IRVING, Texas -- Several weeks ago, Dallas Cowboys scouting director Will McClay answered his office phone one afternoon and found himself talking to a stranger.
The young man implored McClay to give his brother, a receiver from tiny Southwest Minnesota State, a tryout. Like he usually does, McClay listened for a couple of minutes and told the stranger to email him some video.
The phone call translated into a tryout for Anthony Dean and, perhaps, a training camp roster spot, depending on which free agents the Cowboys sign after Thursday’s NFL draft.
"That’s my background from arena ball, where you’re trying to find players everywhere -- and you just never know where you’re going to find players," McClay said.