2016 Dallas Cowboys Offseason

[eagle eye]

Already thinking about the draft. For all the griping about Dallas needing to find the successor to Tony Romo the Cowboys have only half way tried to do that. In fact, they haven't even gone half way. They sort of tried in 2009 when they drafted Texas A&M's Stephen McGee but he never even came close to being an NFL QB. Now, in 2012 Dallas got the perfect guy to be the backup when they signed Kyle Orton. Orton was a veteran and he had success starting in the NFL. He wasn't the QB of the future but he was a guy who could come in and win games if Romo went down. Orton replaced Jon Kitna who retired after the 2012 season but after the 2013 season despite being under contract Orton forced the Cowboys to release him. It was said he wanted out of Dallas because he didn't like Tony Romo. Orton started for the Bills in 2014 and did a good job but his heart was no longer into football and he retired. In 2014 it was a QB rich draft and Dallas didn't take a QB at all. They could have had Derek Carr in the 2nd round or Jimmy Garropolo in the second round but they would not have gotten DeMarcus Lawrence. That is a tough call there. Dallas could have taken either Alabama's AJ McCarron or Georgia's Aaron Murray in the 5th round. Dallas actually took WR Devon Street who hasn't shown much so far in the NFL. McCarron has been playing for Andy Dalton the past few weeks and he has done a pretty good job. I was shocked that McCarron dropped to the 5th round because all the guy ever did in college was win. I think Dallas missed the boat on him. I also think Dallas missed the boat on Landry Jones who came out of Oklahoma in 2013. He fell to the 4th round. If Dallas would have taken him they would not have gotten JJ Wilcox. Wilcox is a player I'm totally done with. The guy hasn't gotten better and his abject failure to take proper angles to make plays is totally perplexing. He sucks in coverage and he is constantly late to his position or just plain out of position. By contrast Landry Jones has been learning from Big Ben as a member of the Steelers. He made his regular season debut in October vs the Arizona Cardinals and rallied the Steelers from a 10-6 deficit to a 25-13 win throwing 2 TD passes to Martavis Bryant.
I don't know about this 2016 QB draft class outside of the 2 guys who are getting the most press, Jared Goff from Cal and Paxton Lynch out of Memphis. There seems to be a dark horse in Carson Wentz from North Dakota State but outside of that nobody really sparks any interest from me. I'm not in on Michigan State's Connor Cook and I'm just not really feeling it for Ohio State's Cardale Jones or Penn State's Christian Hackenberg. I will be very interested in seeing how Alabama's Jake Coker does against Clemson. I was really high on Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield until he threw some dumb picks against Clemson in the Orange Bowl. The guy does have something and he sure put a spark into the Sooners offense. He did well enough to come in 4th in the 2015 Heisman vote and he won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. His run of beating Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State, all top ten teams at the time Oklahoma played them, was a tremendous accomplishment for Mayfield and the Sooners. Trouble is Mayfield may not come out for the NFL draft this year. He may use his last year of eligibility to try to help Oklahoma make another run at a National Championship.
It will be a very interesting draft with a lot of people wanting different things. The Cowboys need a QB but they could use a running back and a cornerback or two and another decent wide receiver. Yep, it will be an interesting spring indeed.

[eagle eye]

Dez had successful surgery on his ankle and foot. As for the foot, it seems when they did the bone graph the graph came loose. There's no telling when he did it but according to reports from Valley Ranch Dez is not a good patient. I don't mean that in a bad way, he's just anxious to get back to normal and it's hard for a guy like that to be patient in his recovery time when his team mates are out on the field. During the offseason there is nothing Dez needs to do except listen to the doctors and let his foot heal. His ankle was just a clean out, a sort of preventative maintenance sort deal. The bottom line is Dez should be ready when off season work begins in March or April without restrictions.

Tony Romo's collar bone is healing nicely according to reports. It should come back even stronger than before. The Cowboys and Romo didn't admit it but it's pretty obvious Romo came back too soon trying to help the team and he got hurt for his trouble. Like Dez, he doesn't have anything to do now, there is no pressure to get back on the field because the season is over and he can allow himself to heal completely. Hopefully, both Romo and Dez will be back better and healthier than ever for the 2016 season.

Another guy is getting some medical attention and that would be DT Tyrone Crawford. It has been reported that he has been playing most of the season with just one good arm. He said this week that he has been playing with a rotator cuff issue since Week 2. It was not clear if Crawford would require surgery to fix the arm but he has since found out he will need the surgery. The surgery was actually scheduled for yesterday. The Cowboys actually approached Crawford at mid season about his shoulder which was, at times, so painful he couldn't lift his arm to brush his teeth. Crawford elected to play through the pain because he didn't want to let his teammates down. Crawford tweeted this yesterday after the surgery,

Surgery went great and got my fiancé by my side! Life is great! Thanks for the prayers ... https://t.co/NLQAqn7Hwi pic.twitter.com/GNJuaGyo38 (https://t.co/GNJuaGyo38)— TC98 #WorkK (@TCrawford98) January 7, 2016 (https://twitter.com/TCrawford98/status/685168208471572480).

It has been reported that the Cowboys and Jaguars coaching staffs will coach and north and south All Stars at the Senior Bowl on January 30th. Their will be 2-55 man rosters that will be getting their first taste of NFL coaching. More importantly, the Cowboys and Jags will get the first look at the top draft senior prospects and they will get a decided head start on the 30 other NFL teams who will get their first look at these players at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, in evaluating these players. To show what a benefit NFL coaches who coach at the Senior Bowl, the Jaguars who coached at last year's Senior Bowl ended up with 3 players on their roster, TE Ben Koyack, LB Hayes Pullard, and CB Nick Marshall.

[eagle eye]

Okay, Jason Garrett is not being fired. Get over it. Did he make mistakes? You bet but he also had crap for backups to work with. That isn't his fault, that's Jerry's and Jerry has admitted as much. The Cowboys will need to learn from this nightmare of a season and move on. I think they will because man for man, Dallas is still the best team in the NFC East when Romo and Dez are healthy. Trouble was neither were healthy most of the season.

Did a light go on in Terrence Williams head in Week 17 that made him perform the way he did against the Redskins. He had career highs in receptions and yards as the No 1 receiver in Dallas' offense. Or, was it just the Redskins building up a big league and playing a loose zone defense that enabled Williams to "go off" the way he did. I think maybe it is somewhere in between. Williams needs to build off that game and show he can be a force with, or without, Dez in the same way Martavis Bryant or Markus Wheaton do in Pittsburgh. I think I'm done with Devin Street, the guy has really shown nothing is numerous opportunities this season. I think I would like to see a little more of Bryce Butler. The trouble with Butler is he spent most of his season on the sideline with a hamstring injury. I know Butler is fast and that is commodity Dallas needs but the last thing we need is another Miles Austin who spent most of his time in Dallas nursing hamstring injuries. As they say, been there-done that.

What should Dallas do with that 4th pick in the draft? QB of the future? Maybe, but it's a shame for Dallas that Clemson's DeSean Walker isn't leaving college for the NFL this coming season. That kid was really impressive last night. You know he was good when Kirk Herbstreit said he was a great athlete like Vince Young who can throw better when comparing Walker's performance last night with VY's National Championship game against USC. Walker would be an ideal guy to draft and spend a couple of years learning the NFL game from Tony Romo and then stepping right into his shoes when he retires. People are saying that Goff from Cal and Lynch from Marshall are the top two guys in the draft this year but if Walker was to come out I think he would leapfrog both guys.

How about non-QB talk? DT Jeremy Mincey is a free agent now and he is 32 years old. He was the leader in sacks for Dallas in 2014 and he was a non-factor in 2015 for one reason or another. The thing about Mincey is he is always willing to talk to the media and he did so yesterday. Most of the conversation seemed to be on whether Greg Hardy was a distraction in the Cowboys locker room. Mincey tried hard as hell not to diss Hardy but he managed to anyway. He didn't say it in so many words but he inferred he was a distraction as the season wore on. It's a fact that Hardy did not live up to expectations this season but he did play well according Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com. If you asked me the question, was his performance worth the public relations nightmare the Cowboys had to weather when they signed him, I would have to say no. He had only 35 combined tackles (solo and assisted) and by contrast the team leader in tackles was Sean Lee with 128. Hardy had only six sacks while right defensive end Demarcus Lawrence led the team with 8. Hardy only forced two turnovers, one fumble recovery and one INT. This last stat is an indictment of the whole team who forced a franchise low 11 turnovers on the season. I would not bring Hardy back. He's just not worth the headache IMO. I would like to see Lawrence move to left DE and try out David Irving at Left DE. Irving showed up and got better each and every game he played after Dallas claimed him off the Chiefs practice squad. Now don't go telling people I think he's as good as Ed "Too Tall" Jones was back in the day, all I'm saying is he's tall and athletic like Jones and he showed some promise this season. Despite Dallas using Irving as a defensive tackle he was listed as a defensive end. The guy really is athletic and he's quick and fast and he can play the run. Randy Gregory would be used as a pass rush specialist on passing downs and I really would like to see this scenario in preseason this summer.

[eagle eye]

There are a lot of questions that need answers this off season but I have to say for a team with such high hopes at the start of the season it's a little disturbing that they fell off the table the way they did. To me there are 4 major things that Dallas has to fix this off season.

1. Quarterback - They need to address the QB position. Does Dallas sign a veteran guy and ignore the position long term the way they have in the last decade? IMO the Cowboys can't afford to pass on the position any more but, that doesn't mean they have to take a guy out of desperation either. The top guys so far in the pre-draft hype machine are Jared Goff from Cal, Paxton Lynch out of Memphis and Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State but if none of them are as close as possible to a lead pipe cinch I don't want Dallas to reach on a player with the 4th pick in the draft. Besides guys like Derek Carr (2nd round), Brock Osweiler (2nd round), AJ McCarron (5th round) and Landry Jones (4th round) prove that a quality QB can be had outside of the 1st round. With Romo under contract for the next few years it would appear the Cowboys have the luxury of picking a guy and allowing him to watch and learn for a couple of years in an old school method of bringing along a new quarterback.

2. Linebacker - Dallas has some free agent issue with their current crop of LB's as MLB Rolando McClain and SAM LB Kyle Wilbur could be players that need to be replaced. The only top 5 prospect is at weak side LB is UCLA's Myles Jack who injured his knee last September in a routine practice. He tore the meniscus in his knee. Jack withdrew from the UCLA by October saying he wanted to concentrate on rehabbing his knee and preparing for the NFL draft. Prior to his injury he was considered a 1st round talent but after a serious knee injury and being out of the game for a full season there seems to be a lot of question marks to chance using such a high pick on the player.

3. Cornerback - Questions abound here too. Orlando Scandrick (remember him?) is coming off an torn ACL. Mo Claiborne is a free agent and Byron Jones looks earmarked for safety but he is capable of playing both positions at a high level. The highest rated CB is Fla State's Jalen Ramsey, currently the only top 10 draft prospect at the position. The only real bust so far in the last six years in the first round is Mo Claiborne who Dallas traded up to get 5 years ago with the sixth pick in the 2012 draft. The only reason he is considered a bust is not because of poor play, it's because he can't stay on the field. It has been one thing after another that has plagued Mo in the 4 years he's been in the NFL. Not living up to expectation is the worst sin possible to fans and Claiborne has fallen short of 6th round pick expectations.

4. Wide Receiver - With Dez Bryant missing 7 games this season and slowed by his broken foot injury suffered in Week 1 against the Giants in pretty much all of the 9 games he was in with the exception of the Miami game there has been an opportunity for the rest of the WR corps to step up and make plays for Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel. Unforfunately, nobody did. I suppose you could say that Terrence Williams did come through in 2 games this season, the win over Washington and again the loss to Washington a month later. That just don't cut it. Williams needs to show more in the future. I have to confess that I'm jealous of the Steelers with their trio of Brown, Bryant and Wheaton. I want that sort of three headed monster for Dallas but the Cowboys have to draft better. The Steelers got Antonio Brown in the 6th round, Martavis Bryant in the 4th round and Markus Wheaton in the 3rd round so you don't necessarily have to use a first round, a high first round, pick to get a good receiver you just need to draft well and coach well. Terrence Williams has played well in spurts but consistency hasn't been there. The top prospect so far is Ole Miss's Laquan Treadwell and he would be a really nice addition to the offense.

That is just the tip of the ice berg of needs. With the Senior Bowl next weekend and the first up close and personal look at all senior prospects in this year's draft the process of evaluation is about to begin. It should be an interesting time as the march to Super Bowl 50 is in full swing. I want to suggest to all of you interested in the NFL draft that you give a podcast on DallasCowboys.com a listen. The show is called "The Draft Show" and features former NFL scout and current DallasCowboys.com analyst Bryan Broaddus, CBSSports.com draft guru Dane Brugler and DallasCowboys.com writer David Helman. It comes on Fridays at 11:00 AM but next week there will be expanded coverage as they cover the Senior Bowl week activities.

[eagle eye]

Here are a couple of articles from DallasCowboys.com previewing this weekend's Senior Bowl.

The first is courtesy of Bryan Broaddus who says there are 3 players from skill positions to keep an eye on this week.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/18/senior-bowl-preview-three-skill-players-keep-eye-mobile

The second article is also by Broaddus and he talks about the plethora of defensive players who will be featured this weekend.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/19/senior-bowl-preview-no-shortage-impact-defenders-roster

There is one last article from beat writer Rob Phillips about how the Senior Bowl has been kind to the Cowboys over the years.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/19/phillips-why-senior-bowl-has-been-good-cowboys-decades

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys now have 5 Pro Bowlers after LB Sean Lee was added to the PB roster yesterday. This will be Lee's first PB selection and he made the team because he was the first alternate because he did have a heckuva season and because of the injury to Kansas City's Justin Houston. Lee actually was able to play almost the whole season as he missed just two games. One game he missed because he was under the NFL concussion protocol and he missed the last game of the season with a hamstring injury. I'll bet money that if Dallas was playing for anything but pride in Week 17 against the Redskins he would have been on the field.

Dallas has actually made a couple of signings. Dallas signed three players to futures contracts which gets them under the Cowboys control going forward. The players are Justin Renfro, Jared Smith and Jerrell Harris. Here's the article by DallasCowboys.com's David Helman telling us about the newest Cowboys.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/20/cowboys-sign-two-ol-one-linebacker-reservefutures-contracts

Also, from DC.com is another Senior Bowl preview by Bryan Broaddus. In this installment he talks about some under the radar prospects to take note of. Last week I posted the Senior Bowl was this week based on what the guys on DallasCowboys.com's podcast The Break. I failed to confirm that info and much to my surprise on Monday there was no Senior Bowl coverage. Turns out that there is another All Star game being played this week, the East-West Shrine game. NFL.com's Mike Mayock wrote an article about his take on this weekend's game.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000626082/article/eastwest-shrine-game-day-3-observations

Recently Tony Romo hold HBO's Bill Simmons he plans to play 4 more seasons. Romo turns 36 in April. I guess the unspoken caveat is "as long as he stays healthy" which is something Romo is having trouble doing in recent years. We'll see what happens but personally I hope he can play at a high level for those 4 years AND stay on the field. If Romo had played this season that ugly 4-12 record would likely have been a more reasonable 10-6 which would have written their ticket into the playoffs. The Cowboys biggest problem is they tried to go cheap at backup QB and the guys they tabbed to play just weren't very good. Even Brandon Weeden, who won a game for the Houston Texans, is not that good and maybe the Cowboys offense isn't compatible for Weeden's skill set. Either way Weeden was not the guy Dallas should have hung their hats on. Neither was Matt Cassel and given what the recent past has taught us Dallas should have seen that before they signed him. As good as the player personnel group for Dallas has been recently this was definitely a whiff.

[eagle eye]

The most important thing between now and the 2016 NFL draft is all the pre-draft evaluation that is taking place. Today is the East-West Shrine game and next week it will be the Senior Bowl then the biggest showcase of them all, the NFL Scouting Combine. Scouts, coaches and GMs around the NFL will be pouring over hours and hours of film on all the prospects until they are blue in the face and still the process with go on until everyone gathers in Chicago, Illinois on April 28-30 to decide the futures of some 230 or so college football players. The NFL draft is, by far, the most ballyhooed draft event in professional sports without question. The hopes and dreams of all 32 NFL teams reside in the auditorium where the draft is held including those of the Dallas Cowboys and their fans.
There will be mock drafts from now until the actual draft takes place, in fact, there have been mocks already posted as soon as the final gun of the final game of the regular season sounded. This is crazy because the final draft order won't be decided until around 10 PM on February 7th after Super Bowl 50 is over. By the time the Super Bowl is done both the East-West Shrine and the Senior Bowl will be over and done with and the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will begin just 17 days later. There will be regional combines beginning with one in Houston on February 13th followed by Arizona (Phoenix) on Feb 20. There will be 3 other regional combines in Baltimore (Feb 27), Minneapolis (Mar 5) and New Orleans (Mar 12). Of course colleges will host NFL pro days to showcase the players from their school hoping to make one last impression prior to the draft. Of course player evaluation has been taking place for literally years as scouts and player personnel directors and GMs track the progress of players all the way back to high school through the year they are eligible for their own NFL draft opportunity. Tell me that the NFL isn't a proactive business and I'll tell you that you haven't been paying attention.
Discussion of who Dallas will draft has been under way since the afternoon the Cowboys were mathematically eliminated from contention for the playoffs way back in Week 15. A week ago Friday the Cowboys official website began airing their annual podcast called "The Draft Show". The show features, as it has the past two years, former NFL scout and current DallasCowboys.com reporter Bryan Broaddus, DallasCowboys.com writer David Helman (the most cynical guy you ever saw) and CBSSports.com's draft maven Dane Brugler. Brugler is all in on the NFL draft publishing one of the most detailed and comprehensive draft player profiles in the industry. If you are a draft geek Brugler's draft guide is a must have. It can only be obtained via Brugler's website which I will provide as soon as it is available. I enjoy listening to their podcast because the 3 guys get along but are not afraid to disagree with another's opinion. It's a good show. The first show of this season was a week ago Friday and will air every Friday at 11 AM on DallasCowboys.com live and can be watched anytime afterward. I decided to post a link to this week's show as they discuss the East-West Shrine game and a bit of the Senior Bowl along with Brugler's top 50 prospects as of now but will certainly be subject to change as the process continues.

Oh, in case you're wondering, these aren't some old farts spewing old fart info. Broaddus is no spring chicken but Helman and Bruglar are under 30 guys who have done their homework.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/01/22/draft-show-senior-bowl-preview-danes-top-50

The Cowboys coaching staff will be coaching the north squad in the Senior Bowl and they will get an up close and personal look at a 104 prospects playing in the game including Carson Wentz who led his North Dakota State Bison team to the FCS Championship for the 2nd year in a row. In his final preview of the Senior Bowl Broaddus looks at Wentz and 2 other defensive prospects who will be in Mobile next week.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/22/senior-bowl-preview-scouting-game%E2%80%99s-biggest-player-plus-two-key-defenders

Here's a link to NFL.com's College Football 24/7 Editor Dan Parr who talks about Wentz in a "Path to the Draft" series. I am talking Wentz because he is very closely linked to the Cowboys right now. NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah in his first mock draft has Dallas taking Wentz with their 4th pick in this year's draft.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000626668/article/cowboys-will-coach-qb-prospect-carson-wentz-in-senior-bowl

CB Orlando Scandrick missed all of the 2015 season because of a torn Achilles tendon. In a post on DallasCowboys.com Scandrick gives us a look at his rehab via his Instagram posts. Here is the article from DallasCowboys.com's Taylor Stern and Scandricks Instagrams.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/21/cowbuzz-orlando-scandrick%E2%80%99s-road-recovery-instagram

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys were supposed to have day to day coverage at the Senior Bowl week activities this week but I guess that aint' happening because, so far, there hasn't been squat podcast wise out of Mobile Alabama from anyone at DallasCowboys.com. There are obviously logistical problems involved to prevent them from broadcasting any shows. Too bad.

One change happened prior to the Cowboys coaching staff departing for Mobile. Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson's contract expired at the end of the Cowboys season and he had some job interviews including the head coaching vacancy in Cleveland. His last interview was with the Atlanta Falcons who ended up hiring Henderson as their passing game coordinator. So, while the top dogs on the coaching staff are safely under contract there looks like there will be a change or two this off season.

[eagle eye]

Dallas coaches have been preparing for this Saturday's Senior Bowl as they will be coaching the north squad. They are sure getting a long look at Carson Wentz and they should know whether or not they are going to target him in the draft in April after this week. I know there's still the combine and pro days to come, blah-blah-blah. The Cowboys will never get a better chance to evaluate Wentz, as well as the other 9 QBs in Mobile right now, that being on the field and in meetings with them. All I can say is, if Dallas uses the #4 pick in the draft he had better be as close to a slam dunk as humanly possible otherwise the Cowboys need to get a real stud at another position. My wish list would include wide receiver, linebacker and cornerback. To me if there is a clear cut Luke Kuechly-type player Dallas should be all over him like white on rice. Dallas is never going to give Rolando McClain a long term deal. They can't because McClain is one failed drug test away from being suspended for a whole year. You don't give a player who one foot on a banana peel and one foot out the door a long term deal. I would just be bad business. If McClain will play on a one year deal, fine. I'd sign him to a contract you could void completely if he fails a drug test. Structure the deal, if possible, to not slam your salary cap if he goes all bonehead on them. If there is a stud out there, I'd be holding the door open for McClain when he left.

There were supposed to be daily updates on the Senior Bowl and I was beginning to wonder about it as late as Tuesday afternoon. Then, lo and behold, at 6:30 pm there was the special edition of The Draft Show as promised. It was just broadcast in the evening. Check out the hour long episodes of Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 of the show on DallasCowboys.com.

Okay, I have been too busy to keep up daily on the Senior Bowl coverage but I wanted to give the Scout's Eye series of player evaluations by Bryan Broaddus. Being a former NFL scout he always has insight to players fans need to keep and eye on when they watch the game this Saturday.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/26/scout%E2%80%99s-eye-first-look-wentz-early-standouts-senior-bowl-practice

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/27/scouts-eye-names-know-wednesdays-senior-bowl-practices

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/27/scout%E2%80%99s-eye-defensive-backs-stand-out-2nd-senior-bowl-practice-more-thoughts

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/28/scouts-eye-under-radar-players-watch-thursdays-practices

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/28/scouts-eye-standouts-final-day-senior-bowl-practice

One guy who has been impressive, if you listen to Bryan Broaddus, Dane Brugler and David Helman from The Draft Show is that former Ohio State QB turned WR Braxton Miller has been impressive this week. The cool thing is he isn't really expected to be taken until the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft. Here's an article from DallasCowboys.com's Rob Phillips about Miller.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/26/lighter-quicker-braxton-miller-looking-showcase-his-wr-development

The draft of the pro bowl teams was held on Tuesday night with Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice again serving as team captaitens making the picks for their respective teams. Irvin was able to select all 5 of the Cowboys pro bowl players for his team. Pro Bowl practice began yesterday in Hawaii for Sunday's game. It's the least interesting all star game of the big 3 major sports and it is usually just a waste of time watching players who are trying to have some fun and not get hurt. I may watch some of the game but, if I don't, it won't matter.

Just a painful reminder. This is the 20th anniversary of the Cowboys last Super Bowl victory. Dallas beat the Steelers in Arizona and CB Larry Brown was SB MVP for his two INTs off Steeler QB Neil O'Donnell who threw 3 picks on the day. Here's a link to a video recap of the last time Dallas had a hurrah to celebrate.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/28/tbt-20-year-anniversary-cowboys%E2%80%99-last-super-bowl-win-game-highlights

As part of the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl this season the NFL has selected a "Golden Team" honoring the best players from the previous 49 SB's. Dallas, who has 8 SB appearances and 5 SB wins placed 6 players on this list. The Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors chose the all time team. Dallas has 6 players who made the team. Emmitt Smith, Randy White, Jay Novecek, Larry Allen, Deion Sanders and Charles Haley. For the entire team check out the link below.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/28/emmitt-randy-white-among-six-former-cowboys-super-bowl-%E2%80%9Cgolden-team%E2%80%9D-0

That is quite enough for now.

[eagle eye]

The Senior Bowl is this afternoon a 1:30. To me this is the only real football game this weekend. It certainly has the most meaning of the football being played. The Senior Bowl will be played by college seniors who are basically in a live action job interview for the NFL. This means 104 guys will be trying like hell to make a good impression on all the NFL coaches and scouts. The NFL's Pro Bowl will be played by guys who had a nice time in Honolulu and will be trying to not get hurt.
I've posted a lot of stuff on the Cowboys staff writers impressions of the players in Mobile this week so there's nothing left to do but enjoy the second to last meaningful football game for a long time. I will be watching the QBs in this game as well as defensive tackles and cornerbacks. I think I'll be looking at running backs too. All are needs the Cowboys have right now and with all their draft picks early in each round Dallas should be able to capitalize on the lousy season they had this past season to shore up their roster to make a serious push to Super Bowl 51 next season.

Okay, I lied. I have some more info on the Senior Bowl from the guys at DallasCowboys.com. Every one of the articles linked below will point out some players who we can keep an eye on this afternoon.

First, a look at Baylor WR Jay Lee who was limping along with the pack until some advice from former Baylor WR Terrence Williams helped him separate himself from the pack.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/29/baylor-wr-lee-responds-after-senior-bowl-advice-terrance-williams

Next up is an article about the little brother of Cowboys All Pro guard Zack Martin. Nick Martin, also a Notre Dame grad like his brother, is being coached by Jason Garrett and his staff as a member of the north squad.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/29/zack-martin%E2%80%99s-brother-nick-spending-senior-bowl-week-cowboys%E2%80%99-coaches

Carson Wentz isn't the only QB worth a look apparently. South QB Jacoby Brissett is 6'3" and 231 and he was a 2 year starter at North Carolina State. David Helman wrote a nice article about Brissett so give it a look.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/29/senior-bowl-south-team-qb-jacoby-brissett-presents-intriguing-option

The next article is from Bryan Broaddus with a Scout's Eye look at 10 guys who you may not know right now but could be familiar with by game's end.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/29/scouts-eye-10-names-you-dont-know-should-after-senior-bowl

This last link is from my favorite writer at DallasCowboys.com. Mickey Spagnola. In his weekly take Mickey talks about what he considers to be the primary thing the Cowboys need to address with that 4th pick in the draft this April.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/29/spagnola-getting-qb-must-be-one-highest-offseason-priorities

[eagle eye]

Well, I watched the Senior Bowl and to be honest I saw a few good things but basically it was kind of boring. It was about what I expected though and there were some nice plays made. There was also more than one quarterback worth watching. It was kind of disappointing that Lynch and Goff weren't there but it did give some PT to some who wouldn't have even been there if those two were. Here's a recap of the game, or rather the standout players, as seen through the eyes of guys whose living it is to judge such things for DallasCowboys.com and NFL.com.

First up is DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus.
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/30/scout%E2%80%99s-eye-impressive-rb-qb-de-grades-highlight-12-thoughts-senior-bowl

Next is NFL.com's Chase Goodbread NFL.com's College Football 24/7 writer.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000630276/article/what-we-learned-from-senior-bowl-carson-wentz-passes-test

Here is Mike Mayock's view of the Senior Bowl on who improved their draft stock this week in this video that also includes thoughts from NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap3000000630343/Who-made-money-at-the-Senior-Bowl


In other Cowboys news the team released a statement indicating DE DeMarcus Lawrence has undergone back surgery. No details about what the surgery was to repair but the Jason Garrett said, "We expect him back fairly soon.", which is about as ambiguous an answer as you can give.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/01/30/demarcus-lawrence-has-offseason-surgery-expected-back-fairly-soon

[eagle eye]

There's a number of people who want Dallas to use the 4th pick in this year's NFL draft on a quarterback with the early favorite being FCS Champion QB Carson Wentz. Wentz is a keeper by all accounts but you have to remember that Jerry Jones is bound and determined to get Tony Romo a Super Bowl ring. To draft a QB may be good for the Cowboys long term but in a "win now" mentality atmosphere there isn't room to plan too much for a future without Romo when he still hasn't won a ring. There just may be a guy in the 2nd or 3rd round that can be "that guy" but it also may be a year or two too early to worry about a QB-of-the-future.
To help out the Cowboys right now in 2016 it probably means the biggest bang for the buck would be to go with a stud defensive tackle or a stud linebacker. There are several candidates in this year's draft a d-tackle so that leaves linebacker. Every year there is one guy who seems to be a can't miss pick. Luke Keuchly was just such guy when Carolina picked him with the 9th pick in the draft in 2012 and he will be leading a stout Carolina defense into Super Bowl 50 later today.
So, who's the guy who could change the Dallas defense from good to really good or maybe even great? There seems to be Myles Jack out of UCLA or Darron Lee from Ohio State or Leonard Floyd from Georgia. It may be Reggie Ragland from Alabama. There is an outside chance that Dallas could take DE Joey Bosa who graduated from Eastern Kentucky but he also excelled at Ohio State before being suspended for using extacy. He was addicted to the stuff but he seems to have turned his life around and in many circles he is considered the best defensive player in the draft. If Dallas drafts Bosa they will be well stocked at defensive end despite the fact that Dallas likely won't resign Greg Hardy. There still remains a huge hole at linebacker. Dallas won't give Rolando McClain a long term deal because the guy is too much of a wild card to deserve it. Dallas has been building for the future preferring to go for youth over just about anything. Dallas needs a couple of really good defensive tackles and really good linebacker and a cornerback and/or safety. My vote is linebacker and it Myles Jack is all that---I want him in a Cowboys uniform this coming September. We'll see how it goes but the only trouble is we have to wait all the way until April to find out how it WILL go.

[eagle eye]

Bryan Broaddus has video series called "Film Room" with his breakdowns of draft prospects. He began his series with a look at Carson Wentz. I know Wentz has been covered to the hilt but Broaddus, being a former scout, is pretty good at identifying what make a player good and pointing out his shortcomings. Here's Carson Wentz.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/02/03/film-room-evaluating-carson-wentz-senior-bowl

[eagle eye]

Today I continue with the link to Bryan Broaddus' "Film Room" series looking at some of the talent that will be available in this year's draft. Guys who you may want to keep an eye on when the NFL draft combine begins in two weeks in Indianapolis. Yesterday Broaddus began his series with a look at the #1 QB prospect from the Senior Bowl Carson Wentz. Today Broaddus, from DallasCowboys.com, looks at maybe the most dynamic receiver in the draft, former Ohio State QB-turned-WR Braxton Miller.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/02/08/film-room-braxton-miller-poses-dynamic-threat

What should Dallas take away from the Broncos win in Super Bowl 50? Certainly Denver made a radical change in their team from the one that was shellacked by Seattle in Super Bowl 48. The Broncos team went into SB 48 with the #1 offense in the NFL and middle of the road D. Sort of like Carolina although Carolina's defense is better than the Broncos defense was two years ago but you get my point. After being white washed by Seattle Denver Vice President of Football Operations and the Broncos GM, John Elway, went out and spent money in free agency and used draft picks to shore up their defense. Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and TJ Ward being prime examples. They drafted well getting Bradley Robey, Lammin Barrow and Corey Nelson in 2014 and they got 5 of 9 draft picks on defense including LB Shane Ray. This go along with homegrown talent like Vonn Miller, Danny Trevathan and Malik Jackson. I took a few years but Elway built a talented and deep defense. This year going into SB 50 the Broncos had the #1 defense in the NFL and their offense was middle of the pack. In fact, they were exactly in the middle. They were the 16th ranked offense out of 32 teams.
The takeaway here? Dallas doesn't need to improve their offense all that much, they need a defense. They began rebuilding their defense under Rod Marinelli in 2014 but they can't quit now. They are weak at defensive tackle, linebacker, cornerback and safety. A lot of woes at cornerback can be solved if they can come to terms on a deal with Morris Claiborne and they will need to hang on to Brandon Carr. They have the option of having 2015 1st round draft pick Byron Jones play corner and letting Claiborne walk or they could play him at safety where he did a better than average job as rookie for most of the 2015 season. To me, there are a lot of D-tackles in this draft and almost any one of them would be an improvement over Nick Hayden, Jeremy Mincey and pretty much everybody else. I do like David Irving but that's another rant for another day. So, it comes down to linebacker and safety. Safety is looking okay especially if they stick with Jones at free and Barry Church at strong. For the 4th pick in the draft I'd have to get the player with biggest upside to help the team right now and to me, that's at linebacker. The best linebacker prospect as of right now is UCLA's Myles Jack. He's got the size (6'1"-245 lbs) and he got speed. It is being said that you line Jack up on a wide receiver in the slot and not worry about it. In other words, it would not be a mismatch the way a LB on a WR would normally be. I don't know if that's true but he's a 3-down LB and he would make a formidable combo.
When Dallas was winning SBs in the 90's it wasn't just all about the triplets. Dallas had a top 5 ranked defense in the NFL. From 1992 through 1996 Dallas went to and won 3 Super Bowls, played in another NFC championship game and went to the playoffs. All five years Dallas was ranked no worse than 5th in the NFL in defense. Dallas has been let down time and again during the Romo era by poor defensive play when they needed it most. In 2007 when Dallas went 13-3 the defense went belly up in the playoffs against the Giants. The Giants defense, by contrast, carried the them to a Super Bowl win. In 2008 the D failed to stop the Baltimore Ravens in the final game at the old Texas Stadium. The most heinous offense were TD runs by Willis McGahee of 77 yards and Le'Ron McClain's 82 yard TD run in back-to-back series in the fourth quarter. Dallas had the momentum on offense but the defense sucked. They continued to suck the next week when they were playing for a division championship and a trip to the playoffs. Philly destroyed the D 44-6. In the opening game at the new Cowboys Stadium Dallas lost to the Giants when, after scoring the go ahead points with less than 2 minutes left in the game the defense gave up a drive to the Giants that ultimately cost the Cowboys the game. I could go on and on but I won't. You get the point. There is a reason there is a cliché in football that states "defense wins championships" because it is freaking true. Look at the SB winners of just the last 20 years and it's the team with the best defense and an offense that doesn't turn the ball over that wins more often than not. Nobody gave the Giants a chance in 2009 when they faced the 18-0 Patriots but the defense got it done. That and a luck play or two by Eli. You could argue that the Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" was won by the best offense but the unit on the field that saved the victory for the Rams was the defense.
C'mon Jerry. You and Jason have rebuilt the offensive line, time to concentrate on defense. Do the right thing. If it's a 'win now' mentality in Dallas then QB is not your main objective with the 4th pick in this year's draft. Don't you see? It's got to be defense.

[eagle eye]

Today's link to DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus' "Film Room" Series features Louisville's DT Sheldon Rankins.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/02/09/film-room-dt-sheldon-rankins-shows-quickness

This article from DallasCowboys.com's David "Tiny Jim" Helman gives us Helman's take on the biggest needs the Cowboys need to address in free agency and the draft.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/02/11/helman-what-exactly-are-cowboys-biggest-needs-2016

[Hookem14]

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!

[eagle eye]

Think Jerry Jones is an unemotional robot? Think again. I know a lot of people hate Jones because he fired Jimmy Johnson at the height of the Cowboys success in the 1990's. The fact is both men were responsible for the split. I know this grates on people who revere Johnson and hate Jones but, if you explore the facts, it's true. Nothing could illustrate that more than a comment made by Troy Aikman on the parting of ways of Johnson from the Cowboys from an interview he did when Emmitt Smith was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Aikman said, very candidly, that the team was pissed off at both guys because they refused to do what they asked the players to do and that was sacrifice their ego for the good of the team. The fact is Jimmy was probably more to blame than Jerry for their rift. The problem with Jerry was he tried for ten years to show he didn't need Jimmy to win in Dallas. There was that ego thing again. Now, some of the things Jerry did were in an attempt to win one more Super Bowl for the triplets but shortly after trading away 1st round draft picks in back to back seasons to get WR Joey Galloway it all fell apart. Michael Irvin went down in Philly and his career was over after nearly becoming permanently paralyzed because of spinal stenosis. A condition that ended Irvin's career. Joey Galloway tore his ACL and never played again and Troy Aikman had to retire because of repeated concussions. That was the end of the dynasty of the Nineties. Without any first round draft picks new head coach Dave Campo had a roster full of has-beens and never-would-be's. Three straight 5-11 seasons later Campo was shown the door and a humiliated Jerry Jones finally swallowed his pride and hired Bill Parcells. Parcells lasted 4 years in Dallas. Many believed Parcells wouldn't last a single season as both men have big egos but to everyone's surprise Jones and Parcells became friends and their working relationship was excellent. Jones recognized that he needed a good head coach and he supported Parcells' requests for free agent signings and Parcells had a huge say in the Cowboys drafts. In the end the, at the time 62 year old Parcells, quit after a bitter loss in the playoffs to Seattle mainly on a poor spot on a Jason Witten reception at the goal line and the subsequent fumble of the snap on a potential game winning field goal by Tony Romo was just too much for him to bear and he resigned from the Cowboys a few weeks later. Parcells legacy with the Cowboys is significant as he brought in two Ring of Honor and at least one Hall of Fame player to the Cowboys in Tony Romo and Jason Witten. Wade Phillips succeeded Parcells and he did okay for one season. It appeared Phillips was a good hire but Phillips' history as a head coach in the NFL had been disappointing. One good season followed by decline in subsequent years is what Phillips had done in the past and it is what happened to him in Dallas. After a shellacking by Green Bay in Week 8 of the 2010 season when it appeared the team quit on him he was fired in what was a totally uncharacteristic move by Jones. That should tell you how serious the Cowboys situation was under Phillips. Jones installed Jason Garrett as interim head coach and Garrett took a team that was 1-7 to a closing 5-3 record. Jones hired Garrett as the team's 8th head coach in January of 2011 and he remains head coach at present despite many people who wanted Garrett fired after 3 straight 8-8 seasons. Jones stuck to his guns and has stood behind Garrett through thick and thin. Jones isn't the liability at GM he once was partly because he has learned from past mistakes and partly because his Cowboys heir apparent and oldest son Stephen Jones seems to have a better sense of what needs to be done. The Cowboys also have what is considered an uber judge of talent in player personnel guy Will McClay. It hasn't hurt that Jason Garrett had a vision on how he wanted to build the Cowboys "program" and every single season Garrett has been head coach the talent on the team has gotten appreciably better. Since 2011 Dallas has used 3 first round picks on their O-line and now it is considered one of the best in the NFL. The other two draft picks were both cornerbacks. One, Morris Claiborne, who Dallas traded up from #14 to #6 in the 2012 draft to get has been a bust. Not because he has been a lousy player but because he hasn't been able to stay healthy. Dallas could resign Claiborne this spring if the Cowboys can get him for a more team friendly salary number. The other CB was last year's 1st round pick out of UConn, Byron Jones. Jones has all the earmarks of being a mainstay in the Cowboys secondary for years. The only problem is Dallas doesn't seem to know what the best place to use him because he has been very good at both cornerback and safety. Right now, it looks like he will be a safety but a lot of that depends on the status of the other players at the position, including Claiborne, who have contracts that need to be addressed this spring.
I took the long way around to post a link but I like Jerry. I think he's a good owner. It can and probably should be argued that he's not a great GM but he's gotten better. Almost every player who has played for him loves Jerry because he genuinely cares about the players and people in general. Jerry is obnoxious and he likes the spotlight a little too much for most people's taste but he's a good person. His heart and humanity are a big part of what makes Jerry, Jerry. In the article linked below from the Bleacher Report it talks about Jerry in a different light than maybe anyone has before. There is also a link in the article to an interview done by Joe Buck on his show, "Undeniable" on the Audience Channel. Give this a look and let me know if you don't change your mind about Jerry, even if it's just a little bit.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/02/12/emotional-jerry-jones-family-wanting-coach-time-dad-caught-smoking?f=r&hootPostID=5dc2829a1ddd45d311003a12fa3e0df0

[eagle eye]

Cowboys fans who are hoping Dallas addresses their poor QB depth problem will be interested to know that RGIII has passed his exit physical for the Washington Redskins. This opens the door for his release. Griffin has never really been a favorite of Redskins head coach Jay Gruden and because of injury and a rift between him and the Redskins front office and Mike Shanahan, the head coach prior to Gruden Griffin has fallen out of favor in the DC area. Kirk Cousins, who was drafted in the same draft as Griffin in 2012. Griffin was selected with the 2nd pick overall when Washington traded a butt-load of draft picks to move up to take Griffin with the St Louis Rams. Later, in the 4th round the Redskins took Cousins as an insurance policy in case Griffin was hurt. I think this illustrates that a good QB can be had later in the draft if you do your homework. In the last couple of years Griffin has had to eat a big old poop sandwich under the Jay Gruden regime. He was reduced to playing safety on the Redskins scout team during the season last year and he was inactive in every single game being relegated to 3rd string QB behind Cousins and Colt McCoy. It's possible that big dose of humble pie has made Griffin a better player and a better team mate. If Washington does release Griffin many people feel that Dallas is prime location for him to end up. If he does end up in Dallas it would make it less urgent for the Cowboys to use the 4th pick in the draft on a QB.

Free agency may be a way for Dallas to fill a need at running back. Tampa Bay RB Doug Martin is a free agent and could be available if he comes at the right price. Martin has been in the NFL since he was drafted with the 31st pick in the 2012 draft. In 2013 and 2014 big chunks of those seasons were cut short due to injury. Prior to the 2015 season Tampa declined to exercise the 5th year option which is why he is a free agent now. In his rookie season he broke out gaining 1454 yards rushing with another 472 yards receiving while scoring 12 TDs. In 2015 Martin bounced back from his two injury shortened seasons by gaining 1402 yards, good for 2nd overall in the NFL adding another 272 yards receiving. Tampa is leaning towards a pass-first offense behind last year's first overall pick, Jameis Winston. Martin would be a great fit in Dallas as they try to rekindle the run first offense that made them so successful in 2014 with DeMarco Murray. Martin is 27 and has at least 3 more prime years left and the Cowboys best option is currently 28 year old Darren McFadden who will turn 29 before the 2016 season begins. Last season was only second Joseph Randall who lost his job to personal problems on and off the field. McFadden had a nice year but there were yards left on the field IMO. Martin is slightly younger and seems to have a much bigger upside than McFadden.

[eagle eye]

The deficiencies on the defense are pretty clear. The need to sign their own free agents like Mo Claiborne and Rolando McClain. The need to get over Brandon Carr's $9.1MM salary for 2016. If these things don't happen Dallas will be in even bigger trouble than ever. The word is the Greg Hardy experiment is over. For the money the Cowboys paid him they didn't get their money's worth especially considering the PR nightmare they had to endure. Now, with the suspension of Randy Gregory the spotlight on defense gets down right gets pretty intense.
I was hoping that Dallas would take LB Myles Jack but there are a lot of clouds hanging over him. His injury, a torn meniscus, is a serious one and there is no guarantee he can make a significant contribution this coming season. He won't be healthy enough to do anything at the Scouting Combine this coming week. The Cowboys need to sign Rolando McClain but they can't give him a long term deal because of his own drug and personal issues. He's a guy who is one more failed drug test away from being suspended for a full year. There is nothing that gives you any confidence that he won't screw up tomorrow. Dallas will have to give him a one year deal with incentives. From a business perspective they can't do anything else. Dallas may need to target Joey Bosa, the defensive end from Ohio State. He is supposed to be the best player in the draft. Maybe, maybe not. He may be the best option for Dallas in the draft. Let's take a look and see if Dallas even has a shot at Bosa.
With the first pick Tennessee, according to NFL.com, is likely to take an offensive tackle. The Titans certainly do need to upgrade their O-line to protect their No 1 pick from last year, Marcus Mariota. Failure to protect Mariota last season cost the Titans their starting QB significant time because of different injuries. The No 2 pick goes to Cleveland and they will be taking a QB, no doubt about it, because they are done with Johnny Manziel and I can't say I blame they. Carson Wentz or Jared Goff will likely be a Brown next season. With the 3rd pick is San Diego and again, according to NFL.com, they need help along the defensive line. Joey Bosa is likely to be gone.
What kind of crap for luck is Dallas riding. There isn't a sure fire, can't miss, QB worth using the 4th pick on. The best LB in the draft class is coming off a career threatening injury and the best defensive player in the draft is going one pick before the Cowboys can grab him. Even when you get to draft a franchise impacting player they just aren't available. Dammit!!! It may make the most sense to trade down and get some extra draft picks. Stock up with quantity as long as they are quality. I have trust in their player evaluation which is saying something because at one time I wouldn't have. Remember the 2009 draft? Dallas had 12 picks and not one was worth a darn and not one is still in the NFL.
It's a different group in the Cowboys player personnel department and you never know what will happen in the free agency period. Damn being a fan is hard.

