Had the Jaguars traded down from No. 5 in the first round into the teens, they might have taken UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, according to general manager David Caldwell (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com). The Jags stayed at fifth overall and selected Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, and they still ended up with Jack in the second round (36th overall). Jack, who’s recovering from a knee injury, took out a pre-draft insurance policy on himself, though he won’t collect any money from it because it wasn’t scheduled to kick in until the 45th pick, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN (Twitter link via Schefter).

Here’s more of the latest from the draft:

• Bills general manager Doug Whaley contacted every team picking before Buffalo in the second round in an effort to trade up for Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, he said (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Whaley ultimately did move up and grab Ragland after sending the Bills’ second-rounder (No. 49) and a fourth-rounder in each of the next two drafts to the Bears for the 41st choice.
• Speaking of the Bears, they nearly had a deal to acquire the Cowboys’ second-rounder, No. 34 overall. Talks fell apart, though, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), and the Cowboys ended up using the pick on Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith.
• As a result of the knee injury he suffered in January, Smith took out on a $5MM insurance policy on himself before the draft and will now collect an estimated $900K in tax-free payment, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
• The Cowboys have fielded trade inquiries on veteran offensive lineman Ronald Leary, but they’re not inclined to give him away for an underwhelming return, said executive vice president Stephen Jones. The Cowboys would rather keep Leary, leave him inactive all year, and get a compensatory pick for him next year when he leaves in free agency (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Leary, a four-year veteran, signed his second-round restricted free agent tender with the Cowboys on Thursday.

The Cowboys believe they got an elite prospect when they chose injured Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith in the second round (34th overall). In fact, the team graded Smith as a top-five prospect in this year’s draft, according to owner Jerry Jones. Said executive vice president Stephen Jones, “He may not football play this year. What he is ultimately going to be he is definitely worth our second-round pick” (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Prior to tearing his ACL and LCL on Jan. 1, Smith was seen as a surefire first-rounder and a likely top-10 pick.

More from the NFC:

• The Packers’ third-round selection of Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell should bring about the end of the Mike Neal era in Green Bay, Neal tweeted. Neal, who has spent his entire career with the Packers since they used a second-rounder on him in 2010, is still without a contract despite accumulating at least four sacks for the fourth straight season.
• Having taken two offensive linemen and a defensive lineman during the first two days of the draft, the Lions may look to add depth at the skill positions on Saturday, GM Bob Quinn said Friday (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). However, the best-player-available approach still figures to win out on day three, Quinn cautioned.
• The Eagles don’t have a fourth-rounder entering the final day of the draft and executive VP Howie Roseman expects it to stay that way (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). As of now, they’re scheduled to pick five times Saturday – twice in both the fifth and seventh rounds and once in the sixth.
• Head coach Bruce Arians doesn’t expect the Cardinals to have to sign another veteran cornerback to their roster, but said the team will “wait and see” if a move is required (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Having not seriously engaged in talks with defensive end Greg Hardy since his contract expired last month, the Cowboys have long appeared unlikely to re-sign him. Tonight, owner Jerry Jones formally confirmed that Hardy won’t be back, telling reporters – including ESPN’s Todd Archer – that door is officially closed.

The Cowboys are looking thin at defensive end, and are in need of pass-rushing help, with Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory facing four-game suspensions and Jeremy Mincey no longer under contract. The club also didn’t use any of its first three 2016 draft picks to select an outside pass rusher.

Hardy would certainly qualify as an upgrade for the Cowboys on the field — the former Panther had another solid season as a pass rusher in 2015, recording six sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in 12 games. He wasn’t quite as dominant as he was during his best years in Carolina, but Hardy ranked as the league’s 28th-best edge defender, out of 110 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus.

However, Hardy’s off-field history and his behavior during his lone season in Dallas didn’t particularly endear him to the Cowboys as the season wore on. When taking into account his questionable in-season decisions, both on and off the field, as well as his alleged domestic violence history, it makes sense that the Cowboys would consider Hardy to be too much of a liability – or at least a distraction – to invest in going forward.

