Reading the Tea Leaves -- Minicamp Edition

Out of the vets I see Jeff Roboinson beeing cut along with Al Singleton if the bigger young guys show potential and Torrin Tucker will not see training camp expect him to be one of the first to go.

On the bright side it seems that so far we should be injury free by start of camp, most injuries should have healed by then.

I saw the invitation to not participate in the minicamp to Robinson in another way, in a way like Parcells knows what he’s got (a proven player that can make touchdowns) but getting up in years. I guess Parcells’s trying to find the best option to groom and needs full time to find him, making Robinson presence expendable.

I think that now the first cut is clear, if Sippio goes through waivers we could see him in the roster spot of Tucker, last year was benched and this year reports with overweight, at times I wonder if this kind of players think……

The Cowboys are currently in the first full team training camp. Does anyone know who have been standouts and who have been the biggest duds. I know Tucker is likely gone after a weak season last year and what seems to be the worst offseason of the team, and the emergence of Vollers who added 15 lbs of muscle during the offseason.

Correction sir——ITS MINI CAMP, NOT TRAINING CAMP, BIG DIFFERENCE

With all the fuss over FS, I still havnt read who lined up with the first team in the mini camp. Does anyone know?

matt wait till sunday night or monday morning then youll hear all about the players who looked good and youll hear about the duds

Well, I already know something, Spagnola on friday said something that made me feel good, I’ve been reading him for the last 3 years now and he’s not the type of a praiser, yet he managed to say this about Ware: “Your’re gonna love the guy”. I hope he’s right……..

Chandus I’ve been a Spagnola reader for 7 years and you are right about that! He usually is VERY slow to praise,so that remark he made speaks volumes……

I think we are going to like Ware and Spears. But hey we are supposed to like first round draft picks that perform.

But the real surprises could be Burnett, Canty, Ratliff and Bierault. All those guys have a lot of upside. I can see Canty once healthy as one heck of a DE, plus another 15lbs of muscle on his long lean frame and he is going to be one bad mamajamma……..Spags column on ROTATION and Glover were both great. Glover and Ellis ain’t going nowhere. Just extending their lives and their sacks with youth to surround them.

I think our addition of Henry and Glenn to the secondary are going to be huge. I think we actually be able to Cover and Sack the QB two things we were terrible at last year.

Kinda off topic,but i was reading DallasCowboys.com,under the story heading of Major Mini-Notes:All eyes on Bledsoe and in the sub-section Back Healthy,it says that fullback Ritchie Anderson was in the trainers room at mini-camp.I thought he was released? Or is it a case where since he had a football related injury,we are responsible for his care? Hmmm…..

Andy Z= they where talking about players that where injuried last year.

Jon. i agree with you on that we are going to get more sacks. i think that with better coverage the longer the QB has to hold the ball and that lead into more sacks. also the better the pass rush equals more int’s. i think that it will go hand and hand on making this defense one of the best in the league; if not the best. inwhich will give the ball back to our offense.

as far as our offense go. it is something like our defense. the better the run game; the better our passing game will be. however, it all depends on our O-line. signing riveria and getting campbell back on the right side is going to be a big boost. the opponents can’t just load up on the line at the left side anymore. they will have to respect the right side also; as well as the passing game. and with that being said. that is going to make our draws even better.

Darrell, about defenses respecting also the right side, we haven’t seen or heard that Rivera is looking good with or without pads (you could put a defense on your case on the main fact that he’s injured, but reallity is that we haven’t seen him or read about him playing football), that coupled with no real front runner at RT, makes me feel a little uneasy about that, even with the notable addition of a healthy Campbell, because Campbell could prove to be uncapable of stopping a guy like Kearse or Strahan or Peppers by himself.

Have you guys read DallasCowboys.com lately. It seems as though our friend Ray was right about Hunter. He clearly still wants to remain a cornerback, but is now saying that he will move to safety if needed.

Here’s what he had to say:

Right now, I consider myself a cornerback," said Hunter, who is back on the practice field after missing the final 13 games last year recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left knee. "And I would love to stay at cornerback. But if they need me to play safety, I’ll do that. I’m not one of those guys.

“A lot was made about what I said about wanting to play corner. But if I have to play safety, I will. Whatever it takes to get on the field, I’ll do that.”

You guys wanted to see confirmation from Pete, and he has now given it. Not quite the enthusiastic response I had hoped for, but good enough for me. Maybe this is why Parcells doesn’t seem to be in too much of a hurry to sign a free agent.

Just so you know. Parcells, at this point, is saying that he will leave Hunter at cornerback.

Mickey Spags wrote that Henry look alittle stiff while Huter looked solid. Is it possible to see Hunter compete with Henry for the starting job and if he wins it maybe move Henry to Safety.

We didn’t give Henry 10 million up front to play FS. It doesn’t matter WHAT Hunter says now. “Psychology” guys like Parcells are unforgiving and vindictive. They smile wide while they shove a knife in your proverbial back. TunaMan may keep Hunter on the team, but low enough on the depth chart that he’ll never play. Unfortunately for him, Hunter has made his bed with his mouth and attitude.

If Hunter beats out Henry, then we signed a safty and gave him a 10 mil. signing bonus- not good.

cmon people its been 3 practices without pads or anything else. he also said that was friday, on saturday he looked much better, i wouldnt worry about hunter stealing henry’s job unless henry realllllllllly screws up. you dont give people a 10 million sb and have them be second string, at least not for a while. if hunter shows a different attitude (and maybe he didnt say those things) parcells will keep him around.

If Hunter makes the team better, he plays at corner. BP has been around long enough for us to know that. He won’t play the high $ guy, just because he is making a lot of $. That said, I agree that Henry will probably be the guy.

James

I think you’re way off the mark about Parcells and Hunter. By virtue of his own statements, I don’t think Parcells puts a lot of stock into the things players say, knowing that they run their mouths for whatever reasons. As long as they do what he expects on the field. Case in point: Keyshawn Johnson. As long a Pete shows up for work, competes hard for a job and does what he’s told without throwing a jersey in the man’s face, as my man Master Shake would say, “It’s all good in the hood”.

I agree with StarStruck, BP will play the best, hell if Henson outprefroms Bledseo (which he wont), Henson will play no matter the money or whatever BP will use any possible combination to win even if that means playing a highly paid CB at FS, and letting the underpaid CB play at his earned spot. But first and foremost Hunter must earn the starter role.

StarStruck:

You’re right, and I’ll back you up with this, Keyshawn is and has been a kitten in comparison with Lawrence Taylor, and whatever that guy made or said he was the best option and what an option!

If Hunter shows enough to sit Henry, we might see Henry more on the sideline, what you guys say is right, there’s no good in having a $10 million corner on the sideline, but if you can make it work, cap wise, there’s nothing better because injuries happen and we might see Hunter gone through FA next year, Henry signed for 5 years (or 6?).

I’m thrilled for L. A. and also thrilled for Quincy Morgan, talk is that they both are WAYS better than last year.

the starting corners are going to be henry and newman. even if hunter out plays henry for the corner position the cowboys paid henry too much money for him to be on the sidelines. expect parcells to move hunter to free safety he has the speed and the body for it. even if hunter doesnt want to play free safety, he is better than what we have at that position.

cowboy fan,

hunter doesnt mind playing FS he said it himself….only thing is that i hope BP wants him to play there because i think he’d be the best candidate for that position, unless BERRY-O shows potential or DAVIS or SCOTT

Off topic, but which would be worsts loosing Roy Williams, Dat, JuiceJ, or Bledsoe to injury.

Matt,

Losing Ferguson would be terrible. The run defense would go down the chute.

matt and rafael -

i think the boys are a team without media stars right now. Roy and Glover are the closest to that. But Roy is only among the best safeties in the league (certainly lost some luster last season). And Glover isn’t a household name. Otherwise on D, we could see a star emerge during the season. I sure hope so. Nothing on the offensive side is a media star just yet. Julius’ 8 games aren’t enough. Key is too old. Bledsoe… no way.

As far as who would be a costly loss… I agree about Roy because we’ve nothing else back there at safety to do the dirty work. Fergurson will be very effective for our 3-4 and his loss would impact plans but I think we still are equipped to have a respectable front 7 without him — even if that means returning to a 4-3 more often and backing away from the 3-4 experiment for the season.

But really, the worst case for the cowboys would be losing Bledsoe. I’m no Bledsoe fan, but considering how little experience is behind him and how Parcells obstinantly refused to play the young guys at the end of last season (I’m in the group that boo-ed that decision), losing Bledsoe would be disaster. Teams would line-up to stop JJ and the A-train. And they’d blitz to no end. The season would become the Giants’ ’04 season where the objective was just to learn if Manning could play and to get him up-to-speed as fast as possible. There would be no honest hope of early success.

