The Cowboys will open the regular season without defensive end David Irving, which means there will be chances for other players to step up and contribute up front during the first four games.
One of the players in the mix for some of those snaps is Damontre Moore, who returned to his home state when he signed with the team as a free agent. When Moore was in college at Texas A&M, there were moments when it looked like his talent would make him a hit in the NFL but he wound up as a third-round pick and flashes of talent at the pro level have been mitigated by off-field and locker room issues that have had him bouncing from team to team the last couple of years.
Moore said he’s trying to change that and asked himself “why aren’t you doing everything to the best of your ability” heading into this offseason. He attended Von Miller’s recent “pass rush summit” after the end of Cowboys work and coach Jason Garrett said that Moore looks like he understands that he needed to change to keep his career going.
“I think he has matured over the course of his career,” Garrett said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think he recognizes the opportunity that he has here and is embracing it.”
One sticking point for Moore’s chances of making an early impression for the Cowboys come September is a DWI arrest while with the Seahawks last December. If that leads to a suspension to start the season, Moore’s chances of taking full advantage of the chance he has in Dallas will take a big hit.