[Underdog]

Newman Now Considered 50-50 For The Opener


IRVING, Texas - Cowboys Pro Bowl corner Terence Newman has gone from returning to practice two weeks ago and appearing ready to assume his starting position on the left side to "questionable" just two days before the season opener.

Newman, apparently limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday because of the slight groin tear he suffered the first week of training camp, has been listed on Friday's official NFL injury report as "questionable," meaning he is no better than 50-50 to play in Sunday's season opener in Cleveland.

Chances are the Cowboys will make a game-day decision on Newman, who did not play in any of the team's four preseason games and again was listed as "limited" in practice on Friday.

"We'll see how he is," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said on Friday. "We'll start determining how much or if he plays."

The Cowboys might decide to ease Newman back onto the field by playing him solely on nickel downs, as they did last year when he initially returned from the slight tear to his plantar fascia. If that happens, or if the Cowboys decide to make Newman one of the eight inactives for the game, Adam "Pacman" Jones will start at left cornerback. Jones has not played in an NFL regular-season game since Dec. 31, 2006, missing the 2007 season after being suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for violation of the league's personal conduct policy.

Newman's potential absence will be far-reaching. If he doesn't play, that would mean the Cowboys would be going with two rookies on their dime defense. As it is, with Newman playing and moving into the slot, first-round draft choice Mike Jenkins takes over at left corner with Pacman Jones playing right corner. But if he doesn't play, and the Cowboys go to their dime with starting right corner Anthony Henry now also moving into the slot over the tight end, that would mean Pacman Jones shifting to right corner, Jenkins coming in at left corner and rookie Orlando Scandrick taking over in the slot, as he also would if the Cowboys bring in just one extra defensive back in Newman's absence.

The Cowboys seemingly feel good about Jones being ready to play, but would have liked the luxury of easing Jenkins and Scandrick onto the field in the season opener.

Newman practiced all last week and on Monday without any setbacks. And while he was listed as fully participating on Wednesday, he popped up on the "limited participation" list on Thursday, sending out an alarm, although Phillips said he wasn't properly listed on the participation chart Wednesday.

The timing of this potential setback is not good since Cleveland presents a problem in the passing game with tight end Kellen Winslow, who the Browns will utilize in their standard offense like a wide receiver, sometimes lining him up wide and sometimes in the slot. There is a chance the Cowboys will match up a cornerback on Winslow instead of a safety, possibly meaning they'll dip further into their cornerback depth to handle the wide receivers. And no one needs to remind the Cowboys that Cleveland's top receiver, Braylon Edwards, caught 16 touchdown passes last year.

The Cowboys also listed wide receiver Isaiah Stanback as questionable for Sunday's game, but he appears to be on the right side of the 50-50 proposition, Phillips sounding pretty confident the second-year receiver would serve as the team's third wideout in the game.

If the Cowboys decide they need a fourth receiver active Sunday for insurance, they likely will sign Mike Jefferson off the practice squad in time for the team's 2 p.m. charter flight departure to Cleveland.

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The Cleveland Browns are not without their own injury problems. Already they've been without third receiver Joe Jurevicius, placed on PUP, and noted pass-rusher Antwan Peek had season-ending surgery on Thursday to repair a torn patella tendon.

Then on Friday, the Browns listed six players as questionable, including starting running back Jamal Lewis (hamstring), starting guard Rex Hadnot (knee), his backup Ryan Tucker (hip), starting safety Brodney Pool (concussion), kicker returner/receiver Joshua Cribbs (ankle) and backup linebacker Beau Bell. Pool, Hadnot and Tucker did not practice on Friday while Cribbs, Jones, Bell and Lewis did on a limited basis.




Cowboys Add 4th WR

As expected all week, the Cowboys officially added a fourth wide receiver to the 53-man roster Saturday morning, signing first-year pro Mike Jefferson, who will travel with the club today to Cleveland.

In doing so, the Cowboys released offensive lineman James Marten, a third-round pick in 2007. While it's rather early to be giving up on a second-round pick, Marten just never showed much consistency and was nowhere close to pushing for a starting job this year.

Now the Cowboys will likely try to retain Marten on the practice squad, if clears waivers. But being a first-day pick last year, Marten might draw some interest from other teams, especially with his versatility to play both tackle and guard.

But the Cowboys just had to get another receiver to the game to join Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton and Isaiah Stanback. The club is without Sam Hurd (ankle) and Miles Austin (knee), who were both injured in the preseason. Even Stanback isn't 100 percent, but has practiced all week with a harness on his left shoulder.

The Cowboys opted to cut Marten over a defensive back, although the Cowboys have 11 players in the secondary.

But there are some health issues there as well, led by cornerback Terence Newman, who apparently re-aggravated a groin injury this week and his status for Sunday's game remains questionable. Newman has been limited in practice this week and head coach Wade Phillips said he will likely decide whether to play or start Newman just before game time on Sunday.

If Newman can't play at all, Adam Jones will start at left cornerback and rookie Orlando Scandrick would likely be the slot corner in the dime package.




