FRISCO, Texas — Hoping to proceed their present streak of resounding success with spring league soccer expertise, and nonetheless in want of addressing some place depth heading into coaching camp, the Dallas Cowboys signed linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. and cornerback Gareon Conley to compete in Oxnard.
Conley, a former first-round decide of the Raiders in 2017, entered the NFL on the heels of profitable a nationwide championship at Ohio State and incomes honors as a Second-Staff All-Large Ten expertise.
Harvey’s path thus far has been a bit totally different, an undrafted free agent of the Cleveland Browns in 2019 who, like Conley, took this skills to the eventual UFL with the hopes of catching the attention of one of many 32 NFL golf equipment.
It labored for each of them, and because the ink dries and so they start getting ready to move to Oxnard in late July, they have been formally assigned their jersey numbers in Dallas.
- Willie Harvey, Jr. – 55
- Gareon Conley – 43
Each have one thing to play as much as when sporting these jerseys.
For Harvey, it is about ensuring his stage of play is comparable or higher than the earlier proprietor, and that is former first-round decide and Professional Bowl linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Having suffered one other neck damage in 2023 that compelled him into retirement this offseason, LVE was simply one of many higher linebackers in latest reminiscence for the Cowboys, when wholesome, his profession arc eerily harking back to his predecessor, Sean Lee.
Harvey enters the Cowboys’ roster at a place of want, so there will probably be alternatives for him to point out what he can do over the following two months.
The identical applies for Conley, although there is a bit extra strain massaged into his jersey quantity, contemplating it as soon as belonged to legendary defensive again Cliff Harris — a Corridor of Famer, six-time All-Professional, six-time Professional Bowler, member of the Nineteen Seventies NFL All-Decade Staff and a two-time Tremendous Bowl champion who additionally resides within the coveted Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.
After which there’s the originator, Don Perkins, who himself owns a laundry checklist of accolades in a Cowboys’ uniform, and who can also be inducted into the Ring of Honor.
Once more, there is a smidge extra strain there for Conley.
He enters a cornerbacks’ room owned by DaRon Bland and the returning Trevon Diggs, alongside Jourdan Lewis, and can battle it out with others like rookie Caelen Carson and second-year expertise Eric Scott to try to dig his heels into the NFL this time round.