NFC East

The results of former U.S. attorney and SEC chair Mary Jo White's investigation into recent allegations against Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder reportedly will be made public.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post broke the news Friday:

The NFL has engaged Mary Jo White to conduct the league's investigation into the latest allegations against Daniel Snyder and the Commanders arising from the recent House Oversight Committee roundtable, source says.

The findings of Mary Jo White will be made public at the conclusion of her investigation and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will determine any further actions to be taken by the league, source says.

Mary Jo White is a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former SEC chair. She previously conducted the NFL's investigation into allegations against former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. She is now with the Debevoise & Plimpton law firm.

The NFL's reasoning on making these findings public, source says, is that the latest allegations were made in a public forum with no expectation of anonymity for witnesses.

On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee said it is looking into new documents from the NFL in regard to workplace misconduct allegations within the Washington Commanders workplace, per NPR's Jonathan Franklin.

The NFL commissioned Beth Wilkinson to conduct an investigation into previous allegations, but the NFL did not make the findings public. That led to much criticism from the House Oversight Committee as well as former employees who levied allegations against Washington team employees.

A committee spokesperson issued a statement to NPR this week:

The Committee has received additional documents from the NFL, which we are currently reviewing. We have been clear that the NFL must stop hiding the results of the Wilkinson investigation and fully comply with the Committee's requests, or the Committee will have no choice but to take further action.

The Chairs are committed to uncovering the truth about what happened within the Washington Commanders organization and how allegations were handled by the NFL in order to inform legislative efforts to make workplaces safe for everyone.

The news comes after ex-team cheerleader and marketing manager Tiffani Johnston said in a congressional roundtable earlier this month that Snyder put his hand on her thigh, pushed her toward his limousine and asked her to ride with him at a work dinner.

Per Peter Hailey of NBC Sports Washington, Johnston was one of six ex-employees who testified of misconduct. In addition, former Washington vice president of sales and customer service Jason Friedman wrote a letter to the House Oversight Committee that backed Johnston's account.

Snyder released a statement in response to the allegations against him, calling them "outright lies," per Hailey:

“I have acknowledged and apologized multiple times in the past for the misconduct which took place at the Team and the harm suffered by some of our valued employees. I apologize again today for this conduct, and fully support the people who have been victimized and have come forward to tell their stories. In response to learning about incidents like these in 2020, the Team, on its own, undertook to revamp its policies, procedures and personnel. Real change has been made and employees of the Team have confirmed the vast improvement in Team culture over the past 18 months.

While past conduct at the Team was unacceptable, the allegations leveled against me personally in today’s roundtable—many of which are well over 13 years old—are outright lies. I unequivocally deny having participated in any such conduct, at any time and with respect to any person. Tanya and I will not be distracted by those with a contrary agenda from continuing with the positive personnel and cultural changes that have been made at the Team over the past 18 months, and those that we continue to make both on and off the field.

The Wilkinson-led investigation has already led to several punishments, including a $10 million fine, and changes within the Washington organization.

Now there will be an investigation led by White. More transparency regarding the proceedings is a welcome sight, especially with so many questions about the clandestine nature of the previous findings.

The NFL confirmed it's not planning to launch an investigation into a $2.4 million settlement paid by the Dallas Cowboys to former cheerleaders who alleged voyeurism by Richard Dalrymple, the team's former senior vice president for public relations and communications, in 2015.

"The club handled the matter," league spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. on Friday.

Van Natta reported Wednesday the cheerleaders alleged Dalrymple, who retired Feb. 2, stood behind a wall in their locker room with his iPhone camera pointed toward them while they were changing clothes during an event at AT&T Stadium in 2015.

The settlement was signed in 2016 after the cheerleaders hired lawyer W. Kelly Puls to gather information about their allegations and any other information about Dalrymple.

Among the findings was an allegation by Cowboys fan Randy Horton, who signed an affidavit saying he witnessed the longtime executive taking an upskirt picture of Charlotte Jones Anderson, the daughter of team owner Jerry Jones, during the 2015 NFL draft, per Van Natta.

