Source: Cowboys Closing In On Brandon Carr - For Unique Role

Source: The Dallas Cowboys Are Closing In On Signing DB Brandon Carr - For A Unique Role

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys hosted a former Baltimore Ravens defensive back here at The Star on Friday. And no, his name is not "Earl Thomas.''

His name is "Brandon Carr,'' and no, he's not going to be asked to step in right away and play cornerback ... or safety.

Carr was here in his offseason home of DFW for a visit Friday, having been cut loose after three seasons in Baltimore. He's an ironman - he started all 16 games a year ago while playing both cornerback (as he once did in Dallas) and safety (where the Cowboys could now use some help).

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At 33, Carr's ability to "win'' at corner may be fading. And he's not viewed as a traditional "tackler'' as a safety. But he's a high-quality guy and he's played 192 straight games - the NFL's longest streak among defensive players - and a source tells CowboysSI.com that he's willing to discuss a "start-over'' in Dallas.

A "start-over'' meaning that thanks to the new rules, he can sign here and be assigned to the practice squad. (And then, maybe after the vested-veteran Week 1 issue passes, he becomes more likely to elevate.)

Carr's five-year stint with Dallas was pricy, but solid.  In Baltimore, he developed his "solid'' rep, Ravens  defensive coordinator Wink Martindale saying of him, “He’s a pro’s pro.'”

We can half-joke that another reason to interview Carr is to poke into his thoughts on the troubled Thomas - but that's half-joking, as Carr has his own career to think about.

Indeed, it is our continued view that Earl Thomas is at best a back-burner issue in Dallas and that a lot of media time has been wasted pretending there is some "meeting'' scheduled right around the corner. (Though we shall see.)

Is Carr such a "pro's pro'' that he'd take a job in Dallas in the waiting line for a real roster spot? As the Cowboys shuffle their way to a 53-man roster and an expanded practice squad, sources tell us that as of Saturday night, that is the job being offered to a receptive Carr.