The Dallas Cowboys worked out 17 free agents on Thursday, Dec. 15, with the hopes of maybe finding one or two gems to help out in the final stretch of the season. Here is a look at some notable names on the list.
Dan Gronkowski, TE
Seeing the name Gronkowski and tight end together might send many NFL fans' hearts aflutter. As a matter of fact, Dan Gronkowski is the older brother of New England Patriots record-setting tight end Rob Gronkowski. They actually have another brother named Chris who plays fullback for Indianapolis. Dan was drafted by Detroit in the 2009 NFL Draft and has played for Detroit, Denver and New England.
Baraka Atkins, LB
Baraka Atkins is a former Miami Hurricanes' defensive lineman who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played for Seattle for two seasons, recording 29 tackles and two sacks. He also signed with San Francisco, Denver and Pittsburgh.
Harry Flaherty, FB
Dallas needs a backup fullback and Harry Flaherty has an advantage over many other players in this free agent workout session. He is head coach Jason Garrett's nephew. Flaherty played tight end at Princeton and signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2011.
Kareem Moore, DB
The one area Dallas needs the most help is the defensive backfield. Kareem Moore is a defensive back who began his college career at Itawamba Community College. While there, he earned JUCO All-American honors and then transferred to Nicholls State and won SLC Newcomer of the Year. He was drafted by Washington in 2008 and recorded 37 tackles and one interception in his NFL career so far.
Kevin Payne, DB
Kevin Payne is a safety who played college ball at Louisiana-Monroe. Payne was a four-year starter who earned All-Conference honors and was drafted in the fifth round by the Chicago Bears in 2007. After an injury plagued rookie year, Payne won the starting strong safety position in Chicago. He finished his first season as starter with 88 tackles, four interceptions and seven passes deflected. Injuries struck again and the Bears traded him to St. Louis, who waived him. He tried on with Carolina this season but failed to stick.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys' fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys' related news, good or bad
