HaHa Clinton-Dix listed as Alabama’s Director of Player Development

Former Alabama Safety HaHa Clinton-Dix joining Crimson Tide staff as Director of Player Development

After a successful career that saw a Pro Bowl appearance and second-team All-Pro honor, [autotag]HaHa Clinton-Dix[/autotag] retired from the NFL and is returning to his roots.

The former safety will be joining the Alabama Crimson Tide staff as the Director of Player Development.

Clinton-Dix was a two-time national champion during his playing days with Alabama and hopes to bring back some of that gritty defensive mentality. Clinton-Dix will pair up with Josh Chapman who is already in the role and is also a former player under Nick Saban. The new hire should also pay massive dividends for new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

I think all of Alabama nation will agree this is a massive hire!

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Cowboys signing practice squad safety to 53-man roster

The Dallas Cowboys are elevating Steven Parker to the 53-man roster.

The Dallas Cowboys safety situation has been, like much of the team in 2020, a dumpster fire. It’s a position that the front office obviously doesn’t believe needs any resources and can rely on a hodge-podge group of players to fill and hopefully get replacement level play out of them.

Steven Parker is the next man up. After being called up from the practice squad in two consecutive weeks, the powers that be decided to make a more formal move, promoting him to the roster full time after appearing in the last two games.

Parker spent the entirety of 2019 with the Miami Dolphins and he’ll be fighting for playing time with Donovan Wilson and Darian Thompson, neither of whom have managed to distinguish themselves on the back end. His two career interceptions, neither with the Cowboys of course, are more than Wilson and Thompson combined.

On the bright side, this might be a sign that head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t satisfied with a position that the Jones family has been somehow happy with for a long time. In the off-season he brought in former charge HaHa Clinton-Dix, who performed so badly in camp he was cut. He benched the aforementioned Thompson one drive into Week 4.

Xavier Woods led Cowboys safeties in Week 6 snaps with 62 (100%) while Wilson had 54. Parker and Thompson each had eight defensive snaps.

McCarthy might finally be the man who forces the hand that feeds him to nab him a safety who can actually make plays on the back end. Here’s to wishful thinking.

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

The release of a veteran safety leaves Dallas thin at the position while a 7-time Pro Bowler who wants to be a Cowboy sits unemployed.

The news came as a surprise to many in Cowboys Nation. HaHa Clinton-Dix, the former Packers/McCarthy-era safety who was expected to bring veteran leadership to the back end of the Dallas defense, was unceremoniously cut just ten days before the season opener.

But arguably, the bigger surprise for some came when that roster move wasn’t immediately followed up by an announcement that the club was in talks with Earl Thomas to take over that newly-vacated locker. While Cowboys ownership says they will “look at all avenues” at the safety position, the release of Clinton-Dix does create a sense that the team may be woefully thin in the secondary.

Speaking on Dallas radio with 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones gave no indication that signing Thomas is on the front office’s weekend to-do list. But he didn’t slam the door on the idea, either.

“We’re certainly going to look at all avenues as we move forward here and I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Jones said, according to the team website. “We’re just down there working with [vice president of player personnel] Will [McClay] and our pro scouting department as well as our coaches in trying to figure out what our next steps might be here.”

The most logical next step has seemed to be Thomas, the seven-time Pro Bowl safety who has been widely linked to his hometown Cowboys for close to two years. The longtime Seahawk was released by the Baltimore Ravens after just one season and has been unemployed for nearly two weeks.

Now with the sudden thinning of the herd at safety in Dallas just as a promising season is about to begin, the calls to slap a star on Thomas’s helmet have never been louder.

Other league insiders, though, started downplaying any potential move to sign Thomas within minutes of the news that Clinton-Dix had been dismissed.

The Cowboys profess to be pleased with their defensive backs under new coordinator Mike Nolan and position coaches Al Harris and Maurice Linguist. Darian Thompson reportedly had an exceptional training camp and looks to have earned the starting nod opposite Xavier Woods in the wake of Clinton-Dix’s release.

