Tag: Leighton Vander Esch

Former Cowboys 2nd-round OL draft pick abruptly retires after starting all 2024, joins unique group

Interior OL Connor Williams strangely becomes the third member of Cowboys’ 2018 draft at AT&T Stadium to call it quits this year. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Do Cowboys fans remember Connor Williams? The former University of Texas product was part of the hometown, 2018 draft class that appeared to be sending the franchise in the right direction.  AT&T Stadium was the location of the festivities that year, one of the first times the NFL allowed cities outside New York to host.

Dallas walked away with what they thought was a foundational class, three players taken in the first three rounds all having an immediate impact on a playoff team which actually went on to win a game.

Nope.

On Friday, Williams became the third of three to end their careers this season. The eyebrow raising thing is, Williams has retired in the middle of a season where he’s started every game for his club, the Seattle Seahawks.

Williams left the Cowboys after the 2021 season in free agency, landing with the Miami Dolphins who successfully moved him to center. His knee injury made him a risky proposition in  free agency this season, but the Seahawks were reaping the rewards of the small gamble on a one-year, $4 million deal. That is until he abruptly called it a career nine games into the season.

 

The Cowboys lost their first-round pick that year, LB Leighton Vander Esch, to a neck injury in October of last season; one of several he suffered in his short career. Vander Esch officially called it quits in March.

A few days earlier, the team had released Vander Esch and 2018 third-round WR Michael Gallup. After sustaining a torn ACL in 2021, the team waited and waited for Gallup to recover, but he never again attained the ability he had shown in his first few years in the league.

After signing as a free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders, Gallup also abruptly retired, but on the eve of reporting for training camp.

Now, all three of the club’s premiere picks are gone. No player who was part of the 2018 draft class remains with Dallas, with DE Dorance Armstrong leaving in free agency to join former DC Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders.

Another fourth-round pick, TE Dalton Schultz, left in free agency last year to join the Houston Texans and will return to AT&T Stadium on Monday Night in the Week 11 clash. WR Cedrick Wilson, who was with Williams in Miami for two seasons, is currently on the New Orleans Saints roster and played against the Cowboys in the Week 2 matchup.

Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch announces retirement

From @ToddBrock24f7: The six-year veteran suffered two serious neck injuries, the latest of which has forced him to walk away from the game at age 28.

The Cowboys’ true cowboy at linebacker for the past six seasons is riding off into the sunset.

Leighton Vander Esch has announced his retirement from the NFL, as first reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer. The 28-year-old was released by the team last week with a failed physical designation, the result of a serious neck injury that brought his 2023 campaign to an early end.

The injury came in a Week 5 loss to San Francisco, when 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams slung Vander Esch into Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons. The hit ultimately landed the former first-round draft pick on injured reserve. It would be his final play.

“I love the game of football so much, and my body won’t cooperate any longer,” Vander Esch said in a statement. “I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been such a blessing to play the game for as long as I have played.”

Vander Esch had dealt with neck problems since his college days at Boise State. He missed a big chunk of the 2019 season before undergoing surgery in hopes of correcting the issue, a condition called cervical spinal stenosis. That first spinal fusion procedure came with the understanding that a second neck surgery would likely cost him his football career.

“Leighton is exactly the kind of player and person a coach feels very fortunate to have on their team,” said Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. “His leadership, character, perseverance, dedication and will to win were all at the highest level, not to mention his ability to play the game. Leighton impacted our team beyond defense. He set a tone that served as an example for all of our players about how we want to play. Having a teammate like Leighton is something everyone on our staff and in our locker room valued greatly, and we’re going to miss him.”

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Known as “The Wolf Hunter,” Vander Esch ends his Cowboys career with 557 tackles in 71 regular-season game appearances. He tallied 3.5 sacks, five QB hits, and 13 tackles for loss, while adding 13 passes defended, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries (one of which he returned for his first career touchdown just last season in what would be his final full game).

As a rookie, Vander Esch was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and earned second-team All-Pro honors that same year.

