NOV 12 COWBOYS AND TILLERS? The Los Angeles Chargers are waiving former first-round defensive tackle Jerry Tillery – and the Dallas Cowboys, always looking to fortify a good defense (albeit with some run-stopping challenges as they prepare for Sunday at Green Bay) would like a piece of the action.
But there’s a problem – a problem of being too good.
The 6-6, 295-pound Tillery fell into disfavor with the Chargers coaching staff this year as he recorded just eight tackles before being waived on Friday. So the 2019 NFL Draft first-round pick will get a fresh start somewhere…
But the way the waiver order works, the worst teams get the first claims. And Dallas – with its 6-2 record – is going to be at the bottom of the teams with a shot at him.
That process can begin at the beginning of the upcoming week, and teams like the one-win Texans seem like the most logical coming winners here.
Taken 28th overall in 2019, Tillery, 26, was in his fourth season with the Chargers after starting 29 of 54 games played, with 106 tackles and 10.5 sacks.
NOV 2 TRYOUT SCOOP The Cowboys on Wednesday conducted 10 workouts at The Star in Frisco and we’ve got the list…
Scoop: #Cowboys BIG FA workout at The Star …
Harris, Tim DB
Hill, Brian RB
Moore, George T
Simmons, Jordan G
Stephens, Linden DB
Taylor, Alex T
White, Zaquandre RB
Wilcox, Chris DB
Williams, Dexter RB
White, Willie G
More info as we gather. …
NOV 1 SUSPENDED RIDLEY … GET TRADED?! The bizarre story of Calvin Ridley keeps getting a little more bizarre.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, very much in need of difference-makers, were about a year ago exploring the idea of trading for unhappy Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
But a few problems got in the way.
First, the talented receiver left Atlanta citing mental health reasons; he was apparently considering retirement.
Then, the Falcons engineered a trade of him to the Eagles – but voluntarily pulled out of the deal because the Falcons knew that Ridley was about to get a one-year suspension for betting on NFL games.
The Falcons did that in good faith. And now they do something else: He’s been traded to the long-interested Jags in what NFL Network terms a “complicated” deal that could eventually net Atlanta second- and fifth-round picks.
How bizarre.
NOV 1 WR DEAL Put this in the category of the “Do Something” moves that don’t actually make much sense – or, at least, wouldn’t have made sense for Dallas.
The Bears just traded a second-round pick for a receiver in Chase Claypool who has some middling production (including just one TD catch this year and zero catches on two targets for the Steelers last week) but who was at some level on Dallas’ radar…
But no. Not for a second-round pick. … which might end up being too pricy for Dallas to consider in discussions with Brandin Cooks, a far more proven pro than Claypool.
NOV 1 CHUBB TO MIAMI Bradley Chubb has been traded into the AFC East as the Dolphins again enter their Buffalo Bills’ Arms Race. Full story here.
NOV 1 TJ TO MINNY TJ Hockenson is about to see a lot of the Cowboys. His Lions just played in Dallas … and now, later this month, his Vikings – as the tight end just got traded there – will see the Cowboys again. Full story here.
NOV 1 DE COST The Cowboys continue to be connected to pass-rush trade rumors (see Bradley Chubb) … not that we completely see the logic.
But just in case, it is instructive to know the price.
We know it because the Los Angeles Rams offer for Panthers edge Brian Burns is, via. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, consisting of two first-round picks.
Wow.
It seems likely that the Panthers turned down the Rams’ offer of those two first-rounders because they would come in 2024 and 2025; that’s all the Rams have.
But it might also indicate how much Carolina really doesn’t want to lose their premier sack artist.
And it might suggest how unlikely it is that Dallas travels this path.
NOV 1 JOKER Kareem Hunt had just pitched in Cleveland’s 32-13 win over Cincinnati on “Monday Night Football” and it was Halloween. So it made perfect sense that he would celebrate in his own way.
“I mean, I’m down for whatever, man,” Hunt said, per NFL.com. “I’m a football player and this is a business. So I’m ready to do whatever they decide with me.”
“That’s either go somewhere else or here, anything it doesn’t matter. I love the game of football,” said Hunt, who must also love being “The Joker” on Halloween, given that he conducted his postgame interview in his “Batman”-related mask.
OCT 31 HUNT TO NFC EAST? The Philadelphia Eagles, according to a volume of rumors, are interested in Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt. It’s being suggested that the Browns would move the former NFL rushing champion and their backup runner for maybe just a fourth-round pick, and that Hunt would serve in Philly as the backup to Miles Sanders.
NFL insider Jay Glazer has noted that he could see the Eagles trading for a running back, which adds credence – if not logic – to the rumor. Assuming part of the reason for Hunt’s unhappiness in Cleveland is that he is the caddy to starter Nick Chubb … why would he be happy as Sanders’ backup?
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Say this about Philly, though: at 7-0, the roster that’s been built is the product of many, many right moves.
OCT 31 ‘EMBARRASSED’ ROQUAN TRADED The Chicago Bears were handed a 49-29 loss by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, something star linebacker Roquan Smith found “embarrassing.”
And now Smith is being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. … and in doing so jumps from a 3-5 NFC loser to a 5-3 AFC winner.
The Bears reportedly get a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder as the Ravens will work on a long-term extension for the young talent.
OCT 31 BRANDIN COOKS TIES In our two recent conversations with Texans sources, the organization continues to downplay the idea of trading receiver Brandin Cooks.
And there are prohibitive reasons for moving him, as 1) we believe Houston would ask for a second-round pick in exchange and 2) he’s got an $18 million price tag locked in for 2023.