Apparently, StarStruck has never worked for one of these “psychologist” types. TunaMan is a great coach, but his own players will tell you that he will run a person off if they offend him. “Psychologists” will put you in that category for the most absurd and undeserving of reasons. Hunter put himself there with his mouth and attitude. All is “not good in the hood” just because “psychologist bill” says so.

James:

Parcells has shown in the past that he can work with players that give him problems, just like Hunter gave him, in his prime Lawrence Taylor gave him almost every kind of problems, be it drugs, be it wanting attention, be it loud mouthing (that’s a no-no in Parcells book) and fights with the coach. Keyshawn argued with Parcells almost every game in his time with the Jets, just because “he wanted the damned ball”. And last year, he gave every oportunity to Antonio Bryant, but one thing is giving another to a good player, giving another shots to a receiver that freelances too much in routes is not so good.

losing jj again would hurt but we do have a good back up now. roy would kill us, hes the guy every wr looks out for hes a run stuffer and hes 1 of the hardest hiters in the league. ferguson would hurt but we have alot of depth on the d line now.

I would like to think that JJ and the Tuna did their homework and came away with the conclusion that Henry was an upgrade over Hunter at CB. I agree that if Hunter outplays Henry he’ll be the starting corner. If that would happen everyone including JJ and BP would be second guessing as to why they gave a 10 mil. signing bonus to a player that is not even playing the position they courted him to play. I also think that if plays out that way we could have used the money on some other positions of need.

I agree with Rafael, Ferguson would be the worst loss, depth on the DLine doesn’t mean a thing, because facts indicate that we have only a legitimate run stopper on the DLine, that being Ferguson, behind him we have Glover and Carson that could be reliable in a 4-3 formation for half the snaps in a game. After both of them we only have rookies that haven’t prove to be worth more than a look, so, right now he would be the worst player to loose.

Last year Henry managed himself pretty well covering T. O. on an island, in which he was for at least 1/3 of the snaps, he might be one of those players that starts looking good when the pads take part in the equation, so get a grip.

I am starting to get the feeling that we won’t see Singleton at LB for the boys this year. If he does somehow make it then he won’t be playing that much football. He’ll probably only be in on passing downs. I would not be one to miss him because he just doesn’t seem to be a playmaker. I think our starting LB on the 3-4 should be Burnett, Nguyen, James, Shanle. On passing downs it should be Burnett, Nguyen, James, Ware. With our 4-3 it should be James, Nguyen, Shanle and have Burnett in there on passing downs instead of Shanle. I also have a feeling James will step up this year.

I would also sub in Kalen Thornton on passing downs on either the 3-4 or
4-3 instead of James.

James,

Perhaps you could give us a few examples of B.P. running off players
for the most “aburd” and “underserving reasons” or burying players who
really should be starting and finally “stabbing the remaining ones in the
back while smiling”…….

It’s kind of strange that so many players would want to play for a
“psychologist type” with that kind of track record.I mean the number
of players rushing to leave Dallas these past 2 years has been a flood
and the players wanting to come here has been a mere trickle….

Jason Ferguson said the nice thing about playing for B.P. is you don’t
have to worry about any “curveballs”(DC.com)….. and then there’s
Drew Bledsoe stating that he knows B.P. will always put the best 11 players on the field come Sun……….But hey what do they know?

The only thing worse than paying a guy $25 Million to sit the bench, is paying a guy $25 Million to miss tackles and blow assignments. Do people really think that became one of the best coaches by choosing a starting lineup according the payroll? No, he didn’t.

Henry will start at CB. Period.

Not because he gets paid more, but because he is a better. Hunter is basically a rookie. When he hasn’t been hurt, he has struggled. He has 3 NFL starts under his belt. Henry, on the other hand, has 4 years of quality production.

James

Apparently, you have never meet either of my wives! The first was a cop and I’d take three Parcells-types to her. The second is nothing like the first, but still a piece of psychological work. Combined, I have spent over half of my life so far, working for the most notorious mind-gamers on the planet (no offense to any ladies reading). Iâ€â"¢ve got plenty of firsthand experiences so, give a fella some credit, wonâ€â"¢t ya?

You are entitled to your POV about Parcells, though I ’m not sure what you are seeing. Other than Bryant, I canâ€â"¢t really think of another case. But Iâ€â"¢m listening if you know of more.

Carioca,

I agree, the loss of Bledsoe would have a greater impact than the loss of Ferguson, not to underrate the inability to stop the run. That would ruin possession time and mean very bad things to a young defensive team. Tough Glover can presumably fill that void, it would do little to reducing his number of snaps. Someone would have to step up to keep him fresh as planned and be effective. And not to diminish the role of DT, but his assignment seems rather straightforward compared to that of an untried Romo or Henson. Your comparison to Eli is a good one.

I think Bledsoe is number one while Ferguson would be number three on my least-desirable-loss list. At number two: I wouldnâ€â"¢t want to see an injury anywhere on the O-line, because that leads directly back to number one and number four, Julius.

Couldn’t agree with you more cooper…….Why all this interest in
P. Hunter anyway?Its not like this guy is Ty law or Deion for crying out
loud has the guy started for a whole season?…. half a season..?
Besides since when is a CB vital to a super bowl?
Lets see Philly let both there starters go last year and N.E. went
 and won without Ty Law…..

You seem to be forgetting our 1st draft choice lilbest: DeMarcus Ware. Why would we draft him so high yet start our 2nd round choice, Burnett, over him at outside linebacker? Ware will be fine at DE on pass rushing situations, but it seems like the majority of his playing time will be at Outside Linebacker. Burnett is a good choice for starting at outside linebacker, but would you really want Shanle over Ware?

when is a cb vital to a superbowl? are you serious?

well lets just look at last year. how good was our passing defense? ill give you the lack of a pass rusher but still, how many passing td’s did we give up? your telling me if we didnt have better cb’s last year we would have still had the same numbers defensively?? i dont think so. you can get by with lesser talented cb’s if you have a passrush like the eagles and the pats. but if you have neither then your right where we were last year…. screwed

Mike, your right on. With a good front 7 those teams could get away with average corners. thats what pressure will do for a secondary. Lets face it, we didn’t have many playmakers on def. last year. This year, i think its all about to change. Pressure…..Pressure………..Pressure

Ok back to the topic of FS. Last time i checked we were bad at creating turnovers one of the worst in the league.Heres the answer to our problems a very talented pash rush whom ever it may be on the line.A much improved secondary to eliminate big plays.But heres my question if Chavous is available and we have the cap room to sign him, is he not the cover FS were looking for ? My question is why gamble and take a chance on someone unproven or that has never played the position in the NFL. when you could go out and get a player who takes advantage of oppurtunities.If i remember correctly the Vikings D was garbage a couple of years ago, and the guy still got picks. Turnovers win games why not get someone who will surely get you some?

I have been reading this great blog for a few months now and thought I would jump in on some of the action. Has anyone heard anything on Berry-O in mini camp, is he working at FS or SS and how is he doing.

Sounds as if Bledsoe is fired up about playing behind Big D O- line this year. He says he has never played with such a solid o-line in his career will be interesting to see how he does. GO COWBOYS!

Parcells did not run Antonio Bryant off, Antonio Bryant ran Antonio Bryant OFF. Throw a jersey in Bob Knights face and see how long you are on the team. At least Bill showed a little patience and dealt him for Morgan, who might develop……..instead of just cutting his sorry attitude which is what I would have done.

I am extremely disappointed in Bryant, he had a lot of potential. Parcells has said he is too old to deal with Hoodlums and Thugs………..I think tossing a jersey and mouthing off at your headcoach………a guy that is the most respected among players, coaches and fans……….puts you in the Hoodlum and Thug category……..I just can’t figure out which one……….Hoodlum or Thug?

Either way he is Clevelands problem, and I wish him well.

bryant got what he deserved, he disrespected the boss in front of other employees. how long would any of us last after that in our jobs? not long. as far as morgan goes ive heard nothing but real good things about him, parcells was talking about how good he looks body wise hes put on muscle and looks faster, to me sounds good. berioult ive heard lil about him. ive also heard jacques reeves is a possible fs candidate, what do you guys think on that?

If Parcells ran Antonio Bryant off or not the guy was a extreme head case and we just dont need that kind of cancer on our team regardless of the athletic potential he had. Lets give Morgan a chance he was not completly healthy last year with his hamstring. I heard he has had a great off season program and picked up strengh, size, and speed. Put in the right situations I think he can really help the Cowboys. He is already better for us than Bryant because he doesnt have that hot head atitude.

