News: How Cowboys missed Von Miller, Barber’s lasting legacy in Dallas RB room
While family, friends, and fans are still grappling with the tragic death of Cowboys running back Marion Barber, details are slowly emerging about his sudden passing this week. Included is a revelation that will prevent Barber’s remains from being used in ongoing CTE studies. One Cowboys assistant coach who knew him well shared a side of “Marion the Barbarian” that few got the chance to see and explained why the enigmatic runner’s legacy is still a vital part of the lessons taught in the Dallas running backs room.
Meanwhile, DeMarcus Ware sheds some light on just how close the Cowboys may have come to landing superstar Von Miller, just as the current Dallas defense draws comparisons to the historic Denver unit that featured both Ware and Miller. Two ex-Cowboys are settling in with new teams, and one of them is reportedly playing a new position to boot. We explain why Dallas’s huge post-June-1 cap space haul won’t have any effect on adding talent, and we’re still eyeing a veteran linebacker who would be a perfect fit. We’re recapping Thursday’s OTA session, we’re checking in on the rehab efforts of several Cowboys receivers, and we’re wondering if a familiar face to Cowboys fans will be manning the NBC desk on Sunday nights. That’s all up in this edition of News and Notes.
DeMarcus Ware explains why his dream of Von Miller joining the Cowboys didn’t come true :: Dallas Morning News
Ware really wanted to see his former Broncos teammate end up in Dallas alongside DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, saying it would have been “a three-headed monster” for opponents. Ware says Miller reached out to him asking about the Cowboys’ possible interest. “I threw it out there for [Jerry Jones],” Ware continued, “and Buffalo probably picked up the news: ‘Hey, wait a minute, this is what we need on the defense.’ And he cashed in.”
Golden Tate: Cowboys defense reminds me of 2015 Broncos :: NFL.com
The veteran wideout says Parsons and Lawrence on Dan Quinn’s current unit in Dallas calls to mind the Denver defense that featured Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware that “used to wreck games.” That squad is considered one of the best defenses in NFL history, winning Super Bowl 50.
Barber family shares details in RB's death; ex-Cowboy's brain will not be donated for CTE research :: Cowboys Wire
Foul play is not suspected in the passing of Marion Barber, but his family is still awaiting a cause of death for the 38-year-old. The body underwent a good deal of decomposition before being discovered, making an examination difficult. It would also have likely ruled out studying Barber’s brain for CTE research, though Barber had apparently already stated in his will that he did not want that. A funeral is planned for June 22 in Minneapolis.
Barber remembered as "unbelievable person" :: The Mothership
Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete says he still shows players film of Marion Barber as an example of how to play the position. He did again just two weeks ago. But Barber’s legacy, at least with Peete, goes well beyond the field. “He’d give you the shirt off his back, invite people over to his house, cook dinner for them. He would stop by my home, play with my kids when they were young,” Peete said Friday. “The man I’m going to remember is the guy I coached, how he came in this building every single day, what he meant to his friends and what he meant to me, the guys he played with and the determination to try to make everyone a little bit better person.”
La'el Collins' release money now available but it means nothing to the Cowboys' plans :: Cowboys Wire
Yes, the Cowboys got a cool $10 million of cap space when the calendar turned to June 2 as a result of La’el Collins’s release back in March. But don’t expect the team to go on a sudden shopping spree because of it. The Cowboys entered the month of June with over $13 million of cap space, and they’ve known the Collins cash was coming. The front office wasn’t waiting on the money to sign free agents; the moves they’ve made have all been earmarked for the 2023 season.
Best NFL team fits for top 10 remaining free agents: Landing spots for Ndamukong Suh, Odell Beckham Jr., others :: ESPN+
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Veteran linebacker Anthony Barr is still on the open market. And the Cowboys would be an ideal spot for him, says insider Matt Bowen. The longtime Viking may no longer have “high-level impact” at this stage in his career, but he could blitz effectively as part of a defensive rotation opposite Micah Parsons and can still handle himself well in coverage; he snagged three interceptions last year at 30 years old.
Cowboys OTAs’ observations: Tyler Smith gets reps at LT, Micah Parsons’ weight :: The Athletic
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Among the notes from Thursday’s OTA session: the play of the day came from Malik Hooker, who picked off Dak Prescott in the middle of the field after Jourdan Lewis tipped a pass meant for Simi Fehoko. Also, receivers Jalen Tolbert, James Washington, and Michael Gallup are making progress in their respective rehabs. “He’s here all the time,” McCarthy said of Gallup specifically. “He’s put in a ton [of work]. He’s doing everything he’s supposed to.”
7 Cowboys with major money on the line in 2022 :: Cowboys Wire
There’s a lot riding on the 2022 season for the Cowboys as a team, but what seven players in particular do now could mean even bigger things- financially speaking- for next year. Dalton Schultz looks to earn big bucks either with Dallas or elsewhere, Trevon Diggs will be in line for a massive raise, and CeeDee Lamb could well benefit from the recent wide receiver salary boom. There are payday ramifications for Leighton Vander Esch, Connor McGovern, Tony Pollard, and Ezekiel Elliott as well.
Bills officially sign former first-round pick Tavon Austin to one-year deal :: Bills Wire
The versatile Austin filled a number of roles during his two seasons in Dallas, helping to replace Cole Beasley at the slot in 2018 and playing in 14 games the following year. He’s bounced around since then, but now looks to find a new home in Buffalo’s high-powered offense.
Keeping tabs on former Dallas Cowboys: Miami Dolphins plan to use Connor Williams at center :: Blogging the Boys
Williams never quite turned the corner in Dallas as a long-term answer at guard, despite being a highly-touted second-round draft pick in 2018. Now in Miami, Williams says he is expecting to line up at center. The Cowboys experimented with him there ahead of last year and even tried him out in the preseason. It did not go well.
Report: Former Cowboys HC Jason Garrett could replace Drew Brees on NBC's Sunday nights :: Cowboys Wire
The former Cowboys coach could follow USFL booth partner Jac Collinsworth to the Saturday shift, calling Notre Dame games for NBC. If Garrett does replace Brees there, he may also be in line to take the ex-Saint’s seat as a studio analyst for the network’s Football Night in America pregame show on Sunday nights.
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