Tag: Brandon Carr

Roster Churn: Cowboys release vet DB, exchange one OL for two

Thanks for stopping by, old friend. The Dallas Cowboys were worried about their safety situation, so much so that soon after the 53-man roster was announced, the club utilized the new call-up rule for the expanded practice squad and signed free …

Thanks for stopping by, old friend. The Dallas Cowboys were worried about their safety situation, so much so that soon after the 53-man roster was announced, the club utilized the new call-up rule for the expanded practice squad and signed free agent and veteran defensive back Brandon Carr.

Carr was elevated to be on the Week 1 active roster but didn’t play. He signed a non-guaranteed contract the next week and has been on the active roster since, without getting much playing time. Carr played 17 defensive snaps in Week 2, but that dropped to three in Week 3 and a single rep in Week 4. Clearly not the answer the team was looking for, Dallas released Carr along with OT Alex Light on Tuesday, bringing in help from the outside.

Carr could return to the practice squad, as a vested veteran he doesn’t have to clear waivers and can simply agree to stick with Dallas. His release could mean positive signs for the return of Anthony Brown, who has now been out the requisite three weeks on IR after sustaining a rib injury during or after the loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1.

The Cowboys had signed Alex Light after Week 1 when they lost backup Cam Erving to an MCL sprain. He has been a healthy scratch and hasn’t appeared for a single snap.

Greg Senat being signed off the Cleveland Browns practice squad seems like an homage to what the club just witnessed first hand, the job Bill Callahan has done in grooming a talented group that kicked the Cowboys rears up and down the field in Sunday’s 49-38 loss.

Senat was a 2018 sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens who spent time in 2019 with the Kansas City Chiefs as well. Poaching quality players off teams’ practice squads is a little more difficult in 2020 as teams can protect up to four players each week of the season.

The former Wagner product tested as having extremely long arms and quick feet.

From his measurables, William Sweet seems more of a power-playing tackle, with his best measurables being in the leg explosion drills.

Report Card: Cowboys offensive grades, snap counts from Week 4

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Cowboys Mike McCarthy speaks to presnap motion, DBs Diggs, Lewis

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy met with the media on Thursday to discuss his team and the lack of pre-snap motion in Week 1.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy met with the members of the media on Thursday ahead of the Week 2 match-up with the Atlanta Falcons.

The biggest question the coach faced was regarding his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ comments that McCarthy wasn’t a big fan of pre-snap motion. The answer was diplomatic, refusing to throw the Green Bay Packers signal caller under the bus.

“You got to remember we played a lot of football together. As your offense changes you have to evolve, and really a lot of the credit goes to Aaron who can recognize defenses at the line of scrimmage. That’s really the chess game you play as a coordinator. When it’s over a 10-year period you evolve because you never stay the same.”

Unfortunately, in 2020, pre-snap motion is part of the offensive evolution and if McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore aren’t going to hop on the bandwagon, they may be left in the dust. Correlation is often confused with causation and of course this is a small sample size, but ESPN’s Seth Walder released the use of pre-snap motion league wide.

The top 16 teams went 13-3. The bottom 16 teams went 3-13. McCarthy went on to say that “you can’t tilt too far to one and not the other.”

It seems clear that for at least one week, the Cowboys went too far one way, the vanilla way. When he was asked about the lack of motion against the Los Angeles Rams, he offered up that the “defense was on the field for a very long time.”

One would think playing more effectively on offense and scoring points would accomplish two things simultaneously: keeping the defense off the field while relieving pressure for them while on it.

Outside of the presnap motion conversations, Dallas’ secondary ruled the day.

Jourdan Lewis is looking to increase his practice reps today and looks “comfortable” while it’s clear that Darian Thompson will lose some of his playing time to Brandon Carr.

McCarthy won’t reveal any strategy for how to contain Julio Jones come Sunday, but there was praise for Trevon Diggs, whith his coach saying, “I don’t have any hesitations on playing the young man. He’s earned the starting position.”

