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Stay or Go: Robert Griffin likely to end up in Dallas - Marc Sessler, NFL.com
Sessler examines where this year's crop of available quarterbacks - through free agency, release or trade - could end up, and has Dallas as a possible destination for Griffin.
The 'Skins are only keeping him around until they know Cousins will be on the roster for 2016. Say what you will about Griffin, but he handled his demotion with class and we expect Washington to release him ahead of March 9, when RGIII's $16.155 million option becomes fully guaranteed.
Stay or Go? Going -- all the way to Dallas, where he'll play backup to Tony Romo unless a team like Houston tries to make him their starter.
Matt Forte for the short term would be good - Todd Archer, ESPN
In response to a reader question, Archer explains why he thinks Forte might be a good option for the Cowboys.
Forte is a proven 1,000-yard back. [...] I'd be OK with the Cowboys going after Forte. Would something like two years, $11 million work? There will be other teams coming after him too. Many mention the New England Patriots as a possibility. They've done well with veteran backs over the years from Antowain Smith to Corey Dillon.
The Cowboys should be attractive to Forte -- and any free-agent back, really -- because of the offensive line. Would that be a big enough lure? Well, it will always come down to cash.
Lamar Miller: 'I want the recognition I deserve' - NFL.com
Miller wants to go to a team that will pay him - and play him - like a backfield centerpiece. Are the Cowboys a team that's willing to give him 20 touches per game?
"I want to be a featured back," Miller told WAXY-AM, via the Miami Herald. "I want the recognition I deserve."
When asked what would be an acceptable number of touches, Miller replied, "Twenty."
2016 NFL Draft: Derrick Henry a good fit in Dallas - Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Brooks explains why Henry might be a good fit in Dallas (and Denver and Minnesota).
Big-bodied ball carrier with outstanding straight-line speed and burst. Henry is a high-volume runner ideally suited to plow between the tackles as a "one-cut" back in a zone-based scheme. As a big, physical runner with imposing dimensions (6-foot-3, 242 pounds), he needs 25-plus carries to make his mark as a workhorse due to his "grind it out" style. Thus, he is a better fit for a run-first offense that's committed to giving the feature back a heavy workload.
If Henry lands with right squad (a team that features a power-gap or zone-based scheme), the 'Bama product could quickly develop into the NFL's ultimate hammer in the backfield.
You gotta like that last sentence.
Scouting director: Jets, Cowboys among fits for Derrick Henry - NFL.com
A college scouting director believes Heisman-winning Alabama RB Derrick Henry would be a strong fit with the Cowboys, among several other clubs.
"They (Alabama) run gap, they run man (blocking schemes). They use inside and outside zone, old-school run game -- traps, counters, stuff like that. Put him in the Panthers' offense? My goodness," the director told Yahoo! Sports. "But I could see him in the Sean Payton (Saints offense). I could see him in the Patriots offense. The Jets, the Cowboys, even the Vikings, a four-minute back you finish teams off with. He has a role for sure."
The director went on to describe Henry as a top-50 pick and a potential late first-round choice, while acknowledging that next week's NFL Scouting Combine could change things for the powerful 6-foot-3, 245-pound back. Perhaps not surprisingly, several of the clubs he mentioned as a scheme fit for Henry happen to hold a draft choice in the late first-, early second-round range. Among them: the Jets (No. 20 overall), Vikings (No. 23 overall), Panthers (No. 30 overall), and Cowboys (No. 34 overall).
Is Ronald Blair the Answer for the Cowboys Pass Rush? - Sean Martin, Inside The Star
In the wake of Gregory's suspension, prepare to see the name of almost every draft-eligible pass rusher trotted out at some point. Ronald Blair however is one of the more enticing options, as we have previously explored on BTB, and as Martin explains in this article.
A small school prospect out of Appalachian State, it took some time for scouts to discover this potential hidden gem. However, once they did, plenty of them fell in love with the 6′ 1″, 272 pound pass rusher [Most sites list Blair at 6'3"].
If the Cowboys like Blair, they may have to guarantee his selection with the 34th overall pick. I also think there may be a strong chance he falls to them in the third round, where he would then become a much less expensive solution for the pass rush.
Tony Romo considered becoming assistant golf pro when NFL dream looked bleak - Kevin Casey, Golfweek.com
When Romo had a crisis of confidence in his second year as a pro, he thought he might be going back to Wisconsin as an assistant golf club professional. That didn't happen, and the world of golf is in mourning to this day.
Romo, who tried to qualify for the Open numerous times along with competing in celebrity tournaments, has in fact given up competitive golf in recent years in order to focus more on football. Quite a waste for his golfing talent. But we have a hunch that Romo's just fine with how things turned out.
Randy Gregory suspension gives Greg Hardy a little leverage - Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk
Unencumbered by any knowledge of what's going on in Dallas, Florio blissfully speculates about Hardy's chances of re-joining the Cowboys.
