Tag: Maurice Canady

Cowboys News: Randy Gregory ‘unstoppable” in camp, Dalton Schultz impresses

The Cowboys offense says of Gregory, “We can’t stop him;” Dalton Schultz, Ben DiNucci, and Maurice Canady are among other camp notables. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Several Cowboys players aren’t waiting around to make moves. Tight end Dalton Schultz may be pressing to keep the starting job as Blake Jarwin continues to work his way back from an ACL injury, and Randy Gregory appears to be putting on a clinic at defensive end, prompting a former player and coach to predict an All-Pro campaign for the veteran still on the comeback trail. Maurice Canady is finally getting his Cowboys career started after opting out of 2020, Ben DiNucci is gunning for the primary backup quarterback job, Connor Williams is taking snaps at center, and a new cornerback has been welcomed into the fold.

Plenty more tidbits from camp to start a new week, too. Fans in Oxnard hoping to catch a glimpse of Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence may have to wait, Troy Aikman stopped by practice to share his expectations for the 2021 offense, Noah Brown and Sean McKeon get the player-profile treatment, slick grass during morning practices may become an issue, and Dan Quinn could become a breakout star when the Cowboys hit HBO. All that, plus a look at the remarkable Hall of Fame journey of Cowboys safety Cliff Harris, and Dez Bryant may not be done quite yet. Here’s your News and Notes.

Tank Lawrence opts in, Cowboys Covid list stops at 3

Find out which Cowboys players are opting out of the upcoming season.

The NFL, like the other recently-restarted major sports, offered players an option to opt-out, should they not want to play in the upcoming season for any number of reasons.

The deadline to opt-out was August 6 at 3 p.m. Central and many players around the league have took advantage of this new clause, including three Dallas Cowboys.

There had been discussion that DeMarcus Lawrence was considering this option, but the star defensive end whose wife recently had their first child remains in, announcing a few hours before the deadline through social media.

It’s hard to express just how important Lawrence joining the Cowboys this season will be, as there isn’t a clear starter at the opposite end position after the club lost double-digit sack artist Robert Quinn to free agency.

While none of the announcements came on deadline day, Dallas still had three players opt-out, choosing for the $150,000 loan borrowed against their 2021 salary.

The first Cowboy to withdraw was newly signed cornerback, Maurice Canady. Canady appeared in 13 games for the Jets and Ravens a year ago. The Cowboys cornerbacks were already a concern after the departure of Byron Jones, and while Canady might not have been the Cowboys number one cover man, but the 26 year-old could have provided depth and experience on both defense and special teams.

Fullback Jamize Olawale is perhaps the most notable Cowboy not joining the squad for 2020. Olawale played about 10 percent of the offensive snaps over the past two years, but was a major contributor on special teams. If the Cowboys choose to keep a fullback, it appears it may be Sewo Olonilua’s spot to lose.

Stephen Guidry, a 2020 undrafted free agent wide receiver also opted-out. A Mississippi St. product, he one of the many wide receivers who had an opportunity to claim the final spots on the depth chart. The Cowboys are able to retain Guidry’s rights for the future.

The Cowboys group of withdrawals is less significant than some other teams. For example, the Patriots had eight players opt-out, including former Pro Bowler Donta Hightower.

While on paper it looks like the Cowboys generated a few million dollars in cap space, these decisions didn’t have much impact the Dallas financial situation.

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Cowboys News: Draft, defense, DeMarcus and Dak

Dallas Cowboys news for March 26 2020, Dak Prescott and agent resume talks for extension, NFL gives back during Covid-19 pandemic.

There are plenty of questions left to be answered when it comes to the 2020 NFL season in itself due to the results of the current Covid-19 pandemic ripping through our nation. This however, is not stopping NFL teams including the Dallas Cowboys from zeroing in on specific moves to be made.

The Dak Prescott negotiations have reignited once again. The Cowboys have been adding to their defensive line in free agency but does that mean they will rule this position out come round one on draft day? The Cowboys, the NFL, and plenty of players across the league are doing their part to help those in need during these tough times. All this and much more in today’s news.

