OXNARD, Calif. — The Dallas Cowboys are expected to sign edge rushers Shaka Toney and Al-Quadin Muhammad after successful workouts on Thursday afternoon in Oxnard. In the aftermath of losing Sam Williams for the season due to an ACL tear, the Cowboys immediately address the depth by adding two bodies to the room.
The workout also included Carl Lawson and Justin Hollins, neither of which are expected to sign at this time after the personnel department decides to go with two other additions.
Toney, who was a seventh-round selection for the Washington Commanders in the 2021 NFL Draft, has just 1.5 sacks and 16 tackles in 26 career games. The bulk of his experience has come on special teams where Sam Williams also leaves a void after emerging within John Fassel's group a year ago. Toney played his college ball at Penn State alongside Micah Parsons.
Muhammad, a sixth-round selection for the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 NFL Draft, has the leg up on experience with 157 tackles and 12 sacks in 84 career games. His career has seen him spend one year in New Orleans, four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and one season with the Chicago Bears in 2022.
Both Muhammad and Toney spent parts of the 2023 season on the league's suspension list. Muhammad was suspended for six games for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing drugs while on the practice squad with the Colts. He was released by the team after the season but will still have to serve one remaining game of his suspension. In April 2023, Toney was suspended indefinitely for violating the league's policy on gambling and was reinstated on April 18, 2024. Shortly after being reinstated, he was released by the Commanders.
Sam Williams' injury leaves behind a hole in the edge position group that was already looking to replace production lost in the offseason by the departures of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. to the Washington Commanders. While the production and experience are not nearly the same for Muhammad and Toney, each will have the opportunity to claim a roster spot for the rest of training camp and preseason.