Here are a few more notes from out of Dallas:

• Jerry Jones said today that he doesn’t think it’s mandatory that the Cowboys select a quarterback on the final day of the draft. The team had interest in trading up for Paxton Lynch on Thursday, but Jones says he’s comfortable with Kellen Moore as Tony Romo‘s backup (Twitter link via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News).
• A source tells Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link) that the Cowboys feel better about Jaylon Smith‘s medicals than they did about Myles Jack‘s. That’s not a big surprise, since Dallas selected Smith with Jack still on the board. Even if Smith misses the entire 2016 season, as is expected, there’s a perception that his knee condition will improve, while Jack’s could deteriorate.
• While Smith will likely miss all of 2016, Jerry Jones cautioned not to count out the former Notre Dame linebacker just yet, tweets Archer.

After selecting USC quarterback Cody Kessler with the No. 93 pick in the draft, Browns executive Sashi Brown said he doesn’t think the team needs to make a roster move involving a quarterback right away, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link).

Cleveland’s depth chart at QB is getting crowded, with Kessler joining Robert Griffin, Josh McCown, Austin Davis, Connor Shaw, and Pat Devlin, so the team will have to make some decisions eventually, but Brown said tonight that he likes encouraging competition at the position.

The Browns’ executive VP of football operations also said after round three that the team will consider trade options at the start of day three. Cleveland currently holds the top two picks of the fourth round, and has four overall picks in the round. The team hasn’t been shy about trading down so far, and Brown is sure the team will receive calls about those fourth-rounders, as Ulrich tweets.

• The Bills are exploring finding a way to land Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook on Saturday, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who suggests (via Twitter) that it would take “some 2017 ammo” for Buffalo to move up. The club currently doesn’t own a 2016 fourth-round pick that can be traded.
• Broncos general manager John Elway confirmed that his team is in no rush to add a fourth quarterback to a roster that features Mark Sanchez, Paxton Lynch, and Trevor Siemian, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Elway didn’t rule out adding another signal-caller, but suggested it’s not a priority for the club.
• If the Cowboys hadn’t taken Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith early in the second round, the Patriots are one team that would have had interest in nabbing him, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. New England had back-to-back picks late in round two, but traded one of them, with Smith no longer available.

With the fourth round nearly halfway done, let’s check in on some draft whispers from around the league…

• The Cowboys‘ gameplan for the second round was to select Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and then move up and select Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Ogbah was ultimately selected by the Browns with the first pick of the second round, and Dallas snagged Smith two picks later.
• NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says there was a general belief that the Cowboys would select quarterback Connor Cook with pick No. 101, leading to the Raiders‘ acquisition of the 100th pick. Meanwhile, Rapoport notes that Oakland is planning on keeping Matt McGloin and allowing the two quarterbacks to compete for the back-up job.
• According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), the Dolphins slapped Leonte Carroo with a “second-round grade.” Miami ended up snagging the Rutgers wideout late in the third round.
• If Laremy Tunsil hadn’t been around at No. 13, the Dolphins would have selected UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Eli Apple, who was selected 10th overall, was also under consideration for the pick.
• Speaking of Tunsil, ESPN’s Adam Schefter determined how much money the offensive lineman actually lost on Thursday evening (via Twitter). The Ravens were prepared to select the embattled University of Mississippi product with the sixth-overall pick, but Tunsil ended up falling to No. 13. Schefter estimates that the rookie lost nearly $7MM after having fallen eight spots.
• The Broncos are fielding calls on several of their picks, reports Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). The team has a compensatory fourth-round pick (which can’t be traded), as well as two fifth-round selections.

According to Stephen Jones, the Cowboys were done with Greg Hardy when the 2015 season ended, despite not publicly making that stance clear until more recently, as Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram writes.

“I think one of the most important things is when you take a chance with a player, if you see it’s not working, it’s time to move on,” said Jones, the Cowboys’ executive VP. “We gave it its due in terms of a year here, and we just felt like at the end of the day, it wasn’t the right fit.”

