News: BTB: Free agent rumors: Would the Cowboys move David Irving for a high draft pick?

NewsBot

New Member
Messages
111,281
Reaction score
2,947
883395342.jpg.0.jpg

What should the Cowboys do with one of their impact playmakers on the defensive line?

Eight games, seven sacks. How do you like dem apples?

David Irving has been a delicious treat for the Cowboys defense ever since they scooped him off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad in 2015. He only played in 12 games off the bench during his first year with the team, but his 6-foot-7 frame helped spark interest when he blocked a field goal against the Seattle Seahawks. His potential started becoming more evident when he had outstanding second halves in games against Green Bay and Tampa Bay last season. Irving would finish the year with only four sacks, but by seasons end - it was looking like he could be a special player for this defense.

This season didn’t start as well as he’d hoped as he missed the first four games of the year serving a suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. And it didn’t end well either as he missed the team’s final four games due to a concussion. But what happened in the middle was spectacular. In just Irving’s first four games of the year, he recorded six sacks. Some actually pondered if he had a shot to catch DeMarcus Lawrence’s sack total, despite Tank having a four-game head start. Irving was playing that well.

So when the subject comes up about how the team should proceed with Irving, it seems very obvious - slap that first-round tender on him and let’s go!

But is that how the Cowboys see it? There is a buzz going around that maybe the team would be willing to tempt another club into offering up a second-round pick for him. This time of year, leading into free agency, we’ll hear some crazy rumors, and some not so crazy. Let’s take a look at this one.


Tea leaves starting to hint David Irving’s long term future isn’t with Dallas. If that’s the #Cowboys’ route, simply can’t put anything less than a 1st round tender down. Too talented, can’t let that dynamic playmaking out the building for a 2.

— Laurie Horesh (@LaurieHoresh) January 17, 2018

I can’t imagine that the Cowboys would be willing to part with a known talent like Irving for just a second-round pick. But maybe the Cowboys see it differently. Is there more than just a Tweet from someone at Fox Sports?

Our old friend KD Drummond posted this over at Cowboys Wire a couple days ago.


The idea Dallas is willing to let Irving walk seems to be spreading. On their latest Trust the Tape podcast, 105.3 The Fan’s Jeff Cavanaugh and draft expert Dane Brugler discussed the possibility.

When going through Brugler’s mock draft, the topic of the defensive line of Dallas came up when he sent 3-technique Maurice Hurst to the Cowboys.

Cavanaugh: “I think on that one it will depend… you’ll know ‘David Irving’ things before the draft. Right? He’s a restricted free agent and if somebody signs him to a deal and the Cowboys take their pick and let him walk…”

Brugler: “I think there’s a good chance that happens.”

Cavanaugh: “Then I could see that pick.”

Brugler: “Yeah, and there’s a good chance that happens.”

Well, as Todd Archer reports, there could be some other things going on here:


Consistency has been Irving’s issue, on and off the field. His talent will give him chances others won’t get, but he confounds coaches at times. He did not practice in part of the offseason for reasons not really known. He did not show up for the first reporting day of training camp at The Star before the Cowboys went to Oxnard, California.

Irving’s future depends on becoming more reliable. He is set to be a restricted free agent. The Cowboys are likely to give him the second-round tender in hopes that 2018 becomes the year he puts it all together, on and off the field.

If there are character issues with Irving, then maybe the team doesn’t see him as a part of their future. I mean we are talking about a guy who got in a little trouble in college.


Lmao I didn't know this but David Irving got kicked out of school for carrying a stop sign around during a campus riot pic.twitter.com/p5nqkq2e4Q

— G (@yunggurado) December 1, 2017

But maybe that’s just a part of it. Maybe the team wants Maliek Collins back at the 3-tech position so they can employ a true 1-tech DT on their defensive line? Even if that’s the case, finding time for Iring in the rotation, anywhere on the line, shouldn’t be an issue. He’s not picky. He’ll do whatever is asked of him.


“Honestly, it doesn’t make any difference; put me at nose guard, left end, right end, three-technique, it really doesn’t matter,” Irving said. “Wherever I can make plays, wherever I can help the team. I’m capable of playing any position on the line, so wherever the coaches need me, wherever my team needs me.”

