The Colts signed Philip Rivers. The Steelers get Big Ben back from injury. Those are big upgrades. The Bucs got a big-name QB too, if you hadn't heard, and the Bengals are building around a top draft pick at QB.
From crushing injuries to brawls to dinosaur talk, the "Hard Knocks" spotlight is an unpredictable experience, as the Rams and Chargers will find out.
The 2011 NFL draft kicked off an impressive string of selecting offensive linemen who have continued to transform the Dallas offense.
With big names such as Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Stefon Diggs learning new schemes with new teams, canceled workouts could be felt in the fall.
The top of the free-agent class didn't move the market. Teams got conservative at cornerback and wide receiver. Here's what you should take away.
Nearly nine years after being drafted No. 7 overall and more run-ins with the law later, the pass-rusher's NFL career could return. Here's a snapshot.
More on Aldon Smith's contract: He will earn a $910,000 base salary and $40,625 every time he is on the active gameday roster, totaling $650,000. He has incentives totaling $2 million. If he reaches eight sacks, he will get $500,000, 10 sacks will earn him $1 million, 12 sacks equals $1.5 million and 14 sacks would net him $2 million. In addition to the bonus money, it equals a one-year deal worth up to $4 million.
Aldon Smith's contract with the Cowboys does not include any guaranteed money at signing, but once he is reinstated by the NFL, he will receive $90,000. Thirty days after reinstatement, he will get another $50,000. When he shows up for training camp, he will receive $100,000, another $100,000 after two preseason games and $100,000 at the end of the preseason. If he does not make the 53-man roster, the Cowboys would be on the hook for $440,000.
Dallas has added six players so far, but a look back at the team's active offseasons of 2017 and 2012 shows quantity doesn't always equal quality.
Tom Brady is a Buccaneer. DeAndre Hopkins is a Cardinal. And Cam Newton is still looking for a new home. NFL free agency in 2020 has been a wild ride so far, all while the uncertainty of this sports hiatus plays out in the background. ESPN NFL Insider Bill Barnwell joins the show to discuss how the coronavirus pandemic has affected team decisions in the offseason, and the successes and failures in team deals so far.
Former 49ers and Raiders defensive end Aldon Smith, who hasn't played in the NFL since 2015, has signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys.
With Aldon Smith agreeing to a contract, he is the fourth former first-round pick the Cowboys have added in free agency so far, joining Gerald McCoy (2010), Dontari Poe (2012)and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (2014). Smith was the seventh pick in the 2011 draft. The Cowboys are following philosophy they have held over years in bringing in players who at one time teams liked greatly. Smith is a risk but likely mitigated by the financial commitment.
The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with defensive end Aldon Smith, a source. Smith is in the middle of the reinstatement process and has not played in a game since 2015 because of legal and substance-abuse issues. He has 47.5 career sacks and had his best seasons in San Francisco under current Cowboys defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, including a 19.5-sack season in 2012. The Cowboys could also welcome back pass rusher Randy Gregory from suspension this season.
With the NFL announcing the expansion of the playoffs to seven teams in each conference, what would have that meant to the Cowboys in the non-playoff years during the Jason Garrett era? Nothing. They closest they would have come was in 2013 in their third straight 8-8 finish. They would have lost out on a tiebreaker for the final spot due to a head-to-head loss to Chicago. In their 9-7 finish in 2017, they would have lost tiebreakers to Detroit (conference record) and Seattle (head to head).
Dallas might seek replacements for Byron Jones and Robert Quinn early in the draft, and several cornerbacks and pass-rushers could be good fits.
The Chiefs are still on top, while the additions of DeAndre Hopkins and Tom Brady have their new teams on the rise.
Adding size on the defensive line ideally will help Dallas and new coordinator Mike Nolan in planning to stop opponents' running game.
What up y'all? This week I'm joined by Dallas Cowboys' defensive lineman Gerald McCoy. We chat about why he signed with the Cowboys, who his top five quarterbacks of all time are, ranking MJ, Kobe & LeBron, what Kobe meant to him and his thoughts on Jameis Winston & Cam Newton.
Greg Zuerlein, who has converted 201 of 245 field goal attempts in the regular season (82%) and is 264-of-270 on extra point attempts since he entered the NFL in 2012, has agreed to a three-year deal with the Cowboys, sources told ESPN.
Is a prominent former Cowboys connection readying itself for an encore? We'll delve into that, plus more NFL social media rumors.
| TEAM | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 385 | 354 |
| Dallas | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 434 | 321 |
| New York | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 341 | 451 |
| Washington | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 266 | 435 |
