DONE DEAL: Cowboys officially announced the signing of All-UFL Linebacker.
Introducing the new linebacker for the Cowboys, Willie Harvey Jr., who discusses joining the team.
DallasCowboys.com: Willie Harvey Jr. talks candidly on joining the Cowboys and Patrik Walker The newest linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys discusses his transition from the USFL to Texas. Harvey, 28, joins the Cowboys after leaving the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. After a successful exercise with the squad not too long ago, a deal was reached and signed, and he recently gave an explanation of his choice in an interview with 105.3 FM the Fan. Harvey stated, “I want the transition to be easy because they run a similar defense.” “It was an easy decision because I got along well with the guys, the coaches, and I have some camaraderie with special teams [special teams coordinator John “Bones” Fassel].”
Furthermore, how precisely does he see Mike Zimmer’s defense playing? Harvey explained, “It’s a linebacker-driven defense — keeping the linebackers free to make plays.” Harvey, an Iowa State graduate who was formerly an undrafted free agent, signed a rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and remained in Ohio for the duration of the deal before entering the spring league in 2023.
In order to improve his prospects of having a better future in the NFL, he is using the lessons he learnt from his past to this second opportunity to make an impression on the league. “I’m sincere with myself,” he declared. And I am aware that I may not have put in the necessary amount of effort and hard work. I thought, “Hey, I have another chance to perfect my craft at linebacker and to get smarter, faster, and stronger,” when I was given a second chance in the spring league. I kind of followed the course in my first year, but I felt that it wasn’t sufficient, so I went back and repeated it.
Before training camp, the Cowboys work out four players – Nick Harris, DallasCowboys.com The USFL players on this list are ones the Cowboys have worked out but not yet signed. Four men worked out for the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday as they try to fill open places on the roster before training camp. Running back/fullback John Lovett, defensive end Wyatt Ray, defensive end Derick Roberson, and defensive end Jonathan Garvin participated in the four practices.
Garvin, who participated in the UFL with the Birmingham Stallions this past spring, led the UFL winners with 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Garvin, a Miami native, was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In his three NFL seasons, Garvin racked up 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks. After being freed in July 2023, he joined the UFL.
The nephew of Natalie Cole and the grandson of legendary jazz singer Nat King Cole, Ray played in the UFL this past spring with the San Antonio Brahmas. He finished the season with 24 tackles and 5.5 sacks, which tied for sixth in the UFL. Ray was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cleveland Browns out of Boston College in 2019 but was waived following his rookie training camp. He would go on to sign with eight different NFL teams, including the Cincinnati Bengals (15 game appearances), Tennessee Titans (5 appearances), and Denver Broncos (3 appearances).
Roberson, who was a member of the DC Defenders this past spring in the UFL, finished with 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Roberson, a San Antonio native, attended Sam Houston State before declining to be selected in the 2019 draft. During his tenure with the Tennessee Titans, he appeared in 16 games and finished with 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Before being transferred to Washington this past season, he spent one season as a player with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2023.
Lovett, who participated in the UFL last spring with the San Antonio Brahmas, finished second in the UFL with five rushing touchdowns and seventh in the league in terms of rushing yards (423). During his five seasons as a college player, Lovett ran for 1,980 yards and 17 touchdowns at Penn State and Baylor. following attending college, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was cut following his first training camp.
Top 25 NFL players under the age of 25 in 2024: Two Cowboys rank in the top six: CBSSports’ Cody Benjamin It’s amazing that Micah Parsons and Ceedee Lamb are still so young. 2. Micah Parsons. DE/OLB Position | Dallas Cowboys Team | 25 years old It says volumes that, after just three NFL seasons, Parsons is frequently seen as the Cowboys’ locker-room speaker, even in a loaded Dallas lineup led by seasoned veterans like Dak Prescott. Despite having already amassed 40.5 career sacks because to his unwavering physical prowess and perseverance, it seems as though he is still far from reaching his prime as the defense’s main man. 6. Lamb CeeDee. Role: Wide Receiver | Club: Dallas Cowboys 25 years old
Even with the reliable Amari Cooper still in the fold, Lamb quickly established himself as Dallas’ most dynamic pass outlet. However, over the last three seasons, he has gone from 1,100 to 1,300 to 1,700 yards, making him almost undiscovered. In 2023, he also achieved a career-high catch rate of 74.6%. Dan Rogers, Blogging the Boys: The Cowboys’ handling of the Tyron Smith decision: wise decision or risky play Could Tyron Smith’s release by the Cowboys turn out to be a costly mistake?
Tyron Smith’s inability to stay on the field is a result of both the events of the previous season and the three seasons prior. Having missed no more than three games in each of his nine years in the league, Smith’s health began to fail him at the age of thirty. From 2020 to 2022, Smith missed two-thirds of the action, including two seasons in which he missed at least thirteen games.
Although Smith’s presence on the field is fantastic, the Cowboys were frequently forced to rely on their swing tackle throughout that three-year period because they couldn’t rely on him. If Smith is injured, any club that depends on him as their starting left tackle needs to have a backup plan ready. They are unable to pay for him to stay. It’s difficult not to get a little smitten when you see his new contract with the Jets. His new organization is well aware of his past and was savvy to build an incentive-based arrangement similar to what the Cowboys arranged last year. The details of his transaction can be broken down as follows: $6.5 million assured, which he will receive regardless of
After the first six games, he could potentially make an additional $12 million in his bank account with about another million for each game. A bonus of $500,000 for playing in the Pro Bowl A bonus of $250,000 for each postseason victory the Jets achieve. Smith will make $6.5 million in 2024 with a chance to earn up to $20 million if he hits every incentive. As a frame of comparison, this corresponds to $12.25 million if he played the same amount as previous year.
If Smith stays healthy, great. They pay more, but they get a proven commodity. If not, great. He won’t cost as much. How can you not go for that? The Cowboys have limited resources; we’ve already discussed the financial challenges they face from keeping Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons. These decisions will affect other decisions, so they have to be careful with their cap resources and avoid using them on Smith. Jerry Jones is correct when he says they couldn’t afford Smith hitting those incentives because they have other plans with that money.
