Cowboys offseason Thread - Page 6 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Just211 · 03-15-2005, 12:22 PM

he signed the tender with the Saints, and has until Wed. ar 3pm to renegoiate. So it'll probably be done before THURS. Either a new contract with New Orleans, the one year deal with New Orleans, or a new deal, and trade to Dallas (or somewheere else.)

Just211 · 03-15-2005, 12:29 PM

In fact, under league rule, teams can make an offer sheet on another team's franchise player up until the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season.

actually i'm wrong. Dallas can still trade for him under a new contract, but I'd still look for it to be done around Thursday (at least i hope)

chumdawg · 03-15-2005, 01:27 PM

I get the feeling this deal will happen. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cowboys are waiting this one out in order to get a better deal. I bet they end up giving the second round pick and that's it. Maybe less, even.

In other news, Willie Blade tore his Achilles and is out for the year. Pity. I kinda like that guy.

Drbio · 03-15-2005, 02:33 PM

According to ESPN, Seattle is hot and heavy on the Howard kid too. They also said the deal with Dallas is unravelling.

mavs413 · 03-15-2005, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Drbio
According to ESPN, Seattle is hot and heavy on the Howard kid too. They also said the deal with Dallas is unravelling.

We have a higher 2nd round draft pick than Seattle does. I doubt Seattle will trade their 1st rounder(23rd) for him.
Out of all the teams interested in Howard, only Oakland has a higher pick in the 2nd round than we do. Oakland has 39th pick, we have the 42nd. But, I dont think Oakland is even being considered now because they cant afford him.
So it looks like we still have an excellent chance.

XERXES · 03-15-2005, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Drbio
According to ESPN, Seattle is hot and heavy on the Howard kid too. They also said the deal with Dallas is unravelling.

I looked for this at ESPN but couldn't find it- do you have a link?

jj

#1MavsFan · 03-15-2005, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: XERXES

Quote:

Originally posted by: Drbio
According to ESPN, Seattle is hot and heavy on the Howard kid too. They also said the deal with Dallas is unravelling.

I looked for this at ESPN but couldn't find it- do you have a link?

jj

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...len&id=2013844

I'm thinking he'll be a cowboy soon in exchange for a 2nd round pick, and a future late round pick.

sike · 03-15-2005, 08:57 PM

I'm more than cool with that...

Drbio · 03-15-2005, 10:46 PM

Xerxes- that was the link (2 posts above) but the story has changed a little bit. Still, they do mention the Seahawks but now it seems they feel Dallas is the leading team in this sweepstakes. Earlier it said Seattle was making a huge push.

chumdawg · 03-15-2005, 11:05 PM

Doubtless the reason for the delay is that Dallas is holding out for a pure fleecing of the Saints. Maybe we trade our second first-rounder for Howard plus their second-rounder. Or our second and seventh for Howard and their third.

dirno2000 · 03-15-2005, 11:45 PM

Looks like Jerry's leverage just improved:
-----------------------------------------------------
Defensive end Bryce Fisher, an emerging young pass rusher who led the St. Louis Rams in sacks last season, on Tuesday evening reached a contract agreement with the Seattle Seahawks, ESPN.com confirmed.

The addition of Fisher is key for the Seahawks, who lost their best upfield pass rusher, Chike Okeafor, to the Arizona Cardinals last week as an unrestricted free agent. Fisher is a player who is similar in style and physical dimensions to Okeafor but is a year younger and cost significantly less to acquire.

Fisher, 27, will sign a four-year, $10 million contract. Okeafor signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Cardinals. Also, Fisher has less mileage on him, since he didn't begin his career until 2001, after the former Air Force Academy star completed his military commitment.

Ninkobei · 03-16-2005, 01:03 PM

This is good news. One less team goin after Howard.

sike · 03-16-2005, 01:42 PM

any more news today???

Ninkobei · 03-16-2005, 04:32 PM

Apparently Willie Blade tore his achilles tendon in training camp for NFL Europe. Not significant news, but news.

