2008 Cowboys Off-season Thread

[alby]

Our biggest upgrade should have been on the defensive side of the ball this off-season. And, guess what? It was. The Cowboys are in great shape. I cannot wait til the season begins

[alby]

Originally Posted by ty

100 rating on Madden?

Not even the "All-Madden" team got a 100 rating =P

Originally Posted by Underog

From my understanding, Felix Jones was the best raw receiver in the draft - we plan on using him as a double threat at both running AND passing...

If that is true, I am liking how we passed up Mendenhall more and more.

I think most of us aren't worried about our wideouts for this year, we are just thinking about the state of the receivers a couple years down the road. TO is 34 and TGlenn is 33.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by alby

I think most of us aren't worried about our wideouts for this year, we are just thinking about the state of the receivers a couple years down the road. TO is 34 and TGlenn is 33.

Good thing the rest of the roster is stocked up on talented young players - we can afford to focus on WR's during the next two drafts/offseasons....

[wmbwinn]

Originally Posted by alby

Not even the "All-Madden" team got a 100 rating =P



If that is true, I am liking how we passed up Mendenhall more and more.

I think most of us aren't worried about our wideouts for this year, we are just thinking about the state of the receivers a couple years down the road. TO is 34 and TGlenn is 33.

Not only is it true that the Cowboys are expecting to play Felix in the slot as a wide receiver fairly often, they are also expecting to play him in motion out of the backfield as a receiver and they are looking at screens and other similar plays. They definitely picked Felix with that pick for those reasons. And, that is also why they picked up the new tight end and dropped Fasano. They want that 6 foot 6 inch basketball player (he played college ball as a freshman and sophmore as a forward) to catch passes in the red zone playing opposite of Jason Witten.

Just picture it...
Terrell Owens on the end. Patrick Crayton on the other end or in the slot if Terry Glen is playing the other end. Barber and Felix both in the backfield, Felix goes in motion to the slot area. Jason Witten runs a receiving route. Martellus Bennet runs a post route... the whole defense is backpedaling to handle all of those receivers... and Marion goes up the middle between the tackles for averages of 4-7 yards per play...

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by wmbwinn

Not only is it true that the Cowboys are expecting to play Felix in the slot as a wide receiver fairly often, they are also expecting to play him in motion out of the backfield as a receiver and they are looking at screens and other similar plays....

a screen play? by the cowboys?

i bet the cowboys haven't run really successful screen plays since the days of tony dorsett.

[ty]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

a screen play? by the cowboys?

i bet the cowboys haven't run really successful screen plays since the days of tony dorsett.

Welcome to the Jason Garrett Era.

[DirkFTW]

Every time I read about the Cowboys, my football pants feel like Homer Simpson on his $2000 massage chair.

[alby]

how bout them cowboys

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by alby

how bout them cowboys

For really-real...

[Ninkobei]

Felix will be a great player I'm sure, but the biggest worry I have with him is: Can he pass block? What if teams start doing to the cowboys what they did to the patriots last year? blitzing every down? can felix pick up, or hold off for a short time, a loose michael strahan or a kjabjabjajria? julius sure couldnt...

we cant rely on marion barber doing that every down. look at last year's playoffs, Barber was gassed in the 4th

[wmbwinn]

Originally Posted by Ninkobei

Felix will be a great player I'm sure, but the biggest worry I have with him is: Can he pass block? What if teams start doing to the cowboys what they did to the patriots last year? blitzing every down? can felix pick up, or hold off for a short time, a loose michael strahan or a kjabjabjajria? julius sure couldnt...

we cant rely on marion barber doing that every down. look at last year's playoffs, Barber was gassed in the 4th

Now, that is a legitimate concern. Can Felix pass block? I don't know.

But, I do think that they picked up Tashard Choice to play. I think you will see Choice playing some time to back up Marion.

Last year, when Marion was resting and JJ was playing, the offense stalled. JJ's style of running was too weak.