Cowboys, Prescott talking again trying to iron out long-term deal :: Cowboys Wire

The latest news from the continuous saga that is the Dak Prescott and Dallas Cowboy contract negotiations. Just how close are the two sides to a deal?

Cowboys free agent focus: Dontari Poe is right investment for improving Dallas’ run defense :: Blogging the Boys

At 345 lbs Dontari Poe is the biggest Cowboy defensive tackle in recent memory. The addition of Poe shows a clear shift in defensive philosophy under new coordinator Mike Nolan.

What does the extreme makeover of the Cowboys’ defensive line mean for Tyrone Crawford? :: Dallas News

Since joining the Cowboys in 2012, Tyrone Crawford has been incredibly consistent and versatile. Crawford had become adept in switching between the defensive tackle and end positions. With two new tackles (McCoy and Poe) will Crawford be able to plant his flag at defensive end this upcoming season?

Updated Cowboys 2020 Free Agency recap, cap space, comp-pick tracker :: Cowboys Wire

The most important link of the Dallas offseason. The free agency tracker is the only resource you need to see every Cowboy transaction.

2020 NFL Draft: Will the Dallas Cowboys target a wide receiver? :: The Landry Hat

The Dallas Cowboys only have a handful of true needs on their roster. One of those needs is depth at the wide receiver position. Randall Cobb is now a Texan, and while the Cowboys still have Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, a solid third wideout will be crucial to the offensive success. Where, and who, in the draft Dallas address this need?

Adding McCoy & Poe at DT Allows Cowboys to Focus on Secondary in Draft :: Inside The Star

As mentioned in the article right before this, the Cowboys aren’t overwhelmed by needs a month before the draft. Defensive tackle was certainly in play for the first round of the draft, but with the signings of Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy the Cowboys might be better off going secondary at pick No. 17.

Travis Frederick one of Cowboys 10 best OL of all time? Survey says… :: Cowboys Wire

The 29-year-old was the model of consistency and excellence for his shortened NFL career. Where does he rank amongst the Cowboys all-time lineman?

2020 NFL Draft: 5 Potential Travis Frederick Replacements for the Dallas Cowboys :: Inside The Star

Travis Frederick’s retirement was surprisingly shocking, considering he missed all of 2018 with Guillain-Barré syndrome. How will Dallas possibly replace his consistent all-pro level on the field and off?

NFL Free Agency 2020: Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears Give Richest Contracts :: IBTimes

All three of the highest total contracts given out so far are Cowboys or former Cowboys. This link includes all of the richest contracts so far this free agency.

NFL Family Donates $35M For Covid-19 Relief :: The Mothership

The NFL has come up with several ways to help the country during this pandemic. Read up about the different clubs and foundations doing their part to support the nation during these tough times.

Bucky Brooks: Canady More Than Just a Corner :: The Mothership

Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks joins the DallasCowboys.com writing team as he breaks down one of the big splashes in the Cowboys free agency period, cornerback Maurice Canady.

Draft Show Mock: Cowboys Get Elite Pass-Rusher :: The Mothership

The Dallascowboys.com draft show team did a mock draft this morning with the Cowboys grabbing a premier defensive end. Where did all the other stars fall?

Blake Bell on the Cowboys: You look at their roster and they’ve got a lot of talent, even the coaches :: Blogging The Boys

Get to know one of the new tight ends on the Dallas Cowboys roster. Bell praises the current team as currently structured and respects the entire coaching staff.

 

Cowboys to sign ex-Jets CB Maurice Canady

Maurice Canady elected to sign with the Dallas Cowboys after New York re-signed Brian Poole to a one-year, $5 million deal.

Maurice Canady became the first Jets free agent to find a new home this offseason.

Canady agreed to a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Canady spent half of the 2019 season with the Jets and the other half with the Ravens. He joined the Jets after being claimed off waivers in November from Baltimore, where he spent the three previous seasons.

