By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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In the days following Tony Romo‘s back injury, emotions ranged across the NFL, and especially the Cowboys faithful.

Denial, followed by despair. Then, curious excitement surrounding the possibilities offered by backup Dak Prescott.

Cliff Avril — the man responsible for the hit that fractured Romo’s back — received plenty of heat via Twitter, and made sure to reach out to Romo to let him know it wasn’t intentional. Romo’s response?

We’ll make amends in January. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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It’s been a rough preseason for Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

Selected in the second round of the 2014 draft, the big tight end looked to be the next athletic pass-catcher to create matchup headaches for opposing defenses. Two disappointing, injury-riddled seasons later, Seferian-Jenkins finds himself stuck behind Cameron Brate and Luke Stocker on new head coach Dirk Koetter’s depth chart.

The relationship between the two hit a snag during OTAs, when Koetter sent Seferian-Jenkins off the field because as Koetter said, Seferian-Jenkins “didn’t know what he was doing.”

Wednesday, the frustration boiled over during a rain-soaked, sloppy 20-13 loss to the Washington Redskins. Seferian-Jenkins could be seen arguing with Koetter on the sideline and had to be separated by receiver Russell Shepard. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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With a fourth preseason game that likely won’t include Dak Prescott still to play, Dallas added another quarterback to its roster Thursday.

The Cowboys signed Jerrod Johnson hours before their preseason finale against the Houston Texans. Johnson, 28, played quarterback at Texas A&M, where he once targeted a wide receiver who later became a first-round draft pick at quarterback named Ryan Tannehill.

Johnson was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and has spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the now-defunct United Football League. Johnson spent most of the 2016 preseason with the Ravens before being cut on Aug. 29.

Above is the most recent video we found of Johnson, from 2012 preseason action when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Johnson will back up Jameill Showers, who will likely play the entire duration of Thursday’s contest.

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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It’s a new day in Detroit.

There’s a new president, a new general manager, new members of the scouting department and new equipment in a modernized weight room. Ford Field has new LED lights. There are even new, Honolulu Blue end zones.

That has one returning Lion feeling optimistic about the future.

“They’ve brought in what it takes to be a winning organization consistently,” wide receiver Golden Tate said, via MLive.com. “We’re trying to get to where we expect to go in and win our division every year, and things like (this) matter. It shows us they care, and makes us want to play more for them. It drives guys in free agency here.

“We’re just tired of being the same old Lions. We’re tired of being that. We don’t want to be what the Lions have been the last 20-25 years, or however long it’s been. … And we feel like things like the end zones and what they’re doing around the facility, it helps, it matters. They’ve made a bunch of new additions in the weight room, the nutrition, the cafeteria. The meeting rooms are different. There’s so many different things, that I think they matter. They might be small, if you’re looking at them one by one, but they accumulate.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Emmanuel Sanders is entering a contract season. And he faces the Week 1 reality of lining up alongside a quarterback who has yet to throw a pass in the regular season.

No better time to look at the glass half full.

“To me, it really doesn’t matter, as long as they throw a catchable pass,” Sanders said when asked what type of demeanor he’d like to see in his quarterback, per the Denver Post. “Trevor (Siemian) is both. He throws a very catchable ball. He can put it there and can make all the throws. I like the decision.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Saturday’s disappointing news — that Cowboys starting quarterback Tony Romo has a broken bone in his back — would be viewed as crippling in past years.

But in 2016, things are different in Dallas. The news came just one day after owner Jerry Jones raved about the situation behind Romo. The inspiration: Dak Prescott.

Head coach Jason Garrett refuses to admit it, but it’s essentially Dak Season in Big D. Dez Bryant is ready to roll. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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On the third play of the Dallas Cowboys‘ opening drive against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Tony Romo attempted to slide, was simultaneously hit from behind and squirmed in pain.

It was all too familiar to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

“I was a little more reverent than that,” Jones said during a Friday morning appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “It’s called praying. Seriously. It was a complete replay for me from almost a year ago sitting there with those thoughts. It was just surreal. I’m sure we all had our own thoughts there. I really did pray that he was going to be OK.”

The awkward hit caused what Romo described as a “crunching” force on his spine, leaving the quarterback writhing on the turf and Jones pleading to a higher power. But as Romo said, it was encouraging, because a hit like that might not have been easy to recover from in past years. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Despite the gaping holes left open by the Dolphins‘ front seven and the Cowboys‘ ensuing offensive onslaught, there is something of which the Miami faithful can be proud after a 41-14 loss.

After spending a year wondering if he was worth the third-round pick surrendered in a trade with New Orleans, Kenny Stills gave a peek of a bright future that could be ahead.

Stills opened up Miami’s offensive evening with a 55-yard bomb on which he got behind the entire Dallas defense, and would have scored with ease, if it weren’t for the existence of the sideline. No matter, because even though Miami failed to score on the drive, Stills ended up with two touchdowns on three catches for 71 yards. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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When Ryan Fitzpatrick signed his one-year deal with the New York Jets, the quarterback position was solidified for Gang Green.

Make that starting quarterback.

Geno Smith, who reacted to Fitzpatrick’s return by stating he’d be auditioning for all 32 teams (and by tweeting Young Thug lyrics) suddenly finds himself in a bit of a competition with an unexpected foe: fellow backup quarterback Bryce Petty. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Less than a month before the start of the regular season, there’s cause for concern about Jimmy Garoppolo‘s most valuable target.

Rob Gronkowski left Monday’s joint practice with the Chicago Bears after pulling up during a 7-on-7 drill. Tom Brady threw a pass in the direction of Gronkowski, who didn’t finish his route or make the catch, instead walking over to a trainer who eventually escorted the tight end off the field. Continue reading →