On Your Marks: Forget Washington, the Eagles Are Making Big Moves

I have felt for the last 3 months that the team we will have to worry about the most next season is the Eagles. Last year’s sideshow was a bump in the road, they are and will remain our toughest competition in the NFC East…with or without T.O. God forbid they actually get a RB who can run between the tackles, or they will be very difficult to beat, adding Bentley only helps this cause. If anyone doubts, recall the game I would call my favorite game and moment of last season. They owned us for 56 minutes, and in the end we only won because of Dat’s presence of mind and Roy’s exceptional ahtleticism.

It wasn’t too long ago, perhaps only a few days back, that we were debating the best offseason FA acquisitions. A lot of us agreed that Vinatieri was the top target, and I stand by that right now. A lot of us also claimed Bentley should be number two in FA. We took a lot of heat. Now, with the possibility of this 2 time Pro Bowler going to the Eagles at the age of what, 25 or 26, I hope everyone is taking note. Not only will our Cowboys not have him filling what I and others have constantly called the number two priority on this team behind kicker, but now he will be playing for our toughest division rival for the next half decade most likely. Guys like that don’t miss getting franchise tagged very often, and that is a key position in need of upgrade. The Eagles will help themselves in a huge way, and the Cowboys…well guys, we are losing out on that one. This makes me sick.

Disappointed? Sure.

Your point about the Eagles is dead on…they’re definitely the main team to beat, with or without Bentley. And, they’ve got a boatload of money to fill some gaps.

But so do we. Center was never the number 2 priority. Bentley was clearly the best “fit” for us and made for some nice fantasy what-if’s, but there are at least 5 positions of higher priority:
OT
K
FS
OLB
WR

AJ is more that serviceable. An upgrade would be nice, but not critical.

Fighter15:

I definitely would not call AJ more than serviceable. I agree on Kicker, and OT is about even or closely behind Center, but the rest are not even close, IMHO. Also, if we lose Andre Gurode we don’t have a backup Center, which is actually where I think AJ should be anyway. As for the OT spot, I realize it is critical, however even without re-signing Tucker we’re going to have at least 4 OT’s going into training camp before Parcells even drafts another one or signs a FA. Two of those four are young 1st or 2nd rounders drafted within the last 3 years. That puts Center ahead of OT in my book simply because of the lack of depth…let alone the shoddy play.

If there are only 3 critical upgrades on this whole team I would say:

K
C
OT

Even OLB will have Singleton if no one else is obtained. That position is crying out to be upgraded as well though and is not far behind. FS is very big, but not as big as O-Line and Kicker. WR I don’t see as an urgent need at all next season. Parcells cut Price halfway through the year, so that should tell you how big a deal it is to him.

Fighter,

I agree there are more pressing positions than C, but I would rather have Bentley than any other FA signing. He is simply too talented and too young to pass on.

I would not even attempt to sign Vinatieri. Longwell provides better value.

The difference between Bentley and AJ is striking. I would sign Bentley, sign Gurode, cut AJ. Gives Parcell’s a better line and much more options.

With the Cowboys looking to renegotiate the contracts of both Ferguson and Rivera, the die of the team is cast. That would give the team enough room to make some solid moves for this present team. I very much hate that the team, with Bill Parcells at it’s head, has a much shorter outlook to it than that of Philadelphia. The team has a limited balance of both youth and older veterans…and with the tendencies last season-to blow lead advantages, the natural selection process would be to add more experience.

Philadelphia has had no hang-ups, at trying to protect it’s players, is stone cold at player and personnel decisions, just as long as things go well on the field, there is no agony with ANY previous decisions…they were already to sign Bentley, and this is their game. They push the boundaries of ethics, and do what they can get away with, as long as the on the field presence remains high. Injuries carried them out of the last season, even with TO’s ‘removal’…I’ll never like their team…

I doubt that the Cowboys will do similar things to try and acquire Bentley…but I agree that he would be a very good fit at center in Dallas. We will never know…

All that stated, I don’t look for the Cowboys to cut ties with Larry Allen, and he will either excell another year, or ride the pine by season’s end. I don’t look for him to renegotiate his contract, but would be pleasantly motivated. I like Larry Allen the player, but with all that has gone down in the league, I don’t look for him to even make a concession as to contract. Now, where would that put the Cowboys…needing to shortly upgrade at his position. The departure of Gurode would further complicate the center position for Dallas…and could force them to take, in the lower first round-Nick Mangold, but that wouldn’t be all bad, in itself…but other things would be affected also…key, Gurode is an important piece, but Kevin Mawae would be a temporary solution, when paired with Al Johnson. Myself, I would push for a resigning of Gurode, and look towards guard from Kansas City or Seattle, and push the issue a little…best case scenario-resign Gurode, and pay top dollar for both Bentley and Hutchinson…go draft for an additional right tackle and outside linebacker in rounds one and two…but that is only on the offensive side of the ball…and the Cowboys are now in the market for a nose tackle.