“He was a leader and the kind of teammate that impacted those around him in the best ways,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “Leighton’s playing career may have come to an end, but his future is very bright. On behalf of the entire Dallas Cowboys organization, we’re proud that he wore the star on his helmet, we thank him and we wish all the best to Leighton, his wife, Madalynn, and their young daughter.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hrfv2g7tmnx427d759 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hrfv2g7tmnx427d759/01hrfv2g7tmnx427d759-5b5d6c935cdf1c226b4582c27f5aebdb.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cap ramifications as Cowboys release Michael Gallup, Leighton Vander Esch

The Dallas Cowboys have had the ability to create a ton of cap space whenever they felt like it this offseason. Anyone believing the lack of acquisitions in free agency has been related to them being up against the cap ceiling without making moves …

The Dallas Cowboys have had the ability to create a ton of cap space whenever they felt like it this offseason. Anyone believing the lack of acquisitions in free agency has been related to them being up against the cap ceiling without making moves on Dak Prescott or CeeDee Lamb have been mistaken. The team has made smaller moves, bringing in Eric Kendricks to help at linebacker and bringing back Jourdan Lewis and C.J. Goodwin to help the defense and special teams, respectively.

Starting the offseason with just under $2 million of space isn’t enough to make all three of those moves official. On Friday, the club announced two of the least surprising decisions, releasing the last two members of their 2018 draft class, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and wide receiver Michael Gallup. Both players have storied injury history that prevented them from accomplishing the heights they teased throughout their early careers.

Vander Esch was the team’s first-round pick in 2018, hailing from Boise State. A familiar pipeline for the Cowboys, they’ve had many Broncos in their fold, but Vander Esch had the highest draft pedigree among them. His career started out well, earning a Pro Bowl nod and being named second-team All-Pro as a rookie while playing a full 16 games. He made 140 tackles that year with two interceptions.

However a series of neck injuries since a pinched nerve suffered in 2016 limited him to just one more full season over the next five campaigns.

Vander Esch played in just 19 games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and after a full slate in 2021, played in just 19 games over the last two seasons. During a Week 5 loss to San Francisco, 49ers OT Trent Williams blocked Vander Esch into Micah Parsons, causing a significant injury where his career was put in jeopardy.

There have been many concerned since last year that Vander Esch would not be able to return to football, and though Friday’s announcement didnt’ say he was retiring, he will not be with the Dallas Cowboys moving forward.

Gallup was a third-round pick out of Colorado State when the Cowboys plucked him in 2018. He would then be paired with Amari Cooper after a midseason trade and had a tremendous sophomore campaign in 2019, hauling in 66 receptions for 1,106 yards and six touchdowns. The following year, CeeDee Lamb fell to the Cowboys in the draft and visions of a three-headed monster at wideout were had by all.

Only it never really came to fruition.

In 2021, Gallup tore his ACL and while he was known as one of the best contested ball catchers in the league, he was never a huge separator. The knee injury exacerbated that shortcoming and his 2022 campaign was lackluster. In 14 games he caught just 39 passes and didn’t surpass 500 receiving yards. The thought process was that a full year removed from the injury would see him bounce back, but despite quarterback Dak Prescott turning in a performance worthy of MVP votes, Gallup’s numbers didn’t escalate.

Vander Esch’s release means the Cowboys save at least $2.15 million against the 2024 cap and that money is available immediately.He was set to make $3 million in base salary and another $147k in roster bonuses. $1 million of his base salary was guaranteed, meaning a release or retirement puts just over $2 million back into Dallas’ cap space. With the team releasing him with an injury designation, perhaps there was an agreement to lessen the $1 million they will need to pay him.

Meanwhile the savings from Gallup’s release will be much greater, they just won’t be immediate.

Gallup was released with a June 1 designation. That allows the team to avoid accelerating the bonus-money allocation that remains from 2025 and beyond onto this season’s cap. Any player released after June 1 impacts the cap in this way and each NFL team is allowed to designate two players such as this in advance of that date.

It allows the player to enter free agency when the other 31 teams have not spent all of their cap space, increasing the odds that player can be signed elsewhere. For the team though, the cap savings do not occur until June 2.

That means the money saved from releasing Gallup, his base salary of $8.5 million plus another $1 million in game-day bonuses, will not hit the cap until later in the offseason. It will be used for signing the draft class and carrying cap space into the season for IR replacement signings and end-of-year incentives.

Cowboys News: Familiar free agents, Most valuable franchise in sports

Familiar free agents that could sign in Dallas along with franchise tag options. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The Cowboys will get every chance to prove they are “all in” once the new league year begins and free agents can choose where they want to go. A new system requires different players, so tracking down a few familiar names would be a great place to start the defensive overhaul. A mainstay from that side of the ball may not be able to return from a serious injury sustained last season.