Maybe the Cowboys want the draft capital. With the team looking for upgrades at several positions, a bonus second-rounder would come in handy. If the team placed a first-round tender on him, other teams would shy away as that’s a lot to surrender. Could the team tempt another squad by dangling only a second-round tender on him?

It should be interesting to see how the Cowboys handle this situation. Irving has been one of my personal favorites since he joined the team and has been an absolute beast on the defensive line. But this organization has a good feel for what they have in their players and sometimes the best decisions aren’t always our favorites.

What do you think the Cowboys should do with Irving? First-round tender? Second-round? Sign him long-term?

Continue reading...
 

northerncowboynation

Well-Known Member
Messages
7,925
Reaction score
6,303
Second round tender. If some one wants him and is willing to give up a second rounder for him so be it. My beef on Irving last year was unreliability on the field. My beef this year is unreliable off of it. Can't keep betting on reliabi;lity until some one shows it and Irving hasn't. Give him another year to prove he's reliable? Meh, he's had his chance
 

Verdict

Well-Known Member
Messages
25,960
Reaction score
20,118
Maybe the Cowboys are pulling an Eagles and hoping to move Irving so that they can get the draft capital to move up for a QB.
 

gmoney112

Well-Known Member
Messages
11,589
Reaction score
15,694
He's downright dominant at times, and isn't even hitting his playing prime yet.

I get it. He has problems. But our pass rush is starting to look optimistic, and getting rid of Irving with the way our DT situation looks right now would be pretty reckless.

There's no way I let him go for a 2nd. I'd do it for a 1st, obviously, but I don't think anyone's going to give that up.

I'd sooner take the risk and see if he shapes up next year than trade him for a gamble in the second round.
 

jterrell

Penguinite
Messages
33,428
Reaction score
15,603
So our plan is to replace a top notch pass rusher with a rookie 2nd rounder that could take 3 years to develop? No wonder we are in constant mediocrity.
Hard to define a guy with 11,5 sacks in his 4 year career as a top notch pass rusher.
He has top notch pass rush "potential" but that's a far different thing and if you can replace that with a player with as much or more potential and less risk, it makes sense to do so.

Again, the R2 tender secures a right to meet any bid. It also sends Irving a message about his off-field stuff and the value of being a professional.
 

mahoneybill

Well-Known Member
Messages
6,849
Reaction score
4,452
So our plan is to replace a top notch pass rusher with a rookie 2nd rounder that could take 3 years to develop? No wonder we are in constant mediocrity.

A voice of reason. I'm with you...
 

kevm3

Well-Known Member
Messages
9,685
Reaction score
12,698
Hard to define a guy with 11,5 sacks in his 4 year career as a top notch pass rusher.
He has top notch pass rush "potential" but that's a far different thing and if you can replace that with a player with as much or more potential and less risk, it makes sense to do so.

Again, the R2 tender secures a right to meet any bid. It also sends Irving a message about his off-field stuff and the value of being a professional.

He will certainly be better than any guy we draft until a few years pass. our 1st rounder Taco was invisible for most of the season. What do you think a rookie 2nd rounder is going to do? You think he's going to come in and be better than Irving? By the time the rookie turns the corner, it's going to be contract time for him and we've just paid Dak and Zeke their contracts. What is the cowboys, a developmental league for the rest of the league, who let us develop rookies and then poach the talent from us?
 

MCMetal69

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,922
Reaction score
3,953
I'd prefer to keep Irving and draft the best available 1-tech DT with our first round pick....................A defensive line with Lawrence , Irving , Collins and a 340 pound space eater would be a welcome sight in my eyes..................
 

jterrell

Penguinite
Messages
33,428
Reaction score
15,603
He will certainly be better than any guy we draft until a few years pass. our 1st rounder Taco was invisible for most of the season. What do you think a rookie 2nd rounder is going to do? You think he's going to come in and be better than Irving? By the time the rookie turns the corner, it's going to be contract time for him and we've just paid Dak and Zeke their contracts. What is the cowboys, a developmental league for the rest of the league, who let us develop rookies and then poach the talent from us?
You are assuming quite a lot about David Irving. LOL.
Firstly, that his concussion issue doesn't cause him to miss games or even to retire.
Secondly, that he wont get caught with nay banned substance and miss 10 games.
Thirdly, that he will actually show up to practices and camp and games on time.