Since this is a consideration also, I would then sign a veteran right tackle, and take the nose tackle at the top of round two, via the draft.

Since the Cowboys don’t often go near top dollar via free agency, I look for them to go, Mawae at center; Fabinni at right tackle; Corey Chavous at free safety; and if he is waived Willie McGinnest at SOLB. This would ease the burden on the draft itself…allowing some more flexability at upgrading positions. Along with the highly targeted linebacker and now, nose tackle, the Cowboys can now, in addition, add an offensive guard; a tight end; and wide receiver…

My feelings right now, is that the Cowboys will be outspent early on in the free agency…once again.
And just won’t get enough out of the draft, to upgrade in talent…relying more upon old veterans and less cap space…THIS is the off season to make a BOLD statement as to free agency, in more than a kicker position…

If we have the money, then I just can’t understand how we don’t go after a guy like Bentley. With our QB and with our inability to get it done in the trenches, it just seemed like a no brainer.

Riverra is average and getting older by the minute.
LA is average and getting older.
Flo is recovering from ACL. He’s not young.
I’m sure we will sign a RT, but the truth is that there is no difference maker available at RT. Maybe we’ll get an upgrade, but the best we can hope for is someeonw servicable.

Disappointing.

If our oline consists of FA, LA, AJ, MR, and some over-the-hill, but “servicable” veteran free agent at RT, then we can look forward to another up and down season.

Get ready to watch our RBs average about 3 yards per carry . . . or maybe less.

As long as I an preaching doom and gloom, I should also add that we have absolutely no proven depth across the line. None.

One injury and we’re back where we finished in 2005.

I’m holding on to a shred of hope that BP and JJ are going to pull a rabbit out of their collective bag of tricks. Actually, I hope they pull out a 315 pound LeCharles Bentely.

Now that Glover is gone, a big need becomes NT. “Pepper” is undersized to play the position so if Ferguson goes down with an injury, the 3-4 goes out the window. I don’t know that we should address this in FA as most DTs available that are big enough to play NT in the 3-4 are Ferguson’s age if not older, but if the price is right it’s something they’d at least have to consider. If not FA, then it’s a big need in the draft.

Madcowboy,

I couldn’t agree with you more. With that much cap space, I can’t understand why we wouldn’t get into the bidding on Bentley. He is one of the best Centers in the league and with a QB like Bledsoe (one that needs a pocket to step up in), Center is just as important as OT. When you consider his ability and age, Bentley should be top priority. Kicker is a top priority as well, but there are several choices. There are no comparable Centers to Bentley and we probably won’t see one in FA again for a long time. It would also be nice to be able to run straight ahead on 3rd and short and actually get a 1st down once in a while. Bentley would help a great deal with that too.

I’d like to sign in order of priority
C – Bentley, build the future around him.
K – Vinitari, Longwell, Bryant (Pick the best we can afford, they’re all an improvement)
OT – my choice is Fabini, but I don’t care as long as the guy can solidify RT
S – Coleman, Chavous, Shulters, just give me a solid vet that will be relatively inexpensive and get a rookie to develop and take over
FB – Sowell, Beasley
WR – Givens, Moulds, Givens has a lot of upside. Only get Moulds if Key goes and we can’t land Givens

Havent really heard anyone talk about what we do at NT like I have been doing from the beginning. IMO Fergusan is not enough. I’d like to fill this void via FA but who- Sam Adams, Grady Jackson, Gary Walker, Ted Washington, Make Kameoto are alol available. I love Kameoto but word is the Cleveland goes after him. I think we should too especially since Bentley looks to go to the Eagles.

Again I’d like to get Fabini, Sowell, Kameoto, and Longwell maybe Moulds. Everything else we do via the draft. Looks like Chris Hope goes back to the Steelers but if we had a chance, Id go ofter him as well. I’d take OLB in the 1rst and a Safety in the second (Bullocks or Allen)

What do you guys think about Jeff Mitchell (Carolina) as a FA C prospect?