The swing tackle position was infamously highlighted a few years back and fortifying the position has become a yearly item to check off the the list. Has the team found a long-term replacement? The franchise tag has been used often in Dallas lately but this year could break a surprising streak. Cowboys tight end Jason Ferguson discusses how he prepared for the 2023 season with the national media. A Cowboys big board, Jimmy Johnson saving the boys, a new addition to the staff, and a collection of guesses at who Dallas takes with their first pick round out this edition of Cowboys news and notes.

Cowboys’ best Zimmer-style LB may not be back in 2024

Leighton Vander Esch fits the Mike Zimmer mold as a LB but neck issues may prevent him from returning to the Cowboys and the NFL. | From @ReidDHanson

There’s good news and bad news: The good news is the Cowboys new defensive coordinator wants to fix an issue that plagued the defense in 2023. The bad news is the perfect solution on the roster may not be returning.

When asked about the Cowboys most obvious change under Zimmer in 2024, both Nick Eatman and Patrik Walker pointed to the linebacker position. It’s a sentiment echoed by many in the industry, refencing Zimmer’s time in Minnesota and previous stops in Cincinnati and Dallas many years prior.

Zimmer likes big LBs. He likes guys who can hit, fill gaps, and keep passing windows narrow. He likes smart guys who know their assignments and execute their assignments. No guess work. No hero ball.

Truth be told, long and rangy LBs have never truly fallen out of fashion in the NFL but as the potency of the passing game has increased, so too has the prioritization of speed and coverage. This prioritization has paved the way for undersized LBs and even tweeners to break through. Look no further than Markquese Bell and Jayron Kearse who served tweener roles in Dallas under Dan Quinn.

Yet, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction, and in the NFL that means offenses have taken notice of all the undersized players in the box and adapted accordingly. While the passing game is still king in the NFL, the running the ball is back en vogue.

Shanahan offenses in particular have been masters of running the ball behind various personnel mismatches. And it’s no secret offenses stemming from the Shanahan coaching tree have had high degree of success against the Cowboys in both phases of the game.

Zimmer, on the other hand, has been successful against those Shanahan offenses and one of the reasons why is the linebackers he uses within his system aren’t easy mismatched in the running game or liabilities in the passing game.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the LB that best fits Zimmer’s brand of LB play is none other than Leighton Vander Esch. Vander Esch, 6-foot-4, 256-pounds, is Dallas biggest LB and also arguably the most disciplined. The veteran playmaker is the leader of the unit in both brains and brawn. After he fell to injury last season the falloff in play was significant. Not just from his vacated spot but in the play across the LB ranks.

It’s that very injury which may prevent the 28-year-old from returning to field. While everything is pure speculation at this point, Vander Esch has a history of serious back/neck injuries and suffers from cervical spinal stenosis. Jerry Jones indicated Vander Esch’s long-term future was in jeopardy when the Cowboys placed him on IR last season, and nothing said publicly since has indicated otherwise.

Fixing the LB issue in Dallas is going to take some work. It’s not just a one or two man overhaul but potentially an overhaul of the entire unit. That’s not to say there isn’t optimism around DeMarvion Overshown or Damone Clark, but even they come with risk and varying degrees on concern in regards to size, experience, and discipline.

One thing is clear – before any LB overhaul can find success the Cowboys have to fix their issues on the defensive line. A LB is only as good as the lineman in front of him so it’s important the Cowboys find something in free agency to shore up the middle. Luckily for them this is a strong DT free agent class.

The Cowboys have the perfect Zimmer LB on the roster. Unfortunately, there’s a better than zero chance he’ll never play the game again.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Fixer Upper: Cowboys LB corps a rebuild project worthy of DIY TV

The Cowboys will need to make multiple additions to the LB group in 2024, leaning on both free agency as well as the NFL draft. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys’ issues at the linebacker position have been well-documented. A shallow position group coupled with a major injuries atop the depth chart resulted in disaster for Dallas last season. Things were never the same once Leighton Vander Esch joined DeMarvion Overshown on IR.

The Cowboys were forced to lean on the safety group far too often, exposing their run defense and overworking their nickel group. It resulted in a late season collapse that extended into the playoffs.  Unlike other many offseasons, the situation is unlikely to correct itself through the natural healing process.

Vander Esch’s neck injury, coupled with his gaudy medical history, make him seem a longshot to return in 2024. Overshown may be expecting a full recovery from his preseason ACL tear but the same was said of Terence Steele and Michael Gallup once upon a time. Cautious optimism is probably the responsible way to view Overshown.

