Hall of Famer Brandt, 91, dies
By the Associated Press
Gil Brandt, overshadowed by coach Tom Landry and general manager Tex Schramm as part of the trio that built the Dallas Cowboys into “America’s Team” in the 1970s, has died. He was 91.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame said Brandt died Thursday morning. No cause of death was given, but Brandt had been in declining health in recent years.
Brandt was the player personnel director alongside the stoic, fedora-wearing Landry and mediasavvy Schramm, but had to wait almost 30 years longer to get into the Hall of Fame.
By the time Brandt was enshrined as a contributor, it was as much for his ability to remain involved in the NFL by adapting to the social media age as for the innovation the Cowboys brought to the draft process with computers in the early 1960s.
“You can’t tell the story about the success of the Dallas Cowboys and their two-decade run of winning seasons from the mid-1960s to mid-1980s without mentioning Gil Brandt,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said.
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Watson, who was suspended 11 games last season for violating the NFL’S personal conduct policy after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions when he played for Houston, was one of five Cleveland players elected as captains by their teammates.
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The Browns traded for Watson in March 2022, signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, a deal that brought heavy criticism to the franchise. Watson returned from his suspension and played six games, but looked rusty and not at all like the 2020 league passing leader while with the Texans.
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King, 28, spent the past two seasons with the Houston Texans, intercepting five passes and recovering two fumbles.
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Miami signed fullback Alec Ingold to a three-year contract extension.
The deal is reportedly worth up to $17.2 million, which would make Ingold the highest-paid fullback in the AFC, according to Spotrac.com. Only San Francisco Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s five year, $27 million contract is worth more.
Ingold signed with the Dolphins in 2022 and was set to become a free agent in 2024. He’s now signed through 2026.
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Minnesota agreed to terms on a contract extension with tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Hockenson was the eighth overall pick by Detroit in the 2019 draft out of Iowa. The two-time Pro Bowl pick was acquired in a deadline-day trade last year by the Vikings and had 60 catches for 519 yards in 10 games. His season total of 914 receiving yards was a career high.