Cowboys Add Ayodele

Hey Raf,

What is your take on Ayodele. I never really watched much Jacksonville football, but know their D was always tuff against INDY. Still he and Fujita look like a Statistical wash……similar tackels and sacks over the same number of years and same age career wise.

Ayodele was a OLB in a 4-3 right? So he will have to learn a new scheme as well.

Jon,

I haven’t seen him play that much so I’ll defer to others. He’s got the right size to play SOLB and he got starter’s money, so unless he’s moving inside to play with Bradie James, he’s the SOLB.

Scheme wise, he’s probably better suited to play in a 3-4. I’ve seen reference to his playing DE in college but I thought Purdue played a lot of 3-4. I’ve done some digging through my draft books but I don’t have one for 2002, so I can’t tell you.

I posted this in the other thread, but I thought I would go ahead and ask here as well. What do you guys think the chances are that Bill will bring in McGinest to play with Ware, James, and Akin. We would also have great depth with Burnett, Singleton, and Shanle. Sort of a LB corps that could compare to last years front line corps.

I say get Adam, Hope, McGinest, and TO and you have a very special team. The only hole you have at that point is a good DT to spell Ferguson. At that point, try to draft a new offensive line while possibly still picking up Runyan or another veteran RT, (assuming LA isn’t moving there).

Adam Schefter, of the NFL Network, reports the Washington Redskins are in the process of signing free agent DE/LB Andre Carter (49ers) to a six-year, approximately $30 million contract.

http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl

Jon:
I remember hearing that he was similar to Rosevelt Colvin while he played in Chicago and then moved to the 3-4 in New England. Let’s hope that things work as good for Ayodele…

I do need to mention that Colvin is one full inch taller and in his last 2 years in Chicago accounted for 21 sacks… Ayodele just has 8.5 in 4 years.

Still I think that an OLB needs to be taken in the 1st 2 Rounds.

Here’s what Scounts Inc. on ESPN Insider has to say on Ayodele:

“He is a good athlete with very good playing speed. He is an explosive player – can uncoil and hit with excellent pop taking on blocks or tackling. He shows good play speed and range – shows a burst to close on the football. Has pass rush ability – can get pressure from blitzing or with his hand down. Physical take on player that plays with solid knee bend – can come off and un-load on the TE. At times he was just a 2-down player. He is limited in coverage – plays much better coming forwards than in reverse. Can have trouble at times playing over blockers – gets hung up too often trying to get to the numbers. Explosive tackler when he gets guy lined up but he needs to improve his ability to wrap and finish. Will miss tackles in the open field – leave feet (diving board).”

Stats don’t tell the story with a 4-3 LB. Sack totals vary with each team because of the relative talent of their D-Lines. Some teams need to blitz or stunt their LB’s more than others.

I have watched this guy play a lot, because I like the way the Jaguars play, I like Del Rio, and Donovin Darius is one of my favorite NFL players. Ayodele is a mauler and he plays a very physical style of football. He’s fast to the ball carrier and very good at stuffing running backs. He is an intimidator on the field and if a DL or ILB can slow a ball carrier down, he will take the guy’s head off like Roy does. That’s why I like him and am very happy he’s on the Cowboys now.

Akin Ayodele prospect profile at NFL.com:

Link

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2002/profiles/ayodele_akinola.htm

sorry…

Emmitt>barry and Sterling

Thanks for te background on Ayodele. He sounds like a solid player with many good years ahead of him.

Now Pleeeeeeeeeeeese get A.V. signed and let T.O. be a cancer on someone elses team (hey Snyder he’s still available!)

I think if a LB is taken in the draft now the focus will shift to an ILB or MLB in the mid to later rounds.

D’Quell Jackson or Anthony Schlegel both look good.

I liked Kai Parham until he turned out to be so slow at the Combine. Might not have enough speed for the NFL.

Would Ayodele be better suited to play inside? If he could play inside that would still allow us to draft Carpenter. A LBing crew of Ware-James-Ayodele-Carpenter would be better than Ware-James-Burnette-Ayodele.

