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David Irving

David Irving Won’t Lose Free Agent Status

August 7th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In a case similar to that of Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving will not see his 2019 free agent status affected by his absence from training camp, a source tells Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.

Irving needed to report to Dallas’ camp 30 days prior to the start of the regular season in order to preserve his unrestricted free agent status next offseason. But because Irving, who is skipping camp to work on personal issues, has an agreement in place with the Cowboys, his contract will not toll, meaning he can hit the open market in the spring.

A former undrafted free agent, Irving hit restricted free agency this past offseason, and ultimately re-signed with the Cowboys on a second-round tender, which will pay him $2.9MM for the 2018 campaign. He’ll only earn a prorated portion of that total, however, as he’s suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

In 2017, Irving served another suspension (eight games for performance-enhancing drugs), but was effective in his half-season of play. In 338 defensive snaps, Irving managed seven sacks and graded as the league’s No. 23 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.

NFC East Notes: Irving, Redskins, Eagles

July 25th, 2018 at 1:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving was not present for the start of the Cowboys’ training camp on Tuesday, sources tell Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram. Irving has been excused from team activities to address ongoing personal issues, according to those sources.

Irving, of course, has been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It’s not immediately clear whether Irving’s absence is tied to any substance issues and, if so, whether those issues would affect his availability for Week 5.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • A freak accident will sideline Redskins cornerback Joshua Holsey for the start of training camp and could potentially impact his availability for the start of the season, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). A table fell on Holsey’s foot, sources say, and he will be forced to go on the PUP or NFI list for at least the beginning of camp. Holsey, a seventh-round pick of Washington last year, appeared in 12 games as a rookie.
  • Kamar Aiken‘s deal with the Eagles is for one year and worth the veteran’s minimum, according to Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com (on Twitter). The wide receiver didn’t do a whole lot with the Colts last year, but he showed serious potential as arookie in 2015 when he nearly eclipsed 1,000 yards for the Ravens.
  • New Giants cornerback Sam Beal is out for the 2018 season.

David Irving Won’t Face Additional Discipline

July 24th, 2018 at 5:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving will be suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but the Dallas lineman won’t face any other discipline for domestic violence allegations after his alleged victim recanted her allegations, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

In April, an ex-girlfriend of Irving claimed the Cowboys defender assaulted and choked her, but later recanted her allegations. Police closed their investigation into Irving in May and no charges were ever filed, but the NFL has the authority to suspend players if even they aren’t facing legal discipline. The league presumably carried out their own investigation and opted not to pursue a ban against Irving.

Irving has been no stranger to off-field trouble during his career, as he was suspended in 2017 after violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. After serving that ban, Irving posted seven sacks in eight games and re-signed with Dallas on a one-year, $2.9MM restricted free agent tender.

Cowboys’ David Irving Suspended By NFL

June 15th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving is being suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 

Unfortunately, this isn’t Irving’s first time running afoul of league rules. Last June, he was hit with a four game suspension for a PED violation.

Irving will miss the team’s first four games of the year against the Panthers, Giants, Seahawks, and Lions. He’ll be eligible to return for the club’s Week 5 contest against the Texans.

The Cowboys could be at a serious disadvantage to start the year between Irving’s four-game ban and the foot injury plaguing defensive tackle Maliek Collins. The Cowboys did not draft a defensive tackle this year, so they’ll use some combination of Brian Price, Richard Ash, Jihad Ward, and Datone Jones to fill the void.

The suspension may affect Irving’s bank account on multiple levels. For starters, he’ll lose out on four game checks from his a one-year, $2.9MM restricted tender. The four-game suspension – his second in two years – may also hurt his stock as he approaches unrestricted free agency.

Irving emerged as a playmaker in limited action in 2016 by logging four sacks and four forced fumbles. His 2017 season was cut short due to a concussion and a four-game suspension at the season’s outset, but he still managed seven sacks in eight games. That was good for the second-highest total on the team, trailing only Demarcus Lawrence.

On paper, the Cowboys boast one of the better defensive line units in the NFL, but suspensions and injuries have put everything in flux. The Cowboys are still waiting to hear about the status of former second-round pick Randy Gregory, who formally applied for reinstatement earlier this month.

Police Close Case Against David Irving

May 10th, 2018 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

Police have closed their investigation against Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). A former girlfriend of Irving hacked his Twitter account in April and accused him of domestic violence, but he has since recanted her claims. 

Initially, Cops probed Irving on allegations of assault causing bodily injury to a family member; assault against a family member while impeding breath/circulation, and unlawful restraint. The charge of impeding one’s breath/circulation (which, effectively, means choking someone) is a felony.

While Irving will not be charged in relation to this case, the NFL may conduct its own investigation into what transpired. If the league finds that the allegations had merit – despite the findings of police – he could still be subject to a suspension or fine down the road.

This offseason, Irving was retained via a one-year, $2.9MM restricted tender. After the 2018 season, he’ll be on course for unrestricted free agency.

Irving emerged as a playmaker in limited action in 2016 by logging four sacks and four forced fumbles. His 2017 season was cut short due to a concussion and a four-game suspension at the season’s outset, but he still managed seven sacks in eight games. That was good for the second-highest total on the team, trailing only Demarcus Lawrence.