[eagle eye]

Here's a name you may not have heard before, DeForest Buckner. This kid is a defensive lineman out of Oregon who Mike Mayock deemed potentially franchise changing in his ability. He has been projected as a top 10 talent in many mocks and looks like a guy I'd would not moan and groan over if the Cowboys draft him at #4. As a physical specimen he's 6'8" and 295 lbs and, as Mayock described him, has a Reggie White hump move that's friggin awesome. Mayock says Buckner can play anywhere up and down the D-line so what's to say he can't play right defensive end and move DeMarcus Lawrence, who came on strong in the last half of last season, to left end? Or keep him at tackle where the Cowboys need help desperately? I'll tell you, if this guy is THAT good he has a home in Dallas as far as I'm concerned.

The Scouting Combine begins this week. On Wednesday to be exact. The NFL Channel will be covering the combine beginning Wednesday with press conferences beginning at 11 am. Thursday continues with more press conferences. The on-field work will begin coverage on Friday.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have replaced a coach who departed for a different job and slightly restructured their staff's duties and they have created a position on the defensive side of the ball titled Passing Game Coordinator. LB coach Matt Eberflus has added this title to his resume. His job will be to tie together the linebackers and DB's to make a more cohesive pass defense. There were at least two games, New Orleans and Buffalo, where there were major breakdowns between the back seven in coverage that led to loses late in games. Maybe this will help iron out some of those problems.

Stephen Jones met with reporters today at the NFL Scouting Combine and he addressed several issues including whether or not Dallas will be players in free agency. Jones said the Cowboys don't like to depend on free agency too much because after all is said and done good players end up getting paid like great players and average players end up getting paid like good players. Jones said the ideal way to build a team is through the draft and they don't like to overpay for free agents. You could point out that Dallas did just that last year at this time when they signed problem child Greg Hardy because they were desperate to upgrade their pass rush. With the Rams releasing MIKE LB James Lauranaitis this week as part of salary cap reduction moves because the Rams will have to save some money as they relocate to Los Angeles. Seriously, that's not likely the reason they released 3 players who counted roughly 30% of their team salary. Lauranaitis would be a nice addition though because current MIKE LB Rolando McClain is a free agent too but Dallas would be stupid to give a guy like him a long term deal considering he's one failed drug test away from a year's suspension. Launanaitis is a solid citizen that has just had an issue or two with injury but not substance abuse. He is also only 28 years old which means a 5 year deal would not be a reach.

Remember Joseph Randle? You know, the RB that was supposed to assume the lead back role last season? Dallas cut ties with him by Week 4 when he refused to reenter a game. He had already had problems. He was arrested in 2014 when he shoplifted some items from a Dallas area store. He got in more trouble last year when he had an incident involving is baby's mother and their child in a parking lot in Kansas City involving a gun. Now, according to Bleacher Report Randle is unable to pay for a lawyer or bail after yet another run in with the law. In his 3 year pro football career Randle earned $1.3MM dollars. He has been arrested on 3 counts of battery and possession of drugs. Randle had the chance to be the #1 back in Dallas and he could have written his ticket in the Metroplex if he had been successful but he has thrown it all away. It's kind of sad to see someone flush his future down the toilet like this.

So, Tony Romo has been rumored to have another surgery on his pesky collar bone. The story I heard is that Romo's collar bone may need a plate installed to help support it better so he will have less of a chance of another break. That story is false by all accounts, Romo doesn't need a plate installed. What he has been waiting for is his collar bone to completely heal. When that happens he will go under the knife again but this time the doctor will need to grind some of the healed bone. The reason for that is because the break was close to the shoulder joint and when a broken bone heals he is actually bigger at the break location and also the bone is much stronger than before. Because it is near the shoulder joint the new size of the bone won't allow the joint to give like it is supposed to which, if nothing is done, could result in another break in a new location or shoulder problem. Either way Romo will be sidelined yet again which, as we saw last season, is not a good thing for the Cowboys at all. Romo is scheduled to have x-rays on his collar bone after the scouting combine. The bone has to be completely healed before the doctors shave on it to fit the socket correctly or they will do more damage than good. The good thing is once it's done Romo will be ready to go when OTA's begin in May, if not then, but certainly by training camp in July. The hope is, like Mike and Mike say, he will be back and better than ever.

[eagle eye]

There is a website called fanspeak.com that allows you to be the GM of any team you choose and complete a mock draft of your own. I have posted a link to the site below that will take you to their On the Clock page where you can choose from a menu of draft ranking sites that include CBSSports.com, Walter Football, Fanspeak's own player ranking board as well as others. You decide how many rounds your mock will cover and then you can get started. They have a premium upgrade that allows you to trade up or down in a round and other features but I haven't done that. I have done a mock for the Cowboys pre-combine and I did a mock for the Texans. Dallas has a total of 9 draft picks. They have a pick in rounds 1-4 and a pick in round 6. They also have a compensatory pick in round 4 (No 38 pick in the round and No 137 overall) and they have 3 in the 6th (No 34/212, 38/216 and 39/217 in the round/overall).

http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/

Here is the results from my mock draft. I went heavy on defense taking 6 of the Cowboys 9 picks on that side of the ball. You are welcome to rip my draft or post your own. This one is my pre combine mock and I figure to post on a week until the draft. It's an opportunity to have some fun ripping my mock or posting your own and letting us rip yours or, heaven forbid, compliment the draft! Lots of opportunities for discussion here. I will post my Texans mock on the off season thread I have going for them.

4: R1P4
DE DEFOREST BUCKNER
OREGON

34: R2P3
DT SHELDON RANKINS
LOUISVILLE

67: R3P4
WR BRAXTON MILLER
OHIO STATE

102: R4P3
TE NICK VANNETT
OHIO STATE

137: R4P38
CB ERIC MURRAY
MINNESOTA

192: R6P14
G REES ODHIAMBO
BOISE STATE

212: R6P34
CB DONTE DEAYON
BOISE STATE

216: R6P38
DE ANTHONY ZETTEL
PENN STATE

217: R6P39
OLB ANTWIONE WILLIAMS
GEORGIA SOUTHERN

[eagle eye]

Yesterday, all 32 NFL teams announced their unused salary carryover amounts to the 2016 season. These carryovers are not a standardized amount but rather an amount determined by teams from the unspent portions of their 2015 salary caps.

Under the current CBA, Clubs have minimum cash spending requirements. For the years 2013-2016, Clubs are required to spend an average of 89% of the Salary Cap over the four-year period. League-wide, Clubs must spend an average of 95% of the Salary Cap over the four-year period. - excerpt from an article in The Bleacher Report.

That's a little confusing but I take that to mean individual teams must spend 89% of their cap money but the whole NFL is required to spend 95% of their cap money. This actually means the union wanted a guarantee that their players would be paid and owners could low ball their salary cap and pocket the rest. This is an effort for players to get paid which they deserve considering the beating they take in their sport.

At any rate the teams can carry over any unused portion of the salary cap to the next season but they are not required to carry over all of that shortfall. In fact, The Broncos, Rams and Saints did not carry over all they were eligible to carry over. The smallest carryover was by the Seahawks which was $11,587.00 while the biggest carry over was $32,774,928 by the Jaguars. This carry over increases the posted salary cap for the next season by the amount carried over. Say, for example, the salary cap was $100MM, that plus the carry over would mean Jax would have $132MM to spend. To think that this would enable the Jags to jump into free agency with both feet is an understatement because, at some point, they will HAVE to spend at least 89% of that amount for face sanctions by the union for violations of the collective bargaining agreement.

As for the Cowboys, they will carry over $3,571,239. Another good thing about the Cowboys salary cap is this will be the first year since 2006 Miles Austin hasn't figured into the Cowboys salary cap. This despite Austin not being a member of the Cowboys since 2013. The Cowboys still had dead money associated with Austin's 2010 contract extension that was a 6-year $57MM deal that Dallas continued to pay for through last season. For the first time is God knows how long the Cowboys are not in salary cap hell. They still have dead money on the books but so do all NFL teams when you consider contracts signed with players who are signed to replace and injured player or be on the practice squad or what have you. The Cowboys total dead money pool comes to just under $1MM which is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Can Dallas be players in free agency? You bet but, as Stephen Jones said earlier this week, the Cowboys don't like free agency because you invariably over pay for players. But, a guy like LB James Laurinaitis could be a long term solution at middle LB and a much less risky move than depending on Rolando McClain who is definitely a risky player to depend upon. The question being about Laurinaitis is his health. If that isn't an issue I can't see why Dallas wouldn't prefer him over McClain.

That gives me an idea......more on that later.

[eagle eye]

Jerry Jones likes to take advantage of value when it's available. He took Dez Bryant when he dropped down to the mid twenties after he was suspended in his last year of college because he lied about meeting with Deion Sanders. He took advantage of Sean Lee recovering from an ACL injury he suffered at Penn State and he was able to get him in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft. As recently as last year Jerry saw an opportunity to take a chance on Randy Gregory when he fell into the 2nd round after testing positive for banned substances at last year's NFL Scouting Combine. Jerry also hit the jackpot on getting La'el Collins as an undrafted free agent when he was associated with a murder investigation of a female friend. The incident scared off every si ngle NFL team, including Dallas, from even drafting him. Collins was just someone who was interviewed in the case and he was cleared of any wrong-doing but it was too late to help him in the draft. But, there was Jerry, the old salesman, who wooed Collins into signing with Dallas giving the Cowboys 3 players who were considered first round talent in last year's draft. The third guy was CB Byron Jones who is looking like a real keeper. Collins too has shown himself to be a good player. The jury is still out on Gregory and he hasn't done himself any favors by getting himself suspended the first 4 games of the coming season for failing drug tests. I don't thing anyone questions his talent or ability to play at a high level in the NFL but he needs to prioritize was is important to him because if smoking weed is the most important thing in his life he won't last long in Dallas or the NFL. The whole point here is this, there is a player who is right up Jones' alley and that is Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith. Smith was considered a top ten talent heading toward the 2016 draft. That is until he blew up his knee in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1st. Smith tore his ACL and MCL and suffered nerve damage in both his ankle and knee. The thinking is he won't be able to play football until 2017. Am I right? Isn't this prime Jerry Jones territory? I could easily see the Cowboys taking a flyer on Smith especially if he should drop into the 3rd or 4th round of the draft. There is another player who could drop as well. Myles Jack out of UCLA. He's also coming off a serious knee injury, a torn meniscus, and the thinking is he could fall like a rock in the draft because of uncertainty of his health. He is not doing much at all at the combine but I would imagine he will try to do something at his UCLA pro day. With this knowledge in hand Dallas could resign Rolando McClain to a one year deal as a buffer to allow one (or both, I'm greedy) players a year to get completely well. That would allow Dallas to take a Joey Bosa or a DeForest Buckner with the #4 pick and grab a QB in the second round. If the opportunity exists, take Jack in the 2nd and if at all possible take Smith in the third. It would be the 2nd year in a row Dallas would get 3 first round ranked players in the draft. Yes, I know. The likelihood of this happening is slim to none but you can dream can't you?

[eagle eye]

The combine is over and they stories are pretty much confirmed about what people suspected going in. No major surprises as there weren't any guys who just blew people away the way Byron Jones did last year when he set world record for the broad jump and he had a an unreal vertical jump. It was this combine workout and contributed to the Cowboys deciding to take Jones in the 1st round last year. I would submit these few players that Dallas could certainly use.
1. Darron Lee (LB - Ohio State) - This guy is listed as a linebacker but he's got the speed and agility to play safety. He clocked a 4.47 40, a 35-1/2" vertical and an 11 foot broad jump and he displayed a lot of athleticism and agility. He is 6'1" and 232 lbs. With his skill set and measurables he reminds me of another hybrib linebacker from Arizona State and Cowboys Ring of Honor player, Darren Woodson. Dallas drafted Woodson in the 1992 draft and he spent 11 years anchoring the Cowboys secondary. Lee won't be the 4th pick in the draft but he is someone Dallas should really consider if he falls to the 2nd round considering the Cowboys have had a bitch of a time replacing Woody since he retired in 2004.
2. Robert Nkemdiche (DT - Mississippi State) - Size, speed, power, this guy seems to have it all. Again, like Lee, he likely won't fall into the second round unless his off field issue with an incident at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead where he fell out of a 4th floor window in his room. Authorities found 7 marijuana cigarettes in his room after the incident and he was charged with possession. Nkemdiche was found conscious and stable when police arrived on the scene and he treated and released at a local hospital. It is speculated the incident, which happened on December 12, 2015, is likely to cause his draft stock to fall.
3. Kamalei Correa (LB - Boise State) - Dallas has a history in the last few years of selecting players from Boise State. Orlando Scandrick, Tyrone Crawford and DeMarcus Lawrence have all been drafted by Dallas in recent years and all have played a vital role for the Cowboys. Orlando Scandrick was the Cowboys best CB going into last year until he tore his ACL in training camp. Crawford was limited last year by a rotator cuff injury he suffered in Week 2 against Philly. He also lost a year in 2013 when he tore his Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp. When healthy Crawford is expected to make big difference at the 3 technique for the Cowboys. Lawrence hurt his foot in training camp of his rookie year in 2014 and it took him a while to get going which limited his production at left defensive end that season. In 2015 after Dallas signed Greg Hardy and drafted Randy Gregory Lawrence was moved to right defensive end and in the last half of last season a light seemed to on for Lawrence and he ended up being the team leader in sacks with 8 sacks. Correa is a player who could come in a help the defense at linebacker right away.
4. Will Fuller (WR - Notre Dame) - The guy is fast, 4.3-40 fast, but he came into the combine with questions about how good his hands were. At the combine he showed he can catch the ball. Dallas needs a guy who can take the top off the defense. I'm sorry but Devon Street, Brice Butler and Rod Smith are not the answer. The problem is, will Fuller last into the 2nd round? Probably not. In a perfect world Dallas would have all 9 of their draft picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds. This is not a perfect world and Dallas will have some hard decisions to make in the second round. Ideally, Dallas would trade down and get an extra 2nd and possibly a 3rd rounder so somebody who wants a QB can move up. Damn, this GM thing is harder than it looks!
5. Dak Prescott - (QB - Mississippi State) - After the big three of Goff, Wentz and Lynch Prescott is the next man up and he didn't anything but help himself at the combine. He seems to have excellent leadership skills and talent enough to play well at the next level. If he's available in the 2nd round Dallas could much worse by drafting him. Especially if Dallas does trade down and get an extra 2nd rounder. It would be sweet to pick up an impact defensive player AND your future QB in the same round.
6. Kenyon Drake - (RB - Alabama) - Drake has been living in the shadow of Derrick Henry but he showed some scouts that he's a player at the combine. He showed speed (4.4-40 time), he showed athleticism, power and agility in the positional drills and he showed the ability to be an effective receiver. At 6'1" and 210 lbs he's not just a 3rd down back. You have to hope some of these players fall into the 3rd or 4th rounds so Dallas has a chance to get them. With Drake the 3rd round is remotely possible but not likely.

The biggest loser at the combine is Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith because according to NFL.com several scouts familiar with his physical results say his knee that he hurt (torn ACL and MCL) in the Fiesta Bowl this year is "bad". Meaning that knee is really effed up and reports of his not being available until 2017 appear to be accurate. If he knee is really messed up it could actually mean it's career threatening. That said, this could be a good thing for Dallas if they do well in the first 2-3 rounds AND Smith falls to the 4th it would be a prime time to take him. If he was healthy he would be in the conversation as the best player in this year's draft but as it stands his prognosis for 2016 isn't good.

Good news! The Cowboys are finally is a reasonably good position salary cap wise going into free agency and the draft. The Cowboys have around $14MM in free cap money available and they could get that figure higher if they decide to restructure a contract or two. It's the best shape they have been in a long time which means that if there is a free agent they see could help them they have funds to get into the conversation of signing one or two guys without screwing them up.

Just to throw a monkey in the wrench, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network said that Carson Wentz is the best QB in this draft and an upside equivalent to Andrew Luck when he came out of Stanford. Mayock continued be saying Wentz isn't ready from Day 1 to play in the NFL but his ceiling is akin to Luck's. Mayock points out that Wentz is as tall as Luck, as fast if not faster than luck, arm strength is equal to Luck, Wentz is more athletic than Luck. In fact, the only downside to Wentz is that he played at an FCS school and hasn't seen the level of competition that Luck did at Stanford. You can point out that Wentz excelled at the FCS level winning back to back FCS National Championships. Again, this GM thing is really, really harder than it looks.

[eagle eye]

I saw an article on Bleacher Report that bothered me and I hope to God it isn't true. The article said that the Cowboys will release CB Brandon Carr and, this is the sickening part, they are considering signing Adam "Pacman" Jones who is a free agent, to fill his spot. The Cowboys have already gone down that Pacman road and it resulted in a train wreck. Everyone pisses and moans about Carr's contract but fail to accept the fact that Carr is a high quality individual who hasn't missed a game since he was signed by the Cowboys in 2012. Not only has he been dependable he's been pretty darn good. The bugaboo about him is that contract he signed with Dallas which was a 5 year $50.1MM deal with a $26MM signing bonus. It was a steep price to pay but Dallas was hurting at CB and Carr was part of defensive secondary in Kansas City that was pretty darn good. Carr is better in man coverage than zone and in Rod Marinelli's defense and he has been a good player for the Cowboys. It's just that contract. The contract make expectations go way up. If he made 3 or 4 million a year nobody would sweat his deal. It's similar to the dissatisfaction people have with Mo Claiborne because he was the 6th player in the 2012 draft and because he has struggled with injuries he is considered a bust. Personally, I would have no problem offering Claiborne a new deal and I have no problem with Carr's deal. Jerry had no problem with it last year, why sweat it now? The upside to Carr is way better than anyone else you can sign in free agency, especially Pacman Jones. In Carr you have a guy who shows up. He hasn't missed a game in his NFL career which began in 2008. You have a good player who has been rock solid in coverage. You have a quality individual off the field as well. Now, if the Cowboys strike a deal for an extension which would allow Dallas some cap room by lowering his base salary, cool. I'm all in but I don't want the Cowboys to lose a good player and good locker room guy because of salary especially since the Cowboys are finally out of salary cap prison for the first time in a very long time. One last thing on this. The Cowboys aren't going after Jones anyway. Forget what a dumpster fire the guy was in Dallas, Jones is going to be 33 in September while Carr will turn 30 in May. This is Carr's last year of his contract. If Dallas gives him a two or three year extension they could probably get a hometown deal with Carr and he would be under contract until he's Pacman's age. CB's can play into their low 30's. There are some who last even longer. But, Carr is still in his prime and he's a guy Dallas should want to keep. If the Cowboys intend to draft Jalen Ramsey then maybe they let Mo Claiborne walk but if Dallas want's a defensive lineman like Joey Bosa or DeForest Buckner then resigning Claiborne makes sense if they don't have to pay an arm or leg to do it. Claiborne isn't the main issue here, it is Carr. Dallas needs to keep Carr and the Cowboys should be thinking the same thing IMHO.

[eagle eye]

As a follow up to yesterday's post, NFL.com has an article that reports that NFL insider Ian Rappaport is saying that the Cowboys will let Brandon Carr go on Monday. All told, Carr was going to count $13MM or so against the Cowboys salary cap. They will save around $6.3MM in cap space but they will be saddled with $7.4MM in dead money. That's $7.4 MILLION dollars. Money Dallas will, in effect, spend without a dime in return in either service or with a player under contract. Do the Cowboys really resent Carr's salary that much? It seems like a person cutting off their nose to spite their face. Rappaport is rarely wrong but there is a lot of time between now and Monday where Carr and the Cowboys could reach a compromise. Carr is one of those guys who seems to fit Jason Garrett's "right kind of guy" mold both on and off the field. I would assert that Dallas should negotiate a contract extension for 2 or 3 years with a big signing bonus. His cap hit would go down, you'd have a dependable, standup guy for 3 years at a much lower cap hit (which is what you wanted in the first place) and you get some value out of that $7.4MM. The only downfall of this scenario is if Carr and/or the Cowboys can't agree to a number. I sure hope Rappaport is wrong and cooler heads prevail in this situation. A move like this would tell me Dallas is seriously looking at drafting Jalen Ramsey out of Florida State with the 4th pick in the upcoming draft. Even so, it's still a lot of cash to just piss away. (Hey Jerry, if you are in that giving a mood I know a guy right here on BigRedInsider.com who could use that $7.4 Mil and he would get a LOT of value out of it. Whaddaya say, Jerry? Can you hook a fella up?)

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000641079/article/brandon-carr-expected-to-be-cut-by-dallas-cowboys

Speaking of the upcoming draft, here is my post combine mock draft done on the On The Clock feature on fanspeak.com. Seeing what I'm seeing about Brandon Carr I know who my first pick will be!

4: R1P4
S JALEN RAMSEY
FLORIDA STATE

34: R2P3
OLB DARRON LEE
OHIO STATE

67: R3P4
WR BRAXTON MILLER
OHIO STATE

102: R4P3
DT SHELDON DAY
NOTRE DAME

137: R4P38
WR STERLING SHEPARD
OKLAHOMA

192: R6P14
DT D.J. READER
CLEMSON

212: R6P34
OLB ANTWIONE WILLIAMS
GEORGIA SOUTHERN

216: R6P38
G ISAAC SEUMALO
OREGON STATE

217: R6P39
ILB JARED NORRIS
UTAH

I have done a lot of these mocks other than the one I posted last week and today but this is, by far, my favorite draft. If I had know that Darron Lee was going to be there in the 2nd round I would have picked Bosa or Buchner, probably Buckner, in the 1st round. My thinking in the pick for Lee was the fact that I see a Darren Woodson type player. Both were hybrid linebackers in college. Lee went to Ohio State and Woodson to Arizona State. Both are a little small to play LB in the NFL but both have great athleticism and can cover. I would see Lee at SS and Ramsey at FS in this scenario with last year's #1 pick Byron Jones sticking at CB.
I looked at the Cowboys WR depth chart and I saw some throw aways in Brice Butler, Devon Street, Vince Mayle, Rodney Smith and even Lucky Whitehead when I looked at the opportunity to get guys with speed and play making ability. So that's why I took Braxton Miller in the 3rd and I couldn't believe my luck when Sterling Shepard was there at the end of the 4th. I had to pass on Shepard at the top of the 4th rd because I hadn't addressed the D-line at all and Alabama DT Sheldon Day was the top ranked player on the board at the time. In the 6th round I hit on the players highest ranked at that point in the draft as means to build depth. DT was addressed when I got Clemson's DJ Reader, I got O-line help in the form of Oregon State's Isaac Seumalo and I added LB depth with Georgia Southern's Antwione Williams and Utah's Jared Norris.
We'll see how the mock changes next week after free agency begins. Will Dallas be active, or not? We'll see when we see it I guess.

[eagle eye]

Holy Toledo, wrangler! Stuff keeps happening but it seems deathly quiet around Valley Ranch. The 3 biggest Cowboys stories of the day involve players who aren't even on the Cowboys payroll. I will list them in order of their importance beginning with the least impactful one first.
1. The Washington Redskins didn't just cut ties with RGIII, they also cut veteran DT and former Cowboys Jason Hatcher. Hatcher left Dallas after the 2013 season for some free agent money and now, just two years into his deal. He was scheduled to make $6MM this season so cutting the 34 year old DT is a salary cap move by Washington.
2. Troubled former Cowboys RB Joseph Randle, who just got out of jail on bail after spending nine weeks in jail because he couldn't afford the $150K to get out of jail, was arrested again yesterday because he didn't show up to his scheduled court appearance. This dude is seriously effed up. He has got some serious issues that he absolutely can't cope with. I sort of feel sorry for him. A guy with a world of promise has thrown it all away and has fallen off the deep end. It really is sad.
3. DeMarco Murray is no longer an Eagle. Just this evening he was traded to Tennessee. The full terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed but it is thought that he will not lose his $21MM in guaranteed money despite agreeing to restructure his contract to facilitate the deal.

Despite not making any cuts today Dallas did make tender offers to two restricted free agents. G Ronald Leary was given a one year tender offer of $2.553MM. Also, S Jeff Heath was also tendered a one year qualifying offer of $1.671MM. None of the rest of the Cowboys free agents received an offer or were cut. Here's a list of all the Cowboys free agents and I'm sure you have your own opinion of who you would let walk and who you would like to sign.

As for free agency, don't expect Dallas to be a big player in this first week. They generally wait and cherry pick certain players but they generally wait until the initial free agent frenzy calms down and, in turn, the salary demands calm down as well.

[eagle eye]

There have been conflicting reports of whether or not Tony Romo will have a minor surgery to shave down the broken area of his collar bone where the break occurred or if he will have a steel plate inserted on the collar bone to reinforce it so it doesn't break again. You can understand the concern since he's broken it 3 times now. The first time in 2010 against the Giants when LB Michael Boley came in untouched and smashed Romo into the turf. The second time was last season when the Eagles did pretty much the same thing. He rebroke it in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers ending his season. In the end Romo decided not have the plate inserted but, he elected to have what is known as Mumford surgery. This is a procedure in which a portion of Romo's collarbone is shaved down to help alleviate stress and irritation. His rehab will last 6-8 weeks and he is slated to be able to participate in all off season activities with the team. Oh, BTW, the surgery was successful and he has already begun his 6-8 weeks.

Who knows if Dallas will be players in free agency when it begins today but there have been a couple of players linked to the Cowboys. A couple have not really been serious and one would be pretty nice if it were to happen. First, a few weeks ago the speculation began that RGIII would kicked to the curb by the Redskins (which has since happened) and the Cowboys were in the initial conversation but also early on that conversation has no real legs. In the past week the Carolina Panthers veteran defensive end Charles Johnson was making the rounds sniffing out possibilities. With the failure of the Greg Hardy deal and the pending suspension of DE Randy Gregory Dallas needs to fill that pass rushing defensive end need. Yesterday, it was reported that Johnson will resign with Carolina. Good for him, bad for Dallas. The last guy that has been the subject of conversation is Miami RB Lamar Miller. It's being reported that Miller is being pursued by both Dallas and Houston. Miller is a veteran and he's a day one type of player but he is liable to be expensive as most free agents are. Personally, I would rather get a rookie in the draft. It would be cheaper and less risky and in a perfect world Dallas could find a guy as an undrafted free agent like Houston did when they got Arian Foster. Dallas needs help on the defensive side of the ball and they need to allocate their resources accordingly IMO.

One hole in the Cowboys defense has been filled. The Cowboys have agreed to terms on a deal with MIKE LB Rolando McClain. This deal is not official as I only saw a tweet on Bleacher Report but it would be a good deal if Dallas got McClain on a one or two year deal. He doesn't really rate a long term deal because he is deep in the NFL substance abuse protocol. One more violation and he could be looking at a year long suspension. Dallas would be foolish to give a long term deal t a guy like that. One or two years at reasonable money and I'm sure Dallas would be glad to have him.

There is another free agent who may be making a visit to Dallas soon. Former Rams DE Chris Long had a visit with the Redskins and he is slated to make a trip to Dallas next. Long is a good player but injuries have kept him from being a more impactful player. I'm sure if the Cowboys could get a team friendly deal considering his injury history that it would be worth a shot at signing Long to a deal.

I am happy to say that, as of this morning, Dallas has NOT released CB Brandon Carr. Nor have they even had a hint of a rumor that they are pursuing form Bengal Pacman Jones. It seems there is a bit of sanity around Valley Ranch. Either the crappy weather has made making deals a little hard to do.

[eagle eye]

Here is my 3rd mock draft done on fanspeak.com's ON THE CLOCK feature. Again, I used the CBS player ranking as the guide for the draft. I think this is the most daring of my mocks so far and you'll see why in a moment. In the 1st Rd the highest ranked player was Joey Bosa and seeing as how he could easily have been the #1 pick it's a no-brainer, right? With my 2nd pick I took a chance, a very Jerry Jones-ian chance on a player coming off a major injury. That would be Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith. This is not an impossible pick in the world of mocks vs reality because Smith's knee injury is pretty darn bad and there is a popular thought that if Smith ever plays again it won't be until 2017. In a perfect world Smith recovers nicely and after a stay on the PUP list he comes back to play for Dallas around Week 8 or 9. It would be really nice to see Dallas hit on 2 first round draft picks in this manner. In the third I went with another Ohio State guy in WR Michael Thomas. He's a big target and has got to be an improvement over Devon Street who has shown nothing since he's been in Dallas. Is it a coincidence that 3 out of my first 5 picks are from THE Ohio State University? Yes but, in a way, no. Yes because that is just how this mock draft fell but no because of the success Ohio State has had since Urban Meyer became head coach of the Buckeyes. It's just natural to see a lot of good players from a successful program in the NFL. That said, I took OSU TE Nick Vannett with the 2nd of my 4th RD picks. I don't know if it's wishful thinking or just my eyes deceiving me but I see some Jason Witten in this guy. Given a couple of years to be mentored by Witten Vannett could turn out to be the next really good TE in Cowboys history. With the first 4th Rd pick I chose RB Kenneth Dixon from La Tech. Dixon was a workhorse at La Tech and he's built much like Emmitt Smith with about the same 40 time. I'm not saying that Dixon will be the next Emmitt but the physical comparisons apply. He's a north-south runner with some power and can catch coming out of the backfield. Dixon has a 2nd Rd grade so this is a real bargain pick. The first pick in the 6th Rd was Clemson DT DJ Reader who will fill the 1-technique nicely. Clemson is another program that has been on the rise recently and Reader is one reason why. At 6'3" 327 pounds he's got the capability to be a force inside for the Cowboys especially with Joey Bosa in the mix. My supplemental picks in the late 6th are pretty much interchangeable as for when they are picked. From pick 34 to pick 39 Dallas has three of those in succession. So, I took CB Darryl Worley out of West Virginia. I like Worley mainly for his size, 6'1" and 204 lbs more than anything. Pick 38 was a FB from Northwestern named Dan Vitale. I am just ready to move on from Tyler Klutts. The final pick of the 6th, number 39, was Boston College S Justin Simmons. That's it. Overall I think this is the most complete mock I've done. Because there's no way in hell I can get both Bosa and Myles Jack so getting Jaylon Smith in the 2nd is pretty darn good as long as Smith is able to completely recover from his knee injury.


4: R1P4
DE JOEY BOSA
OHIO STATE

34: R2P3
OLB JAYLON SMITH
NOTRE DAME

67: R3P4
WR MICHAEL THOMAS
OHIO STATE

102: R4P3
RB KENNETH DIXON
LOUISIANA TECH

137: R4P38
TE NICK VANNETT
OHIO STATE

192: R6P14
DT D.J. READER
CLEMSON

212: R6P34
CB DARYL WORLEY
WEST VIRGINIA

216: R6P38
FB DAN VITALE
NORTHWESTERN

217: R6P39
S JUSTIN SIMMONS
BOSTON COLLEGE

There were a couple of Cowboys related moves yesterday. The Cowboys agreed to terms with Rolando McClain on yet another one year deal. That is another reason I felt I could take a chance in my mock draft on Jaylon Smith. The Cowboys are pretty well set a LB with McClain resigned meaning the Cowboys can afford to be patient with Smith.
Also, QB Matt Cassel was signed by Tennessee to backup Marcus Mariota. That's it as far a Day 1 of free agency.

[eagle eye]

Dallas is making moves in free agency! That is worth an exclamation point at the end of that sentence because it was as recently at the NFL Scouting Combine that COO Stephen Jones said that Dallas didn't like trying to build their team through free agency because you invariably over pay for a player. Jones did have a qualifier in that statement when he said that you never know if or when an opportunity should arise. It's no secret that Dallas has got to upgrade their front seven and more specifically their front 4 and Dallas has made a move to get better on the D-line. Here's an article from DallasCowboys.com about the signing of former Philadelphia Eagle DT Cedric Thornton. Thornton was a defensive end in Philly's 3-4 defense and it's projected that he will be a defensive tackle in Dallas. The good thing about Thornton is he is just 27 so he's no 30-something retread, he's a guy in the prime of his career. Even at that the deal for Thornton is only $18MM for 4 years. This isn't a bad deal and if he is as good as he's been in Philly Dallas got a steal.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/10/cowboys-agree-four-year-deal-former-eagles-dl-cedric-thornton

Dallas has signed CB Josh Thomas to a deal. Thomas has come full circle in the NFL after being drafted in the 5th round of the 2011 draft Thomas didn't make the final cut. He ended up playing for 3 seasons in Carolina. In total in his 5 year career Thomas has been on 6 different NFL rosters. Dallas signed him prior to the last game of the season against Washington. He didn't get into the game but he was on the roster so Dallas decided to sign him probably as insurance because of the uncertainty over how well Orlando Scandrick comes back from his torn ACL and MCL and whether or not they can, or even want to, resign Morris Claiborne and whether or not they will cut Brandon Carr loose. It's looking more and more like Dallas will lean toward drafting Florida State DB Jalen Ramsey. It would be extremely hard to pass on him even though Dallas could use a LB like Myles Jack or a DL like Joey Bosa or DeForest Buckner. Man, being an NFL GM is a bitch!

As for the Cowboys salary cap, they have finally shed the bindings of all the dead money stemming from bad deals that goes back before Jason Garrett became the head coach. Frankly, since he became the head man the poor deals have been less and financial damage of the poor deals made has been less. Now, at long last Dallas has just $900K in dead money which, in the grand scheme of things ain't squat. For a change Dallas has $14MM in available funds which doesn't sound like much but considering it's more than the Cowboys have had in over a decade it's pretty nice. Yesterday Dallas cleared another $4.4MM in cap space by restructuring DT Tyrone Crawford's deal. The deal didn't cost Crawford any money but it did get him more up front guaranteed money freeing up the aforementioned room on the Cowboys salary cap.

[eagle eye]

I don't remember when Dallas has been more active this early in free agency. However, it's not so much about players being signed off other teams, it's been Dallas coming to terms with their own unrestricted free agents. The only "outsider" signed so far is DL Cedric Thornton. Yesterday Dallas made deals with 4 other "homeys". CB Morris Claiborne signed a one year deal for roughly $3.5MM and they also reached a deal with backup TE James Hanna. The terms of the deal with Hanna weren't disclosed as yet but it's believed to be a 3 year deal. I was worried some that Hanna would be signed by another team and I was really concerned when it was reported that Hanna had a visit with the San Diego Chargers. They would be in the market for a TE despite signing Antonio Gates to a deal because backup TE Ladarius Green is a free agent. Hanna has morphed into a fine blocking TE who still has the speed and skill to be a receiver. I'm glad they got that deal done. The next player signed was LB Kyle Wilbur. His deal is for two years but the terms of the deal have not been released. Dallas also signed their primary backup tackle from last season, Charles Brown. With Wilbur agreeing to a deal it means that Dallas has all 3 of their starting LB's back. Brown's deal mean the Cowboys will also have continuity on the O-line, at least at tackle.
Dallas lost their primary backup at guard and center when Jacksonville poached Mackenzy Bernadeau yesterday. Also, veteran G Ronald Leary is as yet unsigned but he is a restricted free agent and he was given a tender offer last week which means if someone offers him a deal Dallas has the right of first refusal and if they don't match another team's offer Dallas would get a compensatory draft pick next year. That would mean much because they would still need a backup guard, preferably one who could also play center.
The signing of Claiborne helps solidify the CB position which was a big concern for the Cowboys with uncertainty that existed because Claiborne was a free agent and there are still questions over what Dallas will do with Brandon Carr. It also makes Dallas less needful to sign Florida State CB Jalen Ramsey with the 4th pick in the draft. That doesn't mean they won't draft him anyway but it will be because he's the best player on their board and not out of need which is always the best reason to draft a player.

In the link below is an article from DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola and in his weekly editorial he talks about what a good job the Cowboys front office personnel have done by abstaining from participating in the free agent frenzy of the past week. As usual The Mick makes a lot of sense and it's a good read to boot.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/11/spagnola-sometimes-getting-what-you-need-makes-most-cents-free-agency

[eagle eye]

We can take a momentary breather here in the 2nd week of free agency and look at the landscape. Of the 18 free agents from the Cowboys 2015 roster 6 have already been signed. That would be CB Mo Claiborne, OT Charles Brown, TE James Hanna, LB Rolando McClain, CB Josh Thomas and LB Kyle Wilbur. Dallas has also signed a DT in free agency. That would be Cedric Thornton who was a Philadelphia Eagle last year. Dallas has lost backup G/C Mackenzy Bernadeau to the Jacksonville Jaguars and backup QB Matt Cassel to the Tennessee Titans. That accounts for 8 of the 18 unrestricted free agents the Cowboys have to deal with.
Dallas started the free agency period with around $14MM in salary cap space. At the beginning of the free agency signing period the Cowboys restructured the deal with DT Tyrone Crawford that freed up another $4MM or so. Yesterday the Cowboys and LT Tyron Smith agreed to a restructure of his contract that freed up another $7.2 MM in cap space. All in all, Dallas had $25MM to play with in free agency. They spent $18MM over 4 years on Thornton and he will count around 2.5 million on Dallas' cap this year. The cap hit for this year on the 6 guys Dallas has resigned is in the $14MM neighborhood. Including Thornton's cap hit that's a total of $16.5MM leaving just $8.5 left to sign draft picks, pay roster settlements for injured player and sign players during the season to replace injured players. Damn, it doesn't take long to eat up $25MM! Think about that for a minute. $25MM would allow me, son and his family and my daughter and her family to live comfortably for the rest of all our lives. In six days Dallas has spent $18MM+ and will struggle to make the remaining $8.5MM last while they still have more holes in their roster than a hobo has in his clothes. The kicker here is that this is the best financial shape Dallas has been in since the new millennium began. As with anything else it's all a matter of what your perspective is. To me and you $25MM is life altering money while an NFL GM will struggle make the same amount of money last for the next year while trying to field a playoff contending football team.

[eagle eye]

It took all week but Dallas finally made another free agent move yesterday. Dallas signed their own guy, RB Lance Dunbar, to a 1 year deal worth $1.75 according to reports. Dunbar missed 12 games last season after tearing an ACL and patellar tendon in his knee in Week 4 against the Saints. Dunbar was finally making contributions to the offense as he had 21 catches and 215 receiving yards in less than 4 full games at the time of his injury. Dunbar made several visits to other teams since free agency began before agreeing to the deal with Dallas. It's a very team friendly deal especially the one year part of it. It is sort of a "show me" type of deal that will allow Dallas to bring back a guy familiar with and who can contribute to the offense without much financial risk in case his knee isn't really healthy.

Not much else going on around Valley Ranch and the draft talk is starting to wear thin and there's still 41 days until the draft.

So far the Cowboys have signed 7 of their own free agent players with Dunbar the latest and they have signed one outside free agent in Cedric Thornton but otherwise the Cowboys have not been players in the chase for free agent talent. You got an inkling of that at the Senior Bowl when COO Stephen Jones said the Cowboys didn't like to delve into free agency because you end up paying a good player like he's great and decent player like he's good and so on. What Jones meant is, it's rare to get the bang for your buck and that has certainly been true in Dallas. The only guy who I really think earned his paycheck after Dallas signed him as a free agent was DL La'Roi Glover. His time in Dallas was wasted because he was here during those dismal 5-11 seasons at the start of the 2000's. Now, there are a few you can argue have been worth the money they were paid like Brandon Carr or Rolando McClain. McClain has been better than expected and Dallas hasn't broken the bank signing him in either of the past two seasons. Carr suffers not because he hasn't played well, it is just that nobody can get past his huge paycheck and the fact that he's not Deion Sanders. What Carr has been is a steady, reliable CB who has done his job. By reliable I mean he rarely is out of position, he's good in run support and he hasn't missed a single game in his 8 year NFL career. Carr is the poster child for the scenario Stephen Jones said about overpaying players. Carr is a good player who got paid like a great player. Carr is in the final year of his contract and he will count $13MM against the Cowboys salary cap this season and I think they should stick with him and so far they have.
But I digress. The whole point of this rant is this. Dallas needs to upgrade their pass rush. They need a guy to play weak side DE that can terrorize the opposing QB. Dallas was in the same dilemma at this time last year and they addressed the problem by taking a chance on drafting Randy Gregory in the 2nd round after he was projected as a 1st round talent until he tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine. Now, he will be suspended the first 4 games of the upcoming season because he failed 3 other tests. Got to consider that a swing and a miss by the Cowboys. Next they signed Greg Hardy late of the Carolina Panthers. Hardy was "the Kraken", a double digit sack man who seemed to be just what Dallas' doctor ordered. Wrong. Hardy came to Dallas because he was involved in a domestic violence case in May of 2014 that ultimately cost him his job in Carolina and, in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal, made him the second coming of Adolph Hitler. Dallas signed him and the resulting media shit-storm was brutal. People compared Jerry Jones to Satan, calling him a pimp, immoral and heartless in the issue of domestic violence. But, that is just what Jerry does, if he sees a person who can help the Cowboys he's willing to take a chance on him and depend on his player support department to help the player past his problems successfully. Sometimes it works out and other times it doesn't. Hardy was supposed to be toeing the line in Dallas to prove he was not the monster everyone painted him to be but it turns out Hardy WAS the guy everyone thought he was. He successfully fooled the Cowboys and in the subsequent months he was a smart assed pain in the ass to the media when they tried to interview him, he threw a fit on the sideline knocking a clipboard and papers out of special teams coach Rich Bisaccia's hands in a rage because the Cowboys had just given up a 97 yard kickoff return to former Cowboy Dwayne Harris on the ensuing kickoff after Dallas had scored the go ahead touchdown late in the 2nd meeting between the Cowboys and Giants, he made disparaging remarks about Tom Brady's wife prior to the Cowboys game with the Patriots and he habitually was late for, or missed, team meetings. In other words he was a bad team mate, bad for the locker room and a PR nightmare. Hardy was, and is, a selfish person who has a tendency toward violence. When asked at the Senior Bowl about Hardy, Jason Garrett tersely replied that, "Greg Hardy is a free agent". Sounds like Garrett feels Hardy isn't "the right kind of guy" and he's glad he is gone. With Dallas still needing to address their defense, and their pass rush in particular, in this draft and after the failures of Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory you can bet that Dallas won't take a chance wasting the 4th pick in the draft on a guy with issues. Dallas needs the best player they can get who is also a standup guy off the field. That sort of lets out Joey Bosa who has had off field issues including being kicked out of the bowl game between Ohio State and Notre Dame for targeting. I'm sorry but that was not targeting, that is supposed to be a call to protect a player from a blow to the head and Bosa clearly hit the Notre Dame QB in the chest. That doesn't belie the fact that Bosa has issues. So, that leaves the next man up in the pass rusher pecking order in the draft, DeForest Buckner from Oregon State. The guy is a beast at 6'7" 290 lbs and he is fast for a big man doing the 40 in 5.05. Buckner is said to be able to play any position on the D-line and excel at it. If Buckner ends up a tackle instead of an end that's okay as long as he's good. It's worth noting that 2 of the 3 greatest D-linemen in Cowboys history are defensive tackles and both are Hall of Famers. One is Bob Lilly, "Mr. Cowboy" and the other is Randy "the Manster" White. Lilly was the 13th pick in the 1st round of the 1961 draft and he played for 14 years and helped the Cowboys play for 2 NFL Championships and 2 Super Bowls winning in Super Bowl VI over Miami. White was 2nd pick in the 1st round of the 1975 draft. He played 14 seasons amassing huge NFL stats and he played in 6 NFC Championship games and 3 Super Bowls winning in Super Bowl XII over Denver and also earning co-MVP of the SB with fellow D-line mate Harvey Martin. My point is it's okay if Buckner is a tackle if he has an impact of a Lilly or White. The last DT drafted in the first round was Russell Maryland with Dallas #1 pick in the 1991 draft. Maryland wasn't as impactful as Lilly or White but he helped Dallas win back to back SB's after the 1992 and 1993 seasons. Yep, I'm a Buckner man and I'm hoping Dallas feels the same way. Unless my eyes deceive me about the quality of players Dallas would have with Buckner my dream lineup for the D-line is DeMarcus Lawrence at right end, Cedric Thornton at the 1 technique, Buckner at the 3 technique and David Irving at right end. As you may remember Irving is, like Buckner, 6'7" and with that kind of height even if they don't reach the passer the QB would have about 10' of arms to throw around or over. D-end Ed 'Too Tall' Jones was 6'9" and he turned batting down balls at the line of scrimmage into an art. Interestingly enough Jones was the first pick in the 1975 draft and he has HOF numbers despite missing 2 seasons in the prime of his career when he was a professional boxer. From November 1979 to January 1980 he fought 6 fights and won them all including 5 KO's. His best win was over Mexican heavy weight champ Fernando Montes. In January of 1980 after his last bout he announced his intention to return to the Cowboys. In his career he helped his teams go to 5 NFC championship games and 2 Super Bowls winning in SB XII over Denver. Jones retired after 15 great seasons in Dallas. Jones never publicly explained why he left boxing so abruptly but I'm sure Cowboys fans didn't care because he was such a good player for the Cowboys. One more reason why DeForest Buckner should be the Cowboys first draft pick in April.

