Cowboys Camp: FB Olawale Opts Out
FRISCO - Fullback Jamize Olawale, who appeared this week on our list of "Top 5 Veterans In Roster Trouble'' on Sunday choosing to leave the Dallas Cowboys, opting out of the 2020 NFL season.
Opt-outs are, according to a new NFL rule in light of the COVID-19 crisis, available to players who wish to sit out this season.
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Earlier this week, we pondered the job security of Olawale, writing:
Jamize Olawale FB - Does the new coaching staff want a fullback? Olawale had "sponsors'' in the building last year who considered him a difference-maker; they were never quite proven right.
Is there a rookie who can do more - even if his not a "traditional fullback'' than Olawale has done?
And on our 55-man cutdown list, we projected that the veteran fullback would end up failing to make the roster.
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Olawale will now be placed on the Reserve/Opt-Out list. He will receive a stipend for 2020 - either $350,000 or $150,000, depending on his level of "risk'' category, with Olawale likely getting the latter number - and his contract will pick up again in the 2021 NFL season.
Olawale has been (technically) the Cowboys' starting fullback for the last two seasons. While this year's offense figures to be far less reliant on the idea of a traditional fullback playing major snaps (Olawale in truth did not play much last season), the Cowboys nevertheless picked up the option on Olawale's contract in March. He had been a core member of the special-teams groups, but there are changes there, too, as this weekend the Cowboys already released kicker Kai Forbath, opting to keep new veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein - and Forbath was also featured on our list of "Top 5 Veterans In Roster Trouble.''
Cowboys vet newcomer cornerback Maurice Canady and undrafted rookie receiver Stephen Guidry have also opted out for 2020. The Cowboys have two players on the new Reserve/COVID-19 list: Jon'Vea Johnson and Saivion Smith.