Third QB Around The Corner

Apparently the Cowboys definitely are serious about signing a veteran quarterback as their third guy, and that could take place as early as Monday of next week.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, during his weekly segment Friday on Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket in Dallas, said there was a high possibility of signing that third quarterback on Monday, the day after the team's opener in Cleveland.

And it would appear the Cowboys' guy is either sixth-year veteran Brooks Bollinger, who came in for a visit on Tuesday, or possibly Chris Simms, the former University of Texas quarterback released by Tampa Bay on the final cuts and still an available free agent.

When asked if he could sign that third quarterback as early as Monday, Jones said, "Yes."

When asked if he's looked at Simms, Jones succinctly said, "Yes."

And when asked if we should assume it's not Simms, Jones said, "You shouldn't," not wanting to tip his hand which way the team might go.

The Cowboys have been looking for a third quarterback with a minimum amount of NFL experience, and Bollinger, a sixth-round pick of the New York Jets in 2003, has played in 19 games, starting 10 - nine during the 2005 season with the Jets and one last year with the Vikings.

Simms has not played for 1½ years, not since suffering a damaged spleen three games into the 2006 season. Simms also has played in 19 NFL games, starting 15 for Tampa Bay.

"We ideally would like to have a veteran who has a chance to move in for Brad Johnson at some point in the future, the future (meaning) not necessarily this year" Jones said on The Ticket. "There may be the chance to pick up the veteran we like."

Currently, the Cowboys' third quarterback is Richard Bartel, on the practice squad for a second consecutive season. Chances are the Cowboys would release Bartel off the practice squad if they sign a third quarterback to the 53-man roster.




Now Cutting To 45

The Cowboys pretty easily cut their roster from 75 to 53 last Saturday, and come 2:15 p.m. (CDT) Sunday they must have whittled that down to the 45-man, game-day roster for the opener in Cleveland.

The first four players should be easy, since they all are definitely out with injuries: Kyle Kosher (foot), Miles Austin (knee), Sam Hurd (ankle) and Anthony Spencer (knee).

The next two, maybe three, depending on if there are any last minute roster moves, should be somewhat predictable, since the team currently has 11 offensive lineman on the 53-man roster and the Cowboys normally keep just seven offensive linemen active: Doug Free and Montrae Holland or Joe Berger, and then possibly James Marten if he is still on the roster would be the two or three. The Cowboys were contemplating moving wide receiver Mike Jefferson to the 53-man roster to give them a fourth wide receiver for the game. If they did that, likely on Saturday, the Cowboys seemingly would release Marten or possibly Alan Ball, who also could be inactive for the game.

Ball currently is considered the sixth corner on the squad. Another possibility could be safety Courtney Brown now that the Cowboys signed Keith Davis as a special teams player, which gives them five safeties on the squad.




Return Alternatives

This is not the way the Cowboys had this planned out, but it looks like first-round draft choice Felix Jones and the recently-reinstated Adam "Pacman" Jones will be mostly responsible for returning kicks for the Cowboys on Sunday.

The Cowboys were looking at several alternatives at punt return, but seemingly after Pacman returned that one in the Denver preseason game, Phillips decided he was his guy. And apparently he is, Phillips saying Pacman is his punt returner for the opener. During his two-year career with Tennessee, Pacman returned 63 punts for 712 yards, averaging 11.2 a return and scoring four touchdowns - three his second season in 2006 before getting suspended for the 2007 season.

Phillips continues to say he will use Pacman and Felix Jones for kickoff returns with Austin out with a sprained ACL and Stanback needed as the third receiver even though he will play with a supportive shoulder harness.

"Could be either or both," Phillips said.

Chances are it will be Felix Jones, with rookie Orlando Scandrick lining up deep as the predominant blocking back. Felix Jones at Arkansas returned 62 kickoffs for 1,749 yards, a 28.2-yard average. He also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in three years.




More Jerry

There were two more statements the Cowboys owner made of great interest while on The Ticket Friday morning.

When asked about his biggest concern heading into a season filled with such promise, Jones had this to say:

"We need to keep Romo healthy. He's a serious talent and that's an understatement. We have a supporting cast that can make do in certain situations, finish games, maybe a game, but over the long haul, we need a healthy Tony."

No arguments there.

And, Jones also brought up his concerns at wide receiver with Stanback trying to play at less than 100 percent and Austin out at least another week, possibly as many as three. And just know Jones was making a point about the type of wide receiver who would make him feel better, not necessarily talking about a specific player.

"Not that Anquan Boldin isn't an outstanding receiver, but we need speed on the other side . . . what we need opposite Terrell Owens is serious speed," said Jones, explaining why the Cowboys miss Austin and a totally healthy Stanback.

Jones also didn't deny searching for one of those receivers once he realized early on the chances of having Terry Glenn back for this season weren't very good. He even said he's been accused of a lot of things, "but not being creative isn't one of them." He meant he kicked all the reasonable tires looking for that experienced speed receiver.

"It's possible to get a wide receiver with speed if you're willing to trade DeMarcus Ware, OK," Jones said. "That's doable on draft day.

"But there's no free lunch around here."