The Cowboys will not be signing veteran CB Xavien Howard.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0wanted a closer look at former All-Pro cornerback\u00a0Xavien Howard\u00a0but ultimately decided against signing him.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys are shorthanded in their secondary.\u00a0Trevon Diggs\u00a0is banged up and backups\u00a0Juanyeh Thomas\u00a0and\u00a0Josh Butler\u00a0are also out \u2014 Butler for the season with a\u00a0torn ACL. Additionally, rookie\u00a0Caelen Carson\u00a0is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n
Howard worked out for the Cowboys with a group of other defensive backs on Wednesday. Cornerbacks Troy Pride, Dee Delaney, and safety Joshuah Bledsoe also tried out. Dallas signed\u00a0Pride and Delaney to the practice squad but not Howard.<\/p>\n
Howard has not been with a team this season. The\u00a0Miami Dolphins\u00a0released him in March, but he has failed to find a new home. Howard had an offer to join the\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals\u00a0after a workout earlier in the year but\u00a0decided against it.<\/p>\n
Just before the announcement of Pride and Delaney signing, NFL reporter\u00a0Josina Anderson\u00a0reported that her \u201cunderstanding is that the Cowboys don\u2019t have immediate plans to sign\u201d Howard.<\/p>\n
Howard is an experienced veteran, with 99 starts on his resume \u2014 all with the Dolphins. He has earned four Pro Bowl nods, the latest coming in 2022, and has 29 career interceptions.<\/p>\n
Cowboys Defense Has Stepped Up During Recent Wins<\/h2>\n
The Cowboys have pieced together back-to-back wins, improving to 5-7, thanks in large part to their defense. With key players returning to health and the team adjusting to first-year defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer\u2019s system, the unit is starting to hit its stride at a crucial time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all see a difference, don\u2019t we?\u201d\u00a0Micah Parsons said after beating the Giants on Thanksgiving. \u201cThe film\u2019s not lying. Everybody\u2019s staying in their gaps. We\u2019re playing honest and true. That just goes to show that we\u2019re just starting to believe in each other, really buying into the program and understanding that we really can be good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parsons missed four games with an ankle sprain and his Week 10 return to the lineup has provided a spark for the unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a better football team, a better defense, when Micah is on the field,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cThat is without question. I think he came back, we had him a little bit on a pitch count, and now he is at full speed. He\u2019s an impact player without a doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parsons is one of the most impactful defenders in the NFL when healthy, attracting the attention of opposing offenses. He\u2019s notched 3.5 sacks over the last two games, also adding 11 tackles.<\/p>\n
Cowboys Still Confident They Can Make Playoff Run<\/h2>\n
Despite their mini-win streak, the Cowboys are still a long shot to make the postseason. The Athletic\u2019s projection gives them a\u00a0less than 1 percent chance\u00a0to make the postseason. Dallas will need to keep winning but will also need some help from other NFC teams vying for a Wild Card spot.<\/p>\n
Dallas faces long odds, but Parsons warned not to count the Cowboys out just yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s been counting us out,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cI believe we\u2019re going to turn it around and make a run.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dallas hosts the Bengals for a Monday Night Football matchup this week. The Bengals are a five-point road favorite.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Cowboys will not be signing veteran CB Xavien Howard. The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0wanted a closer look at former All-Pro cornerback\u00a0Xavien Howard\u00a0but ultimately decided against signing him. The Cowboys… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n