NFC Notes: Meredith, Janikowski, Cowboys, Griffen

April 24th, 2018 at 8:05pm CST by Ryan Posner

Newly-signed Saints wide receiver Cameron Meredith may be able to partially participate in the team’s minicamp, Sean Payton said to Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate.

The Saints signed Meridith to a two-year offer sheet worth $9.6 MM ($5.4MM in guarantees) earlier this month after spending the first three seasons of his career with the Bears. The 25-year-old former undrafted free agent missed the entire 2017 regular season due to a torn ACL. There were indications that his knee injury might take longer to heal than expected, which played into the Bears’ decision to not match the Saints’ offer sheet.

Saints coach Sean Payton seemed content with the team’s decision to pick up Meridith and his rehab from the injury.

“We feel like he’s a guy that’s on pace with his rehab, we feel comfortable with the diagnosis,” Payton said, via Erickson. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see him getting some work in our minicamp, based on our report.”

Meridith was set to enter the 2017 season as a starter in the Bears’ receiving corps. He’s currently projected to serve as the Saints’ No. 3 wideout behind Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr [via Roster Resource].

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Sebastian Janikowski‘s one-year contract with the Seahawks is for one year and $2.015MM, according to a source who spoke with Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal includes a $1.015MM base salary, a $600K signing bonus, a $100K bonus if he’s on the 53-man roster in Week 1, and $300K in per-game active roster bonuses.
  • The Dallas Police continue to investigate Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving following domestic violence allegations levied against him earlier this week, per the Dallas Morning News. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also responded to the allegations Tuesday during the team’s pre-draft news conference. “We’re getting the information today, and we’ll continue to gather it,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “And we’ll see where that comes out. The authorities are really doing the legwork, which I’m all for. We’ll let that get resolved as far as the facts.”
  • Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter) that he tore his Plantar Fascia ligament in Week 8 last season, electing to play through it for the rest of the year. Griffen appeared in 15 games last season, along with the team’s two postseason contests. “It’s doing great (now),” Griffen said, via Tomasson. “I feel good. I’m excited to be back here.’‘

Zach Links also contributed to this report 

Cowboys’ David Irving Under Investigation

April 23rd, 2018 at 3:03pm CST by Zachary Links

David Irving is under investigation from Frisco, Texas police, as Drew Davison of the Star Telegram tweets. Irving has been accused of domestic violence from a woman claiming to be his girlfriend. Cops are looking into allegations of assault for bodily injury of a family member; assault against a family member while impeding breath/circulation, and unlawful restraint. The charge of impeding one’s breath/circulation (which, effectively, means choking someone) is a felony. 

On Monday afternoon, his girlfriend retracted her allegations, per Davison (Twitter link). The Frisco Police Department plans to continue with its investigation. “We’re still going to do our due diligence,” officer Radd Rotello told Davison.

This is not Irving’s first instance of off-the-field trouble, but it is the first of its kind during his NFL career. Last year, he began the season with a four-game ban for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. He rebounded well from that suspension, however, as he racked up seven sacks in eight games. This offseason, he signed his one-year, $2.9MM restricted tender to remain in Dallas.

If the allegations have merit, Irving could be looking at another suspension to begin the 2018 season, not to mention a host of legal trouble.

Cowboys Re-Sign David Irving

April 16th, 2018 at 7:59pm CST by Micah Powell

The Cowboys announced they have officially re-signed restricted free agent defensive lineman David Irving. The tendered deal is for one year at $2.9MM. 

Signed off of Kansas City’s practice squad in 2015, Irving emerged as a playmaker in limited action in 2016 by logging four sacks and four forced fumbles. His 2017, however, was cut short due to a concussion and a four-game suspension at the season’s outset. Despite only playing eight games, he still managed to record seven sacks, the second most on the team behind DeMarcus Lawrence.

With Irving back, the Cowboys return the nucleus of a shockingly effective defensive front from a year ago. The team could also add a pass rusher like Boston College’s Harold Landry or a run-stuffer up the middle with Washington’s Vita Vea in the upcoming draft.

If he delivers another season similar to his 2017 campaign, Irving could be in store for a big payday in the 2019 offseason.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/14/18

March 14th, 2018 at 4:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

RFAs

Tendered at the second-round level ($2.914MM):

Tendered at original round level ($1.907MM):

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Cowboys Use Second-Round Tender On David Irving

March 14th, 2018 at 9:09am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have used a second round tender on restricted free agent defensive tackle David Irving, according to David Moore of the Morning News (on Twitter). The cost will be $2.914 MM for Dallas.

In an effort to retain Irving, the Cowboys were reportedly deciding between first- and second-round tenders for Irving. A first-round tender would have cost Dallas $4.149MM, but also would have offered further protection. Irving is free to sign an offer sheet with another club, and if the Cowboys decide not to match, they would received a second-round pick as compensation.

Last season, Irving managed seven sacks in only eight games, and graded as the league’s No. 29 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. But Irving missed half the season due to a four-game suspension and a concussion, so the 24-year-old certainly comes with risk.

The Cowboys have already used the franchise tag on defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, so they’re now poised to retain their two best rushers. Dallas isn’t planning to extend Irving this offseason, however, and will likely let him play out the 2018 campaign on the RFA tender.

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