Matt:
I agree, at 6-2 and with those stats he looks like a better fit inside, 4.5 sacks in two years while playing behind a really good DE are really telling. Look around the league, OLBs playing with pretty good DE’s in front of the have over 4 sacks. If you try to translate that to the 3-4, it would be worst, because then the Tackle that’s supposed to be entertained by a DE in the 4-3 is fully responsible for an OLB in the 3-4. And Ayodele will be pushed around.

Courtesy of ESPN Insider…..

Ayodele has good foot quickness and has good lateral movement. However, he lacks the ideal speed that would allow him to match up with backs out of the backfield in man-to-man coverage. He is a little stiff in his hips and struggles to turn and run, but he gets good depth in his zone drops and goes hard to the ball. He has very good upper-body strength and is explosive with his weapons. He plays with good bent knees and shows he has the ability to play through traffic to the ball. He is quicker than he is fast and has a knack for getting to the ball carrier. He is effective in the blitz game as has decent quickness and shows the ability to accelerate to the ball. He uses his hands well and can be a force. He is a better player if he can be in a position to move forward than if he is dropping in coverage or trying to cover a back out of the backfield. He does a good job of getting hands on and re-routing receivers and does a good job with play recognition. He is a strong tackler who shows the ability to uncoil and is capable of knocking the ball out with a collision. He has the versatility to play either the strong or weak linebacker spot and has the potential to put his hand down and come off the edge. However, he does not have the stature to be able to hold up against the run game as an edge player.

We have a freakin’ LB that we drafted in the 2nd round last year.

We will not take one in the first 3 rounds.

TO for President

I know TO is great, but you sound alot like the iggles fans last year. Remember how confident they were. Please JJ, DON’T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ayodele was signed to play inside linebacker according to ESPN.com

Fighter,
Yes, but Burnett cant stay healthy and has three surgeries in less than a year and is coming off a knee surgery, we’ll be drafting another Linebacker this draft, but it might not be in the first round, but if Greenway slides, I’d draft him if he’s there.

I see us signing McGinest or taking Carpenter with the first pick and taking either Bullocks FS or Scott OT in the second round.

Chandus:

I don’t think the stats tell the story in this instance. I’ve watched the Jags a lot the last couple of years, and they don’t have a very typical 4-3 defense because of the size of their D-Line.

The Jags have had one of the best D-Lines in the NFL the past 3 years with two gigantic DT’s in the middle who push the pocket in for the DE’s inside pass rush. When they brought a LB on the pass rush (which was rare compared to a team like the Eagles) they usually blitzed or stunted with Peterson who is their MLB to take advantage of the fact that the middle of the O-Line was preoccupied and collapsing with their twin tower DT’s and QB’s couldn’t see Peterson coming as easily. Their DE’s are both very big and very fast pass rushers so there was barely ever a reason to rush Ayodele on blitzes when the front 4 was capable of getting to the QB on their own.

The other thing is Ayodele played mostly on the strong side and usually was drawing TE coverage duty on pass plays. I think this mostly had to do with his speed and evidently Del Rio thought he would be better in coverage than their other OLB (I forget his name at the moment).

I have no idea where Parcells will end up playing him, but my guess is he will play OLB unless he proves that he is not capable of getting the job done.

dallascowboys.com is reporting that he was signed to play the SOLB spot. I wouldn’t mind seeing ware at that spot and somone else on the weak side.

And I too think we’ll be adding a LB or two. After injuries we were very thin and being a 3-4 D you can’t have enough. So signing one in FA does not preclude us from drafting a 2 or 3 more.

Ware is a weak side linebacker, cant shed Blocks like Ayodele to play the strong side position.

Well somebody has made a mistake either ESPN or DC.com because on ESPN.com under the article Panther’s Sign Lewis they are stating he was signed to play inside LB.

Cash:

I can see one more, but 2 or 3? We only have 5 picks this year, don’t we?