Last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones went on record saying that Hardy will not be back, but it appears that the decision was made months ago. On the field, Hardy still has plenty to offer, but it would seem Dallas is not interested in dealing with the off-field headaches. Last season, Hardy ranked as the league’s 28th-best edge defender out of 110 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Let’s round up a few more Cowboys-related items:

• The Cowboys missed out on drafting Paxton Lynch, but they’re content with their quarterback depth chart as it stands today, writes Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram. Kellen Moore will be Tony Romo‘s primary backup in 2016, per Jerry Jones. “I think Kellen Moore has shown the ‘it,'” Jones said. “He has the instincts. He has the anticipation. He knows what’s going on. He gives me and us a great feeling about basically improving. Obviously those interceptions were not something you can live with, but some of the stuff he was doing was pretty obvious that the team was responding. He was able to move the team.” Rookie Dak Prescott will likely fill the No. 3 spot behind Romo and Moore.
• While the general consensus in the Cowboys organization seems to be that second-round pick Jaylon Smith will miss the entire 2016 season, Jerry Jones isn’t ready to commit to taking the linebacker off the regular-season roster, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. Appearing on 105.3 The Fan, Jones said Smith “will not be IR’d,” noting that the club hopes Smith can be available for the latter part of the season. We’ll see if Dallas sticks to that stance in September.
• During that appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones also said that he’s holding out hope for Demarcus Lawrence‘s suspension to be reduced from four games to two games (link via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Lawrence’s four-game ban is currently under appeal.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Today’s draft signings:

• In addition to Smith (listed below), the Cowboys announced that they’ve also agreed to terms with sixth-round pick Rico Gathers. The 6’6″, 273-pound former Baylor basketball player did not play football at the collegiate level, but is expected to pursue an NFL career at tight end. Dallas has now locked up six of its nine 2016 draft picks.

Earlier updates:

• The Steelers have agreed to terms with second-round pick Sean Davis on a four-year deal, according to a source who spoke with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. The Steelers have since confirmed the deal. Davis has now become the fourth Steelers draft pick to sign his rookie pact.
• The Cowboys have signed second-round linebacker Jaylon Smith to a four-year deal, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. It remains to be seen when Smith will take the field, however. The prevailing belief is that he will need a redshirt year because of the serious knee injury he suffered in January. If Smith spends the season on the NFI list, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2020 instead of an unrestricted free agent, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter).
• The Raiders announced the signing of sixth-round linebacker Cory James. James, selected No. 194 overall, played in 51 games with 46 starts over four seasons at Colorado State, totaling 230 tackles (112 solo), 24 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed.

The Cowboys remain excited about their second-round draft choice, but it’s going to be a while before they get to see him in live action. Jaylon Smith has experienced no significant improvement in his injured nerve so far and playing in 2016 seems unlikely, according to ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Why The Cowboys Are One Of Seven Teams That Could Trade For Nick Foles]

In late 2015, Smith was viewed as a potential top-10 selection in the upcoming draft. However, that all changed when the Notre Dame standout tore his ACL and MCL in January. To make things worse, Smith was also diagnosed with a nerve issue in his ankle. At that point, teams began to fear that the linebacker would require a “redshirt” season in the NFL. Even though multiple teams gave Smith a failing grade on his physical at the combine and subsequently removed him from their draft boards, the Cowboys felt that Smith’s potential was just too good to pass up.

In his junior season with the Fighting Irish, Smith totaled 115 tackles with 9.0 tackles for a loss and 1 sack. In the year prior, he put up a similar statline of 111 tackles, 9.0 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. If Smith spends the season on the NFI list, as expected, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2020 instead of an unrestricted free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

When Chip Kelly came to the Eagles, he offered a reputation as an innovator. Doug Pederson doesn’t come with that same rep, but he does offer many years of experience as an NFL player, which he says helps him to connect with his guys. 