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Roster Churn: Cowboys look for buttery blend after injuries creamed Week 1 chances

The Cowboys saw 3 players go on the IR and brought in four new faces.

It’s bad enough the Dallas Cowboys suffered a tough 20-17 loss in the season-opener vs the Los Angeles Rams but they also got hit with a plethora of injuries. Tight end Blake Jarwin suffered a torn ACL, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch broke his collarbone, and backup offensive tackle Cam Erving sprained his MCL.

With all three heading to injured reserve, this created spots on the Cowboys 53-man roster. The first spot was filled by veteran defensive back Brandon Carr. The team then filled two of those holes with outside resources, signing linebacker Rashad Smith and offensive tackle Alex Light from the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals practice squads.

Carr rejoined the team just before the season-opener and was in uniform Week 1 after being promoted from the practice squad but never saw the field. Now that he’s on the active roster, his role should increase to the point where he could challenge current starter Darian Thompson to play opposite Xavier Woods.

Smith, an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic, adds depth to fellow linebackers Joe Thomas and Luke Gifford who look to not only step up in Vander Esch’s absent but now Sean Lee, who is headed to injured reserve and will be out for six weeks after having sports hernia surgery.

Light, also an undrafted free agent, played for the Green Bay Packers for his first two seasons in the NFL. However, he only played in 16 games with no starts. He was waived by the Packers on September 5 and signed to their practice a day later, only to be released on September 10. On September 14 he was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before signing with the Cowboys a day later.

The Cowboys are thin at tackle with La’el Collins and Erving on injured reserve. Light gives them depth behind Terence Steele who started Week 1 opposite veteran Tyron Smith.

With injuries galore, the Cowboys have done some nice patchwork to fill out the roster as they look for their first victory of 2020 vs the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday.

In addition, the Cowboys backfilled their practice squad with corner Rashard Robinson and strong safety Steven Parker.

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Cowboys promote DB Brandon Carr to active roster from PS

That didn’t take long. As expected, the Dallas Cowboys’ move to bring in veteran defensive back Brandon Carr was done with the mindset of speedy dividends. Despite missing all offseason and not being part of any team’s training camp, Carr’s …

That didn’t take long. As expected, the Dallas Cowboys’ move to bring in veteran defensive back Brandon Carr was done with the mindset of speedy dividends. Despite missing all offseason and not being part of any team’s training camp, Carr’s intelligence and athleticism led many to think it wouldn’t be long before he would be helping the Cowboys on the field in a regular season game.

Some even saw it happening as early as Week 1. Well, those people were proven right on Saturday, as it was announced the club will use the new promotion rules of the CBA to bring Carr up to the regular season roster from the practice squad.

Carr is expected to primarily play a safety role for Mike Nolan’s defense. He played both corner and safety the last two years for the Baltimore Ravens.

NFL clubs are allowed to promote two members of their 16-man practice squad to the active/inactive roster each week, bringing the total number of available players up to 55. Thanks to changes to the rules, teams no longer have to release a player (or send them to IR) in order to accomodate the promotions; players simply revert to the practice squad following the game.

There are other rules associated with how often teams can do this, but the big takeaway is that when whittling down to their 46-man gameday roster on Sunday, Carr is eligible to be in that group, and the expectation is he will see action in the tilt against the Los Angeles Rams.

The 13-year veteran has started in 192 consecutive games, including 80 out of 80 during his five years in Dallas during his previous stint. The streak now has a legitimate chance of stretching at least one game more.

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Cowboys News: Dallas’ SB odds, Catch This Fade! returns, weekly captains

The Dallas Cowboys are just days away from playing their regular season opener. Plenty of news to go around as kick off 2020 approaches.

With just a few more sleep patterns before the start of the 2020 NFL Season the Dallas Cowboys are in game-week mode. Without a preseason though, there hasn’t been much the Los Angeles Rams or the Cowboys could go off of in preparation for this year’s version of each other.

