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The Dallas Cowboys didn't do anything about the possible departure of Jason Witten on the second day of the NFL draft. They did add a possible replacement for Dez Bryant.

Dallas took University of Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams in the second round and wide receiver Michael Gallup from Colorado State in the third on Friday night amid questions over how they might fill a hole at tight end if veteran Jason Witten retires after 15 seasons to start a career in broadcasting 鈥?perhaps as ESPN's lead analyst on "Monday Night Football."

Team vice president Stephen Jones said he didn't feel a need to draft a tight end. The current roster includes unproven Geoff Swaim Joe Namath Jersey Youth , Blake Jarwin and Rico Gathers at the position.

Bryant was released as a cost-cutting move this month after three subpar seasons since signing a $70 million, five-year contract following his All-Pro season at receiver in 2014.

"We came up with (Gallup) that really could make a difference for us," Jones said. "I don't think that we're going to live in a world right now that we used to live in with Dez, a true No. 1 guy."

The Cowboys took Williams at No. 50, one pick after NFC East rival Philadelphia traded up with Indianapolis to select a South Dakota State tight end named Dallas Goedert.

A consensus first-team All-America tackle as a sophomore, Williams declared for the draft after his junior season with the Longhorns. He started only five games last season because of a left knee injury, and missed the bowl game to prepare for the draft. Williams is the first Texas offensive lineman drafted in 10 years.

When he declared for the draft in December, Williams wrote an essay thanking the bullies who tormented him when he was a child because he was overweight and had a speech impediment. Overcoming that torment, he said, helped him reach his level of success in football.

"There was so much positive feedback Sebastian Janikowski Color Rush Jersey ," Williams said, "whether it was kids that actually went through the adversity or if it was parents. If there's people that need help like that and keep reaching out, I'm going to do it all day long to help them."

Dallas and other teams projected the 6-foot-5, 296-pound Williams as a guard, but the Cowboys could keep him at tackle.

"We see him more as an interior guy," coach Jason Garrett said. "His length isn't ideal; it's 33-inch arms. We have scouts and personnel people who are convicted he can play outside as well."

Williams didn't care which position he'd play: "Wherever the coach wants me to play, I'm playing. I have some of the best guards and some of the best tackles to learn from, so whatever position I'm open to."

Dallas could use versatility on a line that struggled at times with injuries and ineffectiveness. Williams is the first offensive lineman they've taken as high as second since 2014, when guard Zack Martin was their third first-round O-lineman in four years.

Williams was at the draft in nearby Arlington, just south of his home in Coppell.

Gallup caught a school-record 100 passes for 1 Youth Alex Cappa Jersey ,413 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior season.

"I'm not really coming to replace anybody," he said from his home in Monroe, Georgia. "I'm just coming down to compete."

The Cowboys have seven picks over the final four rounds, starting with a pair of fourth-round choices Saturday. They have one pick in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh. The interior of the defensive line is arguably the biggest need, depending on the view of life without Witten.

Since their last encounter with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Washington Nationals did not do much offensively.

In fact, they did not score.

After going scoreless for two games with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Nationals hope to get their offense going Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The Nationals rallied late to beat the Phillies on Sunday night but then mustered five hits and struck out 23 times in Tampa Bay. After the low output, Washington heads into Philadelphia with nine losses in 12 games and hopes to be refreshed following a day off on Wednesday.

“We’re in a little bit of a funk right now Authentic Logan Woodside Jersey Elite Womens Youth Big&Tall Nike Cincinnati Bengals NFL Shop Free Shipping ,” Washington manager Dave Martinez told reporters following Tuesday’s 1-0 loss. “This day off couldn’t come soon enough. We’ve had a rough go with our schedule here the last few days, so a little break will do the boys right.”

It is not about to get easier for the Nationals, though.

They will face Phillies ace Aaron Nola for the second time in four games on Thursday night. Right-hander Tanner Roark will be on the mound for Washington, making his second consecutive start against Philadelphia.

Nola (9-2, 2.58 ERA), well on his way to his first All-Star appearance, pitched six strong innings against the Nationals last Saturday. The righty gave up two runs on four hits and three walks and struck out five in a 5-3 Phillies win.

Nola, 26, has pitched at least six innings in 13 of his 16 starts this season and has allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of those games. His 1.016 WHIP ranked fifth in the National League as of Wednesday.

Nola has faced the Nationals 11 times in his career — the most of any opponent for the fourth-year major leaguer. He is 2-4 with a 4.35 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 60 innings in those starts.

Roark (3-8, 4.27) also has plenty of experience against the Phillies. He is 6-8 with a 4.34 ERA in 19 career games against the Nationals’ divisional rival. But Roark’s last outing against Philadelphia did not go well.

The 31-year-old had seven strikeouts Lions Authentic Jerseys , but he gave up six runs on seven hits and four walks last Friday in a 12-2 defeat. Before the loss to the Phillies, Roark gave up four runs on eight hits in four innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 17.

“The last two starts, I’ve left the bullpen out to dry, and I’m not happy about it,” Roark told MLB.com after his last start. “Just overall a bad start again. But I’ve got to stay optimistic. I found something in there. So, you’ve got to take a positive out of a negative all the time.”

The Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

At 42-36, Philadelphia enters the series a game ahead of Washington for second place in the National League East. The Phillies are 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the top spot in the division.

The Phillies took two of three against the Nationals last weekend. The teams have split six head-to-head meetings in 2018 — all of which were at Nationals Park.
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