The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
It looks like the Cowboys will be retaining their kicker.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there is no offer from another team forthcoming for restricted free agent Brandon Aubrey. The deadline for an RFA to receive an offer sheet is Friday.
This was always the likely outcome when Dallas placed a second-round RFA tender on Aubrey, as any team would have owed the Cowboys a second-round pick to sign the kicker.
Aubrey has been one of the best kickers since entering the league in 2023. He’s connected on 88.2 percent of his career field goals, hitting one of at least 60 yards in each of his first three seasons. In 2025, Aubrey was 36-of-42, making each of his field goals from inside 50 yards.
If Aubrey plays on the second-round tender in 2026, he’ll earn a one-year salary of $5.81 million.
John Fitzgerald, the starting center for the Dallas Cowboys for most of the 1970s, has died. He was 77.
A fourth-round pick in 1970 from Boston College, Fitzgerald played 11 years for the Cowboys. He became the starting center in 1973. Fitzgerald held that position through the 1980 season. He was on injured reserve in 1981, his final year in football.
Fitzgerald’s job became more complicated, and at the time unique, in 1975. That’s when legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry brought back the shotgun formation to the NFL.
Starting that year, the Cowboys made it to the Super Bowl three times in four seasons.
Fitzgerald played in 137 regular-season games, with 109 starts. He also appeared in 19 postseason games, with 13 starts.
We extend our condolences to Fitzgerald’s family, friends, and teammates.
The Cowboys’ contract impasse with edge rusher Micah Parsons last year ended with a trade that sent Parsons to Green Bay and some might wonder if the same thing will happen with wide receiver George Pickens this year.
Pickens received the franchise tag from the team ahead of free agency, but he has not signed the tag and there have not been any signs that the two sides are close to an agreement on a long-term contract. If that remains the case, Pickens could take a page from the book Parsons and many others have followed by staying away from the team over the coming months.
That may happen, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be joining any other team’s offseason program. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday that the Cowboys have not received any trade inquires about the wideout from other clubs.
The deadline for tagged players to sign a long-term deal isn’t until mid-July and Parsons wasn’t traded until just before the season, so there’s plenty of time for things to play out for Pickens and the Cowboys before we’ll know exactly what the outlook will be for the 2026 season.
Cowboys safety Markquese Bell was arrested on drug charges Friday in the Dallas suburb of Prosper, Texas.
Collin County, Texas, records show that Bell was arrested on a felony count of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.
No details have been released about the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Bell signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after a college career that saw him arrive at Maryland as a highly sought-after recruit, only to get suspended from the team and leave the school before ever playing a game. He then transferred to Coffeyville Community College and transferred again to Florida A&M.
Last year Bell played all 17 games for the Cowboys and was on the field for 32 percent of their defensive snaps and 63 percent of their special teams snaps.