“Back when I played, the head coach was more kind of up here,” Pederson said to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer, holding his hand high. “I don’t want to be up here. I want to be right down here with the guys. That’s why I love what I do with these players every single day . . . I’m going to dive in there with the players. I know exactly what they’re thinking. I know when it’s time to give the players a break. That’s the beauty of having been a player. You know when enough’s enough. I feel it’s important to have those relationships with the players. You’re not going to have it with all 90 guys on the roster. But you’re going to have them with the majority of the guys each and every day. You walk around practice and you talk to them. It doesn’t have to be football-related. That’s the beauty of this thing. I get to talk to them one-on-one every single day. Find out how they’re doing. That’s the beauty of being in this chair. I get to do that. That’s what I love doing.”

Under Pederson, can the Eagles win the NFC East for the first time since 2013? While you ponder that, here’s a look at their competition:

• It has been speculated that that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is one of the few voices in the Dallas front office that doesn’t want to cut ties with troubled linebacker Rolando McClain. This week, Jones disputed that notion in a radio interview. “Everybody lobbied to have McClain on the team. Every coach that’s associated with the team lobbied for that,” Jones said (via The Dallas Morning News). “To be fair to everybody concerned, we didn’t know that he was going to get suspended. But his issues were potentially recognized, maybe not to the extent that he would lose the games that he got in this suspension. But make no mistake about it: With all of his warts, he still considered a potential asset for the team by the coaches.” McClain will be suspended for the first 10 games of the 2016 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. To help fill the gap, the Cowboys recently signed veteran linebacker Justin Durant.
• It has been reported that rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith will not play in 2016, but, publicly, Jones will not shut the door on the possibility (link via The Dallas Morning News). In late 2015, Smith was viewed as a potential top-10 selection in the upcoming draft. However, that all changed when the Notre Dame standout tore his ACL and MCL in January. When Smith fell into the second round, the Cowboys pounced.
• The Redskins didn’t make a strong effort to bridge the gap with Kirk Cousins before last week’s contract deadline, but that’s not necessarily a reflection on how the team feels about the QB, Mike Jones of The Washington Post writes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Cowboys have placed rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith on the non-football injury list, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. As such, Smith will not be able to play for at the first six weeks of the season. Of course, the odds are that Smith won’t play during the 2016 campaign at all as he recovers from a knee injury.

In late 2015, Smith was viewed as a potential top-10 selection in the upcoming draft. However, that all changed when the Notre Dame standout tore his ACL and MCL in January. To make things worse, Smith was also diagnosed with a nerve issue in his ankle. At that point, teams began to fear that the linebacker would require a “redshirt” season in the NFL. Even though multiple teams gave Smith a failing grade on his physical at the combine and subsequently removed him from their draft boards, the Cowboys felt that Smith’s potential was just too good to pass up.

In his junior season with the Fighting Irish, Smith totaled 115 tackles with 9.0 tackles for a loss and 1 sack. In the year prior, he put up a similar statline of 111 tackles, 9.0 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. If Smith spends the season on the NFI list, as expected, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2020 instead of an unrestricted free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Today, the Cowboys placed quarterback Kellen Moore on injured reserve.

Earlier this month, Moore broke his leg, elevating Dak Prescott to the No. 2 spot on Dallas’ quarterback depth chart. Then, when Tony Romo suffered a back injury in preseason, Prescott was bumped up to the starting role. The initial prognosis on Moore was that he would miss three or four months, but Dallas has opted to shut him down instead.

Below, we have the full slate of Dallas’ moves to get down to a 75-man roster today.

Waived:

• WR Rodney Smith
• G Mike McQueen
• G Dan Buchholz
• WR Richard Mullaney
• CB Arjen Colquhoun
• LB Henoc Muamba

PUP List:

• TE James Hanna (more on Hanna)

NFI List:

• LB Jaylon Smith (full story)

The Cowboys also placed tight end James Hanna on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and waived

As the stretch run approaches, the Cowboys could be receiving some reinforcement on both sides of the ball. Cowboys executive Vice President Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan that the team is planning on activating rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith from the non-football injury list (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the team will also activate running back Darren McFadden from the NFI.