[eagle eye]

Defensive end, the pass rushing kind is obviously a need to be addressed by the Cowboys. They did just that on Friday by making an offer for restricted free agent DE Benson Mayowa of the Oakland Raiders. The offer is reportedly 3 years for $8MM but it is not confirmed. Oakland has 5 days from Friday to match the Cowboys offer or he will go to Dallas. Since Mayowa was an undrafted free agent when he came into the league in 2013 the Raiders won't get any compensatory pick for losing him. Mayowa was signed by Seattle as a UFA in 2013 and he spent a year with the Seahawks until he was released in August of 2014. The Raiders signed him shortly thereafter and he's been in Oakland the past two years. Mayowa is a little light in the britches for an NFL DE (6'3" 240lbs). In fact, he's built more like a linebacker than a DE but evidently the Cowboys see something in him so we'll wait to see him in action. Here's a link from profootballcentral.com about Mayowa in August of 2013 as he was going through his first NFL training camp with Seattle.

http://www.profootballcentral.com/2013/08/24/seattle-seahawks-who-is-benson-mayowa-that-kid-from-idaho/

I'll say it again, Oregon State's DeForest Buckner should be the Cowboys pick with the 4th pick in the first round. IMO he's the best DE at the top of the draft and Dallas is desperate for a player like this. I would also hope that either UCLA's Myles Jack or Ohio State's Darron Lee would be available in the 2nd round but that ain't happening. My first choice IF he's available is Ohio State LB Joshua Perry. If Dallas doesn't go defense then I hope they take a WR like Will Fuller from Notre Dame or Braxton Miller from Ohio State or Josh Doctson from Baylor.

Have you noticed how many really good players from Ohio State there are? Since Urban Meyer came to OSU the talent level of the program has shot through the roof. You could draft strictly from Ohio State and have a good draft. Guys like DE Joey Bosa, LB Darron Lee, WR Michael Thomas, WR Braxton Miller, TE Nick Vannett, S Vonn Bell, RB Ezekiel Elliot, OT Taylor Decker, LB Joshua Perry, DT Adolphus Washington and CB Eli Apple are all top 5 in their respective positon ranks with many the #1 ranked player. Pretty impressive. Clemson is not far behind and both programs have been quite successful in recent years.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have now have 2 new members for their team. First, the Cowboys had made an offer for DE Benson Mayowa, formerly with the Raiders, and both Mayowa and the Cowboys had to wait until the Raiders decided whether or not to match the Cowboys offer. Mayowa was a restricted FA and the Raiders had the right of first refusal and they had 5 days from last Friday to make a decision. Lo and behold, it is Tuesday and that means 5 days have passed since Dallas made the offer for Mayowa and the Raiders have declined to match the Cowboys offer. So, barring a freak incident, Benson Mayowa will be a Cowboy.
The other acquisition addresses the RB position. Dallas has Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar and not much else. At least until now. Dallas has agreed to terms on a deal for former Redskins RB Alfred Morris. The deal is for 2 years and $3.5MM with another $2MM or so in incentives.

It is also being reported that Dallas is close to coming to terms for FA CB Patrick Robinson who was with the San Diego Chargers in 2015. He was the 32nd pick in the 1st Rd of the 2010 draft by New Orleans. If he does sign with Dallas what was a position of weakness when free agency began has become a position of strength now. Two weeks ago all Dallas had was Orlando Scandrick, who is coming off a torn Achilles, and Brandon Carr who is in the last year of he FA deal he signed 4 years ago as well as a couple of inexperienced guys. As it stands now Dallas has Scandrick, Carr and they signed Morris Claiborne to a one year deal and Robinson, if he signs, would make Dallas set at least for 2016. If Dallas were to draft Jalen Ramsey from Florida State it would be a very interesting situation.

Listening to the "Talkin' Cowboys" podcast this morning DallasCowboys.com staff writer and former scout, Brian Broaddus, talked about Benson Mayowa. If Broaddus is right Dallas may have gotten some bang for their free agent bucks with this pick. The guys on the podcast with him asked about the issue I wondered about, Mayowa's size. Mayowa is only 240 lbs which seems light for this position but according to Broaddus with Mayowa it's not a concern because in the film study he's done he hasn't seen a guy getting blown off the ball, a guy with a quick first step and wrong is very strong at the point of attack. Broaddus also opined that Mayowa would be the starter at DE during Randy Gregory's 4 game suspension to start the 2016 season.

The acquisition of Mayowa and the potential acquisition of Robinson shores up positions of weakness in the Cowboys roster. This means that Dallas can really and truly draft the highest player on their board which means nobody that has been in the conversation since the end of the Super Bowl is ruled out. It could be QB (Goff or Wentz), RB (Ezekiel Elliot), DE (Joey Bosa, DeForest Buckner), LB (Myles Jack) or CB (Jalen Ramsey) or they could trade down a few spots and pick up some more draft picks and still get a really good player. Personally, I don't want them to trade down because you don't get this high of a draft pick very often (hopefully) and you need to get a franchise changing player.

Interesting fact about RB Alfred Morris. He's 27 years old and has been in the NFL for 4 years and has never missed a game. He should still be in the prime of his career and give the Cowboys a good power running back who flourishes in the one cut running offense that Dallas runs.

[eagle eye]

Here are the scouting reports done by DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus, a former NFL scout and current staff writer, who breaks down the Cowboys newest players RB Alfred Morris and Benson Mayowa.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/22/scouting-report-alfred-morris-still-boasts-skills-made-him-success

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/24/scouting-report-new-de-benson-mayowa-shows-encouraging-traits

The Cowboys worked out QB prospect Paxton Lynch yesterday. The University of Memphis QB is regarded as a top 3 QB prospect in this year's draft. Most mock drafts have Lynch going at the end of the first round. If Dallas hopes to get him they had better cross their fingers that he gets past the Broncos at the end of the first round of the draft. The Broncos are looking for a franchise QB after the retirement of Peyton Manning and the departure of Brock Osweiler to Houston. The Cowboys need to get the guy who will replace Tony Romo pretty darn soon. In the years of Dallas greatest success, from 1966 to 1982 Dallas always had a QB ready and waiting. Beginning with Don Meredith to Craig Morton to Roger Staubach to Danny White, Dallas never had a losing season in 20 consecutive seasons and they only missed the playoffs one time in that span. They also went to five Super Bowls winning 2 along with another 7 NFC Championship games. In fact from 1970 through 1982 Dallas went to the NFC championship game every year except for 1976 and 1979 when they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. 1974 was the only year Dallas failed to make the playoffs. Dallas will stop and worked players at Ohio State on Friday. Dallas has worked out or worked with 2 of the top 3 QBs in this draft, Lynch yesterday and the Cowboys staff coached Carson Wentz at the Senior Bowl. The Cowboys had reps at Cal for Jared Goff's pro day.

A lot of people have made a big deal about the fact that every year of his 4 year career Alfred Morris' rushing yards have declined. In 2012, as a rookie, Morris rushed for 1,613 yards, in 2013 he rushed for 1,275 yards, in 2014 he rushed for 1,074 and last season he only rushed for 751 yards. If you look a little closer his carries have gone down as well. From 2012 to 2015 he had in order, 335, 276, 265 and 202. His yards per carry also declined but I don't think it has so much to do with a decline in Morris' skills it has more to do with the decline in the Redskins talent. Morris is not a 3 down back by any means. In 4 years he had only 47 total receptions with the most in any season being 17 in 2014. He will add value to the Cowboys but by signing him doesn't mean they can't draft a RB if there's one they like.

Speaking of the draft, here's my weekly mock from On The Clock. This is version 4.0. It should be noted that the draft is now only 35 days away. Maybe not only, since I wish it was here right now, maybe I should say '...still 35 days away.'

In the first Rd I took DeForest Buckner out of Oregon. Dallas just HAS to get an impact pass rusher and, to me, Buckner is the guy. In the second round I took Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliot. There is no way in hell he will be there in the real draft but he was there in this mock simulator and I took him. I got OLB from Ohio State Jaylon Smith in the 3rd Rd. This could happen since Smith has a pretty serious knee injury and will not likely play in 2016. It is a roll of the dice pick because IF he fully recovers and is completely healthy he is considered a top ten talent and would give the Cowboys a long term solution at linebacker. With the 1st pick, fourth overall, in the 4th round I took TE Nick Vannett from Ohio State. It fills a need and this guy could end up being the next Jason Witten. With the 2nd pick in the 4th, No. 37 in the round, I chose UCLA WR Jordan Payton. There are just too many questions with the guys behind Dez and Terrence Williams not to take a good WR. I have no picks in Rd 5 and 4 in the 6th. With the first pick in the sixth I got Ken Crawley from Colorado. With the first of 3 supplemental picks I took OLB Yannick Ngakoue from Maryland. Next I selected FB Dan Vitale from Northwestern and lastly I got OLB Ian Seau from the U of Nevada. I just took him because he's Junior Seau's nephew and I figured he may have something of his uncle in him.

4: R1P4
DE DEFOREST BUCKNER
OREGON

34: R2P3
RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT
OHIO STATE

67: R3P4
OLB JAYLON SMITH
NOTRE DAME

102: R4P3
TE NICK VANNETT
OHIO STATE

136: R4P37
WR JORDAN PAYTON
UCLA

190: R6P14
CB KEN CRAWLEY
COLORADO

213: R6P37
OLB YANNICK NGAKOUE
MARYLAND

217: R6P41
FB DAN VITALE
NORTHWESTERN

218: R6P42
OLB IAN SEAU
NEVADA

[eagle eye]

With the NFL draft just over a month away I thought it might be a good time to go over the Cowboys roster and see what the team has and maybe what the Cowboys might do in the draft. I decided I would start on the defensive side of the ball and this first installment looks at the safety position. Keep in mind that I am looking only at signed players who are currently listed on the Cowboys roster.

> Barry Church SS - 6 yr veteran who came to Dallas in 2010 as an UFA. Church is the closest thing to Darren Woodson that the Cowboys have had since Woodson retired. He's a steady, if unspectacular, player and he is able to cover tight ends and backs as well as be effective in run support. To compare Church to Woodson is a little unfair because Woodson was a much better player but it's no knock on Church. His steadiness and reliability is a stabilizing factor in the Cowboys defense and he's also good at keeping players lined up correctly. Another thing about Church is he has the respect of his team mates evidenced in the fact he was elected team captain the past couple of years.

> Jeff Heath SS - 3 yr veteran who came to Dallas as an UFA in 2013. Heath has had some ups and downs as Cowboy but in general he has shown enough to earn a role as a backup player and he contributes on special teams. I think some fans don't like Heath because he's been burned a few times but most of his transgressions occurred when he was a rookie and injuries decimated the Cowboys secondary and Dallas was forced to throw Heath into the deep end of the pool and, as rookies do, he made some mistakes, some of which really hurt the team. He's gotten better and I think he's better than people give him credit for.

> JJ Wilcox FS - 3 yr veteran who was Dallas' pick in the 3rd RD of the 2013 draft. As a 3rd RD pick Wilcox was expected to be able to step right in and play right away. The problem was Wilcox had been a WR up until his senior year in college when he made the move to safety. Wilcox has been a bit of play maker but his flaws have been exposed. He's a really hard hitter but often he gives up plays trying to make the hard hit. As long as the play is in front of him he does ok but he's not great in pass coverage and recognition of plays and anticipation is lacking. Wilcox lost his starting job to Byron Jones in the middle of last season.

> Byron Jones FS/SS/CB - 1 yr veteran drafted with the 27th pick in the 1st RD of the 2015 draft. Jones was a highly touted player coming out of UConn last spring and he didn't disappoint. After putting up sick numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine which included a world record standing broad jump of 12'3". He also ran a 4.36-40 and had a 44-1/2" vertical jump. Jones came in and the Cowboys put a lot on his plate playing him at every DB position and handled it all. He did make some rookie mistakes but he didn't make them twice. He has the speed and versatility to play both S and CB but the general thinking is he is best used at safety. This kid is a damn good player and regardless of where he ends up playing it's a position Dallas won't have to worry about.

That's it. Dallas has 4 players under contract with 2 good starters in Jones and Church and serviceable backups in Heath and Wilcox. Dallas doesn't have to draft a safety but you always want to get better. I think a lot of people would not be sorry to see JJ Wilcox go and IMO he's the weakest link in the S chain. I would expect Dallas is going to address the whole DB position in the draft but going in you have to realize that Dallas starters are pretty good. Jones and Church are a pretty darn good tandem that will be even better in 2016 because of the year in the Cowboys weight room and a year of experience under his belt Jones will be really good. It never hurts to have a FS with 4.3 speed either. Top draft prospect Jalen Ramsey from Florida State is likely a top 5 pick and if he goes to Dallas the Cowboys would have to decide how they utilize Jones and Ramsey. One or the other will need to play cornerback. Both are free safeties and just to light in the caboose to play strong safety. My own personal pet cat in the draft is Ohio State LB Darron Lee. I've mentioned him before but he's a physical clone to Darren Woodson and he's fast and athletic enough to play safety. The only way Dallas gets him is if Lee does something stupid to cause his draft stock to fall into the second or third rounds. He is projected to go in the middle of the first which is the maddening thing about the draft. It's just a shame you can't cherry pick players that you want.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys are 30 days away from the NFL draft and the questions surrounding who Dallas might actually take with the 4th pick is a subject open to a lot of debate. What are you going to do Dallas? In a lot of mock drafts now Cleveland is no longer a sure bet to pick a QB with the 2nd pick in the draft which means either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff could be available. Word around Dallas is that the Cowboys front office isn't all that high on Joey Bosa so that means the best bets are either Florida CB/S Jaylen Ramsey or UCLA LB Myles Jack. Jack is still a wild card because his physical in April will determine if his knee is completely healed. His potential is mamma-jamma because of his size and athleticism. He's a LB would is fast and agile enough to play safety for goodness sake. It's just that pesky knee but, how many guys with a bad knee can do a 40" vertical jump which Jack did at the NFL scouting combine. I heard on a Cowboys podcast today that it's bad luck that Dallas has the 4th pick in the draft this year because there are a dearth of knock-your-socks-off players. No JJ Watt's, No Kahlil Mack's, no---no---who are we kidding? JJ Watt wasn't chosen until the 11 pick in the draft. Kahlil Mack was the 5th pick in the 2014 draft so who's to say there is no "Wow" player for Dallas to pick? The general consensus is that Jack is the most talented player in this year's draft. If he falls to #4 then, by golly, pick him and don't even wait until the clock winds down. Still need a D-end get someone with a lot of potential like Shawn Oakman from Baylor or Emmanuel Ogbah from Okie State or Kevin Dodd from Clemson. I like these players from Clemson. I'm glad I don't have to make this decision because you know Cowboys fans, no matter who they get they picked the wrong guy.


So, to continue with the position profile I tackle the CB position today.

> Morris Claiborne - 4 year veteran who suffered greatly because of where he was drafted and the expectations that came with being a high draft pick. Dallas actually traded up to the 6th pick in the draft to get Claiborne and he spent most of his time in the NFL injured. Last year was the most healthy Claiborne has been in a season but he still missed 5 games with an ankle and a hamstring injury. Mo signed a one year deal for a team friendly price. If Claiborne can stay healthy in 2016 he's going to make a lot of money, maybe not in Dallas but somewhere. He's got good skills and if he can stay on the field he will help Dallas a lot.

> Brandon Carr - Carr has played 8 seasons and never missed a game. That kind of reliability is a big plus for Carr, or anyone else for that matter. Not only has Carr been reliable but he has played pretty well. He's good in run support and he doesn't get beat deep very often. The biggest trouble with Carr has been his salary. He signed as a free agent in 2012 and his was paid to be Deion Sanders when he's really probably closer to Larry Brown. Get over the salary people. Be thankful we have Carr. His $13MM cap hit this year is no big deal and it's the last year of his deal so appreciate him while you can.

> Orlando Scandrick - He's also an 8 year vet but he's only got 7 years of wear on him as he missed all of last season with a torn ACL and MCL. Scandrick is a little on the small side for a CB but his tenacity and fight enable him to play much bigger than his actual stature. He made his bones in the NFL as a slot corner but he was good enough to displace Claiborne as the starting CB in 2014. He is widely regarded as the best cover corner on the team. If his knee is healthy and he's back at full strength Dallas has 3 damn good CB's.

> Byron Jones - This second year player was the Cowboys first round pick last season and despite having everything, including the kitchen sink, thrown at him in OTA's and training camp he proved to be yet another 1st round hit for the Cowboys. Jones has shown he can play corner but with Claiborne, Carr and Scandrick on the field the general consensus is Jones will play safety. Some say safety is the position he's best suited for but I'll take a guy who can run a 4.3 forty either spot.

> Terrence Mitchell - 2nd year player out of Oregon has shown some flashes but he needs to get more work in. A core special teams player who could see action in nickel and dime packages.

> Deji Olatoya - Another 2nd year player from North Carolina A&T. He is an example of youth on this team and if he makes the team he will be a special teamer who could to see some action from time to time.

> Buddy Jackson - Going into his 4th year in the NFL I don't see this guy as anything but a warm body for OTA's and training camp.

> Brandon McGee - 3rd year player and much like Buddy Jackson he is just a warm body for practices.

> Josh Thomas - He is heading into his 5th year in the NFL. He began with the Cowboys before he was cut before the end of training camp his rookie season. He bounced around to a couple of different teams before landing back in Dallas in December of '15. Dallas signed him to a one year deal back on March 10th.

Dallas is set at CB for 2016. Beyond that it's a big mystery with Carr in the final year of his deal and Claiborne on just a one year deal Dallas will need to address CB in the draft. Dallas has been the destination of Florida State's Jaylen Ramsey in many mock drafts. There are other CB's in the draft of course and Dallas could wait to address the position in the middle rounds. In the later rounds I am partial to West Virginia's Daryl Worley. Dallas does not have to go CB with #4 but if they did I'm sure a lot of people won't complain.

[eagle eye]

Dallas came to terms on a deal for free agent O-lineman Joe Looney. Looney is 25 years old and he's entering his 5th season in the NFL. Looney has started 27 games in the NFL at both guard and center. He started six games at guard for the Tennessee Titans last season and he had started as a center and guard for San Francisco, the team who drafted him in the 4th round. Looney is a younger and better version of former Cowboys Mackenzy Bernadeau who signed a free agent deal with Jacksonville earlier this month. This signing fills a need that Dallas had for a guy who could backup both the center and guard positions that was open because of the departure of Bernadeau and it allows Dallas to focus on other needs in the draft. Looney signed a 2 year deal but terms of the deal have not been made known as yet. Below is a link to the scouting report on Looney by DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus, a former NFL scout and current analyst for the Cowboys official website.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/29/scouting-report-looney-excels-more-guard-can-also-play-center

Terrence Williams has done some good things since coming to Dallas 4 years ago out of Baylor. You just wish he had done more. Dez Bryant missed most of the season with injuries and Dallas needed someone to step up and play like a #1 receiver but, for the most part, he really didn't do it. At least not until the final game of the season when he went off and had a damn good game in the season finale against the Redskins. Where was that guy all season? The answer to that can be found in this article by David Helman of DallasCowboys.com. He details a new found dedication by Williams that was provided by Jason Garrett and his trip to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50 helped re-motivate him.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/29/trip-super-bowl-has-wr-williams-eager-get-jump-2016-season

Nearly one year ago to the day Dallas drafted CB Byron Jones with their first round pick in last year's NFL draft. The link below is from an article from the Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine by John Tranchina that allows Jones to reflect on his first season in the NFL.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/29/star-nearly-full-year-after-getting-drafted-jones-reflects-first-season

[eagle eye]

There are so many guys who are linked to Dallas in this draft. Of course there is always speculation on how a team will draft but this year it's different. Maybe it's because they have such a high draft pick coupled with the fact they have so many needs. QB, WR, DE, LB, CB and S are the positions of highest need with DE probably the most important. Dallas spent 4 years building up their offensive line and in 2015 they began rebuilding the defense by drafting Byron Jones and Randy Gregory in the 1st and 2nd rounds. Jones has been a definite hit while the jury on Gregory is still out but so far he's been a big miss. It's critical that Dallas 1st and 2nd round picks both hit in this draft. In 2014 Dallas was a strong contender to go to the Super Bowl. Dallas needs help on defense to get back to that place because their downfall in the playoff game against Green Bay their pass rush failed miserably despite the fact that Aaron Rodgers was damn near crippled going into the game. Personally, I hope Dallas takes LB Myles Jack with their first pick and a DE like Baylor's Shawn Oakman. If they go with DeForest Buckner I won't bitch especially if they get a guy like Ohio State LB Josh Perry in the second round. Some are even saying Dallas should take Florida State's Jalen Ramsey who is a CB/S but IMO this limits Dallas when they pick in the 2nd round. They are almost obligated to get a quality pass rusher if they go with Ramsey. If Dallas takes Jack or Buckner in the first if a guy like QB Paxton Lynch is available in the 2nd they should take him. I wouldn't count on it because Denver needs a franchise QB in the worst way and if Lynch is there at the end of the 1st round the Broncos probably should take him. If Dallas doesn't get Lynch then I'm happy if they get one of the top WR's. It's unlikely they could get Baylor's Corey Coleman but Notre Dame's Will Fuller, Ohio State's Michael Thomas or TCU's Josh Doctson my be there. Any one of which would be a nice compliment to Dez and Terrence Williams. Should Dallas take Carson Wentz with the 4th pick. Maybe but they would sacrifice an impact player on defense and it doesn't make sense for Jason Garrett to draft a QB of the future when, if Dallas struggles to a mediocre record, HE may be fired. I've said it before and I'll say it again, being an NFL GM is a sonofabitch.

CB Brandon Carr has been the subject of controversy for a couple of years. It's all because he's paid to be Deion Sanders and he's just a good CB. His durability and dependability are important to any team who is trying to field a competitive team. In this article from DallasCowboys.com's Nick Eatman he talks about Carr's true value to the Cowboys and how his $13MM salary isn't a big deal.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/03/30/carr-sidesteps-contract-discussion-expects-return-2016-season

[eagle eye]

Just when I have talked myself into hoping that Dallas selects UCLA LB Myles Jack with the 4th pick in this year's draft along comes DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola in his weekly rant changing my mind again. When this whole process just prior to the NFL Scouting Combine I was all in on Oregon DE DeForest Buckner. Dallas needs an impact pass rusher and Buckner looks like the most likely candidate. As we have gotten deeper into free agency Dallas has shored up their defensive line with the signing of a DT and a DE. The Cowboys also have DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving not to mention Randy Gregory after he serves his 4 game suspension. With that in mind I figured that the linebacking corps is thin and Myles Jack would answer a lot of previously unanswered questions. The caveat with Jack is uncertainty over the health of a knee he tore up pretty badly early last season. It was bad enough he dropped out of school to concentrate on rehabbing the knee with this year's NFL draft in mind. Then today I read Mr Spagnola's weekly editorial. Oh he tries to cover himself by saying that Dallas just needs to draft a guy who is a transformative player. A guy who can make everyone better around him and who has the talent and skill set to honestly be a guy who ends up in Canton, Ohio some day. Then he devoted the bulk of his article telling us all about what an amazing player Florida State CB/S Jalen Ramsey is. Pretty convincing article too. I got me to change my mind. It also makes be worry that he's so good Dallas has no shot in hell at getting him. Hell, he could even go to Cleveland since the signed RGIII this past week making it no guarantee the Browns draft yet another 1st round quarterback. How messed up would it be if Dallas had to choose between Myles Jack, DeForest Buckner, Carson Wentz and Jared Goff? Maybe someone in the second half of the top ten picks wants to move up and are will willing to give up a 2nd rounder this year and a 1st rounder next year. Yeah, right. Check out the article and see if the ol' Mickaroo can convince you Ramsey is the way Dallas should go when they go on the clock a mere 25 days from now.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/01/spagnola-cowboys-thoroughly-eying-catalytic-possibility-no-4

The DallasCowboys.com staff writers have posted their first full mock drafts. Bryan Broaddus, David Helman, Nick Eatman and Rob Phillips give us their choices for this April's draft.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/01/staff-writers-give-their-%E2%80%9Ctwo-cents%E2%80%9D-cowboys%E2%80%99-personalized-mock-draft

[eagle eye]

Dallas signed another free agent defensive lineman. It was another one of their own guys as they signed Jack Crawford to a one year deal the terms of which are not currently known. Crawford is a 4th year player who has spent his first 3 seasons with the Cowboys. At 6'5" and 288 lbs Crawford is versatile enough to play end or tackle on the defensive line. Given the fact that teams have snapped up pass rushers left and right in free agency it's a wonder Crawford hasn't been scooped up yet. Although, when you look at it he doesn't have all that many sacks and even though he's got position flex he has not been especially great. The Cowboys wanted Crawford back and I'm sure they've seen potential in him but it's about time some of these guys start to live up to that potential. This signing gives Dallas a crap-load of depth on the D-line so does this mean that they will be less likely to take a Joey Bosa or DeForest Buckner? Who knows. We won't know until April 28th around 7:30 PM.

Dallas has begun their allotted 30 visits with potential draft prospects. Last year CB Byron Jones was among the 30 players Dallas welcomed to Valley Ranch and Jones ended up being Dallas first round pick at #27. Dallas will have a bunch of guys we'd love them to draft, that they'd love to draft, but just because you want it doesn't mean you'll get it. In fact you will not get every player you want. Ever get frustrated in your fantasy draft watching players you want disappear from the draft board as you squirm in your seat waiting for your next turn to pick? Quadruple that feeling and that's what an NFL war room goes through on draft days. The higher the round your picking in the more anxiety you feel because the pressure to get it right is enormous because the consequence of picking wrong might cost you your job. Imagine in your next fantasy draft that your boss at work tells you that you have to make the playoffs or your ass is fired. Kind of adds a little desperation to the pot doesn't it?

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/05/pre-draft-visits-always-next-step-cowboys%E2%80%99-evaluation-process

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have brought in no less than 6 QBs as part of their allotted 30 visits every team is allowed prior to the draft. Yesterday Carson Wentz was the 6 sixth QB to visit Valley Ranch. As any Cowboys fan knows QB is a high priority need for Dallas with Tony Romo 36 years old and prone to injury the last few years with his back and collar bone issues. Romo's successor needs to be way up high on the Cowboys draft list. Odds are the best that Dallas will get a franchise QB in the first round but they are in a 'win now' mode and honestly the top two QB's in this year's draft, Carson Wentz and Jared Goff, are not sure fire locks to be the next Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman. To me, the Cowboys would be best served to get a stud defensive player with pick #4 and hope a Paxton Lynch or Connor Cook falls to them in the 2nd round. Maybe that guy could be Jacoby Brissett from North Carolina State or some Romo-eque UFA they sign after the draft. I don't know and I don't care when or where Dallas get him but they need a to succeed Romo. During the first golden age of the Cowboys franchise when they built their America's Team mystique there was a QB ready to step in when the previous QB stepped out. Dandy Don Meredith gave way to Craig Morton who gave way to Roger Staubach who gave way to Danny White. A record 20 consecutive winning seasons would not have happened without a QB to lead the team. That's a big reason why the 90's dynasty never went any further than it did because there was nobody in the wings to take over the reins of the Cowboys franchise when Aikman was done. There were some pretty thin years for Dallas when Aikman retired because Dallas had put all their chickens in the Aikman basket and when he had to retire the Cowboys looked around and found the QB cupboard was bare. Jerry Jones was in a 'win now' mode then too hoping to get the triplets one last ring. It cost Dallas too much in that pursuit. It didn't help that the Cowboys drafted badly after Jimmy Johnson left and that poor drafting lasted until Bill Parcells came on board in 2003. Dallas has drafted pretty darn well in the first 3 or 4 rounds since Jason Garrett took over as head coach but the Cowboys haven't been very good in later rounds. That trend needs to change and right now.

There has been a lot of talk about who Dallas should pick at #4 but what about needs that need to be filled in the draft? May I offer a RB for your consideration. Notre Dame's C J Prosise. Who? That was my question because I don't follow Notre Dame football that close and saw virtually none of their game last season Prosise was a total unknown to me when this draft process started back in February. What I have since found out is that Prosise is the 2nd fastest RB in the top 5. Only Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliot is faster. I have also found out that Prosise switched from WR to RB prior to last season so you know a couple of things with that info. 1) Prosise's ceiling is very high because he is still learning the intricacies of the RB position and 2) you know he can catch the ball coming out of the backfield. Prosise is a 3 down type of back who doesn't have to come off the field, he is good at pass blocking, he runs with power finishing off runs and he has the ability to make defenders miss and the speed to take the rock to the house. God only knows why but he's projected to be a 4th round draft pick and if he's there in the 4th Dallas should jump all over this kid. Dallas has two picks in the 4th round and if they can snag Prosise with one and Jacoby Brissett with the other, IMO, Dallas will have hit a huge home run in that round. Of course, it all depends on if one or, preferably, both guys panning out but what the hell, you only have one 1st round pick and so forth so why not expect the later picks to be good, right? Right.

Here's my weekly mock draft version 6.0. As usual it's done the On The Clock draft simulator on fanspeak.com and for consistency sake I have used the CBSSports.com player rankings. If you try using this On The Clock there are a lot of player ranking sites to choose from, I just chose CBS when I started. So let's take a look at my most recent Christmas wish list.

4: R1P4
OLB MYLES JACK - Best defensive player in the draft next to Jalen Ramsey who was gone when Dallas picked.
UCLA

34: R2P3
DE KEVIN DODD - Best available player in the 2nd. Had a breakout year with 12 sacks playing opposite Shaq Lawson at Clemson.
CLEMSON

67: R3P4
TE HUNTER HENRY - Highest ranked TE in this draft and touted at the best all around TE to come out of college in years. Potential successor to Jason Witten.
ARKANSAS

101: R4P3
RB C.J. PROSISE - Discussed him earlier in this post.
NOTRE DAME

135: R4P37
QB JACOBY BRISSETT - Has the size and skills to play in the NFL and with good coaching can be a franchise NFL QB.
NC STATE

189: R6P14
CB DARYL WORLEY - Good CB from power 5 conference. Needs to get better tackling but has the tools to be a good NFL CB.
WEST VIRGINIA

212: R6P37
CB DEIONDRE' HALL - Player from Northern Iowa who is long and athletic and good in coverage which is perfect for a guy projected to play safety in the NFL.
NORTHERN IOWA

216: R6P41
ILB NICK KWIATKOSKI - Another guy to play the middle who could be someone Dallas can count on if Rolando McClain stumbles and gets suspended again.
WEST VIRGINIA

217: R6P42
C AUSTIN BLYTHE - This Iowa lineman has started at both center and guard in college and he would fill a need for as a swing guard and backup center.
IOWA

[eagle eye]

Last Friday was "Dallas Day" meaning the Cowboys could work out as many players as they want to as long as they either went to high school or college in the Dallas area. The Cowboys are fortunate that there a lot of draft worthy players that came to AT&T Stadium for a potential draft interview. The best thing about the Dallas Day and similar days around the NFL are that the visits don't count against the allotted 30 visits allowed by NFL rules for hosting potential draft prospects. Here's an article from DallasCowboys.com about the Dallas Day activities.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/08/cowboys%E2%80%99-annual-dallas-day-workout-included-nearly-40-draft-prospects

In last week's weekly rant DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola convinced me that Jalen Ramsey should be Dallas' pick at #4 in a little over 2 weeks at the NFL Draft. In this week's editorial Mickey seemed to be saying that Dallas needs to draft a QB as long as he's really worth the pick. It was cleverly disguised as an article about the long road Hall of Fame OL Larry Allen took on his way to the NFL. It's a good article and worth a look.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/08/spagnola-allen-having-start-somewhere-find-your-anywhere

After a week to think about it I have come to the conclusion that Dallas should take whoever is available at #4 between Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack. Both guys are, with all the information available, the two best players in this draft. I'm sure there are people who will argue that Ole Miss OL Laremy Tunsil is the best player in the draft but Dallas isn't taking Tunsil because they just don't need him. The fact is one and maybe both may not even be there when Dallas picks. It's a no-brainer if one is there and if both are there the Cowboys should have a quarter ready to flip.
The general consensus of most of the mock drafts of the first 3 picks ahead of the Cowboys are 1) OL Laremy Tunsil - Ole Miss to Tennessee 2) QB Carson Wentz - NDSU to Cleveland and 3) Jalen Ramsey - Fla State to San Diego. San Diego has also been linked to Jack and QB Jared Goff from Cal. Who knows at this point. Let's say both Jack and Ramsey are gone, who does Dallas take? If this is the case then Carson Wentz could be there as the top QB prospect. Dallas has called him impressive and NFL.com's Mike Mayock has a major man-crush on him. Dallas also seems to like Paxton Lynch but they would likely have to take him at 4 because the odds of his being there when Dallas picks at 34 in the 2nd round are slim and none. Of course if Wentz is gone and Dallas takes Lynch at 4 the Cowboys will take a lot of heat for taking him too high. If Jack and Ramsey are gone and Dallas doesn't go QB then I hope they go for the best pass rusher in this draft. No, it's not Joey Bosa. IMO it's Shaq Lawson from Clemson. Dallas will also be criticized for reaching for Lawson but let me tell you one thing. I have heard a former NFL scout and current DallasCowboys.com staff writer Bryan Broaddus compare Bosa with former Cowboys DE Greg Ellis. Now Ellis was a decent player for the Cowboys but he wasn't worth the #4 pick in the draft. Because Dallas had just gone through a lot of turmoil over Michael Irvin's arrest at a Dallas hotel with a prostitute and in possession of cocaine they didn't want a player who had a lot of baggage so they went with Ellis over future Hall of Famer Randy Moss. Bosa has some baggage too and he's not projected as 4-3 pass rushing right DE he's projected as a left DE who plays on the strong side of the line across from the tackle and tight end. I want a human tornado playing right end and I'm done with Randy Gregory. That guy can't leave weed alone and he's another failed drug test from a 10 game suspension. Lawson or Lynch or trade back. Personally, I don't want Dallas to trade back. I want either Jack or Lynch and I feel one or the other will be there when Dallas picks.

[eagle eye]

At last there's something to talk about other than the draft (which is only 15 days away!).

The Cowboys have signed another one of their own free agents to a new deal. S Jeff Heath was signed today to a 4 year deal worth that is likely better than the $1.67MM tender offer they made Heath way back in February as a restricted free agent. The dollar amount of the deal has yet to be released. Heath was a UFA from Saginaw Valley State located at University Park, Michigan. SVSU is a DII school and Heath was signed after the 2013 season. Here's an article from DallasCowboys.com's David Helman about the signing.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/13/cowboys-re-sign-restricted-free-agent-jeff-heath-four-year-deal

Also mentioned in the article is Dallas had only two restricted free agents that were offered tender offers. The other RFA is G Ron Leary. His offer was for $2.553MM for one year. Leary was a starter on the Cowboys O-line until Dallas acquired UFA La'el Collins after last year's draft. Because he was linked to the murder of girl at LSU Collins from from a top half of the 1st round pick to completely out of the draft. Despite the fact that he was just a person of interest in the girl's murder and was found completely without any wrongdoing no NFL team would touch him in last year's draft. Jerry Jones worked his magic on Collins and his family enticing him to sign with the Cowboys. That said, Leary was left with the knowledge that he had probably lost his job to Collins. Dallas kept Leary because he was a quality backup with starting experience and Dallas has steadfastly refused to renegotiate Leary's original deal despite the fact that Dallas had one of, if not the best, offensive lines in the NFL of which Leary was a big part. Bottom line, Leary was also an unsigned free agent signing by Dallas because despite Leary being very highly touted O-lineman coming out of college. The problem was, Leary was found to have an issue with a degenerative knee condition and there were no guarantees Leary would play one week or ten years in the NFL. Dallas rolled the dice on Leary and Jerry Jones was tickled to death at the press conference held literally within minutes of the end of the draft to announce Leary's signing it overshadowed all the other players selected in the 2012 draft. Jones was absolutely giddy about the Leary signing and Jones showed the same exuberance when the Cowboys inked La'el Collins after last year's draft. I wonder, are there any other first round talents who, for one reason or another, has fallen like crazy down NFL draft boards? You can bet if there is Jerry will be front and center, as only he seems to be able to do, to coerce and cajole and schmooze that player into signing with the Cowboys. Jerry is the ultimate salesman and nobody is better at it than he is in the NFL. There are guys who are better judges of talent and some who are better at manipulating the salary cap but nobody can outsell Jerry Jones. Nobody.

Dallas has to solve the problems they have had since Jimmy Johnson folded up his tent and left Dallas for South Beach with drafting in round 4 on to the end. In recent years, since Jason Garrett became head coach Dallas has gotten better in rounds 1 through 3 but hits on the back end of the draft have been few and far between. In this article from Dallas SportsDay via the Bleacher Report by Rick Gosselin he talks about this very real problem the Cowboys need to solve.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/04/12/gosselin-cowboys-failed-later-rounds-last-20-years-can-improve-year

One thing about the draft. In recent days I have heard people like former Cowboys guard during their heyday in the 1990's say that he struggled with okay running backs for 3 years in Dallas but when they drafted Emmitt Smith it all changed. The next thing you know Emmitt became the all time leading rusher in NFL history and he and his teammates had 3 Super Bowl rings and Smith took his rightful place in the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Big Nate feels that Ezekiel Elliott is the guy who Dallas should draft with their first pick in the first round of the this year's draft. I have since heard others say that Elliott is the most likely to have an immediate, dramatic impact for the Cowboys THIS season and beyond. There is even an article on Bleacher Report that says if Dallas were to draft him he is a shoe-in Hall of Famer. Dallas has signed their own free agents and Cedric Thornton to bolster the D-line and they have their starting LB's for 2015 back with some depth, not great depth, to allow Dallas to go offense with the all important 4th pick in the draft.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/04/12/former-nfl-safety-ezekiel-elliott-will-hall-famer-healthy-running-behind-cowboys-line

[eagle eye]

By now everyone probably has heard of the blockbuster deal between the LA Rams and the Tennessee Titans that involved the Rams trading all the way up from #15 in the 1st round to Tennessee's spot with the #1 overall pick in the draft. The thinking is the Rams want to make a splash that coincides with the Rams move from St Louis to LA. What better way than to make a blockbuster deal to get the #1 pick and get the next face of the Rams franchise. It's an LA-type move but like a big budget movie it better be a hit or someone will be looking for work. It puts pressure on new Titans GM Jon Robinson too because he now has the picks to lay the foundation for the next decade for the Titans franchise. I think I'd rather be in Tennessee than LA because so much was given up by the Rams to draft, what is expected to be, their franchise QB and face of the Rams going forward. That being said it is time for my weekly mock draft, version 7.0, as done on the On The Clock draft simulation on fanspeak.com. As always I am using the CBS Sports player rankings as the guide. There are a bunch of other ranking lists but I began with CBS and I wanted to be consistent. For better or worse here's 7.0. One last thing. The deal between Tennessee and LA was completed this morning and as of this posting the On The Clock simulator has already been updated listing LA as having the #1 pick. Pretty impressive how they keep up to date with any changes.

4: R1P4
RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT - When Nate Newton talks about how the Cowboys struggle his first 3 years in Dallas then Emmitt Smith came along and everything changed I had to rethink
OHIO STATE - my strategy in the draft. Elliott became an no-brainer pick and I sure as hell didn't want the Eagles to get him at #8.

34: R2P3
OLB JAYLON SMITH - This guy, if he had been healthy, would have been ranked above Myles Jack. Hell, even with the uncertainty about his knee Mike Mayock still has him ranked
NOTRE DAME - as the best LB in the draft. He's not expected to play in 2016 but that's okay if he returns to the beast he was at Notre Dame before he was hurt. It's a
- serious roll of the dice but could be more than worth the risk.

67: R3P4
OLB JOSHUA PERRY - Fast, good in coverage and excellent at the point of attack. He ran a 4.68 at the combine and a 4.58 at his pro day. A little under the radar among all the
OHIO STATE - star at THE Ohio State University but as I once heard, you can never have enough good linebackers.

101: R4P3
TE NICK VANNETT - Third player in the first 4 picks from OSU but I don't care because since Urban Meyer came back to Ohio State the Buckeyes have gotten really good because
OHIO STATE - they have really good talent. I noticed Vannett at the Senior Bowl and he just looks like a Jason Witten clone to me.

135: R4P37
C EVAN BOEHM - It is so weird that I was at a huge impasse when this pick came up. Dallas needs a backup center and a guy who can be a swing guard. Boehm is strong at the
MISSOURI - point of attack and his specialty is drive blocking. He was described as a coke machine with arms and legs. When I read that I was all in on this kid.

189: R6P14
QB BRANDON DOUGHTY - As you might expect Doughty is a guy who will need time to develop. Great, so was Tony Romo and that's worked out pretty good. Let's see what good
WESTERN KENTUCKY - coaching and time in the weight room can do for this kid.

212: R6P37
CB DEIONDRE' HALL - Small school player with size. At 6'2" and 199 lbs and long arms he is a fit at either corner or safety. In college he played both and a little LB too. His 4.62
NORTHERN IOWA - is more safety speed than CB but his position flex will be a benefit for him. Late round picks often need time to develop and small school guys need
- coaching to improve but this kid could be a sleeper in this draft. People forget Seattle's Kam Chancelor was a 5th round pick.

216: R6P41
DT NILE LAWRENCE-STAMPLE - This is a road grater 1 technique guy. Dallas has a lot of 3 technique D-tackles but Lawrence-Stample is more than just big (6'1", 320 lbs) he can
FLORIDA STATE - run (5.24-40 at pro day). He's a great run stopper with some pass rush ability so he's not just a 3-4 nose tackle.

217: R6P42
CB KEIVARAE RUSSELL - I took Russell because he's got decent size (5'11", 192 lbs) and he's got speed (4.42-40 at his pro day). In his first two years he was Notre Dame's best
NOTRE DAME - CB. In 2014 he broke his leg and missed the entire season. He came back in 2015 but he wasn't fully healthy so his draft stock dropped. This kid is a
- good player who needs some good coaching and work on his technique. This guy could be the steal of the draft if Dallas gets him in the real draft.

That's it. After looking it over I think this is my favorite mock to date. I love getting a stud running back. I love the chance taken on Jaylon Smith. If he pans out it would mean Dallas got 2 high first round picks in this draft. That's why you make a move like this. I am equally happy to get Josh Perry. I have a bad feeling Perry will much sooner than the 3rd round. The other Ohio State guy is Vannett. Dallas keeps drafting TE's and one of these times they're going hit the jackpot. Why not Vannett? He sure resembled Jason Witten
at the Senior Bowl. The rest of the draft I really did some research on and I like all my picks. The only round when I couldn't make up my mind was the 2nd because I saw Smith there as well as Clemson DE Kevin Dodd whom I like a lot as a player but I opted for Smith because after the starters there isn't a lot to choose from on Dallas' roster right now. I really, really like this draft and if were to come to pass the real draft ends up like this, I am a happy camper.

[eagle eye]

It's heeeerrrrre! Last night the NFL released the 2016 NFL schedule. Dallas will have 6 nationally televised games despite their poor 2015 4-12 season. The Cowboys will play the AFC North teams and the NFC North teams besides their regular division games with Philly, Washington and NY Giants. The complete their 16 game schedule by playing Tampa Bay and San Francisco. Linked below is an overview of the 2016 Cowboys schedule by David Helman.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/14/cowboys-open-against-giants-will-play-six-national-tv-games-2016
(http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/14/cowboys-open-against-giants-will-play-six-national-tv-games-2016)
The same David Helman tries to sort out what the blockbuster deal between the Rams and the Titans yesterday means to the top part of the draft and for Dallas in particular.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/04/14/helman-trying-unpack-what-rams-titans-trade-means-dallas

Here's a link to a video from DallasCowboys.com writers round table with their first impressions of the 2016 schedule.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/04/14/roundtable-first-impressions-2016-schedule

[eagle eye]

I think the thinking is Dallas can't get a quality pass rusher unless they draft on with the 4th pick in the 1st round. There are 2 major flaws to that thinking. 1) Defensive end has the biggest bust rate except for QB than any other position. 2) As you can see in the table below, while there are 3 first round picks on the top ten pass rushers list, that's the point--there are only 3 1st round picks on the list. There are guys who were drafted in the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds and two undrafted free agents. So we can't be fooled into believing that it's #4 or bust on the pass rushing because it just isn't true. The fact is you have a better chance hitting on a linebacker or defensive back than you do a DE. It doesn't make me wish Dallas would pick Shaq Lawson but I'll take Myles Jack or Jalen Ramsey over him and hope a Kevin Dodd is available in the 2nd round. All bets are off if Paxton Lynch is there when Dallas picks with the 3rd pick in the 2nd round. I'm taking him without looking back. Now, that's not to say I won't be dancing in the aisles if Dallas picks RB Ezekiel Elliot at #4. I don't think I will be too disappointed at either selection. My only disappointment will be because of the fact Dallas can't get both. I'm telling you right now if one of the top 3 pickers selects Ramsey I want Dallas to pick Elliot. I'll be damned if I let him go to Philadelphia. The only monkey in this wrench would be if Dallas traded down and selected Paxton Lynch with their new pick or if they want him bad enough take him at #4. Goodness, there are so many possibilities it's enough to drive you crazy. Thank God the draft is just 10 days away, I don't know how much more suspense I can take!



