Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Updated Off-Season Cowboy Moves

Updated Off-Season Moves

Staff Report - Scout.com
March 27, 2006

As expected the Dallas Cowboys have been active this off-season.

FRANCHISE PLAYER : None.

TRANSITION PLAYER : None.


UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS : LB Michael Barrow; LB Quinton Caver; S Tony Dixon; LB Eric Ogbogu; OT Marcus Price; S Lynn Scott.

Comments : None of the above-mentioned players offer Dallas enough quality talent to warrant consideration for the 2006 season.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS : S Keith Davis; LB Scott Shanle; OT Torrin Tucker.

Comments : Tucker visited with Tampa Bay and Atlanta last week, but no news has come out of those visits. Davis should be back again with Dallas, hopefully as a reserve safety and special teams player, as should Shanle.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS : S Willie Pile; FB Lousaka Polite.

Comments : Polite is the only fullback on the roster and should be back. Pile provides insurance in the secondary and can also handle special teams.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED : WR Terrance Copper; WR Patrick Crayton; G/C Andre Gurode; LS L.P. Ladouceur; P Matt McBriar; CB Jacques Reeves.

Comments : Gurode's signing was a surprise, especially considering the Cowboys struggled at center for a good portion of the 2005 season with him and Al Johnson rotating at the position. Reeves is a versatile player that gives the Cowboys an option at corner or free safety. McBriar was surprisingly inconsistent last year, but he has enough leg strength to keep his job another year. Crayton, who is just coming into his own, is a bargain if he stays healthy. Ladouceur was perfect on all of his snaps after stepping in early in the 2005 season for Jon Condo.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED : LB Akin Ayodele; LB Rocky Boiman; TE Ryan Hannam; OL Kyle Kosier; WR Terrell Owens; PK Mike Vanderjagt.

Comments : The contract Terrell Owens signed with the Cowboys is really a series of three one-year deals. Owens will get $10 million in 2006 - $5 million in signing bonus and $5 million in salary. But the Cowboys can walk away at the end of each year with minimal salary-cap hit because of the relatively low bonus of $5 million. All they have to do is decline to pay the roster bonuses. Vanderjagt instantly gives the Cowboys more stability at a position that cost the team a playoff berth last year. Kosier was brought in to replace Larry Allen.

PLAYERS LOST : OG Larry Allen; DT Willie Blade; TE Dan Campbell; LB Scott Fujita; DT La'Roi Glover; WR Keyshawn Johnson; LB Dat Nguyen; OT Jacob Rogers.

Comments : Both Campbell and Allen figured to be back in 2006, but the Cowboys realized that Allen is nearing the end of his career and that Campbell could be replaced. Allen went on to sign with San Francisco while Campbell ended up in Detroit. Allen, the last remaining Cowboy on the team from the 1995 World Championship, team was scheduled to count $7.55 million against the salary cap for the 2006 season and was due a roster bonus of $2 million on April 1. The Cowboys saved $3 million in cap space by releasing him. A late run at re-signing Keyshawn ended when the Panthers inked the veteran wide-out to a multi-year deal late last week. Nguyen retired and Dallas simply gave up on former second round pick Jacob Rogers- who was nothing short of a bust. The Cowboys also added Ayodele instead of re-signing Scott Fujita.