The settlement agreement, which was signed by both the Jones family and Dalrymple, included no admission of wrongdoing, according to ESPN.

"Instead, this Agreement is to be construed solely as a reflection of the Parties' desire to facilitate a resolution of a bona fide disputed claim and all other potential claims between the Parties through the date this Agreement is executed," the filing stated.

Dalrymple, who told the Cowboys during the team's investigation he entered the cheerleaders' locker room without knowledge they were in there and left immediately, released a statement to ESPN about the allegations made against him.

"People who know me, co-workers, the media and colleagues, know who I am and what I'm about," he said. "I understand the very serious nature of these claims and do not take them lightly. The accusations are, however, false. One was accidental and the other simply did not happen. Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully."

The team told Van Natta that Dalrymple entered the cheerleaders' locker room using his security key card but found no evidence he took photos or videos of the women.

While the NFL isn't planning to review the Cowboys situation, commissioner Roger Goodell announced last week the league would handle an inquiry into new allegations of misconduct within the Washington Commanders' organization.

The NFL levied a $10 million fine against Washington in July after an investigation determined the team allowed for a "highly unprofessional" workplace that led to bullying, intimidation and sexual harassment allegations.

Former Commanders employee Tiffani Johnston came forward with new allegations against the team during a congressional hearing Feb. 3, including sexual misconduct by team owner Daniel Snyder, per ESPN's Tisha Thompson.

"We'll do an investigation," Goodell said last week after the team said it would launch an independent probe. "We've said from Day 1 that we will look into this."

It's unclear why the NFL is taking a different approach with the Cowboys.

As the Dallas Cowboys look to build on their NFC East-winning 2021 season, Dak Prescott says he hopes the team will consult him on personnel choices. 

“I think that just depends on whether they ask me,” Prescott told Jori Epstein of USA Today. “I’m not going in and knocking on doors saying, ‘Hey, I want this done, I want that done.’ But I’m pretty sure that my opinion will be valued in certain decisions, as I hope. So with that being said, just plan on helping this team get better in every which way I can.”

The Cowboys are slated to be $21.5 million over the cap, which means their first order of business will be restructuring contracts across the roster. Prescott can save Dallas $15.2 million with a restructured deal, and the team will also likely approach Amari Cooper ($12.6 million in savings) and DeMarcus Lawrence ($11.9 million) in hopes they'll restructure their contracts.

Wide receiver Michael Gallup, tight end Dalton Schultz, defensive end Randy Gregory and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch are among the Cowboys' top players hitting the free-agent market.

Gallup seems like a lock to leave for a larger role in free agency, but Schultz stands out as someone Prescott would almost certainly prefer the team retains. The tight end recorded a career-high 78 receptions for 808 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021, becoming Prescott's favorite checkdown valve. 

The Cowboys have seven 2022 draft picks, so they'll have options in finding some cost-controlled prospects to fill in depth needs. They hit a home run last year with linebacker Micah Parsons and could look to continue fortifying their defense in Round 1, with safety and linebacker standing out as target areas.

Prescott may also wind up being consulted on the long-term future of Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas. The running back has been significantly slowed over the last two seasons, and his contract is becoming an albatross—particularly as Tony Pollard continues emerging as a lower cost, more effective option.

Salary-cap info via Over the Cap.

The Dallas Cowboys' 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round may have been more impactful than it seemed in the moment.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, there is a "feeling around the league" that the Cowboys blew their best chance to win a Super Bowl in this current window of contention.

There are significant roster questions for Dallas to answer this offseason. The team is currently $21.2 million over the cap with Randy Gregory, Dalton Schultz, Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup among their key free agents.

Some of the recent moves made by Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones have put the team in a position where it may need to make some drastic moves to get under the cap.

Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network reported last month that Dallas is expected to retain Amari Cooper. The team could save $16 million by releasing him, and the four-time Pro Bowler is coming off his least productive season with the Cowboys (865 receiving yards in 15 games).