Rank
Name
Team
Pass rush snaps
Total pressures
Pass rush productivity (PRP)
Round Drafted
Year Drafted
College


1
Pernell McPhee
CHI
205
45
17.1
5th
2011
Miss St


2
Von Miller
DEN
239
49
15.9
1st
2011
TAMU


3
Justin Houston
KC
269
51
15
3rd
2011
Georgia


4
Michael Bennett
SEA
263
46
13.9
UFA
2009
TAMU


5
Cliff Avril
SEA
256
45
13.7
3rd
2008
Purdue


6
James Harrison
PIT
157
27
13.2
UFA
2002
Kent St


7
Elvis Dumervil
BAL
245
41
13.1
4th
2006
Louisville


8
Aaron Lynch
SF
230
38
13
5th
2014
So Fla


9
Ezekiel Ansah
DET
224
36
12.6
1st
2013
Brig Young


10
Tamba Hali
KC
272
44
12.5
1st
2006
Penn St

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys may be forced to take Joey Bosa or Shaq Lawson or DeForest Buckner in the 1st round of the draft now. Why, because dumbass DeMarcus Lawrence looks like he's going to be suspended 4 games for violating the NFL substance abuse policy. He has already failed previous drug tests and has been fined 4 games. The next step is game suspension. Rooty freaking tooty. What the hell is wrong with the Cowboys defensive ends. Two can't stay of drugs and the other can't stop being a douche bag. Of course I'm talking about Randy Gregory and Lawrence for the drug abusers and Greg Hardy for douche baggery. Lawrence is appealing the impending suspension but unless the problem lies with pain meds following his off season back surgery I have zero hope Lawrence will be in uniform. God help us if the Jones family is desperate enough to resign Hardy because by all accounts he was terrible in the locker room. Hardy is definitely not the right kind of guy Jason Garrett always talks about. This just sucks. Stupid is all I can say about players who throw away their careers, or parts of them, to smoke weed or eat X's or whatever the drug of choice is. STOOOOO-PID!

In other NFC East news the Philadelphia Eagles have traded up to the 2nd pick in the draft from their 8th spot today in a deal with Cleveland. Believe it or not Cleveland raped the Eagles worse than the Titans nailed the Rams when they traded up to pick #1 in the draft last week. Cleveland has made the best deal ever acquiring Philly's #8 pick in the first round as well as the Eagles 3rd and 4th round pick in this draft plus Philly's 1st round pick in 2017 and their 2nd round pick in 2018. Presumably the intention is that Philly will draft their QB of the future when they get the QB the Rams don't take with the 1st overall pick. In many ways it's a much better deal that Cleveland got than the deal the Titans agreed to. The Titans will get a good player at 15 and having 6 picks in the first 76 ain't bad but Cleveland gets a higher draft pick and will have 5 picks of their own through the 4th round. Plus the 1st next year and the 2nd in 2018 will help Cleveland stop nickel and diming and allow them to rebuild in earnest. Philly has made a lot of deals this off season but they still have a lot of holes. If the 2nd pick in this draft is a bust then the Eagles are royally screwed for several years to come. To a die hard Cowboys fan like me that sounds pretty darn good.

[eagle eye]

The knee jerk reaction to the impending suspension of DeMarcus Lawrence in reference to next week's draft was inevitable. I sort of bought into the 'Cowboys HAVE to draft a DE now' Kool-Aid until I had a chance to think about it. What I discovered is that Dallas still has players to fill the void for the first 4 weeks of the season. They have newly signed Benson Mayowa and returning DL Jack Crawford to play the rush end and last year's diamond in the rough David Irving to play the strong side DE. Dallas can still take the best player available. Will that player be Jalen Ramsey or Myles Jack or Ezekiel Elliott? It really doesn't matter. In a big way I want Dallas to take a chance on Myles Jack but his knee issue is a bothersome. Either Myles Jack will be good for his career or he might be good for 5 games. He looks like he's on track to get microfracture surgery and that is year lost to rehab with no guaranteed return to what he was. But, you always look at Jadeveon Clowney who has come back from that surgery and is looking for a big year in 2016. Trouble was it took 2 full seasons to come back and the jury is still out on him. If Dallas had the depth to deal with it they could draft Jack and have him go through the MF surgery and hope he plays next season with an eye to full recovery by the 2017 opener. Trouble is the Cowboys are in 'win now' mode unless he falls to the 2nd or 3rd round it looks pretty slim that Dallas will take him. Ramsey is the odds-on favorite but recent articles have reported that Jerry Jones wants Ezekiel Elliott. The last thing, this is when everybody and their brother in the NFL front offices become pathological liars which mean we don't know what Dallas will do. We won't find out for sure until 5 days from now around 8 PM CDT.

As for DeMarcus Lawrence, he is appealing his upcoming suspension. It looked like he was going to be suspended for violating the substance abuse policy but it really an alleged violation of the NFL policy on PED use then it went back to substance abuse. Apparently, Lawrence failed previous drug tests because of marijuana use and his reps have pointed out that speed is different than weed and could be grounds to avoid suspension. On the Dallas Cowboys pod cast "Talkin Cowboys" Mickey Spagnola had information that one of the ingredients in some medication given to Lawrence as part of his post back surgery could have caused him failing the test. In a perfect world this last item would be the case and Lawrence might avoid being suspended and he wouldn't be the big old dumbass he seems to have been. You would think he would have learned watching Randy Gregory screw up.

[eagle eye]

It's 3 days until the NFL draft. We've beat this horse until the poor thing is nothing but a bag of bones. The past two months since the draft process began at the Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama there has been more information than most people can reasonably decipher. Who are the top 10, maybe the top 25 players in the draft and want does my team need most are the main things a lot of draft observers want to know. The draft, the first round in particular, is just a chance for you and your buddies to eat nachos and drink beer while you watch what your favorite team and maybe your most hated team does. It's an excuse to party, never mind the hangover you have at school or work the next day. It's kind of unfair that the most important round of the draft comes on a Thursday. Friday is cool because the 2nd and 3rd rounds are pretty important too featuring players you have actually heard of. Saturday features the last 4 rounds and seems to last forever. Saturday is the day you check in every once in a while to see who your team picked up and maybe checking out the player history so you can decide if you're happy or disappointed. In a lot of ways, especially for the Cowboys the last few years, the undrafted priority free agents that are signed overshadow whatever happens on Saturday. Dallas has been pretty darn good in the first 3 rounds, especially the first round, since drafting Dez Bryant in 2010 with the only real "bust" being CB Morris Claiborne but even at that he's still with Dallas as he prepares to play his 5th NFL season. What Dallas needs to do is draft better on Saturday. The Cowboys have 3 picks total in the first three rounds and they have 6 picks in the last 4 rounds. They have 2 in the 4th, none in the 5th and 5 in the 6th and none in the seventh. Dallas can't package their compensatory picks in the 6th round of which there are 4 which is a shame because next year team can trade compensatory picks if they want to.
This is only one of the pieces of bad luck that faces Dallas in this draft. It's unlucky that there aren't any Troy Aikmans in the draft and there are not any sure fire studs in the top 10. There could have been if Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith or UCLA's Myles Jack didn't have knee issues. Actually, I would love to see Dallas take a chance on Smith in the late 4th or early 6th because if he can make it back from the devastating knee injury he suffered in his last college game in the Fiesta Bowl in January is endangering his chances for an NFL career. Besides tearing his ACL and LCL it has been said he has nerve damage in both his knee and ankle. If he wasn't hurt he was considered a top 5 draft pick. If Dallas takes a chance on him and he's able to come back, albeit in 2017, Dallas gets another first round talent for cheap. Dallas has been good about capitalizing on those types of opportunities with Sean Lee, La'el Collins and Rolando McClain as prime examples. Jack is a different story. In a routine practice last season Jack tore the meniscus in his knee ending his season. A torn meniscus is bad because that is the cushion in the knee that protects the knee from every day wear and tear. Without the meniscus it is basically bone on bone and that is not good for a football player at all. The fear is that Jack will have his career cut short because of this. He could play 10 years or be done in 10 games. He is also a prime candidate for microfracture knee surgery which is a career threatening surgery that realistically takes 2 years to fully recover from. That's a lot of risk for a top 4 pick.
Joey Bosa is another thing. He's projected as Dallas' pick in many mock drafts and after the new about Demarcus Lawrence's possible 4 game suspension he seems to be a higher priority than before. To me, I want Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott in the first, DE Kevin Dodd in the 2nd and Ohio State LB Joshua Perry. If Dodd's not there I would take DE Jonathan Bullard or a top CB instead. I don't have a problem if Dallas actually decides to take Memphis QB Paxton Lynch as their QB of the future. It's got to happen some day soon and hopefully Dallas won't have this high a draft pick again in a long, long time. Now is the time for the Cowboys to pull the trigger if they really like Lynch enough because he won't be there in the 2nd round and I don't want Dallas to sacrifice any picks to move up. They won't have the ammunition to move up far enough anyway. If they like Lynch take him at 4 critics be damned. At least the stupid Eagles won't get Elliott, they didn't trade up to draft a running back. The Giants might take him but more likely is the Dolphins will at 13 if he falls that far.
Some say Dallas could trade back and get extra picks but I don't want them to trade back so far it costs them both Lynch and Elliott. They need to stay in the top 10 at least like Cleveland did with their trade with Philly. They came out smelling like a rose and still have the 8th pick. To me, Cleveland actually made a better deal than the Titans did with the Rams because Tennessee now picks at 15. They got a lot of picks but falling out of the top ten the odds of them getting an elite talent has been reduced quite a bit. They'll still get a good player but a top ten player is out of the question for them now unless they spend some of the capital they acquired in the Rams trade which is kind of counter productive if you ask me.
3 days and then we can relax until August when training camp begins.

[eagle eye]

From the "Are you happy now?" files: CB Brandon Carr agreed to a pay cut this season in the final year of the $50 MM 5 year deal he signed four years ago. He was scheduled to count $13.1 MM against the salary cap with a little over $9 MM in base salary. He agreed to reduce his base by $3 MM so the Astros have an extra 3 mil to work with as the draft and UFA signing period looms on the horizon. This should also help them sign a veteran free agent or two if they want to as players are cut from other NFL teams over the summer. There are usually a lot of players available after June 1st that teams don't want to pay or they have just lost their usefulness to their old teams. Dallas needs a guy who can be a swing guard and backup center and if they don't get that guy in the draft at veteran guy will be the way to go. Carr hasn't been the impact player he was expected to be with a $50 MM contract but he hasn't missed a game and he's been a very reliable guy in coverage. Haters will say he gives up big plays but he hasn't given up as much as public perception seems to be. I'm glad Carr will be back this season and thanks for taking one for the team in the form of a salary cut.

Jerry and Stephen Jones and Jason Garrett held their pre-draft press conference yesterday. They discussed a bunch of topics but a lot of player comments need to be taken with a grain of salt because, like every other team in the NFL, they don't want to tip their hand as to who they intend to draft with the 4th pick in the draft, or any other pick for that matter. Jones is pretty entertaining at the press conferences and despite the fact that he likes to preface comments to the press by saying he isn't being trite at the pre-draft conference he is generally nothing but trite. Here's the predraft presser from DallasCowboys.com.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/04/25/2016-pre-draft-press-conference

The NFL Channel had their live 1st round mock draft on Sunday featuring NFL Channel regulars like Daniel Jeremiah, Steve Mariucci, Bucky Barnes along with newcomers like Maurice Jones-Drew and Ike Taylor took turns making picks for the teams in the mock draft. Michael Irvin chose for the Cowboys and he selected RB Ezekiel Elliott from Ohio State. Here's the video from the program on why Irvin picked Elliott.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/04/25/michael-irvin-why-dallas-should-draft-ezekiel-elliott

[eagle eye]

As months turned into weeks which turned into days it has now come down to hours. The 2016 NFL Draft will begin in less than 11 hours. By this time 12 hours from now we will know who the top 5 picks are going to be. Even though people are pretty sure Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will go 1 and 2 we won't know for sure until it actually happens. The next question will be whether San Diego goes OT or CB/S. All through this pre draft analysis it has been assumed that Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil is the first OT taken but now it's being said that Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley is the best tackle. Maybe the Chargers decide on Jalen Ramsey, the guy everyone agrees is a great athlete but not everyone agrees he's the best cornerback. If he's not do you want to spend the 3rd pick, or 4th for that matter, on a safety? If the Chargers decide on Ramsey then the top 3 guys IMO for Dallas to choose from are Myles Jack, Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa. If you look at it Elliott is the only player of the 3 that has no baggage associated with him. Jack's knee is in question and he's even being projected to fall out of the 1st round because of it. We'll see about that one. Now, if he does, and he's available at pick 34 Dallas should gobble him up like a hungry pack of wolves. Joey Bosa has some off field stuff, nothing terrible but with Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence both being suspended 4 games to start the season the last thing the Cowboys need is another DE with baggage. So, that leaves Zeke. No injury concerns, check. No character issues, check. Great work ethic, check. Elite level talent, check. Team first guy, check. How in the name of Jupiter could Dallas ask anything more? Experts agree that Zeke will have the most dramatic impact of any player in the top 10 in this draft. He immediately makes Dallas better. He makes the defense better because they won't need to be on the field as much because Zeke is toting the rock grinding out yards and burning clock until we see Romo hit Dez or Witten with a TD pass. The thing about Zeke is he's a physical runner like DeMarco Murray was but with speed. That's what separates Zeke from Murray, if Zeke gets into the defensive backfield he's got the speed to take it to the house. Take Zeke and you can concentrate on defense for most of the draft. I would have to say Dallas needs to go defense with at least 6 of their nine picks. There will be guys that will be good players available in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds.
One trade I wouldn't mind seeing is if Oakland wants to move up in the 4th and swap picks with Dallas if Dallas can get their 5th round pick back they gave up to get WR Brice Butler last season it would be worth trading from pick 101 (3rd pick 4th) to pick 114 (16th pick 4th) to get pick 143 (pick 3 in the 5th) plus make them give up their pick in 5th at 154. Now you have 11 picks in the draft and you don't lose out on talent in the 5th round. Pick 101 is pretty valuable but I won't complain, much, if they did it. Especially, if the Cowboys don't lose out on a couple of pass rushers that are projected to be 4th round guys that are thought to be better than that.

Guys I'd like to Dallas target:
> 2nd round, either Clemson DE Kevin Dodd or W Virginia S Karl Joseph. If, by some fluke of nature Paxton Lynch is there at 34, he's my guy. (He won't be there.)
> 3rd round, I am really looking at Ohio State LB Joshua Perry. If Dallas goes with Ramsey then I'm all in on Notre Dame RB CJ Prosise.
> 4th round, this is the thing, in most of my mock on On The Clock there are a number of "sleepers" there I would love to get. I like Ohio St TE Nick Vannett a lot but there are D-linemen that won't last until the Cowboys second pick in the 4th. There is Illinois DT Jihad Ward-a guy who can play 3 technique or end or Appalachian ST DE Ronald Blair--a guy who is said to be undervalued because he comes from a small school. Dallas had a guy from a small school that wasn't bad named DeMarcus Ware. There is also a guy from Grand Valley State named Matt Juden or Utah's Jason Fanaika to choose from. I would definitely go pass rusher with the first of the 2 picks Dallas has in the round and hope Vannett falls to the back end of the round. Another option would be WR from Tulsa Keyarris Garrett. I have seen scouting reports that said Garrett reminded them of a Randy Moss because of his size (6'3", 220 lbs), his speed (4.40 - 40 at his pro day) and his hands. I'd take Randy Moss's clone, wouldn't you?
> 5th round - no picks
> 6th round - 4 picks here. The picks are in the round #14, #37, #41 and #42. There is a QB in the round, Jacoby Brissett from NC State I'd take, a CB James Bradberry from Samford or Daryl Worley from West Virginia. I'd also like to see Dallas get 1 technique DT from Fla State Nile Lawrence-Stample. Other possibilities are ILB from Utah State, Nick Vigil or a safety from Northern Iowa Deiondre Hall or a center from Iowa Austin Blythe.

I am ready for this draft. I've BEEN ready for this draft. I've got my Cowboys blue shirt on and my Cowboys official draft hat, which I just took out of the bag for the first time since I bought it, is on my head. I am ready.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys pulled the trigger on the one player I finally decided I wanted them to draft, RB Ezekiel Elliott from Ohio State. As I played with the On The Clock draft simulator the one player that resulted in the best mock drafts came when I drafted Elliott with the 4th pick. In my mocks it freed up the ability to draft the biggest need on the Cowboys which is the defense. In most cases I went defense for the next 3 picks from the 2nd to the 4th rounds. There were times when I went TE by drafting another Ohio State player, Nick Vannett but I soon came to the realization that Dallas has a need for defense. Uncertainty over the linebacker position means that position needs to be addressed. Dallas has already got D-line depth but you never can pass on an opportunity to upgrade the talent. I am hoping Dallas does what I have done in my mocks and that is draft Clemson DE Kevin Dodd in the 2nd and they take either Ohio State's Joshua Perry or LSU's Deion Jones in the 3rd. Another alternative in the second would be at safety since Dallas has passed on Jalen Ramsey. The guy I really wanted at safety was Karl Joseph from West Virginia but he and Keanu Neal from Florida are gone both being drafted in the first round. That leaves yet another Ohio State man in Vonn Bell who is one of the best strong safety prospects in this draft available. If Dallas doesn't like any of these other guys at 34 then DE Noah Spence is still available. Spence is said to have top ten talent and may be the absolute best pass rusher in the draft. Crap, there are a lot of opportunities in the second round and Dallas has the 3rd pick behind Cleveland and Tennessee.
In the 3rd round I have gone with another Ohio State man more than any other player and that's LB Joshua Perry. At 6'4" and 254 lbs he's sort of an unsung hero on a college team filled with stars. For a guy that big he's fast, 4.58 - 40 at his pro day, and I can see him manning the middle linebacker spot even though he's capable of playing outside. There are just too many question marks about Cowboys MIKE LB Rolando McClain that makes me nervous. Another alternative is LSU LB Deion Jones. Slightly faster than Perry but not as big (6'1", 225 lbs) this is a guy who you actually use at strong safety. He's fast and athletic enough and he actually plays better in space since he has trouble when engaged with a blocker. Perry is my guy all the way despite the fact there are DT's available here as well. If I get DE in the 2nd round I'm definitely going LB in the 3rd.

I was totally pleased with the way the draft went last night and with so many good players that fill needs for the Cowboys it's hard not to be excited over what will happen tonight. BTW the Cowboys made an offer to Seattle to move up from 34 to 26 so they could take Paxton Lynch. If the Cowboys had been able to pull off that deal I would have run around squealing like a little girl. My wife may have had me committed. Unfortunately, the Broncos made a better offer for the pick than Dallas did and Denver ended up with Lynch instead. With that said I don't want Dallas to worry about drafting a QB now. I want them to concentrate on filling needs on defense and at TE. I wouldn't mind seeing Dallas draft a WR in the 4th round on Saturday named Keyarris Garrett from Tulsa. How can I not want a kid who people say when the watch tape on him he reminds them of Randy Moss? It would be hard to take him if Dallas has the chance to take a DT from Illinois named Jihad Ward. He's is considered an underrated player and if he's available Dallas needs to take him. But I'll save round 4 talk until tomorrow.

I was tinkering with the On The Clock this morning and I found out something really cool. The draft simulator has taken the 1st round as drafted last night and they begin with the 2nd round. I think this is so awesome! I have already been mocking the heck out of today's rounds and I am stoked to say Dallas will have to eff-up seriously to not get good players tonight. I hope to god they don't chase a QB. I'm not a big fan of either Connor Cook or Christian Hackenberg and Dallas needs help on defense more than they need a half-assed QB. If Dallas takes a QB I hope it's North Carolina State's Jacoby Brissett or maybe Ohio State's Cardale Jones but that won't be until the 6th round.

Below is a link to the post draft press conference with Jerry and Stephen Jones and Jason Garrett as they talk about drafting Zeke and trying to make a deal for Paxton Lynch.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/04/28/press-conference-after-picking-ezekiel-elliott

[eagle eye]

I had to say WTF twice last night. With the 3rd pick in the second round Dallas took the best player in the draft, if he had been healthy. Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith is touted as a rare talent. The problem is he got his knee destroyed in the Fiesta Bowl this past January and the complication is he has nerve damage in both his ankle and his knee. It's a given he won't play in 2016 and the hope is the damaged nerves will heal and start to fire again. If that happens there is no reason why he can't come back as good as ever. The caveat is there is no guarantee those nerves will ever heal. Dallas had one huge advantage over the rest of the NFL, their team doctor Dr Dan Cooper did the reconstructive surgery on Smith. Here's an article from the Sports Day section of the Dallas Morning News about Dallas' day 2 of the draft.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/04/29/breaking-cowboys-select-lb-jaylon-smith-nfl-drafts-second-round

The Cowboys 3rd round pick, DT Maliek Collins from Nebraska is a head scratcher. There were so many better players on the board at the time you wonder just WTF the Cowboys see in him.

I just have to hope Dallas does a better job of adding players who will actually help this team. Maybe down the road this draft will be remembered as a kickass draft but right now, after Ezekiel Elliott, all we have is hope and a lot of questions. I have done a lot of player with the On The Clock draft simulator and as such I have come to know a group of players I hoped Dallas could draft on Day 3. The trouble is most of those players were drafted on Day 2 way ahead of where they were projected. I have no clue what Dallas will do today but they have a total of 6 picks, 2 in the 4th round and 4 in the 6th. The Cowboys traded their 5th round pick to Oakland last fall when they acquired WR Brice Butler. 4 of the 6 draft picks are compensatory picks which mean they can't use them to move up in the draft. It will be interesting but to speculate or have a wish list at this point after last night is pointless. I do know Ohio State LB Joshua Perry is available and DE from Appalachian State Ronald Blair is still out there so we'll see. I think the whole 2nd day was screwed up when Tennessee took Clemson DE Kevin Dodd one pick ahead of Dallas at the top of the 2nd round. But, we'll never know what would have happened now. Enjoy Day 3. My wife has a bunch of honey-do's for me so I will not be able to follow the draft like I want to so I'm going to save myself the grief of watching what kind of crap Jerry and company comes up with today. I am very frustrated because with the Cowboys confusing drafting and the Astros stupid play all I have is how well Lamar's baseball team is doing. That and Houston is flat killing their draft and, good lord, are they killing it. 3 for 3 will totally kick ass picks.

[eagle eye]

The draft is over and Dallas is a winner and maybe they made out like bandits then again maybe they laid a huge egg. We won't know for sure for a couple of years but it looks a lot like they may have done a lot of good things. Here's the draft picks again in case you missed them.

Rd 1 - RB Ezekiel Elliott - Ohio State
Rd 2 - LB Jaylon Smith - Notre Dame
Rd 3 - DT Maliek Collins - Nebraska
Rd 4 (1st pick) - DE Charles Tapper - Oklahoma
Rd 4 (2nd pick) - QB Dak Prescott - Mississippi State
Rd 5 No picks
Rd 6 (1st pick) - CB Anthony Brown - Purdue
Rd 6 (2nd pick) - S Kavon Frazier - Central Michigan
Rd 6 (3rd pick) - RB Darius Jackson - Eastern Michigan
Rd 6 (4h pick) - TE Rico Gathers - Baylor

More will be written about these guys and some has been written already. Elliott needs no write up. The head and shoulders best RB in the draft who is a 5 tool player. He's fast, he's a great runner, he is willing and able to block for his teammates, he is a really good receiver out of the backfield and he's an unselfish player. Wins all across the board. He's also big enough to take the pounding in the NFL. Easily the best RB Dallas has had since Emmitt Smith retired.
Jaylon Smith had the tools to be the very best player in this draft until a fateful push from behind resulted in a torn ACL and LCL with nerve damage on top of that. Dallas took a chance that he will fully recover and be the dynamic player he was projected as prior to his injury. In other words, Jerry rolled the dice on the chance they get not one, but two, top 5 players in this draft. There is even a hugely remote change Smith will play in 2016 but if Dallas is smart they let him heal completely but the way he jumped up and down when Jerry called him to notify him he was a Cowboy you have to think Dallas knows something everyone else doesn't.
Maliek Collins is a guy with a lot of potential who sometimes doesn't show up. He's lazy. It is thought Collins is a guy that Rod Marinelli wanted and got. It will be up to Marinelli to find a way to motivate him and work the lazy out of him. It is thought he has the talent to be a difference maker at DT.
Charles Tapper is fast for DE. I'm talking 4.58 fast. He could actually be good enough that Dallas can make an example of either Demarcus Lawrence or Randy Gregory for their indiscretions, or not. The Giants have proved that you put 4 badasses on the line and you can wreak havoc on opposing QB's.
Dak Prescott is a big, strong armed QB that needs time to develop. You know, a QB of the future. He needs some good coaching and he needs to improve his accuracy but I pretty sure he's no Stephen McGee.
Anthony Brown is a CB which is a position Dallas needed to address, especially after passing on Jalen Ramsey in the 1st round. Brown has something in common with a lot of Dallas' draft picks, he fast. I'm talking about 4.3 fast with cover ability. He won't have to start but he should get some work and with Brandon Carr and Mo Claiborne only signed through this coming season he could be very important to the Cowboys future.
Kavon Frazier is a safety, another position of need for Dallas. JJ Wilcox and Barry Church are in the final year of their deals. Frazier is a big hitter who is good against the run. He needs work on his pass coverage but that not a talent problem. It is something that can be coached.
Darius Jackson seems like a throwaway pick because they drafted Elliott but he's sort of like Kade Harrington in that he excelled at a small school but he's bigger than Kade. He's 4.40-40 fast and can run with power. Sounds like they got an new and improved Alfred Morris. Drafting the two RB's they have could mean either Darren McFadden or Morris is not long for this roster. Younger, stronger, faster is never a bad thing.
Rico Gathers played basketball at Baylor, not football. In fact he hasn't played football since middle school so to say he's a raw talent is an understatement. But, the guy is super athletic, he has soft hands to catch the ball and he's big as in 6'8" and 273 pounder recently ran a 4.75 40 at the Baylor pro day. He would be looking to make the jump from hoops to the gridiron like Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. Both of them have helped redefine what a TE can do in the NFL and both will be first ballot Hall of Famers. If Gathers can follow suit I think we just drafted Jason Witten's successor.
When I saw Dallas draft Jaylon Smith Friday night I was both pleased and shocked but as the draft unfolded Dallas addressed every single need except WR and there are a lot of priority free agents out there still. I am still down with Tulsa wideout Keyarris Garrett. He's big (6'3", 220 lbs) and fast (4.40-40 at his pro day) and was considered a real draft day sleeper. It was expected he would go in the 5th or 6th round but he ended up not being drafted. I hope Dallas decides to sign him ASAP before someone else pounces on him.
That's enough for now. I was a roller coaster weekend and, like Christmas, I am happy for the event but I'm glad it's over.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys may have been done drafting at the end of the sixth round but it didn't they were not still getting players. After the conclusion of the draft Dallas has signed 15 priority free agents. Here's the list of players they signed. You will notice that there aren't any "big bang" UFA's like last year when Dallas signed La'el Collins after the draft. It doesn't mean there isn't a diamond in the rough, you just never know what you can unearth.



Name

Position

School



Caleb Azubike

DE

Vanderbilt



Jake Brendel

C

UCLA



Chris Brown

WR

Notre Dame



Rodney Coe

DT

Akron



Arjen Colquhoun

CB

Michigan State



Ed Eagan

WR/KR

Northwestern St.



David Hedelin

OT

Purdue



Andy Jones

WR

Jacksonville Univ.



Deon King

LB

Norfolk State



Ryan Mack

OT

Memphis



Jeremiah McKinnon

CB

Florida International



Rolan Milligan

S

Toledo



Jason Neill

DT

UT-San Antonio



Boston Stiverson

OG

Kansas State



Austin Traylor

TE

Wisconsin




Also lost in all the draft hoopla was the fact that Dallas officially exercised the 5th year option on center Travis Frederick. This means he will be guaranteed to be a Cowboy through the 2017 season. It doesn't mean there won't be a longer term deal done but now there is no rush and the O-line will be intact for at least two more years including Doug Free who is also signed through 2017. Free is 32 and he will be 34 when his contract expires. It's hard to believe Frederick has been a Cowboys for 3 seasons already.

Another player note: Sean Lee underwent arthroscopic knee surgery over the weekend for minor clean out of the joint. It is certainly not considered a big deal and he will be ready for training camp in July. Lee has just come off his best season as a pro as he made his comeback after tearing his ACL yet again on the first day of OTA's in 2014. Lee started 14 games last season, the 2nd most of his career and he also had 156 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and 2-1/2 sacks which were all career bests and all that was good enough for Lee to make his first Pro Bowl.

The signing of Jaylon Smith and his subsequent recovery from the knee injury that occurred in January will likely pair Sean Lee with Smith who will likely play the MIKE LB spot will make a dynamic combination and along with Kyle Wilbur who is signed through the 2017 season as one of the better LB groups in the NFL. A decision will have to be made concerning Rolando McClain after the season is over because he is playing on a one year deal and his off field marijuana issues have him dangerously close to losing a full season if he fails another drug test. Based on his past McClain is not someone trustworthy enough to make long term plans around. There may be no team in the NFL dumb enough to give this guy a long term deal. Jaylon Smith is not only talented enough to consider him a cornerstone in building a defense his character is such that the Cowboys won't have to worry about him having issues with recreational drug use.

[eagle eye]

The shame about this draft is 1) the Cowboys couldn't work a deal with Seattle to get Paxton Lynch and 2) the passed on top flight pass rushers in the 2nd round and chose a guy who probably won't play this season and might not play at all in Jaylon Smith. Dallas could have boasted the finest draft in ages if only. Now, we have to realize that the reason Dallas didn't to trade with Seattle was because Denver just offered a better deal. Dallas could have trumped the Broncos deal if Jerry had been willing to give up their 3rd round pick instead of their 4 which is what they offered. The Broncos did offer their 3rd round pick which was higher to go along with the last pick in the 1st round. That is significant because Seattle still gets a 1st round pick with the perk of having a 5th year option if the pick works out. Picks in all the rest of the rounds get no 5th year option so it was a big deal. Dallas 3rd round pick was way higher than Denver's so it is quite possible Dallas offer would have been taken by Seattle. There was even talk of offering Seattle their 4th and their 6 round picks in a trade. They didn't and now Jerry has to sit and stew in his own juices over the missed opportunity. I have a friend that would have chipped in for a deal to move up because he loved Paxton Lynch. Lynch is a guy who, given two or three years to sit and learn and go through 3 off seasons and 3 training camps would have been ready to step in for Romo. Now, I guess we are selling Dak Prescott short here but Lynch was clearly the better player and Dallas just didn't offer enough to get him.
As for Jaylon Smith, I like the player but if Dallas was going to take an injured LB why not Myles Jack? Jack will be able to play this season which is a plus over Smith. Smith and Jack were neck and neck as the most beastly athletes in this draft. Jack may not last past his first deal you argue. To which I say, "So freaking what!" You have a healthy Myles Jack for 4 years you might get a Super Bowl or two out of that. That's one argument. The other was why waste a pick on a guy who can't help you when there were still a crap load of pass rushers available. Yes, the Titans and Browns robbed you of your top guys in Emmanuel Ogbah and Kevin Dodd but there was Noah Spence who people said would be a top 10 guy if not for the ecstasy problem that got him kicked out of Ohio State. Not to mention several other good pass rushers who were all ranked higher than Maliek freaking Collins. Collins is an underachiever who had one good season at Nebraska. Collins was the 92nd ranked player in this draft according to CBSSports.com. There were 5 higher ranked DE's who were ranked higher. Hell there were 3 DT's ranked higher than Collins! This is somebody on the coaching staffs' pet cat. For a 4th round pick I have no problem with DE Charles Tapper but both he and Collins are developmental prospects. Say for instance Dallas took Spence then Collins the first 4th rounder could have been a WR or a linebacker. A LB I have been wishing Dallas would take was Joshua Perry from Ohio State. San Diego took him one pick behind the Cowboys in the 4th. Another guy I have been mocking was S Deiondre Hall from Northern Iowa. He went late in the 4th. If Dallas really wanted Jaylon Smith experts say that he would be available in the 4th which isn't a bad spot to take a chance. What it comes down to is Dallas had a choice between injured LB's. One who can play right now who may or may not be able to play out his rookie contract and the other who can't play this year and who might never be the player he could have been if he hadn't been hurt. I'm sorry but I've got to take Myles Jack. Now it's Jacksonville who is the clear winner here because they got Jalen Ramsey AND Myles Jack. I really hope the Cowboys didn't outsmart themselves in this draft. I would have been happy if they got Lynch and Tapper or Perry with their 3rd round pick. I wouldn't mind giving up a 4th and 6th rounder for Lynch. That would have been a good damn draft even if the other picks were busts.
But, what is done is done so there's nothing left to do but strap it up and go and say a prayer or two for Smith's speedy, AND COMPLETE, recovery on the way outside.

[eagle eye]

Want the complete lowdown on all 9 Cowboys draft picks? The link below is to the DallasCowboys.com page that has the best organized and most informative draft recap including a scouting report on the player, the back story on the player's selection, the selection video, and the audio of the phone call by Jerry to the player and photos of the player and this is for all nine of the players picked last weekend.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/content/draft-central-2016

If all that isn't enough DC.com's Nick Eatman recaps the draft in his own inimitable style. Nice read.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/01/picking-rb-injured-lb-no-trades-highlight-unusual-draft-weekend

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have a full roster of RB's. Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris, Lance Dunbar, Ben Malena as well as new draft picks Ezekiel Elliott and Darius Jackson. The problem is Dallas normally only has 4 RB's on their roster and they currently have 6. You can be your bottom dollar Dallas wants to keep both their drafted RB's so that's two. Lance Dunbar will likely begin the season on either PUP or IR-Scheduled to Return so that leaves 3 players to fill 2 spots. I like Ben Malena but in all honesty he isn't making this team. He could make the practice squad but he won't be on the final roster. That means your running backs going into the season are McFadden, Morris, Elliott and Jackson. Honestly, I don't like Alfred Morris. He is a poor fit on this team. He's a two down back at best because he sucks at pass protection and he sucks as a receiver. The only thing Morris is good for is short yardage situations and I would bet a dollar to a donut that Jackson is just as good, if not better, at that than Morris is. The fact is, Darius Jackson is a better overall player than Morris right now and so what if Dallas has to eat a couple mil in salary, I'd cut Morris given what Dallas has now. Elliott is the unquestioned starter, if not in Week 1 he will be by mid season. McFadden will be the backup and Jackson will be the jack-of-all-trades but I'll bet he's the go-to guy in short yardage. So, where does that leave Morris? Collecting splinters riding pine. The Cowboys might try to work him in but I'm telling you Jackson is better than Morris in all phases and he leapfrog Morris in training camp. Hell, I could see a scenario where the Cowboys cut Morris and keep Malena as the change of pace back. Here's the scouting report from CBSSports.com's player profiles and tell me he's not better than Morris.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/2000193/darius-jackson

DallasCowboys.com's Rob Phillips breaks down what roles the Cowboys first four draft picks will play for the team this year.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/02/identifying-specific-roles-finding-fit-cowboys%E2%80%99-first-four-picks

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys are just a few months away from opening their new headquarters in Frisco, Texas aptly named The Star at Frisco. This isn't just a the team HQ and practice facility it is an entire complex that includes practice fields, an event center, a retail shopping mall and an Omni Hotel all within a 9,000 acre site in the suburb north of Dallas. Their current HQ is in Valley Ranch area which is near Arlington and they often refer to the facility as Valley Ranch but, like the new site in Frisco, it is the name of the area where the facility is located. Another big asset of The Star is a 12,000 seat stadium that will be shared by the nine high schools in the Frisco School District. Not one to do things in a small way Jerry Jones plan for The Star was going to be a first class site with everything available to make this a major tourist attraction in the Dallas Metroplex area. The price tag for The Star will be 1.5 Billion dollars. In contrast AT&T Stadium cost 1.2 Billion dollars to build. In the article linked below David Helman of DallasCowboys.com talks about the new facility and there is a video with the article of Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson who were on hand for the ground breaking of the new Ring of Honor Walk. Yep, I am already making plans to visit The Star as soon as humanly possible, after it's finished of course.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/04/cowboys-announce-retail-block-ring-honor-walk-new-world-hq-frisco

Every year the Cowboys, as well all the other NFL teams, bring in talented minority coaches to work the current staff during mini camps, OTA's and training camp to help train them to be better coaches and train them training exercises and drills to help their own players. It is a program called the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship Program that gives minority coaches opportunities they may not otherwise get. This year one of the coaches the Cowboys are bringing in is former Dallas RB Tashard Choice. Choice was a 4th round pick by Dallas in 2008 and he played 3+ seasons for the Cowboys. From Dallas he played for Washington, Buffalo and he finished his career in Indianapolis. He was released by the Colts in February of 2014. Last season he joined the coaching staff at Waxahachie High School under new head coach, and another former Cowboy, Jon Kitna. Participation in the MCFP has led to bigger opportunities for it's participants. There are two coaches on the current Cowboys staff that were part of that program. DL coach Leon Lett was in the program, in fact he began his coaching career as part of that program with the Cowboys. Lett was a D-lineman during the Cowboys run of Super Bowls in the 90's. RB coach Gary Brown was in the program in 2007 with the Carolina Panthers. Brown was an 8th round draft pick out of Penn State in 1991 of the Houston Oilers. He played 5 years in Houston and was out of football in 1996 because of injury. He came back in 1997 with the Chargers and he finished his career with the NY Giants in 1998 and 1999.

The Cowboys, as will the rest of the 31 NFL teams, will hold a rookie mini camp beginning tomorrow. All drafted and undrafted rookies for the Cowboys, as well a selected 1st year players will spend 3 days of practice with the Cowboys coaching staff. Of course they will spend some time getting their equipment and go through orientation meetings as well.

Now that Jaylon Smith is a Cowboy he is going to move himself to Dallas and he will go through the rehab of his knee under the watchful eye of the Cowboys trainers and medical staff. Smith underwent ACL and LCL ligament repair surgery back in January after the injury occurred in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1st. The issue with Smith isn't the ligament damage, that has been successfully repaired with the surgery, the surgery was performed by the Cowboys team doctor, Dr Dan Cooper. The trouble has been damage to the nerves in his knee and ankle. The hope is those nerves will regenerate and if they do Smith will recover fully from the injury. There is a chance the nerve will never fire or will not fully regenerate which would mean Smith would either never be the player he was before the injury or he will never play a down of football again. I'm sure the input from Dr Cooper gave the Cowboys a reasonable expectation that Smith would fully recover, that the nerve would fire and heal and he would be the player he is supposed to be or Dallas would not have drafted him. Smith actually has been running for 3 weeks and he has done light drill work. All that rehab work will now supervised and overseen by the Cowboys beginning this weekend.

An interesting note here regarding Smith. The Fiesta Bowl was played by Notre Dame, which is who Smith played for, and Ohio State. When Smith was hurt when he was pushed in the back an Ohio State lineman causing him to land awkwardly totally destroying the ligaments in his knee. The injury happened in the first quarter with OSU leading 7-0.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=14480100 - If you are squeamish you may not want to look at this video.

Ironically, the only player from Ohio State to check on Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith on the field during the game was Ezekiel Elliott who is now Smith's teammate with the Cowboys.

[eagle eye]

Today is the day for the newest Dallas Cowboys, both draftees and UFA's, to have their first workout as Cowboys. Rookie mini camp is this weekend around the NFL as teams get to indoctrinate the new players into what it means to be an NFL player. All nine of the draft picks will be there including Jaylon Smith who is moving his rehab from Notre Dame to Valley Ranch.
It's a big deal for all these young players but a guy like Dak Prescott who has been a lifelong Cowboys fan to get to live out his dream it's extra special. He is the first QB Dallas has drafted since they took Stephen McGee in the 4th round of the 2009 draft. It's ironic that Prescott and McGee were both taken in the 4th round. It would be even more eerie if Prescott had been selected with the 101st pick as McGee was. Dallas had the 101st pick but they selected Oklahoma DE Charles Tapper with that pick. Dallas took Prescott with their compensatory pick in the round at 135. Prescott was ranked much higher than his eventual selection spot and Dallas is fortunate to get him when they did. Prescott was also said to be the 12th highest player on the Cowboys draft board and the 3rd QB behind, I'm assuming, Carson Wentz and Paxton Lynch. Item of note, Prescott was originally assigned jersey number 10 but he changed it to 4 in honor of his mother who passed away in 2013 of colon cancer on September 4. Dallas was impressed with Prescott's intangibles like leadership ability and an "it" factor that inspired his teammates to rally around him. Prescott is truly a QB of the future prospect. The scouting report on him is generally favorable with his passing accuracy an item that needs improvement. Also, he never has worked under center so it is a skill he will need to learn on the fly during mini camps, OTA's and training camp.

This week Jerry Jones has said that he is not ruling out Jaylon Smith from playing in 2016. Jones also declared that Smith will not be put on IR ending any chance he will be able to play in 2016. Smith will either be put on the non-football injury list which gives Dallas 6-12 weeks before they need to do anything about his status or he will go on PUP which means he will have to miss a minimum of six weeks before Dallas can either activate him or put him on IR.
I saw a podcast yesterday on DallasCowboys.com called Talkin Cowboys that features DC.com senior writer Mickey Spagnola, former Cowboys lineman Nate Newton, Cowboys TV reporter Lindsey Draper and beat writer Rob Phillips as they did their recap of last weekend's draft. Talkin' Cowboys is only on once a week in the off season so this was the group's first opportunity to talk about Dallas' draft picks. On the show they made points about the Cowboys 3rd round pick DT Maliek Collins and their first 4th round pick DE Charles Tapper that made me feel a whole lot better about them than I originally did.
> About Maliek Collins - He was not impressive in 2015 because he was playing in a 3-4 scheme at Nebraska that meant Collins had to take on double teams and he did not get to rush the passer much. The film to watch was of his 2014 season when he played in a 4-3 scheme of then head coach Bo Pelini. There is when you see Collins jump off the tape. Collins is definitely a favorite of Cowboys DC Rob Marinelli. Mickey Spagnola said Collins is a guy whose is built like a nose tackle and runs like a linebacker. Because of the 4-3 scheme Dallas plays Collins can avoid double teams and be free to attack the line of scrimmage. Again, Rod Marinelli loves this guy.
> About Charles Tapper - It is the same thing. Tapper was a 3-4 DE whose job was to occupy the O-linemen so the linebackers could make plays. He is so much more than that as the video linked below shows Tapper running down Alabama WR Amari Cooper, who was a first round pick by Oakland in 2015 (#4 overall ironically enough) from behind. Tapper is ridiculously fast as he broke the record at the NFL combine for a player weighing 270 or more lbs by running a 4.59-40. Can you imagine a guy this fast only having to deal with one blocker? Tapper can go inside, outside or run stunts and he will be appreciably faster than almost any O-lineman he faces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj4fuTZdyRk

http://www.stack.com/a/271-pound-defensive-lineman-charles-tapper-breaks-nfl-combine-record-with-a-4-59-40-yard-dash

So, if you had any doubts about these guys then maybe I helped make you feel better about them too.