But Woods has been dinged up, causing even more uncertainty barely a week before the team’s opener against the Rams. The coaching staff has been preaching positional flexibility to its players; that model may be tested early as cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and newcomer Reggie Robinson may find themselves fulfilling safety duties out of necessity and leaving the corner slots to Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, and highly-touted rookie Trevon Diggs.

“CeeDee Lamb might be Randy Moss, and Zeke might run for 2,000 yards, but they’re going to give up 50 points [a game] unless these guys can play,” said Good Morning Football host Kyle Brandt on Friday while looking at a listing of the current Cowboys secondary.

The team lists just three true safeties with the Clinton-Dix release. The oldest of them is 26. Of the ten listed cornerbacks, the average age is 24.7. The DB group as a whole is young and green.

“I would just call this out now,” Brandt continued. “On Monday, most of the country is not going to work. Good for them. Today and tomorrow, you know who’s not working? Earl Thomas. This is a different conversation now. If you didn’t want to get in the Jamal Adams business, that’s fine. It would have been very expensive and a whole different deal. Earl Thomas can maybe help you immediately. It goes from being a luxury of a good player to a necessity that, ‘I don’t know if we have enough talent on our back end to go toe-for-toe with some of these teams, starting with the Rams.’ If you know Earl is super-super-thirsty to play in Dallas, make him an offer. Low-ball him. See how much he wants to play in Dallas. I was okay on the thing before; now they need it. That is a striking fullscreen about America’s Team. ‘That’s the best we got?’ That makes me really worried.”

Despite whatever personality issues sent Thomas packing from both Seattle and Baltimore within the last 17 months, he’s a veteran player who could conceivably provide leadership on the field, and certainly still has the physical tools to contribute.

But Jones played it close to the vest when specifically asked about the former Legion of Boom star.

“As I always say, we’re always in the market 365 days a year to improve this football team, and that’s what we’ll we’ll continue to do,” Jones said.

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Longhorns in the NFL: Is the Earl Thomas to Dallas watch on?

With the release of HaHa Clinton-Dix could the Dallas Cowboys be eyeing former Texas Longhorns safety Earl Thomas? They should be.

For the last couple of weeks many have speculated about what is next for former Texas Longhorns safety Earl Thomas. He was released from the Baltimore Ravens after an altercation with teammate Chuck Clark. This came off the heels of a domestic dispute with his wife over the offseason. Of course the team that is linked to Thomas most are the Dallas Cowboys.

One of the weakest positions for the Cowboys is in fact their secondary. Especially after losing All-Pro Byron Jones. Not to mention their inability to create turnovers has been quite evident over the last decade plus. However, there is some optimism with a new regime in place that they can turn it around.

During roster cut down to 53-man roster, the Cowboys released former Alabama safety HaHa Clinton-Dix. Many felt he would be the starter opposite of Xavier Woods, but he was losing ground to Darian Thompson as the starter. Woods is currently nursing his injuries but the team doesn’t feel it is serious. Former Longhorns Network reporter Jane Slater who currently reports for NFL Network, tweeted out the news of Clinton-Dix being cut doesn’t mean anything on the Thomas front.

While that may hold merit, Thomas is still available and has shown he is still capable of making plays. For a defense that hasn’t had a playmaker on the backend in years, it makes sense to kick the tires on the possibility. The team lacks depth and experience at the position. Discussions of moving a cornerback to safety has been the talk of camp. Including Reggie Robinson who they selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.

If the Cowboys want to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy then they need to find a playmaker who can create turnovers. Earl Thomas has been on the biggest stage and he has the experience the young secondary could use. All they have to do in the words of Thomas is “come get me.”

ESPN reveals Cowboys’ weakness, but coaching staff has a plan

Dallas didn’t land an elite safety and lost its Pro Bowl cornerback, but the new DB coach says all his guys will be able to multitask.

Sizing up the Cowboys roster is still largely a speculative effort. A lack of preseason games and a shortened training camp with tight controls on revealing what’s happening behind those practice field doors has left fans and experts alike with very little information to work with, making for lots of guesswork when it comes to grading players.

Thanks to Sunday night’s not-ready-for-primetime televised practice that barely televised any actual football, judging the 2020 Cowboys- or any NFL team- still comes down to how they look on paper. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has done just that, attempting to identify the biggest Achilles heel for each squad as the season draws nearer.

