IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys have agreed to terms with one free agent and opened negotiations with another on Thursday as the third week of free agency is coming to a close.
Following Tuesday's workout at The Ranch, the Cowboys agreed to terms with free-agent wide receiver Jamel Richardson, the three-year CFL veteran.
And on Thursday the club began negotiations with veteran free safety Ken Hamlin, and was planning to extend talks into the night in an effort to get him under contract following his Wednesday visit.
The Cowboys would like to add some experience to their safety corps, and Hamlin would afford them that, having started 52 games over four seasons for the Seattle Seahawks, including all 16 games in 2006 after recovering from a season-ending head injury resulting from an off-field incident six games into the 2005 season.
Hamlin said he would be a perfect complement to Cowboys Pro Bowl strong safety Roy Williams, who seems to play more effectively when deployed closer to the line of scrimmage than left in a Cover 2 zone.
"Definitely, it would let Roy do his thing," Hamlin said of lining up at free safety with Williams at strong, "and let Roy be more of a playmaker."
The Cowboys started off the 2006 season with fifth-round pick Pat Watkins starting at free safety, but after seven games decided to go back to Keith Davis, who started all 16 games in 2005. Then Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells became worried the rookie Watkins was losing his confidence after making a few rookie mistakes.
But the Cowboys went back to Watkins in the final three regular-season games and the playoff game against Seattle. He finished eighth on the team with 34 tackles and second in interceptions with three.
While the Cowboys are working on Hamlin, they did come to an agreement with Richardson, the free agent who decided not to re-sign with a CFL team. In 2½ seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (39 games) - he played only four games in 2006 after breaking bones in his foot - he caught 113 passes for 1,471 yards and four touchdowns. But two of those touchdowns came in last season's first four games when he was averaging 16.9 yards a catch.
Richardson (6-3, 215) is considered more of a possession receiver, but certainly is a big target, and evidently a good athlete, since he also was a starter on the Victor Valley Community College basketball team, where he earned first-team, All-California Community College honors his sophomore season. Richardson never did play major college basketball, going on to the CFL.
Saskatchewan evidently overspent in 2006, costing the general manager his job, and was unable to re-sign several veterans whose contracts were scheduled to expire because of the CFL deciding to start imposing fines in 2007 for teams going over the league's mandated salary cap.
Also, it was reported when other CFL teams contacted his agent, they were told Richardson would not even entertain offers from CFL teams. His agent told Sun Media there were 11 NFL teams interested in signing Richardson, and after visiting the Cowboys he was scheduled to visit with Indianapolis.
But evidently he has decided to sign with the Cowboys.
That will give the Cowboys five young receivers on the roster. Last year's rookies Sam Hurd and Miles Austin made the 53-man roster, while Jamaica Rector and Jerheme Urban finished out the season on the practice squad.
And besides starters Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn, the Cowboys have issued three-year veteran Patrick Crayton a $1.3 million restricted free agency tender, which reserves a right of first refusal if he should sign an offer sheet, along with second-round draft compensation if the signed offer sheet is not matched.
The Cowboys also worked out free-agent quarterback Brock Berlin this week. Berlin has gone to training camp the past two summers with the Miami Dolphins, but failed to make a final roster.