The biggest albatross for the Cowboys is Ezekiel Elliott's contract. He has the largest cap hit among running backs in 2022 ($18.22 million) and a $30.08 million dead cap figure. 

Per ESPN's Todd Archer, the "easiest" way for the Cowboys to create flexibility is by restructuring Dak Prescott's contract, as he is currently set to count $34.45 million against the 2022 cap.

Micah Parsons had an outstanding debut season, but the Cowboys could use another edge-rusher to ease the burden on him. He was the only player on the team with more than six sacks during the regular season.

Gregory, meanwhile, could get the first significant contract of his career as a free agent. The 29-year-old set a career high with 17 quarterback hits and tied his career high with six sacks during the regular season. 

Dallas' once-vaunted offensive line also showed plenty of cracks in 2021.

Playing in the NFC East could once again help out the Cowboys next season, as each of the other three teams in the division still has a significant question at quarterback.

Dallas looks like the on-paper favorite to win the division again, but making the Super Bowl could be a bigger challenge given all of the roster questions facing the front office.   

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said some of the coaching narratives discussed by team owner Jerry Jones are a bit odd but noted he remains "very, very comfortable" with their relationship.

McCarthy was retained as the Cowboys' coach this offseason, but not before Jones initially didn't confirm that would be the case while two of the Cowboys' top assistants, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, were interviewing for outside jobs.

"Are these narratives unusual? Absolutely," McCarthy said Tuesday on The Rich Eisen Show (via Jori Epstein of USA Today). "I've never dealt with anything like this. ... I've always, frankly, just [kept] it about winning. I've always taken a blind eye or a blind ear to those things, but that's not the case when you work here."

Dallas was ultimately able to retain both Moore and Quinn, and Jones explained that McCarthy's status was never in question behind the scenes but rather the entire ordeal was more of a leverage play since they wanted to keep the core of the staff together.

"My goal was to keep the continuity of this group together,' Jones told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News in late January. "We were very much in a competitive environment."

He added: "Whether we were right or wrong, we made the decision to keep it quiet. Mike's status was never in question. Ever."

McCarthy told Eisen he was in communication with Jones throughout the coaching carousel, which also included speculation about longtime New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton after he stepped down from that role last month.

The 58-year-old McCarthy also discussed his overall relationship with the outspoken Cowboys owner:

I have an excellent relationship with Jerry Jones. At the end of the day, we both want the same thing: to win a world championship. Hey, definitely, the narratives are unusual. But at the end of the day, I think you've got to trust the relationships, the communication and the connection you have in our leadership group. I think we're doing everything we possibly can to build a championship team here.

McCarthy, who guided the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl XLV title at the end of the 2010 season, has posted an 18-15 record across two years with the Cowboys.

Dallas earned the No. 3 seed in the NFC bracket for this year's playoffs but was upset at home by the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round.

Although Jones has tried to downplay the notion that McCarthy's status was left in limbo, it still doesn't feel like his job is completely safe heading into year three.

If the Cowboys don't show signs of further progress next season, most notably making at least a little run in the playoffs, the coaching questions will likely return next offseason.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes upgrading the offensive line should be a priority for the New York Giants in the 2022 NFL draft. 

The Giants currently have the No. 5 and No. 7 pick in the first round after thanks to last year's trade with the Chicago Bears, providing an opportunity to add an elite player at a key spot.

"You can bet that one of these two picks will be an offensive lineman," Kiper said on Monday's episode of First Draft (21:40).

Kiper added that North Carolina State lineman Ikem Ekwonu "would be the guy to really look at," while Alabama's Evan Neal was also said to be a possibility.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department listed Ekwonu as the No. 2 overall player on the latest big board and Neal at No. 3.

The Giants already invested the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft in offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, although the former Georgia star has been inconsistent in his two NFL seasons. He also still needs plenty of help around him on an offense that ranked 31st in both points scored and total yards.

Improving the offensive line could go a long way in unlocking the talent on that side of the ball, including Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney.