Ten years ago, the Cowboys found their future franchise quarterback in the ranks of the undrafted free agents. They got him with a signing bonus of $10,000, and he turned down a $20,000 offer from the Broncos.
After the 2013 draft, the Cowboys agreed to terms with undrafted Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee. To seal the deal, the Cowboys gave him $70,000 in guaranteed money, per a source with knowledge of the deal.
That’s more guaranteed money than any seventh-round pick received in 2012. Last year, Colts offensive lineman Justin Anderson received a signing bonus of $69,124 as the first pick of the last round, and the numbers went down from there.
It doesn’t mean Magee will be guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster. But it means that the Cowboys really wanted to give him an opportunity to latch on as a weakside linebacker in the team’s new 4-3 defense.