In Dallas, he sees the secondary as the club’s primary deficiency. But it’s not at the position viewed as most troublesome when the 2019 season ended.

Barnwell’s list looks at the 20 teams deemed most likely to make the 2020 postseason, and spotlights the weakest link, whether it’s an injury that’s left one unit severely depleted, a COVID-19 opt-out that’s exposed a shallow depth chart, a less-than-ideal contractual entanglement, or plain and simple bad roster makeup.

In Dallas, he says, the Achilles heel is… cornerback, not safety. High-profile flirtings with Earl Thomas and Jamal Adams have made it pretty clear to the rest of the league that the Cowboys felt their back end was exposed, so to speak. And while many expected the club to shore up the safety spot with Xavier McKinney or Grant Delpit (or even Antoine Winfield Jr. or Jeremy Chinn) in the 2020 draft, the team elected to sit tight with Xavier Woods, Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson, and the newly-acquired HaHa Clinton-Dix.

The team was able to land Alabama corner Trevon Diggs in the second round, though, and also brought in Reggie Robinson, a potential diamond in the rough at the position. So what gives Barnwell pause about the CB state in Dallas?

“[I]t took a step back at cornerback after losing Byron Jones to the Dolphins in free agency,” he writes. “The Cowboys re-signed Anthony Brown, who should start in the slot, and Chidobe Awuzie will likely return as a starter on one side, but they’re hoping to replace Jones by having someone emerge from a committee.

“[Jourdan] Lewis is the favorite on paper to emerge as the starter, but minor injuries to Lewis and Awuzie have created an opportunity” for someone else, he points out.

That someone else could be Diggs, who has, by all accounts, had a very impressive camp. In fact, Barnwell notes, “he has the most upside of the bunch and figures to be a regular by the end of the season.”

Robinson and veteran Daryl Worley also figure to factor in as well, along with cornerbacks Chris Westry, Saivion Smith, C.J. Goodwin, and Deante Burton.

But new Cowboys defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist has hinted recently that outsiders should stop drawing such a sharp distinction between safeties and cornerbacks. Because he’s not. In fact. he’s expecting everyone in both groups to do both jobs.

“I’ll tell you what I told all the DBs: ‘Hey guys, you guys play DB,'” Linguist said Saturday, according to the team website. “Don’t lock yourself into a position or lock yourself into thinking you’re any one thing. Learn them all. There’s multiple spots back there.”

Besides the aforementioned minor injuries to Lewis and Awuzie, Woods has also joined the list of the walking wounded. The Louisiana Tech product left Sunday’s practice session with a groin injury and did not return, although head coach Mike McCarthy said he wasn’t concerned about Woods’ status.

Still, a high attrition rate among the defensive backs may mean more chances for all of them to do some cross-training.

“By no means are you just one position for us,” Linguist said. “You play defensive back, and we all know how this thing kind of goes throughout the season. We’ll see multiple people at multiple different positions.

“If I know exactly where the safety is and I’m a corner, well, that’s going to help me better understand what my technique is at corner,” he continued. “If I know exactly what a corner is doing at the safety position, it can help me move six inches to the left or six inches to the right and be successful.”

“I think one of the worst things you can do is say ‘This is what I am,'” Linguist said. “Because what it’s going to allow us to do is plug and play the next best person, the next best player – not necessarily just the ‘backup’ of the position. How can we find the best spots – six, seven, eight DBs – and get them on the field together in a rotation.”

It sounds great on paper. Right now, though, that’s all fans have to go on. The multitasking strategy will have its chance to play out in the real world soon enough.

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Cowboys’ Ha Ha Clinton-Dix trying hold on to role anointed in offseason

2020 Cowboys free agent signing Ha Ha Clinton-Dix looks to have a big year in 2020, reunited with his former coach Mike McCarthy.

Under the previous Dallas Cowboys regime, the back-end of the secondary was mostly an afterthought, with the team relying on steady hands like Barry Church and Jeff Heath to hold down the safety position. But one of the first things Mike McCarthy did in Dallas was bring in someone he’s very familiar with, who can ideally provide an element to the defense that’s long-been lacking. Enter HaHa Clinton-Dix.