While the Cowboys have plenty of cap space to fulfill their offseason needs, the Eagles have more.

It is a fact of NFL life, that if a team really wants a player and has more available cash than you do, that team will get the player.

It would be nice if the Cowboys could sign every good player out there, or at least prevent them from going to some other division rival. But, this is a competitive league, and not all the other teams are inept boobs. It would be unfortunate if Bentley is signed by the Eagles, but I don’t see an awful lot we can do to prevent it. We can put in our own bid, but if the Eagles are serious about this, our bid will fall short. We will just have to do better in other areas. It’s as simple as that.

vlad,

I don’t know that he’d be much better than what we have already. He’s never been a standout in the league and he’s only 300 so he’s not much bigger than AJ and he’s smaller than Gurode. Plus, I doubt Parcells would bring him in as he has a questionable past. He was one of the three Panthers players linked to Carolina’s Steroid investigations last year along with Stuessie and Sauerbrun.

Bentley is 315 and VERY strong. AND quick. Realistically he could be ours for the next 8 years. Talk about stability. sigh.

And he wants to play in Philly. It has no reflection on the Cowboys’ effort to get him.

But I disagree with any analysis of AJ as being inadequate. Three things:

1. That was essentially his rookie year. He actually graded out very well. Does he need to get bigger and stronger, sure. But as everyone should know, it takes an OL 2-3 years before they realize their potential.

2. The list of “undersized” centers that have tremendous success is long and distinguished. Mark Stepnoski was much smaller than AJ. And he stunk up the place and was getting the same revues that AJ is getting now. Be patient.

3. Centers normally get/give double team help with the guards. But ours were having to protect weak tackles, leaving the C on an island.

I have been a big proponent of signing Bentley because of his talent level, but in no way could someone justify it as a top-5 position of need.

Not one analyst has identified it as a need. Granted, they’re mediots, but even a blind squirrel…

AJ has had 3 years. He worked out after his injury/surery during training camp of 2003. Then he played all of 2004 and 2005. If he is not showing signs of really doing better now, he never will. He shows no signs of being able to handle the bigger DT’s, NT’s. And it does not matter that other smaller centers have done it- HE HASN’T.

Can you say T.O.
I can’t stand the guy.. but what a sweet revange woult be to sign the guy, to just to play againt eagles and his best bod mcnabb! Just a thought..

Fighter15,

Just want to clarify my thoughts. I can’t speak for everyone who is bringing up the Center position, but I’m not saying we need to improve Center as priority 1. Bentley is elite, young and versitile. That’s what makes him a priority 1, not necessarily the position itself.

IMO, the Bentley debate can be related to the T.O. debate. It’s not that the Center position itself is in dire need as much as it’s a case of an elite talent being available when they don’t come around very often. It’s just like we don’t need an aging receiver to replace the good aging WRs we have, but some people are climbing over themselves to say we need to sign Owens.

If Bentley is out of the picture, and it sounds like he is, then I agree with you that Center drops below OT, K, FS, FB, OLB and ILB, but only because the talent is not there in Free Agency. We have to find out what we have in AJ and obviously the best plan is to get the most bang for the FA buck. Adding a FA Center not named Bentley would not improve the position that much when compared to the improvement we could see at other positions.

Fighter15:

That would be the same analysts that have idetified the Cowboys greatest need as WR too.

Center is not only a top 5 need on this team, I would put it in the top 3. You also did not address the lack of backup to AJ if Gurode is not retained. The Cowboys have stated that Gurode is their top priority of the players they want to re-sign. Why do you suppose that is if Center is not a top 5 need? I know he plays guard too, but they have to have at least one backup at Center. My preference would be to have a stud like Bentley and AJ as the backup at Center and OG.

The rest of your points can just as easily be applied to the RT’s on this team too. Last year was Pettiti’s rookie year, and he was one of the worst in the league. Rogers and Colombo are both 2nd round draft picks and either one of them could be considered to be in the same category as AJ with their first years of their career being scuttled by injuries. Does that mean we shouldn’t upgrade at OT? Hell no!!

I’m just amazed that you are always talking about how bad you want T.O. on the Cowboys, but then you act like Bentley is too expensive and not a high priority. I don’t get that one. You’d rather have a 32 year old WR who creates division within every team he’s ever been with than an elite 26 year old Pro Bowl O-Lineman that would have been franchise tagged if he didn’t play for Tom Benson’s Saints. Bentley is a stud and will be for years to come. At best T.O. would be a one year rental that would have no positive impact if Bledsoe gets knocked around like he was last year.

