman was still experiencing numbness in both of his arms. The team didn’t immediately place Frederick on the injured reserve with the hope that he’d return before Week 8. Now, the lineman will be eligible to return for the final three games of the regular season, although he’d have to be cleared by a doctor.

The 27-year-old had started 80 straight games for the Cowboys heading into the season. He had another productive season in 2017, as Pro Football Focus ranked him third among eligible centers. The four-time Pro Bowler inked a six-year, $56.4MM extension with the organization back in 2016. Joe Looney will continue to get reps at center for the time being.

Irving was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The defensive tackle ended up skipping training camp as he dealt with personal issues, and he participated in his first padded practice in almost a year on Wednesday. The former undrafted free agent out of Iowa State was excused from practice on Thursday, although owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he expects Irving to play this weekend.

The defensive tackle’s talent is undeniable, as he compiled seven sacks in eight games last season. However, considering how long he’s been out of the lineup, it’s unlikely he immediately replaces Antwaun Woods or Tyrone Crawford in the starting lineup.

Extra Points: Garoppolo, 49ers, Bryant, Irving, Cowboys, Johnson, Eagles

October 5th, 2018 at 9:31pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There were high hopes for the 49ers in 2018, hopes that were mostly dashed when Jimmy Garoppolo was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The team has insisted they have confidence in backup C.J. Beathard, but the new-look 49ers will almost certainly have to wait until next year to make a serious run at a playoff spot. The good news is that Garoppolo recently underwent surgery, and everything seems to have gone very well.

San Francisco’s GM John Lynch said he spoke to the doctor who performed Garoppolo’s surgery, and that he got a “great report” from the surgeon according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. Lynch added that doctors are “very optimistic about the prognosis for his future.” Separately, Branch notes that coach Kyle Shanahan said the team is hoping Garoppolo will be able to participate in OTAs in some capacity. It sounds like Garoppolo is expected to make a quick recovery and be 100% well before the start of the 2019 season, which is music to the ears of 49ers fans.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Earlier today, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made clear the team wouldn’t be bringing back Dez Bryant despite the receiver’s eagerness to return to Dallas. Now his son Stephen Jones, the team’s player personnel boss, has elaborated on why. The younger Jones said it has a lot to do with quarterback Dak Prescott, saying “the last thing unfortunately that Dak needs right now is to continue to change a lot of things up again.” The Cowboys’ receiving corp has been much maligned, but it sounds like it will be staying as is.
  • Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving is coming back from suspension this week. It’s a huge boost to Dallas’ defense, but to make room for him on the roster they’ll have to make a tough decision. It’s getting close to game day and they still haven’t made the call, so David Moore of Dallas News broke down all their potential options. Jones has said Irving will play, so something will need to be done in the next 36 hours or so.
  • “A federal judge has denied Eagles OT Lane Johnson’s motion to vacate an NFL arbitration award for his 10-game suspension in 2016″ according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (Twitter link). Johnson filed the suit last year, alleging his suspension for PEDs was unwarranted, and that there was bias by the judge in the appeals process.

Ingram, Edelman To Return In Week 5

October 1st, 2018 at 9:05am CST by Zachary Links

As we approach Week 5 of the NFL season, several NFL players are returning from four-game bans. As noted by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), that list includes notables such as Saints running back Mark Ingram, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving, Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget, Colts running back Robert Turbin, Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley, Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith. 

Players do not count against a team’s roster max while suspended, so clubs will have to make room for these players before adding them for Week 5. There will be some tough decisions to make, but the upside is clear in most of these cases, particularly when it comes to offensive weapons like Ingram and Edelman or defensive pillars like Burfict and Irving.

Alvin Kamara should remain the focal point of the Saints’ running game, but the return of Ingram will give opposing defenses something else to think about. And, as we saw in the first three weeks of the Patriots’ season, Edelman has been sorely missed.

Cowboys Notes: Irving, Gregory, Su’a-Filo

September 12th, 2018 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Suspended defensive tackle David Irving is back in the Cowboys’ facility, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Irving was banned four games under the NFL’s substance abuse policy, so he’s allowed to be with the club for workouts and meetings, but not practices. Conversely, Irving wasn’t granted any access with Dallas when he was suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy in 2017. After posting seven sacks in only eight games last season, Irving wasn’t present for Cowboys training camp as he dealt with personal issues. He’s scheduled to return to the field in Week 5 when the Cowboys face the Texans on the road.

Here’s more from Dallas:

  • Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pushed back on recent reports that defensive end Randy Gregory could be facing yet another substance abuse suspension, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “I don’t think these reports have any substance at all, if you really want to know the truth about it,” Jones said Tuesday. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that Gregory had suffered a relapse in August and could be banned from the league again, but the NFL has yet to make any formal announcement to that effect. Gregory, of course, has missed 30 of the Cowboys’ past 32 regular season games, including the entire 2017 season, as a result of his violations.
  • Guard Xavier Su’a-Filo‘s deal with the Cowboys is actually a two-year pact and contains a $50K signing bonus, tweets Archer. The fact that Dallas gave Su’a-Filo a multi-year deal could be an indication the club is relatively high on the former second-round pick, and may believe he can factor into its 2019 plans. Su’a-Filo likely received league minimum base salaries, but his contract won’t be classified as a minimum salary benefit deal given that it covers multiple years. Now 27 years old, Su’a-Filo gives the Cowboys a bit of interior offensive line depth as they wait for center Travis Frederick to return.
  • Speaking of Frederick, he reportedly continues to experience numbness in both arms as he deals with the effects of Guillain Barre syndrome, and it’s unclear when he’ll be able to get back on the field.
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