So, perhaps, Choice plays to rest Marion. Choice can pass block and run between the tackles.

I would not be surprised to see Felix Jones used primarily as a receiver. His running plays will probably be mainly around the end (sweeps).

Dallas truly has a ton of options.

[snoop]

heard bennet interview today on espn very funny guy seems like he is confident, looks like a much better pick than fascano pick

[Underdog]

T.O. makes prime time sitcom debut

link


Get your popcorn ready: Terrell Owens is coming to prime time Wednesday night. As an actor.

T.O. will make his sitcom acting debut on the MyNetworkTV show "Under One Roof" as the long-lost brother of the show's star, Flavor Flav. Owens tries convincing Flav and sitcom sibling Kelly Perine that they're all brothers in hopes of getting them to invest in his Web site.

"I see dollar signs," Owens said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm trying to kind of smooth my way into the family, but Flav is not buying it. It's a lot of funny dialogue. It was a good time."

It might also be a first step toward a second career.

"If I'm going to really consider doing acting after football, this a great start to let me get my feet wet," Owens said. "For an actor trying to become an A-lister, I think I'm on the bottom of the pile. I'm a D-lister."

Owens always has been comfortable in front of a camera, but it's usually playing the character known as T.O.

He's built his reputation through end-zone celebrations, colorful interviews (such as the time he answered questions while doing sit-ups in his driveway) and dressing up for the Tour de France just to ride a stationary bike at training camp.

[sike]

UD, I'd like my popcorn with extra butter please.

[ty]

Romo sings at the Cubs game...

http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.a...f-3a4b4ea82b97

...atleast we know he won't be doing any duets with Jessica any time soon =P

[DirkFTW]

^ EDIT: OH MY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG1MgSY_J90&NR=1

Good for a rough day.

[ty]

Originally Posted by DirkFTW

^ EDIT: OH MY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG1MgSY_J90&NR=1

Good for a rough day.

I love how we own the Bills.

I love when teams own other teams.

[alby]

My favorite part is Michael Irvin's reaction

God I love the Cowboys

[mkat]

Originally Posted by alby

My favorite part is Michael Irvin's reaction

God I love the Cowboys

jesus what a video. amazing.

[ty]

...on Romo's singing...

"That's the first time you got to hear Romo sing," Crayton said, apparently unaware of rockin' Romo YouTube clips (can't link due to profanity). "We get to hear it daily, and it's like horrible. It is bad. He finally got a replay back of it, and he finally admitted it. I'm like, 'Dude, I've been hearing it for four years. You're just now admitting that?'"

Crayton even came up with a theory about why it took Romo so long to admit that he can't carry a tune.


"I think Jessica may have been feeding his ego a little bit: 'Sing that, baby, sing that,'" Crayton said. "And I think he kind of rolled with the punches."

[Underdog]

Marion Barber not in off-season workouts with Dallas Cowboys
By MAC ENGEL

link


GRAPEVINE -- Although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is disappointed with running back Marion Barber electing not to work out with the team thus far this off-season, he doesn’t feel it will have a negative impact.

Barber has not signed his one-year, $2.562 million tender from the Cowboys, and is hoping for a longer-term contract, which the two sides have discussed.

“I don’t see that it will have a negative impact in his playing this year,” Jones said Wednesday during the Cowboys’ annual golf tournament for some of its corporate partners.

Jones did not want to speculate as to whether Barber will show up for the organized team activities (OTAs), which begin next week. Barber has been working out in Miami.

The Cowboys still hope to sign Barber and possibly free safety Ken Hamlin to long-term deals before the start of training camp. The Cowboys report to training camp July 24 in Oxnard, Calif.


Pacman update

Jerry Jones said suspended defensive back Pacman Jones has been in Dallas since the team traded for him, but that he remains unable to participate in any function at the team facility. Pacman Jones and Jerry Jones have visited, but the defensive back has not taken a physical from the team.