From what I've read Here it is looking less and less likely that the 'Boys will take a chance on Howard. His agent wants a 33mil 6 year contract + 14 mil signing bonus. I hope Jerry doesn't dish out that kind of money for the guy. We would have to pay a lot to get Howard from the Saints, and then pay him a lot of cash.

sike · 03-17-2005, 10:15 AM

agents don't always get what they want.

Murphy3 · 03-17-2005, 10:40 AM

Expect there to be some jockeying for position from both sides....

sike · 03-17-2005, 10:42 AM

I just want this deal to happen.

Just211 · 03-17-2005, 11:48 PM

The following is from DallasCowboys.com, written by Micky Spagnola

The apparent hang-up on the Darren Howard trade appears to be compensation to New Orleans. The Cowboys have a good idea of how much Howard needs to be paid and how to possibly structure the deal, but have not come to grips with whatever the Saints are asking for. Wonder if the Cowboys are trying to peddle a pick for 2006 so as not to disrupt their draft plans in April or their ability to move up or down in that first round?

So, it would seem the deal WILL happen, but when?
What could New Orleans want, #20?. If so I don't see it happening.
I'd be happy giving the 2nd rounder,
or maybe #20 IF Dallas gets New Orleans 3rd rounder back,
or a 2nd or lower in Next years,
but NOT the #20 straight up.

Drbio · 03-17-2005, 11:50 PM

Good insight from Spagnola. The Cowboys must have some draft day deals in place for this years picks.

Ninkobei · 03-18-2005, 02:12 AM

Welp looks like Emmit is going to retire as a 'Boy. This is great news because now JJones has someone to teach him the dark secrets of the cowboys runningback.

RAoR

Just211 · 03-18-2005, 12:03 PM

Just to note, THE SPORTING NEWS has the Boys taking Clayton at 11 and Merriman at 20.
Interesting that WR's seem to be taking this draft over, with 4 moving into the top 11.

TheSportingNewsMockDraft

dirno2000 · 03-18-2005, 12:28 PM

I've pretty much stopped paying attention to mock drafts...there's so much disparity between them this year that it's obvious that the experts have no idea what's going to happen.

Probably best to review them next month after all the pro days are complete and players are taking visits.

sike · 03-18-2005, 12:33 PM

Clayton will NOT be taken at 11!

Frost · 03-19-2005, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Just211
Just to note, THE SPORTING NEWS has the Boys taking Clayton at 11 and Merriman at 20.
Interesting that WR's seem to be taking this draft over, with 4 moving into the top 11.

TheSportingNewsMockDraft

I dont think Merriman will fall to 20 especially with so many teams switching to the 3-4 just my opinion [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Just211 · 03-19-2005, 05:12 PM

yeah, I found their mock a little odd, but it seems that every mock is just a little odd. i think a lot of guys have to be picked by certain teams, or they will slip pretty far. It'll be interesting to see what position slips

#1MavsFan · 03-19-2005, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: sike
Clayton will NOT be taken at 11!

Yeah, he'll go anywhere from 22-early 2nd round.

sike · 03-22-2005, 11:04 AM

Any new mocks by the big boys? Or any new news on Howard?

Just211 · 03-22-2005, 08:01 PM

Cowboys Given Two Compensatory Sixth-Round Picks

Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
March 22, 2005, 5:37 p.m. (CST)

IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys did not have a sixth-round pick at the start of this week. Now they have two.

Thanks to the NFL awarding the club a pair of compensatory picks at the end of the sixth round, the Cowboys now have two more draft picks to go along with their other six draft choices for the April 23-24 NFL draft.

The Cowboys traded away their original sixth-round pick (eighth) to Oakland, along with a seventh-round pick last year, for defensive end Kenyon Coleman.

But for losing free agents Ebenezer Ekuban and Mario Edwards last off-season, the Cowboys will now receive the 34th and 35th selections in the sixth round, the 208th and 209th overall picks.

