By Nick Shook
Around The NFL writer
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It took more than seven months, but Kony Ealy is a Dallas Cowboy.

The defensive end signed with the Cowboys, the team announced.

Ealy spent the 2017 season with the New York Jets, who claimed him off waivers after the New England Patriots cut him loose in late August. New England had acquired the former second-round pick from the Carolina Panthers in an offseason trade in 2017, but coach Bill Belichick told reporters upon Ealy’s release the pairing just “didn’t work out.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Our Roster Reset series takes a division-by-division look at where things stand across the league heading into the 2018 NFL Draft. Nick Shook examines the current makeup of the NFC West below.

Many a song has been written about the passage of time, and the fleeting nature of success. The NFC West could inspire a similar musical creation.

We’d become accustomed to the Seahawks being the guardians of the NFC West crown, with annual challenges coming from the Cardinals, while the Rams and Niners lingered on the outskirts of true contention. Then 2017 (and Jimmy Garoppolo) arrived and flipped that on its head. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Les Snead isn’t finished wheeling and dealing.

The Los Angeles Rams have acquired receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round pick in a trade with the New England Patriots, the team announced via its official site. The Rams are sending their first-round pick in the upcoming draft (No. 23 selection) and a sixth-round pick to the Patriots, according to the announcement. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Clive Walford is going from a crowded tight end room to one in need of a veteran.

Less than a week after being released by the Oakland Raiders, the fourth-year pass-catcher has been claimed by the New York Jets, the team announced Monday afternoon. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Free agency 2018 included some murmurs involving the New Orleans Saints.

Would Drew Brees leave? Did Ndamukong Suh want to leave South Beach for the Big Easy?

In the end, neither happened — but the Saints aren’t hurting. Fresh off an 11-5 season, stocked with young talent and returning to the field with Brees under a new contract, they’re ready to roll. And yet, one Saint wishes his franchise would have landed the big fish out of Miami. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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We might be looking at the twilight of kickoffs in the NFL.

Packers president Mark Murphy, a member of the NFL Competition Committee, told reportersWednesday that despite recent rule changes aimed at enhancing safety, injury data reveals that kickoffs remain an area of concern. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Johnny Manziel’s return to pro football might still seem like a longshot, but he’s definitely working toward his goal, no matter how lofty.

The former first-round pick threw at a scouting showcase for the second time in as many weeks Tuesday, serving as Christian Kirk‘s quarterback at Texas A&M’s pro day. In the process, the 25-year-old Manziel grabbed headlines — and multiple encounters with representatives of NFL teams. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The league’s most controversial rule is getting a rework this offseason, and coaches are coming away from the week’s owners meeting in Orlando, Florida, with a variety of opinions on the matter.

Saints coach Sean Payton decided to take the instruction route, giving an ironclad “control it through the ground” demand and opening the door for more turnovers.

“Look, we’re in the teaching business so if I told you, ‘hey, man I catch it with two hands and I have control and I hit the ground,’ I still have to control it,” Payton told NFL Network’s Steve Wyche. “If I dive and I’m in the air and I catch it like we’ve seen, I’ve got to control it through the ground. Basically, a football act or a third step makes me a runner, and it’s that simple. So I think you’re going to have more catches and I think you’ll have more fumbles too.” Continue reading →