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The Dallas Cowboys became the center of a somewhat bizarre free agency story after a former Las Vegas Raiders corner said he was in talks with Dallas. Nearly two years removed from his last regular season appearance with the Raiders, Damon Arnette is claiming he and the Cowboys are in contract talks.
It’s worth noting that Arnette made this claim while speaking to media on August 7 after pleading guilty to two gun-related misdemeanor charges. The former Ohio State star, who was born in the Dallas area, said he was traveling to speak with the Cowboys after the court case concluded according to My San Antonio.
“If I’m blessed enough to get another chance in the NFL, then I’m going to kill that,” Arnette sad. “I’ve learned a lot. I’m remorseful about everything. I appreciate and respect another opportunity. I’m a better man than I was.”
While it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that Arnette could get his second chance with the Cowboys, a follow-up report has quickly made Arnette’s comments seem dubious at best.
Cowboys Insider Shoots Down Arnette Claim
Shortly after the comments from Arnette went public, SI.com’s Mike Fisher addressed the story with an update from an anonymous source. The short of it is that there appears to be no real foundation to Arnette’s statement.
“Additionally, an NFL source tells CowboysSI.com that he ‘has no knowledge’ of a scheduled negotiation between Arnette and any NFL team … which we take as a polite denial of an outrageous claim,” Fisher’s article reads.
The source from the update isn’t necessarily saying that Arnette hasn’t had any conversations with the Cowboys or other NFL squads, but there is definitely nothing “on the books” for Dallas or other teams.
This could be Arnette trying to generate media buzz or attention in order to setup his return move, but there’s also the chance that he’s exaggerating early conversations he’s been having as he moves past the court case.
Arnette’s Time with Raiders
Arnette had plenty of hype when he was first entering the NFL heading into the 2020 season. A 19th overall pick in that year’s draft, Arnette had played 47 games with Ohio State over four years, registering 22 passes defended and nabbed five interceptions in the process.
Unsurprisingly, Arnette took a starting role as a cornerback with Las Vegas as a rookie. He didn’t light up the NFL, however, registering just two passes defended over his nine appearances according to Pro Football Reference.
A thumb injury ended Arnette’s rookie campaign in mid-October as the Raiders placed him on the injured reserve. When Arnette returned for the 2021 season, however, he had lost his starting job and did not make a single start for Las Vegas that year.
A groin injury forced him onto the injured reserve again after just four games. Those would end up being Arnette’s final appearances for the Raiders as videos of him brandishing firearms hit the Internet while he was recovering. Las Vegas released the now 26-year-old corner on November 8, 2021.
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Ex-Raiders 1st Rounder Claims to Be in Free Agency Talks with Cowboys