Ekuban, a former first-round pick in 1999, signed with Cleveland in the off-season and led the Browns with eight sacks.

Edwards, a sixth-round pick in 2001, was a nickel corner for Tampa Bay last year, registering 17 tackles and no interceptions. Edwards has already been released by the Bucs and has not been signed by another team so far.

By getting two sixth-round picks, the Cowboys now currently have a draft pick in every round except the third. The club sent their third-round pick to Houston last year to acquire Drew Henson.

However, the Cowboys do have a pair of first-round picks thanks to a draft-day trade a year ago. The Cowboys gave up a first-round pick to Buffalo for a second, which was used to take Julius Jones, a fifth-round pick in last year's draft and the Bills' first-round pick this year, which is the 20th overall selection.

Two first-round picks certainly give the Cowboys some flexibility heading into this year's draft, and owner and general manager Jerry Jones has already said twice this off-season he might be inclined to trade down in the draft, and possibly stockpile more picks in later rounds or maybe another first-rounder for next year.

NOT bad to have two more picks, more manueverabilty, and depth.

Just211 · 03-22-2005, 08:08 PM

the following is from JOHN CLAYTONS quick hits, on ESPN.com

March 21, 2005
No style points for Williams
Cowboys safety Roy Williams isn't being picked on for his tackling style, but he is the focus of the Competition Committee recommendation to penalize "horse collar" tackles. Williams' style is pull down runners from the back of their shoulder pads and then fall on their knees. Those types of plays resulted in injuries to Titans wide receiver Tyrone Calico, Ravens running back Musa Smith and Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, all on plays last season involving Williams.
If playing rule proposal No. 19 is passed, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be called, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. The new rule would state that it would be prohibited to "grab the inside collar of the back or side of the shoulder pads and immediately pull down the runner. This does not apply to a quarterback who is in the pocket."

I figured once he get T.O. something would come of his collaring.

sike · 03-22-2005, 11:42 PM

you should be able to grab the dude....

SaltwaterChaffy · 03-23-2005, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Just211
the following is from JOHN CLAYTONS quick hits, on ESPN.com

March 21, 2005
No style points for Williams
Cowboys safety Roy Williams isn't being picked on for his tackling style, but he is the focus of the Competition Committee recommendation to penalize "horse collar" tackles. Williams' style is pull down runners from the back of their shoulder pads and then fall on their knees. Those types of plays resulted in injuries to Titans wide receiver Tyrone Calico, Ravens running back Musa Smith and Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, all on plays last season involving Williams.
If playing rule proposal No. 19 is passed, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be called, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. The new rule would state that it would be prohibited to "grab the inside collar of the back or side of the shoulder pads and immediately pull down the runner. This does not apply to a quarterback who is in the pocket."

I figured once he get T.O. something would come of his collaring.

This is complete BS. It's freakin' football. You should be able to bring a guy in whatever way you can.

GP · 03-23-2005, 09:34 AM

If you look at the replay from the TO tackle. At no time did Roy Williams land on the guys knees. That is not what broke his damned leg. He had cleats on that were to long and they stuck in the ground. Faulty equipment not faulty tackling. Roy Williams is always going to be a league scapegoat no matter what he does. I remember he got fined for a helmet to helmet shot for knocking out a receiver on MNF. Problem was that he didn't hit the guy with a helmet. It was a legal tackle.

chumdawg · 03-23-2005, 06:47 PM

Quote:

HOWARD UPDATE: Saints officials hoped to reopen trade talks this week with Dallas about defensive end Darren Howard, but Cowboys officials have put the negotiations on hold.

Howard, who recently signed a one-year, $7.8 million contract as the Saints' franchise free agent, reported to the team's offseason conditioning program.

The Saints are seeking a high-round draft pick or starting player in return for Howard, a five-year veteran who had a team-high 11 sacks last season.

