Cowboys News: Takk McKinley Met with Jerry Jones in NFL Free Agency

Free-agent edge-defender Takk McKinley met with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Saturday, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

It's unclear what level of interest the Cowboys have in the veteran, who is recovering from an Achilles injury that he suffered last season.

The Atlanta Falcons selected McKinley in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, and he has familiarity with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who served as head coach of the Falcons from 2015 to 2020.

The 26-year-old played for the Falcons from 2017 to 2020. In his first three seasons with the franchise, he posted 16.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup, 71 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss and 38 quarterback hits.

McKinley appeared in just four games for the Falcons in 2020, recording one sack, one pass breakup, eight tackles and seven quarterback hits, before being released.

The UCLA product was claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals and then the San Francisco 49ers in November 2020 but was unable to pass his physical with either club because of a lingering groin ailment.

McKinley was then claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders and placed on injured reserve. He never played a game for the franchise.

McKinley signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns for the 2021 campaign and appeared in 11 games, posting 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, 18 tackles, three tackles for a loss and eight quarterback hits.

However, he tore his Achilles during a Week 15 matchup against the Raiders and is still recovering from surgery.

If McKinley were to sign with the Cowboys, he would likely serve as a depth option behind Dorance Armstrong.