The Cowboys are among the five teams that the NFL has either fined or told is under investigation for violating offseason rules prohibiting contact with players before team activities are allowed. The story was first published in The Dallas Morning News. According to the newspaper, several Cowboys players have mentioned meeting with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to get a head start on learning his system. Since the lockout began, no contact between the league's 32 teams and players has been allowed. Players aren't paid and can't negotiate new contracts. They also aren't allowed to use team facilities.