"We remain interested," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "We just haven't been able to come to any agreement in compensation, which isn't uncommon."

link

I read somewhere that the Vikings are also interested, and might be considering dealing their late first-rounder. Hope they don't decide to pony that up.

Just211 · 03-23-2005, 09:34 PM

capitalcity · 03-23-2005, 10:00 PM

Quote:

ah, form tackling.
The best part of that pic is Brian Billick - coach had a front row seat for Musa's 'unfortunate accident'.

Ninkobei · 03-23-2005, 11:50 PM

damn thats an ugly break. this belongs in the lounge-pictures

SaltwaterChaffy · 03-24-2005, 04:57 PM

Bledsoe peturbed by perception that "he's done"

DANA POINT, CALIF. -- Ask 10 pro football fans about new Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe and it's a good bet eight of them will agree that he's well into the back nine of his career, if not in the clubhouse already.

"And I'm 33 years old," Bledsoe said as he navigated his golf cart through the course at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa last week. Bledsoe was among the 40 or so current, former, and future NFL players represented by David Dunn who convened for the Athletes First Classic benefiting Orangewood Pals, a charity for abused children. The two-day event drew such stars as Matt Hasselbeck, Todd Heap, Carson Palmer, Jake Plummer, and Reggie Wayne, plus standout collegiate quarterbacks Dan Orlovsky and Kyle Orton, whose careers are just getting started.

Bledsoe, meanwhile, is perceived by many to be finished.

"One thing that is kind of frustrating," he continued, "is that I've been in the league 12 years, [I'm] No. 10 all time in passing yardage, no one other than [Brett] Favre and [Dan] Marino has gotten to 40,000 yards faster than I have [at 39,808, Bledsoe is just 743 yards behind Joe Montana for eighth place], but it's like I'm just another guy."

Bledsoe always has been a "Parcells guy," as in Bill, Cowboys head coach, and he has been reunited with the man who drafted him in New England. The Bills decided J.P. Losman was their guy and released Bledsoe on Feb. 23 after seasonal marks of 8-8, 6-10, and 9-7 with him at the helm.

While the Bills liked his durability and his arm strength, they noticed Bledsoe wearing down and losing some of his velocity as seasons wore on. They also believed it to be impossible to protect him (140 sacks in three years) given his lack of mobility and maddening habit of holding the ball, waiting to hit the big play, and, ultimately, taking hits that too often resulted in lost yardage (955 in three years) or possession. Patting the ball in the pocket might have flown 10 years ago, but not now when defenses are far more apt to get after the quarterback.

By now, every coach, player, reporter, and fan must have the scouting report on Bledsoe memorized.

His response?

"The hold-the-ball-too-long one, there are times when that is true," Bledsoe acknowledged. "It's a battle you're always fighting because as a competitor, you're always thinking, 'OK, I can make this next play. This can be the difference in the game.' That's something I've always battled against, going back to college.

"As far as making bad decisions, that's not true. Do I make some bad decisions? Yeah. You play this position, sometimes you're going to throw it to the wrong place. But as far as percentages, compared to anybody else that's playing, I don't make bad decisions. I'm a smart player who makes good decisions. That one's a little crazy."

And Bledsoe wasn't finished.

"As far as taking sacks … part of that also is there were times when people said I was holding on to the ball and there wasn't much time, period. And as far as the turnovers, I had a year two years ago where I was getting hit a lot and fumbled the ball a lot. But that's never really been a big problem of mine.

"The lack of mobility, that one, I've just kind of let that one go forever. I'm not fast. But there are a lot of guys that are a hell of a lot slower than I am. Somebody wants to do a pay-per-view race between me and [Tom] Brady, sign me up."

