Cowboys Sign Futures Contracts with 13 Players, Including 3 RBs

Today's business: The roster, and at this early stage that is all about futures deals.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys' 2021 season is over, and as painful as it is - Sunday's NFL playoffs loss to the San Francisco marks the end of what will now be considered a "lost season'' - it's time to go to work on "the next.''

That starts with an understanding of who is in charge. The Jones family retained executive Will McClay, a critical move, and we also know who the head coach will be as the Cowboys provided clarity there, cutting through the mysterious and nonsensical "sources'' and getting to the truth, which is that Mike McCarthy is scheduled to return for the 2022 season.

It continues with the next level of the Cowboys coaching staff, the coordinators. CowboysSI.com was the first to report that the Denver Broncos have "zeroed in'' on Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and is the first to report that Broncos reps are flying to DFW for a Tuesday interview with Quinn. While they are here, they will also interview Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

And then there is the roster, and at this early stage that is all about futures deals.

So on Monday, the Cowboys signed 13 players to the Reserve/Future list. Those players: tackle Isaac Alarcon, linebacker Devante Bond, defensive back Kyron Brown, tight end Ian Bunting, tackle Aviante Collins, defensive back Tyler Coyle, QB Ben DiNucci, wide receiver Robert Foster, running back JaQuan Hardy, center Braylon Jones, running back Nick Ralston, wide receiver Brandon Smith and running back Ito Smith.

All 13 of these players finished the season on the Dallas practice squad. Brown,  Coyle, Hardy, Ralston and Smith appeared in games as practice-squad elevations, with Smith and Hardy each having scored touchdowns against the Eagles in Week 18.