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Anthony Brown is singing for his supper, forced to compete for a starting role in the Dallas Cowboys‘ revamped secondary.
And the veteran cornerback is fine belting out the proverbial notes.
“There’s always competition,” Brown told reporters Tuesday, via WFAA.com. “It’s the NFL. There’s always going to be competition.”
Entering his sixth season with the organization, his age-27 campaign, Brown is the forgotten man among Dallas’ new-look back end, after the team imported rookie CBs Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright. The 2016 sixth-rounder made 10 appearances last year — including eight starts — and logged 39 combined tackles, three pass deflections, and two interceptions across 534 defensive snaps.
All told, Brown has 66 games (41 starts) of experience for the Cowboys, posting 211 combined tackles, 35 PDs, six INTs, and three forced fumbles. The Purdue product inked a three-year, $15.5 million extension in March 2020. He’s due $4.25 million in base salary for 2021.
The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday that Brown is the “favorite to start opposite Trevon Diggs” in the Cowboys’ Sept. 9 regular-season opener at Tampa Bay.
That CB2 distinction, however, won’t come without a fight.
To which Brown says … bring it on.
“We lost Chido, so we got to replace him and somebody got to come in,” Brown said. “So, there’s always going to be competition and you got to do your part and don’t worry about that. Like I said, make everybody better around you. At the end of the day, if we win, everybody wins.”
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Sign up for the Heavy on Cowboys Newsletter!Brown Updates Injury Status
As mentioned, Brown missed six games last season due to a Week 2 practice injury in which he suffered multiple broken ribs. The painful malady lingered throughout 2020, scuttling Brown in and out of the lineup. He insists he’s returned to full health.
“I fractured like five ribs and had to deal with that. I missed three games and came back,” he said, via WFAA.com. “Then I fractured the same three to four ribs again in the Minnesota game, and then I had to miss a couple more games. So it was something tough to deal with, but I just had to fight through it and do what I can and get back with the team.”
“I’m back to normal now,” Brown added. “Everything feels good. I’m moving good. Mobility feels good.”
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Sherman Willing to Wait on Deal
Perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman has been connected to the Cowboys over the course of the offseason, as the former Seahawks and 49ers star continues to rot on the unrestricted free-agent market.
Sherman, though, recently admitted he’s content with waiting to join a “championship” contender later this summer, provided one reaches out — and it doesn’t sound like Dallas will.
“I want to get to a team that’s competing for a championship, so that’s what I’m focused on and waiting for a right opportunity,” he told Bloomberg.com on Friday. “When it comes, that’s where I’ll be.”
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