Ex-Cowboys DE Enters Free Agency Talks with Broncos: Report

Azur Kamara

Getty Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Azur Kamara tries to recover the ball during an NFL game.

As the Dallas Cowboys look to carry momentum into the middle of the season, a former Dallas defensive end is looking for a place on the Denver Broncos roster.

Of course, the Cowboys already saw Randy Gregory join the Broncos earlier this offseason in stunning fashion, as the veteran edge rusher made a last-second decision to join Denver after a new contract was announced by Dallas.

Apparently, the Broncos still need extra edge rusher help with Gregory on the injured reserve. According to the NFL’s official personnel notice, Denver is working out former Cowboys defensive end Azur Kamara.

The Broncos also worked out three other players: tackle Christian DiLauro, former Houston standout linebacker Emeke Egbule and LB Zach McCloud.

Kamara has struggled to find his footing in the NFL since entering the league with the Cowboys in 2020, but it appears he has another chance at a roster or practice squad with the Broncos.


Kamara’s Journey Through NFL

There’s no question that Kamara’s NFL career has one of the more interesting backstories in the league: the defensive end was born on the Ivory Coast in Africa, then he moved to Phoenix, Arizona at age 10 and began playing football.

After going to a junior college to continue playing after high school, Kamara transferred to Kansas for his final two years of eligibility. He totaled 4.5 sacks for the Jayhawks over two seasons, and did not stand out enough to be drafted in the 2020 NFL draft.

The Cowboys still saw a player worth adding as a UDFA and signed the defensive end after the draft. Unfortunately for Kamara, he suffered a non-disclosed injury before the 2020 season and he rode the entire fall on the injured reserve.

Kamara got his first taste of regular-season NFL football the following year. The Ivory Coast-born player hopped back and forth between the practice squad and the 53-man roster but made nine appearances and three tackles in the 2021 season according to NFL.com.

However, he was released in December of that year and was picked up by the Carolina Panthers. Carolina released him the following May, leading to Kamara trying to make the Kansas City Chiefs roster for the 2022 season. By mid-September, the Chiefs had cut Kamara and he was a free agent again.


Cowboys Could Trade DE Before Deadline

While one former Dallas defensive end figures out his future, a current Cowboys DE may be on the move as well: Tarell Basham.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently wrote that Dallas may be willing to part with some of their defensive depth before the trade deadline, and specifically name-dropped Basham.

Basham has been a non-factor this year due to a quad injury keeping him off the field. However, Cowboys fans know that Basham can perform, as the 28-year-old totaled 3.5 sacks in a limited role in 2021.

While Fowler’s report is worth mentioning, Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher has countered, saying that an anonymous source has told him that the Cowboys are not shopping Basham and that the team has had no calls related to the defensive end’s availability.

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