Canady played relatively well for the Jets’ banged-up secondary down the stretch. He made three starts between the two teams and was one of eight corners to start a game with New York in 2019.

With the Jets re-signing Brian Poole to a one-year deal on Wednesday, there are still moves to be made. Canady is a solid depth piece but primarily excelled in the slot. Re-signing Poole made Canady expendable, leading to his departure to Dallas.

The Jets made the decision to release Trumiane Johnson and have one to make on Darryl Roberts. Other than Roberts, Bless Austin, Nate Hairston and Kyron Brown are the only remaining cornerbacks on the active roster.

Secondary Consumers: Cowboys ink CB Maurice Canady, bring back Brown

Dallas made two moves to shore up the secondary, but will they find a big fish to go along with the savvy deals?

The Dallas Cowboys had three free agent cornerbacks entering the offseason, losing Byron Jones on the first day of free agency to a mammoth deal with the Miami Dolphins. While there was talk of bringing in Chris Harris, Jr., formerly of the Denver Broncos, the club seemed to bow out of that process relatively quickly.

On Wednesday, the official start of the league year, the club made not one, but two moves to shore up the important position, including bringing back one of their own. The team has worked out a three-year agreement for Anthony Brown to return while also signing external free agent Maurice Canady.

Brown returns to the club for his fifth season, after being a Day 3 draft pick in the team’s vaunted 2016 haul. Primarily a slot corner, Brown was off to a great start in his first two years, but didn’t seem to take to the coaching style of DB coach Kris Richard, who joined the club in 2018. His regression was strong, and led many fans to clamor for Jourdan Lewis, who eventually took the starting spot from Brown before the latter was ruled out for the season due to injury.

Brown played just nine games in 2019 and was placed on injured reserve on November 20 after season-ending surgery on his arm.

For his career Brown has four interceptions, three sacks as a crafty slot blitzer and 32 passes defenses. The Purdue product has started 32 of the 54 games he’s appeared in.

As for Canady, he was also a 2016 draft product, drafted 20 picks after Brown in the sixth round as well. The former Baltimore product spent last season playing for both the Ravens and New York Jets.

He has just four career starts and spent a lot of time bouncing back and forth on the Ravens roster between IR stints. He was picked up on waivers by the Jets  last November.

An interesting note, the Ravens must have liked him to some degree as not once but twice they used one of their two in-season IR activations on him, in 2017 and 2018.

The former Virginia Cavaliers baller stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 219 pounds. Pro Football Focus graded him a top 30 corner in his limited snaps (393) for the 2019 season.

He had one interception, one forced fumble and five PBUs in limited time.

The Cowboys did not find a replacement for Jones, yet, but they did shore up the depth portion of their positional needs. For now, Brown will be part of the top-3 rotation with Lewis and de facto No. 1 corner Chidobe Awuzie, while Canady looks to replace C.J. Goodwin as the fifth corner.

In a related move, the Cowboys released CB Donovan Olumba on Wednesday.

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6 cornerbacks the Jets should target in free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at six cornerbacks Joe Douglas and company should target in free agency.

The Jets struggled at multiple positions in 2019, but no unit was worse than New York’s cornerbacks.

Aside from Brian Poole, who is set to hit free agency, the Jets got little to no production out of their corners throughout the season. Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts were downright awful. Bless Austin showed some flashes of potential in his rookie year, but found himself benched by season’s end. Arthur Maulet and Maurice Canady had their moments, but are not exactly proven starters that New York can rely on entering 2020.

Fortunately for Joe Douglas and the Jets, there are plenty of solid free agent cornerbacks available this offseason. Which ones should New York target? Let’s take a look.

Chris Harris

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Although he is getting up there in age, Harris remains one of football’s upper echelon cornerbacks. Opposing quarterbacks seldom threw at the 31-year-old in 2019 as Harris anchored a Broncos secondary that ranked just outside the top 20 in passing yards allowed per game.

