Josh Brent Getting Closer To Attempting Return To Cowboys?

A lot of things tend to come out during the NFL Combine, and much of it is not directly related to the Underwear Olympics. One thing of interest to fans of the Dallas Cowboys: Josh Brent's agent Peter Schaffer said he is planning on discussions with his client about whether he intends to attempt a return to the NFL.

"There's not been the proper time for those discussions," Schaffer said. "All of that is premature. The most important thing for him is to make sure that he's in a good place and Jerry (Brown's) family is in a good place, and that he has a proper direction for the rest of his life to make sure he's doing things he wants to do and to make sure this never happens to anybody else."

Dallas holds the rights to Brent and it is expected that he would be trying out to regain a spot on the Cowboys' roster if he attempts a return. He is serving a 180-day jail sentence, so he would be available for training camp. When questioned about how the team feels about the situation, Stephen Jones left the door open without exactly putting out a welcome mat.

"I'll weigh in on that when the time comes," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday. "He's retired and he has got a lot of work ahead of him. But obviously we hope he does all of the right things. And if he does, at some point, and he feels like he has got his priorities in the right order and he wants to play football, then, we'll discuss that."

With the highly uncertain situation on the Cowboys' defensive line, Brent might be a valuable piece to have in the 1-tech rotation. But even if both sides are willing to try, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could still impose a suspension on Brent. If Goodell can be persuaded to allow Brent to try to rejoin the team without further games missed (it can be argued he has effectively served a long suspension already with the games he missed while awaiting trial), then it would be an immediate form of help for the team. And the team is also looking at other ways to improve the situation.

The Cowboys have informed agent Jordan Woy that they want Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer to return in 2014; Will let market dictate offer

— Clarence Hill (@clarencehilljr) February 21, 2014

It seems an odd thought, but if Spencer's knee was to hold up, Hatcher's price tag did not get out of line, and a certain contract was restructured, the Cowboys could go into 2014 with a starting defensive line of DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher, Josh Brent and Anthony Spencer. Which might necessitate the addition of Marty McFly as an assistant coach.