The Cowboys head into the 2020 season opener a little bit more banged up than they had hoped. According to owner Jerry Jones, all signs point to Xavier Woods suiting up for their date with the Rams. The safeties will be tested early and the Cowboys will quickly find out if they have to make a call to a specific free agent sooner rather than later.

Take a deep fantasy-like dive into what the Cowboys team would look like if they were required to recruit just North Texas natives. Due to a few decisions made by the team and an unexpected retirement, the Cowboys finds themselves with some dead money issues to deal with in 2021.

The return of the Catch This Fade! podcast? Yes indeed.

While fans should be amped and happy about the arrival of the season, how many Cowboys fans won’t be tuning in due to pre-game protests. All this and much more in today’s Cowboys news.

Homegrown Legends: North Texas’ greatest products come home as virtual Cowboys :: The CowboysWire

Technically it’s not news, however the CowboysWire’s very own KD Drummond does a phenomenal deep dive into how stacked a virtual Cowboys team with be with North Texas products.

NFL power rankings: Which teams look like contenders entering Week 1? :: USA Today

11. Cowboys (11): No reason they shouldn’t sprint to another hot start, facing just one 2019 playoff team (Seattle) before calendar reaches November.

Catch This Fade! Season 5 Episode 1 :: Patreon

Drummond and CBS Sports’ Patrik Walker return to the airwaves to break down the changes to the Dallas defense for 2020

NFL Week 1 Preview: Storylines to watch, fantasy football advice and betting projections :: Pro Football Focus

In their preview for Cowboys vs Rams, PFF dives into the biggest concern for the high-powered offense. The offensive line is not right.

 Tyron Smith and Zack Martin remain two of the best players at their respective positions in the NFL, but the other three spots are question marks with La’el Collins getting placed on short-term IR.

Connor Williams and Joe Looney have extended starting experience at left guard and center, respectively, for Dallas, but neither has played particularly well in those opportunities. Now, Cam Erving is projected to man the right tackle position in Week 1 after picking up a 44.8 overall grade during the 2019 season in place of Eric Fisher in Kansas City.

Jerry Jones: ‘Everything’s on go’ for Xavier Woods to play Week 1 :: The CowboysWire

The Cowboys look to play their opening night game in Los Angeles with their starting safety Xavier Woods according to Jerry Jones.

DVOA Super Bowl LV Odds :: Football Outsiders

Cowboys come in eighth.

Cowboys losing fans to player protests is ‘huge issue,’ admits Jerry Jones :: The CowboysWire

Unfortunately focusing on the game ahead isn’t the only topic of conversation as the countdown is just days away from opening night. Find out what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks about losing fans due to pre-game protests.

Cowboys Will Name Weekly Captains, Why We Should Love It :: Inside The Star

New Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is going with weekly captains. This is proving that McCarthy is looking for his players to prove their worth captain status each and every week.

Reinstated, Randy Gregory signs 1-year extension with Cowboys :: The CowboysWire

Fresh off a reinstatement to the NFL, the Cowboys rewarded the long road back with an extension inking Randy Gregory with the Cowboys through 2021.

Cowboys carry $12.5M in dead money, around $8.5M in cap space :: The CowboysWire

Already looking ahead to next season, the Cowboys carry some dead weight with the retirement of Travis Frederick along with the release of Ha Ha Clinton Dix and Gerald McCoy.

Colts snap up two former Cowboys who flashed potential :: The CowboysWire

The Cowboys run the risk of losing specific players due to the 53-man cut down and the Colts were able to take two players with pretty decent upside.

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Jerry Jones: ‘Everything’s on go’ for Xavier Woods to play Week 1

The Cowboys owner is optimistic that their veteran safety will have recovered from a groin injury in time for the season opener.

It must- finally- be game week. After an extended offseason and surreal training camp that at times seemed to be about anything but the Xs and Os of football, the countdown to kickoff passed the T-minus one-week milestone, and Cowboys Nation suddenly turned its collective attention in unison to the injury report.