Blitzkrieg:

Even with the dramatic dropoff in talent beyond Bentley at Center, I promise you the Cowboys will still have to sign one this offseason. It may be re-signing Gurode if his stated intentions to test the free agency waters don’t yield any better offers, but I guarantee they aren’t going to go into training camp with only AJ. Especially not with AJ’s injury history. They may end up signing another scrub, but they absolutely will sign another Center.

Sterling,

I was writing the below at the same time you posted your response…you beat me to the punch.

Fighter15,

Bentley is elite, young and versitile. That’s what makes him a priority 1, not necessarily the position itself.

IMO, the Bentley debate can be related to the T.O. debate. It’s not that the Center position itself is in dire need as much as it’s a case of an elite talent being available when they don’t come around very often. It’s just like we don’t need an aging receiver to replace the good aging WRs we have, but some people are climbing over themselves to say we need to sign Owens.

I was blissfully unaware of any steroid issues surrounding Jeff Mitchell. That aside, he’s been around for 9 years and I remember Carolina’s 2000 yd rush season not so long ago. As for size, he’s 25 lbs heavier than Ray Donaldson was, and the same height.

Sterling,

I’ve been one of the biggest proponents of getting Bentley. I agree, it’s the talent of Bentley that makes him a desirable option, but my point still stands. Center is not a top 5 priority.

And I’m seriously sarcastic about signing t.o. (why do you think I use lower case). The guy is an absolute cancer…similar to Deion Sanders. I still blame JJ’s signing of Deion to that rediculous salary as the straw that broke the dynasty’s back.

Lets make it costly for eagles to sign Bentley.. Get in bidding war with them and raise the stake! It will cost the eagles at the end… sweet.

For the record, my dream OL for next year is:

LT – Flo
LG – Hutchinson
C – Bentley
RG – Rivera
RT – Runyan

All to be replaced by the three OL we draft this year, combined with one or two of our current young crop coming of age.

Fighter15
You probably just said the FA that we really need to get and that is Hutchinson. If LA doesn’t restructure his contract then we could simply release him and use the extra money to get a younger version of LA in Hutchinson.

Could you imagine the Eagles signing Bently, Edgerrin James, and LaRoi Glover? They could sign 3 All Pro players in one offseason, along with picking 14th and picking up a WR like Chad Jackson or LB like Greenway. They have to be our main competitor next year, Washington will crumble and Eli hasnt proved a thing to me.

Unfortunately, Hutchinson isn’t a FA, he’s been slapped with the Transitional tag. Seattle can match whatever offer is made and keep him (someone correct me if I’m wrong about that). It seems to me that we’d have to over pay for him to put his salary beyond what Seattle would be willing to match. On top of paying more than market value for him, you’d have to figure the hit we’d still feel from releasing LA. That’s a lot of money for a Guard.

If we did nothing but give him LA’s salary, we’d be ahead and Seattle probably couldn’t match.

For the best OL in football.

Fighter15:

I’m glad to hear the T.O. thing is only sarcasm. I didn’t know that, because you had never clarified that before.

If Center is not a top 5 priority, then please tell me why the Cowboys will definitely be signing one this offseason. I guarantee that Parcells is not going to go into training camp with only one Center on the team. Even if it’s Gurode, that is still a signing, and he will cost more money than his old contract. It is unquestionably a top 5 priority, and far above WR.

As for your ‘dream OL’…I’ll let Chandus, lou c., or Eric R. address that with you. I know it’s a dream lineup and not meant to be realistic, but I’ve already dealt with that one before.

Sterling,

Please. You’re losing credibility. Backup at any position never trumps starter upgrade needs.

We will have a new kicker
We will have a new RT
We need a better OLB (There will be an upgrade)
We will have a new FS
There will be a new ILB
We need a QB of the future
We need to find LA & Rivera’s replacement

Upgrading from AJ would be nice. Bentley would have been a HUGE signing.

But top 3?…sorry.

Sterling:
We both agree on alot of subjects, this one, as stated before, isn’t one of them.