Welcome to Cowboyland Leo………GO Cowboys!!!

turnover are very important no doubt, but understand to are not just defensive backs. with an improved d-line and lb core we should see more fumbles and theres alot of interceptions come from lb. im sure we will have more to’s in the secondary now with glenn and henry as well. i did read something on berioult and ill find it again and post it for you leo

this is what i read earlier sorry theres not more

• In the same passing drill, rookie S Justin Beriault showed the importance of finishing what he starts. Badly beaten by TE Dan Campbell on a deep route over the middle, Beriault caught up to the veteran tight end as he was about to coast across the goal line, and stripped the ball, knocking it to the turf.

Here’s a few tidbits guys…….Glenn,Barber,Thornton.Thompson,Ahmed Merritt,N. Jones,Zuriel,J. Reeves,Jamaica Rector trying out for kick returner duties…….also A_train……….Copper hurt his knee(not serious),BP working out various guys on the team at long snapper but not impressed(we have Robinson to fall back on)

Hey thanks for the update Mike

Sounds like Berry-O might be getting some work at FS.

On DallasCowboys.com BP mentioned that he might Jacques Reeves at FS also……..

Ben:
Parcells is waiting, he just doesn’t want to sign another guy for 3 things:

1) There might be the possibility that a regular player (ala Lynn Scott) might be capable of playing real well at the FS spot if the front line proves to be capable of putting pressure on the QB.

2) We might see a player coming out of the bunch og guys in the rotation, Keith Davis might be the guy, at least played well in coverage through this minicamp.

and 3) In obvious passing plays and in the nickel D we might see, as Parcells mentions, Hunter in the FS spot.

I just don’t think that none of the 3 cases could take place in training camp, and that’s enough reason for me to be second guessing about signing another probably expensive guy.

Leo:
I last heard that Beriault was better suited to play behind Roy Williams and to play Special Teams in the place of Keith Davis if he’s starting at FS.

i think we are in real good shape. at least we are not like the eagles, or the redskins. they are having problems getting their stars into camp period. healthy or not… at least our guys are in camp trying to learn the new system, as well learn each other. i think once we jell with each other; we are going to be real good. i just hope that bledsoe can jell with the WR’s, and the defence can learn to play together. there is a reason why bp and jerry jones are excited about this year. that makes me very excited!!!!
GO COWBOYS!!!!!!

I think Kieth Davis has the playmaking ability to become a very good FS. The kid at least deserves a chance to prove his worth he busted his butt and paid his dues by playing great on special teams last year and I think BP is starting to like the guy.If we bring in Chavious,shoulters or any other vet. FA we are just using up our cap $ and taking opportunities away from our young talent within. With are front seven this year lets take a look at FS within the organization and if nobody fits the mold then we can address the position next year. Although some of these names do sound real tempting!!!

jerry jones is always excited about the coming season. i would like to see one of our fs step it up but id also like to see them bring in a veteran if possible with bledsoe and some other guys we dont have the luxury of grooming a couple players for a few years, in key positions where they have to start and hold there own. i like the win now atitude with bringing along some younger guys in posistions where they can learn and develope, my personal opion we are on the right track, now.

leo,
bp also said he likes davis on special teams and he doesnt want him to leave it aka with a full time fs job.

Version 2.0 of my view of the 53 man roster after this minicamp:

3 QB’s (Bledsoe, Henson and Romo)

There’s nothing for me to say about QB, just that I don’t think Parcells would bring someone else, he might add someone to the practice squad late in august.

3 RB’s (JuiceJ, A-Train and Barber)

With the stable we might have in Newman, Aaron Glenn, Barber, Copper, Merritt and Frazier, I just don’t see the need to carry 4 RB’s, if Thompson goes trough waivers I would love to add him to the practice squad.

1 FB (Polite)

Could probe to be ready to take the roster spot that for right now belongs to Barnes in training camp.

6 WR’s (Glenn, Key, Morgan, Crayton, Copper and Merritt)

Merritt tooked huge steps forward with the receptions he made on Sunday, could send Crowder to the practice squad for another year.

4 TE’s (Witten, Campbell, Robinson and Pierce)

Robinson is the $1.2 million LS, but he’s worth every dollar. But knowing that he’s a 13 year veteran, the search for the succesor is a priority, that’s why Pierce makes this version.

9 OL’s (Adams, L.A., Johnson, Rivera, Rogers, Peterman, Gurode, Vollers and Petitti)

Petitti is a work in progress we might see him working behind Flozell and Vollers manning the RT with Rogers right behind him. Gurode can play Center and Guard making Walter expendable.

8 DL’s (Ellis, Glover, Ferguson, Spears, Carson, Canty, Ratliff and Van Hoy)

The same as in version 1.0.

6 LB’s (Nguyen, Burnett, James, Ware, Shanle and Ogbogu)

I just removed Thornton, mainly because I don’t believe that he could outplay Ware and because I think that Ogbogu’s size is the best option to the weak side OLB he just needs to be faster.

6 CB’s (T-New, Henry, Glenn, Frazier, Hunter and Thornton)

Hunter’s going to be a CB, I guess Parcells knows something that we don’t about him. The statement of him playing at safety in nickel formations is like saying “he’ll be a 4th CB”.

5 S’s (Roy, Davis, Scott, Reeves and Beriault)

Reeves won’t make the team if he’s unable to play FS, that could mean 4 Safeties and 7 corners, but I’ll stay 5-6.

1 K (Cundiff)
1 P (McBriar)

I don’t see real competition to both of this guys, though DeHaven and Parcells will make them better.

I know is a month early, but I don’t think that in reality in august we might see something like day and night in comparison with this.

I think that Thompson could make the squad as a special team ace. The guy has blazing speed good size, and can catch. I think he may make the roster to have 4 HB’s to 5 WR, and we can say goodbye to Merrit.

Thompson has size and speed to line up as a WR or HBack……..and if he can return kicks and play special teams………he might make the roster. Word is he has blazing speed, something Parcells likes and does not have enough of. If he wants him at RB he will want him to add some weight and bulk up a bit, but if he sees him as a situational RB and part time WR and special teams guy who knows. If you have a guy that can offer you some KR, PR and RB and WR you can find a spot on the roster for him. I am not sure he is that guy, but hey if he is. Remember Herschel Walker, he could line up as a WR, KR, PR and was still a legitimate threat at RB. Maybe Thompson is that kind of guy.

I for one would like to see the Cowboys look at him at WR. I would love to find a diamond in the rough with some speed for WR. That is the one position on the team that worries me. Morgan hopefully will improve, and it sounds like he bought into the offseason workouts. Also working out with Henson and Romo, so that is a good sign. He is actually a faster guy than A Bryant was, so from that standpoint that is good. He was injured last year, which was extremely frustrating, and he was coming to a new team with a different scheme. So he should be better prepared and have time with Bledsoe, Henson and Romo to learn his routes and timing.

Still if Key or Glenn get hurt we are immediately throwing in unproven guys who showed some potential like Copper and Crayton. But hey, maybe that is the youth movement at WR. Parcells has never been big on high draft picks for WR. Troy Brown was like a 12th rounder or something, and that guy is still contibuting. Witten and Campbell and Jones should all help take some pressure off the WR position. Hopefully, Bledsoe and Glenn remember how to play pitch and catch and we all know Bledsoe likes the TE, already comparing Witten to Ben Coates……..

I think this team could be very very good. Parcells and Jones did a good job of adding a Veteran, and youth at every position we needed help other than FS. I figure with Rivera, Allen, Adams, and Johson along the line………the RT spot will figure itself out. We got THREE PRO BOWLERS on the o line, not too many NFL teams boast that. Al Johnson will continue to improve and let Vollers, Peterman, Rogers, Pettiti and whoever else wants it compete for RT. We also got a couple of good TEs and that can help out a not so wonderful RT a bit.

The rookies are going to struggle a bit on Defense, but hey they will gel with the Vets and we got so much better in the secondary that we will see Roy be ROY. We are going to get pressure on the QB, and get some turnovers.

Great points about Eagles and Redskins having issues. Another sign of the respect players give Parcells. We do not have any holdouts. I have not heard any rookies complaining about contracts, the only guy that made much noise at all is Hunter, and that was half his agents doing…….although I hold the PLayer responsible you hire the agent………shut him up.

Mike,

Yes iam being serious about a corner not being VITAL to winning a
Super bowl…. VITAL being the important word.You concede the
lack of a pass rush was a problem and thats my point (as made
by jam) you need a strong front 7.Did you see the Giant game
which ended the season?The giants ran over Dallas to win the
game!!!! The giants…. with a lousy line..the giants…. not a playoff
team by anyones standards.The cowboys D had more problems
last year than just left corner and safety.As to whether another
corner would have made a difference in the numbers i don’t know
however they did try about 7 guys there… but I really don’t
care about numbers I care about wins and losses.Remember
2 yrs ago D led the league in defense then went in and got
stomped by Carolina.
It doesn’t matter who you got back in the secondary if you give
a qb all day to throw in todays nfl he will eat you up.
Antonio bryant was a problem before B.P. ever got to D.But
none of the coaches were willing to stand up to him because
JJ was running the team.But some perespective here we have
seen T.O. and R. Moss both “run out of town” by their teams
for relatively little compensation considering their talent.A.B.
is not even on the same planet as these two guys…..Dallas
gave him a shot and a good one he just didn’t work out.
Some of you guys are fascinated with the numbers and
potential of some players:Antonio B.,Randal W.,R. lee ,P.
Hunter etc. but you have got to remember this game is
played on the FIELD not on the computer screen.A computer
doesn’t factor in desire,pain,work ethic,attitude etc. there is
so much more to winning than just numbers.