The news that linebacker Sean Lee and offensive tackle La’el Collins would start 2020 on injured reserve caused some concern, though that worry lessens with the new rules this season regarding IR. Since both players will be eligible to return after just three missed games, focus shifted to the secondary and the status of Xavier Woods.

On Tuesday, team owner Jerry Jones expressed optimism that Woods would be ready to play come Sunday night.

Woods was assumed to be one of the team’s two starting safeties in Week 1. But a groin strain has kept the fourth-year man sidelined since August 30, and the surprise release of veteran HaHa Clinton-Dix just days later left major question marks on the Dallas defense’s back end heading into the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

“Everything’s on ‘go’,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “It would really be a surprise if he didn’t get out there Sunday night. I think he got a good checkup yesterday, and he should be moving around out there this week in a good way.”

Despite Jones’s encouraging report, head coach Mike McCarthy was more reserved in remarks to the media when asked about the Week 1 prognosis for Woods and fellow DB Chidobe Awuzie.

“We’ll know more Wednesday,” McCarthy explained on Monday. “We had a walkthrough today. So far, so good.”

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan also admitted that things in the Cowboys secondary aren’t set in stone less than a week to go before the first game of the season.

“There are still some questions unanswered today,” Nolan said. “But they’ll be answered at the end of the week. I believe we’ll get a few of the guys back, but it has been a little bit of a struggle. We had to move some guys around, but I think in the end, it will actually help us because we had the opportunity to play some guys in some different positions that we were hoping to when we started out, but not really knowing if we would be given the chance. As it turns out, we were. As the week goes along, we’ll make some decisions as to who is actually going to line up where when the game begins.”

Darian Thompson has impressed in camp, and Donovan Wilson has shown flashes. Beyond that, the Cowboys are frighteningly thin at the safety position; rookie corner Reggie Robinson is repeatedly mentioned as a possible option to slide back in a system that emphasizes positional versatility among defensive backs.

Even the eleventh-hour addition of Brandon Carr- the former Cowboys cornerback who ended up playing safety last season in Baltimore- is likely a depth move that will pay off later in the season, so Woods’s availability for the season opener is of critical importance against the likes of Rams receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.

Dallas coaches raved about Thompson, presumed to be named the other Cowboys starter in Week 1.

“Darian’s done an excellent job just from our interaction,” McCarthy said of the journeyman who spent time with the Giants and Cardinals before joining the Cowboys in 2018. “It started back in the spring with the virtual [work sessions]. He’s a very smart, instinctive football player, not only on defense but on special teams. He’s had a heck of a camp.”

“Darian is a very good football player,” Nolan echoed. “He’s smart. He’s tough. He takes coaching extremely well. And those are the things that come to mind right away. He’s done a very good job; he pays close attention to all the finer-detail coaching points in the things we do. He’s done a good job. I’ve been pleased with him.”

But Thompson has just four starts over the past two seasons. As pleased as the coaching staff may be with his progress, they would almost assuredly feel better were he not asked to be the most experienced safety on the field in Week 1. Woods and his 29 starts in that same span would be a key anchor in a defensive backfield already pegged as the Cowboys’ weak spot heading into an otherwise promising season.

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Cowboys News: Gregory back, Lee to IR, roster cuts, new podcast

The Cowboys made a number of cuts the day before the rosters are due, visited with a former Cowboy, and placed two players on the IR.

The final deadline for roster cuts in the NFL is less than 24 hours away. The Cowboys have already begun trimming their team down to the necessary limit, as they cut another four players Friday. But just because it’s time to consolidate the roster, doesn’t mean the Cowboys aren’t looking to improve the squad.

Randy Gregory was finally reinstated, and he should give the defense a boost when he returns mid-season. The Cowboys clearly would like to augment their young defensive backfield, and the team even brought in former Cowboy Brandon Carr for a visit Friday. Carr’s recent teammate in Baltimore, Earl Thomas, may or may not have a meeting this weekend with Dallas. Jourdan Lewis could begin the season on the IR, even furthuring the need for help in the secondary, and Sean Lee’s placement on the IR should feel too much like deja vu for Dallas fans.

