Cowboys host free agent DE with ongoing pay grievance against Ravens

Running back Dalvin Cook will have company during his visit to the Star in Dallas as free agent defensive end Tyus Bowser will also meet with Cowboys officials.

Not convinced their edge depth is enough, Bowser provides an intriguing option for Dallas. The Cowboys previously have added defensive end Carl Lawson to help offset the loss of defensive end Sam Williams to a torn ACL. Lawson however didn’t play in the preseason finale this past weekend.

Bowser was a second-round pick, No. 47 overall, by the Ravens in the 2017 NFL draft. The University of Houston product and Tyler, Texas native showed the twitchy athleticism coveted by NFL teams.

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge failed to live up to expectations in Baltimore starting only 23 games in six seasons with the Ravens generating 19.5 sacks during that span. That didn’t stop them from signing him to a four-year, $22 million extension in 2021.

Bowser played in all 17 games, notching seven sacks, but an offseason Achilles injury limited him to just nine games and four starts in 2022. Offseason knee issues forced him to miss all of 2023 and that’s how he ended up as a free agent.

Edge players Micah Parsons, Demarcus Lawrence, and rookie second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland figure to be the primary edge players and that is where the questions start.

Al-Quadin Muhammed may have earned a roster spot on this team but is scheduled to be suspended for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s PED policy late last season.

Muhammed missed the final five games of the 2023 season and has one game remaining to sit out before his punishment is served.

NFL rules allow teams to sign players to the practice squad and may elevate them to the game-day roster up to three times in a single season. Dallas could get an extended look at Bowser without committing to him for the season.

Bowser actually has a grievance filed against the Ravens for not paying him during the 2023 season. He apparently wasn’t paid his $4.5 million and the team is currently without $1.8 million of cap space because of it. If they win, they’ll get a credit for that amount, but if Bowser wins he’ll get the money and the Ravens will lose another $2.7 million in cap space.