Cowboys hold workout for former first-team All-Pro, sign two cornerbacks

After the Dallas Cowboys lost two defensive backs to the injured reserve list in rookie Caelen Carson (shoulder) and first-year cornerback Josh Butler (torn ACL), the team worked out four cornerbacks on Wednesday at their team facility including four-time Pro Bowler and 2020 first-team All-Pro member Xavien Howard.

Howard was released by the Miami Dolphins over the offseason after spending eight seasons in South Beach.

A native of Texas who graduated from Baylor in 2016, Howard signed a five-year, $90 million extension with Miami that was supposed to keep him with the Dolphins through 2026, but he was released to free up cap space in February.

His 29 interceptions since he entered the NFL in 2016 are second to only Justin Simmons.

Following his workout with the Cowboys, Howard did not sign with the team and there aren’t any current plans by the team to sign him, a team source confirmed on Wednesday.

The Cowboys instead signed cornerback Dee Delaney and cornerback Troy Pride. Delaney, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018 out of Miami, has played in 52 career games including 49 over the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He has three career interceptions and seven pass deflections.

Pride, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers in 2020 out of Notre Dame, was released by Carolina in 2022 after failing a physical following a knee injury in August 2021.

He has spent time on the practice squads for the Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints and has played in just one game over the last four seasons.

The team also worked out and declined to sign 2021 sixth-round pick cornerback Joshuah Bledsoe.

Delaney and Pride can practice as soon as Thursday as the team looks to depth options in the absence of Carson and Butler as well as lingering groin and knee injuries to Trevon Diggs that have kept him out of each of the last two games.