The former No. 21 overall pick of the 2014 draft spent the first four and a half years of his professional career playing for McCarthy’s Packers. A college teammate of Amari Cooper at Alabama, Clinton-Dix has made a name for himself as a quality safety with a knack for finding the ball, and now looks to do the same in Dallas.

Playing last season for the Bears, Clinton-Dix played over 1,000 defensive snaps, recording 78 total tackles (62 solo), two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one touchdown. Over his first six seasons, he’s played in 96 games (90 starts) and made 19 interceptions (including playoffs). As a team, Dallas has averaged just over 10 interceptions per season since 2014, and will aim to increase that total in 2020.

However, Clinton-Dix has been a bit of a nomad in recent years, with the Cowboys being his fourth team in three seasons. He was traded at the 2018 deadline to Washington for a fourth-round pick, and has settled for one-year deals in back-to-back offseasons. But reunited with McCarthy, Clinton-Dix is intent on winning a championship, and feels more at home than ever. Said Clinton-Dix during training camp:

“Just trying to find my home, I think,” Clinton-Dix said as to why he’s bounced around. “After leaving Green Bay, I had a great time in Green Bay, going down to Washington where I was not familiar, didn’t know anything. And having a chance to play in Chicago with a great defense. A great coaching staff and I kinda got my feet back up underneath me. And [now] I had the option to come and play for Coach Mike [McCarthy], a guy who is familiar with me, he knows me, he drafted me, man. This is a blessing and a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Despite all the recent movement, there’s no denying what Clinton-Dix brings to a defense; rangy and savvy. On a team desperate for defensive play-making, Clinton-Dix should have plenty of opportunities to create turnovers and end opposing offense’s drives.

The question is whether he’ll emerge from training camp with the starter’s role. Early in the install portion of practice, reports are that he has been outplayed by journeyman safety Darian Thompson.

In addition to that tidbit comes the very public scenario where Earl Thomas has been released by the Baltimore Ravens. The connection to Dallas is obvious, as the two have been intertwined over the last three offseasons, but failing to make a marriage work.

Joining Clinton-Dix and Thompson in the back of the secondary has been Xavier Woods, a similarly versatile and talented DB who’s grown each year during his first three seasons. But playing on the last year of his rookie deal, Woods is set to become a free agent after the season, leaving the future of the safety position in Dallas in doubt. The team also has 2019 sixth rounder Donovan Wilson, a player who got his feet last year, and continues to flash potential during training camp as well.

Clinton-Dix, who will play most of this year at just 27-years-old, anointed by some to be the unifying figure in the group, will have to step up his game in the coming days, and his window to impress may have already passed him by.


This is part of our Countdown to the Regular Season player profile countdown. 

| Antwaun Woods | Tyrone Crawford | Trysten Hill | Jalen Jelks |
| Dontari Poe | Randy Gregory | Gerald McCoy | Dorance Armstrong |
| L.P. Ladouceur | DeMarcus Lawrence | Blake Jarwin | CeeDee Lamb |
| Cole Hikutini | Dalton Schultz | Noah Brown | Sean McKeon |
| Ventell Bryant | Jon’vea Johnson | Blake Bell | Justin Hamilton |
| Cody Wichmann | Tyron Smith | Ladarius Hamilton |
| Neville Gallimore | Terence Steele | Joe Looney | La’el Collins |
| Zack Martin | Brandon Knight | Ron’Dell Carter | Wyatt Miller |
| Connor McGovern | Tyler Biadasz | Adam Redmond | Luke Gifford |
| Leighton Vander Esch | Justin March | Connor Williams |
| Bradlee AnaeSean Lee | Jamize Olawale | Joe Thomas |
| Sewo Olonilua | Francis Bernard | Rico DowdleReggie Robinson |
| Darius AndersonChris WestryDonovan WilsonDaryl Worley |
| Trevon Diggs | Anthony Brown |


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DBs in heavy rotation on first day of camp as Cowboys coaches preach takeaways

Returning veterans, newly-signed free agents, and a fresh-faced rookie all got reps in the Cowboys secondary as training camp opened.

