Tag: Jabril Cox

Commanders make roster moves ahead of Week 9

The Commanders added two players to the active roster Friday, including linebacker Jabril Cox.

The Washington Commanders had two open roster spots after the trades of defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young earlier this week. Ahead of Sunday’s Week 9 game against the New England Patriots, the Commanders filled those positions from within.

On Friday, Washington signed cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields and linebacker Jabril Cox from the practice squad. Castro-Field has been elevated from the practice squad multiple times this season and appeared in three games, playing on special teams.

Cox was elevated off the practice squad ahead of last week’s game vs. Philadelphia after the Commanders placed starting linebacker Cody Barton on the reserve/injured list.

Washington didn’t add any defensive ends to the roster, as it has five on the 53-man roster already: James Smith-Williams, Casey Toohill, Efe Obada, Andre Jones Jr. and K.J. Henry.

Jones has played sparingly on defense this season, while Henry has yet to make his NFL debut.

Commanders to elevate linebacker Jabril Cox vs. Eagles

Fans have wanted to see Jabril Cox.

When NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players ahead of Week 1, multiple good players were available to new teams. Some of the NFL’s best teams must cut players they’d otherwise prefer to keep.

The Washington Commanders found one such player from their biggest rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas released third-year linebacker Jabril Cox during its final cuts and wanted to retain Cox on the practice squad. However, Cox wisely saw the Commanders as a quicker path to playing, instead choosing their practice squad over a return to Dallas.

Now, Cox will get his chance to impress Washington. Head coach Ron Rivera confirmed Friday that the Commanders would elevate Cox from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“We haven’t done that yet, but we will,” Rivera said when asked if Washington would elevate Cox on Sunday. 

“He’s looked very good, very athletic. He’s shown his speed, his quickness, his athletic ability. That’s been kind of exciting to watch.”

A former two-time FCS All-American and three-time FCS national champion at North Dakota State, Cox spent his final season at LSU in 2020.

A fourth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2021, Cox missed half of each of the last two seasons as he recovered from a torn ACL.

Starting linebacker Cody Barton is out on Sunday, which means David Mayo and Khaleke Hudson will replace him alongside Jamin Davis. It will be interesting to see if Cox plays against the Eagles.

7 recently cut or waived players Raiders should consider adding

Still some talent out there to be had from roster cuts. Here are 7 of them the Raiders should consider adding.

There are always a few players that teams cut who instantly stun a lot of people. Many of those players are talented enough or fit another team’s need so well, that they are scooped up quickly or claimed off waivers. But not all of them.

Some players still slip through and either remain unsigned or join a team’s practice squad.

Either way, what many refer to as the “final 53-man roster” is anything but final. A better term is “initial 53” because more moves inevitably occur afterward.

Sometimes those moves are a team seeing a player or players become available that they like better than those they kept initially. Other moves include injured players who the team expects to have back in short order, but in order to be added to the IR Designated for Return list, those players must be on the roster after the initial cuts are made.

Now that the dust has settled from the cuts, signings, and claims, I have compiled a list of those players still out there who the Raiders should consider adding this week as they prepare for the season opener.

Ron Rivera is high on new linebacker Jabril Cox

Rivera confirms the Commanders really liked Cox coming out of the draft.

The Washington Commanders signed one linebacker in free agency this offseason. Washington signed Cody Barton early in free agency to replace Cole Holcomb. The move was essentially a swap, not one made to improve the overall unit.

Jamin Davis returns, and Washington expects the 2021 first-round pick to take another step forward in 2023. Khaleke Hudson is also a name to watch after having a terrific offseason

On Wednesday, the Commanders filled out their practice squad by signing 15 players with the franchise over the summer. The 16th player comes to Washington from the Dallas Cowboys. Jabril Cox, a fourth-round pick of Dallas in 2021, chose the Commanders’ practice squad over a similar opportunity with the Cowboys.

Why? Cox saw Washington’s depth chart and believed he could be promoted to the main roster and play. That’s a smart bet for Cox to make.

After Washington’s practice Wednesday, head coach Ron Rivera — a former NFL linebacker — was asked what he saw in Cox.

“Well, we remember the young man coming out at LSU,” Rivera said.

“He’s a physical specimen, a young man that can run and can make an impact. And again, it’s one of those things that he’ll have to learn, he’ll have to grow, but he’s got the skillset that you’re looking for as far as that position is concerned. As I said, he’s a guy that we really did like coming out of the draft that year.”

These are the types of players you take a chance on. Washington stole defensive tackle John Ridgeway from the Cowboys one year ago. Cox has a lot of potential and can help the Commanders in coverage.

Of course, right now, he’s on the practice squad, but he’ll have a chance to impress coaches in practice.

Social media reacts to Commanders adding ex-Cowboys linebacker to the practice squad

It appears to be a popular move.

Washington fans have been begging for help at linebacker almost since the moment Ron Rivera took over as head coach before the 2020 season.

It’s odd, considering Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio were both former standout linebackers in the NFL for a combined 19 seasons. However, in today’s pass-happy NFL, the Commanders have almost de-emphasized the linebacker position to a degree. Washington isn’t the only team.