The other day I posted a link from DallasCowboys.com an article from Bryan Broaddus with scouting reports of seven of the UFA's Dallas will have in rookie mini camp this weekend. There were a couple of player worth mentioning that you may want to follow over the course of the summer to see what they are able to do to make the final 53 or at least do enough to worth a slot on the practice squad. Today I am linking the follow up article from Broaddus talking about the rest of the UFA's. I warn you, it's ugly. Broaddus' assessment of these players isn't pretty. I sort of makes you wonder why Dallas bothered to sign any of them. By his breakdown Broaddus is saying none of these players are worth a crap without actually saying they aren't worth a crap. This is very disappointing because there were players not drafted that were talented, if not a little flawed, to be had. Dallas just didn't go after any of them. Guys like OU LB Eric Striker (Bills), Tulsa WR Keyarris Garrett (Panthers), safeties Tyvis Powell from Ohio State (Seattle) and Jeremy Cash of Duke (Panthers). Cash was the 4th ranked strong safety in this draft class projected to go in the 3rd round. Why would Dallas not take a guy like that? {The names in parentheses are the teams they did sign with}

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/05/broaddus-scouting-rest-cowboys-undrafted-free-agents

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys had their first two practices of the rookie mini camp and Bryan Broaddus and David Helman of DallasCowboys.com were on hand to do a live report of Day 1 of the newest Dallas Cowboys.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/05/06/minicamp-live-first-look-dak-zeke-field

Dallas had to make some roster moves yesterday because after adding the 9 players taken in the draft and the 13 UFA's they signed yesterday it put the Cowboys roster over the 90 player offseason limit. Here's the article from the Cowboys website listing the players Dallas cut and it also gives us the list of the UFA's that Dallas signed.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/06/cowboys-make-five-roster-moves-announce-undrafted-free-agents

Another item from DC.com is the article about how Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott and Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith were already friends long before becoming teammates last weekend as a result of the NFL draft.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/06/elliott-jaylon-smith-were-friends-fiesta-bowl-rookie-minicamp

With all the hoopla around the draft about the Cowboys needing pass rush help especially after news about DeMarcus Lawrence pending suspension broke. People forget that Dallas had already addressed the pass rusher need back in March when they signed FA Benson Mayowa who had spent time with Seattle and Oakland. This article from the Cowboys website talks about Mayowa and how he is embracing the opportunity to show what he can do for the Cowboys.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/06/mayowa-hoping-turn-heads-given-opportunity-cowboys-d-line

Finally in his weekly rant DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola talks about how much of an impact Ezekiel Elliot could have, from a numbers standpoint, for the Cowboys this year and for at least 5 years going forward. The Mick always comes with a good argument and he brings the numbers to back up what he says. Another home run for Mr Spagnola.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/06/spagnola-answers-beauty-double-e-certainly-buried-paydirt

[eagle eye]

Day 2 of rookie mini camp took place yesterday and in this video of the part of the workouts Bryan Broaddus and Rob Phillips take a look at the new LB's and CB's as they go through individual drills.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/05/07/rookie-camp-live-d-line-linebackers-work

RB Darius Jackson was excited to be drafted by the Cowboys in the 6th round last Saturday. The folks in Jackson's home town were pretty excited too. So excited, as a matter of fact, his home town threw him a parade.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/05/07/darius-jackson-draft-surprise-hometown-parade

Lost in the hoopla of the draft a little bit was the fact that 2nd round pick Jaylon Smith already knew somebody on the roster. Knew him well because RB Rod Smith, signed last year after Joseph Randle was released, is Jaylon's big brother. Not only that but Rod was Ezekiel Elliott's roommate when Elliott was a Freshman at Ohio State. It's a great situation for the Smith brothers who are playing on the same team for the first time in their lives. Nice story. Rod Smith has also been moved from RB to FB so there is no conflict of interest in the Cowboys backfield. Even better.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/07/brother-jaylon-former-roommate-zeke-smith-embraces-position-switch

[eagle eye]

I guess the media decided to take a day off yesterday. The rest of the NFL rookies practiced though completing the 3 day rookie mini camp across the league. Just nobody wrote about it. Everyone needs a day off and frankly nothing special was happening. In a lot of cases watching football practice is like watching paint dry after the initial excitement of seeing the newest members of the NFL get on the field on Friday and Saturday, Sunday was just another day. The next official practices will involve the whole team begins on May 26 for the first of the planned OTA's. In the mean time Phase II of the offseason program is underway meaning players can work out being supervised by the team training staff and doctors. This is the time when the rookies get some series workout time under NFL supervision. It's the time when these college boys begin to become men according to NFL standards.

Dez Bryant made an appearance at Valley Ranch on Saturday introducing himself to all the rookies on hand for the mini camp and welcoming them into the Cowboys family. He is currently doing rehab for the surgery he had on his ankle and foot that he had problems with all season after breaking his foot in Week 1 against the Giants. Dez tried coming back too soon despite warning from players like Atlanta's Julio Jones who came back too early from a broken foot. Dez struggled all season with his foot and ankle and he got the surgeries to permanently correct the problem. Jason Garrett said Dez was doing everything according to the trainers and doctors instructions and he was full speed ahead in his rehab efforts. Cowboys WR coach Derrick Dooley agreed Dez is doing well in his rehab but he has not been medically cleared by the doctors as yet. It's looking like Dez will be 100% and cleared to practice by June 1st.
Tony Romo's collarbone has healed and after it was completely healed he went through a procedure to shave down the collar bone at the shoulder joint to give the bone more freedom to move which should protect him from another break down the road. He recovered from that surgery and has been throwing for about 3 or 4 weeks. There appear to be no roadblocks to Romo's ability to practice when full team workouts commence on May 26th. Romo, like Dez, came back too soon from his broken collarbone a the Sunday before Thanksgiving and after Dallas beat the Dolphins on that Sunday they got spanked by Carolina on Thanksgiving and Romo rebroke his collarbone in the game. It's awesome both players wanted and did come back but it's not awesome that they came back too soon and cost their team over the long haul of the season because of it. Hopefully last season was the exception and both Romo and Dez as well as the rest of the Cowboys roster remains healthy all season in 2016 and beyond.

[eagle eye]

With all the draft grades for the most recent draft flying around we all know that you won't know just how good or bad a draft is for 5 years. So I figured to look at the 2011 draft class and see what I, and you, think about that draft class now.

Rd 1 Pick #9 - OT Tyron Smith - This is a home run. Smith is one of the best OT's in the NFL and the 10 year contract extension he got a couple of years ago will ensure he will be a Cowboy into his 30's. Grade: A+

Rd 2 Pick #40 - LB Bruce Carter - Not a terrible pick. He made some plays for Dallas in his 4 years in Dallas. He wasn't what they hoped he'd be so they let him test free agency and he went to Tampa Bay for one year in 2015 and he is now a NY Jet. The fact he's still in the NFL speaks to the fact that he's a reasonably good player. Grade: B-

Rd 3 Pick #71 - RB DeMarco Murray - Murray had some great games for Dallas and in 2014 he had the best season in Cowboys history gaining over 1,800 yards. Injuries slowed him down his first three seasons but he did show flashes of what he could be coming out of Oklahoma. He just wanted too much money in free agency after that 2014 season which he got from Philadelphia. Trouble was he was a terrible fit in the Chip Kelly offense. Murray chased the money and he's probably kicking his own ass for doing it. He was dealt to Tennessee in the offseason and it remains to be seen how he will do there but he will split carries with rookie RB Derrick Henry who was a Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama in 2015. Grade: B+

Rd 4 Pick #110 - OG David Arkin - For a 4th round pick Arkin has to be considered a disappointment. He was never good enough to make a roster but he's spent most of his time in the NFL as a practice squad guy. He's still in the NFL now with his 5th team in 5 years, the LA Rams. You would have to consider this a 4th round bust for the Cowboys. Grade: D

Rd 5 Pick #143 - CB Josh Thomas - This guy is a career backup player who seems to specialize signing short term deals to replace guys who are suspended or injured. He's been with 7 different teams in his 5 years in the NFL including 2 different stints with the Cowboys. Definite bust. Grade: F

Rd 6 Pick #176 - WR Dwaine Harris - This guy was a special teams ace as a punt and kickoff return man. He was only given limited snaps as a wide receiver. He was used mostly on bubble screens and end arounds which he was very good at. He was allowed to go test free agency after the 2014 season mainly because of salary cap limitations by the Cowboys. The NY Giants picked him up and after Victor Cruz was injured Harris got the chance he was waiting for and he made the most of it add a lot of speed and pop to the Giants offense. Grade B+

Rd 7 Pick #220 - FB Shaun Chapas - Who?, might be your response here. Chapas was a fullback prospect who could never make a roster coming out of training camp. He only played 6 games in his NFL career that lasted 4 years. His last two seasons he was just a practice squad player who was waived before the 2013 and 2014 seasons began by Jacksonville and Baltimore respectively. Grade: F

Rd 7 Pick #252 - C Bill Nagy - He made the roster and actually started four games before breaking his ankle against the Patriots. He was placed on season ending IR at that time. In 2012 he reinjured his ankle and was waived injured by the Cowboys and later picked up by Detroit who was willing to take a chance on his recovery. Nagy never really fully recovered and his football career was over after 2 years. He is now on the coaching staff for his alma mater Wisconsin. Nagy looked like he may have a future in the NFL until the ankle injury derailed his NFL career. Unrealized potential is the base of his story. Grade: D (because of his injuries)

So to determine the overall draft grade I assigned a number to each grade, A=5, B=4, C=3 and so on. I added a half point for +'s and subtracted a half point for -'s. The final grade for the 2011 draft class is an aggregate 24 for all 8 draft picks leaving an average score of 3.0 which is a C.
Not great but certainly not a bust. Losing Harris was tough and losing DeMarco Murray after the 2014 season was a bitch but his presence probably wouldn't have matter after injuries to Romo and Dez derailed the Cowboys offense. The Bill Naga lose was unfortunate and it hurt the overall score of the draft class. Whiffing on their 4th round pick was bad because that is still a round you figure to get a good player. Hitting on the first 3 picks really helped make this draft class a success. The bad thing is only one player from that class is still with the Cowboys though I'm sure many people miss Murray and Dwaine Harris. Revisionist history on my part thought this wasn't all that great a draft and I'm glad I was wrong about that.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys got through the rookie mini camp without anyone getting hurt so that's a plus. Now it's just working out at Valley Ranch with the trainers until the first full team OTA's begin later this month.

There is one change to the coaching staff. LB's coach Matt Eberflus has been given the title of Defensive Passing Game Coordinator. It's a new position that was created to help link the front end of the defense with the back end so the whole group can work as a unit. The position was created for the reason I already posted and because the Cowboys also think a lot of Eberflus. Eberflus came to the Cowboys a few years ago when Rob Ryan was hired as defensive coordinator and he stayed with Dallas after Ryan was fired. The Cowboy see Eberflus as a potential defensive coordinator down the road and a possible successor to Rod Marinelli when he retires. Check this article from the Bleacher Report about Eberflus.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/05/10/cowboys-dc-rod-marinelli-lbs-coach-matt-eberflus-new-role-just

So, we all know what Dallas did in the draft and the debate over whether 2016 was a good draft year or not will continue as the fortunes rise, or fall, for this year's draft class. The foremost thing teams set their sights on is winning their division. It is the only sure way to get into the playoffs. With that in mind it would seem prudent to see just what kind of opportunities for success the Cowboys face in the coming year. Linked below is an article from DallasCowboys.com's resident scout and beat writer Bryan Broaddus talking about the rest of the NFL East beginning with the 2015 division winning Washington Redskins and how they fared in the draft and their prospects for the coming season.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/10/nfc-east-draft-review-broaddus-see-doctson-bolstering-redskins%E2%80%99-wr-corps

[eagle eye]

Bryan Broaddus continues he assessment of the Cowboys NFC East opponents' drafts today with a look at the Giants The biggest difference for the Giants is they no longer have Tom Coughlin, the coach that led this team to two Super Bowls during his time in NY. It may be his successor Ben McAdoo is a great coach but only time will tell about that.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/11/nfc-east-draft-review-broaddus-breaks-down-giants%E2%80%99-additions-secondary

Yesterday the Cowboys had their annual charity gold event at the Cowboys golf club in Dallas. Jerry and Stephen Jones as well as Jason Garrett gave a brief interview during the event. The golf tournament is supported by the Cowboys players who not only play in the event but contribute to the event with behind the scenes work. Among those in attendance was DE Randy Gregory, he of the 4 game suspension for substance abuse. He was on hand for the event and the media took notice of his presence. Jones was asked about his appearance at the event and his reply is covered in this article from DallasCowboys.com article by David Helman. The bottom line is Gregory is aware of his failure to the Cowboys, but it doesn't mean that he will do anything about it. Marijuana is not addictive but people like to smoke it. They like the way it makes them feel. It does have some medicinal value. The bad side of it is that it's a banned substance by the NFL and it's illegal in most states. So, you have to make a choice, do you want to continue to smoke weed and probably throw your NFL career out the window or do you straighten up and fly right and wait to get high after your NFL career is over? Seems like a pretty easy choice but up to this point Gregory has chosen weed over his NFL career and that is a shame. I'm sure he's heard it all from his Cowboys teammates and the coach and the owner/GM how he had let the organization down. We'll see. It was a positive sign that he showed up to the charity golf event, maybe it's an indication that he's finally made the right life choice for himself and, by proxy, the Cowboys.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/11/jerry-jones-randy-gregory-has-his-demons-understands-expectations

Speaking of the Cowboys Charity Golf Tournament, here's a photo slide show of the event from DallasCowboys.com. There isn't a caption to the photo but can anyone guess who the heck is signing a golf ball in photo #2? I sure can't. He doesn't look big enough to be Travis Frederick. Hmmm

http://www.dallascowboys.com/galleries/2016/05/11/2016-dallas-cowboys-golf-classic

What's really strange, since we've been talking about suspended players, is there is not a single word about DeMarcus Lawrence's suspension appeal. To time table for the appeal so nothing concrete Dallas can hang their hat on. All the Cowboys can do in regard to Lawrence is have a Plan A and a Plan B until they do finally find out what will happen with him. It sounds sort of unfair for a team to be put through that.

[eagle eye]

Bryan Broaddus concludes his profile of the NFC East draft picks with a look at Philadelphia Eagles. It looks like the Eagles will have a couple of years to reman the team after Chip Kelly raped the Eagles roster. If he was actually trying to sabotage the Eagles Kelly couldn't have done a better job than he did. The Eagles will be salary cap handcuffed for years just over DeMarco Murray's deal which was such a waste of money for Philly and a terrible career move by Murray who was a terrible fit in the Chip Kelly hurry up offense. In the span of just two years Kelly had jettisoned high impact players like DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jeramy Maclin to name just a few. Maybe people are right, Chip Kelly is a great coach but a lousy GM. His track record as a GM is a disaster for sure but I think the jury is still out on all this genius stuff. Of course Kelly is no longer in Philly but he is in San Francisco to vex the Bay Area fans. Philly has a new coach, Doug Pederson which is like the Eagle going back to Andy Reid in a manner of speaking. Pederson has been on an Andy Reid coaching staff for the entirety of his pro coaching career working his way up from offensive quality control coordinator to offensive coordinator for Reid when he moved to Kansas City. The Eagles enjoyed their longest period of success under Reid and I'm sure Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie felt a huge amount of sellers remorse when he let Reid go and hiring Pederson is the only way to get Reid back even if it is by proxy. Pederson inherited a real mess left by Kelly and the Eagles have been extremely busy in the off season making deals allowing good players to leave to get draft picks. All this in an attempt to sweep away the remnants of anything Chip Kelly and basically rebuilding the team from scratch. Now, I have to say here that I hate the Eagles and I have hated them for as long as I can remember so all this turmoil just makes me happy. And turmoil is what the Eagles are going through right now. They have pretty much sacrificed the present to win in the future and with a guy like Pederson running things the Eagles could actually be better than expected. Even at that Philly has made some weird moves especially at QB. First, they agree on a 2 year deal with Sam Bradford then in free agency they signed backup QB from the Chiefs Chase Daniel to a 3 year deal then they dealt away a boat load of draft picks in this year's and next year's draft to move up in the draft to get the No 2 pick overall selecting Carson Wentz with the pick. Wentz signed his deal with Philly this week for 4 years and around 26 million dollars. All together the Eagles have tied up around 22 mil for QB's in 2016.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/12/nfc-east-draft-review-evaluating-eagles%E2%80%99-picks-starts-ends-wentz

[eagle eye]

Here is a quote from the Bleacher Report. "He may be the best value pick in the whole NFL draft." Who would you guess the answer is referring to? Elliott? Smith? Would you believe they are talking about DE Charles Tapper from Oklahoma? Here's an article I found in Bleacher Report that comes from DallasNews.com in their Sportsday section. It is the transcript of an interview with local sportscaster Newy Scruggs.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/05/13/scruggs-one-scout-says-cowboys-may-got-best-value-pick-whole-draft

Another article gleaned from Sportsday via Bleacher Report on 1st impressions of Zeke and Jaylon.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/05/13/future-franchise-cowboys-first-impressions-rookies-ezekiel-elliott-jaylon-smith

This article and video is also from BR and the source is from The Sporting News. The article is about Jerry Jones saying that DE Randy Gregory is the best pass rusher in the last two drafts. Maybe, but he sure didn't show much last season after missing time because of an injury. No sacks in 2015. The interview with Jones occurred at the Cowboys charity golf event this past week. In the article Jones says that Gregory's situation has been made abundantly clear to him and what is expected of him but I figure they laid that out when he fell to Dallas in the 2nd round last year. Late in the 2nd round at that. The question that needs to be answered by Gregroy is, which do you love more, football or smoking weed?". Of course we all know what answer we want to hear but, it is the answer he gives? I guess only time will tell. What happens if he fails a test this summer? What then? If I'm Jones I cut the bastard immediately and send him to live with Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon. Dallas should wash their hands of him if he fails another drug test. Period.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/dallas-cowboys-jerry-jones-calls-randy-gregory-best-pass-rusher-last-two-nfl-drafts/8iw73ifgpja71y0b52ituz0cu

[eagle eye]

I've been wondering about what Dallas intends to do about backup QB. Are they really happy with Kellen Moore? Will Dak Prescott prove to be a trustworthy backup for Tony Romo? Will Dallas sign a veteran guy to allow Prescott to sit and learn? Honestly, if Romo goes down again this season it won't be pretty in Dallas but if he misses and game or two am I good with what Dallas now has? Eh. Steven Beuerlein, Rodney Peete and Bernie Kosar all were on board for Cowboys Super Bowl runs in the 1990's. So far in Tony Romo's career the only guy worth noting is Kyle Orton who left after just one season with Dallas because he didn't like Romo. The fact is Orton didn't like football any more. I guess you could throw Jon Kitna in there but by the time he got to Dallas he was a shadow of himself. IMHO I think Dallas should stop messing around with half assed QBs and try to get someone who is capable of leading the team to a win or two. Right now there is a guy available named Ryan Fitzpatrick who would be perfect for the job. Trouble is he's over 30 and he wants to be a starter in the NFL. It's more than a little likely his preference would be with the Jets who he started for last season. He would sure be a nice fit in Dallas assuming he is cool with being a backup.
Today it's being reported that the Tennessee Titans have released QB Zack Mettenberger whom the Titans draft two years ago in the 4th round. How sad is it for a young QB to be released because he lost his job to Matt Cassel? Cassel didn't lay and egg in Dallas last year, he laid a king sized turd. If I'm Mettenberger I'm pissed off. Maybe Zack isn't very good but I'd bet anyone lunch he was the victim of bad coaching in Tennessee. If Dallas had not drafted Prescott I would have been clamoring for the Cowboys to sign Mettenberger. You also have to worry about what the Jets are going to do with 2014 draft pick from Baylor Bryce Petty after the Jets drafted Christian Hackenberg this year. Petty is another guy with all the measurables and a strong arm but Dallas doesn't need another project QB since they got Prescott. Moore or Prescott or someone else. It sure is going to be one of the biggest stories of the summer for the Cowboys.

The fact that Cowboys free agents Greg Hardy, Jeremy Mincey, Danny McCrea, Nick Hayden and Tyler Klutts didn't get signed before May 12 means Dallas will get no additional compensatory draft picks in 2017. Dallas did have two FA's signed this off season in Matt Cassel, Mackenzy Bernadeau and Robert Turbin don't rate compensatory picks especially since Dallas has signed Cedric Thornton, Joe Looney, Alfred Morris and Benson Mayowa which offsets what Dallas would get for the guys they lost. The Cowboys will hopefully not have a high draft pick next year either so that's why this year's draft is so important. It will be even more important if the guys they have drafted turn out to be something special.

[eagle eye]

Like the Texans did last weekend sponsoring a baseball charity event at Minute Maid Park the Cowboys held their own event at the Dr Pepper Ball Park in Frisco. This is the sixth year of the Reliant Home Run Derby and the second year in a row JJ Wilcox has won the event. There were 9 Cowboys players in the event as well as head coach Jason Garrett. It was Garrett who came in second behind Wilcox. The Cowboys raised $50K for The Salvation Army on the day with Wilcox, by virtue of his $11,300 leading the way. Jason Garrett earned $7K. Base hits were worth $100 and home runs were worth $500 which gives you an idea how well Wilcox and Garrett did. Jason Witten finished in 3rd place with $6,200. Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, Tyrone Crawford, Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr combined to raise the total raised to $50,000. Here's a slide show of the event.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/17/cowboys-raise-50000-salvation-army-reliant-hr-derby

There were still folks at Valley Ranch working yesterday as they signed workout invitee Austin Traylor, a TE from Wisconsin, to the 90 man roster. To make room for Traylor the Cowboys released long snapper Brandon Hartson. Here is a scouting report by Bryan Broaddus from DallasCowboys.com.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/17/scouting-report-new-te-traylor-accomplished-developing-blocker

[eagle eye]

Four of the Cowboys 9 draft picks signed their first contracts yesterday. Ezekiel Elliott and 3 of the four 6th round picks, RB Darius Jackson, CB Anthony Brown and S Kevon Frazier signed 4 year deals yesterday. It is thought that Elliott's deal will be $25MM with $16MM in guaranteed money. The difference between Elliott's deal and all the other draft pick's deals is Dallas will have a 5th year option, if they decide to exercise it, that will keep Elliott in Dallas for 5 years.

Among any doubts about the Cowboys starting CB's at least you won't have to question whether or not they are motivated. In the article below it talks about the chip Brandon Carr, Mo Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick carry on their shoulders heading into OTA's and the other offseason work the Cowboys will do. Each has their own motivation to do well. Scandrick is coming back from a torn ACL and MCL while Carr and Claiborne are on one year deals trying to make an impression on the NFL who may want to sign them after this season is over or prove to the Cowboys they need to stick around and are worth the money to keep them.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/18/scandrick-eyes-return-cowboys-cornerbacks-have-no-shortage-motivation

Here's an article from ESPN Dallas by reporter Jean Jacque Taylor about the prospectus on DL Tyrone Crawford. Crawford had torn his rotator cuff in his right shoulder early on in 2015 that compromised his effectiveness by a huge margin. He had offseason surgery to repair his shoulder and he is looking to hit the field running to justify the $42MM contract he signed last September.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4751193/tyrone-crawford-happy-to-be-at-full-strength-again

Back to CB for a second. The Cowboys need good depth because even if all 3 guys mentioned above did well, especially if all 3 do well, Dallas won't be able to keep them all. That pesky salary cap makes keeping your own players so darn difficult without neglecting the other needs the team has. So, this article from scout.com via the Bleacher Report talks about 3 viable CB prospects Dallas has on its roster that Dallas would love to see show up and make noise in this offseason work.

http://www.scout.com/nfl/cowboys/story/1670558-the-coming-battle-for-cowboys-extra-corner

[eagle eye]

Earlier this week Cowboys 2nd round pick and their last pick in the 6th round both signed their rookie contracts. Jaylon Smith and Rico Gathers are officially under contract leaving only DT Maliek Collins, DE Charles Tapper and QB Dak Prescott as the only draft picks left unsigned.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/20/cowboys-sign-jaylon-smith-and-rico-gathers-rookie-contracts

Dallas begins Phase III of the offseason program next week and that means, outside of player signings, charitable events and injuries there isn't much to talk about. Thus the writers at DallasCowboys.com got together and decided to rank the top 50 players they will face in the upcoming season. In the article linked below they begin the series with #50, Lions QB Matthew Stafford.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/20/top-50-writers-rank-best-players-2016-schedule-veteran-qb-kicks-list

[eagle eye]

In the DallasCowboys.com series on the top fifty players the Cowboys will face on their 2016 schedule. Today they look at #49 who is Jason Kelly the center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/23/top-50-writers-rank-best-players-2016-schedule-rival-center-makes-list

DallasCowboys.com's David Helman gives us his take on the Five Storylines Worth Watching as the OTA's begin tomorrow.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/23/helman-five-storylines-worth-watching-when-otas-get-started-week

For the record, I pretty much agree with Helman's take although I would add the battle at CB between Orlando Scandrick coming off ACL surgery last fall, Morris Claiborne who is in the last year of his deal with Dallas as is Brandon Carr. Throw in holdovers from last season like Deji Olatoye and Terrance Mitchell among others a the Cowboys 6th round pick Anthony Brown who the Cowboys had a 3rd round grade on. That, and who will survive the competition at RB. Zeke Elliott, Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris, Darius Jackson and Lance Dunbar. Who will the odd man out? IMO I would cut Morris and Dunbar. I don't care that Dallas gave Morris a two year deal when they signed him in March he is a two down back who sucks in the passing game and he sucks as a pass protector. Lance Dunbar is constantly hurt and he's coming off a devastating knee injury in which he tore his ACL, PCL and patellar tendons. He will like begin the year on PUP and could miss the whole 2016 season. Dallas gave Dunbar a one year deal this spring so cutting him would not kill the Cowboys salary cap. Darius Jackson could fill Dunbar's role and he's younger, cheaper and a faster RB than Dunbar. Jackson was actually ranked much higher than where he was taken, which was the 6th round of the draft, meaning if he's a keeper they have yet another player in this draft who is giving the Cowboys some serious bang for their bucks.

[eagle eye]

People say Ezekiel Elliott is a nice player but Dallas could have gotten a nice running back later in the draft. Since the NFL has become a pass happy league the value of a running has diminished a whole lot. It's rare that a back is taken in the first round and if he is it's in the back half of the round. So why take Elliott at #4 in the draft especially when Dallas needed help on defense. I'll tell you 3 reasons why.
1. Elliott is a standup guy. Never gets in trouble, doesn't abuse drugs, cares about his teammates. He's a guy you'd trust with your daughter.
2. He has an incredible work ethic and he's unselfish. I suppose I should have said 'total team player' because that is what he is. He gained a lot of yards for Ohio State but he also stuck his nose in a gap to block for teammates like Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller and he claims that is the part of his game he's most proud of.
3. He scores freaking touchdowns. Going back to his high school days he's been a TD machine. As a junior in high school he rushed for 1802 yards and 34 TD's. 34! He also added 23 receptions and another 6 TD's. As a senior he over 3,000 combined yards with 50 TD's that included 2,155 rushing yards and 40 TD's. 50 Freaking TD's! He only got spot duty as a freshman at OSU because he was playing behind Carlos Hyde who ended up being drafted by San Francisco. He still logged 30 carries with 2 TD's as Hyde's backup. He got the keys to the OSU car as a sophomore and he paid Urban Meyer back by gaining a school record 1,878 yards rushing with 18 TD's. As a senior he came back with another 1800 yard season with 23 TD's. In 4 years as a starter in high school and college he never gained less than 1802 yards and never scored less than 18 TD's in a season. In 5 years from his junior year in high school through his junior year in college he gained 7,918 yards rushing with 117 rushing TD's. By contrast in DeMarco Murray's franchise high 1,845 yards he scored 13 TD's. Elliott is bigger, stronger and faster than Murray. Last season Darren McFadden had 1,089 rushing yards in only 10 starts and he recorded only 3 TD's. What I'm saying is Zeke is a special player who will, if he stays healthy (I'm knocking on all kinds of wood right now) has a real chance to win Rookie of the Year honors assuming Romo and Dez also stay healthy (I'm knocking on wood like Neil Peart attacking his drum kit.). I, for one, am happy as hell we got Zeke in the first round and the best thing about it is, assuming he is what everyone says he will be, Dallas will have him under contract for 5 years not just 4.
What's really amazing is this could be a draft that goes down as one of the best drafts ever in NFL draft history. Every single player they drafted (except Elliott) was ranked considerably higher than where they were taken. Every one fills a need on the Cowboys roster and every one is a high character player. The exceptions to this are Jaylon Smith who is all of the things listed above but he's a player Dallas took a chance on as he recovers from a serious knee injury earlier this year. Rico Gathers, the Cowboys final pick in the sixth round wasn't ranked as anything more than a UFA or a 7th rounder, maybe. Dallas liked the tremendous potential for a huge upside in this former basketball player because of his size, athleticism and speed. Dallas was worried one of the 27 other teams who were at his workouts might steal him away so the Cowboys jumped on him. It was a reach because of the unknowns around a player who hadn't played football since he was in 8th grade but one that will be considered a huge steal in the draft if he works out.
This 2016 draft has the potential to be something special and that, for me, is the storyline of this summer's OTA's, minicamps and training camp. It's about time the good Lord decided to spare Dallas from all the freaking injuries. Jerry Jones is actually listening to the people around him who help him avoid stupid moves in the draft. The Cowboys are no longer hamstrung by their salary cap issues. Maybe, just maybe, there is a bright light at the end of the dark tunnel they have been slogging around in for over 20 years. It's way past time Dallas starts to have the breaks go their way for a change.

OTA practices begin today. As a matter of fact they are probably under way as I write this. Only 107 days, just over 3 and a half months until the 2016 NFL season begins. With OTA's under way it doesn't seem all that far off right now.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys completed this week's OTA sessions and the best thing you can say is nobody got hurt. The Cowboys are doing things a little different this year limiting the full contact work and limiting competitive situations. In the past the workouts were tough and in a lot of situations resulted in injuries. Two years ago Sean Lee tore his ACL in the very first OTA practice and he was lost for the season.
There are a of couple stories that have troubled the Cowboys this first week of OTA's. First former starting left guard Ron Leary who actually signed his restricted free agent tender offer this offseason meaning he would make a couple million dollars this season, the most he's made as a pro in one season. The trouble is Leary changed agents recently and probably on his advice Leary has refused to participate in OTA's and he's demanded to be traded. After the first OTA on Tuesday Jason Garrett was obviously not pleased with Leary saying he would benefit most if he was in there with the team. The Cowboys have granted Leary's request to seek a trade but this soon after the draft there probably aren't a lot of takers. If Leary hopes to get a job he will likely have to wait until training camp as injuries occur.
The second problem is the absence of MLB Rolando McClain who has taken off claiming he needs to attend a family matter. It's always something with this guy. One stupid excuse or another that keeps him from becoming the talented player he should be. You get the feeling that either he just doesn't love football or he is just lacking the dedication to apply himself. It's a shame because he has top ten talent and if he could focus he really could be one the best players in the NFL. Jerry Jones did his usual sales job convincing McClain to play for Dallas after he pretty much blew his career with Oakland and Baltimore by being a loose cannon. He came in to Dallas saying he had matured and he was ready to play football and in his first season he did, at least until his lack of offseason conditioning derailed his season. Going into his second year his house in Alabama burned down, he had surgery just before OTA's and failed a drug test. Apparently he is among the recent group of guys who can't stop smoking weed even to the detriment of his career. He missed the first four games of the season in 2015 as a punishment for failed drug tests. Now as OTA's begin this year he's a no show again. I will let DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola take it from here.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/27/spagnola-first-week-otas-produces-disturbing-early-warning-signal

Dallas got a wide receiver but not in the draft. They signed a couple of guys as UFA's, one of which is fairly intriguing. That would be the guy who played on the opposite side of recent Houston first round pick William Fuller, Chris Brown. This should be unsettling to current WR's on the Cowboys roster like Devon Street who haven't been all that great so far. There is one guy who has a chance to make his own impact for the Cowboys. A guy they signed last year after Dez Bryant missed a bunch of time. The guy is big and fast, scary fast and he's just what the doctor ordered if he can elevate his game. Here's a look at Bryce Butler from DallasCowboys.com.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/27/brice-butler-eager-deliver-potential-after-settling-cowboys%E2%80%99-wrs

[eagle eye]

The other the National Spelling Bee Champion was crowned for 2016. Or should I say 'championS'. Two young men became co-champions of this year's competition but it was Nihir Jafar who made the biggest impression after being declared co-champion with another 11 year old named Jairwam Hathwar Jafar threw up the "X" a la Dez Bryant.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/05/27/dez-bryant-wants-to-hang-out-with-nihar-the-machine-janga/

With all the talk about what Dallas has and more importantly what they do not have players can get lost in the shuffle sometimes. I mentioned one such guy yesterday in former Notre Dame WR Chris Brown. Brown ran a 4.50 40 at his pro day and he had a nice vertical jump and standing long jump as well which is a long way of saying he is pretty fast and very athletic and may turn some heads over the next 3 months of OTA's, mini camp and training camp. Another guy to keep and eye on is a kid who was a UFA by Baltimore in 2011. He's spent some time playing Canadian Football and Arena football over the last couple of years but Dallas saw enough of the kid, not to be mistaken for James Michael McAdoo who plays basketball for the Golden State Warriors, to sign him to a futures contract in January after spending time on the Cowboys practice squad in 2015. This article from Bleacher Report talks about his route to the Cowboys and whether or not he can do enough to stick around.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/5/28/11795474/can-defensive-lineman-michael-mcadoo-fight-his-way-onto-the-cowboys-roster

The media is only allowed access to OTA practices one time per week and in this video DallasCowboys.com writers Bryan Broaddus and Nick Eatman take us to Day 2 of this past week's OTA's. They look at 7 on 7 work during the practice with commentary and some interesting info as practice progresses.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/05/25/ota-live-rookies-vets-compete-7-7

Finally, a cinematic take on this past week's OTA practices.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/05/27/cinematic-spin-otas

[eagle eye]

When you talk about the Cowboys linebackers you naturally go straight to Sean Lee and Rolando McClain and if you are really up on your Cowboys you might know Kyle Wilbur. But, who's behind them? Who makes up the depth behind these 3 guys? Two years ago Dallas drafted Anthony Hitchens out of Iowa in the fourth round and he turned out to be a surprise for Dallas as he played all three LB spots during the course of Dallas' 12-4 season in 2014. The Cowboys were so pleased with themselves they drafted another Big 10 LB in the 4th round in Minnesota's Damien Wilson. So far the biggest impact Wilson has had has been on special teams. Then there is Andrew Gachkar a free agent from San Diego that Dallas signed in the spring of last year mainly on his experience with special team's coach Rich Bisacchia who had also been in San Diego when Gachkar was drafted in 2011. Then you've got Dallas 7th round pick from last year in Wyoming's Mark Nzeocha. He's like a supplemental draft pick this year because he was recovering from a knee injury suffered in his last season at Wyoming and he never really was able to make an impact for the Cowboys last season. Word is the Cowboys coaches like Nzeocha as a guy to keep an eye on this summer. Lastly, of course, there's Dallas 2nd pick in this year's draft Jaylon Smith. Smith is pretty much recovered from the reconstructive knee surgery he had to have after blowing it out in this year's Fiesta Bowl where his Notre Dame Fighting Irish went up against his new teammate, Ezekiel Elliott's, Ohio State Buckeyes. The thing that putting a damper on things is the fact that Smith also suffered nerve damage in the injury and he and the Cowboys are waiting, and hoping, for those nerves to heal--if they heal. If Smith recovers fully you may not see Rolando McClain in a Dallas uniform after this season. So there you have it, Wilson, Hitchens, Gachkar and Nzeocha are the names to be looking out for this summer. It's this group that could decide how good Dallas linebackers are this season.

Tony Romo is feeling better than ever and he's been in every bit of offseason work so far after having surgery to shave down a bone in his shoulder joint to try to give that troublesome collarbone of his a little give room so he doesn't break it again this season. At 36 Romo has but a few short years to finally win a Super Bowl that would change his legacy and end a 20+ year drought of championships for the Cowboys. Local Dallas sportswriter Rick Gosselin tries to answer the question whether or not Romo is Hall of Fame worthy. No spoiler alert here but I agree with Mr Gosselin completely.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/05/27/gosselin-tony-romo-even-close-hall-fame-worthy

Dallas began their 2nd week of OTA's today and they will continue through Thursday. DT and 3rd round pick Maliek Collins is participating in OTA's even though he doesn't have a signed contract as yet. Collins is one of 3 draft picks who have yet to agree on a contract. It's a little dicey for a player to participate in team activities without a signed contract because the team could legally just refuse to help the player with medical assistance. Dallas isn't that cold hearted I don't believe especially since Jason Garrett believes so strongly that players should be involved in OTA's and other team activities. The Cowboys have signed their 1st and 2nd round picks and all 4 of their 6th round picks. Only the 3rd rounder, Collins, and both 4th rounders, DE Charles Tapper and QB Dak Prescott are still unsigned. It's being reported that Tapper and Prescott could be signed any time now there seems to be an interesting issue with signing their 3rd round pick. Why? Check out this article from ESPN via the Bleacher Report.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4751422/when-will-maliek-collins-sign-rookie-deal

[eagle eye]

Update from earlier post today; As I mentioned earlier both of Dallas' 4th round picks Charles Tapper and Dak Prescott could be signed at any time. It appears that was about as right as I could have been since both players inked their contracts this afternoon mean that only 3rd round pick Maliek Collins is the only remaining draft pick yet to sign.

[eagle eye]

I just have to wonder what caused the Cowboys karma to be so lousy. This team is constantly being derailed in it's efforts to get better. The latest bit of bad luck is a broken foot to rookie DT Maliek Collins the Cowboys 3rd round pick out of Nebraska. Collins was somebody the Cowboys DC Rod Marinelli wanted -- bad and he got him. In one of the OTA practices last week Collins broke his foot, had surgery on it and the news just got released today. Collins will miss 10-12 weeks while the foot heals. This is a big blow for Collins because missing all the offseason work including a big chunk of training camp puts him behind the 8 ball. This is a big setback for Collins' development and throws yet another monkey in the Cowboys wrench as they try to remake their defense. I would be very surprised if Collins is able to make much of an impact this season, that is how much all the missed time will affect Collins ability to be a difference maker for the Cowboys. This season anyway.

Here's an article from DallasCowboys.com by Nikki Chavanelle about 2nd year WR Lucky Whitehead. Whitehead stepped in for Dwayne Harris who left for the Giants in free agency last year and he took over as the primary punt and kick returner. He contributed on offence mostly running bubble screens and end arounds. This year he wants to widen his involvement in the Cowboys offense and considering Whitehead's 4.38 speed the Cowboys need to find a niche for him in the offense.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/05/31/lucky-whitehead-seeking-become-more-well-rounded-wr-year-2

Remember that guy Rolando McClain? Pretty good linebacker when he's there but the trouble is the "when he's here" part is the real kicker. McClain didn't make OTA's last week because he had claimed he had family matters to take care of. Jason Garrett was asked about McClain last week and he talked about why he was not with the team but he expected him back this week. As of yesterday McClain was still absent. It makes it even more imperative that Jaylon Smith get well because I'll bet Jason Garrett and the rest of the Cowboys front office are pretty sick and tired of worrying about McClain's next crisis or suspension.

[eagle eye]

I had a fairly decent blog I was going to post today but I have been trying to do a better job of making my posts shorter and this was not a short post. I just wanted to mention this because I really do try to keep things short even though I don't succeed as well as I would like. Today's post, had I left actually posted it, was just shy of 10,000 words so, even though I liked it, I just couldn't post it.

Instead I'll post a link from Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com as he gives his notes on Week 2 of the team OTA's.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/01/scouts-eye-coping-without-maliek-collins-impressive-rookies-otas

This goes along with observations by another Cowboys.com writer Rob Phillips....

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/01/notes-next-step-dez-otas-r-mcclain-update-gathers-returns-more

A couple of player items:
DL Jack Crawford is from England and he's missed the first week and half of OTA's because he was having trouble getting a visa to work in the USA playing football. All that has been resolved now and he's back at practice.
Rolando McClain has not been in OTA's again this week and again Jason Garrett is saying he hopes to have him back next week. Really tired of this guy's crap and I can't believe Jason Garrett and Rod Marinelli are very happy either.
Dez Bryant had offseason surgery on his ankle and foot and he's had to be patient with his rehab to avoid any setbacks. So far he's done very well and everyone is pleased with his progress. He had x-rays on his foot and ankle and has been cleared to participate in team drills with limitations. The goal is to keep him on track to be ready for training camp and the regular season. The other receivers on the roster will benefit from the extra reps that Byrant doesn't really need during OTA's and mini camp. He will need the work in training camp as he prepares for the season and that's what the Cowboys are pointing to.
Finally a link to an ESPN-Dallas article via the Bleacher Report talking about how DL coach Leon Lett is using the mistakes he made in his playing days to help Randy Gregory, who is participating in OTA's, how to overcome the challenges he has with substance abuse and other issues. It's a good look at how an older guy with similar issues is helping and younger guy try to overcome his demons. I hope Lett can reach Gregory for his benefit in and out of football and for the benefit of the Cowboys as well.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4751483/dallas-cowboys-coach-leon-lett-using-his-past-to-mentor-randy-gregory

[eagle eye]

Week 3 of OTA's started yesterday and there are some things to chat about.

1. Rico Gather's, the Cowboys final sixth round draft pick this year talks about advice he's gotten from Dez and also how he's treating every pass thrown his way like it's a rebound. Gathers is the guy Dallas drafted as a tight end after his spent his time in college playing basketball. In fact Gathers has not played football since 8th grade so to say he is a raw talent is taking understatement to ridiculous lengths. Check out this one on one interview with Gathers by DallasCowboys.com's Rob Phillips.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/06/06/rico-gathers-1-1-basketball-nfl-nba-finals

2. Of all the RB's on the Cowboys roster right now I have to say I am the least excited about Alfred Morris. The guy is strictly a 2 down back and he's not good as a pass receiver and may be even worse of a pass protector which is a very ominous thing to say when you've got a 36 year old QB coming off a season where he broke his collarbone twice. I am liking Darren McFadden and the Cowboys other RB draft pick Darius Jackson much better than I like Morris. In fact, if I was going to rank the Cowboys RB's it would be Ezekiel Elliott, McFadden, Jackson, Morris with Lance Dunbar bringing up the rear. I am down on Dunbar not because I don't think he's a good player but because he's a player who can't stay on the field. He's going into his 5th year in the NFL and he hasn't been healthy enough to play in over half of those years. Jackson ran a 4.40 40 at his pro day and because his college, Eastern Michigan, runs a pro style offense he's a very legit prospect. It's too bad for Dunbar but he can't stay healthy and going by Bill Parcells criteria if a player hasn't shown anything by his fourth year it's time to move on. For 4 games Dunbar did show something but the one thing that has been his downfall is his inability to stay healthy and a really good player can't help you in the training room. Back to Morris, he says he wants to be a complete player which means he wants to be better in the passing game and better in pass protection but in this article from DallasCowboys.com even he admits he is not there yet.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/06/rb-morris-eyes-goal-be-%E2%80%9Ccomplete-back%E2%80%9D-admits-he%E2%80%99s-not-there-yet

3. Of all the things discussed about the Cowboys defensive line the main conversation is about who Dallas won't have for the first 4 games of the season. They know they will be without Randy Gregory and they will likely be without DeMarcus Lawrence as well but his 4 game suspension is under appeal and he may get a break like Orlando Scandrick did two years ago when he got a 4 game suspension reduced to 2 games. When talking about Scandrick and Lawrence you're talking apples and oranges. Scandrick's suspension was reduced basically because the NFL substance abuse policy had undergone a change and because of a loophole Scandrick had his suspension reduced. No such loophole exists for Lawrence but there is an outside chance the appeal may work. Probably not but we can hope. The fact is the Cowboys have to go with the players they have and one such player, Ryan Russell out of Purdue, is taking advantage of this opportunity. Russell was the Cowboys 5th round pick in last year's draft. Or rather I should say he was Rod Marinelli's 5th round whipping boy. Russell couldn't seem to do anything right last year even though he did enough right to make the final 53 man roster. A severe ass chewing by Marinelli was almost a daily occurrence in last year's offseason work. This year it's a different story as Russell, like most guys from their first to second year do, has benefited from being in the Cowboys weight training program. He came in much stronger and is even gotten Marinelli off his back. Here's a look at Ryan Russell by DallasCowboys.com's David Helman.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/06/ryan-russell-making-most-his-opportunity-left-defensive-end

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys finished up their final week of OTA's today. Next will be the mandatory mini camp scheduled for next Tuesday through Thursday. It will be then when we will see if no-shows to all the Cowboys OTA practices will actually show up. I'm speaking of course of LB Rolando McClain and G Ron Leary. Leary has been holding out because he wants a trade to a team where he can be a starter. When former LSU OL La'el Collins was signed as a UFA last May the handwriting was on the wall since Dallas planned to use him as a guard in NFL instead of tackle which he played in college that Leary's days as a starter were numbered. An injury actually sidelined Leary last season but the quality of his play had diminished following that injury for some reason that opened the door for Collins to take over. Leary was 1/5 of what was called the best O-line in football and he would like to get on the field rather than ride pine for the Cowboys. The Cowboys said they would entertain a trade but they wouldn't give Leary up cheap. Hence, Leary's decision to skip the voluntary OTA's in hopes of getting the Cowboys to get a little more serious about getting a trade done. Leary was a restricted free agent this offseason and Dallas offered him a qualifying offer of $2.1 MM for one year which Leary signed in April. He belongs to the Cowboys for one more year if a trade doesn't get done at which time Leary will be an unrestricted free agent. As for Rolando McClain, who knows about this idiot. He is definitely a guy who marches to his own particular drummer. He has not participated in any offseason work with the Cowboys and it's considered a coin flip as to whether or not he will go to mini camp even though it is mandatory everyone show up. McClain is in the NFL substance abuse protocol and one more slip up and he's suspended for a whole year. That's why when he tested free agency last year and this year there were no takers. McClain is a guy with elite level talent but his dedication to the sport is obviously not what you would like by any stretch of the imagination. Dallas would only sign McClain to a one year deal both last year and this year because of the uncertainties in his offseason activities. If Jaylon Smith, the Cowboys 2nd round pick in this year's draft, completely recovers from the horrific knee injury he suffered in this past January's Fiesta Bowl this is likely McClain's last season with the Cowboys because I'm sure the coaching staff and the team in general is tired of putting up with his crap. We'll see next Tuesday if either Leary or McClain shows up but if they don't both players can be fined for missing the practices which would take a big bite out of their salaries. A lot of times when you start eating into a person's salary they find that missing element of their dedication. We'll see.

