Although the Oakland Raiders hasn't officially confirmed it yet, it seems defensive end Benson Mayowa will be playing for the Dallas Cowboys in the upcoming NFL season. Rumors about the deal emerged after the Raiders declined to match the Cowboys' offer to Mayowa.
As reported by Inquisitr, Mayowa became a free agent this month, and one of the teams that quickly took advantage of his status was the Cowboys. The Dallas franchise then presented an offer sheet detailing a three-year contract worth $8.25 million, which the athlete signed.
This then compelled the Raiders to present a counter-offer to retain Mayowa in its roster. The deadline for the counter-offer was on Wednesday. But, since the Raiders did not try to match the Cowboys' offer, it seems the Oakland team had quietly decided to release Mayowa.
Probably one of the factors that deterred the Raiders in fighting for the defensive end was the $4 million paid upfront by the Cowboys for Mayowa's first season with the team. Apparently, instead of matching this figure, the Raiders decided to use the money for other means.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, is of course very happy with the deal since the teams have been on the lookout for a good defensive end player to include in its roster. As reported by ESPN, the Dallas team failed to acquire Andre Branch, Chris Long and Adrian Clayborn in bids against the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons respectively.
Also, even before Mayowa signed the contract sheet, Stephen Jones, the executive vice president of the Cowboys, has already expressed his interest in getting the athlete on the team.
"At the end of the day, you watch him on tape, and you love the way he plays," he said. "Obviously, we're trying to marry people to what we do on defense and [defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli] and the type of scheme he wants and the players he wants."
Of course, Jones is aware of the fact that Mayowa will probably not be like a miracle player who'll be able to handle games on his own. He also noted that he's probably not on the same level as former defensive end DeMarcus Mar, who led the team in sacks and forced fumbles.
But, given the right training programs, coaching mechanics, and set of players, Jones believes that Mayowa will mix well with the team and be able to perform at his best.