You mention that you would like to see AJ as a backup C and G, where does the idea of him as a backup guard comes from? He is a Center that may have some sort of upside at Left Tackle for his feet, but he just doesn’t has the strenght to play outside Center. That and the fact that his frame probably limits him to gain more weight should limit him to just Center play.

burmafrd:
AJ hasn’t played 3 seasons, the first season he had microfracture knee surgery and he began working out at full speed til his second Training Camp, that limited him in strength and stamina in his first year, that’s why he didn’t played one full game, Gennaro DiNapoli and someone else (Matt Lehr?) gave him relief in every game. This past year was his first year on the job full time and I’ve to admit that I didn’t enjoyed watching him play but I also have to admit that it wouldn’t fe fair to blame just him for the struggles in the middle.

How many times did the middle struggled because Larry Allen wasn’t quick enough moving to his sides? How many times when Rivera was overpowered and when he wasn’t quick enough? How many times was Al overpowered? The third one is the one that carries the less weight and you guys have to admit that.

Final point into all this mess, how much Centers have made the Guards around him look better? Some mentioned Stepnoski earlier, and I’d be one of the first guys to say that he was a mean beast of a Center, but he had Newton, Gogan, Stone and company around him. Even when he went to Houston he played with Kevin Donnalley and Bruce Matthews.

The only guy I can mention that has made his Guards look good even when they’re average it’s Jeff Saturday and he made that happen this past season and Indianapolis paid for that in the Divisional Playoffs.

madcowboy:
Yes, Dallas indeed has the money to sign Bentley, but would you rather spend that money to sign Bentley or would you rather spend that to sign Damion McIntosh out of Miami and the Kicker we also need? McIntosh will be allowed to walk even if a new CBA is signed, he’s payed like a Left Tackle when he would be a much better fit at RT. Longwell’s headed to sign a deal similar to the one Elam signed some years ago.

I think that if Bentley was a possibility, than that would greatly upgrade our line. He is head and shoulders better than any other FA C or G except Steve Hutchinson. However, with him out of the picture, the C position goes back behind RT, OLB, FS, NT, K, and the rest of them.

We all know Al Johnson isnt a Pro Bowl caliber C, but he can get the job done. I never really had a problem with him last year, I just sat their angrily as Petiti and Tucker let people walk around them. With Shields being released, LA should restructure. Shields is similar to LA, both old, but Shields right now is alot better than Allen. This team needs a slightly above average offense, and we can do that with a better RT, a healthy Flo, better depth on the OLine, a blocking FB, and maybe a better TE. Our D will carry us this year, and if we do anything in the playoffs its because of them. We could use a big name FA OLine and K, and 4 mid level FA’s (vet OLB, FB, FS, NT). And then depth on the line capable of playing different positions.

Cowboys worst nightmare:

Eagles get a healthy McNabb, the Edge, Bentley, Glover, and a WR

Giants get Eli to grow up, a running game and OL and another WR

Redskins get a CBA extension and find an offense

{shiver}

The Jets are supposedly close to trading John Abraham to Denver for one of their 2nd round picks.

Fighter:
All those teams would also have nightmare if we get this:

Damion McIntosh, Julian Peterson, Ryan Longwell, Seth Payne and Jerald Sowell.

or

Fabini, Peterson, Longwell, Sam Adams, Jeb Putzier and Sowell.

or

Fabini, Peterson, Longwell, Eric Warfield and Sowell.

As you see, now I’m introducing Eric Warfield into my top prospects, as he doesn’t has anymore the quickness to cover the faster receivers and has the size and room to get bigger, he’s primed for a move to the backfield and Kansas doesn’t need him there because they already have Wesley. He was expensive and would have been a backup.

I’m with Sterling, Blitzkreig and burmafrd. LeCharles Bentely should be our top priority.

I understand how tempting it is to say that OLB, ILB, and FS as our top priorities, but it really misses the big picture.

I understand that this defense is only a couple of tweaks away from being one of the most dominant in the entire NFL. That’s great.

And of course I want a dominate defense just like everyone else, but not at the cost of suffering through another bad offensive season.

The rest of the league does not care if your defense is the best in the nfl if your offense can’t consistently run or pass the ball. Our offense averaged less than 3 yards per carry, and we were supposed to have a ball control offense. How about the fact that our oline gave up 50 sacks. And please don’t remind me of the 3rd and 1 plays that ended with 4th and 3. Those plays said it all.

We lost last year because our oline was absolutely awful. It was bad before Flo went down, and it was really bad after he went down.