Additionally, Marquese Bell is likely to bounce back to his natural position of safety. He made the transition to LB out of utter desperation, but at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, he’s better suited for a box safety role again. And with Jayron Kearse likely to leave in free agency, the opportunity for Bell to claim a top-3 safety role will be there for the taking.

Damone Clark will return for his third season with the Cowboys, but his 2023 was largely underwhelming. Like everyone else, he was leaned on too much and forced into too many ill-fitting roles.

So the two, starting-caliber LBs expected to return in 2024 both have some obstacles to overcome: Overshown a significant knee injury and Clark some inconsistent play.

And all of that is based on the scheme of the departed defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. The needs may expand to three starting-quality LBs depending on who assumes the title next. Either way, major moves will be needed in Dallas just to reach bare minimum levels.

Given the situation, the Cowboys will likely need to utilize both free agency and the draft to build out the unit.

Off-ball LB tends to be a plug and play position so Dallas should lean on the draft to do the heavy lifting.

It’s noteworthy that of PFF’s top-20 graded LBs last season, 15 of them are 27-years-old or younger. It’s a position that often burns out quickly so any veteran signing should be done with caution.

Since the Cowboys probably need to find a starter in the 2024 draft, there’s a good chance they’ll use a top-100 pick to address the position. But they need to be prepared for anything since sometimes the draft doesn’t fall the way a team thinks it will. That requires Dallas to, at the very least, pick up a serviceable option in free agency.

Expect major changes this offseason.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Cowboys 53-man roster, elevation-eligible players vs Panthers in Week 11

A look at the Cowboys’ roster for Week 11, who is on the practice squad and how many call-ups remain, plus an update for guys on IR.

Two players have fallen out of our tracker, as the team announced that neither LB Leighton Vander Esch nor ST CJ Goodwin would be returning to the club this season. Both are significant losses for the Dallas Cowboys, but not ones they aren’t familiar with coping from for the 2023 year. Each had already spent the requisite amount of time on IR to be eligible for return if healthy, four weeks.

Now, the team is admitting they will go the rest of the way without them. That reduced the number of players on the 53-man roster who could have their 21-day practice window opened down to two, and one of those guys is taking advantage. TE Peyton Hendershot returned to practice on Wednesday and looks like he will be reinstated to the big roster before this weekend’s contest against Carolina. Here’s a look at the complete roster, along with the practice squad and IR list.

Cowboys banking big on Bell, Clark with Vander Esch out for year

How good Markquese Bell and Damone Clark have been for the Cowboys and why it’s so important they stay healthy going forward. | From @ReidDHanson

It seems as if the Cowboys pulled off the Band-Aid on the Leighton Vander Esch situation. Speaking on 105.3 the Fan Tuesday, Dallas owner Jerry Jones announced their star LB would miss the remainder of the season following a neck injury suffered in Week 5.

Initially there were hopes the 27-year-old would return from IR at some point in 2023. But the severity and nature of the injury coupled with his history of neck issues made that little more than wishful thinking. Now the reality has set in and Dallas must settle in to their alternative options for the remainder of the season.

As for Vander Esch’s long-term prognosis, it’s likely nothing will be decided officially until the offseason. But the short-term fallout is something that needs to be recognized. Reinforcements are not on the way this season and aside from some possible low-level churning, this is the LB squad Dallas has from here on out.

Even for a team like the Cowboys, who run very little base defense and rely heavily on their safeties in big nickel groups, they are desperately thin at the LB position. Only Damone Clark and Micah Parsons are listed as official LBs on the active roster.

Granted, Parsons is primarily an EDGE and Markquese Bell is a LB in most senses of the job description, but the point remains: they are thin and possibly an injury away from disaster.

When the postseason nears and yards get tough, having legit LBs on the field will be key. Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson are nice in a pinch and can serve many of the LB responsibilities, but they have limitations against the run.

While Dallas has multiple options on their practice squad, Clark and Bell are the only true starting level entities on the roster. Preserving them for the season is paramount because they represent the Cowboys best efforts at LB and especially at run defense.

Cowboys’ Jerry Jones confirms Vander Esch done for season; admits future is in doubt

From @ToddBrock24f7: With a second neck surgery possible to address his latest injury, Vander Esch may have played his last snap of football.

The man who runs it all in Dallas has confirmed that a key piece of his defensive arsenal will be shelved for the remainder of the 2023 season. And he had a less than encouraging outlook on whether he’ll ever be on the field again.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took to the airwaves Tuesday and addressed reports that linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, currently on injured reserve with a neck injury suffered in Week 5, might not return in 2023 as originally hoped.