Perhaps no position group on the entire Dallas roster has been more of a sore spot in recent years than the defensive backs. A brutal interception drought, letting Byron Jones leave, and the failed courtship of several name-brand safeties has left many Cowboys fans feeling like maybe the coaching staff views the secondary as, well, a secondary concern.

But now there’s a new sheriff in town. And in the McCarthy era, everybody gets in on the action. Or at least they did on the first day of full-team practice.

It was a revolving door at cornerback on Friday at The Star in Frisco, with the depth chart apparently “wide open,” according to David Helman of the team website.

“Chidobe Awuzie and Daryl Worley split reps on the left side,” Helman writes, “while Anthony Brown and Trevon Diggs split reps on the right side. Jourdan Lewis and Brown split time as the slot cornerback.”

Behind them, Helman notes, “Xavier Woods and HaHa Clinton-Dix were the initial starting safeties, but both Darian Thompson and Donovan Wilson got a chance to work with the starters.”

Clinton-Dix brings six seasons of NFL experience with him to his first year in Dallas. With the better part of five seasons coming under the watchful eye of McCarthy in Green Bay, he had a good idea of what to expect from Day One of the coach’s 2020 camp.

The veteran also had good things to say about the Cowboys’ second-round rookie cornerback and fellow Crimson Tide alum.

While that pair of fresh faces look to bring a new ballhawking mentality to the Dallas DB room, another guy who flew under the radar may find himself getting a new lease on life under the new regime.

Safety Donovan Wilson got into 11 games in his rookie campaign last year; Friday he started his sophomore season on a strong note.

“The coaching staff gave Wilson an opportunity to work with the first-team defense,” Helman explains of Friday’s opening practice, “and he definitely made the most of it. Wilson read Dak Prescott looking to make a near-side throw outside the numbers, and he darted in front of the ball for a nifty interception. It was the first takeaway of training camp for a defense that is stressing the importance of generating turnovers.”

It seems the new-look Cowboys secondary has a primary objective for 2020.

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News: Lack of Dak deal will hurt Cowboys financially

Dallas Cowboys news and notes for July 13 2020

The deadline for the Dallas Cowboys to extend quarterback Dak Prescott is rapidly approaching and the latest reports on the situation aren’t looking good. Prescott is set to play on the franchise tag, but there are multiple negative effects of not getting a deal done with their franchise quarterback soon.

An ESPN ranking revealed the Cowboys have the top offensive weapons in the NFC. Jamal Adams to Dallas rumors are dead, or at least dying. Randy Gregory’s reinstatement is still in limbo, should the Cowboys be worried about the potential return of the talented defensive end? The NFL is working with Oakley to create innovative safety technology and hopefully keep the players safe amidst a global pandemic. The Cowboys rival in Washington is about to get a new name and mascot.  All this and more in the news and notes.

Safety: HaHa Brings New Veteran Presence :: The Mothership

The Cowboys lost Jeff Heath this offseason, but the loss was mitigated by the addition of another veteran safety, HaHa Clinton-Dix. Clinton-Dix is reunited with Mike McCarthy, how will this impact the Dallas defense?


ESPN: Cowboys’ offensive weapons ranked tops in NFC :: Cowboys Wire

In the same ranking just two years ago, the Dallas Cowboys were 30th in the league. Now, with the addition of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and the emergence of Michael Gallup, and the always steady Ezekiel Elliott, there’s no denying the Cowboys have one of the best groups of weapons in the league.


Why Dak not signing long-term deal would cripple the Cowboys :: ESPN

Rumor has it the Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott aren’t close to a long-term extension by Wednesday’s deadline. ESPN’s Adam Schefter explains how not getting this deal done would hurt the Cowboys financially.


Cowboys’ most storied rival to officially retire Redskins name, logo :: Cowboys Wire

The NFL team in Washington will no longer be known by their controversial former name, and a new logo is set to follow the new name. our own Todd Brock details the situation the Cowboys NFC East rival is undergoing.