I’m not saying we don’t need a RT. We desperately need a RT. But we also need an infusion of talent. The top 2 priorities are a servicable RT and LeCharles Bentely. The center position is not necessarily the top priority, but LeCharles Bentely is the top priority. He is the talent that makes our line into a good line.

Chandus,

I would rather sign Bentley than McIntosh. But I don’t think signing Bentely prohibits us from signing a serviceable RT.

Just to get the timeline finally understood on AJ: He had the operation during TC of 2003. He then rehabbed till TC 2004. He then played all of 2004 and 2005. He has had basically half of 2003, all of 2004 and all of 2005 to get stronger. And has not. He has had all the time in the world to get bigger stronger and cannot. BP put it straight: he maxed out in the weight room. The guy has done all he can with the limited athletic potential he has. He will never be much heavier then 290 or so. He will never get any stronger then he is right now. Meanwhile the DT’s and NT’s he is facing will get bigger and stronger as teams upgrade those positions. If you think he has trouble now give it a year or two. Bentley would SOLVE that problem for 6-8 years. HE is the ONLY center out there that would be a major upgrade. ANYONE else would either be a one year or two year somewhat of an upgrade- or no upgrade at all. If we cannot get Bentley then we make sure to resign gurode. And go after the other positions we need to upgrade.

Fighter15:

I just got home so I missed your other posts. Your point about backups being trumped by starter needs is dodging the whole topic. You said Center wasn’t a top 5 priority because we have AJ. I said yeah, and Gurode may not be back, that means we only have one Center and have to get another one…I didn’t say we get another backup, my preference would be to get a starter. My top choices would be either Bentley or draft Mangold. That makes AJ the backup, and the new guy the starter…see. Even if Gurode was the only Center to be signed, you don’t know that he also wouldn’t be the starter next season given that AJ has been skating on thin ice with Parcells for quite awhile now.

Your dream OL has 3 major FA signings and you claim you want to draft 3 more this year. That’s 6 OL in one offseason. Are you telling me that a new Center wouldn’t be one of those?

First you said a new Center wasn’t a top 5 priority, now you say it isn’t top 3, and then you add a new QB of the future, an ILB, and backups to eventually replace LA and Rivera as priorities above Center. All this while you mysteriously drop WR off your top 5. You just said “backups at any position never trumps the need for a starter” and then you claim that ‘eventual replacements’ for Rivera and Allen are higher priorities than Center? Eventual replacements? Sounds like another word for backup to me. Don’t talk to me about credibility when you do that. I’ve been consistent all along about the need for a new Center.

burmafrd:

I agree with everything you said. With one exception. I don’t want to tip my hand too much on my next mock draft, because I don’t want to post it until a day or two after FA begins, but there is a Center in this draft who is being called the best Center to come out in the last 15 years. I have seen him play. A lot. I also saw him in the Senior Bowl. I saw him in the Combine. He is the baddest s.o.b. in this draft class, IMHO.

So if we don’t get Bentley, there is still one more hope left at that position. You hit the nail on the head with that statement Parcells made about AJ maxing out his potential. I remember that quote, and it shows a lot about Parcells faith in him at this point.

Sterling,

You claim that center is a top priority, because we could be losing Gurode. Fighter15 said that a backup center would never be a top priority. To which, you responded that your preference would be to get a starter who would be an upgrade.

Sorry, but I still don’t see how that translates into a top priority.

Signing a backup center would be imperative if Gurode leaves. One could even say it would be the most urgent concern the team would have, since we would have no one who could backup the position. However, improving our starter and using Johnson as the backup is NOT imperative, it’s a luxury, given the other more pressing needs of this football team.

Seriously, how one feels on this subject is most likely to correspond to how one feels about Johnson. I did not see his play as all that detrimental to the team. Plus, he’s young, he’s relatively cheap, and he still has room for improvement. I like Bentley. I liked Birk, too, when he was available. But, I didn’t think it wise to try to outspend the Vikings for Birk,and I don’t think it wise to try to outspend the Eagles for Bentley. I think our offensive line would still have been substandard last year, if we had Bentley (or Birk). I would rather spend the cap money where I could get a bigger bang for my bucks.

I’ve heard it mentioned several times that AJ has the potential to be a good center in a different scheme. Why not sign Gurode, try to sign Bentley or draft Mangold and trade AJ. We may be able to get back into the 4th round by trading him. By doing this, we get a great Center for the long term and a backup Center that can be a backup Guard as well in Gurode.