With Kosier and Ayodele signed I see the draft in no particular order:

OT
FS
NT
TE
ILB

Sterling,
I’m pretty sure we have six,
1,2,3,5,6,7 round

Derrick,

Perhaps you are watching a different Ware than I. I’ve seen him shed many blocks. Not sure how he compares to Aydoyl though. It just seems to me if size is more important on the SOLB, then bulk up Ware and try him out over there. Just something I’d like to see and have seen it mentioned in the press.

Sterling,
Perhaps not draft 3 but with UFA and UDFA included, I’m sure we’ll be adding more options at LB.

How in the world is Washington signing players. They should have only been a couple mill under the cap. So far they have payed 2 guys about $5 mill/year (each) and have another player whose contract has not been released (Lloyd) but who has to make over $2 mill per year because he was tendered at a 1st/3rd restricted FA. That’s at least $12 mill that they shouldn’t have.

To all things for the opinions on Ayodele……hope he is as advertised.

Cash,
Why would you want to take your best pure speed pass rusher and move him to the strong side where he’d face more double teams and chip blocks and have him running down field with the tightend instead of up by the line where he’s better suited to use his speed to get to the QB or shadow the running back

altercall,

In a previous thread I mentioned that, along with the cuts they made, they restructured 12 of their players including Brunell and Portis. Why all those players were willing to do that…who knows.

Derrick,

You make good points, I just know he struggled at time during the season with his play recognition and was replaced at time by Burnett. That means there is something he is struggling with. Personally I’d like to see him bulk up and us go back to a 4-3. I think he’d have more success as a down DE. That’s where his best moves come from.

Derrick:

I thought we gave up our 6th rounder for Fujita last August? The compensatory pick was for 2007, but he didn’t play enough so KC won’t get it.

I heard Ware is going to be up over 260 this year so I think he is better at WOLB. McGinest isnt out of the question so Im still hoping for him if he is relativly cheap. I still like Bobby Carpenter though because he can play just about any LB spot.

Im no cap genius, but simple math tells me:

Lloyd: 5.5 mil + Randel El: 5 mil + Andre Carter 5 mil + Archelata: 5 mil + Fuaria 1.5 mil?= 22 mil

How were they at least 22 mil under the cap, along with an ASTRONOMICAL 35+ signing bonus money?

Sterling,
Yes, thats true, but we got Phillys in return for the swapping our forth round pick to get Canty.

Derrick:
If you weren’t seeing, by the 2nd half of the season teams were making their weak side the strong side by constantly moving TE’s there.

That’s how his production stumbled in the 2nd Half.

Eatme is the guy reporting on dc.com, I trust a little bit more the guys on espn… So ILB… There Ayodele is a great fit.

My bet is still on Carpenter if we do not sign another LB his dad played for Parcells and he is a Parcells kind of player and in the 3-4 LBs are the heart of the D!

Sterling
I remember you getting heat but you never got any from me. I all along have been for signing Ayodele. Iâ€â"¢m really glad it happened. To me our defense will be like this for the 3-4
Canty-Ferguson-Spears
Ayodele-Singleton/Burnett-James-Ware
Newman-Roy-Coleman-Henry
And the 4-3 will be like this
Ellis-Pepper/Canty-Ferguson-Spears
Ayodele-James-Ware
Newman-Roy-Coleman-Henry
Now the Nickel can have so many different formations
Ellis-Canty/Ratliff/Pepper-Spears-Ware
Ayodele-James
Glenn-Newman-Roy-Coleman-Henry
Guys our DEF would be Top 10 possibly Top 5. Of course instead of Coleman you can substitute with Hope,Woodson,Bullocks andyone you like. I think we are already in a real good position. Plus we have great Depth all accross the board on Defense.

