Training camp has kicked off for the Dallas Cowboys as of this past Thursday, and different circumstances have prompted a couple of new signings.
- Star WR CeeDee Lamb is officially a camp holdout, opting to train on his own while his agent and the Cowboys attempt to hammer out a deal.
- Rookie Ryan Flournoy suffered a setback in the form of a minor injury, and the Cowboys are being cautious.
Those two circumstances have the Cowboys once again dipping into the UFL well for training camp bodies.
Dallas announced two signings on Saturday afternoon.
WR Deontay Burnett
Deontay Burnett, formerly of the UFL’s Arlington Renegades, is the newest member to be pulled into the training camp fold.
A College Career to Remember
Burnett played his college ball at USC as a member of the Trojans. He accomplished quite a bit after not playing much as a freshman.
His sophomore season ended up being a breakout year, with Burnett emerging as one of the top three targets for the Trojans’ offense by season’s end. Burnett started the final five games as the primary slot wide receiver.
He finished the year with 56 receptions for 622 yards and seven touchdowns. The strong finish to his 2016 sophomore season led to a true breakout year as a junior in 2017.
Burnett ended up declaring for the NFL draft after a signature performance in the 2017 Rose Bowl. He caught 13 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns to lead USC to a victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions.
His college performances earned him several accolades:
- 2016 AP All-Bowl 1st team
- ESPN All-Bowl team
- Pac-12 All-Bowl team
Swinging and Missing in the NFL
Despite an unforgettable performance in his final college game, Deontay Burnett was not drafted to an NFL team.
Instead, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans. However, Burnett would not make it to the regular season. He was a victim of the final round of cuts, and was waived by the Titans.
Burnett spent some time on the New York Jets practice squad the following season, eventually making the active roster in an October loss to the Minnesota Vikings where he caught his first NFL pass, for nine yards.
He was waived the following August, eventually making it to the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad, where he was soon waived, as well.
His most extensive playing time in the NFL was a two-game stretch in 2020 as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught three passes for 19 yards.
Burnett came back to Texas as a member of the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks before being drafted by the Arlington Renegades.
WR Kelvin Harmon
Kelvin Harmon is another wide receiver the Cowboys have added in the wake of CeeDee Lamb’s holdout.
Many Colleges to Choose From
Originally a 4-star recruit committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks, Harmon de-committed and attended NC State instead. Doing so despite offers from at least four other schools.
He played sparingly as a first-year student-athlete but still made an impact with 27 receptions for 462 yards and five touchdowns.
Harmon improved on those numbers in his sophomore season, becoming the first NC State wide receiver to eclipse 1,000 yards since 2003.
His junior year was his true breakout season, once again improving on his numbers from the year before. Harmon finished with 81 receptions for 1,186 yards and seven touchdowns, prompting him to forego his senior season and declare for the NFL draft.
An NFL Career Stunted by Injury
Kelvin Harmon was selected by the Washington Redskins (Commanders) in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Harmon showed success as a rookie, using his 6’2″ 220-pound frame to bully defenders into 30 receptions for 365 yards. Unfortunately, an ACL tear during the 2020 offseason placed him on injured reserve for the 2020 campaign.
The following offseason, Harmon was among the final cuts before the 2021 regular season began.
He would then move on to the UFL to play for the Philadelphia Stars before signing with the DC Defenders of the XFL.