The Tackle From Nowhere

i think i read if he makes the team he will have a base salary of 385,000. so why not, i think its a good idea to try it 1 more time and make sure he truly is a bust.

This feels like Deja Vu all over again.

Man, if this guy could play like he did in college out here…that would open up a lot more options for FA and the draft. There’s a reason he was drafted where he was.

Would I count on it though…not only no, but hell no.

I hope he pulls this off all the same, this has been lingering in the back of my mind since late August.

For some reason I have the same feeling about Rogers as I did when Ed Jones tried boxing and then returned. I was a little mad at the time. Some said that Jones was fresher, more determined and a better player when he returned. I think the sabatical cost him a trip to the PFHOF but he’s done well without it. Maybe Rogers needed to put his injuries behind him, in his mind anyway, an now he’ll be ready to play. He has great potential.

I read the headline and thought for sure you were talking about Marc Columbo. Rogers wouldn’t be a bad option. His proneness to injury scares me, especially if we start to do something, then bang he gets hurt again. The good thing is he will be playing for his NFL life. If he doesn’t make it this year, then he may not get another chance with any team. He had 2 years to think about his 6 figure NFL salary … it is going to be tough to give that up.

He was am outstanding OT at USC…I’m all for second (or is this his 3rd in a 2 year career?) chances if he can stay healthy. If this guy played like he did in college we would have one less thing to worry about. He was rated right up there with Gallery if memory serves me right. He was highly regarded out here in Southern California the same way Winston Justice is this year, and probably more than any OT the Cowboys would realistically be able to draft in April. It seemed like Rogers was playing for USC forever, and I don’t know if he has ever played in a real game for the Cowboys. Sure would be nice to see him in there playing like he did in college.

All I can recall from a few years ago is that Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart didn’t spend much time on their backsides and guys like Justin Fargas had pretty damn good years. I see a lot of USC games, so I can tell you he WAS very good. Hopefully he can get himself to that level in the NFL. I’m thinking optimistically. :)

Say Rogers makes the team, and you carry 4 tackles, you got Flozell, Rogers, the vet FA (Fabini?), and who else? Petiti, Tucker, or Columbo? I dont trust Rogers there until he proves for at least a year he wont get hurt.

I was a little concerned about bringing in Fabini because of his age but if Rogers is truly a possibility again then that makes the Fabini signing, or someone else who’s dependable if not great, make sense. Then we could have Flozell, a dependable vet who could give us 2 years, and the young guys with upsde in Rogers and Pettiti. Not sure about Columbo til I see it. Guys acquired like he was usually don’t do much.

Columbo was a first round talent, what got him cut was his salary and a serious injury that really needed two years to recover from, he couldn’t lift with his legs due to the injury so at the price we got him for, I think it was a good pick up for us to get him, and we can get a look at him in the offseason program and see what he can do in training camp, if Columbo doesn’t work out, were not out anything.

Hmmm…ok…Flo, FA Vet, Rogers, Pettiti, Colombo, Tucker…sounds like someone would have to either be a special teams demon or someone has to get cut. I say let Rogers, Tucker and Colombo battle in camp for the 4th spot. If Pettiti flounders against those odds as a former starter and #3 (first backup) going into camp, that’s on him. Rogers and Colombo have not proven they can play injury-free and Tucker has not proved he can play when perfectly healthy. Let the chips fall where they may.

Rafael…could this be shaping up to be another one of those “happy accidents” you speak of? If nothing else, an early round draft pick may not be in the cards at OT.

I don’t mean to get too ahead of ourselves with this…but given the near consensus opinion that RT is the biggest offseason priority for the Cowboys…think of this similar, but less explosive terms as the Browns getting Kellen Winslow Jr. back next season. The Cowboys greatest offseason need possibly being alleviated or at least from a backup standpoint given depth, which can focus the team’s needs squarely on other areas. I want to know for sure to believe it…but this news at the very least should give all Cowboys fans a glimmer of hope.

I think we need to give JR another try, there is nothing to lose and much to gain.

Ken

Raf,

If he does play for us next season won’t he count that $855,000 plus the 3rd year minimum? We cut him last season so we would have to resign him. I’m betting all that $855,000 is the remainder of his signing bonus.

I really don’t know how I feel about that? I mean, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have him in camp, but I don’t think it should change our search for a RT at all. I would put his chances of helping next season as higher that Petiti’s and maybe his long term potential as higher, too, but I just don’t like what we’ve heard of his work ethic.

altercall:
No, he wasn’t cut, he was placed on injured reserve and Jerry proposed an injury settlement to cut which was never signed and that’s why he spent all season on IR.

Is there a possibility that we sign a FA for the vet minimum, and then dump them if Rogers, Pettiti, or Columbo pan out, ala A-Train?

Poke

Poke:
No, I’d think that a veteran would be signed to start because you never know, Petitti and Tucker might never develop and Rogers and Columbo might never take the injury shadows off their backs. Interesting we have 2 couples of players very alike…

The best bet would be to start playing those guys some at Guard and if one of them pans out, the better.

Chandus:

I like that idea best. I’ve been wondering if Pettiti would play best at OG eventually like the move his old teammate Spencer is making to play in the NFL. It is an interesting situation though…all things considered.