Harris is by far the best cornerback on this year’s free agent market. However, he is on the wrong side of 30 and will be worth around $11 million per year, according to Spotrac. The Jets have been burned handing out large contracts to aging corners in recent years, which could give the front office pause on pursuing the four-time Pro Bowler.

Will Douglas and company go all-in and take a shot at bringing Harris to the Big Apple? If New York deems the veteran worth his price tag, it will be firmly in the race for his services.

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Cap Cut Candidate: Should Jets move on from CB Trumaine Johnson?

Should the Jets keep Trumaine Johnson for another season? Jets Wire says no way.

Before free agency kicks off in March, Jets general manager Joe Douglas is going to have some decisions to make on players already at One Jets Drive.

Along with New York’s 32 impending free agents, there are a handful of players who could be shown the door in an effort to free up salary cap space. The Jets have $53 million to spend right now, according to Spotrac. That number could grow exponentially if Douglas parts ways with players eating up a large chunk of Gang Green’s payroll.

Among those who are a candidate to become a cap casualty is cornerback Trumaine Johnson. After signing a massive five-year, $72.5 million with the Jets in 2018, Johnson has been nothing short of a disappointment in his time with the team. Should he be granted another season to figure things out? Let’s evaluate the situation.

Pros of keeping him

The Jets are in bad shape at cornerback. Brian Poole is set to hit free agency and there is no guarantee he returns to the Big Apple next season. Darryl Roberts was awful in 2019 and is also a candidate to get cut. If Johnson is let go, that leaves New York with Bless Austin, Kyron Brown and Nate Hairston. Maurice Canady and Arthur Maulet are set to hit the open market.

Yes, Johnson has underperformed since joining the Jets. However, there is a reason why he was once the best cornerbacks in football. The 30-year-old has lost a step the last couple of years, but who is to say he can’t bounce back and put together a productive 2020 season? He did look good in training camp last summer before injuring his hamstring, after all.

Cornerback is New York’s weakest position group at this juncture. Why not give Johnson one last shot to get it right?

Cons of keeping him

There is really no point in keeping Johnson at his current salary. New York owes him $11 million next season. Johnson is not worth that number considering how he has performed the last two seasons.

If the Jets release Johnson before June 1, they would absorb $12 million in dead cap, but free up $3 million in cap space. That would allow Douglas to go out and sign a corner to replace him in free agency.

Not only does cutting Johnson make sense from a financial standpoint, but from a schematic point of view as well. Johnson found himself in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ doghouse before landing on injured reserve. With the Jets looking to get younger, why would they keep an underperforming and overpaid veteran around?

The verdict

The argument that New York’s cornerback room would become even more of a mess without Johnson could give reason to believe he is worth keeping around for another year, but do not be fooled by this line of thinking.

Keeping Johnson does not solve anything. Just because he has a history of elite production does not mean he is magically going to return to that level of play. The Jets should not keep Johnson. Period.

The bottom line is, New York is better off without its 30-year-old, $72.5 million dollar man on the roster. It’s time to move on from arguably the worst free agent signing in franchise history.

Jets Free Agent Profile: What to do with CB Maurice Canady?

Jets Wire evaluates whether or not New York should re-sign impending free-agent cornerback Maurice Canady.

Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans to target in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 32 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2020, while it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep others around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.

Maurice Canady joined the Jets in November after spending three years with the Baltimore Ravens. The 25-year-old cornerback was a somewhat pleasant surprise for New York, as he was relatively solid down the stretch. Is that enough to warrant a return in 2020? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Pros of keeping him

When the Jets claimed Canady off waivers from the Ravens, he was viewed as a depth piece for an already banged up cornerback unit. The acquisition proved to be far more impactful for New York, though, as Canady earned himself a spot in Gregg Williams’ defensive back rotation.

Canady wasn’t a world-beater lining up mostly in the nickel, but he was a solid contributor. When Brian Poole wasn’t on the field, Canady made the most of his opportunities with high-motor play and fierce physicality.