Becker,

Yes , what do B.P.‘s players know? They are the ones that say he will run a guy off if he doesn’t “like” him! Hmmm, liking is not based on performance. Speaking of A.B., if TunaMan handled it so well, why didn’t we get a high draft choice for the starter that A.B. was? Instead we got Morgan, who did almost NOTHING! B.P. ran off Dexter Coakley for being “too small”. Hmmm, his size never seemed to keep him out of the Pro-Bowl. Our other “small” linebacker, Dat Nguyen, has now become a “Parcells” guy. Had he not, he would be gone too. That is the key Becker, being a Parcell’s guy. While he is a great coach and probably the best draft manager in our era, only those players who can tolerate or otherwise knuckle-under to B.P.‘s mind games and psychological abuse can play and produce in his system. I’m just describing it for what it is. It may produce success more often than not, but not everyone can SUBORDINATE their “sense of self” to someone like him. Even a punk like A.B.

becker,
i do agree with what your saying, but if cb dont make a difference what if we had deion, and darrel green, with rod woodsen as our 3rd cb, thatd make a difference. i know thats not reality but what i was saying if we had 3 good cb there is such a thing as coverage sacks, and that would make a huge difference, if we couldve covered last year. i do whole hearlty agree though that the main sacks comne from your front seven, we do need to get alot better there, which via FA and draft we will be, hopefully.

ok guys what do you guys see as our record this year? what would be a dissapointment , what would be a good record?

to me 9-7, 10-6 making the playoff wild card or winning the east would be a great season..

inprove by 3-5 wins id be extremely happy.

Chandus,

Although I don’t agree with all your picks, I thought that was a great breakdown of the 53 man roster. Now let’s see your gameday 45 man roster! BP is gonna have to make some hard choices. Having that DL, LB and DB rotation will be great, but it will force some tough cuts on the O side.

Morgan for Bryant is pretty much an even wash…….they had similar numbers. Bryant has more talent, but no discipline to run routes. He quit on plays. I was disappointed in Morgan, but he had a hamstring injury so at least we got to see Copper and Crayton out there. They have potential to be a 3rd or 4th WR for now and maybe develop into something more.

As far as not being a Parcells guy, who has he run off that has gone elsewhere to produce great results? If you cannot play for Parcells, who you going to play for. This is football, these guys had better have a thick skin. Listen to Brian Cox talk about Parcells, he is father, motivator, friend, enemy, psychologist, priest, and finally Coach. Do your job and you do not have a problem with Parcells. Look at Larry Allen for a guy that was on his way out of Dallas, and now look the guy is coming off a pro bowl season and shows up in the best shape of his career. Spag said he is doing conditioning drills he never particpated in. Strong as a house were his words. Produce, play and Parcells will not have a problem. These guys are making millions to play a game, they can at least show up at their right weight. A boxer cannot fight if he is over his specified weight class, why should a football player be any different. Discipline = Success.

Coakley was not run off. He was a cap casualty. He played James a lot last year, and was looking to get bigger and stronger at LB to transition to the 3-4. He wanted to keep Coakley, and I would like to have had him also. Coakley could play and made a lot of plays against the pass including INTs. However, he is over 30 and Parcells wanted strength and youth and size at LB. Coakley was a strong guy, but never going to have size or youth again. It is unfortunatel because Dexter, was a Parcells guy in terms of Team, workout, and locker room. His field play far exceeded anything anyone expected from the Applachian State University player. Dallas offered him a job, albeit at far less Salary then what he was paid by the Rams. Who could really use infusion of leadership at LB.

Dat is yet another undersized guy that plays bigger. Parcells made nothing but high comments about Dat and Dexter. However, if he is goingto build a 3-4 he figures he can only have so many small linebackers. He is still a little undersized for what he likes. Look at the size of guys like Willie McGinnest, Chris Slade both DE in College and LBs in the Pros…….Demarcus Ware cerainly fits that mold and while he may have a typical rookie season with success and failure, he certainly looks the part of the 3-4 OLB that Parcells Craves.

I would have loved to have kept Dexter, Emmit and a few of the other vets that were cap casualties. Unfortunately that is just not the way of the NFL these days. We can look back at the late 80 and late 90s for what happens when you resign aging veterans instead of infusing youth into the organization. The team declines and suffers for a longer time. Both of those eras were similar in that we had wonderful success in the past, and were trying to piece together championship years off of bits and pieces of the past. It just did not work.

As far as record goes. I see us being 10-6 or even 11-5. I think we could win the NFC East with either of those records if we can run the tables on Washington and NYG and split with the Eagles. I do not think they will be as dominant as last year.

The one thing that concerns me is this, we might struggle a bit with all the rookies and new 3-4 formations for players and coaches. Then we learn it, we improve and all of a sudden it is late in the year heading into the playoffs and our youth movement is burned out due to lack of PRO Conditioning. It usually takes a player 2-3 years to condition for the grueling 16 game season, then game 17 if it happens is the first playoff game. That is a lot more football than Canty, Burnett, Spears, Ware, Bierault, and Ratliff are used too. Now if rotation works out, and youth is on their side but still the rookies usually have a bit of catch up to do when it comes to conditioning.

Nonetheless we will be better this year. I think anything less than 10 wins would be a disappointment for the team and the coach. We spent pretty heavy in the offseason, Rivera, Henry, Bledsoe, Ferguson and Glenn, add in the two first rounders Ware and Spears……….not to mention the other draft picks. Rivera, Bledsoe, Henry and Glenn should all contribute right away……Bledsoe, Ferguson and Glenn have experience with Parcells and Rivera is a Guard, just shut down the guy in front of you, same on any team unless you are pulling, and then Henry should do fine as well. We also got Hunter, Reeves, Thornton, Frazier, and company to work in the secondary somehow……..so our secondary should vastly improve……..and then the rookies and Ferguson in the front 7.

Bledsoe almost got his Bills in the playoffs, after a rough start. He had less talent around him there than Dallas does. On both sides of the ball, the only spot they are strong is RB.

James,

You have yet to produce a statement from any players saying
B.P. runs off “Talented” players off simply because he doesn’t
like them!!Who are these players?? What quotes??
As for A.B. he wasn’t a starter and the market for talented yet
tempermental W.R. was a tad thin see T.O. and R. Moss… but
then again A.B. has so much better numbers than those two.
Also Morgan was hurt last year.I really couldn’t see us getting
much more for A.B. than we did and besides if B.P. wanted to
really put the screws to the guy he could have just cut him and
started rumors of drug use.As for Dex that was a business move
B.P. wanted to keep him but St. Louis came up with alot more
money.Did B.P. bench Dex in favor of a less talented sub?
Not that I saw….again if he really wanted to run guys off
that sure is a strange way of doing it.Dex was a business
move …..do you think G.B. wanted to lose M. Rivera?I
don’t think so….. but welcome to the Cap.Tell me if B.P.
is such a dictator why would any player want to come to
Dallas for any amount of money.M. Rivera and J. Ferguson
could have gotten similar money as could D. bledsoe to play
elsewhere and not “subordinate there sense of self” to B.P.
and actually enjoy playing football.
Also how has Dat become a “B.P. guy”?
If Dat is too small that should overide any football ability
he has in B.P.‘s view or should i say your view of B.P.’s
view.

Mike,

I am not saying C.B.‘s don’t matter.I just can’t see all this
 attention lavished on P.H. He is not going to get us to the S.B.
If he plays he plays if he gets cut thats ok too.I mean the guy
 couldn’t beat out M. Edwards who was recently cut by T.Bay,

There is a simple reason for why BP is an ASS. He is a genuis. If a player cannot preform under the scrutiny of BP they wont preform in the big game. When BP screams at the players he is testing the mental fitness because in a pressure game that is the first to go not physical abilities. As for AB the guy may have had potential but if you have no mental toughness you will not succeed in the NFL. there are alot of great talents that bust because they lack mental toughness.

Kalen Thornton could be a starter, theres no way he gets cut. He was working with the 1st team over the weekend.

Matt,
I don’t know if B.P. is an ass so much as he is emotional and
lets players know whats on his mind.The first year N.E. went
to the playoffs with B.P. the turning point was a game where
N.E. was getting beat badly at the half.In the locker room
B.P. didn’t yell or scream all he said was aren’t you guys
tired of losing?Don’t you ever get tired of losing?They came back
won the game and went on to the playoffs.
So it is not all about screaming with B.P.