“I would say that’s accurate,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan’s Shan & RJ in reference to a Dallas Morning News report that the sixth-year veteran is done for the year. “We had just completely left it up to how he was evolving.”

Vander Esch, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2018, has dealt with neck issues in the past, dating back to his college days at Boise State. He missed a big chunk of the 2019 season before undergoing surgery in hopes of correcting the issue, a condition called cervical spinal stenosis. He was sidelined again for four games last year after sustaining a neck stinger.

After playing in first five games of this season, he was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 16. While the initial prognosis was that he would miss four to six weeks, his injury history was always lurking in the background of those hopes.

“Of course, it’s just a very significant loss for us,” Jones said. “He’s an integral part of that defense out there. We just wish him well.”

The Cowboys defense has played well in Vander Esch’s absence and seen marked improvement from Damone Clark in a replacement role and from Markquese Bell, a converted safety. But Dallas also signed free agent linebacker Rashaan Evans just last month with an eye toward putting him on the active roster. He has been elevated from the practice squad three times and made his first start in week 10 versus the Giants.

The bigger question, however, is Vander Esch’s future. The spinal fusion procedure he underwent in 2020 came with the knowledge that another neck surgery might jeopardize the 27-year-old’s football career.

Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that “there’s a belief now that surgery may be required,” although “no decision has been made.”

Vander Esch is expected to receive more medical advice this week, but Jones spoke to the obvious seriousness of the situation.

“The nature of his potential injury here causes me to really think longer-term and beyond what it means for next week or beyond what it means for next month relative to the team,” the owner explained. “It has everything to do with what’s in his best interest.”

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

The Pro-Bowl linebacker has been a fan favorite since joining the team, prompting crowds at AT&T Stadium to erupt in loud howls anytime “The Wolf Hunter” makes a play. And he’s made plenty. Vander Esch has been in on 469 tackles, 13 TFLs, five quarterback hits, and 3.5 sacks over 71 games as a Cowboy. He returned a fumble for a touchdown in Week 4 versus New England, the first score of his career.

A week later, he had to exit the 49ers loss early after colliding with Micah Parsons on a play.

Jones had a sobering answer when asked Tuesday if that might have been Vander Esch’s swan song.

“I don’t know, and there are a lot of factors involved. But he just really needs to see how this continues to heal and then go from that point as to whether or not he would want to continue to expose himself to injury.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hf72rn4hmb07zc3xzr playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hf72rn4hmb07zc3xzr/01hf72rn4hmb07zc3xzr-b8b4f112e1fe26d9861dcd620476728d.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Cowboys’ Goodwin to miss rest of ’23, Vander Esch could follow

From @ToddBrock24f7: The special-teams ace will have season-ending pectoral surgery this week; Vander Esch is likely to also miss the remainder of the year.

Two valued members, leaders of the Cowboys’ defense and special teams who have been absent for weeks, may now both be done for the 2023 season.

Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and cornerback C.J. Goodwin both went on injured reserve in the hours before the team’s Week 6 game against the Chargers in Los Angeles. At the time, it was hoped that both would be back before the season was out.

According to a report from Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, that is now off the table for Goodwin. And it’s not looking good for Vander Esch, either.

Goodwin suffered a pectoral injury in Week 5’s loss to San Francisco and now plans to undergo surgery later this week to repair the damage. There had been slight hope that strengthening the area around the muscle through rehab could delay the need for a procedure, but Gehlken reports that the special teams ace has had a recent setback.

“I knew it was a long shot anyway,” Goodwin said, per Gehlken. “They said they never had somebody come back from it, but they gave me the opportunity to try, and I tried. It is what it is, but I’m looking forward to getting it better and rehabbing.”

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

As for Vander Esch, a course of action has not been decided regarding his latest neck injury, also suffered in Week 5. The veteran linebacker has already had one fusion procedure, in 2020, to treat a bulging disk. A second surgery to address his current injury is still a possibility, according to a person close to the situation.

Both Goodwin and Vander Esch could have had their 21-day practice windows opened on Monday. Instead, the door has closed on Goodwin’s season, and what’s behind Vander Esch’s is very uncertain.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hex3fekt1vq5fpsyvp playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hex3fekt1vq5fpsyvp/01hex3fekt1vq5fpsyvp-7e5ac70f4cb727b1014184dbe489f39b.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]