The NFL will have to approve whenever Pacman Jones is allowed to work out with the team at the facility.

“I do want him to come in and be a part of the team activities and off-season conditioning,” Jerry Jones said. “I understand why he can’t. … He does know what he needs to be doing to prepare himself strength wise.”

Speaking of Pacman Jones, linebacker DeMarcus Ware is one of the first defensive players to defend the team’s decision to sign him.

“I think it’s going to be fine,” Ware said. “He’s been given a second chance, and I think if you look at our defense there have been other guys that have been given second chances and it’s worked out.”


Roy Williams support

After some of the comments attributed to safety Roy Williams last week about his lack of comfort in the team’s 3-4 defense, owner Jerry Jones came to his defense, again.

“I have a lot of confidence in Roy Williams [and] his competitiveness,” Jones said. “We need Roy to be the best player he can be. That is possible here. We have outstanding coaching in the secondary. I don’t know a secondary player in the NFL that has a better opportunity. When I look at that, I see Roy Williams has a chance for a fine year.”


Briefly

-- The Cowboys are not interested in pursuing wide receivers such as Koren Robinson or Chris Henry, according to an NFL source. The team wants either a top, No. 1 receiver, or they remain prepared to go with what they have.

-- No one will be inducted in the Ring of Honor in 2008.

-- The Cowboys are planning to travel via train from Oxnard to their preseason game Aug. 9 in San Diego.

[alby]

Originally Posted by Underdog

The Cowboys still hope to sign Barber and possibly free safety Ken Hamlin to long-term deals before the start of training camp. The Cowboys report to training camp July 24 in Oxnard, Calif.

I will be in Oxnard on the 25th for Day 2 of Training Camp. If the Barbarian isn't there, I'm going to be quite disappointed.

[alby]

http://dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?ed...13CF92574117EF

IRVING, Texas - When the Cowboys benched their starting running back just before the playoff game in January, they did it to reward Marion Barber.

When they let Julius Jones go without a fight in free agency, they did it because of Marion Barber.

And when they drafted Felix Jones instead of Rashard Mendenhall, who many believe was rated higher on their draft board, the Cowboys also did it because of Marion Barber.

The Cowboys obviously believe Marion Barber is a huge part of their plans, not just for this year, but the future.

So why isn't he here?

Why isn't Barber here with his teammates, participating in the off-season conditioning program, or the throwing sessions every Tuesday and Thursday, which basically include every position on the field?

And he's not expected to attend next week's OTA practices either.

The question is simply, why?

And if the answer is because Barber has yet to sign his one-year restricted free agent tender of $2.561 million, then my next question is, then why not sign it?

We all know signing the tender doesn't mean anything in relation to getting a long-term deal. If the two sides can agree on a contract, they'll rip up that tender faster than anything.

But when it comes to being here, at the facility, with his teammates, setting an example for the rookies, which just so happens to include a pair of drafted running backs, Marion Barber should be here with "his" team.

And yes, I know Ken Hamlin is doing the same thing. In fact, the Cowboys slapped the franchise tag on him, and like Barber, he hasn't signed his tender, not to mention come around here at all during the off-season.

Now Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Wednesday that he's not worried about either player's absence so far. Rest assured, that mindset will change if the no-shows start to pile up, especially if neither player attends the mini-camp in June.

Whether they participate in the mini-camp or not, both players likely will sign their tenders by then. The Cowboys have the right to lower the tender if it's not signed by June 1.

It just doesn't make sense not to sign them before then. In case they don't get a long-term deal before the start of the season, these players need to make sure they're playing for the highest amount possible.

Barber sure would hate to see his $2.5 million tender get reduced to 2.01, if not lower.

OK, but this isn't just about money.

And that's what the players say, right? They always say stuff like, it's not about the money, it's about respect.

Well, I'm going to turn it around. If it's about respect, then why aren't these guys here respecting their teammates?

