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At the end of last year's NFL draft, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones announced the signing of undrafted free agent guard Ronald Leary from Memphis. The Cowboys guaranteed $214,000 to Leary with the hope he would make the 53-man roster out of camp.

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Leary didn't, instead playing on the practice squad for the bulk of the season until the Cowboys had to promote him to the 53-man roster after the Oakland Raiders put in a claim for him.

Leary improved as the season progressed and again has a shot to make the 53-man roster in 2013.

Fast-forward to this year when the Cowboys signed undrafted linebacker Brandon Magee over the weekend. Magee received a $70,000 signing bonus, more than any seventh-round pick from last year's draft.

The Cowboys were interested in drafting Magee in the middle rounds, but his size (5-foot-11, 229 pounds) and health (he injured his elbow in Arizona State's bowl game) made selecting him a risky proposition. However, the Cowboys were impressed with his 113 total tackles last season at Arizona State, which earned him second-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Magee is completely healthy, according to his agent, Blake Baratz, and looking forward to next week's rookie minicamp.

The Cowboys project Magee as a strongside or weakside linebacker because of his speed (4.68-second 40-yard dash at Arizona State's pro day) and ability to make plays on the ball.

Some NFL teams were a little scared off by Magee's baseball ambitions. The Boston Red Sox own his rights, but Magee's desire is to play in the NFL.

The Cowboys are looking for good fits in Monte Kiffin's 4-3 defense, and once they find someone, Jones will make sure he spends the money to grab him, much like he did with Leary.

This year's pet project, if you will, is Magee, who will have to play well on special teams and on the defense with the backup units to make the roster.

The Dallas Cowboys gave undrafted free agent Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee $70,000 guaranteed in his contract, more than any 2012 7th-round pick, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

IRVING, Texas – Over the years the Cowboys have excelled in landing undrafted free agents that make the 53-man roster, so it stands to reason a few of the 15 signings will make the club in 2013.

Last year, Cole Beasley, Ronald Leary and Ben Bass spent time on the active roster.

Here is the up-to-date list:

LB Brandon Magee, Arizona State
QB Dalton Williams, Akron
S Jakar Hamilton, South Carolina State
RB Kendial Lawrence, Missouri
CB Devin Smith, Wisconsin
CB Dustin Harris, Texas A&M
LB Cameron Lawrence, Mississippi State
WR Greg Herd, Eastern Washington
FB Paul Freedman, Virginia
LB Tank Reed, SMU
DB Jeff Heath, Saginaw Valley State
K Spencer Benton, Clemson
WR Eric Rogers, Cal Lutheran
CB Xavier Brewer, Clemson
LB Deon Lacey, West Alabama

Interesting to note the Cowboys did not sign an offensive lineman. Perhaps some could come in on a tryout basis for the May 10-12 rookie mini-camp. One tryout player, who is expected to sign is tight end B.J. Stewart from Cumberland.

IRVING, Texas – Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team has a plan to sign 15-20 undrafted free agents this year and the process began immediately after the seventh round ended.

The Cowboys have deals in place with Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee, South Carolina State safety Jakar Hamilton and Akron quarterback Dalton Williams.

Magee, a three-time Major League Baseball draft pick, had 113 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two interceptions last season after missing the 2011 season with an Achilles injury. Hamilton transferred to South Carolina State from Georgia but played in only eight games and had 26 tackles. Williams transferred to Akron after playing at Stephen F. Austin. He threw for 3,387 yards with 25 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Magee and Hamilton were pre-draft visitors to the Cowboys and Williams, a Coppell, Texas, native, worked out for the team at Dallas Day.

Updated undrafted agreements:

RB Kendial Lawrence, Missouri
CB Devin Smith, Wisconsin
CB Dustin Harris, Texas A&M
LB Cameron Lawrence, Mississippi State
WR Greg Herd, Eastern Washington
FB Paul Freedman, Virginia
LB Taylor Reed, SMU
DB Jeff Heath, Saginaw Valley

Check back here for updates of undrafted signings.

IRVING, Texas – Over the last few years, the Cowboys’ top-30 visitors before the draft have been a good indicator into who they end up selecting.

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Guys like Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Tyrone Crawford and Matt Johnson, among others, visited Valley Ranch and ended up getting picked by the team.

Here is the list of this year’s invites to keep handy for the next three days:

S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
S Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International
S Eric Reid, LSU
G Chance Warmack, Alabama
RB Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State
RB Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
DL Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
RB Knile Davis, Arkansas
G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
OL Justin Pugh, Syracuse
DT Kawann Short, Purdue
DT Jordan Hill, Penn State
C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
S Phillip Thomas, Fresno State
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson
LB Sio Moore, Connecticut
LB Gerald Hodges, Penn State
CB B.W Webb, William & Mary
WR Charles Johnson, Grand Valley State
RB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
OL Kyle Long, Oregon
S J.J. Wilcox, Georgia Southern
LB Brandon Magee, Arizona State
TE D.C. Jefferson, Rutgers
TE Dion Sims, Michigan State
WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State
S Jakar Hamilton, South Carolina State
DT Bennie Logan, LSU

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys’ move to the 4-3 scheme under new coordinator Monte Kiffin has altered what kind of linebackers the Cowboys are looking at entering the draft.

From 2005 to 2012, the Cowboys drafted 12 linebackers, excluding Stephen Hodge on 2009. The average height and weight was 6-2½, 247 pounds.

To move to the 3-4, the Cowboys needed bigger linebackers to withstand more direct play with offensive lineman. Most of them were defensive ends in college. The biggest was DeMarcus Ware (255 pounds, 2005). Ware and Kyle Wilber were the tallest (6-foot-4). The shortest was Jason Williams (6-foot-1, 2009) and the lightest was Bruce Carter (240, 2011).

The scheme switch this year has the Cowboys looking at smaller linebackers like they had for years in guys like Dexter Coakley and Dat Nguyen.

So far there are nine known linebackers that have caught the Cowboys' eye in the draft process either through top-30 visits, Dallas Day tryouts or private workouts: Brandon Magee, Sio Moore, Gerald Hodges, Taylor Reed, Ja’Gared Davis, R.J. Young, Alex Elkins, Jarvis Wilson and Sean Porter.

The average height amd weight: 6-0½, 237 pounds.

Kiffin’s scheme is built on speed at every level. Linebackers have to be able to run. Moore is the heaviest at 245 pounds, but is just 6-foot-1. Magee is the lightest at 223 pounds and at 5-foot-11 is the shortest, along with Reed and Young.

Undoubtedly the Cowboys have looked at more linebackers, but that sample size should give you the prototype at linebacker.