Cowboys Wire Podcast: Episode 1

How many games is the Mike McCarthy hire worth? How potent could the Cowboys offense be? When it comes to fantasy, is there any value behind the household names? Why in the world did the Cowboys go through the motions of a televised scrimmage and then not show anything?

Get answers to all this and more in the initial installment of the Cowboys Wire Podcast. The NFL Wire Network is rolling out new podcast shows this week, so of course Cowboys Nation is going to be front and center!

Cowboys Randy Gregory finally reinstated, here’s how it will work :: Cowboys Wire

Finally, Randy Gregory was granted reinstatement to the league by the NFL front office. While he can’t play until mid-season, his presence down the stretch should boost the Cowboys pass rush.

Cowboys 2020 Roster Cut, Trade and Practice Squad Tracker: Who’s out, who survives the bubble :: Cowboys Wire

The only thing you need to keep track of the comings and goings as the Cowboys whittle down to 53 players on their initial regular season roster, including a thorough explanation of how everything works.

Does Clinton-Dix cut put Earl Thomas in play? Stephen Jones ‘wouldn’t rule anything out’ :: Cowboys Wire

The Cowboys management has done their best to keep their recent actions under wraps, but reports surfaced that Earl Thomas was set to have a meeting with Dallas. Stephen Jones didn’t close the door on such an opportunity, as he said the team is looking at all avenues of improvement.

  • Cowboys meet with former CB Brandon Carr about playing safety

Spagnola: Can’t Believe Still Talking Safety :: The Mothership

Long-time Cowboys writer Mickey Spagnola breaks down one of Dallas’ most questionable positions, safety. Year after year after year…

Report: Sean Lee expected to start on IR, Cowboys’ Lewis may too :: Cowboys Wire

News that sounds all too familiar to Cowboys fans, Sean Lee is reportedly beginning the season on the injured reserve after msing most of camp. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis is a candidate to potentially join Lee on the IR.

 

Schultz “Sees The Whole Picture” At Fullback :: The Mothership

Cowboys tight-end Dalton Schultz has been getting reps at fullback. This indicates the Cowboys may go without an actual full back on the roster, and let players like Schultz handle the duties. Follow the link above to find out what else Schultz, a former fourth-round pick in 2018, had to say about his camp experience.

Cowboys strip star dreams from 4 players, reduce roster size :: Cowboys Wire

While the deadline is Saturday, the Cowboys got out ahead of schedule and began to drop their roster size down with the release of three young players. Our own K.D. Drummond brings you all the details.

PFF: Teams that are most likely to make playoffs in 2020 :: NFL Network

Pro Football Focus, or PFF, is the home of analytics and data in football. Their latest project was to rank the likelihood of each team making the playoffs. The Cowboys had one of the higher numbers in the NFC, sitting at a 57% chance.

DeMarcus Ware’s release sent Cowboys pass rush to bottom, it’s time they returned :: Cowboys Wire

After bottoming out, the pass rush has leveled off in recent years. For Dallas to thrive it’s time for this interesting collection to take the next step.

Cowboys Wilson appears to have captured mythical Year 3 magic for WRs :: Cowboys Wire

Cedrick Wilson had been just another camp body for the Cowboys the last two years. However, this years training camp was different, and Wilson ad clearly improved. The former Boise State Bronco has now positioned himself not only for a roster spot, but a chance to play significant snaps on one of the best offenses in the NFL.

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Cowboys host visit from their former CB Brandon Carr

The Cowboys hosted defensive back Brandon Carr for a visit on Friday.

The Cowboys hosted a former Ravens’ defensive back on Friday. No, it’s not Earl Thomas, despite Stephen Jones keeping the door open on a meeting with the All-Pro.

Brandon Carr was back in Dallas for a visit Friday according to Field Yates of ESPN. Carr spent the last three seasons in Baltimore, but had his team option declined in March, allowing him to hit the free agent market.

