Five ways the Dallas Cowboys (and fans) got lucky this offseason
By Matt Aaron
#4. The negligible impact of COVID-19 … so far
I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude to fullback Jamize Olawale, veteran free-agent cornerback Maurice Canady, and undrafted rookie Stephen Guidry. Those are the Cowboys players who have opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to coronavirus thus far, according to Patrik Walker at CBS Sports.
I’m sure they’re wonderful people and a treasure to their communities, but none of them was likely to have a big effect on America’s Team this season. Olawale barely registered as a blip on the 2019 season, and there was a very good chance that both Canady and Guidry would have been cut post-training camp anyway.
DeMarcus Lawrence, on the other hand, would have been a significant, perhaps season-altering loss. The Pro Bowl defensive end, who made 25 sacks between 2017-2018, had earlier expressed concerns about the NFL’s plans for dealing with COVID-19, and even considered not reporting to training camp.
It’s hard to believe Tank would have given up his $16.9 million salary, but thankfully it looks like fans won’t have to worry. The latest reports have the star pass rusher satisfied enough to report to camp.
This could still change. Other Cowboy players could be less than impressed with the NFL and Cowboy COVID-19 protocols. But so far, it looks like the team has dodged a bullet. And that is very lucky indeed.