Getty The Dallas Cowboys signed Jalen Moreno-Cropper and seven other players to Reserve deals.
The Dallas Cowboys announced the signing of eight players to Reserve/Future contracts in the team’s first moves since their elimination loss to the Green Bay Packers. Receivers Jalen Moreno-Cropper and Racey McMath are among the players who inked new deals.
McMath is a wideout who the Cowboys signed to the practice squad ahead of the NFL playoffs. Dallas also signed the following players to Reserve deals: tackle Earl Bostick, cornerback Josh Butler, tight end Princeton Fant, linebacker Buddy Johnson, pass rusher Durrell Johnson and defensive back Sheldrick Redwine.
What is a Reserve/Future contract? The majority of these players spent time on the Cowboys practice squad and a Reserve deal holds the team’s rights for the next season.
“The reason it is designated as a ‘futures contract’ is that the player is not officially under contract until the start of the following league season,” Pro Football Network’s Ben Rolfe explained in a January 8, 2023 article titled “NFL Futures Contract: Everything You Need To Know.”
“The reason that differentiation is important is that the player’s contract does not count against the salary cap or the roster limit for the current season. Instead, it is credited against the following year’s salary cap, and the player counts against the offseason 90-man roster limit.
“However, it is crucial to note that once a player signs a futures contract, they are placed on a reserve/futures list and cannot negotiate with other teams. Unlike with practice squads, teams cannot sign other teams’ players with a futures contract.”
Dallas Cowboys Receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper Had a Combined 16 Touchdowns in Final 2 Seasons at Fresno State
Moreno-Cropper spent last season on Dallas’ practice squad but did not see the field. The 22-year-old wideout has an impressive collegiate resume from his time at Fresno State.
Moreno-Cropper notched 83 receptions for 1,086 yards and five touchdowns for the Bulldogs in 2022. The receiver also had 85 catches for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Moreno-Cropper a sixth round grade heading into the 2023 NFL draft. The receiver ended up going undrafted and signed with Dallas as a free agent.
“Slot receiver with adequate size who finds ways to get open thanks to tempo variance over route acumen,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile. “Moreno-Cropper’s ball skills shine when he’s elevating and making adjustments mid-flight, but he struggles when attempting to play through contact and make contested catches.
“His versatility to throw, run jet sweeps and operate outside of the norm for his position could be intriguing for creative play-callers and teams looking to add competition at receiver on Day 3.”
Cowboys Rumors: Jerry Jones to Hold ‘Job Interview’ With Mike McCarthy
The Cowboys have plenty of roster decisions to make after another early exit in the NFL playoffs. Yet, the major question hanging over the Dallas offseason is who will be the head coach.
Owner Jerry Jones has been remarkably quiet about Mike McCarthy’s future since the team’s blowout loss to the Packers. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher reported that Jones plans to treat his end-of-season meeting with McCarthy as a “job interview.”
“Coach Mike McCarthy is already under contract with the Dallas Cowboys for one more season,” Fisher detailed in a January 16, 2024 article titled, “Mike McCarthy Meeting with Cowboys’ Jerry Jones ‘Like a Job Interview.'” “But he will nevertheless be figuratively presenting his resume to team owner Jerry Jones when he meets with the team owner this week in what one source tells CowboysSI.com “will be “like a job interview.”