Getty Stephen Guidry
A second Dallas Cowboys player has chosen to skip the upcoming season over concerns surrounding COVID-19.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday, the first day of Cowboys training camp, that undrafted rookie wide receiver Stephen Guidry is opting out of the 2020 campaign.
Veteran cornerback Maurice Canady also opted out Tuesday, tweeting, “Family first money second #staysafe.”
Guidry, 23, joined Dallas following the conclusion of April’s draft. A JUCO transfer, he was a two-year contributor at Mississippi State, notching 49 receptions for 827 yards and eight touchdowns across 23 appearances.
The 6-foot-3, 201-pound wideout ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds at February’s NFL Scouting Combine. Guidry is a possession WR with a plus catch radius and sneaky yards-after-reception ability, though his route-running and drop issues leave much to be desired.
“Stephen Guidry presents as a developmental receiver prospect at the pro level,” The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs wrote in his scouting profile. “Guidry is fairly raw still, he played just two seasons of FBS ball after transferring in as a JUCO to MSST in for 2018-2019 seasons. Guidry has a notable athletic profile and good length at his disposal but flashing bodies over the middle can produce negative results and he’s too often stuck on defenders to avoid frustrating lapses. He’ll need to become a better route technician to command high snap volume.”
Guidry — as with Jon’Vea Johnson, who on Monday was moved to the COVID-19 list — faced an uphill battle to crack the Cowboys’ final roster, surpassing the likes of Cedrick Wilson and Devin Smith behind locked-in starters Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and first-round rookie CeeDee Lamb.
Because Guidry is voluntarily opting out, he’s eligible to collect a $150,000 stipend, per the revised Collective Bargaining Agreement, amended due to the pandemic. High-risk players who decide to sit out until 2021 are entitled to a $350,000 stipend.
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