Today Dallas also made some moves to their 90 man roster. These moves are detailed in this article from DallasCowboys.com written by Rob Phillips.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/08/cowboys-waive-3-sign-3-signings-include-defensive-lineman-lawrence-okoye

Terrence Mitchell is a cornerback Dallas drafted 3 years ago in the 2014 draft. He spent some time in Dallas and he spent time in Chicago until he was re-signed late last season again where he saw some playing time at the end of the season. He is currently on the 90 man roster trying to make the club but this time he is being tried at different positions as detailed in the article by DallasCowboys.com's David Helman. Mitchell is a little slow for CB running a 4.63 40 at the NFL scouting combine but in his short stints with Dallas he has shown the ability to make plays which Dallas in terrible need of. Maybe he will be good safety or maybe despite his lack of speed his playmaking ability will be the thing that causes him to stand out.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/07/terrance-mitchell-experimenting-position-change-start-3rd-season

Dallas is also kicking the tires on 4 year veteran CB Brandon Boykin formerly of the Eagles and Steelers. The fact is Dallas is just seeing what's out in free agent land leaving no stone unturned to improve their roster. If Boykin was all that great a young player like that wouldn't on the street looking for a job. I really don't think there is all that much going here but it's the Cowboys so it's news.

[eagle eye]

The final OTA for 2016 took place on Wednesday and it was the one day this week the media was allowed to watch. And in DallasCowboys.com's place, were allowed to video. Here is the weekly look in at Cowboys practice by Bryan Broaddus and Rob Phillips. It also takes a long look at Tony Romo at practice which is nice to see. Romo has been a little scarce during practices the past couple of years.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/06/08/ota-live-ezekiel-elliott-offense-action

Everyone reading this is probably a Cowboys fan so I'm assuming that you know all the history about Morris Claiborne. He's a guy who was chosen 6th overall in the first round of the 2012 draft who hasn't lived up to the expectations put on a guy who is such a high draft pick. Injuries have derailed his career to this point. Even in the best season of his career which was last season he missed several games. This article by David Helman of DallasCowboys.com talks about Claiborne's continued effort to finally live up to expectations.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/09/claiborne-ready-change-conversation-about-star-crossed-career

LB Sean Lee had his knee scoped in April and he's been rehabbing it ever since. Unlike Claiborne Lee has shown he was worth the pick in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft but, like Claiborne, Lee has been plagued with injuries that have severely limited his ability to play games for the Cowboys. What sets him apart is his dedication and work ethic. Lee is the type of player who comes to work early and stays late. He knows the defense as well or better than the coaches on the staff and he's like a coach on the field. The guy is priceless for what he brings to the table. All of Lee's efforts so far have been to go through his rehab with the team trainers so he is healthy enough for training camp which begins August 7th. The article linked below by Rob Phillips talks about Lee and his work to get ready for August 7.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/09/lee-%E2%80%9Cright-track%E2%80%9D-after-april-knee-scope-eyes-start-training-camp

Finally, here's an article from Bryan Broaddus with his thoughts on the final OTA practice on Wednesday along with scouting reports on the new guys Dallas signed earlier this week.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/08/scouts-eye-standouts-ota-9-reports-new-signings

Cowboys mini camp lasts 3 days and begins next Tuesday. It is a mandatory camp so, in a perfect world, all hands will be on deck. The mini camp is the last time the team will be together in an official capacity unit training camp. It is the scariest time for all NFL teams because you have guys in great shape and nowhere to vent their natural energy and they are totally unsupervised by the coaches or front office personnel. It's the time when most players seem to get into trouble. We can enjoy mini camp next week and cross our fingers for the next 6 weeks or so hoping these kids don't get into trouble.

[eagle eye]

Wondering aloud this morning about nothing in particular in my usual sleepy eyed stupor that I normally begin my days with I happened along this article in the Bleacher Report that actually comes from SBNation-Blogging the Boys talking about 4 players poised to have breakout seasons this year. Below is the link to the article and below that is tidbit of my own just to add to the conversation.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/6/12/11907052/dallas-cowboys-offseason-2016-four-dallas-cowboys-that-will-have-great-seasons

Brandon Carr - I can only surmise that Carr has been stuck on the left side of the Cowboys defense because Orlando Scandrick has either been suspended or hurt the last couple of years. Carr is the steadiest of the Cowboys CB's but he get ripped because he's not seen as a guy who's played up to that huge free agent deal he signed 4 years ago. During OTA's the Cowboys have used him at both CB spots but as we learned from the article his best position is on the right side. Does this mean either Mo Claiborne or Scandrick will be competing for the left CB position? Could be. Scandrick, when healthy is seen as the Cowboys best CB and usually that means he's the guy playing on the left. This is a big change from recent past that could have something to do with new DB coach Joe Baker. The Cowboys have slightly restructured their defensive backfield and they will also be influenced by LBs coach Matt Eberflus who added defensive passing game coordinator to his job duties. Baker replaced Jerome Henderson who left to become the Atlanta Falcons passing game coordinator this off season. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how things play out now that Carr is playing, or could be playing, his natural position.

Brice Butler - Dallas has lacked real scary fast receivers for a long time. The last time Dallas had a real speedster at WR was Joey Galloway who played for Dallas from 2000 to 2003. Galloway didn't have a QB worth a crap to throw to him but Butler is hoping Tony Romo stays healthy long enough to make him a star. Tony can do it too if he and Butler are on the same page. If Butler is all that we may see a 3 headed WR monster in Dez, T-Will and Butler. All three are big guys, big as in tall, and Butler adds an element of speed that could mean Cole Beasley sits more than he would like. I've mentioned before Butler is a player to watch this summer.

Tyrone Crawford - Crawford got a lot of hype last year coming off a wasted 2014 season with a torn Achilles but last year was only better because he was on the field despite the fact he had a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder most of the season. BTW, it's hard to play defensive tackle with one arm. To me, it's about time Crawford stays healthy during a season where he can play up to his potential. As the article stated Dallas signed Cedric Thornton to man the 1 technique so Crawford would be free to rip and roar at the 3 technique. We'll see. I would love to see Crawford get those 11 sacks the article predicted.

Morris Claiborne - Last year was Mo's best season of the 4 he'd been in the NFL and he still missed 5 games with a bad hamstring. Apparently Claiborne has bulked up a little, at least according to the article we're discussing, and that can't be a bad thing. Just a hope that all the stuff about how well Mo has looked this offseason is true couldn't have come at better time. It figures both Carr and Claiborne are primed for breakout seasons because both are looking at free agency next year and both probably want another big payday. I don't have a problem with Dallas resigning either one, or both, of them if they play well in 2016. Let's not anoint them as Pro Bowlers just yet but wouldn't it be nice if our 2012 6th overall pick and our 2012 multimillion dollar free agent CBs both play up to expectations at last? Darn tootin' it would. It would also make all that angst over not drafting Jalen Ramsey when Dallas took Ezekiel Elliott a little easier pill to swallow.

[eagle eye]

Dallas held their first of three practices in their mandatory mini camp yesterday and there are some things to talk about.

1. Rolando McClain and Ron Leary finally showed up to practice. Both had missed the 3 OTA sessions the past 3 weeks. Leary missed because he wants a trade it was his only leverage and McClain missed because of "family matters". If one or both had failed to show up they would have been fined a big chunk of their 2016 salaries.

2. Darren McFadden will miss up to two month because he required surgery on his right elbow which he broke on Memorial Day at his house when he fell trying to catch his cell phone which he had dropped. McFadden had participated in OTA practices since he hurt himself but it was determined he would need surgery to fix the damage. More reps for Zeke, Alfred Morris and Darius Jackson. This injury to McFadden could accelerate Elliott's timetable for becoming the Cowboys starter come Week 1 in September. McFadden shouldn't need too many reps but he is going to miss about half of training camp because of this.

3. DE Benson Mayowa is going to have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee which he hurt in last week's OTA's. Mayowa is expected to be back by the start of training camp in six weeks or within a week of the start of TC.

As for the actual practice yesterday Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com gives us his views of yesterday's work. He also gives a brief scouting report of two new CB's the Cowboys signed after releasing two last week. He gives us a quick look at Isaiah Frey and Dax Swanson who were signed after Terrence Mitchell was released and Brandon McGee was waived/injured.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/14/scouts-eye-terrance-williams-shines-tapper-shows-other-thoughts

For those of you who care about such things, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Swimsuit issue of the Dallas Cowboys Star magazine is out. It's summertime!!!!

[eagle eye]

The countdown to training camp has begun. Actually, it began last Thursday after the conclusion of the final mini camp practice of the summer. The next 6 weeks or so will be the players enjoying a little free time while Jason Garrett and his staff pray to the football gods that that fun time doesn't include anything banned by the NFL or illegal in general society. You can't buy a break though as Dez Bryant is being sued by a Texas State Senator, no less, for trashing the said senator's rent house. The damage estimated at $600K is the lowest number I've heard. The actual lawsuit is for between $100 and $200 K. Dez denies any wrong doing of course and that will be Bryant's main concern for the next few weeks.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2647856-dez-bryant-sued-by-texas-state-senator-over-damage-to-rental-home

A sidebar here is that former Cowboys RB Joseph Randall has just gone bat-crap crazy--again. Already in jail for other crimes Randall was cited for making a criminal threat to one of the jailers at the Segwick County (KS) jail. This kid is just crazy or severely bipolar. Either way, people should feel much better with this nut bag behind bars. (Article from Bleacher Report)

http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article85096247.html

In case you didn't know it the Cowboys held the last practice ever at their current practice facility, Valley Ranch, last Thursday. The team will be off the next few weeks until the start of training camp again in Oxnard, CA and when they return to Dallas after 3 weeks on the left coast they will occupy their new training digs at The Star in Frisco about 20 minutes northeast of Valley Ranch. All the podcasts on DallasCowboys.com will be broadcast at their new studios inside The Star. Here are some articles from DallasCowboys.com about that last practice.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/16/cowboys-past-present-get-nostalgic-after-final-practice-valley-ranch

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/17/longtime-media-members-reflect-covering-cowboys-valley-ranch

http://www.dallascowboys.com/galleries/2016/06/16/valley-ranch-through-years

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/06/22/blitz-mickeys-memories

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/06/21/cinematic-spin-last-practice-valley-ranch

http://www.5pointsblue.com/valley-ranch-trash-treasure-darren-woodsons-autographed-locker/

[eagle eye]

A few more reminiscences about Valley Ranch comes in the form of DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola. In part one of a two part article on "The Ranch" the Mick talks about his 31 years covering the Cowboys from the inaugural season of Valley Ranch to the final practice last Thursday. Part two will come out next Friday.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/24/spagnola-these-ranch-memories-really-do-light-corners-my-mind

As for the new, the Cowboys announced that there will be a new restaurant in AT&T Stadium that will be open every day of the week including pre and post game on Cowboys game days. It will be huge restaurant seating 650 customers and is open to the public. It is a carry over from the old restaurant in Texas Stadium as Dallas adds something new to with the past in mind.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/24/cowboys-announce-new-stadium-club-restaurant-att-stadium

Just in case you want to mark it on your calendar the Cowboys plane arrives at Point Mugu, California on Thursday July 28th. The opening press conference will take place Friday the 29th and the first official practice of the 2016 Cowboys training camp will take place on Saturday July 30th. The first preseason game will take place on Saturday August 13th in LA against the Los Angeles Rams. (You just don't know how it satisfies my sense of right to have the Rams back in LA. Now, if I could get the Colts back in Baltimore and the Cardinals back in St Louis I would be in heaven.)

[eagle eye]

I mentioned in another thread that there are seven rookies from this year's draft class that have not been signed as yet. One of those unsigned is Cowboys 3rd round pick Maliek Collins the DT from Nebraska. Collins has missed some of the OTA's and the mandatory mini camp because he broke his foot during OTA's. He is scheduled to be back sometime during training camp but his progress transitioning from college to the NFL was surely set back quite a bit because of the injury. That isn't why Collins hasn't signed as yet. The fact is nobody knows why he and the other six players haven't signed. I don't think that it's a coincidence that all seven are either 1st round players (3) and the rest are 3rd round players (4). Often times 1st round players get hung up in contract negotiations because of "offset language". What that means is teams don't want to be liable for a player's salary if he retires or is released prior to the end of the contract. On the other hand the players want their money and it only benefits them if the drafting team pays them for the remaining years on their contract as well as being paid their salary from their new team. You can understand the point on both sides but those deals will get done. Since the rookie salary cap no draftee has failed to be signed. The 3rd round picks are a different story but offset language may also be a factor but, for some reason, 3rd round picks have more leeway than the other rounds and third round picks are often the ones lagging behind everyone else. Personally, I don't care but I want Collins to sign his deal so I can quit worrying about it. Seriously, don't these players know how crazy and nervous fans get over stuff like this? Sheesh.

To fill the void before the start of training camp the writers of DallasCowboys.com have come up with a series called, "Longshots". Players who have the potential to make the team but because of position depth may have a hard time cracking the final roster. Today we look at DT from Akron Rodney Coe. At 6'3'' and 305 it looks like Coe may have a shot at the 1 technique but as you see from Nick Eatman's article make the squad will not be easy.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/27/longshots-former-rb-rookie-dt-has-rare-athleticism-d-lineman

[eagle eye]

An article from the Bleacher Report says that there is no significant change in LB Jaylon Smith's knee. The report came from ProFootballTalk but it's not something to get worried about. First, the structure of Smith's knee is good and he is doing rehab with Cowboys trainers. As he was when he was drafted he and everyone else, especially the Cowboys, are waiting for the damaged nerves in the knee and his ankle to start firing again. The fact that there isn't a big improvement yet is pretty much expected. Nerves are temperamental cusses who respond in their own sweet time. Nobody expected Smith to play in 2016 even though there was an outside chance he could IF the nerves began firing. So, don't jump off a ledge because Dallas wasted a 2nd round pick. Be patient and let nature take its course. That's what Smith and Cowboys have to do. Just don't let a guy writing an article because it's a slow news day freak you out.

Former NFL QB Jake Plummer is an advocate of smoking pot as an alternative pain management method. Of course he probably likes getting high as well. In an interview he went on a rant about how NFL owners are billionaires and players in the NFL are millionaires but it's the players who get raked through the coals in disputes with ownership. He specifically called Jerry Jones a billionaire asshole because Jones made comments about post concussion syndrome not being related to playing football. Admittedly, that was dumb of Jerry when so much evidence points to repeated head trauma's playing football lead to problems later in life for some players and you can understand Plummer's frustration. Here's the article and you can decide for yourself.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2649134-jake-plummer-blasts-jerry-jones-for-cte-comments-talks-drug-usage-in-nfl

Remember last summer when Tony Romo and the company he is part owner of Fan Expo LLC were attempting to put on a fantasy football convention in Las Vegas? The NFL effectively forced the convention to be cancelled after the league threatened players who were supposed to participate in the event. Fantasy football generates millions of dollars and literally millions of Americans play in leagues across the nation. It was an opportunity for fans and players to meet and greet and promote fantasy football. The underlying problem is the NFL doesn't get a piece of the FF pie so an event like Romo's convention is an affront to the shield. If the NFL can't make money at FF then nobody will. Romo and his group sued the NFL for its part in squashing the affair. Recently the case and it's remaining 13 claims was tossed out by Judge Carl Ginsberg without providing any reasoning for doing so. It seems the NFL did it again forcing cancellation of a similar event this summer by bringing pressure to bear in the same way they did it last summer. If this is a free society how can freedom be crapped on by a powerful entity and get away with it? Hey, Judge Ginsberg, can you answer that please?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/06/30/judge-throws-out-all-remaining-claims-against-nfl-in-fantasy-football-convention-lawsuit/

In the 'Longshots' series Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com takes a look at OT Ryan Mack a rookie UFA who is trying to make the Cowboys roster when training camp starts at the end of July.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/06/28/longshots-rookie-ot-mack-has-already-shown-flashes-versatility

[eagle eye]

Dallas hasn't had much luck lately in terms of the legal or NFL processes. First, Tony Romo's group lost their law suit over the NFL tampering with the ability of Romo's group to put on a fantasy football convention. To make matters worse the judge who made the ruling didn't give a reason for the ruling. Sort of made the judge look like he was in Roger Goodell's pocket and, to me, it was really unfair for the NFL to use coercion to deny a group from making money off fantasy football. The NFL claimed it was protecting the shield by stopping the convention because it was being held at a casino meeting center. The claim was the NFL was avoiding any appearance of impropriety with gambling. Okay, but the NFL did the same thing when Romo's group had plans to have the convention in Los Angeles. Sad state of affairs.

http://dal.247sports.com/Bolt/Tony-Romo-forced-to-postpone-fantasy-football-convention-45807827

The next bit of bad luck came yesterday when it was announced that the appeal of DeMarcus Lawrence's 4 game suspension for substance abuse was denied meaning Dallas will be without both their starting defensive ends for the first quarter of the season.

To add insult to injury perennial idiot Rolando McClain has been suspended the first 10 games of the 2016 season for substance abuse. McClain was suspended the first 4 games for the same reason last year and this comes as real kick in the teeth to the Cowboys defense. When he's on the field and playing well McClain is one of the best LB's in the NFL but he keeps shooting himself and the Cowboys in the foot with his stupidity. I'm tired of this guy and I hope Dallas is too and give this chump the old heave hoe. It is being speculated that Andrew Gachkar is the likely replacement for McClain since he has taken most of the 1st team reps during OTA's and mini camp this offseason because of McClain's absence from team activities. Anthony Hitchens, the Cowboys 4th round pick from 2014, is also in the mix. It all depends on who separate themselves from the pack. There is also a chance Dallas picks up an available free agent as they did when they got McClain 2 years ago. Who that might be I couldn't say.

All in all, June hasn't been the best month for the Cowboys so in that regard I'm hoping July will be a much kinder and gentler month.

[eagle eye]

Just a quick thought before I go enjoy the rest of the weekend. I've seen articles ripping Jerry Jones for making bad personnel decisions. The last 2 years have seen Dallas make some doozies. Greg Hardy comes to mind and after a one year experiment Dallas cut bait with him. It was an experiment that was supposed to fix the Cowboys pass rush issues. The very issues that betrayed their march toward Super Bowl XLIX in Green Bay when a crippled Aaron Rodgers picked the Cowboys apart because the front 4 or 5 guys could not pressure a guy who literally could not run. Hardy turned out to be the douche bag everyone thought he was and he's now, at long last, trying to do damage control so he can get a job. Good luck with that Greg. Dallas drafted DeMarcus Lawrence in 2014 and he emerged as the Cowboys best pass rusher last season. Unfortunately, he failed drug tests and got himself suspended for the first four games of the season. Whether or not the suspension was related to medication he took following off season back surgery is unspecified but pretty much unlikely because as we learned from Randy Gregory's suspension you have to fail at least 4 drug tests before you get suspended. Then, of course, there's Gregory who Dallas got last season when he fell into the 2nd round of the draft because he failed a drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine. How stupid do you have to be to fail a test you know you're going to have to take? Pretty freaking stupid. Gregory was said to have top 10 talent and Dallas saw an opportunity to get a player at great value AND help get his life together. That has not worked out at all yet. It looks like Gregory is the next Josh Gordon, a player with all the talent in the world but his love for the herb superb is such that he is willing to throw away his NFL career. Too bad. Then you have Rolando McClain. This guy has been a pain in the ass since Oakland drafted him with the 8th pick in the 2010 draft out of Alabama. McClain is big and strong and fast and dumber than a box of hammers. He never panned out in Oakland who released him after the 2012 season and he was signed in the 2013 offseason by Baltimore but he wasn't feeling it at all there and he retired rather than play for the Ravens. In 2014 on the first day of OTA's the Cowboys Sean Lee tore his ACL and was done for the season. The Cowboys were desperate for LB help and Jerry Jones talked McClain out of retirement and worked out a deal to get his rights from the Ravens. McClain was both spectacular and disappointing for the Cowboys in their 12-4 NFC East division championship team. He missed most of OTA's because of some unknown reason and ended up with hamstring issues off and on all season. The NFC Divisional round of the playoffs he was a non-factor against the Packers. In the spring of 2015 McClain and the Cowboys found out McClain was going to be suspended 4 games because of failed drug tests. Pile on to that that his house in Alabama burned down and you might as well of just wrote him off in 2015 for all the impact he had. In 2016 Dallas will be without Randy Gregory, DeMarcus Lawrence and now Rolando McClain. Gregory and D-Law will miss 4 games while Mr Dumbass will miss 10 games for a 2nd violation of the substance abuse policy. The coaching staff was already pissed at McClain because he missed all of the Cowboys OTA practices because of some mysterious family issue and now the bomb dropped. I know what the Cowboys were thinking, put up with Mr Dumbass one more season, get Jaylon Smith healthy and on the field and cut bait with this fool ASAP. Now, it looks like Dallas has every reason to kick him out the door right now for all the good he will do the Cowboys in 2016. Back to Jerry, don't bag on him too bad because he's not the only one calling the shots for the Cowboys these days. Jerry's son Stephen and player personnel guy Will McClay do most of the heavy lifting now. In fact it was this tandem that saved Dallas from the Johnny Football debacle and landed All Pro guard Zack Martin and they were likely responsible for drafting Ezekiel Elliott this year even though Jerry was all in on him from the git-go. The trouble with the Cowboys is they have a history of rescuing players nobody wants and makes them productive players for the Cowboys. Unfortunately, their track record in this lately is pretty bad. As hard as Dallas has tried to steal top level talent in spite of character issues the last success story is Dez Bryant and he's still on a tight leash by the Cowboys organization. Dez's issues weren't that he was into drugs or illegal stuff or carried guns around he was pretty much an abandoned child who needed some sort of guidance until he became mature enough to handle himself. Basically, Dez was a 12 year old in a 20 year old body when Dallas drafted him. These other guys have had serious character flaws and a tiger doesn't change his stripes very often. Young Stephen and Will will need to learn the difference going forward and stop wasting their time and money on idiots. Jason Garrett has always talked about the 'right kind of guys' being Dallas Cowboys but the GM office keeps sending him players from the Group W bench. (Listen to the song "Alice's Restaurant" to find out what that reference means when you have a spare 20 minutes.) The whole question is now can either Andrew Gachkar or Anthony Hitchens play worth a darn at the MIKE LB spot and can the offense carry this team into the playoffs like it did in 2014. Dallas has tried like hell to build a good defense they just have had shit for luck doing it. The whole process to answer these and other questions begins in just 25 days when training camp begins. Watching the Cowboys is like watching a major car accident. It may be ugly and gruesome but you can't take you eyes off of it because it is just too compelling. Happy 4th.

[eagle eye]

The link below is Part II of Mickey Spagnola's Valley Ranch memories series.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/01/spagnola-valley-ranch-memories-part-2-includes-ranch-reports-young-room (http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/01/spagnola-valley-ranch-memories-part-2-includes-ranch-reports-young-romo)

Last week as part of a rant about his frustration with NFL owners lack of compassion for the players on a wide range of issues former NFL QB Jake Plummer directly called Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones an asshole. Last Friday Plummer crawfished a little by saying he didn't know Jones personally and was a little too harsh in his comments even apologizing to Jones for calling him an asshole. The point of Plummer's rant was people tend to blame players for demanding higher salaries and wanting some consideration for their post football lives because of the beating they take as players and temper some of their drug policy to allow players who use marijuana as an alternative pain medication. The gist of the matter is that players get the blame for issues because they are "spoiled millionaires" and Plummer wonders why the "spoiled billionaire" owner don't get more heat over these issues. Plummer admitted he was wrong to criticize Jerry Jones personally and insult him with profanity without really know Jones as a person. Okay Jake, I'll agree with you that there needs to be some level of responsibility that the NFL owners need to accept and I am happy Jake was man enough to realize he was out of line in regard to Jones.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2649134-jake-plummer-blasts-jerry-jones-for-cte-comments-talks-drug-usage-in-nfl

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have had way too much drama this offseason. From 3 starting defensive players being suspended, one of which for 10 games, to former Cowboys in trouble with the law. Crazy RB Joseph Randall is just psychotic. Already in jail he made his situation worse by threatening a guard at the prison he is in. Nice. Former Cowboys DB and special teamer CJ Spillman was convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison for sexual assault that occurred in 2014 when the Cowboys were staying at the team hotel, The Gaylord Texan. The woman involved claimed she was assaulted while Spillman argued the sex was consensual. Nice. The Cowboys 3rd round pick Maliek Collins from Nebraska has not yet signed his deal and he has also missed most of OTA's and mini camp because he broke his foot in an OTA practice on June 1st. It's all a load of hogwash and as a Cowboys fan I am sick and tired of all the drama. A lot of it comes from Jerry Jones who loves to rescue players from the scrap heap and hope they turn out to be another Nate Newton or Charles Haley or Dez Bryant. The track record of Jones' rescue attempts isn't great and it's only gotten worse in the last couple of years. It's got to infuriate Jason Garrett who always talks about getting the 'right kind of guys' an Jones and the GM staff keep sending him jerks, felons and idiots. Greg Hardy's signing comes to mind but even the Cowboys could barely tolerate the guy for one season before cutting ties with him. Hardy has realized, maybe too late for his NFL career going forward, what an ass hat he has been. He is trying to clean up his act in the hope somebody will take a chance on him but I hope he isn't holding his breath waiting. Rolando McClain is another. The Cowboys signed him out of desperation after Sean Lee tore his ACL in the Cowboys first OTA practice of 2014. When McClain is healthy and playing he's a beast but the trouble with him is he likes playing the games but he hates practice. As a result he finds excuses not to show up. The fact that he didn't show up for any of the Cowboys OTA practices this offseason was reportedly the straw that broke the camel's back for Jason Garrett and his staff who were infuriated over McClain's absence. There is a feeling by some in the Cowboys organization want Jason Garrett to have more control of the roster.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2650379-insider-buzz-some-in-dallas-want-garrett-to-take-more-control-of-cowboys-roster

I can't say I disagree. The Cowboys roster has gotten better since Garrett has become head coach because of his plan to build the roster but Jerry is always looking for the next Charles Haley. A player with a load of talent who for one reason or another couldn't get along where he was. In Haley's case it was San Francisco. The problem was, back then, Jones had Jimmy Johnson who did have power over his roster. If Jimmy didn't like a player he cut him and if there was a problem in the locker room Jimmy was free to deal with it. No coach since has had that power because Jerry won't allow it because, IMO, Jerry doesn't want to give another coach power enough to claim Jerry wasn't calling the shots personnel-wise. Such was the trauma of the split between Jerry and Jimmy. Two egomaniacs who thought they were God's gift but they were not nearly as effective separately as they were together. Jerry has spent the last 22 years trying to prove he was the architect of the 90's Cowboys dynasty. That's why every coach since except for Bill Parcells has been called a puppet of Jones'. Since Jason Garrett took over you can see the organization had a plan for building the roster that started on the offensive side of the ball and it was a success. The Cowboys have had really bad luck as they have tried to resurrect the defense. But, it wasn't bad luck that caused Jason Garrett to tolerate Greg Hardy last season. Late for meetings, taunting Tom Brady by talking smack about his wife prior to the Patriots game (was this the way you present yourself when you are already under a microscope over domestic violence charges), and generally disruptive in the locker room was reason enough for any coach with any say-so to cut this fool and restore some harmony in the locker room. That should be enough reason for Stephen, who seems like he gets it, help convince Jerry to let Jason decide who the right kind of guys are in his locker room. After all, it was Stephen who refused to let his old man draft Johnny Manziel opting instead for Zack Martin. Hopefully Stephen can loosen the reins enough to let Jason run his team like he feels it needs to be run. When that happens guys like me won't be blogging about how tired they are of all the drama surrounding the team all the time. We can all kick back and watch Wimbledon and the Olympics as we wait for training camp to begin on July 28. Eazy-peazy right? Yeah, right.

[eagle eye]

Dez Bryant has scored 61 TD's for the Cowboys since he was drafted with the 24th pick in the 1st round of the 2010 draft. DallasCowboys.com's David Helman has taken it upon himself to rank each one of those TD's from the bottom to the top. Here is Mr Helman's take on the touchdown career of Dez Bryant in a series titled "View From The 6".

61 to 51: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/05/views-6-ranking-all-61-dez-bryant-tds-starting-bottom

50 to 41: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/07/views-6-dez-lights-nfc-east-part-2-td-countdown

40 to 31: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/08/views-6-part-3-brings-reminders-2014-playoff-run

30 to 21: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/11/views-6-part-4-features-revis-island-willie-mays-more

20 to 11: Coming soon

10 to 1: Coming soon

[eagle eye]

Here are Dez Bryant's 61 career TD's ranking series by DallasCowboys.com's David Helman. Today we have numbers 20 to 11 as the series gets down to the top ten TD catches made by Bryant so far in his career. I like this series primarily because we see a more personal side of the writer and as it turns out he's dry and funny and, best of all, doesn't take himself too seriously.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/12/views-6-dez%E2%80%99s-forgotten-moments-shine-part-5-countdown

[eagle eye]

Some might say this hiatus between mini camp and training camp has been quiet especially by Cowboys standards. We had quite enough news in the spring when Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence were suspended the first four games of the season. It was punctuated when the hiatus began with news that LB Rolando McClain would sit for 10 games because of yet another failed drug test. Losing 3 starters on a defense that wasn't all that great to begin with isn't the greatest news in the world for fans starving for a championship. This season will be the 21st since Dallas last won a Super Bowl and even playoff berths have been scarce in those 21 years. At one point Cowboys fans thought it was their birthright for their team to be in the playoffs. Since 1995's last Super Bowl season Dallas has made the playoffs a meager 8 times. The 8th time it sure looked like Dallas was a team of manifest destiny as they blew through the 2014 season with a 12-4 record. They beat Detroit in the first home playoff game in Dallas since 2009 when they beat the Eagles for the second time in as many weeks but everyone knew Dallas didn't have the team to go all the way in 2009. 2014 was a different story, Dallas was finally ready to break through and win it all until a blown call on a Dez Bryant reception at the Green Bay Packers goal line dashed the Cowboys hopes of going back to Seattle to play the Seahawks, whom they had already beaten earlier in the season, for the right to go to Super Bowl XLVIII. In the 21 years and 8 playoff appearances Dallas has a woeful record of 3-8. The other season it looked like Dallas had a shot at a title was in 2007. Dallas was 13-3 and was a favorite in the NFC to go to the Super Bowl but they ran into the real team of destiny, the New York Giants, as Eli Manning led the 10-6 Giants to wins over Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay all on the road and they beat the Brett Favre-led Packers at Lambeau, in January with the temps hovering around zero degrees, in overtime. Then the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl to complete one of the most improbable playoff runs ever. The Giants beat Dallas in a game where Patrick Crayton dropped a pass that hit him between the numbers that, had he caught the ball, had a ton of open field to run in after the catch. Crayton makes that catch and if he doesn't score outright it would have put Dallas in a position to score and pretty much ice the game for Dallas. But, Crayton didn't catch the ball and the Cowboys ever suspect defense couldn't make a stop to save their souls and Dallas was denied yet again. Will this season be any better? You can't say the Cowboys won't be much better than the 2015 version of the team. A lot depends on whether Tony Romo can stay healthy which has been a hit or miss proposition the last few years as he has battled back surgeries, broken collar bones, broken ribs, a punctured lung and a various other maladies. What we do know is when Romo has had a full season the Cowboys have been in contention for the playoffs. The Cowboys will have a healthy Dez Bryant to lean on after he spent nearly all of 2015 battling foot and knee issues. If Romo and Dez stay healthy I have no doubt Dallas will be in the playoff hunt again. The little something extra is the addition of Ezekiel Elliott who was selected in the first round of this year's draft. He could be the piece missing from last year's team that lost DeMarco Murray to free agency after the 2014 season. If Elliot is all he's cracked up to be Dallas should have a top notch offense yet again. It's that damn defense that will be key to just how successful Dallas can be. The suspensions I mentioned earlier hurt but does Dallas have enough left to be decent anyway? The defense has Sean Lee and last year's first round pick Byron Jones leading the team and they did sign DT Cedrick Thornton (forgot about him didn't you?) as an upgrade to Nick Hayden in the middle. They have a healthy Tyrone Crawford as well but like Romo injuries have dogged him his whole career in Dallas. They have a motivated Mo Claiborne and Brandon Carr at cornerback as well as the return of Orlando Scandrick from a torn ACL. The Cowboys have high hopes for DL David Irving and they did draft two D-linemen in Oklahoma's Charles Tapper and Nebraska's Maliek Collins although Collins suffered a broken foot in OTA's and will miss most of training camp. The Cowboys also signed free agent DL-men Benson Mayowa who was also injured during OTA's. Dallas also has 3 players, 2 on defense, that were drafted last year but were never able to play. They were LB Mark Nzeocha, DE Ryan Russell and OT Chaz Green. Maybe the Cowboys aren't in such terrible shape defensively after all. In all likelihood Dallas 2nd round pick in this year's draft Jaylon Smith, won't play because of a devastating knee injury suffered in his last college game but it will just be lagniappe if he does. Maybe this isn't such a bad defense after all and they will get better in week 5 with Gregory and Lawrence's return. Who knows, or cares, if McClain will be back. I think it's just general consensus that nobody wants the guy back because he's just been too much trouble. Yet, here I am daydreaming about football again and I'm thinking Dallas may not be half bad after all.

[eagle eye]

There is some news out of Cowboyland and, believe it or not, it's good news! Dallas' 3rd round pick Maliek Collins the defensive lineman from Nebraska and the Cowboys have agreed to terms on his contract meaning Dallas now has all nine of their draft picks under contract. Collins' deal is for 4 years and $3.2 MM. With contract worries no longer an issue the only thing left to worry about regarding Collins is when he will be back on the field. In late May he broke his foot during an OTA practice that he had to have surgery on to repair. The timetable for his return was 10-12 weeks which means he should be back near the end of training camp. It's a big setback for his progress in his rookie season. If he was a veteran player this wouldn't be that big a deal but your first training camp is pretty important in helping make the transition from college to the pros.

As for how much the two men Dallas drafted to bolster the D-line there is always a question as to how much of an impact a rookie can make. First, do these players have the talent to play in the NFL? That question can only be answered when the hitting starts in training camp. This is where Maliek Collins will miss the most from his development standpoint. They are important reps but the one thing is Dallas pretty much already has their starting defensive tackles in Cedrick Thornton and Tyrone Crawford. Collins will need to get as many mental reps and he's going have to have a Sean Lee-like diligence in the film room and he will still be behind but maybe not as much if he didn't have that access. As for the Cowboys fourth round pick, Oklahoma DE Charles Tapper, he should get a shot very early on to make a difference for the Cowboys. With DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory out the first 4 weeks due suspensions Tapper will get an early shot at D-end. The thing about both these players is the thinking is they are better than their college stats say they are. Why? Because both Oklahoma and Nebraska played a 3-4 defense. As you know the D-line in a 3-4 has a whole different responsibility than players in a 4-3. 3-4 D-linemen are there to fill gaps and occupy the O-line so the linebackers are free to make plays. Just by definition of that job means they will not have great stats. Both Collins and Tapper were 3-4 defensive ends in college which is a whole lot different than a DE in a 4-3. In Dallas they will be free to fly around and make plays because they won't have to face double teams on every play. They both have good athleticism and, in Tapper's case, excellent speed. I think Tapper has the ability to make more of an impact than Collins simply because of Collin's injury and the invaluable time he will miss because of it. The hope is both will be long term answers for Dallas for a long time. If they are then they are much better than average and Dallas will have finally hit on some defensive players at last.

The sixth and last installment of the 61 career TD's is finally here...then it was gone! For some reason the sixth and final installment of the View From The 6 series by David Helman of DallasCowboys.com was posted yesterday and today it's gone. When it is put back up I'll post it.

The NFL has announced the rule changes for this coming season. It's nothing new as some changes are instituted prior to every season but one of the rule changes is in regard to what constitutes a catch in the NFL. This article from ProFootballTalk.com by Mike Florio talks about how the NFL "refined" the language of what constitutes a catch. It's interesting to note that even under the new language Dez Bryant's non-catch in Green Bay 18 months ago would still not be a catch. Even on Mike and Mike this morning they were saying that Dez caught that ball. The head of NFL officials for the league office, Dean Blandino is a colossal ass-hat and the NFL is trying like hell to avoid the "Dez caught it" controversy. The problem with the new rule language is it doesn't clarify anything at all and Blandino and the NFL league office continue to confuse what should be a pretty cut and dried issue.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/07/08/changes-to-catch-rule-will-make-it-harder-to-overturn-on-field-rulings-of-a-catch/

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys final days at Valley Ranch ended this past week and it was a small part of the melancholy that surrounded the Dallas area. In his weekly article DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola talks about a rough week in the Metroplex.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/15/spagnola-one-last-tear-during-week-full-tears-out-here-dallas

As part of the above article Mickey remembered the people who passed away in the last 31 years Valley Ranch. Some names most people would know others you'd have to be a hard core fan to know who they were. Some were folks who everyone knows like Tex Schram, Tom Landry, Joe Avezzano, Ernie Stautner and Joe Brodski just to name a few. These men are definitely missed but there wasn't the air of tragedy that surrounded their passing. Former Cowboys FB Robert Newhouse was 64 when he died but there was some tragedy in his passing as a stroke and heart disease ended his life earlier than it should have. Then there was Mark Tuinei who, shortly after he retired he died of a drug overdose. Authorities say it was the first time he did heroine and it was his last. Tuinei was 39. The men responsible for giving Tuinei the drugs are all in jail. Another guy from the 90's dynasty was OL Frank Cornish who passed away in 2008 of a heart attack. He was 40 years old. Another member of the 90's Cowboys Godfrey Myles a linebacker and a 3 time Super Bowl winner also died of a heart attack. He was 42. I didn't know Cornish and Myles had passed away and it made me sad because they were just too young to die. I sympathize with their families because my own father died at 44 of a heart attack. The fact is most of the men listed here died of heart disease in one form or another. I gives me pause to think that how much a yearly physical can save your life. My own life was saved as a result a failed stress test that resulted in quadruple heart bypass surgery or I would have died young like my dad. This is me saying to you please don't neglect your health for your own sake and for the sake of the family and friends who love you and would miss you terribly.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys did more than window shop for LB Justin Durant --- today they signed him to a one year deal. The Durant signing is in direct response to the 10 game suspension of Rolando McClain a couple of weeks ago. It is hopefully a stop-gap move to allow 2nd round pick Jaylon Smith to complete his recovery from a knee injury in which he had significant nerve damage in this past Fiesta Bowl. When Dallas drafted Smith it was with the knowledge that it was unlikely Smith would not be able to play in 2016. If he does then it's an unexpected extra if not, no harm-no foul. It was a gamble by the Cowboys for a franchise caliber player whose career just as easily be over as he is likely to fully recover the nerve damage that has derailed his rehab efforts so far. Durant was a good, solid player while with Dallas and he was having the best season of his career until he tore his biceps muscle mid season. He went to Atlanta in 2015 and he had a disappointing year there but the Cowboys are obviously confident Durant can bound back and have a good season for them. If Durant can stay healthy he will be a good addition to the roster. He certainly is not bad for a rent-a-'backer until Smith can get healthy.

Since I'm in this thread I figure maybe I can get you guys to reply to this challenge? Who do you think will be the starting front four on defense for Dallas on opening day barring injuries? With all the suspension and injuries this could be a little tricky and as Cowboys fans we must remember we are only 10 days away from training camp.

[eagle eye]

I try to give Jerry the benefit of the doubt but his stance on the status of Rolando McClain is just maddening. In the link below he discusses the signing of Justin Durant and then rambles on about not giving up on McClain and Jerry even compares him to Charles Haley. Puh-lease, Jerry. He also yammers on about not wanting to throw away McClain's $750K signing bonus and the impact his $4MM contract will have on the Cowboys salary cap. Geez, even I don't have patience with Jerry over this line of crap. Looking for a standup comedy routine? Click on the link below.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/multimedia

[eagle eye]

Earlier this summer Texas State Senator Royce West and his former financial advisor David Wells. West sued Bryant for tearing up a rent house Dez had been renting. Dez counter-sued saying West was in cahoots with Wells trying to capitalize on and profit from Dez's fame as a sports figure. These are pretty serious charges against these men and it could be bad for them if Dez is right and wins the case. Isn't it great nobody is suspended or in trouble with the law?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2652892-dez-bryant-sues-former-financial-adviser-latest-details-comments-reaction

For his part Senator West says the allegations brought by Bryant concerning a conspiracy by West and Dez' former financial advisor David West to capitalize on Dez Bryant's name are all "lies". West calls Dez's allegations frivolous and plans to counter-counter sue for defamation of character. This is kinda funny isn't it? Or is it. A year after Dez gets a huge long term contract this Politian (I say the word Politian dripping with contempt) is trying to send Dez back to the poor house. If Dez damaged the man's house Dez needs to pay for repairs plus a little for lost revenue while the repairs were made. If Dez did nothing he is right about his allegations about West and Well maybe they both need to go to jail. This could get interesting and it's awesome because the worst Dez should have to do if he loses in pay for damages to the house in question plus some extra money for loss of income to West but the worst is West takes a big chunk of Dez's money. Then David Wells will be coming with his lawyer to get his chunk of Dez's money. Dez won't go to jail but he could be playing for West and Wells for the next 10 years. Wouldn't that just suck.

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-corner-blog/article90520507.html

Jerry Jones has said that Jaylon Smith is not behind in his rehab. They are all waiting for the nerve damage in Smith's knee and ankle to heal and when Jones and the Cowboys drafted Smith it was with full knowledge that Smith had no real timetable for his return to the field. Much ado about nothing but Smith's return is even more important considering Rolando McClain can't lay off the weed or whatever banned substance he's suspended 10 games for. Sometimes having patience is a real bitch.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/07/19/jerry-jones-jaylon-smith-not-behind-in-recovery-from-nerve-damage-in-knee/

Training camp is just 10 days away from the first practice!

[eagle eye]

It's getting real close folks. Only one week before the Cowboys land at Point Mugu Air Force Base in Oxnard, California as they prepare to begin 2016 training camp on Saturday the 30th. There are tidbits of news filtering out so let's get cracking.

Justin Durant's contract numbers are out. He will be making $965K this year with $200K fully guaranteed. Pretty cheap price for a 9 year vet but he's been good for the Cowboys in past and at least he shows up and doesn't get suspended.

The Cowboys relocate to their new headquarters in Frisco called The Star today. By the time the team returns from Oxnard they will be fully moved in and daily operations will take place there from now on.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/thestar

Talk about opposite ends of a spectrum. Randy Moss, one of the tallest receivers ever in the NFL held private sessions with the Cowboys' Cole Beasley, one of the shortest receivers ever, recently. Beasley has improved in each season and he has developed a rapport with QB Tony Romo and is now one of the trusted receivers on the roster. Beasley working with Moss to improve his craft is just another sign of this guy's dedication to the Cowboys and to getting better as a player. No downside here.