If Jerry Jones isn't worried about these two guys playing the 2008 season with the Cowboys, then to me, it means a deal WILL get done.

And if a deal is going to get done, then what's the hold-up? Get in here and show this team that you're willing to pay the price just like they are.

You have no doubt that Barber is working hard, wherever he is. Word is he's down in Miami, working out with other clients of his agent Drew Rosenhaus. His body alone will tell you about his dedication to working out.

The same goes for Hamlin, and even Terrell Owens, who has attended a few passing sessions this off-season but hasn't been a regular in the off-season program. These guys will come back in good, if not great shape.

But to me, it would seem hard to come back and have the same kind of leadership if you were out doing your own thing in the spring.

It makes me have a little more respect for a guy like Chris Canty, who like Barber and Hamlin, hasn't signed his tender either. Still, he hasn't missed a workout or practice this spring.

This isn't meant to diminish the roles that Barber and Hamlin have for this football team. But this season, with their futures somewhat uncertain, it doesn't make sense to be so far away from the team.

These guys are asking the Cowboys to give them a long-term commitment. But they don't seem too interested in making the same kind of commitment right now.

Every situation is different. With Hamlin, you know he's frustrated by the entire process of the franchise tag. Just days away from free agency for the second year in a row, he gets tagged and now must wait for his agent and the Cowboys to work out a deal. However, let's not feel too sorry for someone who is guaranteed to make $4.3 million this year.

As for Barber, here's a guy who made the Pro Bowl last year, led the team in rushing and has become one of the team's fan favorites.

But he's still not proven as a starter. Are we sure that he is the long-term answer at running back?

The Cowboys seem rather sure by drafting Felix Jones, a more elusive home-run hitting back than Mendenhall, whom the club even compared to Barber.

Jerry Jones went as far to say that having Barber allowed the Cowboys the luxury to take Felix Jones.

Instead of taking that as a compliment, it almost seems like the fourth-year running back is almost using that as a negotiating ploy against the Cowboys.

Now, for those of you who are thinking "as long as they're ready to play by training camp, or even the regular season, that's fine," I can understand that logic. In fact, Jerry Jones might not be that far off from that way of thinking, too.

But if the goal is to be here for the start of the season, and these players are working out just as hard to prepare, then why not be here, with the team?

There's probably more to it than that. There always seems to be. But let's just add that to the list of things that don't make a lot of sense.

---

Please, take care of it asap.

[ty]

Pretty fun read...

Source: http://www.dallasobserver.com/2008-0...halfway-house/

With the Addition of Pacman Jones, Valley Ranch Has Become a Halfway House By Richie Witt

Published: May 1, 2008

Attention Jerry Jones:

Michael Vick gets out of prison in 15 months. Rae Carruth will be only 44 when he's eligible for parole in 2019. Dwayne Goodrich is almost halfway through his sentence. Art Schlichter is a free man. No one avoids his pursuers like O.J. Simpson. And, who knows, Charles Manson could've won California's
Corcoran State Prison fantasy football league last season.

Just some names to keep handy. Since, obviously, your Dallas Cowboys no longer give a damn about class and character.

And you know what? They shouldn't.

Commence cringing.

There arose much hand-wringing and a nauseous spewing of righteous indignation about the Cowboys and their owner trading for Adam "Pacman" Jones last week. But c'mon, admit it. Deep down, wouldn't you rather win with the sinners than lose with the saints?

Thought so.

As has been the case throughout the decadent days of Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, Michael Irvin, Mark Stepnoski, Charles Haley and Nate Newton, the Cowboys are responsible for assembling talented football players, not tithing church deacons. You win Super Bowls not with role models nominated for NFL Man of the Year, but with stars who play in Pro Bowls. If you can have both—like Jason Witten or Emmitt Smith—fantastic. But when in doubt, yep, sell your soul to Beelzebub.

Go ahead, get your bitchin' out of the way now. Because you'll look really silly doing it in your Pacman jersey.