Smith would certainly be an intriguing addition to the Cowboys defense, as the team snagged the Notre Dame linebacker in the second round of this year’s draft. The talented defender was initially expected to be a top-10 pick, but a torn ACL and MCL ended his collegiate career and dropped his draft stock. Even with a reported nerve issue in his knee, the Cowboys still had faith that Smith was worth the risk. During his final season at Notre Dame, the linebacker compiled 115 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Smith even sees the field this season. Archer notes that the linebacker’s routine will remain the same, and the activation is just to “keep open the possibility of him playing.” The reporter says that it’s unlikely Smith sees any playing time this year.

That news shouldn’t be too devastating to Cowboys fans, as the trio of Sean Lee, Justin Durant, and Anthony Hitchens have been more than serviceable in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, the team also has four reserve linebackers in Mark Nzeocha, Andrew Gachkar, Damien Wilson, and Kyle Wilber.

The return of McFadden will just add another talented player to the Cowboys impressive grouping of running backs. Ezekiel Elliott‘s rookie campaign has been well documented, and backup Alfred Morris is only two seasons removed from a 1,000-yard campaign. Of course, there’s no denying McFadden’s talent, as the former first-rounded rushed for 1,089 yards and three touchdowns for the Cowboys last season. The 29-year-old could make an impact on the passing game, as McFadden averaged 38 receptions per season between 2014 and 2015.

Meanwhile, Rapoport reports that tight end James Hanna had knee surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Hanna opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list and had his first surgery in August.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Cowboys raised some eyebrows this week when they activated linebacker Jaylon Smith from the non-football injury list. However, he won’t be playing this season, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. In fact, the rookie won’t even be practicing this season. 

By activating Smith off the NFI list this week, the Cowboys were merely keeping their options open. The timetable for making his NFL debut is still unclear because of the nature of his injury. Nerve damage is always tough to figure out and the source tells Rapoport that it’s not clear when or if it will “fire” again.

Smith has now been rehabbing his injury for eleven months and he has been earning his full salary while on NFI, even though the Cowboys do not have to do that under league rules. So, the decision to keep Smith off the field will not affect his bank account.

The Cowboys would have liked to add the Notre Dame product to their front seven this year, but they also knew that this could be a lost season for him. Once regarded as a top 10 pick, most teams ruled Smith out in the early rounds. The Patriots, Rapoport says, were the only other team that would have considered Smith in the second round. In time, the Cowboys’ gamble could pay off, but we won’t have a read on that until next year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata may have set several career-lows this past season, but Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes that the veteran intends to keep playing in 2017.

“It’s year to year for me — I’m up there in age — but I still love playing,” Ngata said. “Still love the game, love the guys and coaches. And so I love playing. Definitely looking forward to playing another year.”

The 32-year-old was traded to the Lions prior to the 2015 season, and he’s combined for 27 games over the past two years. Ngata finished the 2016 campaign with 22 tackles, 1.5 sack, and three passes defended. The defensive lineman has one year remaining on his contract.

Let’s check out some other notes from around the NFC…

• Top Eagles exec Howie Roseman told reporters that the team wants to bring Jason Peters back (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). He did not specify whether the team would be willing to bring the veteran back at his current salary or whether he’d still be the team’s starting left tackle. The presence of embattled lineman Lane Johnson complicates Peters’ future position on the team.
• The Eagles worked out wideout Bryan Burnham, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The 26-year-old has spent the past three seasons playing for the BC Lions of the CFL. He finished the 2016 campaign with 79 receptions for 1,392 yards and six touchdowns.
• Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith believes he’ll be playing in 2017, writes ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. The second-round pick missed the entire 2016 season as he recovered from a serious knee injury. This news didn’t surprise the Cowboys coaching staff. “He’s worked very hard at it and doesn’t surprise us one bit,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “One of the reasons he was so attractive to us as a player is just the approach that he’s taking. Those were the reports from the people around him for three years at Notre Dame and that’s been our experience with him. Obviously he had a serious knee injury last year, but we felt like, ‘Hey, if anybody can come back from this, this is the guy who can.’ He’s got an incredible attitude, always upbeat, always positive, always working very hard.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Cowboys executive Stephen Jones is optimistic that linebacker Jaylon Smith will be an effective player in 2017, but he would be making NFL history by doing so. There has been “no significant change” in Smith’s nerve damage, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Because his nerve still isn’t firing, he’ll have to play in a game with a brace for drop foot (link), something no other player has done before, to our knowledge. The Cowboys are no longer waiting for that nerve to recover and they’re proceeding as if he’ll play anyway (link). 

