Cowboys’ Mike Sherrard Ends Holdout

THOUSAND OAKS —  Mike Sherrard, the Dallas Cowboys’ first-round draft choice, signed a contract Thursday.

The contract, hammered out on Sherrard’s 32nd day as a holdout, is worth about $1.4 million and covers three years with an option year.

Leigh Steinberg, Sherrard’s agent, said he, Sherrard and Cowboy Vice President Joe Bailey worked out the contract in a “caffeine-assisted negotiation that burned the midnight oil” late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

Sherrard, a former UCLA wide receiver, said: “I was getting anxious and I’m actually looking forward to practice. I think I’ll be able to contribute with my deep speed. I know guys have been working out for five weeks, and I’ll be willing to put in extra time if I have to. I’ve been working out with some guys at UCLA.”

Veteran wide receiver Mike Renfro suffered a separated shoulder in the Cowboys’ exhibition against the Chicago Bears in London Sunday and will be sidelined four to six weeks.

With Renfro out, Cowboy Coach Tom Landry said, Sherrard has an opportunity to move quickly into the lineup.

“Obviously, there’s a better chance now, even though he is coming late. He had been a very dedicated guy in our off-season program,” Landry said.