Buffalo traded a first-round pick to the Patriots to acquire Bledsoe; the Bills are 1-5 against New England since. Buffalo believes that with that defense (ranked second overall), running back (Willis McGahee), and those special teams, it should have won 11 or 12 games last year. Losman threw five passes as a rookie and would have played more had he not been injured early and the team played well late. The Bills are handing him the job, which initially irked Bledsoe. It was a move based not on economics or draft politics or one made under the guise of taking a step back to move forward. Simply put, the Bills consider Losman an upgrade.

Bledsoe said he just wanted a chance to compete. Being a backup "was not OK. If it had been, 'Well, we're going to open it up for a competition,' well, bring it on."

“ One thing that is kind of frustrating is that I've been in the league 12 years, [I'm] No. 10 all time in passing yardage, no one other than [Brett] Favre and [Dan] Marino has gotten to 40,000 yards faster than I have, but it's like I'm just another guy.”
—Drew Bledsoe
As much of a beating as he's taken on the field, Bledsoe's been hit with even more in the press for his play over the last 2½ seasons, particularly in big games. He points to the loss of several supporting cast members on offense following a 2002 season in which he passed for 4,359 yards as contributing to his decline in production, though it should be mentioned that fullback Larry Centers (retired), tight end Jay Riemersma (Pittsburgh), and receiver Peerless Price (Atlanta) saw their numbers go down after leaving the Bills.

"After my first year [in Buffalo], when we threw for all those yards, there was a perception that, 'OK, we got Drew, we got the offense, now all we have to do is put the defense in place,' " Bledsoe said. "And they really sacrificed everything else to put the defense in place. And Eric Moulds got hurt. Say what you want, but if you don't have the guys to go get it to, it's harder to put up those numbers.

"So did I get a raw deal? To a certain extent. There was a shift in philosophy that didn't include helping out the quarterback. It does bother me that a lot of the blame for our lack of success was placed right on my shoulders. But I'm never going to be one of those guys who say that I'm being treated unfairly when I'm playing a game for a living. It didn't work out and am I unhappy about that? Yeah. But I'll never say they did me wrong."

Some critics said Parcells made the wrong move signing Bledsoe, thinking he no longer possesses the skills to be an effective quarterback. But as one defensive coordinator put it: "Compared to whom? Compared to some other [bad] quarterback you can get? Bledsoe's still in the top half of the league."

In Dallas, while the receiving corps might lack speed, Bledsoe has a good young runner in Julius Jones and a talented tight end in Jason Witten. And a brutally honest coach to whom he responds.

"Bill is smart enough to know that he's going to get a lot out of me if he puts the guys around me to let me play," Bledsoe said. "Sounds really simple, but that's really what it is. You give me some guys, give me some weapons, and give me some time, I'm going to hit them a high percentage of the time.

"Does Bill get more out of me than another coach? First of all, he trusts me. It goes all the way back to when we were together before. He was like, 'I'm going to trust you. You've got to make me look good.' "

Though many might see Bledsoe as a beat-up quarterback who no longer can cut, he's still stubborn, same as he is in the pocket. Others think he should just throw it away. But he sees something they do not. So he holds out as long as possible. Waiting. Hoping. Knowing.

"I really feel like we're going to win in Dallas," Bledsoe said as he and his four playing partners wrapped up their round. "I've been around long enough. I know who can play the game and who can't. I know what I can do. I know I can play the game. I really think at the end of it, answering the criticisms of me will be done on the field, and that's definitely how I would choose to have it play out. One thing that I really believe is that when my career is done, three or four years down the road, the story's going to be written and it's going to read differently than it does now.

"I'm still living the dream. I'm not done yet. The story's not over yet."

Michael Smith is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

sike · 03-30-2005, 09:16 AM

I need news. Any new mocks out there by big time writers?

endtroducing · 03-30-2005, 10:37 AM

not a new mock, but the big rumor I'm hearing is Rivers and a pick (not sure which one, probably their late first) to SF for the 1st pick...I'd imagine they'd draft Edwards

dirno2000 · 03-30-2005, 10:45 AM

That offense would be scary with Edwards, Gates and Tomlinson