The Commanders often play with just two linebackers on the field, opting instead for five defensive backs or five defensive linemen. When Washington announced its initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, it had only four linebackers.

So it was unsurprising when the Commanders re-signed De’Jon Harris to the practice squad. However, the Commanders weren’t done, later adding former Dallas fourth-round pick Jabril Cox to the practice squad. Cox chose Washington’s offer to join its practice squad over re-joining the Cowboys.

Why? Because he probably saw a clearer path to eventually playing.

Regardless of what eventually happens with Cox and the Commanders, it was a smart gamble by Washington to take a shot on the athletic 6-foot-3 linebacker.

We took to Twitter for some of the best reactions to the Commanders adding Cox to the practice squad, and it appears to be a popular move — and rightfully so.

 

Former LSU linebacker Jabril Cox added to Commanders practice squad

Jabril Cox didn’t last long as a free agent.

It didn’t take long after the Dallas Cowboys waived former LSU linebacker [autotag]Jabril Cox[/autotag] that he landed with an NFC East rival.

The Washington Commanders have added Cox to their practice squad, according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

A fourth-round pick in 2021, Cox’s rookie season was cut short by a torn ACL in Week 8. Last season, he appeared in nine games, recording just six tackles.

A four-year player at North Dakota State, Cox joined the Tigers as a graduate transfer for the 2020 season, where he was one of the best defensive players on a 5-5 team. He was a two-time FCS All-American during his stint with the Bison.

Cox will hope to rejuvenate his career in Washington.

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Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Commanders sign former Cowboys LB Jabril Cox to practice squad

Commanders sign a linebacker they liked in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Washington Commanders finalized their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Commanders turned to filling out their practice squad.

While most of the players Washington has signed to its practice squad thus far were with the team in the offseason and in training camp, Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network reported a new face is coming aboard.

Third-year linebacker Jabril Cox, a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL draft, is signing with the Commanders instead of returning to the Cowboys’ practice squad.

Washington was high on Cox in the 2021 draft, and he brings depth and upside to the linebacking corps. The Commanders kept only four linebackers on the active roster: Jamin Davis, Cody Barton, David Mayo and Khaleke Hudson. De’Jon Harris was also re-signed to the practice squad.

At 6-foot-3, 234 pounds, Cox has good size. He is also a good athlete. Before spending his final season at LSU in 2020, Cox played four years for North Dakota State, where he won three FCS national championships and was a two-time All-American. He was one of the lone bright spots on that 2020 LSU team that struggled after winning the national championship in 2019.

In two years with the Cowboys, Cox has appeared in 16 games. He tore his ACL in Nov. 2021, missing the second half of his rookie season. One of Cox’s strengths coming out of college was his athleticism and ability in coverage.

Jabril Cox, Isaiah Land among cut Cowboys signed by new teams

From @ToddBrock24f7: Cox goes to the Commanders; Land makes the Colts’ 53-man roster. WR Dennis Houston will suit up for the Giants’ practice squad.

Tuesday was a day for letting go of talent for NFL teams; Wednesday is a day for getting some back in the building as practice squads are assembled.

As expected, several players cut by the Cowboys yesterday have been snatched up by other clubs, including at least one promising rookie the team had very much hoped to re-sign for further in-house development.

From the first wave of new signings around the league, here are three now-former Cowboys who will be sporting enemy colors the next time they step on a football field.

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Dallas Cowboys waive former LSU linebacker

The Dallas Cowboys have waived former LSU linebacker Jabril Cox.

The Dallas Cowboys have waived former LSU linebacker [autotag]Jabril Cox[/autotag] before the NFL’s roster deadline.

Cox was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played in 16 games over two years for the Cowboys as he made five tackles over that stretch.

Cox came to LSU as a graduate after playing three years at North Dakota State. He played 10 games for LSU in the 2020 season where he had 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, and one touchdown.

Cox was having a good preseason as he had seven tackles over three games, but the depth in Dallas was too strong for him to be able to keep his spot on the roster as the Cowboys chose to move on. They have a talented linebacker room with the likes of Micah Parsons, who is one of the best players in the league, and Leighton Vander Esch.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

3 things to watch for in Cowboys preseason finale vs Raiders

Preseason games are meaningless in the record books, but not to the coaches, front office, and many Dallas Cowboys players. | From @cdpiglet

By this time in the preseason, NFL teams have most things figured out and are simply preparing for the start of the regular season. The Dallas Cowboys have likely already answered most of their own questions regarding the 53-man roster.

They know which veterans they can cut now to bring back later so they can protect and stash a young prospect like pass rusher Isaiah Land or offensive guard T.J. Bass. The coaches understand who not to play to protect them for the games that matter. Seeing them a few extra snaps would not be worth the risk of injury in the coaches’ minds.

Even though 90% of the questions might be answered, the last preseason game still has the ability to answer a few outstanding ones. A handful of roster spots are still in question, and the team could want to see someone in a different role. Here are some of things fans should watch for when the Cowboys take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.