Carr started all 16 games a year ago, spending time at both cornerback and safety. Carr, while on the downside of his career, played well in both roles for the superb Baltimore defense.

The 33-year old’s best ability throughout his career has been his availability. Since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in 2008, Carr has started every game possible. Carr’s 192 straight games starting is the most among defenders and the second most straight starts in the league behind only Philip Rivers.

That 192 straight games includes a five year stint with Dallas (2012-2017) in the middle of Carr’s career, where he was extremely solid for the Cowboys secondary. His reputation was tarnished based on the lucrative deal he was given, but he played similarly to what he was with Kansas City before coming over to the NFC.

Carr was exclusively a corner for the better part of his career, but his physicality and experience allowed the Ravens to shift Carr to safety for the back half of the 2019-20 season.

Here’s what Baltimore defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale had to say about Carr just a year ago:

“He’s a pro’s pro. When I say that, he takes care of his body religiously. He studies the game. And he has a confidence when he goes out there because of all the work that he’s put into it — whether it’s the offseason, training camp or today — that he’s going to be able to make the plays that are presented in front of him.”

Carr’s experience and versatility could benefit the Cowboys at either cornerback or safety, as both positions for Dallas have players dealing with injuries and players in-line to start for the first time of their caree

With the season just over a week away, fans will soon see what moves the Cowboys make, if any, to solidify the back half of their defense.

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Ravens DB Iman Marshall needs surgery after major knee injury

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

The Baltimore Ravens are finally back on the grass in training camp ahead of the 2020 season this weekend. But not every player will be available to them as they look to build on last year’s 14-2 record and AFC North division title.

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. The injury is thought to be a torn ACL and MCL, which Harbaugh said will require surgery. If that’s the case, Marshall’s season is likely over.

This is a terrible blow for Marshall after a disappointing rookie season in 2019. Marshall spent the first 10 weeks of the season on injured reserve after suffering an undisclosed injury in the preseason. He was activated prior to Week 11 but only appeared in three games before the end of the campaign, playing just four defensive snaps in total.

Baltimore’s cornerback room is arguably the strongest position on the Ravens’ roster, with two All-Pro players in Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey joining long-time veteran Jimmy Smith in the defensive backfield. Still, the loss of Marshall is a blow to the Ravens’ depth, especially with some questions still surrounding the health of Tavon Young who missed the whole of last season with a neck injury. If Baltimore finds themselves in need of a veteran to fill out the roster, Brandon Carr remains a street free agent. Carr spent the last three seasons with the Ravens, starting all 48 games.

In other injury news, wide receiver and key special teams player Chris Moore also suffered a broken finger over the weekend. This is the second year Moore has suffered a broken finger, which will make it harder for him to lock down his spot on the 53-man roster.

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4 remaining free agent cornerbacks the Jets can bring in for depth

Jets Wire takes a look at four free agents New York could look to add in an effort to bolster its cornerback depth.

The beginning of training camp has not stopped general manager Joe Douglas’ pursuit of additional cornerback depth.

New York put in a waiver claim for M.J. Stewart before he wound up with the Browns, indicating that Douglas has an eye on beefing up the position before the beginning of the regular season. Fortunately for the Jets, there are still a few serviceable free agents left for the taking. Logan Ryan would have been an ideal cornerback acquisition for New York, but he views himself more as a safety at this point in his career. That makes him a non-factor in this equation, but it doesn’t mean the Jets can’t land an impact player.

With that being said, here are four free agent corners that could help address New York’s lack of depth at the position.

Dre Kirkpatrick

Syndication: USATODAY

Dre Kirkpatrick endured an injury-riddled 2019 season and is now 30 years old, but he is probably the Jets’ best bet at adding a cornerback who can factor heavily into their rotation this upcoming season.

The former first-round pick deflected four passes and made 33 tackles in limited action last year. If anything, that indicates that he still has some good football left in him. He might not be a starter anymore, but New York doesn’t need him to take on that kind of role. It just needs an insurance policy that it can count on.

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