IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys signed veteran tight end Dante Rosario to their roster Monday morning, adding more experience to a stocked position.
The team released a rookie and fellow tight end, Paul Freedman, to make room for Rosario, who visited Valley Ranch last week.
Rosario is entering his seventh year in the league, where he's best known for his four-year stint with the Carolina Panthers. Carolina drafted him in the fifth round – 155th overall – in the 2007 NFL Draft. In that timespan he was probably best known for his game-winning touchdown reception at the end of the Panthers' 2008 season opener win against San Diego.
Rosario has played primarily as a tight end since leaving Oregon for the NFL, and he'll keep the Cowboys current tally of tight ends at six after the release of Freedman. But it might be Rosario's versatility that lands him in Dallas this summer. While at Oregon, he played not only tight end, but halfback, H-back and fullback. He was also a special teams ace for the Ducks in 2005 and 2006 – his junior and senior seasons. [embedded_ad]
He has showed some of that flexibility to this point in his career, with 27 total special teams tackles to go with his 1,106 career receiving yards and eight career touchdowns.
Since leaving Carolina Rosario has made stops in Miami, Denver and San Diego. He played 13 games for the Chargers in 2012, hauling in 10 receptions for 95 total yards and three touchdowns and adding five tackles and a fumble recovery on special teams.