The Lawrence surgery and Gregory suspension underscore the team’s needs at the position, and these developments potentially give Hardy, an unrestricted free agent on March 9, some leverage.
It’s unclear how much leverage Hardy has, because it’s unclear whether any other team would want him. But Hardy’s past success could make the Cowboys more willing to bring Hardy back, especially in light of the clear needs the Cowboys now have at the position.
Hardy is not coming back. Period.
Byron Jones: After playing safety last season, 'I kind of like it back there' - SportsDay Staff
In an interview with KTCK-AM (1310) The Ticket, Jones explained what he loves about playing safety and what the Cowboys have planned for him.
"After playing a lot at safety, I kind of like it back there. And they're going let me do a lot of coverages where I can box-and-cover someone. That sounds fun to me."
"When I'm reading a quarterback, I think that's more entertaining than having my back turned to a quarterback chasing after a receiver," Jones said.
"When they drafted me, I assumed I'd play corner for a couple years and move back to safety. But that's not the case," Jones said. "They want me to come out and learn safety and know every position in the defense. It looks like for the most part I'll be that deep-field safety."
Von Miller shows maturity as the new face of the Broncos - Ian St. Clair, Mile High Report
Two years ago, Von Miller was in a similar place to where Randy Gregory is now. Two years later, Miller is the face of the Super Bowl champions.
Two years ago, some wanted to run him out of the Mile High City.
Miller had just been suspended six games and was now in Stage 3 of the NFL's substance abuse program. If he tested positive again, the result was a minimum one-year suspension.
Miller was stamped with the "selfish player" tag. The question wasn't so much would he finish his career in Denver, but if he could put down the pipe and not lose a year. Miller was initially placed in the substance abuse program for a positive test of marijuana.
On the bubble: 29 NFC players that could be released - Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com
Perhaps this is progress of sorts: Only one Cowboy makes the list.
Brandon Carr, Dallas Cowboys:
Jerry Jones tried to get Carr to take a pay cut entering last season. He said no thanks, and the Cowboys still kept him. It's hard to imagine them doing so again with a $13.817 million cap number, although the Cowboys think differently than most teams. Carr is a solid starter played like a superstar. They often retain big contracts a year too long.
NFL combine to get Olympic-style coverage to connect to fan base - Barry Horn, SportsDay
The NFL Network is revamping its Combine coverage, Horn explains.
For the first time coverage will include neat Friday-Monday three-hour prime-time productions pieced together to resemble something akin to NBC's prime-time Olympics coverage. Rather than regurgitating programming from earlier in the day, there will be lots of analysis and tape packaged to themes.
Mike Muriano, the producer in charge of NFLN's coverage, plans to cater segments to fans of NFL teams such as, say, the Cowboys.
"We are cognizant to team building," he said. "We want to link our coverage to fans asking the question, 'How can my team get better?'"
5 things to watch at Combine from Cowboys perspective - Clarence Hill, The Star-Telegram
Number five on this list is something that's not directly related to the Combine, but will provide lots of room for speculation for all Cowboys fans.
Jerry Jones talks Owner Jerry Jones usually uses the combine to conduct his annual state of the union on the Cowboys. Jones openly laments passing on a quarterback two years ago when the Cowboys chose guard Zach Martin over Johnny Manziel. It was the right thing to do at the time. Martin is a two-time Pro Bowler. The right thing to do now is to take a quarterback to groom behind an aging Tony Romo. Will Jones sacrifice an immediate impact player at No. 4 for one to groom for the future?
NFL, NFLPA make progress toward deal on Roger Goodell’s role in player discipline - Mark Maske, The Washington Post
The NFLPA and the league are reportedly closing in on an agreement that would alter Goodell's role in the appeals process.
An accord appears within reach as the negotiations continue. But the timetable for completing a deal is unclear and if those close to the process know at this point what Goodell's modified role will be, they're not saying.
According to one person with knowledge of the proceedings, "slow progress" is being made in the talks. That person expressed doubt that a deal will be struck soon but added that the two sides probably "will get there eventually.
The NFLPA is seeking neutral arbitration for appeals by players of discipline imposed by the league under the sport's personal conduct policy and integrity-of-the-game rules. Currently such appeals are heard and resolved by Goodell or a person appointed by him.
Eagles have the most miserable fanbase in the NFL - Chris Chase, FOX Sports
No surprise here.
While the rest of the NFC East compares Super Bowl rings, the Eagles are standing in line, alone, outside the club, wondering if being the best team in the division over the past 15 years counts for anything. (It doesn't, even though Philly has the most playoff appearances over that time, more than Washington and Dallas combined. Though New York, which has three fewer playoff appearances, did win two Super Bowls during that stretch.)
And even though the titles of the Redskins came 25-30 years ago and the Cowboys haven't been in the Super Bowl conversation in about 20 years, those fans can at least grab on to those glories. All Philadelphia has is memories of Donovan McNabb in the Super Bowl and a collective resolve to correct anyone who misappropriates the Santa Claus story.