I don’t want to get my hopes up too high though…Rogers has dashed them a few times already.

lou,

Exactly…it’ll be a matter of choice. The more options, the better. We will carry 9 or 10 lineman.

C – AJ + Gurode OR a FA (come on Bentley)
G – Allen, Rivera, 2 backups (one of which will fill the C backup (ie, Gurode)
T – Flo, FA starter and 2 backups.

The contenders (in order of potential):

1. Rogers – The guy is going to make/break his career and the Cowboys’ ‘04 Draft. If only the guy wants to play. Right now, he’s more Shane Hannah than Erik Williams

2. Colombo – He’s just had bad luck. Has shown incredible toughness and desire, along with a ton of talent. Hopefully he overcomes the injury bug.

3. Pettiti – May be moved to guard if a draft pick and either one of the above make a turnaround. The guy is just too limited athletically. May be a great guard prospect, but he cannot play OT.

4. 1st Day Draft Pick – We WILL have one. I guarantee.

5. Tucker – He’s gone.

My guess is that it will be either Colombo or Rogers, Pettiti, and the draft pick ast the backups and we keep 10 OL…we need to groom the future cause Allen’s gone next year.

If Peterman steps up or the 2nd Draft pick turns out to be a stud (or both) it may be this year.

Fighter15:

Kudos…I’m with you all the way on all points. Number 5 particularly made me chuckle a bit.

Rogers is a player who always has had something or other wrong with him. The difference in college was that he played through it all, while with the Cowboys, he has played through nothing.

It would be nice if he could get on the field and stick around for awhile.

I am all for giving him this further chance. But, I wouldn’t count on him any more than I do Colombo. In other words, I wouldn’t let Rogers’ possible return affect one thing I might do in free agency or the draft.

I agree that we should consider Rogers a bonus- BUT DO NOT COUNT ON HIM. There were more then a few accounts calling him soft; that and his injury history has to make you worry. He has to show that he has the HEART to make it in the NFL.

Still, he was the clear winner of the RT spot in camp. So he’s already proven that, talent-wise, he is better than Tucker, Pettiti, & Co.

I think it was Marylin Monroe that said “Have you ever noticed that ‘Oh what the hell’ is usually the right answer?” We certainly have nothing to lose by letting Rogers take another stab at it. If nothing else, he’ll serve as a camp body we’ve already paid for.

Plus the fact that if we’re going to get hit for $855,000 he might as well try to get onto the field instead of it being dead money…

This could be a very crucial piece at this time of the year…

throwing out a group of influences…

If Rogers is a real alternative, then Petitti and Rogers become a realistic future projection and backup alternatives, at offensive tackle. If a temporary, initial status, right tackle is brought into camp, relatively cheaply…then the offensive line becomes much more stable.

The next important piece would then be the resigning of Andres Gurode, who I am feeling is much more an important ingredient to next year’s team than is currently being appreciated by Dallas fans…at least potentially. With him resigned, and the presence of Peterman, the stability of the Dallas interior line is at least protected, when considering possible injury loss of either Larry Allen and Marco Rivera.

What this does, although, is opens up much more completely, the types of upgrades that can be sought for both the offense and defensive starting units…and makes it even possible to retain both Greg Ellis and La’Roi Glover.

Thus, with a signing of Rafael’s favorite-Tom Ashworth, economically, the Cowboys are off and running making potentially dynamic changes to both the offense and defense…not being plugged into the offensive right tackle position in the draft, opens up everything else for the Cowboys…

Bring in, now that Backus is franchised, Ashworth and Hope on day one, and the Cowboys are now totally dynamic in their choices…as this will alter cap considerations only on a minor level… as leave full potential to add starting effects in the draft, such as a nose tackle, offensive guard, and dominant linebacker…but, in free agency, a wide receiver, kicker, and veteran linebacker may also be added…

Fabini and Sowell were officially cut today by the Jets along with a million others lol. Can the Cowboys talk to them now, or do they have to wait until March 3 to hear offers? Im not sure how it goes.

Nate Clements was franchised today too, which makes Charles Woodson even more expensive.

Chandus,

Are you sure about that? I remember the article which talked about the settlement, I’ll see if I can find it. It said that Cundiff and Rogers were both cut on injury settlements. I know, though, that if you cut an injured player they are still carried on your IR until they can play or the end of the season, whichever is first. It’s a liablity thing, I think.

Here we go. Here’s the article…
http://www.cowboysplus.com/topstorync/stories/082505cpcowreport.a61f119b.html

Also, SI.com has him as being cut on their transactions…
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/6811/transactions.html

On another OT note, I indirectly had a run-in with Torin Tucker’s girlfriend the other day. I’m doing some substitute teaching in Arlington which I’m getting my certification. Apparently she’s a substitute teacher out here as well cause I taught for a class whose teacher had been on maternity leave. The long term sub had to miss class to take her kid to the hospital, so I was in affect a sub for a sub. Anyway, one of the kids from my youth group was telling me that their sub of the last 6 weeks was claiming to be Tuckers grlfriend. They also said she was quite cute. Which is kinda funny, cause I also saw a picture of their regular teacher, and let’s put it this way, her husband married waaaay up.

Anyway, thought ya’ll might want the lowdown on a soon to be ex-Cowboy’s off-the-field life.