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Nothing has come of it, but the Cowboys reportedly hosted a pair of free-agent defenders during their bye week.
The Dallas Morning News reported on Nov. 7 that the team was scheduled to work out defensive lineman Breeland Speaks and nose tackle Greg Gilmore, in addition to punters Colton Schmidt and Marquette King.
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Speaks was a 2018 second-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs who won a Super Bowl with the organization last year. He totaled 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks across all 16 appearances as a rookie before missing the entirety of his sophomore campaign on injured reserve.
Waived by Kansas City at September final cuts, Speaks (6-3, 285) spent a month on the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad prior to his Nov. 3 release.
“I, and our staff, thought in his rookie year he did some things that you can really lay a foundation on,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said after pink-slipping Speaks. “And we all know that he came in a little out of shape the next year, and then he had the injury. So, I think when you get behind the eight ball in professional football, it’s tough.”
Gilmore (6-4, 307) entered the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 2018 undrafted free agent. He was chopped at final cuts that year and, following a stint with the AAF’s Memphis Express, spent the 2019 offseason on Pittsburgh’s 90-man squad and then took his talents to Vince McMahon’s now-defunct XFL upstart.
Gilmore was a four-year contributor for LSU from 2014-17, notching 104 combined tackles (13 for loss), 10 sacks, and two pass breakups over 36 career games.
The Cowboys remain on the hunt for DL help after losing 2019 second-round tackle Trysten Hill to a torn ACL and cutting veteran nose man Dontari Poe. Any addition would be stationed behind starters Antwaun Woods and Neville Gallimore, with Justin Hamilton and recently-acquired Eli Ankou operating as the primary reserves.
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Jones Hints at Extension for Aldon Smith
In a recent radio interview, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones confirmed media reports stating outside linebacker Aldon Smith, an unrestricted free agent in 2021, is a strong candidate for a long-term contract extension.
“Yes, and the idea here is that Aldon is getting better,” Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s a bigger man than he was when he played earlier in his career. But that has a lot of positives to it, too. But every time he’s stepping out there, he’s gaining on it, and that’s interesting to be at this stage of his career. But he’s an absolute unique in every way pressure player. We want to maximize our relationship with him. We’ve all got a good one with him. Proud of him. Proud for him. Proud that he’s given himself this chance, and we’re going to help him do it. So, as I’ve said earlier, I’m a fan of his.”
Returning from a half-decade-spanning NFL suspension, Smith inked a non-guaranteed one-year, $2 million deal this past offseason, rife with bonuses and sack incentives. He has a base salary of just $910,000 — peanuts.
The Pro Bowl pass-rusher has provided an excellent return on Jones’ investment, tallying 37 tackles (24 solo), nine quarterback hits, and 5.5 sacks across 460 defensive snaps (73.02%).
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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