James, you have to understand that people on this board have no ability to see any flaws in BP or the Cowboys. The are intellectually handicapped in that area. All they do is sit here and gush about how great everything is. Actually, lots of times if you speak out against BP, Raul will just remove the post. Alot of guys on this board don’t do much to show the rest of the fans that the Cowboys, fans can look at their team honestly and see where we’ve made mistakes in the past. This is a homer board more than a football board.

Blair the reason why I would not put Ware in there over Burnett is because Burnett is a LB and Ware is learning to be a LB. Now don’t get me wrong if
Ware is in there that would mean he just picked up the LB spot that easily but realisticly it is hard enough for a player to adjust to the NFL from college now add learning a new position. Remember that when Ware is in at LB the opposing team can automatically assume that he is going to rush and audible for someone to pick him up on the blitz like having their RB picking him up. But if he learns to play the pass as well then he would keep the opponents offense guessing and instead have Roy dishing out the pain from the opposite side. Now the reason why I have Shanle in there instead of Ware is because the guy played very well when Singleton went down. I have also put into account that BP said he wants to get bigger on the left side which is the side that Singleton played on which is the same side Shanle played on. Shanle would not be playing most of the snaps but would be in there on running downs or mainly on 1st downs. Ware by week 8 would most likely be the main OLB since he would have had enough experience under his belt to be trusted more. Another reason why you wouldn’t use Ware on rushing down while in the 3-4 is because he could be used as a DE when we play in the 4-3. Remember BP said he didn’t want to wear out Ware by playing him against a Lineman but I could definitely see BP having Zimmer playing plenty of 4-3 in the 4th quarter because the offensive lineman will be pretty tired by then and we will still have a fresh dosive of lineman to rush the QB ala Ellis,Glover,Spears,Ware. Oh how much trouble do you think the opposing O-line will have then. Those were some of the reasons why I had Shanle and Burnett over Ware. Tell me what you think.

lilbeast,
I agree with what you said 100%.

Josh A,
This cite is the first to critize any move, we have been critisizing Bledsoe, lack of a move at RT, and lack of a move at WR. As for BP we dont have much to complain about, sure he’s a my way or the highway type of guy but that is what you want to control 53 millionaires. However, when he does make moves we dont like it is posted, ie: Reshard Lee being cut. However, the AB move was a great one we lost a cancer in the locker room and replaced him with a guy that has dedicated himself to this season as seen by his offseason conditioning program.

They think Parcells is perfect do they Josh? My point exactly: they have become Parcell’s guys. I never said Parcells was a bad coach, but he isn’t perfect either. Just like Cox said about him, father friend, enemy , priest, PSYCHOLOGIST. I wonder how many people that think TunaMan can do no wrong would be able to stand working for him and for how long. I have respect for BP as a football coach, but that is where it ends.

I dont know of a coach that is perfect. Who cares the man can coach football he can motivate players and players want to play for him. I dont always like or agree with his decisions, but the man gets results every place he has coached. He must be doing something right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

James ,
No one said B.P. is perfect your the one he stated he was the second
coming of Woody Hayes and that he plays guys based not on ability
but on whether he likes them and whether they bend to his will …
etc. etc……. thats quite a change from not being perfect………
As for working for B.P. lets see Bryan Cox,Phil Simms,L.T.,
Curtis Martin the list goes on ……but obvious you have a better
perspective from a 19" screen.
 By the way i’m still waiting for your player quotes on B.P.
being the great satan in cowboy blue……
 
As for this site being a “homer board” …if knowing what your
talking about and being able to back it up with examples and
having the ability to keep an open mind when others challenge
ideas (without being nasty and calling people names)…. then
I guess we are guilty as charged.And if Raul is deleting posts
why join or stay?……Sort of like playing for B.P. why put
yourself thru hell join another board or better yet start your
own……

Even before Bill Parcells was a Dallas Cowboys Coach, he had and deserved my respect.

His two Super Bowls and turnarounds at struggling franchises like NYJ and NEP are a testament to his ability. He is a master at drafting talent, and then coaching that talent. He buys the groceries, he cooks the meals. He usually serves up a pretty good dish. See his first season here, where we went from 5-11 over the previous three seasons, and with a Quincy Carter at QB we go to the playoffs. Where we lost to the guys that went on to give NE a heck of a Super Bowl that they won on a last second FG.

Has Bill made mistakes over the years, sure. Is he worthy of criticism. Sure……….is he is own worst critic and harder on himself than you or I or anyone is……….absolutely as anyone that is successful usually is.

He brought in some of his guys, that would never have come to Dallas for Dave Campo, Gailey, Switzer, maybe not even for Johnson or Landry. He has shown a tremendous amount of respect for Landry, and the history of this organization. He is deteremined to get us back on top. He has a better sense of salary cap, players abilities, vets and rookies than any other coach in the league……..including Bill Belichek who by the way is winning with a bunch of guys Bill Parcells Drafted.

I have read lots of criticism of his sticking with Vinny instead of playing Henson or Romo. Some are questioning the 3-4 do we have the talent for it, why leave a 4-3 we won 5 Super Bowls with the Landry Created Defense. I have seen commentary on Terrance Newman as a bust at Draft pick, which I do not agree with but I have seen it………some complaints about Jacob Rogers also………again the guy might have had some mistakes. Bottom line, he produces a great product and we are lucky to have him as our head coach.

I for one, hope he sticks around for another 5 years.

JAMES AND JOSH A, YOU GUYS DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU CAN’T SAY A BAD THING ABOUT GOD B. P. OR HE WILL PUT A THUNDER UP YOUR ASSES!!!

LOL.

He’s made mistakes, of course, believing that last year team was in good enough shape to win some games was the biggest he’s made, another one was to loose Dantzler 2 years ago to stick with Zuriel Smith, another was signing Young for the RT two years ago, though, the team is going in the right direction, I can see that, in the paper, good team with 10 wins, easily.

A. B. had potential, yes, he was at his best in clutch receptions and in breaking away from tackles, but last year, his route running was a mess, in the first 2 games I remember several passes send in his direction and he wasn’t there, and Vinny, in the first games, was throwing with pin-point accuracy, so I can’t blame him, it was Bryant fault, and was send out of town for that.

About Thornton, I was thinking in a way to add him, Ware could play two positions, DE (4-3) and Weak OLB (3-4), Van Hoy might be sent to the practice squad, giving the team 7 DLiners and Ware and 7 LBs, adding Thornton to the mix.

Jon,

You “homer” you…. imagine that a post with examples to buttress
your ideas……. go figure…. Hey Rafael better delete this one.

As for B.P. staying almost everything I seen from D indicates
he is in it for the long haul.The managing of the cap the is
to me the clearest indication of his intentions.That and
 the grooming of D. Henson as Qb seems to say B.P. is
here for awhile.I can’t see him setting the table for
someone else.

Chandus,
I see Van Hoy on the team infront of Carson. Van hoy is big, and Carson played terrible last year when they needed a run stuffer. Look for Van Hoy took take over for Ferguson in 3 or 4 years as the primary NT, of a defence that should be solid for years to come.

Becker,

I have to drop in every so often to see you crappy little puff pieces. They give me a good laugh.

All in all Rafael writes a pretty nice article so I enjoy reading that. The rest of what you guys write is about as deep as a kiddie pool.

whose a better coach in the nfl besides the tuna? the only 1-2 id think of giving you is andy reid, and cowher. belichek has only been good since he became hc of the pats, at alot of the team is bp leftovers. he was worthless in cleveland. if someone here can show me a better coach then bp put it down. until then noone here says hes perfect but he and jj hold the cards so we have to trust themis all.

becker i do agree with you cb’s as long as you have a good front 7 arent as important. as far as hunter goes i DONT think hes the player we cant live without, if he stays awesome bp saw something in him, if he doesnt stay then he prolly deserves to be gone.

id hope this site is for homers we are all cowboy fans right???

as far as not getting a rt, fs, or wr whats out there thus far thats worth getting? what has been there i think weve done an excellent job getting them. id bet anything if something better comes available june 1 thats better then what we have we will make a move.

Carson might be more of a backup DT, he looks fast and with enough power to break the pocket, but was pushed around too much last year when staying too long on the field, he played just too many snaps, I remember him playing 2 years ago behind Glover and Blade managing modest numbers (1.5 sacks and 20 tackles).

Van Hoy is a project, that’s why he went undrafted, if he develops could backup Ferguson, but this is a numbers game, there’ll be heads rollin’, I just think that Carson playing DT in a 4-3 with 2 DT is more possible than Van Hoy playing NT behind Ferguson and Glover. If the Cowboys do play the projected 50-50 in 3-4 and 4-3, the’ll need more LB power, 6 LB could probe to be less than enough and that’s why I substract a DLiner and add a LB.