But would he help Dallas or another contending team? No doubt, the “take-the-top-off” vet is succeeding in Houston (in seven starts this year the 29-year-old has 32 catches for 354 yards and one touchdown) despite shaky QB play.
He’s a perennial 1,000-yard guy and his name has now popped up in two media spots, in Dallas and in New York. Are the Cowboys really that interested in spending what it takes here?
OCT 31 STEPHEN JONES HINTS AT OBJ? Despite the “itch” and the “risk-taker” mentality of Jerry Jones, COO Stephen Jones said the Cowboys are “comfortable” at wideout.
But then Stephen added: “And then there’s some guys that don’t belong to anybody that are out there.”
Are there? At receiver? Who?
Stephen’s quote, and our “who” list, is here.
OCT 31 DANCING TO DEADLINE DEALS? The Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFL face a Tuesday afternoon trade deadline … and CowboysSI.com’s one-on-one with Jerry Jones leaves our Mike Fisher believing Jerry has “The Itch.”
Writes Fish: “Jerry Jones has “the itch.”
“My 32 years of chronicling the Jones era in Dallas does not come with guarantees regarding what the Cowboys will do between now and Tuesday’s deadline. The “who”? The “what”? The openly-discussed wide receiver”?
“Those dances cannot be danced alone; Jerry – and Stephen Jones and Will McClay, most directly involved – need willing partners.
“But this I can say, after a couple of post-game at-large media sessions and then a festive elevator ride on the way to Jones’ AT&T Stadium suite:
“Jerry Jones wants there to be an opportunity where he can utilize his trust in his “feel and guts and instinct and willingness to go out there and take that risk.”
Read more about that here.
OCT 31 NAMING NAMES IN NEW ENGLAND Amid multiple reports that the Patriots have been fielding calls on numerous players, names such as right tackle Isaiah Wynn, running back Damien Harris and safety Jabril Peppers have been mentioned among the latest rumors surrounding the Patriots. It’s also being reported that New England had recently received inquiries on all the Pats vet wideouts, including Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.
Is Jerry Jones reading this?
OCT 31: 10 NAMES Sunday was a big launch day for rumors, with the Buffalo Bills very much in the news. The Buffalo News created a top-10 list, and here are our responses as they relate to the Bills and beyond…
1) Rams running back Cam Akers. Sources in LA have told us the two parties are “done” with each other. Problem: Akers doesn’t seem to be running with much “juice,” rendering him less dangerous than the top two backs on the Buffalo roster.
2) Texans receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks is a take-the-top-off weapon, but the Texans, per a source, would only listen if a second-round pick was offered. That, and Cooks’ 2023 salary of $18 million makes this a non-starter.
3) Panthers guard Austin Corbett. He has a tie with the Bills coaching staff and the Panthers are in fire-sale mode. (Even though they insist they’re not.)
4) Panthers offensive lineman Cam Erving. Erving is a former Cowboy and is, respectfully, just a guy.
5) Lions safety DeShon Elliott. Based on his time with the Lions – with a defense that seems to give up 35 points at the drop of a hat – this isn’t very appealing.
6) Commanders running back Antonio Gibson. The Washington front office is on the record as denying the desire to deal Gibson. (We would throw Cleveland’s Kareem Hunt into this category as well – as a name to explore, at least.)
7) Falcons center Matt Hennessy. A depth piece for the Bills? Sure. But keep in mind that entering Week 8, the Falcons – rather amazingly – are in first place in the NFC South … meaning they have no reason to be sellers.
8) Broncos receiver Jerry Jewdy. A 2020 first-round draft pick, Jeudy would probably love to exit the Denver mess. The Broncos, though, would be wise to ask an exorbitant trade price here.
There is Cowboys-related gossip here, but we say more smoke than fire.
By the way, and this goes for Cooks and for the Steelers’ Chase Claypool and maybe for free agent Odell Beckham Jr., too: We wonder if the Bills front office is as obsessed with the idea of adding to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis as the public obviously is?
9) Bears running back David Montgomery. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract, so this would be a rental. Do the Bills need to add a “power back”? And if so, don’t they already have one in the mothballed Zack Moss?
10) 49ers safety Tarvarius Moore. The 49ers view themselves as contenders, not “sellers” – as evidenced by their willingness to pay a price for Christian McCaffrey that the Bills wouldn’t meet.
OCT 30 AIKMAN SEES NEED A member of the Dallas Cowboys “family” is trying to help with an opinion – and his name happens to be “Troy Aikman.”
“You better have some offense in today’s NFL if you’re going to win games,” Aikman told TMZ when asked if his old team should look to add a wide receiver. “The way you have offense is you have weapons, and you’ve gotta have more than one or two.”
Aikman contemporary Michael Irvin has a feeling for another idea, the signing of rehabbing free agent Odell Beckham Jr.?
That’s Irvin’s pinpointed guy, it seems. Aikman doesn’t have a name; he’s just got an educated opinion. A receiver trade, Aikman said, “would help them for sure.”
Worth noting: Aikman issued these comments about Dallas “needing some offense” before the Cowboys beat the Bears 49-29 to move to 6-2 at the bye.
OCT 26 ONE-UPPED? We’ve got to mention that Dallas’ deal for Johnathan Hankins actually preceded the Eagles’ trade for Robert Quinn. So no, Dallas did not “respond” to the “arms race” there. But that doesn’t mean some aren’t calling for another response, especially as rumors surface that Philly might be chasing Saints superstar running back Alvin Kamara.
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