Cowboys news: Undrafted free agents with the best chance of making the Dallas roster

Grading Every Team's Undrafted Free-Agent Haul - Maurice Moton, Bleacher Report

Bleacher Reports thinks the Cowboys landed themselves a nice UDFA haul, including a few DB prospects that could challenge for a roster spot.

Names to watch: DT DeQuinton Osborne, DB Kameron Kelly, DB Tyree Robinson, S Kyle Queiro

The Dallas Cowboys have long-term question marks at safety, but this undrafted group may fill the void on the back end. Defensive backs Kameron Kelly, Tyree Robinson and Kyle Queiro all come into the league with playmaking ability on their resumes.

Kelly logged nine interceptions and 15 passes defensed in his last three years at San Diego State. A 4.66-second 40-yard dash time likely raised concerns about his speed, but it's hard to argue with that type of consistency in forcing turnovers.

Robinson didn't produce gaudy interception numbers, but he's about 6'2", 190 pounds and ran a 4.53 at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Oregon product also started all four years for the Ducks at safety and cornerback. His 17 pass breakups in that span stand out.

Kyle Queiro broke out during his senior year at Northwestern with five interceptions and eight passes defensed. The production came a little too late to boost his draft stock, but the trend upward could benefit the Cowboys secondary.

Also keep your eyes on defensive tackle DeQuinton Osborne, who wreaked havoc on quarterbacks in two years at Oklahoma State with 9.5 sacks. He could rotate in on passing downs for added pocket pressure.

Grade: A

Did the Dallas Cowboys land themselves another undrafted gem? Steven Mullenax, The Landry Hat
Undrafted free agent Kameron Kelly has the traits that could fit in with the Cowboys new DB coach.

During his four seasons with the Aztecs, Kelly registered 164 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, nine interceptions, 15 pass defends and forced two fumbles. Despite switching to cornerback his senior season, the rookie’s lack of speed (4.66 forty at the Combine) likely makes him a better safety in the NFL. Kelly is a physical run defender with underrated ball skills making him a strong candidate at free safety for Dallas.

The lanky Kelly joins a very talented and young defensive secondary in Dallas. Although many see the undrafted rookie as a possible cornerback prospect, the Cowboys have a clear need at free safety. Although, if there is one defensive back coach capable of getting the most out of Kelly’s frame as a corner, it’s Kris Richard.

The former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator and the coach at the helm of the Legion of Boom, Richard found Super Bowl success with a focus on taller defensive backs like Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, who both chime in at 6-foot-3 each.

Cowboys hope Leighton Vander Esch remains a quick study - Todd Archer, ESPN
From learning to walk early to going on a three mile hike at the age of two, Vander Esch has always been up for the challenge. The Cowboys are hoping he can keep it going as he transitions into the NFL.

The Cowboys picked Vander Esch with the idea he can play all three linebacker spots, but have said he will play middle linebacker first. Having lost Anthony Hitchens to free agency, and with Jaylon Smith still something of a mystery because of the serious knee injury that prevented him from playing as a rookie in 2016, Vander Esch is viewed as a starter from day one.

Mamas DO Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys: Mother’s Day for Sandy Vander Esch - Kristi Scales, 5 Points Blue
On this Mother's Day weekend, Leighton Vander Esch's mom, Sandy, provides a little insight to what her son is like.

“He is very down-to-earth and humble,” says Sandy. “He’s a very loving, caring person. He’s not really a ‘momma’s boy’, so to speak. He was the shadow of his middle sister, Christon. She has the same driven personality to be the best. Those two just got along so well and were closer to each other than the other kids. So maybe instead of ‘momma’s boy’, it’s more like ‘little brother’ to not only three sisters, but especially to the middle sister. They are both hard working and intelligent and outdoorsy. They share that same interest in the outdoors. You could always find them together.”

Dez Bryant beginning to make more and more sense for Seahawks - Derek Lewis, 247 Sports
In some ways, the Seattle game may have been the breaking point in the Dez saga. After having a ball bounce off his hands that led to an interception and having a costly fumble that stymied a drive, Bryant's struggles in that game contributed to the offensive woes that cost Dallas a chance to win the game, and ultimately ended their season. Could Seattle give the veteran WR a shot?

All the pieces of the puzzle are in place to make a run at Dez Bryant, starting with the obvious. He and Earl Thomas are good friends. Remember that time Thomas ran into the Cowboys locker room to rub his Seahawks victory in their faces while simultaneously starting a calamity that would reverberate throughout the entire offseason by telling head coach Jason Garrett and company to come and get him? Of course, you do. It was only like five months ago and reverberated throughout the entire offseason. Anyway, Thomas was in the locker room to see his friend Dez Bryant.

