Cowboys just can’t get enough of Boise State, add another former Bronco to roster
Darian Thompson shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to crash for a few days while he looks for his own place in Dallas.
The Cowboys signed the former Boise State safety to their active roster on Tuesday, according to Brandon George of The Dallas Morning news, making him the sixth former Bronco to join the team.
Thompson is the fourth defensive player from Boise State on the Cowboys’ current roster, joining defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Boise State Hall of Famer Kellen Moore is the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach, and receiver Cedrick Wilson was drafted by the Cowboys in April but is currently on injured reserve.
“The Cowboys are a special thing in the NFL and I’d like to think Boise State is a special thing in college football,” Moore told the Idaho Statesman last month.
The Cowboys signed Thompson from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad, where he had been for little more than a week.
Thompson was a third-round pick by the New York Giants in 2016. He started 18 games for the Giants, including all 16 games in 2017, and totaled 82 tackles, six pass breakups and one interception. But a hamstring injury during training camp held Thompson back, and he was cut by the Giants on Sept. 1.
Vander Esch making the grade
The Cowboys’ rookie linebacker has started the past two games in place of an injured Sean Lee, and he’s making quite the impression.
According to ProFootballFocus.com, Vander Esch is the highest-graded rookie defender through Week 5, at 88.2.
“His 88.2 overall grade ranks second behind Seattle Seahawks veteran Bobby Wagner, and his run-defense (85.1) and coverage (81.4) grades rank third and sixth, respectively, among NFL linebackers with 125-plus defensive snaps on the year,” said Brent Rollins of ProFootballFocus.com.
In the Cowboys’ 19-16 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, Vander Esch made a team-leading 12 total tackles. He has played 130 of a possible 134 snaps the past two weeks.
Two Idahoans score for Saints
Tight end Josh Hill (Blackfoot High/Idaho State) and quarterback Taysom Hill (Highland High) each found the end zone in the New Orleans Saints’ 43-19 victory over the Washington Redskins on Monday night.
Josh Hill caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees in the second quarter. It was his first TD reception of the season and 11th of his career.
Taysom Hill scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter, with Brees lined up at receiver. It was his first career touchdown in the NFL.
“It kind of felt like, it’s a long time coming,” Taysom Hill told Nola.com. “We had a few opportunities early in the season. It’s a ton of fun. As a little kid you think about running to the end zone and scoring.”