"If character really doesn't matter, why don't they sign Osama bin Laden to play wide receiver?" WFAA-Channel 8 sports anchor Dale Hansen whined last week. "They need one, and he's 6-foot-4 and we know nobody can catch him."

Humor aside, the thing is—and no one knows this better than Hansen— the first time Pacman takes a punt to the house, all will be forgiven. If it hasn't been already.

I met Pacman at a Mavericks game last month, hours after he appeared on Michael Irvin's "ESPN Radio"-103.3 FM radio show. He was clean cut, humble, polite and was followed by neither police, raining dollar bills or 666.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Whitt," he said.

As we shook hands, I couldn't help but shake the Etch-O-Sketch. You'd be smart to give Pacman a clean slate as well. Because Jerry's latest acquisition of Pacman is definitely bold and probably brilliant.
Not that I'd exactly want him to move in next door. The dude's judgment makes Josh Howard look like Pat Boone.

Since entering the NFL in 2005, Pacman has been questioned by police in 10 separate criminal incidents. He pleaded "no contest" last year to conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct as part of a plea deal for his role in a February 2007 melee at a Las Vegas topless joint that ended with three people shot and one paralyzed. His off-field conduct—from "making it rain" by showering strippers with dollar bills to allegedly throwing a punch at an officer while being arrested for possession of marijuana—is silly, if not altogether stupid. The night before a face-to-face meeting about his wayward conduct with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the genius showed up at a New York City strip club.

But when he appeared on HBO's Real Sports and Irvin's radio show, Pacman responded with a quizzical shrug, as though trouble always riding shotgun is nothing more than a bunch of illogical, unlucky coincidences.

There are legit reasons why the Cowboys were his only suitor. Pacman isn't the most intelligent player to ever strap on cleats. He's stubborn, clearly in denial. And there's a chance, of course, that he'll never be reinstated or play a down in Dallas or anywhere else.

"If you ask me if I'm totally convinced," admits Jerry, "no, I don't know that for sure."

"I'm encouraged by some of the things I'm hearing," Goodell said at a recent SMU Athletic Forum. "But I will meet with him before training camp starts to gauge personally some of the things he's doing."

Granted, it was a better world when the Mavericks didn't open their arms to Dennis Rodman, when the Rangers didn't feel moved to gamble on John Rocker and when punks like Clint Longley sucker-punched Roger Staubach and were traded by sundown. But these days we're a forgiving society, especially when it's self-serving.

You want to watch a team saturated with milk-and-cookies character? The Rangers, led by Boy Scouts like Michael Young and Kevin Millwood, are again goody two-shoeing into last place. Enjoy.

Like it or not, this is how it works: The hot blonde with the curves and the cleavage doesn't get a ticket for driving 88 in a 55. And the 24-year-old cornerback/kick returner with the mad skillz gets a second and third chance. Remember, just last season, Cowboys fans cheered catches by star-stomping Terrell Owens and tackles by gun-toting Tank Johnson.

Pacman's redemption—further erosion of America's Team be damned—is just an interception away.
The only speed bump in our acceptance is trying to differentiate between who Pacman is and what Pacman is. In today's warped sports environment, great player trumps bad guy. Especially when your secondary is desperately depleted.

Since dropping that agonizing playoff game to the New York Giants, the Cowboys have lost cornerbacks Nate Jones and Jacques Reeves and safety Keith Davis in free agency. Both starting corners Terence Newman and Anthony Henry have contracts expiring after 2009. Pacman—baggage and all—is worth the risk. The minuscule risk.

Why? Because, first and foremost, he can play. He's an athletic shut-down corner who, with the Tennessee Titans in 2006, returned three punts for touchdowns. The Cowboys have only four this millennium.

Why? Because Pacman's reward dwarfs the gamble. The Cowboys are getting the sixth player taken in the 2005 draft in exchange for a fourth-round pick this year and, if he stays out of trouble, a sixth-rounder next year. If Pacman is never reinstated, Dallas gets the fourth-rounder back. Risk?