I put myself in the position of cutting some players because I see material that makes me think twice about cutting, that’s what some people call depth, players like Tyson Thompson, Tyson Walter, Ben Noll, Keith O’Neal and Al Singleton are players that I would like to see more from, but I see more value in other players in the board.

This is tough, I guess that’s why I’m the only one projecting the 53 man roster this early…….

Josh A:

So, we all write meaningless crap, right? You, the one that writes so mastermind pieces talked.

First write something that we all agree upon, then you can trash talk.

im surprised flozell adams and a rookie DT got in a fight at the mini camp…wonder what it was all about

but i am happy with MORGAN i think he will make an impact this year in a definite way

Hey Matt I have heard a little on Van Hoy but not much Who is this kid,whats his upside and where did he come from.

Leo,
I dont know that much about him as he was not profiled in any of the major draft cites. However, looking back at former articles before this season they said that there Senior NT(Van Hoy) was to reel key to there success. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but then again would BP have signed him to a 2 year deal if the guy wasn’t good and a solid prospect.

lil fights happen alot when your pushing each other around. said on the cowboys site that bp didnt seem upset about the whole thing

hey josh a ,
Pick any cowboy topic you want…I’ll be happy to have a go
with you ……always willing to learn or teach…… just
remember i want facts … stats something other than
Unsubstantiated opinion.. something you have yet to
provide… other wise don’t waste my time.

As for the blog being shallow just remember lots people
drown in “kiddie pools” every year……

Chandus,
I must admit I really liked your 53 man roster mine is quite simillar the only porblem is that I cant seem to trim it down to 53 men:

This roster consists of 56 men, those in CAPITAL letters are the ones who are on the cut line in my opinion.

QB-3-Bledsoe, Henson, Romo
Henson should take the backup job if not I cannot see him staying here long term.

FB-1-Polite
I love Barnes, he’s a good guy, but Polite is an absolute beast, if we can get any sort of running production from him we are already improved.

HB-4-JuiceJ, Barber, Thomas, THOMPSON
Juice will prove to be a bonnefied star, with the addition of a power game of Thomas and a similar style as Juice’s in Barber the attack should be solid. The darkhorse here is Thompson I see making the team as an all prupose back(WR, HB, PR, KR).

WR-7-Keyshawn, Glenn, Morgan, COPPER, CRAYTON, MERRIT, CROWDER
Old but solid starters with talent as the next five compete to impress BP and earn a roster spot.

TE-3-Witten, Campbell, ROBINSON
Robinson is expensive for a LS. However, if no one steps up at the position Robinson will still be around come opening day

OL-9-Adams, L.A, Johnson, Rivera, Rogers, Pettiti, Vollers, Peterman, NOLL
I would be surprised to see anyone of these guys go except for maybe Noll, but BP seems to like the kid.

P-1-Mcbriar
Has been a solid punter.

K-1-Vinsantainer
A part from Cundiff’s game in NY where he made like 5 FG, he has been unreliable. I heard that this kid had a booming leg and would also be an improvement on Kickoffs.

DL-8- Van Hoy, Ratliff, Canty, Spears, Glover, Ferg., Ellis, COLEMAN
I dont see many of these guys getting cut.

Secondary-11-Davis, Frazier, Henry, Newman, Reeves, Scott, Roy, Berriault, Glenn, Thornton, Hunter
A young group apart from Glenn should be explosive with Roy playing close to the line and an already strong front 7. We have alot of potential once again I expect to see these 11 in the defensive backfield when we face SD.

LB-8-Fowler, James, Ware, Nguyen, Shanle, Thornton, Burnette, OGBOGU
I know Singleton is missing, not a mistake, the guy is small and not a big playmaker. Ogbogu is a toss up if he can convert to LB he could realistically start at LOLB where BP says there too small. My only problem with that is why would you draft Burnette he if is too small to play the position.

Mike,

I do not wish Hunter ill if he makes it great if not I hope he
catches on somewhere else.He had a fair chance to start
for Dallas(4 years) as have Gurode and Tucker .

It is tough when you think in terms of 53 man roster. With all the serious season ending injuries the NFL incurred last year, they should expand the roster by a few players. This would give the franchise the luxury of not losing a player off the practice squad to an opponent. I am certain the players union would support it as you have a permanent role.

You are wrong on TEs. Bill likes to carry 4 or more on his roster. Sean Ryan probably makes the team also. Word is he has a great work ethic and has worked hard in offseason. Remember he is probably going to be using mostly 2 TE sets. So you could see some of those WRs drop off for a TE. Besides I am not sure our WRs are going to get raided off our Pracitce Squad. Robinson is probably on the bubble, but will be there if nobody else can handle it.

The most competition in camp should come across the offensive line and the defensive line. Linebacker up next. I am sure we will shave a few in there somewhere. Singleton has been a pretty reliable guy until recent injury, but he does not fit the Parcells mold. Ogbogu looks a little big to play LB, maybe as a situational rusher……..but I thought that is what we got Ware and Burnett to cover. Not sure I know he is a Parcells draft pick. There will definitley be some fighting along those trenches for a spot on the roster.

My 53 man roster looks very similiar, with a few changes:

3 QB: Bledsoe, Henson, Romo
- This is pretty much set.

3 RB: Jones, Thomas, Barber
- Thompson will be put on the practice squad. He could join the team if there are any injuries.

1 FB: Polite
- The competition in camp will be good, and I like Barnes, but BP has raved about him.

6 WR: Johnson, Glenn, Morgan, Crayton, Copper, Merrit
- These 6 make it, with Crowder on the practice squad.

9 OL: Allen, Adams, Johnson, Rivera, Vollers, Petiti, Noll, Rogers, Peterman
- BP likes Noll and he was even working with the 1st team. Vollers has bulked up and Rogers and Peterman can’t be written off yet.

3 TE: Witten, Campell, Robinson
- I say Peirce is sent to the practice squad.

_____________________________________________

8 DL: Ellis, Fergunson, Glover, Spears, Canty, Ratliff, Van Hoy, and Carson
- What rotation, everyone is going to be fresh

7 LB: Dat, James, Ware, Burnett, Shanle, Thornton, O’Neil
- O’Neil is a better special teams player than Ogbogu or Coleman.

6 CB: Henry, Newman, Glenn, Hunter, Frazier, Thornton
- I think Nate Jones gets beat out by Thornton, a 4th round pick. Too much competition at his position.

5 S: Roy, Davis, Scott, Beirult, Reeves
- I think Davis starts, Reeves and Scott backup, and Roy starts, and BerryO backup.

1 P: McBriar
- He was solid last year, despite critics

1 K: Cundiff
- I wish their was competition, because I dont like what I see out of him. Our Specail Teams Coverage was #1 last year I THINK, but with his kickoffs our D had to start pretty damn close to the 40 every time.

Our Practice Squad will be filled with projects, such as Crowder, Thompson, maybe Bob Sippio from the AFL. Perfect practice squad players.

Becker,

If you are so willing to educate, you should already have omniscience concerning everything Cowboys. Have I tarnished your idol? You poor dear, you didn’t get what was being said about TunaMan not playing Henson and Romo either.

Lou, Cundiff does have competition by Vinsantainer, who has a much stronger leg then Billy. Cowboys might have a new K, that is what I’m hoping for.

Josh A:

For the record, I delete posts if they are profane. Depending on the use of the word, I may let it slide but I have installed filters to help me weed those posts out.

I have seen many posts on this blog that are negative but within taste. If you want profanity-laced posts then you are free to find another blog or forum that allows that. I’d prefer this blog to be above that kind of crap.

You are more than welcome to stay (as is anyone) as long as you play by the rules. And nowhere in the rules is it written: “Never say anything bad about the Cowboys”.

If you can let me know what post was deleted and the content I’d be more than happy to research it and let you know why it was deleted (if it was).

But rest assured there is no censorship for ideas here – just for language.

Raul,

1. I do not use profane words.

2. You deleted a post where I made mention of Parcells failures in our previous drafts prior to this one. Not once did I use a profanity. I made mention of it in that post afterwards and you did not respond.

Lou:

The one and only point of conflict with your 53-man is TE, as Jon mentioned earlier, Parcells likes to have at least 4 TE’s, and that’s the main reason of why I put 4. I don’t see one freakish way in wich Parcells would add another to make it 5………

Jon:

I think Ryan is more in the mold of Witten, he’s more of a receiving kind than blocking, I also heard that he’s progressing, plus he’s a 5th rounder, but Pierce can snap…… I just don’t want another year like 2002, Robinson first year, he got himself injured in training camp, and we were left hanged to dry……. Who was the guy snapping? Hegamin? A 20 year vet at the time…….