NFL unveils Oakley Mouth Shield to combat coronavirus :: ESPN

There are many safety questions remaining before the NFL can start their operations, but they are trying to answer the questions. The latest innovation towards safety is an Oakley mouth shield. Will the players embrace this new equipment?


Jamal Adams Trade Rumors: Cowboys Have Not Discussed Move for Jets Safety :: Bleacher Report

The Cowboys have been linked to Jamal Adams for some time now, but it appears it’s all been for nothing. Recent reports are that the Cowboys are not discussing a trade for the All-Pro safety.


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Morning Minute: Dak-Dallas deadline in 48 hours, Washington franchise name change :: Cowboys Wire

Our own K.D. Drummond hops on for a new edition of the Morning Minute, where he dives into the latest Cowboys news, including all the details of the Dak Prescott deal deadline, as well as the Washington name change that’s set to take place soon.


Mailbag: Making Sense Of The Coming Season :: The Mothership

In the latest edition of Mailbag, Cowboys staff writers David Helman & Rob Phillips answer questions regarding Cowboys player’s contracts if there is no season, and the long term status of Dak Prescott in Dallas.


Report: Cowboys not expecting Randy Gregory reinstatement :: Cowboys Wire

A month or two ago it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Randy Gregory would be reinstated by the NFL. Now, as training camp draws near, the outlook for Gregory isn’t as clear.


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Cowboys News: Looking ahead to free agency 2021, predictions for 2020

Also in the news, Adrian Peterson complains about RB pay, Dez Bryant reacts to Cam Newton’s signing, and forecasting the Cowboys’ WR4.

It’s just weeks before the start of training camp, and there are so many questions the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL as a whole are facing. Some believe the season will take place, but a modified version- fewer games, no preseason, or some other change- seems increasingly likely.

If the coaching staff turnover is factored in, the Cowboys’ roster has certainly changed more this offseason than in recent years. The lack of in-person offseason programs doesn’t do them any favors, but all teams are having to adjust. Jourdan Lewis has a chance to break out, and a breakout may lead him to an expensive extension a year from now. HaHa Clinton-Dix could be a potential upgrade in the defensive backfield, and there’s a massive opportunity for the yet-to-be-named fourth wide receiver on the roster. All that and more; here are the news and notes for June 28, 2020.

After the big three, which wide receivers should make the Cowboys roster? :: Blogging The Boys

The Cowboys’ fourth receiver spot is one of the biggest roster question marks heading into training camp in Dallas. Dan Rogers from Blogging the Boys dives into all the potential candidates for the final wideout slot.


7 NFL players who should look forward to free agency in 2021 :: Bleacher Report

With the departure of Byron Jones, Jourdan Lewis has a great chance for a breakout year. If Lewis does step up this season, he could have his sights set on a big payday.



How NFL teams are managing the transition for this year’s rookie class :: Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer talks with a Los Angeles Rams coach on the differences and challenges this unique virtual offseason has created.



What will HaHa Clinton-Dix bring to the Cowboys defense? :: Inside The Star

HaHa Clinton-Dix signed a one-year deal in the offseason with the Cowboys. The former first-round talent out of Alabama hasn’t necessarily lived up to his potential, but his consistent production and ability to play both safety positions should prove valuable for the Dallas defense.


Most likely to least likely: Running through 10 Dallas Cowboys-related scenarios :: The Athletic

With the continuing pandemic, no one knows just how the NFL season schedule will unfold. The Athletic’s Jon Machota does his best to rank the most likely events that can happen for the Cowboys this season.



Six NFL pre-training camp predictions: Colin Kaepernick stays unsigned, preseason reduced or scrapped, more :: CBS Sports

Dak Prescott signed his franchise tag, though many believe that will be temporary while he and the Cowboys work out a long term deal. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports predicts that long-term extension won’t happen this season.



Adrian Peterson calls NFL’s RB pay ‘disrespectful;’ ‘we are valuable’ :: TMZ Sports

Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott had to hold out of training camp to land his megacontract; now the Vikings’ Dalvin Cook is threatening to do the same. The 35-year-old Peterson, in the final year of his current deal in Washington, says he’s fed up with NFL owners trying to short-change their backfield workhorses.


