Dallas Cowboys Line changes could be near
By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Posted on Sun, Mar. 12, 2006
IRVING -- The Cowboys promised quick action and delivered Saturday, the first full day of free agency.
They came to terms with free-agent guard Kyle Kosier on a five-year contract and re-signed center Andre Gurode to a one-year deal, raising questions about 12-year veteran lineman Larry Allen's future with the team.
Kosier (6-foot-5, 309 pounds), a four-year NFL veteran out of Arizona State who played last season in Detroit after three seasons with San Francisco, will receive $15 million over five years, including a $5 million signing bonus.
"Kyle is a real fan of the Cowboys and coach [Bill] Parcells," said Kosier's agent, Ken Zuckerman. "He was interested in going to a team with a winning tradition. It was a good fit for him."
Kosier left the 49ers after the 2004 season as a restricted free agent, with Detroit giving up a seventh-round draft pick. He has started 40 of the 63 NFL games in which he's appeared. He has the versatility to play tackle, but he started 11 games at guard last season and Zuckerman said he signed to play guard in Dallas.
The question now is how he will fit with Allen and Marco Rivera, the Cowboys' starters at guard last season. Rivera is not likely to be going anywhere after signing a five-year deal with the Cowboys last year to play right guard.
However, Allen, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and the team's longest tenured player, is another matter. Owner Jerry Jones has spoken recently about needing to discuss Allen's contract with Allen's agent, Marvin Demoff.
Allen is scheduled to count $7.5 million against the 2006 salary cap, including a $2 million roster bonus due April 1. The Cowboys would save $3 million in cap room by releasing Allen.
Gurode, a four-year veteran who was drafted in the second round out of Colorado, split time at center with Al Johnson last season. Look for him to compete with Johnson for the starting role in 2006.
Another possible Cowboys addition is former Irving MacArthur High School star Akin Ayodele, an unrestricted free-agent linebacker who has been in the NFL for four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He visited Valley Ranch on Saturday, but did not sign a contract. Ayodele (6-2, 251), who played collegiately at Purdue, could be a replacement for Scott Fujita, who also is an unrestricted free agent.
Fujita became a starter for the Cowboys after joining the team in a trade from Kansas City just before the season opener last year.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Posted on Sun, Mar. 12, 2006
IRVING -- The Cowboys promised quick action and delivered Saturday, the first full day of free agency.
They came to terms with free-agent guard Kyle Kosier on a five-year contract and re-signed center Andre Gurode to a one-year deal, raising questions about 12-year veteran lineman Larry Allen's future with the team.
Kosier (6-foot-5, 309 pounds), a four-year NFL veteran out of Arizona State who played last season in Detroit after three seasons with San Francisco, will receive $15 million over five years, including a $5 million signing bonus.
"Kyle is a real fan of the Cowboys and coach [Bill] Parcells," said Kosier's agent, Ken Zuckerman. "He was interested in going to a team with a winning tradition. It was a good fit for him."
Kosier left the 49ers after the 2004 season as a restricted free agent, with Detroit giving up a seventh-round draft pick. He has started 40 of the 63 NFL games in which he's appeared. He has the versatility to play tackle, but he started 11 games at guard last season and Zuckerman said he signed to play guard in Dallas.
The question now is how he will fit with Allen and Marco Rivera, the Cowboys' starters at guard last season. Rivera is not likely to be going anywhere after signing a five-year deal with the Cowboys last year to play right guard.
However, Allen, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and the team's longest tenured player, is another matter. Owner Jerry Jones has spoken recently about needing to discuss Allen's contract with Allen's agent, Marvin Demoff.
Allen is scheduled to count $7.5 million against the 2006 salary cap, including a $2 million roster bonus due April 1. The Cowboys would save $3 million in cap room by releasing Allen.
Gurode, a four-year veteran who was drafted in the second round out of Colorado, split time at center with Al Johnson last season. Look for him to compete with Johnson for the starting role in 2006.
Another possible Cowboys addition is former Irving MacArthur High School star Akin Ayodele, an unrestricted free-agent linebacker who has been in the NFL for four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He visited Valley Ranch on Saturday, but did not sign a contract. Ayodele (6-2, 251), who played collegiately at Purdue, could be a replacement for Scott Fujita, who also is an unrestricted free agent.
Fujita became a starter for the Cowboys after joining the team in a trade from Kansas City just before the season opener last year.
posted by The Gryphon at 11:36 AM
<< Home