Cons of keeping him

Canady is one of those players who balls out in short spurts, only to return to mediocrity a couple of weeks later. That is not necessarily a knock on him. He just is not a starting-level NFL cornerback at this point in his career.

Considering that is what the Jets need, it’s hard to see Canady back in green and white next season.

The verdict

All things considered, Canady has a somewhat solid chance of sticking around at One Jets Drive. Nickel corner is a valuable position and he showed enough he can contribute in that role.

With that being said, the Jets need major upgrades at corner. Canady is a solid backup, but Douglas needs to do more than continue to add depth pieces who might be able to make a play here and there.

It’s a tougher call than it might seem, but Canady is likely out in the Big Apple.

Jets secondary vulnerable against Dolphins with key pieces missing

The Jets secondary will be vulnerable to the Dolphins this Sunday as they’re missing a ton of key pieces.

The Jets secondary is as depleted as it has ever been this season.

New York will likely be without its star safety Jamal Adams due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, both Brian Poole (concussion) and Arthur Maulet (calf) are trending towards being out as well. That means the Jets will have only two members of their secondary playing in Sunday’s game that started in Week 1 in Marcus Maye and Darryl Roberts.

In other words, the unit is looking extremely vulnerable heading into Week 14.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has already coached up this defense to be respectable, but this might be his biggest challenge yet.

“He’ll have to get creative this week, which I’m sure he doesn’t mind,”Adam Gase said of Williams.

We could be seeing multiple players playing in different positions on Sunday. With Adams out, Roberts could see some time at safety as he played at that position for five games last season. As for the slot, Nate Hairston will have to play on the inside. To replace Maulet, the Jets will have to slide Maurice Canady to the outside. It’s not an ideal situation, but there’s not much else they can do to fix this.

“You have to have the contingency plans of what if somebody goes out, how are we shuffling things around,” Gase said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that are going to be responsible for playing a few different positions.”

The last time the Dolphins faced the Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns in a win. That was when New York’s secondary was considered healthy. Since that game, Fitzpatrick has thrown for over 300 yards twice and wide receiver DeVante Parker has had over 100 receiving yards in two of his last three games. If Fitzpatrick and the rest of the Dolphins continue to play the way they have lately, the Jets’ defense will be in deep trouble.

“They’re throwing the ball, which I’m sure [Fitzpatrick] loves,” Gase said. “He had a good game last week. The last time we played him, we struggled to get him to turn the ball over and create enough pressure to make him uncomfortable. That’s the number one thing when you’re playing Fitzy is you’ve got to try to get to him, you’ve got to try to get him to make some mistakes and put pressure on him and make some of those throws tough.”

Adam Gase, offensive line among Jets’ Studs & Duds in loss to Bengals

The Jets dropped their second game to a winless opponent this season and are now 4-8 with four games remaining after their 22-6 loss in Ohio

The Jets lost to a team that is 1-18 in its last 19 games on Sunday.

Adam Gase’s squad was a no show in Cincinnati, thinking they already had the game won when they arrived. Instead, New York was on the wrong side of NFL history for the second time this season.

The Jets gave the 0-7 Miami Dolphins their first win. No NFL team has ever given two teams who started 0-7 or worse their first wins of the season. New York became that team Sunday, handing Cincinnati its first win of the season and giving Zac Taylor the first win of his head coaching career.

For the Jets, it was two steps back in the wrong direction. Sam Darnold ended the game with a pronounced limp and the Jets offense didn’t sniff the red zone once.

Here are the best and worst players from the Jets’ sluggish and embarrassing Week 13 loss.

Dud: The Offensive Line

(David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports)

Pass protection has been an issue all season for the Jets, but it reared its ugly head in the 22-6 loss.

The Jets offensive line was guilty of six holds and several back-breaking penalties. The Jets offense had no chance with the Bengals defensive front wreaking havoc on the backfield on every play.

Offensive line play has been key to the Jets’ success all season, so it didn’t help that Kelvin Beachum and Tom Compton were penalty machines while Brandon Shell was a turnstile.

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