This morning about two hours ago senior writer for DallasCowboys.com Mickey Spagnola and his usual group of suspects began their annual bus trip to Cowboys training camp in Oxnard. Along the way the bus will stop at various points along the journey for a meet and greet with Cowboys fans. It's a fun tour for Mick and the guys and it is also a big PR move by the Cowboys spreading a little good will candy to fans who may not otherwise be in contact with something Cowboys. The next week Mickey will be reporting on DallasCowboys.com his series called "Road Trippin'" with articles and photos of their journey west. The article linked below has Mickey telling us the trip is under way and he also gives us the itinerary for the trip. Good Golly Miss Molly! Training camp is just single digits days away!

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/20/road-trippin-2016-mickey-begins-trek-training-camp-annual-bus-tour

[eagle eye]

Still no negative news out of Dallas with just a week left to sweat before training camp. Not even a week, just six days until the Cowboys head to California.

Ezekiel Elliott has the distinction of having the most bought jersey in the NFL since April according to Director of NFC Football Communications Randall Liu. All this despite never having played a down in the NFL. There aren't any high hopes about Elliott's impact on the Cowboys offense at all is there? Nahhhh. No way!!!!

NFL.com's Kevin Petra looks at the Cowboys 2nd year DB Byron Jones as a player who is poised for "Making the Leap" from his series on players who could have a huge jump in their impact on their respective teams. Petra feels like Jones is that guy for the Cowboys.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000675794/article/making-the-leap-cowboys-fs-byron-jones

The buzz around Ezekiel Elliott isn't just coming from fans or the media. On Wednesday EA Sports who produces Madden Football announced their top ten rookie rankings and Elliott was the highest ranked offensive rookie player in Madden 17 and 2nd overall to Jalen Ramsey.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/21/cowbuzz-ezekiel-elliott-earns-highest-offensive-rookie-rating-madden-17

Closing out today's posts are a couple of videos from DallasCowboys.com. First is the first stop on Mickey Spagnola's Road Trippin' bus trip from Dallas to Oxnard. This is the first stop for Mick and the guys in Abilene Texas.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/21/road-trippin-2016-first-stop-abilene

The second video is from NFL Network who has Mickey Spagnola as a phone guest discussing the Cowboys as they look toward training camp.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/20/mickey-joins-nfl-network-talk-cowboys-offseason

[eagle eye]

Okay, let's nip this crap in the bud right now. I got an alert on my phone that said Ezekiel Elliott has been accused of domestic violence by a woman who said she was his ex girlfriend. The woman claim Elliott assaulted her in her car only 4 witnesses, including one who was in the car at the time this allegedly happened, never saw anything go down between the two. The woman posted pictures on instagram claiming Elliott has been abusing her for months. Of course Elliott denies he assaulted her, he denies even touching her in the incident in question. The thing is the accusations come on Elliott's 21st birthday which goes to the notion there's something fishy going on here. A high ranking Cowboys official is reporting that Elliott has emails he saved that prove he is being set up. Apparently, the woman told Zeke when he said he was breaking up with her she would ruin him if he did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pvWhJNLwg0

The thing is Elliott is not some wack-job like Greg Hardy. He has been nothing but a model citizen on and off the field. His high quality of character is one thing that led the Cowboys to him. The Cowboys didn't need another wild card running off the reservation after what has happened with Hardy and the suspension of 3 defensive starters. If it turns out this girl is setting up Elliott I think she should go to jail. All a person has is their reputation, when it comes right down to brass tacks, and a person that tries to ruin another person by performing character assassination deserves to go to jail. If Elliott is guilty then hang him up by his sack and spin him like a propeller because I hold no sympathy for a man who hits women. This sounds like Elliott has run upon a crazy -----------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAbGd45dNPM

[eagle eye]

In the "Road Trippin' series that features DallasCowboys.com's senior writer Mickey Spagnola, the Cowboys official bus driver and Rowdy the Cowboys mascot in their 1900 mile trek from Dallas to Oxnard we have a series of videos from the scheduled stops along the way. They began with a stop in Abilene, which I've already posted the article and video for. This was followed by a stop in Lubbock. Here is the link to the article and the video of their stop there.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/22/cowboys-fans-display-their-true-colors-during-first-day-road-trippin%E2%80%99-2016

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/22/road-trippin-2016-second-stop-lubbock

Their 3rd stop was in Midland. This was followed by stops in El Paso and Tucson Arizona.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/23/road-trippin-2016-fourth-stop-el-paso

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/23/road-trippin-2016-fifth-stop-tucson-az (Loved the lady's Cowboys T-shirt that said "Philly Sucks"!)

This was followed by a stop in Phoenix right in the Arizona Cardinals back yard! Followed by a stop in Chandler Arizona.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/24/road-trippin-2016-sixth-stop-suburban-phoenix

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/07/26/road-trippin-2015-chandler

There was a special edition of Road Trippin as Mickey devotes the whole video Emory Tyler the bus driver on the trip and has been the Cowboys driver for several years now.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/07/25/road-trippin-2015-behind-wheel-emory-tyler

This was followed by stops in Los Angeles and finally the trip ended in Oxnard California.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/07/26/road-trippin-2015-los-angeles-1

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/07/27/road-trippin-2015-arriving-oxnard


It must have been quite a trip because Mickey signed off by saying thanks for following them on Road Trippin 2015. After 4 days on a bus I think we can forgive Mickey.

[eagle eye]

NFL.com is reporting that a bus with Cowboys employees travelling to Oxnard California got into an accident in Arizona that resulted in fatalities involving people in the van the bus collided with. This apparently happened yesterday. The inference was it was the Cowboys bus that was being used by Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com, the Cowboys mascot Rowdy a videographer for the trip and the bus driver for Spagnola's annual Road Trippin series. I can't imagine that the Road Trippin bus was involved because the trip ended yesterday with a final stop in Los Angeles before reaching their final destination in Oxnard. The last video shot in Oxnard was done in the afternoon and if that group was involved in a car accident that involved fatalities there is no way they arrive in Oxnard before dark and certainly not in the good spirits they seemed to be in. The Road Trippin bus may not have been the only Cowboys bus being used to transport folks to training camp. Who knows, anything can happen and the fact is just because they didn't mention it doesn't necessarily mean it didn't happen. It's too bad about the folks in the van that died their families should be in our prayers.

[Dracula]

I think it was Spagnola's bus that was involved in the accident. There is a picture of the damaged bus with another bus in the background. I wonder if there was two busses running together. The other bus may have been carrying cheerleaders or other team personnel.

[eagle eye]

I think it was Spagnola's bus that was involved in the accident. There is a picture of the damaged bus with another bus in the background. I wonder if there was two busses running together. The other bus may have been carrying cheerleaders or other team personnel.

You are right, it was the Road Trippin bus. No mention of the accident was made on the videos of the stops along the way but the scheduled stop in Las Vegas never happened. Mickey said in an interview with Dallas ABC station that nobody on the bus was hurt but all 4 people in the van they were in the wreck with died. It is being reported that the accident is still under investigation. The only real mention of any trouble in any of the Road Trippin videos was a broken fan belt between Phoenix and Vegas. It is quite possible that the belt broke in the collision and the time it took for a service truck to come to the scene and replace the belt, plus whatever else was damaged, is probably why the stop in Vegas never happened.

http://www.wfaa.com/sports/nfl/cowboys/cowboys-bus-involved-in-fatal-crash-in-arizona/280383592

Dallas has signed an OT just days before training camp is scheduled to begin. They have signed former Jaguars and Falcons lineman Cameron Bradfield. The Cowboys will need to make a roster move to get to the 90 man roster limit by the time training camp starts Saturday.

http://nfltraderumors.co/cowboys-sign-veteran-ot-cameron-bradfield/

The Ezekiel Elliott story is far from over as law enforcement authorities investigate the claims that Elliott's ex-girlfriend was physically abused by Elliott on the night in questions but many times prior to that night. The young woman has posted instagram photos of bruising on her arms claiming it is the result of Elliott's abuse. Elliott has said he has emails that support claims that the young woman was out to get him because he broke up with her. As first reported the incident occurred in a car at some disclosed location but it turns out it took place at Elliott's home around 2:30 am during an after-party after his 21st birthday party. All this is a reminder to every athlete that is going from college to the pros that you can't act like an idiot but it will end up biting you in the ass after all is said and done. I hope Elliott is innocent because I'm a selfish Cowboys fan. I don't want the future star of the Cowboys to trip and fall on his face before he even has a chance to be the savior of the Cowboys Super Bowl hopes. We have the examples of Ray Rice and Greg Hardy among others to show what not to as a man. I also hope that it illustrates the real truth that women can also be crazy and destructive in order to get what they want. As they say the door swings both ways and in this day and age when all you need is to accuse to ruin people's lives a little truth would be nice.

[eagle eye]

Alright, enough is enough. It's bad enough when you have graduated from knucklehead to full on dumbass but now, I don't know what the next highest level of idiocy is. Randy Gregory entered the NFL substance abuse program before he was even drafted last year failing a drug test at the NFL friggin Combine! In the months that followed he graduated to full on dumbass by failing at least 4 other drug tests that resulted in his being suspended the first 4 games of the 2016 season. Now, NOW he's taken dumbassery to another level. I guess I'll call it Freaking Dumbass Level 1 or FDL1 for short. How'd he do that? I'll tell you. He failed another drug test. I'm serious, I got the alert from Bleacher Report on my phone just a few minutes ago. This is what the alert said, "Randy Gregory reportedly facing longer ban after another substance abuse violation; enters rehab facility." Then came another flash, "Randy Gregory's reps working on appeal of potential 10 game ban for positive drug test according to ESPN." We have been given to understand his problem stems from loving marijuana too much. He can't leave it alone. Problem is marijuana isn't addictive. There's nothing in mary jane that is the least bit addictive. You can become habituated to it, I sure did in high school, but there is nothing like nicotine in cigarettes or the addictive properties of stronger drugs in pot. Marijuana is said to cause "marijuana use disorder" a label that is cited in the website drugabuse.gov which is the National Institute on Drug Abuse's website. You get into the habit of smoking weed and you develop a dependence on it. We used to call it "habituated" when my friends and I used to talk about it back in the day. Data showed it was not addictive and hence you could quit any time you want. Trouble is, for guys like Gregory, despite all the harm it can do to his livelihood, it's too difficult to stop. That's a Randy Gregory thing because, as I've said before, the day my company instituted random drug testing was the day I quit smoking pot. Why? Because I have a good job that pays well and I have a responsibility to my family as a provider. While I liked smoking a joint once in a while it wasn't worth coming home having to admit to my family I lost my job because I smoked some pot. My job is no dream job like a pro athlete's and my salary isn't 7+ figures a year but I could see the value of taking care of my job status and my self respect so it was easy to quit smoking pot. I am not sure there is anything a rehab facility can do with Gregory's "monkey" because it's 'want-to' issue. He doesn't seem to want to quit. Can you imagine throwing away a chance to play for the Dallas Cowboys because smoking weed was more important to you? I can't--not even close. Now, if weed isn't the problem and it's something more serious then God help him because a true monkey on your back is rough to get rid of. Again, the first step is wanting to. The second step is kicking your loser friends out the door. Your friends will get you into more trouble than you can imagine. Remember all that stuff your parents used to worry about? About whether you were running with the wrong crowd? Randy Gregory's mom must be kicking his ass today because he won't stop hanging with those no-account friends of his. He needs to hang with his Cowboys teammates, the ones that walk the straight and narrow. The friends he has now are letting him pay for the party and encouraging him to join them. If he doesn't join in or refuses to pay can't you hear his home boys calling him out saying, "You forgot where you came from, man."? What 20 year old could resist that type of peer pressure? That's why you have to make a better class of friends. Damn man, why is it always something effed up with the Cowboys?

[eagle eye]

Jason Garrett said yesterday he foresees no reason why Ezekiel Elliott will not be on the field when the Cowboys begin training camp on Saturday. The team actually leaves for Oxnard tomorrow. When asked to comment on Elliott's situation he simply said this, “We believe we know all about Ezekiel Elliott and what he's about as a person, I think it would be premature to make any comment beyond that." Garrett said after the team’s annual Coaches Clinic at AT&T Stadium for approximately 600 youth, middle and high school football coaches.

The Cowboys signed an OT Cameron Bradfield the other day but that wasn't the only OT moves Dallas made. The Cowboys announced that last year's swing tackle Charles Brown will retire after a six year career. I believe they knew about the retirement of Brown which motivated the signing of Bradfield. The Cowboys also signed another OT Darryl Baldwin who wasn't even in football in 2015 and they waived rookie OT David Hedelin. The top guys going into training camp at OT are Tyron Smith, Doug Free and Dallas' 2015 3rd round pick from Florida Chaz Green who missed most of the season because of hip surgery he had to have last summer will go into his first full training camp this week. Green missed a big chunk of training camp last summer because of the hip.

Jason Garrett, I feel, is tired of the endless stream of shit he has to put up with. He was notoriously silent regarding Greg Hardy last year and I believe Garrett had a lot to do with allowing Hardy to exit when he became a free agent after the end of last season. Yesterday in the interview he gave at the annual coaches clinic Garrett said this when asked about Gregory, “I don’t want to comment on that, I’m not commenting on Randy Gregory.” Doesn't sound like a guy with a lot of sympathy for a self destructive player. I have a feeling if it was up to Garrett Gregory would be an ex-employee of the Dallas Cowboys. Garrett has always been a good soldier for the Cowboys utilizing the players given to him but there have been times when Garrett has been tight lipped as in his comment about Gregory that seems to be a tell that he's not at all happy with a player. I think the one deficiency in the relationship between Jerry Jones and Garrett has been Garrett's lack of ability to run the personnel on the team the way he wants. Jerry needs to let Garrett that last measure of control and the Cowboys roster and locker room would be better off. Jerry has been seen, I think rightfully so, as a facilitator of bad behavior because he's seen problem players succeed. Most notably, Charles Haley but guys like Haley are the rare exception rather than the rule. Garrett talks incessantly about getting "the right kind of guy" and Jerry keep signing guys who are clearly not that. Garrett should have more say so in who gets signed and he also should have a freer hand in meting out discipline as he see fit. When Dallas was in its last heyday under Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy would cut a guy to make a point and even the star players were not above his iron fist. I think there have been times when Garrett would like to ring a player's neck but he bites his tongue while Jerry praises bad behavior as a sign of leadership. You know what Jerry's doing, he's trying to give some support to players in the hope they will feel compelled to straighten up and fly right. Trouble is he's cutting his coach's authority off at the knees. People are wrong, Jerry isn't a coach and Garrett is far more than a figurehead or Jerry's puppet. Garrett is his own man but he's not the boss and he has to do what employees in every industry has to do. That's to do his job and not overstep his bounds. Don't think cutting Gregory would send a message to the other idiots on the team? Who knows but I'd like to see Garrett come out in the opening press conference in Oxnard and say that Randy Gregory has been cut. No explanation, no excuses. Gregory is cut and leave the whys up to the media that will venture to guess what Garrett was thinking cutting a 2nd round pick just 1 year into his contract. I think the media will figure it out and so will the guys in the locker room. Gregory crossed the line and he's gone and it doesn't matter when he was drafted. If you take yourself off the field because you can't control recreational drug use you won't be employed by the Cowboys for very long. That would be a Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson thing to do. For his part, Gregory entered a rehab facility but I'll bet a dollar to a donut that Gregory's agent motivated that move as damage control for this latest stupidity. There may be only one way to impress upon Gregory to leave childish behavior behind, a one year suspension without pay. Maybe, MAYBE, that will be the 'Come to Jesus' moment he needs to wise up. I think if Garrett had his way both Gregory and the other true knucklehead on the Cowboys roster, Rolando McClain, would be out of work right now. I would totally agree with Garrett if he had the ability to do what he probably would love to do. Totally.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys leave for training camp today. Heck they may have already boarded their plane and are headed to Oxnard as we sit here. In an interview Jerry Jones admitted that he and the rest of the organization are not surprised about the recent turn of events concerning Randy Gregory. In fact he said the team sort of knew all spring that he had issues. Gregory is said to have failed not one but several drug tests and the subsequent news that he had checked into a rehab facility on the heel of news that he would likely end up with a 10 game suspension instead of a 4 game ban as a result of continued failed drug tests. Sad--both for Gregory and the Cowboys.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/27/jerry-jones-not-surprised-not-expecting-randy-gregory-training-camp

To add insult to injury the Cowboys will likely have to pay a $250K fine for having 3 or more players on suspension due to drug or PED use. The last team to face such a penalty was the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 when they had 6 players suspended for PED use. .....and Lucy says, "Good Grief, Charlie Brown!"

In the Writer's Round Table feature Nick Eatman, Bryan Broaddus and Taylor Stern give their final thoughts before training camp.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/26/roundtable-training-camp-preview-predictions

More work is taking place at the Cowboys new headquarters in Frisco called The Star. Yesterday the Cowboys with reps from the Omni Hotel chain along with local dignitaries had what was dubbed "The Topping Out Ceremony" of the new Frisco Omni Hotel at The Star that is part of The Star facility complex. The hotel is not slated to open until summer of 2017 but the announcement is seen as a way to spur the construction of the hotel that will feature 300 rooms. Linked below is the video of the ceremony and a link to the article about the ceremony. Both come from DallasCowboys.com.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/07/27/cowboys-city-frisco-announce-omni-hotel-star

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/07/27/topping-out-ceremony-frisco-omni-marks-another-milestone-star

Don't you know that of all the issues and headaches LB Rolando McClain has given the Cowboys in the same interview with Jerry Jones he was asked if McClain, who is eligible to participate in training camp, Jones reply was this, “That’s another one that’s a work in progress, and we’ll leave it at that,” Are you freaking kidding me? I promise I will never write another post pertaining to this guy until he is either cut or shows that he's straightened up his act. Randy Gregory won't be at training camp because he's in rehab. I get that. There is not one reason why McClain can't show up in Oxnard and I'm tired of this fool.

[eagle eye]

I have been thinking about this for a while now because I have noticed that I am pretty much the only one who posts in this SportsCenter forum. I have hoped to spark discussion and debate both pro and con but it hasn't happened in a while. I never intended this forum to become my own domain. So, I am going to back off from posting in this forum for a while in hopes that all you BRI people will make this a true fan forum again. I appreciate the folks to who have checked out my posts, almost 8,000 views on the 4 pinned threads I have going is pretty awesome and I thank you for giving my ramblings a look. The downside of that is I know you're out there so I'm challenging you all to step up and make this continue to grow. Thanks to Mike and the other administrators for giving us all this opportunity to talk Lamar and sports in general and thanks also for not kicking me off the site because my posts are just too darn long. I'll still be around posting on the Inside the Birdcage forum and I'll be watching SportsCenter to see what comes up. Go Cards and Go BRI!

[eagle eye]

The latest news is just so frustrating I couldn't not post. Yesterday at practice backup QB Kellen Moore had his leg stepped on by an O-lineman while Moore was passing which resulted in his left fibula being broken. He was carted off the field in an air cast. It has also come to light that Moore will need surgery to repair the break. At minimum Moore will miss half the season and it could be he will miss the whole season. The Cowboys expressed confidence in their QB situation last week when Nick Foles asked for and was granted his release by the LA Rams when Dallas said, in no uncertain terms, that they were not interested in Foles. Now, it will likely be a brand new situation because neither of the remaining two QB's on the roster, Dak Prescott or Jameille Showers, have taken a regular season NFL snap. Dallas will need to cover their asses with a veteran guy and Foles just could be a great fit in Dallas.

Out of the blue Tyrone Crawford has had to sit out practices since the weekend because of a back issue. Terrell McClain also has had to sit out as well leaving the D-line short handed. This injury shit on top of the suspensions is really testing the Cowboys depth. You want, and need, your top guys in practice and these constant setbacks have got to frustrate Jason Garrett. Especially Crawford who has been plagued with one injury after another since he was drafted in 2012. He was supposed to be the healthiest he's been since he tore his Achilles tendon in the 2013 training camp on the very first day of practice. He played all but the first game of 2015 with a torn rotator cuff and he still managed to play well but far less effective than he could have been with two good arms. This year we were supposed to see the newest and most improved version of TC yet until the back thing flared up prior to Monday's first padded practice. Crawford had an MRI but it showed nothing so the Cowboys are giving him a few days of rest. Jason Garrett said the back is something that has nagged him the past couple of years but it has not caused him to miss a game. So, do we worry or not? JJ Watt played for a season and went through OTA's and mini camp until it was obvious he had to have surgery. It could be that's the road Crawford is on--go as long as possible until you can't stand it any more and get the surgery done. Hopefully, he can play, and play well, this season and have the surgery next February. It seems it's only inevitable.

When you look at the guys who have messed up and gotten suspended you have to feel frustrated on one hand and sad on the other. Rolando McClain is a top notch talent who is throwing his career away and the latest news is it's because of a codeine problem. He is drinking a concoction called purple drank which basically is codeine cough syrup mixed with a soda like Sprite or Mountain Dew along with Jolly Rancher candies for flavor. Codeine is highly addictive and is dangerous in high doses. Here's the wiki on "purple drank" the most infamous part of this is that it is said to have originated in Houston. Nice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_drank

There is still a mystery surrounding Randy Gregory's continued battle using marijuana but information came out that Gregory has deeper issues that cause him to continue to use weed. It's these issues that have caused him to go into an in-patient rehab facility. The concern for when Gregory will return to the Cowboys is truly secondary to the concern over his mental health. Though no reports have said specifically there has be inference that Gregory's personal life is in shambles and smoking weed is the only way he can cope with his problems. I think, even though nobody has said so, that there is a real fear he is suicidal. You hope to God he's not but if he is in such a state you have to hope that he can get the help he needs to get his life back on an even keel. There is always a backstory to self destructive behavior and you have to have help in this life. Let's hope Gregory gets that help for him as a person--football be damned.
That makes the redemption story of DeMarcus Lawrence encouraging. Despite being suspended the first four games of the upcoming season he has come to training camp and he's working hard to prepare himself for Week 5 which is when he is scheduled to return to action. He has also owned up to his problem to the media admitting he made a mistake in judgment and it won't happen again. When asked why he feels he won't make the same mistake again Lawrence replied that, “With times like this – hard times come through your life. You’ve got to learn to stand up and be a man about your mistakes,” he said. “I did that. I stood up as a man, talked to my teammates – and they understand how sorry I am.” He went on to say that he learned what is important to him and he has adjusted his priorities accordingly. A young guy made a huge mistake and seems like he's ready to move forward. As an ending to this story as of yesterday in the following link is a recap of yesterday's practice. Look at the section of the article that talks about the players who stood out yesterday in the team's second padded practice of camp.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/02/tues-practice-recap-daks-opportunity-zekes-hamstring-more-notes

From the "Would you give me a friggin' break" department comes news that Zeke Elliott tweaked his hamstring in practice yesterday. He was seen having trainers stretch him out and he was held out of the end of practice. That is also mentioned in the link above in case you missed it.

Dallas has a day off today so it will give players a chance to recharge and recuperate some before resuming practice on Thursday. This Saturday will be the Cowboys annual Blue-White scrimmage and one week later will be the first preseason game against the Rams at the LA Coliseum.

[Skinny1]

Well, looks like the Cowboys can re-evaluate their QB decision about getting Nick as a back-up or consider Johnny Football. Jerry GM is never predictable.

[eagle eye]

I can't stand it. I am surprised I was able to make it a whole week but there's just too much going on. Dallas had their annual Blue-White scrimmage on Sunday but it was just a full speed practice that lasted roughly an hour. Romo and Dez hooked up on TD pleasing the huge crowd on the scene and they got an extra rush when Dez threw up the X after the score. Most of the scrimmage reps went to the young guys getting reps they all need. Dak Prescott and Jameille Showers are fighting it out over the #2 backup QB position. They are doing so well that there doesn't seem to be any urgency to bring in a veteran QB. Honestly, there probably isn't a lot out there right now and with the hope Dak is really going to be the QB in training to take over for Romo some day I say, why not? Dak or Showers can't be as bad as the guys Dallas had last season. Besides, Romo isn't getting hurt this year and he's going to play all 16 games plus the playoffs, isn't he? Isn't he? (crickets chirping)

Ezekiel Elliott has been out since last week early because of hamstring soreness. That's the key, the Cowboys are saying "soreness" rather than "pull" which is far more serious. My question is if it's just soreness why hasn't he practiced in a week? A rookie needs all the reps they can get and Zeke is working with trainers on the side. Hopefully, he will get back this week in time to play in Saturday's 1st preseason game against the Rams.

One reason the scrimmage on Sunday was cut short because the Cowboys were missing 28 players who are injured, rehabbing injuries or are sick. That's almost 1/3 of the roster in the trainer's room instead of the field. Hopefully, some of these players, most notably the defensive line, can make it back to work soon.

According to the DallasCowboys.com writers the best player in camp so far is CB Morris Clailborne. This is the first time in his career Claiborne has been totally healthy and the key for him will be to stay that way. In an interview Mo told the interviewer this is the first time since college he really loves football again.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/08/finally-healthy-producing-mo-claiborne-excited-love-football-again

The Cowboys began a documentary series called Deep Blue last year with some really interesting stories. The 2nd season of the series is back and the first episode features a round table with 3 generations of Cowboys 88's with Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin and Dez. The 2nd half of the show features HOF OL Larry Allen "From Compton to Canton". Should be a good show. In the link below there is also a link if you are interested in watching Season 1 shows.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/deepblue

[eagle eye]

So here is something you might be aware of. Rolando McClain has caused enough head and heart ache that the Cowboys won't even talk about him. Dallas gave him a fresh start and a chance to play football for the most popular franchise in the NFL. Dallas has been smart enough not to give him any more than a one year deal that is based solely on how many games he's played. No guaranteed money, a minuscule signing bonus and no forgiveness from a salary standpoint. You're looking at a Stephen Jones move in that regard. McClain's contract has been the purest example of 'what have you done for me lately' ever in the NFL. McClain deserved no better than he's gotten either. Dallas isn't, or hasn't screwed him financially considering he can't keep from getting himself suspended and he has never failed not to show up for offseason work to great consternation of all. The guy is just a head case. An extremely talented head case but a head case he is.
That part you know if you follow the Cowboys what you might not know is there is a reason Dallas doesn't just cut him a la Jimmy Johnson to make a point or send a message to the team about how slackers won't be tolerated. This is a different NFL than when Jimmy coached the team. Salary cap issues matter and that's why Garrett doesn't cut him even though he would probably love to. McClain doesn't make a lot of money in the grand scheme of things but why just throw the money away? If Dallas keeps McClain on the roster and he's suspended or inactive then Dallas can recoup most of the money that would have been paid IF he had actually played a game. They won't get credit for it this season but they will get a credit for next year. It's money in the bank. If Dallas cuts him all the money from McClain's contract is lost, dead, gone, kaput. So, as you can see, McClain will still be able to call himself a Dallas Cowboy but he won't get paid for the privilege and that's about what he deserves. But, something seems to have happened in the offseason. Maybe Jason Garrett talked to Jerry and Stephen Jones and told them how upset he was at having to put up with characters like Greg Hardy and McClain who didn't go to meetings or "be the right kind of guys" in any way, shape or form. It hurt the culture of the locker room to give those bad actors a pass and it gave the rest of the team a reason to misbehave too. If you notice, Jason never said a word to the media but his silence about the actions of Hardy and McClain and others spoke volumes. Every year since 2014 when the players showed up for OTA's every member of the team and staff had a T shirt with the word FIGHT that symbolized an attitude. There was a similar T-shirt given out in 2015 and there was a new one given out in May of this year. This year's slogan is ' 17" ' which is read 17 inches. This video linked below explains what 17" means and it's an interesting story but the gist of the message is this, 'We're not putting up with anybody's shit any more. We have one set of rules that apply to everybody, no exceptions. Toe the line or you won't be around long." From the opening of training camp Jerry said there is new attitude around the Cowboys that says we only worry about who is here and we don't sweat who isn't. The unspoken part of Jerry's speech was he wasn't going to tolerate slackers. I believe Jerry was incredibly embarrassed about last season's 4-12 record and he listened to Garrett (and probably Stephen too) that you can't have a special set of rules for guys because it divides the locker room. It's pretty clear Jason Garrett hated what happened in his locker room last year and he's sent a message it won't happen again. If my hypothesis is true, Good for Jason; Good for Jerry; Good for Stephen. This is long overdue I really like the message. I'll be willing to bet this isn't just lip service either. We'll see but I believe some of you will be surprised in good way.


http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/08/06/special-edition-17

[eagle eye]

What can you say when a team gets beaten in the 4th quarter of a preseason game? I'll tell you. You admit that the other teams' scrubs are better than your scrubs. Dallas busted out to a 21-7 lead and make it 24-7 going into halftime. All those points coming without Tony Romo on the field. How is that you ask? I'll tell you, Dak Prescott is a good player and Jameill Showers isn't far behind. All that whining about lack of QB depth when Kellen Moore went down was very premature. Prescott looked like a vet out on the field and he moved the ball. In his time on the field he completed 10-12 passes for 139 yards and 2 TDs. One was a pretty back shoulder fade to Dez and the other was an even prettier 32 yard strike to Terrence Williams that couldn't have been thrown any better. Jameill Showers had the play of the weekend when he escaped two tackle and threw a strike to Vince Mayle. It was a thing of beauty and was easily the best play of the NFL weekend.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/08/13/jameill-showers-escapes-sack-throws-first-down

The down side to the game was the 4th quarter collapse by the Cowboys. Our scrubs couldn't do anything right on either side of the ball as they allowed 14 4th quarter points and the offense couldn't manage even a field goal in the second half. I have to say, I'm sure that there will be some hard words said to some of the Cowboys who sucked the big one on Saturday night. Take Chaz Green for example. He let former NFL great Junior Seau's nephew Ian make him his bitch. He had no answer for either Seau's bull rush or his speed rush. Another guy who stunk it up was S JJ Wilcox. That guy sucks. He took bad angles and missed plays as a result and when he was in position to make plays he missed the tackles. The Cowboys tackling was terrible and it got worse as the first and second teamers went to the bench. Unfortunately, a lot of 2nd and 3rd teamers had to play almost the whole game because Dallas had so many defensive players hurt there was no depth to speak of. I had to endure the Astros sucking and then I got to watch the Cowboys suck in the fourth quarter losing the game to the LA Rams 28-24. I forgot this is the time of year when I am in for dual disappointments on a regular basis. If you asked me how my weekend was I'll reply, "It sucked. It sucked the big one and I may have committed suicide if the Texans hadn't proved THEIR scrubs are better than the 49ers scrubs. I'm going to need an anger management course if this shit is going to continue. I know it's preseason but for God's sake wasn't 4-12 bad enough? Dallas had the day off yesterday so I guess today Jason Garrett is going to chew on some ass today. The one thing that makes me happy is that Dak Prescott was pissed too. Even though it is preseason he hates to lose because "My name is on that loss too." and I'm glad he said that. I'm glad Dak cares about winning so much. I like that attitude even if the game doesn't count. We just may finally have our QB of the future and that's a good thing.

[eagle eye]

In all the hoopla over the first game of the preseason I forgot to mention that C Travis Frederick got a long term deal done DURING the game. When, the news of the deal came during the game via an alert on my cell phone. I was happy at the time since Dallas was winning and news of locking up a top notch center for the next 6 years was good news indeed. It's actually more than 6 years when you remember Frederick is just entering the 4th year of his original rookie deal and the Cowboys picked up the 5th year option as part of the new deal. So, Frederick's new deal doesn't actually kick in until 2019 and he is under contract with Dallas through the 2024 season. He will be a 12 year vet by then so this could be his last contract of his career. It's a good'un too. The $56.4 MM features $28.2 MM fully guaranteed and makes him the highest paid center in the NFL.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/14/frederick-thrilled-get-deal-done-moments-start-2016-season

TE James Hanna who came down with a knee issue just before training camp is now going to have arthroscopic surgery on the knee. This will like mean he will begin the season on PUP because he will need at least 6 weeks to heal and rehab the knee.

LB Damien Wilson has missed training camp so far because of an eye injury he received playing paintball. It's like the scenario in HBO's Ballers but at least Wilson didn't tear his Achilles like the Vernon character in the show. He returned to practice yesterday and as things go players like Wilson and Maliek Collins and Benson Mayowa are cleared to practice. The return of Collins and Mayowa as well as Wilson will be welcome reinforcements for a front seven severely depleted by injuries. If you remember Collins broke his foot in mini camp while Mayowa missed time after he needed his knee scoped. This will be a welcome return to duty for 3 guys the Cowboys were depending on. Especially Collins, the 3rd round pick from Nebraska in this year's draft. He was supposed to be a difference maker in the interior defensive line. He is actually getting back earlier than expected which is a very good thing for this rookie's development. Mayowa has also been missed at defensive end. Since it is still early in training camp all 3 players will get of a good dose of it before all is said and done.

RB Ezekiel Elliott looks like he's getting closer to getting back on the practice field for the Cowboys and none too soon either. He participated in the Cowboys walk through yesterday and if there isn't any residual soreness in his hamstring he could actually participate in practice today. If all goes well this week we could see Elliott in Friday's game against the Dolphins.

Dallas will wrap up the first portion of training camp in Oxnard this week. Their last day of practice in California is Wednesday and Thursday the Cowboys travel back to Dallas. They have their first home game Friday night against the Miami Dolphins and they will begin practicing at their new headquarters in Frisco as early as Sunday.

In this edition of Scout's Notebook DallasCowboys.com analyst Bryan Broaddus takes a look at Monday's practice, the first since Saturday's 28-24 loss to the Rams.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/16/scouts-notebook-defense-steps-first-practice-back-la

[eagle eye]

Jerry Jones has been named as a Pro Football Hall of Fame contributor nominee. In other words he's being nominated as an owner of influence. The fact is, Jerry as the team owner revolutionized the way the NFL does business. From team centric sponsorships to generate revenue for the Cowboys without having to share with the other 31 teams to charging for training camp practices to a plethora of ways for the Cowboys to build their brand without having to share with the other owners or the league and his innovations revolutionized the way the NFL does business. The Star in Frisco is another innovation by Jerry and the Cowboys because there will be no other team training facility in the NFL. As an owner he truly has been a true visionary and he deserves his recognition as a Hall of Famer. Don't get me wrong, it won't be because of his prowess as a GM, he's admitted that if the GM of the Cowboys was someone different than himself he would have fired the guy long ago. It's looking like Stephen Jones is better suited than Jerry as a GM as the younger Jones has shown a better head for GM work than his old man. As an owner there's nobody even close to Jerry. We'll find out Super Bowl week this coming February if Jerry will join the ranks of Hall of Famers and I'll bet he will be.

Zeke Elliott practiced again yesterday for the first time since the 2nd practice of training camp when he tweaked his hamstring. He only participated in individual drills as he sat out team activities but at least he was back on the field. He will continue to be worked into activities until he is a full participant but when asked if he will play against Miami this week he said probably not. His first game work will likely come in preseason game 3 against Seattle.

The Cowboys 7 on 7 drills almost turned ugly as the WR's and DB's started talking smack big time. Dez telling the CB's there wasn't a one of them who could cover him and Mo Claiborne throwing an incomplete pass back at the offense in defiance. It's good that they are showing this spirit as long as all that results is better play from both sides and a lot of trash talk. You never want to see the team getting into fights because nothing is accomplished and somebody could get hurt.

Bryan Broaddus gives us his observations on yesterday's practice in his Scout's Notebook series.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/16/scouts-notebook-byrons-growth-coverage-wilson-shows-more

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys had their final practice in the perfect weather in Oxnard California yesterday. Today is a travel day as the Cowboys return to the Metroplex to prepare for their Friday night game against the Miami Dolphins. Yesterday's practice was good but a lot of vets like Romo, Witten, Tyron Smith and Sean Lee got to sit out of this last practice. It ended on a high when Jason Garrett had to hit a target with a pass that would allow the team to not have to observe curfew last night and he did hit the target. Punter Chris Jones had to hit the same target and if he did the players would not have a walk-through practice before leaving for Dallas Thursday morning. Jones hit the target and was carried off the field. Hopefully the link of his throw from a twitter post by reporter John Machota will play. It wouldn't play on my work computer but I'll bet it does on yours, or your phone. It's the second like below.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/17/wed-practice-report-moving-back-dallas-whos-available-friday

https://twitter.com/jonmachota/status/766081140092379136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Tony Romo did not play a down against the Rams in their first preseason game but he expects to play a series or two Friday night against the Dolphins. There have been instances in recent years when Romo didn't play or even practice much because he was recovering from a back surgery or simply because of his age. He has shown that if he doesn't get the work he needs to get in during training camp and preseason games he comes out in Week 1 rusty. In the Cowboys 12-4 season two years ago Romo didn't practice much or play much in preseason games and when Week 1 rolled around he was noticeably rusty and definitely not playing as well as he could, or should, have played and it resulted in a disappointing loss to the 49ers. He was still rusty but played better against Tennessee in Week 2 which was the Cowboys first win of the season. By Week 3 almost all of the rust had been chipped away and he was in top form but the Cowboys were forced to play on the road after their 1st round playoff game. One more win, the one against a bad 49ers team would have have given Dallas the #2 seed and home field until the NFC Championship game. Big difference between playing at home and in Green Bay in January. So all you folks out there who want to see more of Dak Prescott remember, Dallas is trying to get ready for the regular season and that means getting all the starters ready for Week 1. Dak is the darling of the fans and media on the strength of his showing against the Rams last Saturday but make no mistake, Tony Romo is the man who will lead the team where it needs to go and he needs to get the right amount of work in. Yeah, Dallas may have found their QB of the future in Dak Prescott but the QB of the present is Tony Romo and he needs to feel the love right now and the only way he can feel that love is to get the bulk of the work the next two weeks in practice and preseason games. Next week's game is generally known as the "dress rehearsal" game. A game when the starters all play at least a half to get tuned up for the season. IMO Romo needs to play at least a quarter against the Dolphins on Friday night and get his full half of work in the following Thursday night against Seattle. The last preseason game is all for the backups and scrubs who are trying to make the final 53 man roster but now is the time to knock off the rust on Tony Romo so he's ready come September 11 against the NY Giants when the games begin to count.

[eagle eye]

The most important thing so far in Cowboys camp is they have been relatively injury free.....Bazinga! Another one of my classic pranks. The Cowboys have done nothing but deal with injuries so far in training camp. They have gotten a couple of guys back but about the same time as Maliek Collins and Terrell McClain return to practice DEs David Irving and Charles Tapper are out with a groin pull and a back issue respectively. Sheesh. I have been asking the football gods, on many occasions begging them, to lighten up on this team for change. The injury situation is ridiculous and so not fair. You look down I-45 South and how healthy by comparison the Texans are it makes me throw up a little in my mouth. I wish no ill will toward the Texans, they are my favorite AFC team, but I'd like some of the good fortune health-wise the Texans are having to make its way north to the Metroplex. Jason Garrett has be asking himself in private moments alone, "WTF is going on with all these injuries?" This situation isn't just this year but it has gone on for literally years now. Dallas can't seem to catch a break. It's like the rest of the NFC East got together with a voodoo princess and got a doll they stick pins in. I think Jason ought to call Jerry and ask him to have the voodoo police check into this because I am sick and tired of the literal bombardment of injuries to the roster each and every year.

The Cowboys were off yesterday as they traveled back to Dallas from California. The temps in Dallas aren't that much removed from Oxnard because they are getting the same crap weather we've been dealing with for the last ten days. The temps are cooler but the humidity is another matter. At the new practice facility at The Star in Frisco Dallas has a state of the art indoor practice field so they can continue to work. God help those fellas when the sun comes back out. That north Texas heat will probably be responsible for another plethora of pulled hammies, groins, shoulders or some other stupid malady. I cast a voodoo spell on the Rangers that worked beautifully for almost 3 weeks but the Astros blew their opportunity and failed to take advantage of the super slump the Rangers went through. I am looking for a live chicken for another ceremony to cast a protection spell over the Cowboys from this moment forward. Sacrificing a live chicken is messy business but if it puts a halt to the avalanche of injuries to this team it will be worth all the mess. Just to be safe, I'm going to get Doreen and her magic powder to join in my rite of protection for the Cowboys just to put a little umph in the spell. Doreen is one powerful witchy woman and if she can't put the spell over the hump there must be even higher powers affecting the poor health of this team. I have to get busy now because we play Miami tonight and I don't want the team to go into the game unprotected.

Today should be a walk-through practice in prep for the game tonight against Miami. The game will be televised on the NFL Channel and should start at 7:00 o'clock. If you notice a faint purple aura around the players it's not your TV, it will be the spell of protection guarding the players. If you see a deep magenta aura around Tony Romo just know that me and Doreen put a little something extra out there for him.

[eagle eye]

What a difference a week makes. Of course the competition level was different. It was obvious the Dolphins are not in the same class as the Rams talent-wise but it was still noteworthy that Dallas kicked the stuffing out of the Fish by a final score of 41-14. The one thing that was a little disturbing was that Dallas went stretches when they were not able to put pressure on Miami QB Ryan Tannehill. There were 4 possessions where the pass rush just wasn't there and it resulted in 14 Miami points. Dallas defense got much better in the red zone in the other two possessions and Miami came away with no points as they opted to go for the first down or TD on 2 4th downs that ended any scoring threat. The final score really should have been 41-20 and if it had been the regular season it would have.
Dak Prescott is making believers out of pretty much everyone. In two games so far he has a QB rating of 156.4 which is nearly perfect. Dak threw for two TDs and ran for two as his work in the 2nd and 3rd quarters was just outstanding. You know a guy is living right when he makes a bad decision, the one bad decision he's made in his two games played, that resulted in an interception but was negated by a roughing the passer call on the Dolphins. Even when he does something wrong it gets reversed.
WR Brice Butler had a nice night too. He had 3 catches for 74 yards and a TD on the night. He should have had 4 catches for about 100 yards but a ref made a terrible call of offensive pass interference on Butler on a really nice leaping catch from Prescott that would have been a TD had it counted. The ref really blew the call. First, he was out of position to see the play clearly as he was behind Butler on the sideline with Butler shielding him from the play. The ref said Butler pushed off to gain separation to jump up and make a circus catch but this was not the case as the replay clearly showed. Butler made catches in various routes proving he wasn't a one trick, Nine route, receiver. Butler did make a nice catch on a deep ball on a post pattern that Dak threw 65 yards in the air and Butler was taken down inside the 5 yard line. He catch a short back-shoulder fade for his TD a couple of plays later. He other catch was on a skinny post for a 12 yard pickup and first down in the 2nd quarter. Nice night for Butler and I'm sure Devon Street can feel his continued employment by the Cowboys is in jeopardy because of Butler's performance.
Mo Claiborne showed up and played well. He was good in coverage and he was good in run support. This may finally be the Mo that Dallas thought they were getting when the traded up to get him back in 2012 and it's no coincidence this the first time he's been truly healthy since being drafted.
The refs were crappy last night and it seemed like every bad call went against the Cowboys. I know, it sounds like a homer talking but I am not being a homer here because replay backs up my claims. First there was the bad call I mentioned above robbing Brice Butler of a TD. Next there was a holding call on WR Terrene Williams in the first half when he pancaked a DB on an Alfred Morris run. The replay clearly showed there was no foul on Williams. Next example was a play where the Dolphins Jarvis Landry caught a quick hitch which Brandon Carr was all over but he had trouble wrestling him to the ground but he had his forward progress stopped. The whistle had not yet blown and MLB Anthony Hitchens came over and bashed into Landry knocking him on his ass. It was a legal hit, no cheap shot but I'm sure it embarrassed Landry. Before Landry could respond the other Dolphins WRs responded including Kenny Stills and DeVonte Parker were in Hitchens' face pushing and shoving and talking smack. There was a lot of pushing and shoving by the Dolphins but it was Hitchens who was penalized--twice. One was declined and the other, a personal foul for grabbing the face mask, was accepted giving the Dolphins a first and goal at the Cowboys 4. The replay clearly showed it was either Stills or Parker who grabbed Hitchens' face mask while Hitchens was not doing anything. The broadcasters in the TV booth wondered what play the ref that made the call was watching because he was clearly wrong.
The defense wasn't totally terrible last night. They did get 3 sacks, recovered a fumble that led to a score and they had another 5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Not too shabby especially for the scrubs who pretty much lost the game against the Rams last week because they couldn't make a stop in the 4th quarter.
One last thing. I have to give some love to Alfred Morris. The guy started and played into the 3rd quarter and he was good. The only blemish was a dropped pass from Tony Romo in the 1st quarter that was partially on Romo. On the night he rushed the ball 13 time for 85 yards and a TD. He also had one catch for 15 yards. Morris also had a couple of nice runs called back because of penalties. Darren McFadden had to be on the sidelines wishing he hadn't taken a nose dive at home trying to catch his cell phone breaking his elbow because Morris is showing he deserves a spot on the Cowboys roster.
Okay, this is really the last thing. OL Chaz Green looked like crap last week against the Rams. Pretty much everyone the Rams lined up against Green made him their bitch. He was slow, overmatched and just plain out of shape. The Cowboys chose to sit starting LT Tyron Smith and start Green in his place with the other for regular starters on the O-line. If you don't think the coaches were crossing their fingers that Green didn't get Tony Romo hurt based on his performance last week in Los Angeles your crazy. But, to his credit, Green did a decent job. Easily better than last week. First, neither Romo or Prescott were hit as a result of a failure by Green. That's important for a left tackle. Keep your QB clean and he did that. He committed a couple of penalties and he lined up wrong once but on the whole he didn't embarrass himself the way he did in LA. You have to keep in mind that last week was his first game experience since the end of his last year in college, nearly two years. He missed all of 2015 with a bad hip that ended up needing surgery so he's rusty as heck. The fact that he showed so much improvement from last week to this week is a very encouraging sign that the 3rd round pick they used on him last April wasn't wasted.
This is really, really the last thing. The voodoo spell of health that Doreen and I cooked up yesterday pretty much worked. There were no Cowboys except for backup LB Mark Nzeocha that left the field injured last night (knocking on wood--can't jinx a voodoo spell now can I?). Normally when the sideline reporter says the word 'Achilles' it's bad news but the early word on Nzeocha is he has a strained Achilles not a torn one. A torn Achilles would end his season before it really even began but a strain is just a minor setback like a high ankle sprain. It might be something that takes 6 weeks or so to heal but it won't cancel Nzeocha's season which is a good thing because he has been impressive in training camp so far. Nzeocha missed all of 2015 rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered in his last season in college at Wyoming. Based on his talent he should have gone higher but he was overlooked because 2015 was essentially going to be a red shirt year for him so Dallas got him in the seventh round in last year's draft. He was a good value pick that was really starting to pay dividends so it's a good thing if his Achilles is just strained. I'd say me and Doreen did good and I hope the spell lasts until next March. That's what we planned on. The Cowboys sure need something good to happen for them on the injury front. To the Cowboy Doreen and I say, "your welcome!"

