Defensive end Stephen Bowen’s status as a member of the Dallas Cowboys is anything but certain, but for now, Bowen is acting as though a return to the Cowboys, once the NFL lockout is resolved, is likely.
Bowen has been working out at the abandoned Hummer dealership--the service station of which has been transformed by DeMarcus Ware into a gym--along with teammates such as Ware, Anthony Spencer and fellow defensive end Jason Hatcher. The group have been doing their best also to learn Rob Ryan’s 3-4, without the help of Ryan himself, who, of course, is prohibited from contact with the players.
“There’s nothing I can do. Hopefully it works itself out and a player in my position will get a chance to get a second deal,” Bowen told the Dallas Morning News. ”Everybody is trying to get in shape and make sure we learn the defense.”
Under the old collective bargaining agreement, Bowen is a restricted free agent--the Cowboys offered him the second round tender worth $1.9 million before the lockout, but under a new CBA this offer could be voided, and Bowen made an unrestricted free agent, free to test the market.
Judging by the Cowboys’ praise of Bowen (and Hatcher) over the past two seasons, and the fact that they did not extend an offer to veteran end Marcus Spears, we’d be fairly surprised if Hatcher didn’t return in 2011.
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