New Cowboys WRs coach Sanjay Lal: Dez Bryant was less consistent in 2017, judging by the tape - Brandon George, SportsDay
The Cowboys new wide receiver coach Sanjay Lal didn't get a chance to work with Dez, but he still had a good idea of what he was about.

What stood out to him about Bryant on tape from 2017?

"I still saw he's physical and violent at the route top," Lal said. "He's still one of the best slant runners in the league.

"Without getting into specifics, I just saw more inconsistencies in his game."

More inconsistencies than in previous years?

"Yeah," Lal said, "I would say so."

Lal said he knew Bryant's game well before he arrived in Dallas, having used him as an example at previous coaching stops.

"I would always pull Dez Bryant cut-ups, 'Here's how you go play violently for a ball, here's how you turn on a back-shoulder fade,'" Lal said. "I have a whole slant cut-up of Dez Bryant, so I've been a great admirer of how he plays the game. I still think he has that."

Asked to detail what inconsistencies he saw in Bryant's game in 2017, Lal declined.

Will Terrance Williams be Relegated to Backup Duty in 2018? Brian Martin, Inside The Star
The Cowboys have reloaded their arsenal of wide receivers this offseason and that will make for some fierce competition in training camp.

Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Michael Gallup, and Cedrick Wilson are the incoming new faces and their additions will certainly shake up the Cowboys WR depth chart. It's really going to be interesting to see how all of this ends up shaking out, but I think it could spell trouble for Terrance Williams.

It kind of slipped through the cracks with all of the excitement of free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft, but No. 83 broke his foot a few weeks ago and is expected to miss the majority of the offseason workouts. He could be back in time for training camp, but these kind of foot injuries have a way of lingering. So, who knows when he will actually be ready?

You see, while Williams is out nursing his foot injury, I think Michael Gallup will move up to WR3 on the depth chart and become the Cowboys new "Z" receiver.

What are the odds of Earl Thomas being a Cowboy next season, or at any point in his career? - Kevin Sherrington, SportsDay
Is there still a chance Earl Thomas joins the Cowboys? Kevin Sherrington offers up his two cents.

What are your odds of Earl Thomas being a Cowboy next season? At any point in his career?

Sherrington: Well, going forward, if he's not a Cowboy by next season, I'm not sure you'd want to pay the price the Seahawks appear to be asking. He's not getting any younger. I've never really thought Seattle wanted to get rid of him. He's still a great safety.

I think they'd have taken a couple of draft picks for him, but they didn't feel backed into a corner, despite his public requests. He's a professional, and he's going to do his job to the best of his ability. I'll say there's a 25 percent chance he plays for the Cowboys this year.

Latest on injury to Maliek Collins and how the Cowboys will adjust - Patrik Walker, 247 Sports
The injury to Collins is unfortunate, but the timing couldn't be better as it allows him plenty of time to recover before the season starts. Not only that, but the Cowboys have a plethora of 3-tech backup options just in case.

Should he miss more time than predicted, for whatever reason, they're in much better position than they would've been had David Irving opted to take his leave. Having the veteran in tow means any time missed by Collins would be easily resolved in the rotation behind Irving, having options like sliding Tyrone Crawford inside to spell Irving at the 3-tech which would also allow for more snaps at right defensive end for Taco Charlton, rookie Dorance Armstrong and -- dare it be said -- Randy Gregory, assuming the NFL gives him the nod to return to football following a soon-to-come application for reinstatement.

Report: Atlanta Falcons signing former Cowboys DT Terrell McClain - Matthew Chambers, The Falcoholic
T-Mac will not be manning the middle in Big D this season.

McClain signed a four-year, $21 million deal with Washington, where he played more 3-4. It didn’t work out well, and the team prioritized replacing him during the draft. They succeeded, and cut McClain loose. He previously visited with Dallas, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Miami Dolphins, but oddly went unsigned at all his prior visits.

Dallas Cowboys listen to Nick Saban, draft Bo Scarbrough - Mark Inabinett, AL.com
Jason Garrett was Saban's quarterback coach back with the MIami Dolphins from 2005-2006. And Scott Linehan was the Dolphin's offensive coordinator in 2005. These three coaches have a lot of respect for each other so when one of them gives a ringing endorsement, the others listen.

Jones passed the phone to Dallas coach Jason Garrett, who told Scarbrough: "I've known coach Saban for a long time, and he couldn't say enough good things about you."

When Garrett handed the phone to Scott Linehan, the Cowboys offensive coordinator said: "I know coach Saban well, and you come highly rated from maybe the best coach ever. And our scouts and coaches love you, and so do I. Coach Garrett's excited. Let's go to work."

"You fit what we do," Garrett told Scarbrough. "If you follow pro football, you know what I'm talking about. We're going to be a big, physical running team."