Josh A:

I show you having 12 posts – all of which have been approved.

Deleted posts are flagged – not deleted. If it showed up it would have stayed.

The only DELETE happens on people that are permanently banned due to repeated abuse on the blog. You are not in that category.

If a post of yours was present and was deleted, it was not intentional. I would think that the presence of negative opinions in this post alone would show that I do not censor based on philosophy. If yours was deleted, I assure you it was by accident and not due to a negative opinion. Hopefully you’ll accept that.

Hey guys,
                Havent been back in here in a few days but I see the site is heated with great topics as always.

Rob2,
              Thanks for pointing out what I said in previous postings about Hunter going to FS..I have been watching the COWBOYS site daily to hear or see any news about Hunter moving to the position since I put the word out there a couple of weeks ago based off info my partner gave me that he actually had a chance to meet and speak to Hunter himself….Like you I didnt feel the true confirmation he was going to play year round at the position but at least he cleared the air saying he will if they need him….Now I can sleep better…..Im a true fan like I believe everyone is here and I just hate to put something out their and not be true……

SPEAKING OF TRUE FANS….If there are any ANTI COWBOYS FANS comming in here and signing on just to HATE…..That just shows me how much you really deep down inside want to be a COWBOYS FAN….Come on over to this side DARTH HATER…..Its ok we will welcome you with open arms………..

Josh:

Parcells drafts as a Cowboy:

2003:

Terence Newman (he’s got talent, he got burned early last year but managed himself to play at good level at the end).
Al Johnson (he’s on his way to future Pro Bowls).
Jason Witten (a Pro Bowler).
Bradie James (he needs to take himself to the next level, in the outside is a good backup, he’s best suited to play as an inside LB).
B.J. Tucker (Parcells was looking for a stud in PR and KR, he has always tried to find this kind of players in 6th and 7th rounds, missed here…..).
Zuriel Smith (Same as Tucker).
Justin Bates (7th rounder, possibilities of success nearly abismal).

Grade: B. 3 Good to Great starters and a good backup, that’s what Parcells got from this draft.

2004:

Julius Jones (if remains healthy and can find a way to keep the ball in his arms when hit, he’s the franchise RB of the future)
Jacob Rogers (A good LOT in a team with a better LOT, in my book he’s a incomplete, he could play in his 2nd year……)
Stephen Peterman (Torn 2 ligaments on his knee, MCL and ACL, but before that looked good in camp and this time’s looking good also, an incomplete)
Bruce Thornton (ACL, incomplete)
Sean Ryan (Parcells erred this time, he should have gone for a position of need)
Nathan Jones (Might be capable of playing in the slot, needs more training, decent backup)
Patrick Crayton (Looked good in the end of the season, good backup)
Jacques Reeves (Might play FS, might not make the final roster cuts in this year)

Grade: B-. 3 Incompletes, just one starter and backups makes this a B-, if one or 2 of the incompletes takes themselves to the next level it could be a B+. You can’t grade this draft with anything else, there’s just too much uncertainty, if you grade this draft with something else, you look at one glass half empty, instead of full.

Raul,

The post I’m am talking about, would have been under “Josh”, which is also now being used by someone else, so I would suggest you go through those posts. It would help if a unique username would be required so that things like this can be investigated properly. The thread that it belonged to was the one where Rafael asked about “Cowboys” meeting places across the country.

Chandus,

In 2003, we have 3 starters. So for humor sake lets say that makes a successful draft, although I contend Newman as a number 5 pick is still a question mark considering his struggles last season. But also remember that JJ and BP were expecting 3 starters out of last years draft. We have 1 that only played 8 games. Look I’m as excited as most of you are about our future, but I firmily believe Parcells was asleep at the wheel last year, and has a lot of work to do to make it up to us.

And Josh, I really look up to Parcells, he’s a coach that has managed to make bad teams into contenders, he forged the Pats and Jets, he didn’t made all that by himself he had great supporting casts, and now has a good supporting cast in Zimmer and Payton, 2 young and filled minds.

I just don’t know what you have against him, and what you have against us that like him, I guess you would prefer a Dave Campo or a Chan Gailey, guys from which I already had enough…… Good for you if you like them! They’re history, Parcells is the present and I like the present, the glass is half filled, amen.

That 2nd draft might have some strength reserved for this year, that we don’t know, in 3 years if no other than Julius is a contributor, in my books will be a failure of a draft, like several failures we’ve had in the past few years…..

I like Parcells, I’m just not going to give him a pass on the first two years of the draft.

1. Parcells came up through the ranks as a defensive coach. I certainly did not think JJ brought him in here to be an offensive guru. He should have started this transformation on the defense from day 1.

2. Last year Parcells did not attend either the Senior bowl or the Combine. That is inexcusable. I would think that he probably felt the same way as he surely changed course this year.

3. As Lacewell told him when he first got into town, “You work for Jerry Jones, if you need something tell him, he will get it for you”. He should have listened and we wouldn’t have been dealing with Lance Fraiser and CB last year.

well Josh I tend to agree with what your saying….but I dont think BP was asleep at the wheel. I think the success that the cowboys had, going 10-6 in year two. worked against BP. Had they done worse he would have made alot more changes last year. Then you throw in key injuries, which no coach can perdict or plan for, that occured last year. Then you got the guy they were counting on for Quarterback getting cut right before the season started. BP made alot of changes this year, So this year you will see the real Bill…I think Dallas will win over 10 games this year, make the playoffs……Heck maybe it could be our year…Im ready.

NW:

As I said before, one of the worst mistakes Parcells has made as a Cowboy was thinking that last year team was talented enough to win some games, he shouldn’t had put himself in that situation but he did, there was no depth at DL and you add Woodson injury and you’re doomed. But I respect Parcells for the main fact that still managed to make his team win 6 games, believe me, with 4 DLiners and the inexperience at the secondary the ’Boys were supposed to lose more games.

Josh A

As I recall, Parcells did want to change the D upon his arrival but was convinced to hold off by Zimmer and JJ, moreover, by the lack of personnel to make a wholesale transformation. He went with the 4-3 because the payers fit it and the squad surprised everyone by finishing a 10-6 season ranked #1. What was he supposed to do then, change the top ranked defense in the league? No, but he did begin subtly bringing in players that were a better fit in the 3-4. The makeover was quietly underway. I agree with you that it was a mistake not attending the combine since he is so adamant about grocery shopping.

Other mistakes by BP in my POV: 1. Not assessing Emmitt himself and â€Å"hiding behind JJ” to cut the all-time leading rusher. E. publicly stated that heâ€â"¢d play for less to stay in Dallas (a million-dollars I think he said?), and unless he was a locker room problem that we are unaware of, or the money talk was just talk, I thought he was a perfect fit with Parcells. 2. Chad Eaton. 3. Last year @ Philly, second half, a measly seven carries to twenty passes while trying to preserve a lead and keep a high-powered offense off of the field. Dumb. 4. Two words: Platinum blonde. Uh, see #3. 5. Not drafting Darryl Blackstock (the juryâ€â"¢s still out on this one).

And the juryâ€â"¢s still out on Bledsoe for me. I have high hopes because I have no other choice, but my first reaction was not positive. I watched Drew look befuddled last year hanging on to the ball, taking sacks, forcing issues…sound familiar? Once McGahee settled in and took away the pressure, the Bills O gelled and Drew played better. It may yet prove to be the major gaffe I first envisioned, but I am officially behind him until then, at which time Iâ€â"¢ll point the finger firmly toward BP.

Still, I wouldnâ€â"¢t want any other coach.

Star,

Your analysis on the Emmit situation would also be my biggest complaint about parcells. Especially considering we had starting RBs of Troy Hambrick and last year Eddie George. However, I though Emmit had a bigger cap hit.

To me this is a tough decision. One that neither benefitted the team or the player. However, I am not sure that Bill wanted to give Emmit starting duties, I thought Emmit wanted that. Also, every yard Emmit gained would have been a new record. That entire record breaking season the Cowboys played terrible. As a fan, and the kind of character guy Emmit Smith was, I can say honestly I could not have cut him. However, as a coach trying to improve a franchise………and Jerry asked Emmit to retire and Emmit did not. That is Emmit’s right, I also think that in the end his 900+ yards at over 30 in the Arizona Cardinals organization say a lot about his talent. He was no longer running behind Stepnoski, Newton, Tuiena, Allen, Williams. He had to earn those yards behind a bad Dallas Line and then a bad Arizona line. I do not think Parcells was hiding behind Jerry, I think Jerry probably wanted Emmit to reitire for cap space, and to start a new era. Troy and Irvin were gone. The Cowboys were clearly in rebuild mode.

It is a tough decision. Certainly a veteran like Emmit, his leadership on and off the field sure seems like a Parcells fit. Then again maybe Parcells wanted a fresh start in the locker room and on the field. He wanted control of this football team, and he certainly looked that way as we went to 10-6 on the backs of not an overly talented ball club.

