America’s Team has joined 30 of their peers and started signing some 2011 draft picks.
The Cowboys have signed wide receiver Danny Coale, tight end James Hanna and linebacker Caleb McSurdy, leaving only the Saints as teams that have yet to sign any of the players they selected in April. The Cowboys were believed to be waiting until they received cap space from releasing Terence Newman after June 1st to start signing their picks.
Coale, a fifth-round pick, was expected to battle for the third receiver spot, a goal that took a serious blow when he broke his foot during the first Organized Team Activity. He’s expected back for training camp and will try to resume the fight with Kevin Ogletree at that point. Hanna, a sixth-round pick, didn’t catch many passes at Oklahoma and will need to excel as a blocker to make the team. McSurdy was a seventh-round pick and, like most seventh-round picks, special teams will be his ticket to a job. The team has also kicked around the idea of moving him to fullback, although he’s working at linebacker for the time being.
The Cowboys have four more picks to sign, including first-round cornerback Morris Claiborne. The team also officially announced the signing of offensive lineman Pat McQuistan.