Team news: Dallas Cowboys | Page 3

Kyle Shanahan said he expects Jauan Jennings to play on Sunday. He's limited in today's practice with a calf injury.

Related Players: Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore

Good news for Jennings managers, but we would have liked to hear this clearance more than a few days away from kickoff. Pearsall could easily begin the season as the target leader for the 49ers, with Kittle being in the running for overall TE1 to begin the year.

The Seahawks plan to release wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.

Valdes-Scantling, 30, had been viewed as a candidate to be traded or released even though Seattle guaranteed him $3 million for 2025.

Related players: Tory Horton

MVS played the entire first half of the Seahawks final preseason game, the story pointed out, which wasn't a good sign. But, Valdes-Scantling was outperformed over the summer by rookie fifth-round pick Horton, among others, and his chances of making the 53-man roster as anything but the third receiver seemed slim considering he doesn't play special teams, the story added.

Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn is getting waived.

Related players: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah

Watkins went on to post the Cowboys had Vaughn on practice squad last year for a bit. Might return to that in 2025. RB room was top heavy with vets this year and the emergence of rookie Blue. This likely also means the team is keeping Sanders. Even with Mafah on the IR, as reported yesterday, Vaughn wasn't able to crack the top-three.

The Cowboys will place rookie RB Phil Mafah (shoulder) on Injured Reserve, per sources.

Related players: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Jaydon Blue

The plan is for him to return during the season, the post went on to say. Mafah had 15 carries for 59 yards and one touchdown in the preseason. Mafah didn't quite have the hype of the Commanders Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but many thought there was an opening for him to be the team's early down back with also some upside in the passing game. With Mafah on IR, it opens the door for Sanders to make the team. Williams looks locked in as the team's RB1 with Blue likely getting passing down work.

The Vikings signed quarterback Carson Wentz and traded quarterback Sam Howell to the Eagles.

The Vikings had worked out Wentz recently and have now added him to the roster. To make room, Howell was traded to an Eagles team that in search for a short-term backup to Jalen Hurts, as Tanner McKee is dealing with an injured finger and his status for the start of the season is unclear.

The move is also a sign of the confidence the Vikings have early on in rookie Max Brosmer as the potential backup to J.J. McCarthy. At the very least, he’ll stick around as the No. 3 after a solid preseason.

This is the third time in about a year and a half that Howell has been traded. He went from Washington to Seattle in March 2024 (after starting 17 games in 2023), then from Seattle to Minnesota back in April and now from Minnesota to Philadelphia.

Javonte Williams continues to see the most reps with the starters. Miles Sanders has been sidelined with a knee injury, so the door has been opened for rookie Jaydon Blue to get more opportunities with the first team. Blue suffered an ankle injury last week that kept him out of practice and Saturday’s preseason game.

Related players: Phil Mafah, Hunter Luepke

The story added Mafah has been much more noticeable since the pads have come on and he's been a name to watch so far. Fullback/tight end Luepke continues to play a variety of roles, making it highly unlikely that he would be part of the roster cuts. It's been widely said that Blue could have a big role, but has never been a carry-the-load kind of back, so it's likely to be some kind of committee. Mafah has been a more popular name lately and he could end up emerging as the early-down option, even if Williams continues to get the most reps.

Tory Horton continues to make plays -- and get reps with the No. 1 offense.

Related players: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Marquez Valdes-Scantling

The rookie WR caught a red zone TD pass from Sam Darnold in the team's first preseason game. Valdes-Scantling was again working a lot with the second team, the post went on to say. Horton has been a name to keep an eye dating back to right after the NFL Draft, thanks to our friend over at DLF. There is a path for Horton to climb up to the team's WR2 if Kupp's struggles and injury issues from last season creep into this season.

Jake Ferguson is dealing with a back contusion suffered Thursday, according to a source. Not considered serious so the Cowboys avoid a scare with their starting tight end.

Related Players: Luke Schoonmaker

Good news for Ferguson here. As a clear option to be the No. 3 pass-catcher in a pass-heavy offense, he should be considered as a fantasy asset in the fringe TE1/2 range.

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said Micah Parsons remains with the team even though he wasn’t at today’s practice.

More evaluation needed on RB Jaydon Blue and TE Jake Ferguson but they don’t think either injury is significant

Related Players: Luke Schoonmaker

Sounds like a rough day at practice for the Cowboys, but we shouldn't bump Ferguson down the ranks until we hear it's a more serious injury than it looks. As a clear option to be the No. 3 pass-catcher in a pass-heavy offense, he should be considered as a fantasy asset in the fringe TE1/2 range.

Jaydon Blue spent time in the injury tent and just walked off the field on his own power.

Looks like he might be done for today.

Related Players: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders

Sounds like something minor, but all fantasy eyes will be on him as we continue to try to make sense out of this backfield. Williams seems like the frontrunner to start the season as RB1, but with his and Sanders' inefficiency in recent years, the rookie is a very interesting target late in drafts.