Cowboys’ Former Deep Threat Receiver Lands With Fourth Team Since Being Cut

A former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver has found a new home in the early days of training camp.

As reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, James Washington is signing with the Atlanta Falcons. Washington previously landed with the Cowboys during the 2022 offseason with the idea that he’d play a major role in the offense following the departures of Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson. However, that never came to fruition as a right foot injury in training camp sidelined him for the entire season with the exception of two games.

“The #Falcons are signing veteran WR James Washington, sources say,” writes Garafolo. “Washington had 114 catches for 1,629 yards and 11 TDs over four years with the #Steelers (2018-21), the last two of which he was coached by Ike Hilliard, now Atlanta’s WR coach.”

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James Washington Didn’t Play Single Game During 2023 Season

As mentioned earlier, Washington appeared in two games with the Cowboys during the 2022 season, but didn’t record a single statistic. He released prior to the end of the season.

Washington hasn’t appeared in a single game since. Despite landing with a number of teams following his release from the Cowboys — the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints — the 28-year-old receiver hasn’t been able to find a stable landing spot.

As Garafolo mentions, Washington was a productive secondary receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers during his first four seasons in the league. While playing alongside the likes of Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster, Washington started 25 of his 60 appearances with the Steelers. His best season came in 2019 when he produced 44 catches for 735 receiving yards (16.7 yards per reception) with three touchdowns. His 16.7 yards per catch ranked ninth in the NFL.

While it’s been a long time since Washington has been a productive receiver, he’ll have an opportunity at earning a roster spot. Drake London and Darnell Mooney are the projected starting receivers for the Falcons, but he’ll have the chance to compete with veterans Ray-Ray McCloud and Rondale Moore for a secondary role.

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Cowboys’ Talks With Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb Progressing

Progress is being made on the Cowboys’ contract talks with stars, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

According to Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones, they’ve been in talks with both Prescott and Lamb on new deals, via Jon Machota of The Athletic:

“Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @SASportsStar on contract talks with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb: ‘Right now the ball is in (Dak’s) court and we’re waiting to hear from them. They understand that the ball is in their court. We keep having multiple exchanges with CeeDee. He actually sent us something late (Sunday). We continue to grind away on it. I would characterize both negotiations as very cordial and upbeat. We’re optimistic we’ll continue to work toward getting something done.'”

While Prescott is present and practicing at training camp without a long-term deal, Lamb is a holdout as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. However, an offer was submitted to him by the Cowboys a few days prior.

Considering both Lamb and Prescott are two of the Cowboys’ biggest stars on offense, getting them under contract after this season is absolutely pivotal if Dallas wants to remain a contender.

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