[RELATED: Top 3 Offseason Needs: Dallas Cowboys]

Smith, a Notre Dame product, was expected to be a Top 10 pick in the 2016 draft. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered late in his collegiate career put his NFL dreams in flux. The Cowboys took a gamble by drafting Smith in the second round last year, but he has so far been unable to take the field. Hopefully, the brace will allow Smith to resume his playing career without hindering his effectiveness.

During his final season at Notre Dame, the linebacker compiled 115 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. If he’s healthy, he could make a huge impact on the Cowboys’ front seven.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Cowboys are working on contract extensions for offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News reports. Both men are under contract through the 2017 season, having signed three-year deals in January 2015. Linehan has served as the Cowboys’ OC since 2014, while Marinelli worked as the team’s D-line coach in 2013 before being promoted to DC in 2014.

Team owner Jerry Jones said he is not ready to announce any extensions just yet, but that all talks thus far have been positive.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

• We learned several days ago that the Cowboys are proceeding as if LB Jaylon Smith will play in 2017, although there has been no significant change in the nerve damage that caused Smith’s draft stock to plummet last year and that forced him to miss the entire 2016 campaign. As Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, Dallas not only expects Smith to play this year, the team expects him to be a full participant in offseason workouts. Jones, as per usual, is especially bullish on Smith’s chances of being an impact player this year.
• The Jets have clearly entered into full-on rebuilding mode, and as Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com writes, the club is willing to deal its No. 6 overall selection to acquire more picks. Per Bergman, if the Jets do not want to use their top pick on a quarterback or offensive lineman, they will be comfortable trading down to the mid-to-late first round and collecting mid-round selections in the process.
• The Eagles‘ desire for wide receiver and cornerback help has been well-documented, but Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the team would also be well-served in pursuing a pass-rushing defensive end in the early rounds of the draft, especially since this year’s draft class is well-stocked with quality pass rushers. After all, the Eagles are expected to trade or release Connor Barwin, which would leave the team with two 29-year-olds (Vinny Curry and Brandon Graham) rushing the edge and little proven depth behind them.
• Rich Cimini of ESPN.com names the Giants, Patriots, and Ravens as three potential landing spots for the recently-released Brandon Marshall (Twitter link). We learned about the mutual interest between New England and Marshall yesterday.
• The Dolphins plan to lean more heavily on 2015 second-rounder Jordan Phillips next season, and they hope Phillips will seize a starting role opposite Ndamukong Suh, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes.

Jerry Jones is bullish on linebacker Jaylon Smith‘s prospects at 2017 contributions, but Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com hears the situation isn’t exactly as rosy, as the Cowboys view anything Smith gives them in 2017 as a bonus. While the damaged nerve in Smith’s foot started firing again, the 2016 second-round pick is nowhere close to full strength and might never get there again, Breer notes. The MMQB scribe also doubts whether Smith can be effective playing on a brace to deal with the unique drop foot issue with which the ex-Notre Dame star became saddled. And playing through this injury puts Smith at risk for further damage, Dr. Thomas Gill told Breer.

Here’s more from the NFC:

• Free agent defensive tackle Terrell McClain is already expected to draw interest from Atlanta and Seattle, and the Redskins are also expected to give the 28-year-old a call, according to Jane Slater of NFL.com (Twitter link). McClain is coming off the best season of his career, as he started more 12 or more games for the first time since 2012. In 15 starts, McClain put up 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
• The Bears were expected to meet with Brian Hoyer‘s agent last weekend, and the club reportedly expressed its desire to re-sign the veteran quarterback, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Chicago is expected to pursue other signal-callers this offseason, but Hoyer could serve as something of a bridge option if the Bears roll with a young passer. Hoyer will have plenty of other suitors, however, per La Canfora.
• Linebacker Audie Cole will reach free agency without inking a new Vikings deal, but a return to Minnesota is possible, per Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). Cole, 27, appeared in all 16 games for the Vikings last year but didn’t start a single contest. While played only 35 defensive snaps, Cole did play on more than 65% of the Vikes’ special teams snaps.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Cowboys’ 2016 second-round pick Jaylon Smith is expected to be ready for OTAs, as Josh Clark of CBS-DFW writes. Smith, of course, was expected to be a Top-10 pick in the 2016 draft, but a major knee injury suffered late in his collegiate career put his NFL dreams in flux and caused his draft stock to plummet. Dallas eventually nabbed him with the 34th-overall selection, knowing he would miss at least his entire rookie season but betting on his vast upside.

Since then, there have been differing viewpoints on whether Smith will be able to contribute in 2017. Dallas brass, inevitably, has expressed the most optimism, whereas national reporters have heard less promising opinions. For instance, we heard in March that there has been no significant change in the nerve damage in Smith’s knee, and that, despite the public statements issued by club owner Jerry Jones and COO Stephen Jones, the team is not especially bullish on Smith’s prospects.

It is therefore worth noting that this most recent report is based on a statement from Stephen Jones and should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Smith has been participating in the team’s voluntary offseason workouts at The Star in Frisco, which is certainly good news, but it is unclear at this point exactly what those workouts entail.

Stephen Jones, though, has doubled down on his public stance, saying he’s “more fired up than ever” that Smith is on the team, and that the Notre Dame product is “making great improvements.” He added:

“[Smith’s] another guy that when you look at how we improve our defense over last year, him and (Charles) Tapper both, as we all know, were high picks for us that didn’t contribute last year. We certainly have high hopes for both of those guys and feel like they’re going to be ready to go here when OTAs and minicamp start.”

Given Smith’s potential, it would be good not just for the Cowboys, but for football is a whole, if Jones is right.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Cowboys and Jaylon Smith have received some good news. The linebacker’s damaged nerve is regenerating, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He has a long way to go, but he can now lift is foot and is getting back muscle control.

Earlier this offseason, word was that Smith’s nerve would not be coming back to life and that he would be forced to play football with drop foot. The plan was for the Notre Dame product to play the season with a brace that would stabilize his leg, making him the first NFL player to ever attempt to take the field with the condition. However, the latest developments are a positive sign for Smith and may allow him to play at 100% – or something close to it.

Over the weekend, word emerged that Smith could be ready in time for team OTAs. This could be wishful/premature thinking, but there’s certainly reason for hope now in Dallas.

In his final season at Notre Dame, Smith compiled 115 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Prior to his unfortunate injury, Smith was widely projected as a top 10 pick in the 2016 draft. Instead, he fell to the Cowboys in the second round. If he’s able to make a recovery, Dallas’ risk could pay major dividends in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith is still recovering from the knee injury that forced him down 2016 draft boards and caused him to miss the entirety of his rookie season, but he’s confident he’ll be ready for the 2017 season opener, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

Smith is still using a brace for his drop foot condition, and it’s unclear if he’ll be forced to wear it during the regular season, tweets Charean Williams of the Star Telegram. Ultimately, the brace use will depend on the condition of Smith’s nerve, which is reportedly regenerating. If Smith is required to wear the brace for drop foot, he’d be the first NFL player to do so.

“At the end of the day, we’re very optimistic about where [Smith] is at this point,” said Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “I think if anything, we think he’s starting to make a lot bigger jumps than we even might have thought he could have when he first got here last year and heading into the season.”

In his final season at Notre Dame, Smith compiled 115 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Prior to his unfortunate injury, Smith was widely projected as a top 10 pick in the 2016 draft. Instead, he fell to the Cowboys in the second round. If he’s able to make a recovery, Dallas’ risk could pay major dividends in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.