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys had their first practice in their new headquarters at The Star in Frisco so I just had to link a video of the place from DallasCowboys.com along with a link to the article about the ribbon cutting to open the facility yesterday. Notice in the article that one of the main features of The Star is the partnership with the Frisco Independent School District and it's even more incredible that this Saturday there will be 4 games featuring 8 teams in the Frisco school district with coverage by ESPN. Not bad at all.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/21/first-practice-ribbon-cutting-ceremony-%E2%80%9C-star%E2%80%9D-officially-opens

I totally missed this but LT Tyron Smith has missed the first two preseason games because of stinger he got in practice in Oxnard. This is the extent of the injury report Jason Garrett updated yesterday before the team's first practice at the new facility. Tyron Smith to take part in individual drills on Sunday. Ezekiel Elliott to practice fully with the team. Mark Nzeocha Achilles strain and they are hoping to get him back soon. That's it. There are the usual guys who have been out of practice rehabbing injuries but day by day the Cowboys are getting healthier (knocking on wood because I don't want to jinx them or cancel my spell of health in placed on the team last week). Dallas has a short week as they will travel to Seattle for their 3rd preseason game this Thursday night. It will be after that game that the first cuts will need to be made as Dallas and the rest of the NFL will need to go from 90 players to 75.

Another guy who is slated to return to practice is RB Lance Dunbar. Dunbar missed most of the 2015 season with a torn ACL and Patellar tendon. He is supposed to go through some individual drills for his first work in a long time. I'm sure there is pressure on Dunbar to get back to work because he sees newcomers Alfred Morris and Darius Jackson doing well and the longer he stays out the less chance he has to continue being a Dallas Cowboy.

You know, I'm glad Dak Prescott is doing well but folks need to tap the breaks on him. He's done exceptionally well in his first two preseason games but people need to remember he's a rookie and the hopes for the playoffs lie strictly in the hands of Tony Romo. If all goes according to plan you won't see Prescott on the field in 2016 unless it's doing mop up duty in a blowout win. What is does do is set the Cowboys up for a QB controversy if Romo struggles. If that happens everyone will be screaming to bench Tony and put in Dak so it will be important for Jason Garrett to keep a lid on any sort of crap like that. People need to understand Tony is the guy, period. Dak is an interesting story but that's it. This is Tony's team and there is no question about. Now in 3 or 4 years when Romo hangs it up then it's all Dak and more power to him but if I have my way Tony will be wearing a ring or two or three by then.

How about some thoughts on Friday night's game from DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus?

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/20/scouts-eye-frazier-traylor-among-impressive-rookies-other-game-notes

[Dracula]

Like a blind pig, that every once in a while, finds a truffle, Jones may have found his truffle in Dak Prescott. I think that Dallas is going to give Prescott his own set of formations to run.

[eagle eye]

Like a blind pig, that every once in a while, finds a truffle, Jones may have found his truffle in Dak Prescott. I think that Dallas is going to give Prescott his own set of formations to run.

You are really right on with that comment Drac. On recent podcasts on DallasCowboys.com they have talked about sort of lucking into Prescott because he was actually the QB on their depth chart behind Goff, Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook and then Dak. Dallas tried to trade their 2nd round pick to move up to 26 with Seattle but the Seahawks chose instead to deal with Denver. The prevailing reason was Denver was offering their 31st pick (NE was stripped of their pick by Herr Goodell) for Lynch which Seattle liked better because the pick is still in the 1st round which mean the Seahawks would have the 5th year option on their draft pick. That option is only available to 1st round picks so it's kind of a big deal when you talk about holding a player's rights for 5 years instead of 4. If Jerry and Co. had gotten the deal with Seattle the Cowboys would have Lynch and probably not Jaylon Smith and certainly no Dak.
As a side note, on podcast a couple of weeks ago Gil Brandt, the former player personnel guy under Tom Landry, said that Prescott was the best prospect in this year's draft and he would take him over any of the other QB in the draft. Brandt, who is a contributor to NFL.com, know his stuff with players and that's pretty heady praise for a prospect who got into trouble in the off season with a DUI. I don't sweat DUI's as much as I do most other things, 1) because drinking is legal and 2) I, am most of the people I know could've been stopped for DUI on multiple occasions. You're young, you drink a little bit, you drive home. Not the smartest thing but there wasn't such an animal as a "designated driver" when I was younger and penalties weren't what they are now. It a serious thing driving drunk and it could result in the loss of life so I am not minimizing the seriousness of a DUI but what I am saying is alcohol is LEGAL. In most states smoking pot or doing other drugs is not and even in the states pot is legal you still can't operate a motor vehicle under the influence. The main thing is the NFL won't suspend you as readily for DUI as they will for violating their substance abuse policy. Dak is cool right now and I hope he turns out to be the QB of the future Dallas has been needing to find for so long.

I guess me and Doreen's voodoo spell didn't work so well. Since Sunday the Cowboys have lost DT Tyrone Crawford and WR Dez Bryant for the Seahawks game on Thursday due to their having to go through the concussion protocols. Crawford had his head knocked in Sunday's practice and Dez bumped heads with someone in yesterday's practice. After yesterday's practice Dez tweeted that he's okay and nobody has to worry about him after this week. The thing about concussions every one after that first one is just a littler easier to get after each incidence. Concussions can literally shorten a player's career. Dez will be back but isn't it getting a little old seeing Crawford constantly missing for one damn thing after another? More than anything else Dallas needs players they can count on being on the field and so far Crawford is not that guy.

Dallas has gotten some players back recently and in the case of Tyrone Crawford's absence it will give rookie Maliek Collins more reps. These will make up for all the reps Collins missed while his foot that broken in OTA's healed. Collins is back and he will have roughly 4 weeks of practice and two preseason games to get ready for the season which is a better prognosis that when he got hurt. Back in July when Collins broke his foot it was being reported that he would not return to the field until the end of training camp. Obviously he healed much faster than originally thought and now he will benefit from Crawford's injury proneness to make for some of the reps he's missed. Another guy who snuck back into the mix is DT Terrell McClain. He's the guy Dallas signed as a free agent in 2014 after playing in Houston. McClain was a bit of a bust last year as he was hurt most of the season. So far in OTA's and mini camp he did okay but he's missed the bulk of training camp due to continued rehab on the toe he had surgery on last fall. If he can stay healthy the Cowboys may not miss Crawford all that much.

Another guy who is back in the D-line rotation is DE Benson Mayowa. Mayowa was signed by Dallas this off season after stints with Seattle and Oakland and they first look at Mayowa was that he would be a guy who should thrive in Rod Marinelli's defense. Unfortunately, Mayow had to miss the final Cowboys mini camp and spring training so far because he injured his knee which required arthroscopic surgery to fix. Mayowa returned to practice in the Cowboys last week in Oxnard and he's been working his way into the mix at right defensive end. I would bet he will see reps in this week's game against Seattle.

The fullback position might be becoming clearer. There has been a battle for that FB spot since the spring when the Cowboys told LB Keith Smith he was moving to FB and Rod Smith would transition from RB to FB. You might think that the fact Rod is Dallas' 2nd round pick Jaylon Smith's brother might give him a leg up but that isn't the case. Keith Smith has outplayed Rod during training camp and Rod has now missed over a week's worth of practices due to injury. I think the writing may already be on the wall about Jaylon's big brother's fate as a Dallas Cowboy and it doesn't look good.

Lance Dunbar is back at practice but he's limited to individual drills right now which is slowing down his full return to the field after suffering a torn ACL and patellar tendon last season. Another thing that could be slowing him down is the performance of rookie draft pick Darius Jackson. Jackson has played well on offense and as a member of special teams. It's possible Dunbar has a front row seat to watch a guy take his spot on the roster. Too bad because before he got hurt last year he had become a big part of the Cowboys offense.

[eagle eye]

Dallas is winging their way to Seattle for their game with the Seahawks tomorrow night. It is the third preseason game, the one that usually designated the "dress rehearsal" game because that's when most of the starters play the longest in the preseason. Tony Romo's PT will depend on how Jason Garrett feels about having Chaz Green at left tackle and no Dez Bryant to throw to. Tyron Smith is out recovering from a stinger (pinched nerve in his neck) suffered a couple of weeks ago and Dez is out because he bumped his head on Barry Church's shoulder pads in practice on Monday and he's in the concussion protocol. The Cowboys will also be missing Tyrone Crawford (concussion protocol), Charles Tapper (hip) and DE Shaneil Jenkins. They will also be without David Irvin, Mark Nzeocha and Rod Smith among the players who will miss the game. Ezekiel Elliott is not on that list, however. He will be making his first appearance of the preseason in a game so far this summer. He has been nursing a strained hammy since the first week of training camp and he wasn't able to return to practicing with the team until late last week. If the game has counted in the standings Zeke probably would have played last Friday night against the Dolphins but as this is preseason and games don't count for anything the Cowboys usually take a conservative approach to PT for the walking wounded.

Here's a link to a slide show on DallasCowboys.com recounting the team's first week of practice at their new facility, The Star in Frisco. Looks like a cool place to work. The indoor practice field is nicer than some of the stadiums around the NFL.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/galleries/2016/08/22/first-week-practice-star

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys are playing Seattle tonight but the start time is a little late, 9:00 PM, because it's on the West Coast. Looks like I'll be feeling like crap tomorrow.

The other day Dallas signed a new offensive lineman by the name of Dan Buchholz a rookie UFA from Duquesne. Brian Broaddus give a scouting report on this guy. If you read the article you wonder what the hell Dallas was thinking signing this guy. Broaddus make him appear to be a lousy player. Maybe the Cowboys just need a warm body to finish out the preseason with. Who knows?

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/23/scouting-report-new-ol-signee-dan-buchholz-expected-play-interior

One guy who will get a real test is going to be WR Brice Butler. The reason Butler will be showcased is because Dez is sitting out this game and Butler will get the chance to show how much a full offseason and training camp has helped him get better. Butler has had a great training camp by all accounts but he's got to take it to the field. So far Butler hasn't been bad. In last week's game he caught a deep post for a 50 yard gain to the Dolphins one yard line and a play or two later he caught a back shoulder fade for the TD. He was also robbed of a TD by a BS pass interference call. I guess refs need the preseason too. Butler will really need to step up and show he deserves a spot on the Cowboys roster. This link below is from DallasCowboys.com where the staff writers give their players to watch tonight (or on DVR if you're not into self abuse).

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/24/butler-collins-durant-zeke-wilber-among-players-watch-vs-seattle

As Dallas winds down the second half of training camp it has been said that DE DeMarcus Lawrence has had a good camp. I don't know his stat line but I don't remember seeing him getting a sack or any hurries but that doesn't mean he hasn't had some. He needs to be the best he can be now because beginning with Week 1 he will be sitting out his 4 game suspension with no opportunities to practice. He can go to meetings which will help him stay connected and he can watch film but he says he will make a big impact for the Cowboys defense when he gets back in Week 5. So, Lawrence is a player to watch tonight and one more guy needs some attention. With all the hoopla over the Cowboys defensive end woes the Cowboys got free agent signee Benson Mayowa back last week and tonight should be his first game action this year. It will be interesting to see what the man can do in a game that will likely be close to regular season intensity.

[eagle eye]

Dallas lost to Seattle 27-17 but that isn't the whole story. The Cowboys starters except for Tony Romo played the whole first half and the score was 10-10 at the end of the 2nd quarter and if not for a missed 52 yard FG attempt by Dan Bailey, one that looked like he kicked it with his left foot he missed it so badly, Dallas would have had a 3 point lead at the break. That's where you have to see that at the beginning of the 3rd quarter the game changed in the Seahawks favor. Why? Simple. The 'Hawks chose to play their starters well into the 3rd quarter and Dallas came out after the break and played backups. That's when the Seahawks took control of the game scoring 10 points in the quarter with their starters and then they got an extra TD with their backups which gave Seattle 17 unanswered points in the 3rd. Dallas got a score late in the game to make it look more respectable but the real story was how well the starters did against the Seahawks starters and there is a lot of reason hope. I gotta go right now but I'll be back later to talk about some players I noticed in this game.

[eagle eye]

To expound on what I was saying earlier, the Cowboys first unit with Dak Prescott at QB actually outplayed the Seahawks. The half ended 10-10 but it could have been 16-10 or 20-10 if Bailey's kick hadn't been hooked and if Terrence Williams had caught a deep throw that he really should have had. Terrence knew he should have caught that ball but he didn't aggressively to after the ball and catch it like he should have. Instead, he let the ball come to him allowing the Seahawk's safety to come over and break up the pass. If Williams catches that pass they have the ball in the vicinity of the Seahawks 25. That drive would have ended up either a TD or FG I have no doubt. So, the Cowboy beat the Seahawks on the road when the 1's played the 1's. That is pretty good. This is a game where the final score is not truly indicative of what the game really was.

Now for the guys I was looking at for this game:

> DT Maliek Collins - Showed some quickness off the ball and was part of the unit that really didn't allow the Seahawks to run the ball. The D-line also had so-so pressure on Russell Wilson. The Seahawks have had some weakness in their offensive line and the Cowboys didn't really pressure Wilson like you would have liked and Collins name wasn't called that I remember.

> DE Ryan Russell - He looked like crap to be honest. He didn't maintain containment on the edge worth a damn and I actually saw him quit for a split second while he was chasing Russell Wilson when they did get pressure on him. Same when Wilson came out and the Seahawks backup, TCU's Trevone Boykin. Russell has a weak motor IMO and he may have played himself off the team last night.

> Ezekiel Elliott - The guy is all that we had hoped for based on the plays he was in last night. He had seven carries for 48 yards which is 6.9 YPC. Not only that he made some really good blocks in protection of both Romo and Prescott. On the play that Tony Romo was hurt on Zeke blocked his man that sent the Seahawk ass over teakettle to the ground. It definitely wasn't Elliott's man who got to Romo. Zeke also showed speed and burst going around the edge and accelerating through a hole. The best thing was his power which I didn't know he had. On two separate runs Zeke was one on one against Seahawks safety Cam Chancellor he won both battles knocking Cam off his spot. The other thing I liked was the Seahawks tried to intimidate him and talked trash about initiating Zeke to see if he belonged in the NFL. Zeke told the Seahawks, "I belong" and he didn't take any crap off them. Inspiring stuff, you like to see a guy with that kind of fire.

> Dak Prescott - Okay, I'm convinced. Dak made mistakes but he keeps missing the bad consequences of those mistakes. Dak threw a bad pass that looked like it was to the Seahawks linebacker instead of Jason Witten but Witten actually reached over the guy and caught the ball for the Cowboys first TD. Witten washed up---not hardly. The thing is, Dak has looked better than any backup Dallas has had since Kyle Orton backed up Romo in 2012/13. Romo was out of the game after just a couple of plays and if that happens in the regular season I think Dak will be okay. If Romo does go down it may be it for the Cowboys playoff hopes but Prescott is good enough to lead the Cowboys to some wins.

> Brice Butler - The guy keeps making plays. Nothing spectacular but he gets open and he catches the ball when it comes to him. If Butler continues to show up he could supplant Terrence Wiliams as the #2 guy because he's just stronger going for balls.

One side note on Zeke. TMZ (the National Enquirer of video media) reported that man that looked like Elliott entered a legal pot store in Seattle named Herban Legends. The TMZ report did not say Zeke bought anything, he just went in. Jerry Jones replied to the report and this link from Bleacher Report talks about the incident. Now the wagging tongues in the media are calling into question Zeke's character since earlier this year Zeke was accused of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend. Zeke will have to learn when you are a celebrity or athlete you do not have a private life and you have to watch where you go and with whom you go there with. Shit, it's always something with the friggin' Cowboys.

[eagle eye]

I got an alert on my phone today that said that Tony Romo has a broken bone in his back, could be available for Week 1. I have to tell you, I don't know if I was more pissed or disappointed. I like Romo. I've always said he's better than he's given credit and he's one tough SOB as evidenced by how many times he's played with injuries that cause excruciating pain. I have watched slugs like Joe Flacco win Super Bowls and thought that was so unfair a guy like that gets credit for winning the biggest game of all when it was the defense that carried the day. Russell Wilson has a ring but he got it on the back of Seattle's defense. Romo has never had that defense to count on and I was hoping that this year or next he would finally have a defense that would help carry Tony and the rest of the team to that elusive Super Bowl that Cowboys fans have waited over 20 years for. I could still happen but Tony's been hurt more than he's been healthy the last 3 or 4 years and at 36 you know his NFL career days are numbered.

The updated info on Romo is that a bone in his lower back was broken. The extend of the break, whether it's a complete break of just something like a hairline fracture has not been announced but the media has reported that the recovery timeline is 6-10 weeks. Jason Garrett had a press conference today where he announced the bad news and he classified Romo's status as day-to-day giving the impression that Tony may be able to play on September 11th in the season opener against the Giants. Later in the day it was reported that the Cowboys have named Dak Prescott the starter in Week 1. Dak has been the darling of the preseason so far with even national media sitting up and taking notice of how well Dak has performed. Through 3 preseason games Prescott has a QBR of 137 and nobody in the NFL this preseason is even close to that. But it's preseason. Nobody has game planned for Dak, nobody placed a target on his back and nobody has thrown the kitchen sink defensively at him. The preseason is not even close to the regular season in terms of game speed, difficulty of reading defenses and facing an NFL 1st team for a whole game. We know all that but Dak still give us hope that maybe this season isn't lost with yet another Romo injury.

I saw a tweet on Bleacher Report that was written by a Dr David Chao that said the following:
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000555705700/e6cf4d9f987191a7370c902f68ad95dc_normal.jpeg David J. Chao, MD @ProFootballDoc The mechanism for @tonyromo (https://twitter.com/tonyromo) injury would be vertebral body compression fracture. Fits 6-10 week timeline. No surgery. No long term risk.
2:12 PM - 27 Aug 2016 (https://twitter.com/ProFootballDoc/status/769613511194312704)


No long term risk is really good news which means it's not career threatening unless he comes back too soon and a hit causes actual damage to his spinal cord because the bone isn't fully healed. I don't see that happening because of what happened when the broken collarbone Romo suffered in Week 2 in Philly last year wasn't fully healed when he played against Carolina on Thanksgiving. Dallas' bye week comes after their Week 6 game against the Packers so it's conceivable Romo could be back in Week 8 (Game 7) against Philly at home on October 30th. There are some questions that beg to be asked, what if Dak is as good in the regular season as he's been in preseason? What if the Cowboys are .500 or better after those 6 games? What if Dallas is 5-1 heading into their bye week? How much would Dallas need Tony to come back? If Dak is a runaway success could Tony be done as the starting QB of the Cowboys? There are some serious questions that now come up because of Tony's age and recent injury history. Would Tony be okay to be a backup through the end of the season? Knowing how competitive Tony is I can't imagine he would be at all thrilled to sit on the sidelines when a game is going on but if Prescott is kicking ass and taking names how could Jason Garrett throw and monkey wrench in that kind of success? It's such a fluke injury and it comes as a result of a really terrible slide attempt by Romo you just wonder why God seems to target Romo for so much grief. If Tony slides properly we wouldn't be talking about all this right now. We'd likely be saying that the Cowboys 1st unit looked good against the Seahawks 1st unit and Dak looked good in relief. Dak would have gotten most of the snaps against the Texans this coming Thursday in the final preseason game and we would get a fond farewell look a Jameill Showers as a potential QB of the Cowboys. But that's not where we are now. The whole picture has changed and we are back to wondering just where this team is headed in 2016 and beyond. Again, I feel really bad for Tony Romo, he deserves so much better than he's gotten. I hope he comes back stronger than ever and I hope he gets The Ring he deserves before he has to hang it up for good. I also like Dak. It really looks like he is going to be the QB of the future but aside from the games he has to play to begin this season I hope he gets to watch and learn for a couple more years, and hopefully a couple of Super Bowls, before he takes the reins of the Cowboys.

[eagle eye]

No long term issues except for the fact Tony Romo has been hurt more than he's been on the field the last couple of years. Or so it would seem anyway. So here is an article from sportsinjurypredictor.com listing the games he's missed since 2008. It should be noted that Romo took over for Drew Bledsoe in 2007 in game #7 in 2006 and he didn't miss any time that season once he took over as starter of the Cowboys. In 2008 he played in 13 games missing 3 games due to a sprained finger. In 2009 he played in all 16 games. In 2010 he had his collarbone broken for the 1st time in the game vs the NY Giants. In 2011 and 2012 Tony played in all 16 games but he did get his hand bruised in a game in 2011. In 2013 in the second to last game of the season he spun out of a tackle and herniated a disc in his back that ended his season. The game was against the Redskins and despite the injury and being in excruciating pain he finished the game leading the Cowboys to a last second win over the 'Skins. In 2014 Romo got kneed in the back during a game with Washington that resulted in breaking a transverse process bone in his back in the first half of the game. Romo returned to the game in the 4th quarter but he was not able to lead the comeback to beat the Redskins. The game was a Monday night game. Romo missed the following game against Arizona but returned the next week against Jacksonville in London. So, in 2014 Romo played 15 of 16 regular season games and was a bad call short in Green Bay of going to Seattle for the NFC title game. You all know about 2015 and the broken collarbones in which he played in only 4 games finishing only two of those. It must also be noted that in 2011 in San Francisco Romo suffered cracked ribs and a punctured lung in the third play of that game. Romo played through the 1st half but he missed all but 37 seconds of the 3rd quarter waiting for a pain shot to take effect. Romo led the Cowboys back to tie the game late in the 4th quarter forcing overtime. In overtime Romo hit Michael Irvin's reality show, 4th and Long, winner Jesse Holley on 77 yard pass play that resulted in a Dan Bailey FG to win the game. Romo missed no time as a result of that injury. That was also the game when the media stopped saying Romo wasn't a clutch player. In the 4th quarter and overtime Romo was 12-15 passing for 201 yards in the Cowboys come from behind victory with those broken ribs and that punctured lung. All the Romo bashing that was only partially deserved ended that day. I have yet to hear someone from the media say Romo isn't clutch since.
So, it just seems like Tony has been hurt more than he's been playing but it just isn't true. It's true he's been hurt a lot but he hasn't missed significant time except for last year and 2010. It looks like he might miss 6-10 weeks but Jason Garrett refuses to classify Romo as anything but day to day. Romo could realistically miss the first 6 games of the season if you go by the 6-10 week timeline. Dallas' bye week is week 7 meaning Week 8 (Game #7) Romo could be back on the field totally healthy. If it's a 3-6 time frame Romo could be back as early as Week 2. This is bad luck for Romo but he will be back. In the meantime let Dak Prescott have the con. He's played very well during the preseason and there is confidence in Dallas' locker room that Prescott will do okay as long as everyone else on offense stays healthy. If Dak has to play the first six games he could conceivably go .500 in those games leaving Romo a 3-3 record when he returns at home against the Eagles in Week 8. Any Romo doubters out there? You had better think twice about that because Tony Romo is one tough sonofabitch and you shouldn't count him out. Not yet anyway.

Sean Lee has apparently been dealing with a sore knee that has limited him in practice the past two days. We'll see because you always hold your breath when it comes to Lee and anything related to a knee. The Cowboys aren't making too much of this so hopefully he is okay going forward.

In his Scout's Notebook Bryan Broaddus talks about what will be going in this last week of preseason.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/29/scouts-notebook-what-expect-during-final-week-preseason

[eagle eye]

Tonight is the end of the preseason with all but the Redskins and Tampa Bay, who played last night, slated to play their final preseason game tonight otherwise known as the "Who gives a crap" Bowls. Well, that name is for all the fans who sit through games when only scrubs are playing just because it's their favorite team on the field. Those people know this game is meaningless except for the players who are on the bubble of the final cut down list and they are trying like heck to make the football team. Tonight Dallas closes out their preseason facing the Texans like they usually do. Tonight we'll get to see a lot of Jameill Showers because Dak Prescott likely won't see a down since he's starting Week 1 and they don't want to get him hurt. Dallas has already lost two quarterbacks in Tony Romo and Kellen Moore and I would be surprised as heck if they risk Dak in a meaningless game. Showers is playing for a roster spot because the backup QB situation for the few weeks Romo will miss is still very much in the air. The Cowboys worked out a QB named Austin Davis and he may be signed as an emergency QB for tonight only. Davis hasn't had much success in the NFL and he's had his chances with the Rams and the Browns in the four years he's been in the NFL. I'm not all that happy if they sign Davis, I think Brandon Weeden will be available after the final cuts on Saturday and he would be a great fit in Dallas because he's already familiar with the team and the offense. He would be a plug-and-play guy for Dallas assuming he would agree to a short term deal.
There are a couple of guys who still have a shot at a roster spot. Guys like WR Andy Jones who has been turning heads in training camp but he's been a bit of a disappointment in the preseason games. Or a guy like Mike McAdoo out of North Carolina who is trying to fit into a defensive end position that maybe isn't crowded now but will be in 4 weeks when DeMarcus Lawrence gets past his suspension. He, along with 2015 draft pick Ryan Russell, is in a battle that nobody has really stepped up and took charge of yet. Then there's DB Dax Swanson, a Southland Conference kid from Sam Houston State, who has been turning heads mainly as a kick returner. Then there is the ever present battle for backup positions on the O-line. A lot could be decided there tonight. Let's face it, tonight's game will be a penalty filled snooze fest but it does mean something to the players trying to make it in the NFL -- and it is football -- and the Astros are off -- and there's no new TV shows to watch -- yeah, I'll be watching. What the heck.

[eagle eye]

Dallas lost to Houston 27-17 but in reality I don't think anyone on either side of the bench cared what the final outcome was their main concern was to show the coaches enough to make the final cut and make the team. QB Jameill Showers played the who game as he tried prove he should be the backup to Dak Prescott. He was good at times and not so good the rest of the time. He didn't get a lot of help from the O-line but there were plays he could've made and he didn't get it done. I think Dallas will hit the cut lists around NFL Saturday afternoon and find a veteran QB to bring in a back up Prescott. If Showers stays with the Cowboys it will as a practice squad player IMO. RB Darius Jackson had a decent night despite the struggle of the line to open up holes. He finished the night with 9 carries for 21 yards and 3 catches for 32 yards and a TD. Jackson was the leading receiver for the Cowboys last night. Jaylon Smith's big brother Rod got some mop up duty in the fourth quarter and he ended up the leading rusher for Dallas last night. He went 7 carries for 42 yards last night as he tries to put some good plays on tape so another team will consider picking him up. I say that because through OTAs and training camp Smith was trying out as a fullback but converted LB Keith Smith is going to make the team as the Cowboys fullback. The fact of the matter is the Cowboys didn't generate a lot of offense in the game last night and big reason for that was Showers. He tried like hell but he didn't make enough plays and that is what will cost him a roster spot on the final 53.
The defense played well at the line of scrimmage. They got pressure up the middle and David Irving, who had missed time recently to an injury had a decent game. He will make the final 53 but he needed the work after missing the last two games. The Texans found gaining yards on the ground tough and while the Cowboys only recorded on sack by DE Mike McAdoo you could see the Cowboys were applying pressure on Houston's QBs. There is one player who wishes he had a do-over and that's CB Deji Olatoye. Both Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden threw almost exclusively at the defensive right side where Olatoye was playing. The Texans just wore that young man out. In the second half the Texans tried to exploit rookie Anthony Brown who took over for Olatoye but Brown, the Cowboys 6th round pick in this year's draft out of Purdue, was having none of it. He jumped an out route thrown by Brandon Weeden and took it to the house for a pick six. In all the Cowboys forced 2 turnovers, both leading to scores in the game. That should make DC Rod Marinelli at least a little bit happy. The other player I noticed to who made a couple of nice plays was CB Dax Swanson from Sam Houston State. Swanson was good in pass coverage and broke up several passes. He also got to return 2 kickoffs and a punt but he didn't show the same explosiveness he had shown in the previous two games.
The preseason is over except for the final cuts tomorrow and it is nine days until their 3 o'clock kickoff to the 2016 season against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium.

The questions about Romo still keep coming. He is scheduled for a 2nd MRI today. It hasn't been discussed why but it could be Romo is still experiencing a lot of pain and maybe doctors want to see if they missed something the first time around. The latest news is that he will need 8-10 weeks to allow the broken vertebrae in his back time to heal. What that means is a max of 8 weeks of the season is what Romo could miss because the first two weeks are in the preseason. He was hurt on the 3rd play of the Seattle game last Saturday so he had this past week as week 1. This coming week leading up to opening weekend will be week two so that leave the 8 weeks I spoke of earlier. The Cowboys bye week is in Week 7 so Romo would conceivably miss only 6 games if he returns after the bye week against Philadelphia on Sunday night October 30th. That would be the story on a featured game on Sunday Night Football and the NFL would probably see the ratings for that game go through the roof if Romo was to come back then. A discussion about what would happen if Dak Prescott goes into that bye week with the Cowboys sitting at 4-2 or 5-1 is an interesting topic for another day.

The Cowboys restructured Sean Lee's contract but it was just a deal to allow Lee to recoup the money he lost when he had to sit out the Cowboys season finale back in January. It's just worded to allow him to get the $2MM he lost when he wasn't able to meet and incentive clause in his contract last year.

The most encouraging news comes from Jaylon Smith. He was placed on the NFI/injured list which will mean he will have to be inactive at least the first 8 games of the season. He is not projected to be able to play this season anyway but the worry has been over whether the nerves in his knee and ankle have begun to start firing. The resounding answer is yes. He is getting better and the video of an interview with Smith he is asked specific question regarding the health of his knee. His answers were, in a nutshell, yes he is getting better and the nerves are beginning to work. That is the news the Cowboys and their fans have been wanting to hear and it is cause for a big sigh of relief in Cowboy-land. The other good thing, maybe even great thing, is that Jaylon Smith gets it. He has shown a great football intelligence and he's grasped Rod Marinelli's scheme like a hand to a glove. He is said to be Sean Lee-esque in his approach to the game in terms of his dedication and drive to do anything to know everything there is to know about his job. Film study and book learning is all he can do right now but he's amazing people with his grasp of the Cowboys defense. The word is this kid has "stud" written all over him and the Cowboys are foaming at the mouth thinking about his return to the playing field. It won't help this year but in 2017 and beyond....................

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/08/30/jaylon-smith-improvement-field

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have not posted their cuts as yet but it doesn't mean there isn't some news. The Seattle Seahawks Cliff Avril was the guy who put the hit on Tony Romo a week ago that broke a his L1 vertebrae and will cause him to miss up to 8 weeks of the season. The link below is about how Avril reached out to Romo to let him know he wasn't trying to injure him and what Romo's response was.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000694990/article/romo-to-avril-we-will-see-yall-in-the-playoffs

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have posted their cuts and roster moves including moving RB Darren McFadden to the NFI list which means he won't be eligible to come back until Week 8. Here's a link to DallasCowboys.com and the list of players who got the boot today. Some of those guys will only be unemployed just long enough to clear waivers before Dallas signs them to their practice squad. No real surprises but some of you may be surprised that WR Devon Street was cut. Street was a 4th round pick by the Cowboys 3 years ago but he hasn't produced so I was thinking he was going to be cut and he was.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/09/03/three-former-draft-picks-among-cowboys-cuts-mcfadden-moved-nfi

From the "WTF" file comes news that Dallas will sign Mark Sanchez who was cut today by the Broncos. Sanchez was all but handed the starting job in Denver when he signed with the Broncos in the spring but he sucked so bad the Broncos cut him today. Minutes after the cut was announced the Cowboys were saying they had agreed to terms with Sanchez. NFL.com classified this as a low level signing and they are so right. I pray to the Good Lord that Dak Prescott doesn't get hurt before Tony Romo returns from his injury. Dallas will be a grand stage for Sanchez to just crash and burn if Prescott goes down. Names bandied about included Brandon Weeden but he wasn't cut as expected by the Texans or Aaron Murray the former Georgia QB who was cut by Kansas City. Even Austin Davis was in the mix but he was signed by, wait for it...............the Denver Broncos. It has to be true because nobody could make this crap up.

Here is a link to a Rob Phillips column from DallasCowboys.com breaking down this final 53 man roster. The fact is this probably not the final 53 because now comes the time when teams look to upgrade their rosters by shoring up weak area with some of the quality players who were cut today. There are quality players out there as teams either strapped for cash and needing to get under the salary cap or teams so deep they can't help but cut a good player. Those guys don't stay unemployed long and Dallas still needs a swing tackle they can depend on. But Mr Phillips breaks things down as they currently stand.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/09/03/closer-look-current-53-man-roster-position-position-breakdown

[eagle eye]

The preseason is over. The final 53 man roster has been set and Dallas filled out most of their practice squad the list of which is linked below. This article from DallasCowboys.com lists the roster moves Dallas made to finalize the final 53 including the release of QB Jameill Showers and the retention of Tony Romo as an active member of that 53 man roster. What the article doesn't tell us is that Dallas still could decide to sign Showers to the practice squad but they haven't just yet. Dallas signed 7 players to their practice squad leaving 3 spots open for an interesting player or two, maybe even Showers. Among the signings are DE Ryan Russell a 2015 draft pick and TE Rico Gathers a 2016 draft pick.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/09/04/cowboys-sign-sanchez-release-showers-7-added-practice-squad

The obvious reason that Tony Romo is on the final 53 is because there is a better than even chance Romo will be back sooner rather than later. If the Cowboys place Romo on the IR/scheduled for return list he would not be able to play before Week 9. Dak Prescott has been the story in the whole NFL this past month because of how well he has performed. That's awesome and he gives Cowboys fans reason to believe there will be life after Romo retires. But, he is still a rookie and he has yet to face an NFL defense that will be doing everything they can to confuse and confound him. Not to mention throwing every look and every blitz in the book. There will be times he definitely looks like a rookie. The long term success of the Cowboys still lies in Tony Romo's hands. Dallas still has 3 QB's on the roster it's just that one of them won't be able to play for a while.

Another move I believe I've mentioned is that Darren McFadden has been placed on the NFI/scheduled to return list so he won't be available until Week 9 and his value as trade bait isn't all that great now. What McFadden is now is an insurance policy against an injury. The top RBs in the lineup are going to be Zeke Elliott and Alfred Morris with Darius Jackson and Lance Dunbar playing roles.

I am getting different messages from sources about DE Randy Gregory. In Bleacher Report there are two different accounts of Gregory's appeal of a 10 game suspension. One report says he won his appeal and will have to serve the original 4 game suspension for substance abuse that was levied on him this past spring. Another report said that appeal has yet to be determined but all that is in force right now is the 4 gamer. I think a corroborating story on NFL.com backing up the second, 10 suspension still up in the air story, is the one to depend on. The 10 game suspension threat came about when it was revealed that Gregory failed yet another drug test after the 4 game suspension was handed down. Before the ink on story of his latest failure was dry Gregory checked himself into a rehab facility where he is still residing. Word is he is doing well and that's a good thing. Not just for the Cowboys sake but primarily for his.

This thread is over because the preseason is over. Roster is set and the practice squad is pretty well set too. It's time to get busy with the real fun, the regular season. It seems like it's been a long time coming. It' here now so it's time to retire this thread. Thanks to those who gave it look and for those who posted. I hope to see you in the regular season.

[eagle eye]

That crazy old Jerry Jones. He probably had the line of the year on 105.3 the fan this morning when asked if the Cowboys were seriously considering putting Tony Romo on IR/Scheduled for return so the Cowboys could have an extra roster spot for a position player. Jones replied that when you look at the value of having Romo back early vs the quality of player who essentially would be the 53rd player on the roster was a no-brainer to opt for Romo. Jones said, "We don't have to circumcise a mosquito to know we're better off with Romo on the active roster." I laughed my butt off when I heard that. To think Jones would say something like that on the radio is just hilarious.

Apparently, Darren McFadden wasn't a happy camper to be put on the NFI/Scheduled to return list. It means he can't come back until Week 9 robbing him of half the season. McFadden becomes an insurance policy against an injury or injuries to the RBs on the roster. Right now the pecking order is Zeke, Morris, Dunbar, Jackson, Smith. Smith? What Smith? That would be Rod Smith big brother to rookie LB Jaylon the Cowboys 2nd round pick in this year's draft. Smith came to the Cowboys last season and he got some carries as a RB last year. This year during OTA's, mini camps and training camp Rod was in a battle for the fullback spot with converted LB Keith Smith. According to reports, Keith Smith was better at playing fullback but in the last preseason game Rod Smith played RB, not fullback, and he had some good carries. It's unusual for teams to keep one fullback in this day and age of pass oriented offenses so it's downright weird for the Cowboys to keep two. The fact is, both guys play big roles on all the special teams units and both have a lot of value and could Dallas could easily have both active on game day.

Some good off field news came out today. As you may remember Ezekiel Elliott was facing domestic violence charges made by an ex-girlfriend. At the time Elliott said he had emails and texts proving the girl was trying to set him up as revenge for breaking up with her. After about 4 months of investigation Elliott was cleared of any wrong-doing. Finally got a favorable ruling from either the cops or the NFL. Things could be looking up.

You can't worry about the backup QB. I'm just telling you it's a losing proposition. You are already playing your true backup to start the season so whether the backup to the backup was going to Jameill Showers who has been with the team for 2 years or Mark Sanchez who has been in the NFL for seven seasons but only a couple of days with Dallas. If either plays it means Prescott is hurt and out of the game and if that's the case Cowboys would be up a fecal waterway without a wooden plank for boat propulsion. Long story short, if Dak is decked Dallas is FUBAR until Romo returns regardless of who the next man up is.

So if you've got a little time on your hands here's a link to a Cowboys show called Cowboys Hour with Brad Sham as the host. In this episode we get to know rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/09/06/cowboys-hour-ezekiel-elliott

[eagle eye]

I'm not the only one who was moping around yesterday after the Cowboys lost to the NY Giants by one point Sunday afternoon. I had people go out of their way looking for someone to reassure them that the world was not coming to an end because Dak and Zeke didn't have enough magic to win the day. Losing just sucks especially when there are so many haters who gleefully rub your nose in the fecal matter that comes with losing. You can't argue with them but you live for the day when you can talk that smack right back at those folks when the Cowboys lose. I had many more good days in 2014 when Dallas went 12-4 and won a playoff game than I did last year when the home team went 4-12. There was a steady diet of fecal sandwiches last year and the hopes going into this year were much higher and the anticipation of the beginning of the season was pretty high. Probably unreasonably high considering Romo was not in the lineup but we saw enough of Dak Prescott to give us hope in the preseason. Dak was decent and if Cole Beasley makes a play and Dez could hang on to the ball in the end zone it would be a way different story. We are all down off the ledge today but the sting is still there.
The monkey in the wrench to ruin our hope came from Colin Cowherd yesterday who said Dak made good decisions but he was too enamored with the check down. Cowherd disparaged Prescott for targeting Jason Witten and Cole Beasley way more than Dez Bryant. Colin continued by comparing Dak to Jimmy Garoppolo who led the Patriots over the Cardinals, who are much better than the Giants, on the road because when he threw passes they were down the field. Even guest on Cowherds show pointed out that you can't win games in the NFL with an average of just over 5 yards per pass. Garoppolo, Jameis Winston, David Carr and even fellow rookie Carson Wentz threw the ball down the field. Dink and dunking down the field doesn't win you games. What was the complaint about Brandon Weeden last year. He checked down too much preferring to dink and dunk. What was the end result most of the time? A field goal, which is what Dallas had to settle for 4 times on Sunday. And yet, Dallas lost by one measly point. I think there is one failure of this coaching staff. They don't use Dez like they should. Back in the day Michael Irvin was targeted by Troy Aikman multiple times a game because he was the primary threat on the outside and his bread and butter was the slant. If the WR get inside position on a DB the slant is almost impossible to stop without pass interference being committed. Dez, like Michael Irvin, is a big strong guy with very strong hands. I would wear defenses out with that play until the rolled over to stop it then I'd wear out the guy in single coverage on either Bryce Butler or Terrence Williams down the field or I'd go underneath to Cole Beasley or hit Witten down the seam. When teams have to worry about Dez it opens everything else up for the other guys including Zeke Elliott.

I have one more thing. If the Cowboys have the best offensive line in football why on earth can't they open up more holes for Zeke? I've heard that question but if you watched the game you saw the Giants loading up the box to stop the run as well as dialing up run blitzes. The Giants geared up to stop the run and 5 guys just cannot block 7 or 8 or 9 guys. What you saw from Zeke was a guy who constantly got what Jason Garrett calls 'dirty yards' which is another way of saying he ran tough. There were times that Zeke was stopped with a no gain or just a yard but he finished these runs so they ended up 3 or 4 yard gains. He suffered because the Giants loaded the box to stop Zeke because they weren't afraid of Dak burning them with the pass. It didn't help that Giants DE Olivier Vernon, who couldn't do much against Tyron Smith started burning La'el Collins who got a case of lazy feet and Vernon's quickness gave Collins fits. Jason Pierre-Paul also challenged Doug Free on the right side. The Giants dialed up pressure on Dak when he did drop back to pass and his accuracy suffered greatly as a result. The thing was Prescott could not, or did not, do was make the Giants pay for loading the box the way they did. Dak didn't make any bad mistakes but he didn't burn the Giants the way Romo would have. The line was okay so don't let people tell you otherwise. Dak will learn but it takes time.

Randy Gregory is no longer in rehab and he was moved from the Reserved/Did Not Report list to the Reserve/Suspended list. This means that Gregory can go to the Cowboys new practice facility but he can't practice or play in games for the first 4 weeks of the season because of his drug related suspension by the NFL. There is still no resolution as to whether or not Gregory will get an additional 6 games because he failed to show up for scheduled drug screening earlier this year. There is still a chance that Gregory will not be suspended more games because of circumstances around the missed drug test and the fact that he missed all of training camp because he entered rehab to straighten his life. It's also being reported that if he does get the additional 6 games he will go back to rehab. Given that knowledge, I kind of hope the NFL does increase his suspension to 10 games because it sounds like Gregory needs rehab much more than he needs football right now. I would love to see him get his life together first and foremost and when, and if, he does then he can be a trusted member of the team.

Best line of the day yesterday? When Jason Garrett asked if he intends to do anything about the sunlight coming through the glass in the end zone during late afternoon games Garrett replied, "Yeah, the sun has been burning for 5 billion years and it will be there 5 billion more. The way I look at it is if there are conditions that affect the players it affects the players on both sides of the ball. What needs to happen is accepting the challenge and make plays." Basically, he means that regardless of the conditions you need to fight through them and make things happen in a positive way for your team. I heard a podcast which included former O-lineman Nate Newton and he laughed his behind off at the 5 billion years remark. He also agreed with Garrett's point of fighting through conditions to make plays. Funny way to make a serious point.