Dallas, TX
Cowboys Rumors: Duke OL Graham Barton Linked to Dallas Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
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The Dallas Cowboys have been connected with Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton ahead of Thursday’s draft, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“The versatile Barton is one player I’ve heard connected to the team, which makes sense given Dallas’s track record of success (Zack Martin, Travis Frederick) taking interior linemen high,” Breer wrote Monday.
Breer expects the Cowboys to pursue a running back like Texas’ Jonathan Brooks later in the draft, but to focus on the offensive line the first round.
The Cowboys hold the No. 24 pick in the first round. The team is looking to bolster an OL led by 2023 Pro Bowler Tyler Smith.
The Cowboys select again in the second round at No. 56.
The B/R NFL Scouting Department projects Barton as a first-round pick who “presents enough versatility to start at any of the five positions” in their latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
In nine games as starting tackle during his senior season for Duke, Barton helped the Blue Devils offensive line rank top-25 in the nation with 1.31 sacks allowed per game.
Barton missed the Senior Bowl and was limited at the NFL Combine due to injury, but improved his draft stock with a solid showing at Duke’s Pro Day. The 6-foot-5.25 blocker completed a 4.84-second 40-yard dash that led some scouts to say he had earned a spot in the first round, according to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.
Breer compared the Cowboys’ pursuit of Barton to the team’s first-round selections of Frederick (pick No. 31) and Martin (pick No. 16) during the 2013 and 2014 NFL Drafts, respectively.
Frederick ended up making 96 starts and earning five Pro Bowl nominations, including one All-Pro, in six seasons played with the Cowboys before retiring in 2020 due to health reasons. Martin is meanwhile seeking his fourth consecutive All-Pro campaign as he heads into his 10th straight season as a Dallas starter.
There’s also Smith, whom the Cowboys selected with the No. 24 pick of the 2022 draft. Smith’s ability to change positions between guard and tackle has allowed Dallas to handle OL injuries over the past two seasons and will likely remain a key part of the Cowboys’ offensive structure in 2024.
If Dallas believes this former Duke star to be a similarly flexible prospect, the team’s past success with drafting high on offensive lineman could lead the Cowboys to use another first-round pick on Barton.
The Dallas Cowboys have been linked with Denzel Mims since he was available during the 2020 NFL draft. Through his failed attempts to establish himself within the league, a Texas reunion has been hoped for by many. In for pre-draft visits, the Cowboys were stunned away from selecting him when CeeDee Lamb fell in their laps with the No. 17 overall selection. Later, after he was unable to find strong footing with the New York Jets, the Cowboys have been linked to him in trade attempts and free-agency inquiries, with nothing coming to fruition until 2026.
Now a member of their offseason roster, Mims’ career has gone nothing like planned. He hasn’t been on an active NFL roster since 2022, spending two seasons in the UFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks and the Dallas Renegades. Neither stint has been impressive. Now, the Cowboys are giving the local product a chance to prove it’s circumstance and opportunity, not a lack of pro talent.
Rundown
Position: Wide Receiver
Age: 28
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 209 pounds
Hometown: Daingerfield, TX
High School: Daingerfield High
College: Baylor (Film Video vs Oklahoma 2019)
Draft: 2020 second-round pick, No. 59
Contract: One-year contract (2026), $1.145 million
Career Earnings: $4.4 million (per Over The Cap)
Profile
Mims has 42 career catches in the NFL, for 676 yards. He’s yet to reach the end zone as a professional, in either the NFL or UFL. He’ll spend his training camp battling with the bottom of the 90-man offseason roster to try and secure a role with the Cowboys in 2026. Dallas has the first four spots locked up with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and Kavontae Turpin. From there, it’s a true camp battle situation between veterans and youngsters alike.
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ARLINGTON, Texas – A horde of Socceroo fans stormed an Arlington Walmart ahead of Australia’s World Cup match on Friday at Dallas Stadium.
A Socceroo Walmart takeover
Videos of Australian soccer fans taking over a Walmart in Arlington went viral on Monday.
The Walmart is located across the street from where the Socceroos played a World Cup match on Friday against Egypt.
Plenty of chants were heard in the videos, ranging from “We’re going to Walmart” as they entered the building to “We’re getting deported” while exiting.
The Arlington Police Department got involved to break up the impromptu rally.
Australia lost to Egypt on Friday afternoon, ending their run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Source: Information in this story comes from social media videos.
A confrontation between Egypt’s coaching staff and a Dallas police officer at the team’s hotel sparked a viral video ahead of a World Cup match.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said he considered the matter resolved after he and team director Ibrahim Hassan had a physical confrontation with a police officer at the team’s hotel in Dallas.
Video began circulating Thursday, a day before Egypt beat Australia in the round of the 32 at the World Cup, showing both men arguing with a Dallas police officer, apparently over a player preparing to take a picture with a young fan in the hotel lobby.
The officer approaches Hossam Hassan first, but his interaction with Ibrahim Hassan becomes a shoving match. Ibrahim Hassan appeared to be upset at the officer intervening.
Dallas police issued a statement saying that just before midnight, officers were responding to a request from hotel security about an individual without event credentials attempting to gain access.
“It was later learned that the individuals weren’t displaying credentials properly, which is a requirement,” Dallas police said in a statement.
The statement said the issue was resolved at the scene, and that police met with Egyptian representatives to address their concerns.
Hossam Hassan said through a translator that the team had accepted an apology from the police.
“We are really happy to be here at this tournament and we are satisfied with the security personnel that are accompanying us,” Hossam Hassan said. “I would like to point to the high-level organization we have with us and the level of security we have with us.”
Hassan is the first person to play and coach for Egypt at the World Cup. The victory over Australia came in Egypt’s debut in the knockout round of the tournament.
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