AJ vs Rivera? Cut Rivera and sign Bentley……Bently, Gurode, AJ, and Allen at Guards…….Fabini, Flo and Petiti and tackles……Columbo, Rogers, and Tucker fight it out for final spot and fill in for any injuries……

Willie McGinnest a COWBOY is an exciting proposition. Give me an OLB like that to this defense…….whoa man. Watch out for the pass rush next year. Drafte another young LB who can get in the mix but with Willie on the team……we might be able to address the OL,TE, FS, WR, NT, positions in the draft.

I hate to lose Glover, for nothing but this cap stuff is crazy.

I think Jerry Jones like wheelin and dealin and trading and free agency and the draft more than he likes winning games. I just like his chances a whole lot better when Bill Parcells is staring over his shoulder checking his hand.

Since McGinnest has stated he wants to end his career in NE and since NE has LB issues just as Dallas does, I don’t want him as it appears the only way to get him in a Cowboy uniform is to overpay versus what the team that knows him best, NE would be willing to pay. NE is smart so it just doesn’t add up.

Bentley on the other hand is an entirely different story. That is why NO is a perpetual loser, they would let a young talent slip through their fingers. JJ for all his criticisms, would never make that blunder.

Mr. Bill:

Okay…take everything you said in that statement and substitute the name Al Singleton for Al Johnson…then substitute the name Carpenter/Lawson/Wimbley/McGinest/Abraham for Fujita.

You made my point. Thanks bro!! ;)

I am the biggest, saddest tool. I left a gorgeous girl to prosper on her own. I am such an idiot – gorgeous girls need instructions. I hope to God that my whismical put together of roles made things work. I want to go out to eat so bad!! Not Jeff. Sooooooo many hot ladiesl Lt’s do to it. I want ladies SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO bad!

Mangold is not that big or strong. I question whether he would be any better then Johnson.

Sterling,

What point is that? Why did you add potential draft picks into the equation? We aren’t arguing about draft picks. We are arguing about spending a lot of money on a center, and trying to outbid a team that has more money than we do.

Singleton is much older and has a significantly higher cap cost than Johnson. We know what he is, and what he will be in the future. The same can not be said with such definition for Johnson.

Look! I’m not opposed to signing Bentley. He not only could replace Johnson, he could replace Allen or Rivera. I’m just not willing to jeopardize upgrading areas which I feel are more in need, namely right tackle, linebacker (inside and outside) and kicker. If we can somehow outbid the Eagles for Johnson, and still do those things, while not ruining our cap structure in future years, I’m all for it.

Mr. Bill:

Once again, you made my point. You say that you aren’t willing to jeopardize areas that are more in need and then cite LB (inside and outside) along with RT and Kicker as higher priorities. What was my point in the previous post when I mentioned Singleton? Singleton is a proven starter, AJ is not. You just said as much in this latest post:

“We know what he is, and what he will be in the future. The same can not be said with such definition for Johnson.”

Then you list OLB as being a greater priority than Center in the next paragraph (after admitting that you are “not opposed to signing Bentley”). How is OLB a greater priority than Center when we already have a proven starter in Singleton and we don’t in AJ? Add in the questions about Gurode being here because he has chosen to test FA, and that is where I consider this a higher need. Any OLB that is brought in will have to beat out Singleton for the starting job next season, so your previous point about a “backup not being a top priority” goes away since that is precisely what a new OLB will be until he can prove otherwise. The Gurode comments you made can also just as easily apply to Fujita. In that case, your comment about getting a new Center being “a luxury” would apply far more to OLB than it would Center.

I also don’t hear hardly anyone coming out and saying that Bentley being signed would be a bad thing. All I hear is that he’s too expensiv and there is other priorities. I agree there are other priorities, but it is hard to make the case that OLB with Singleton there is as glaring a hole as Center. If Fujita is re-signed it makes it even less so.

Sterling,

I thought I had made myself clear. Evidently not.

At no time did I compare Singleton to Johnson, other than to claim that Johnson still has room for improvement, while Singleton does not. There was no implication there that Singleton was, therefore the better player. That was your assumption, not my claim or intent. In fact, I consider them about equal in ability.

But, while we are comparing — Singleton will be 31 and this will be his 10th season in the NFL. Johnson is 27 and this will be his 3rd season in the NFL (he lost a season due to injury). Singleton’s salary for 2006 is scheduled to be $2.17 million. Johnson will earn $460,000. Singleton plays his position adequately, but does not provide the pass rush we are looking for out of the 3-4 defense. Johnson also plays his position adequately, and I know of no drawbacks to his play that are related to our current offensive scheme.