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News: HaHa escapes bear, stadiums to tarp off lower seating, a threat to Emmitt?

Also in Cowboys news, Terrell Owens speaks out on Jerry Jones, evaluating the rookie class, and what moving ahead with a 2020 season says.

The league is moving full steam ahead toward a 2020 season, but there’s very little that anyone knows for certain right now. There’s talk of reporting dates, tarping off lower rows of seating, and letting teams set their own attendance caps. But there’s also the nagging question of whether there should be a season at all. All this while some players, including Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, are still recovering after testing positive for COVID-19.

Elliott spent some time talking about Jamal Adams, and new safety HaHa Clinton-Dix spent some time running from a bear. Literally. All that, plus vacated targets translating to big opportunities for CeeDee Lamb and Blake Jarwin, rookies outperforming their draft slots, getting to know Jon’Vea Johnson, reading the close-game data tea leaves, T.O. talking J.J., and could Emmitt Smith really have competition as the all-time rushing king? That’s on tap in this edition of News and Notes.

Report: NFL players ‘will arrive on time’ on July 28; Cowboys, too? :: Cowboys Wire

It looks as if July 28 will be the “on-time” start for players to report to team facilities for camp. That would likely mean no early work for rookies or teams- like Dallas- with first-year head coaches.


Ezekiel Elliott: ‘I would love to have Jamal Adams on the Dallas Cowboys’ :: Cowboys Wire

While gaming it up at home, the running back shared an encouraging update on his health after testing positive for coronavirus and gave his thoughts on a possible trade that would make the Jets safety a teammate in Dallas.



NFL to tarp off lower rows of seats, allow teams to sell signage to local sponsors :: Sports Business Daily

In the latest wrinkle of what a COVID-19 NFL season might look like, teams have been told that the first six to eight rows of seats- as well as on-field suites- will be tarped over on gameday as a safety precaution. Those tarps will also feature ads visible only to television audiences.



Close-game data reveals the Dallas Cowboys might be poised for something big in 2020 :: Blogging The Boys

A look at the Cowboys point differential in wins and losses last season and how it could mean big things in 2020.


Cowboys have second-most vacated targets from 2019 season, leaving opportunities for CeeDee Lamb and Blake Jarwin :: Blogging The Boys

With only the Atlanta Falcons ahead of them in vacated targets last season, opportunities for success could be in abundance for rookie CeeDee Lamb and Blake Jarwin.


Film room: 3 Cowboys rookies who will outperform their draft slot, including the potential steal of the entire 2020 class :: Dallas Morning News

Jon Owning breaks down how rookies CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Biadasz, and Bradlee Anae could exceed expectations this season.


Terrell Owens: Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Silent amid Unrest Because of Donald Trump :: Bleacher Report

Former Cowboys receiver and Hall of Famer Terrell Owens believes Cowboys boss Jerry Jones’s silence on social injustice speaks volumes. He also thinks the owner’s relationship with Donald Trump plays a factor.


What’s Going on With DT Antwaun Woods? :: Inside The Star

There were rumors that Antwaun Woods was intending to sign his tender last month. He still hasn’t done so, and he hasn’t received a contract extension.


Speed kills, but it pumps life into Jon’Vea Johnson’s roster chances :: Cowboys Wire

Jon’Vea Johnson has an uphill battle to make the Cowboys roster, but his unique speed gives him a lifeline.


Adrian Peterson hopes to play ‘four more years’ in NFL :: NFL.com

The 35-year-old running back hopes to play at least four more seasons, possibly because doing so might give him a crack at Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing total. Right now, the seven-time Pro Bowler is in fifth place and sits 4,139 yards behind Smith.


Playing football in 2020 would mean prioritizing financial interests over health and safety :: SI.com

Fans owe it to themselves to momentarily put aside their personal desires for a fall full of gamedays and read this in-depth look at what forging ahead with a 2020 season during a global pandemic really means.


NFL to allow teams to set varying fan capacity levels when season commences :: The Athletic

It’s looking like teams will get to set their own attendance caps. Some teams may play before a full house; others may see their stands at half-capacity, some may host games in an empty stadium. And that prospect raises all kinds of other questions.


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