It's all relative, but Pacman seems to be showing remorse, accepting responsibility and absorbing his punishment. His four-year contract with the Cowboys includes no guaranteed money and no signing bonus. He agreed to forfeit his salary and not collect on $1.5 million in incentives owed him by Tennessee and donate $500,000 to a charity of the Titans' choosing.

In making the first trade in NFL history for a suspended player, Jerry Jones took another small step toward burying his biggest regret as Cowboys' general manager. In 1998 he drafted defensive end Greg Ellis, passing on a receiver with character issues. A receiver named Randy Moss.

Since that day—through the acquisitions of Alonzo Spellman and Dimitrius Underwood and Keyshawn Johnson and Terry Glenn and Owens and Tank Johnson and now Pacman—Jerry has prioritized talent over temperament, unafraid to turn Valley Ranch into a halfway house in pursuit of championships over class.

Like it or not, Pacman Jones will help the Dallas Cowboys win games this season.

And like it not, Jessica Simpson is off the hook if things totally implode.

[mkat]

Originally Posted by ty

Pretty fun read...

the rangers are makin him eat his words...

[Underdog]

Thinking about how good the Cowboys are going to be next season has the same effect as consuming an entire bottle of Viagra...

[jthig32]

TNew signs an extension and Barber signs a new deal. Good day for the Cowboys.

[ty]

Originally Posted by jthig32

TNew signs an extension and Barber signs a new deal. Good day for the Cowboys.

http://dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id...AFD72A9BCF0F32

Time for me to buy this: http://www.cowboysonlineproshop.com/...TEE,401,23.htm

...bah when it gets in stock.

[alby]

"It feels good to get a deal done and know that I can retire as a Cowboy," Newman told ESPN.com's Ed Werder. "The Joneses took a chance on a small-town country boy from Kansas and I haven't let them down. The best part is I get to stay in Dallas with the guys who I have bonded with, and we can do all that's in our power to go and get that Lombardi Trophy." -T.Newman

[mkat]

Originally Posted by alby

"It feels good to get a deal done and know that I can retire as a Cowboy," Newman told ESPN.com's Ed Werder. "The Joneses took a chance on a small-town country boy from Kansas and I haven't let them down. The best part is I get to stay in Dallas with the guys who I have bonded with, and we can do all that's in our power to go and get that Lombardi Trophy." -T.Newman

i wish he'd really step up as a leader this year...don't know if he's that kind of guy, however. great news on both fronts though...now get Hamlin signed!

[alby]

Yeah, I miss the Darren Woodson-type leader on the defensive side of the ball.

We may have that now, however, with Zach Attack Thomas.

[mkat]

Originally Posted by alby

Yeah, I miss the Darren Woodson-type leader on the defensive side of the ball.

We may have that now, however, with Zach Attack Thomas.

oh we will. he'll be racking up 110+ tackles and everyone will be in awe.

[Underdog]

We signed both Barber & Newman to 7 year deals???

[ty]

Originally Posted by Underdog

We signed both Barber & Newman to 7 year deals???

Superbowl 5 out of 7 years?

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by ty

Superbowl 5 out of 7 years?

Don't sell us short, Negative Nancy.

[ty]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Don't sell us short, Negative Nancy.

7 is definitely possible if Romo doesn't date another JSimp.

[alby]

We should get at least 1 ring in the next two years, and 2 rings in the next four IMHO.

[Ninkobei]

Originally Posted by alby

We should get at least 1 ring in the next two years, and 2 rings in the next four IMHO.

depends on a few things: how well can Felix play catch and who our backup RB will be
oh, and I guess injuries could come into the equation..

[sike]

Is TNew worth that much money?

[Ninkobei]

Originally Posted by sike

Is TNew worth that much money?

great corners are tough to find. and tnew is still young. I'd say he's worth it, yes