If we sign (or draft) an outside linebacker who can provide a pass rush, Singleton will be gone (or, at least phased out). However, I don’t really expect that replacement to come through free agency. You will search in vain for any post by me advocating the signing of Abraham or Peterson. I expect our upgrade at this position to come out of this draft, although we could also bring in a free agent of the Fujita level (in addition to, or as a replacement for Fujita). If we get a Lawson or Carpenter or Wimbley out of this draft, you can be assured that Singleton will soon be either riding the bench or gone. [I already see Lawson as worthy of the #18 pick. Wimbley seems to be getting there too.]

Our only move at center, will most likely come from re-signing Gurode. I do not expect us to make a move on Bentley. [Although statements made recently by Bentley have left the door slightly ajar.] Mawae is 35 years old. Not interested! Nor do I see us drafting Mangold, if we stay at our current position. #18 is way to early to take him, and he will probably be long gone by the time the draft gets around to #49. Something might happen in a later round, but we couldn’t expect any kind of immediate upgrade there. It would not surprise me one little bit were we to go into training camp with Johnson, Gurode, and an undrafted free agent or two as our only options at center. On the other hand, I expect numerous new faces at offensive tackle, linebacker and kicker.

I feel the Cowboys would like to give Johnson another year to see if he can improve. And, I don’t think our other options at the position are cost effective. If we do pursue Bentley, I think it would be more to ensure stability at guard (for the future), although Bentley would probably start at center in 2006.

Mr. Bill,

I can see Mawae being signed to a low two year deal to provide depth. His age and rehab should drive his price down to Gurode levels, though he’s a much better player than Gurode when he’s healthy. Plus I read that his base last year wasn’t that big to begin with. I think it was under $3 million, so he would not necessarily be taking a huge cut.

Johnson, as you’ve pointed out, is behind developmentally because of his knee injury. He dropped down to about 230 or 240 in weight to take stress off his knee during his rehab year. If he is going to be a top quality player then 2006 should be his “Bradie James year.”

Mr. Bill:

You are right, you did not make yourself clear. When you chose to insert yourself in Fighter15 and I’s duscussion about the relative importance of getting a Center this offseason you accused me of changing my mind between whether we get a starter or a backup, something I did not do. Then you claimed that OLB is a higher priority and that an upgrade there is a need, while a new Center is a luxury. I disagree. A need is a need and a luxury is a seperate matter. I pointed out Singleton to prove my point that any OLB signed (with the exception of Peterson or Abraham, which you have already ruled out) will have to compete with him to get the starting job. You can criticize his abilities all you want, and I agree with a lot of that, but the fact remains that he will be there, and he hs been a starting OLB on this team for a lot of years. AJ is on the other end of the spectrum, we don’t know what we have in him. He shows flashes, he could get better, but he has also been dominated soundly by many DT’s (in our NFC East in particular) and has questions about his knees. So what position is a luxury? You keep pointing to Gurode as being the silver bullet to provide depth, and I hope you are right, but there are two huge flaws in downgrading the level of priority based on that. One is that Gurode is testing the FA market. If a deal is in the works, it most likely would have been done before FA begins tonight. Even if he returns, he still projects better as a guard for us than a Center because of his snap count problems. Two, if Fujita is re-signed, then everything you said about Gurode and AJ applies even more so to your OLB need and Singleton and Fujita. The issue that Fighter15 and I were discussing was one of relative importance, one of priorites. I happen to believe AJ is one of, if not the most shaky full season starter on the team from last season. Parcells seems to agree from amny of the statements he has made. You chose to put in your two cents by criticizing not only my opinion, but defining what is a luxury and what is an imperative. I simply told you that you can use the same exact logic at a position you claim is a true higher priority (imperative) at OLB, and with far greater effectiveness. We shall soon see what happens. We have to win now, if AJ is the Center next year I certainly do hope he develops and has a breakout season because the real imperative is to win in the next 2 years. I don’t want any one position holding the team back from that goal.

Sterling,

I have never once accused you of changing your mind. What I did do, was accuse you of faulty logic.

Regardless, as I have already pointed out, this all boils down to how we view Johnson’s performance. You are obviously a lot more critical of his performance than I am. This is an argument that cannot be resolved, as it involves completely subjective opinions.

See ya in the next argument! I’m done with this one.