I think the aging veteran is the worst part of the salary cap. They should invent a one player on a team for five year minimum franchies and renegotiate the cap space for guys like Eddie George, Emmit Smith, Jerry Rice. Let them finish with the teams they started with.

Emmit went on and was just as classy an act in the desert. Jerry Rice will be running routes in a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle attached. In the end. However, he did get to another Super Bowl with Oakland. As a fan of Dallas and Emmit it was a hard situation. The retirement in Dallas and Emmit coming home let us all start to heal that wound of seeing him in a red uniform. I remember one of my childhood hero, in Denever orange as Herschel Walker took over under Landry and Tony Dorsett moved to Denver. That was tough too. Tony was every bit the legend that Emmit was at that time. It is a sad fact the veteran and the team and the salary cap and the fans all face. It is unfortunate and for the fans and the players sake, it should be addressed by the league.

Ray,

No problem. You broke the news before anyone else had it. You should be credited. Some of the guys, understandably, were skeptical, but it just made sense to me, so I was glad to see your information confirmed by the site. Now that Hunter’s willing, we’ll see what Parcells decides to do. Ultimately, it’s up to him. He’s also talking about Reeves back there.

Josh A:

There are a few gaps in comments during that timeframe (4/30-5/1) but that was when I was installing some of the helper tools. I do not see your comment, so it very likely was deleted, possibly by the plug-in. If it were there to activate I would. I can’t say that yours was deleted but must assume so since I don’t see the comment. That being the case, I’m sorry it was deleted but, as I stated before, I have not and will not delete comments simply because someone has negative comments about anything related to the Cowboys.

I think that the negative comments in this thread alone substantiate that position.

I’m willing to put it in the past and chalk it up to coincidence if you are.

StarStruck, Jon, I agree with the comments about Emmit. Parcells blew a stinker with that decision, but I still consider him a great coach. I have also been critical of certain decisions he has, or has not made, because I don’t think he deserves to be followed blindly. Having said that, I’m glad we have him, and hope we keep him for some time to come.

I’m looking forward to seeing if he is just as committed to making changes in his own decision making as he is to making changes on the defensive line.

Raul,

Sure, no problem.

Josh:

Do you want further prove in Raul claims? He didn’t erased, at least, some of the messages a couple of Eagles fans made several weeks ago when they breached the security of our sanctum. :D

Chandus,

You also have to include Marcus Spears for the 2004 draft because of the trade.

As for Parcells drafts, when was the last time we drafted the quality of players in 3 years like we did? Not since our glory days in the early 90’s. Come on, I dont care about the one’s that didnt work out, he had good drafts 3 years in a row. Newman was a Pro Bowler in his first year, and last year he had NO help. Witten is the 2nd best TE in the NFL, only to Tony Gon. Julius Jones and Marcus Spears for JP Losman? Give me that any day. Jones is a future star. Spears and Ware look solid, as does Burnett. Mostly everyone likes Al Johnson, and he continues to improve. Bradie James has this year to prove himself, and Crayton is a good backup WR.

What all of you homers seem to forget, is JJ and BP wanted 3 starters for the ‘04 season out of last years draft. We got 1. So quit giving me your Cowboy koolaid dribble, even they would say it wasn’t a success.

Dont Hate on Billy Cundiff. Last time i checked he made a crucial 52 yard fg against the giants a couple years ago.I think he can be a clutch guy.

I’ll say it again, I’m glad to have BP in Dallas, But I will NEVER say he is “a god” or that he can never make a mistake. Nor will I hesitate to call him on something. Overall he is a great coach, I just have no use for SOME of his methods. He has made a few stinkers while here. Overall he has done great, especially considering last year. 6 of our 10 losses, with a bounce or two our way, could have turned into a W. On the other hand, if it had been me, I would have shopped A.B. more aggressively for draft choices rather than a player. Nobody’s perfect.

Well James, you can’t have a Tom Landry forever, even Jimmy Johnson made mistakes in his time, and he’s in front of Parcells in the second best coach of the franchise, but mainly for those 2 SB rings……. And that’s for you too, Josh.

josh a

you said bp should have listened and got a cb last year, who would you have grabbed from f.a. or the draft? to me there was noone of use in f.a or the draft that would be better then jj right now…

James,
I agree with about 90% of your last post …I don’t think B.P.
is a god(although you are correct iam omniscient) who doesn’t
make mistakes etc….I also think he has done a very good job
with the Cowboys and J.J.And I agree with your assesment of the
of the season a bounce here, a first down there ….Richie not friggin
running into Vinnys arm and losing the Pitt game and the season
would have been much better.Do i think they would have gone
 anywhere ?Hell no but it would have been nice to get a few
more wins and maybe get into the playoffs.
As for A.B. sure I would have love to have gotten a high
choice for him or even a 3rd in this past draft would have
been good .
As for Drew H. he had a chance to start and didn’t
get it done…I fail to see how anyone would expect a guy
who hasn’t played in 3 years to be able come right in
and start.
I have often wondered how Quincy C. might have turned out
had he sat for a while instead of being rushed in by JJ.He
certainly had all the tools.
As for draft eval. it is a little to early in my opinion to decide
good or bad. Some guys look very good, some are backups
but only time will tell…

Mike,
good call…. and don’t forget if you sign a FA who are you then
 not going to sign this year? Rivera,Fergie,Henry??
As we ‘ve said before without pressure I don’t think any of the
corners would have made much difference.

Raul,
Why are ray c comments blocked????

Chandus,

Even Landry had draft problems guys like rod hill,Mike sherrard,
Billy Cannon jr. just name a few….

When did Parcells want 3 starters from 04 draft? It’s not his fault Julius and Peterman got hurt. You cant say a draft is bad if the players get hurt. Thats just bad luck. Who else could he had envisioned starting? Not Thorton or anyone lower then him, they were late round picks. They dont start on a team that went 10-6 the previous year.

as far as bp in the draft lets look at our drafts before him, what do we have to show besides roy really???

Mike,

You asked about CB then you said something about jj, not sure what you area asking. As far as CB, who would you have rather had out of FA than say Lance Fraizer?

Lou,

If you were a real Cowboys fan then you would remember Jerry Jones coming out and saying before the draft that they were looking for 3 starters out of the draft. Is that too much to ask out of 8 or so picks, considering we had so many holes to fill?

becker:

I don’t see any comments being blocked. He must fill in an email address. I’m looking at my moderation queue and it’s empty.

Raul,
It comes and goes so it must be on my end …thanks for checking.

Josh A,

Didn’t see the quote you speak of….
Did JJ put a time limit on when the guys were to be starting??
Also with the specialization in the NFL.. “starters” except for the
O and D lines is almost an archaic term……

Also are you counting FA in the mix because then you had
Vinny,Eddie G., Key etc.
Henson started one game,B. noll did as well as Copper
and don’t forget about all those corners..unless you
want them "starting " all 16 games

 
Mcbriar also started so are we counting Spec. teams
 starters… kickoff, punts etc.??? Because then the
 numbers really grow….

Since we are not “real cowboy fans” perhaps you
could explain why if JJ was so intent on getting 3
starters he traded his number 1 pick away……
 doesn’t make much sense
make much sense but then again

josh what i was saying is someone said we shouldve grabbed a cb last yearor drafted 1. the point was what cb in the draft would you rather have then jj, meaning we couldnt have drafted him if we took a cb.

This comment of JJ was made BEFORE !!!!!!! the draft you know
when Gen.Mang/owners are blowing smoke …hiding intentions
you know sort of like when Buddy Ryan called K. byars a
cripple and then drafted him or when S.F 49ers spread the
rumors about J. Rice being slow so he could fall to where
they could grab him……
But “real fans” look at what is said AFTER the 2003 DRAFT:

Many observers now conclude that Parcells might stick around
longer than three more seasons, at least based on the Cowboys’
offseason philosophy. That was symbolized by the trade for
rookie quarterback Drew Henson, who’ll need time to get
back into a football mode before anyone knows if he can
 play at the NFL level.

“It points to the fact that this is a building process and
we’re putting blocks in,” Jerry Jones said. “This speaks
to the fact Bill is as interested as I am in the longer-term
goal and the building process.”

JJ hardly seems to be saying he expects 3 fulltime, pro
bowl,HOF starters …….

Out of the 8 draft choices 3 of them were 7th round picks
in case you didn’t know thats the last round in the draft

And out of Dallas’ first 5 picks from the 2004 draft 4 of them
played in the Senior Bowl……..and from the 05 draft they
had 2 Senior Bowl players in the first five (ware, spears)
so what is your point about the Senior Bowl?

The only thing thin on this thread is your knowledge of
the cowboys or should i say supposed knowledge….

Top should read 2004 Draft