Dallas grabbed Irving of a practice squad. He has been paid pennies here and has performed well in limited bursts but always has something stopping his progress and is clearly an odd duck.
I don't dislike the player by any means but make no mistake any team in the league would love to take a guy off a practice squad, get 10 starts across 3 season then flip that player for a 2nd round pick.

Part of the equation has to be the future.
Whether you tender him R1 or R2 teams can make offers. It truly changes nothing about your control or lack-thereof.

But Dallas is probably not prepared to offer a guy they see as a wildcard a deal worth over 10m a year and with 15+m GTD.
That's the kind of deal you give guys you've tendered at R1.

Last year 2 players were given R1 tenders in all the NFL.
1. Malcolm Butler of the Pats. He's played in 16 games 3 years in a row and has made a Pro Bowl. He's considered a top 10 CB by PFF and other services. His suggested value on spotrac is 5 yrs, $66,167,725.
The other is Kiko Alonso. He was tagged R1 re-signed at 3 years and 29m with 18.5 of that GTD....
 

cowboy_ron

You Can't Fix Stupid
Messages
15,356
Reaction score
24,300
Maybe the Cowboys are pulling an Eagles and hoping to move Irving so that they can get the draft capital to move up for a QB.
lol, they aren't even considering trading draft picks to move up to draft a QB in the 1st round when they currently have a two year starter with a 22-10 starter, not to mention MUCH more glaring needs.

Be more concerned with the worst HC in the NFL going into year 8 for us.....THAT should be the biggest concern.
 

nycowboyfan

Active Member
Messages
86
Reaction score
178
I give up. This is why packers fans have been frustrated. Don’t sign any high quality free agents and let quality players walk out yhe door as well.

Building through the draft is great. But we are always building and never finish our project. Enough already. Keep high quality players and even sign 1 or 2 free agents.

The last 20 years have been awful.
 

glimmerman

Well-Known Member
Messages
29,956
Reaction score
29,842
If you have no one to replace him and the means to keep him then keep him. Putting the tag on D-Law is gonna cost us 17 million. Eats up a lot of cap.
 

Tangle_Foot

Well-Known Member
Messages
6,181
Reaction score
28,380
Trying to look at this as if I were a GM. And if I were I would not give up a first-round pick for him. So that leaves me picks from 33 to 64 to give up for a guy who has flashed potential, immaturity and health concerns. Not so sure I give up those picks as well and elect to continue building through the draft. There's a good chance that the value we have placed on him is in line with what others think, on the off chance that it isn't we can still match any offer.
 

AbeBeta

Well-Known Member
Messages
35,563
Reaction score
12,263
Second round tender. If some one wants him and is willing to give up a second rounder for him so be it. My beef on Irving last year was unreliability on the field. My beef this year is unreliable off of it. Can't keep betting on reliabi;lity until some one shows it and Irving hasn't. Give him another year to prove he's reliable? Meh, he's had his chance

No. First round tender allows you to negotiate a trade for less. E.g. you'd take a 2 from the Browns but not the Pats
 

TwentyOne

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,585
Reaction score
4,246
2nd round tender. If someone is willing to give take it.

Irvin doesnt fit our system. We have a 3 tech. We need a 1. If we can get get a 2nd for him heck we can draft a good LB or a good LG which will help us so much more then Irvin. And we still have our first for a DT/WR and our second for maybe a good safety.
 

Verdict

Well-Known Member
Messages
25,960
Reaction score
20,118
lol, they aren't even considering trading draft picks to move up to draft a QB in the 1st round when they currently have a two year starter with a 22-10 starter, not to mention MUCH more glaring needs.

Be more concerned with the worst HC in the NFL going into year 8 for us.....THAT should be the biggest concern.

Everything is always in play. The Cowboys are better than they used to be about holding their cards closer to their vest than they used to be. I'm not saying that is what they WILL do, I'm just saying no one really knows what their thinking is, or if they are even thinking at all, as some fans want to believe.
 
Last edited:
Top