Here’s the break down, I’m pretty sure this is how it breaks down,

First Round Pick – 18th overall
Second Round Pick
Third Round Pick
Fourth Round Pick – Traded to Philadelphia as part of the Chris Canty trade
Fifth Round Pick
Sixth Round Pick – Traded to Kansas City for Scott Fujita
Sixth Round Pick – From Philadelphia in the Chris Canty trade
Seventh Round Pick

Cash:

He struggled after Singleton got injured on the other side and teams figured out they could line a TE up on his side to take him out of the pass rush.

I was watching some show on NFL Network the other day that showed a bunch of film highlights of Ware in the Carolina game and a few other games and he was a monster when all he had to do was get past an OT. The commentator used him, Osi Ominourya, and Julius Peppers mostly as examples of great pure pass rushers.

I think Ware will be much better with a guy like Ayodele taking some of the TE heat off of him. Fujita wasn’t up to the job, and it showed most of the last 6 or 7 games.

I think this signing allows Parcells and company to go with drafting the best player available. Just my opinion, but if they had not addressed SOLB via free agency, and Carpenter was on the board then they would feel perplexed to draft him when in reality there may be more talent elsewhere. .. Manny Lawson and Chad Jackson now jump out at me as potential targets with that 18th selection.

lou:
Danny boy reworked the deals of Brunnell and Portis, it’s apparent that at east he got $5Ms of cap space from them.

That, along with the added space for the CBA extension and the cuts they made left them with at least $20Ms of cap space, enough for all this signings and enough to sign the 4 or 5 players rookie pool.

I still think Dallas is drafting another LB first day. We have lost Nguyen and Fujita. We got Ware, James, Shanle, Fowler that are healthy. Thornton and Burnette coming back from injuries. What is the latest on Singleton?

Is Ayodele our bookend to Ware? Or is he just another LB to add to the corp.

If Henry, Newman, Glenn are all healthy all year….we will have great coverage out of the secondary and maybe we can turn Ware loose. Still I think we need a legit pass rusher opposite him to finish off the D.

Yes Fujita sucked pinga. And I don’t know if anyone has ever knocked Ware’s pass rush ability, only his ability to know when to do it. Hopefully in his second year he’ll be better. When BP drafted him he said the kid was a 3 year project and we are only in year 2 so I’ll interested to see him grow.

We need to go after Hope and if we sign McGinest or Draft Carpenter we will have a very young talented D with only Ferguson, McGinest, and Glenn that would be considered old! We still need Vin bad!! What do ya’ll think about signing OT Mike Williams and give him a shot he is young and he played at UT maybe he could get together under Bill?

Hey Raf is there any way we can get a poll going: Who will be the big bang the Ranch has promised? … Viniatari .. Owens .. Runyan .. or any other potential BOOM! players.

Cash,
We all seen what Ware can do, he showed the flashes, this kid is young,came from a small school changed position,going to get even stronger working in the weight room. I really like what I’ve seen from this kid, I cant wait to see when he has a total grasp of the position,so it will take three years but he could be scary.

Jon,

Maybe so, but the pressure to fill that starting spot won’t be there in round #1 …. I think if Jackson or Lawson are there, they will be prime targets.

Lawson can play OLB too, but probably the other side backing up Ware, and then on the strong side but only on passing downs. My personal opinion of Lawson is he can play inside or outside, so he will get the reps that Parcells considers his “starters” get. (If you recall Parcells talked about 13-15 players getting equal time and he considers them all "starters")

Jackson in my opinion is the best WR coming out. He has the speed of Glenn, and the size of Key … or there abouts. A true #1 receiver!!

Alright, some of you personnel analysis experts tell me; is “Ade” an upgrade over Scott Fujita, I thought towards the end last year, he was starting to come on strong, and show the promise that he had, when JJ & BP traded for him; so I’m not sure why the let him go, and I guess the only thing that matters, is “Ade” better than him.

And, did I see someone say a Draft Pick will come out of this? How is that possible?

R/dale

OK, so I did the math, the Deadskins were at $100 mill before FA. How can they sign guys???? Don’t you have to stay under the cap?

lou_C,

Salary cap numbers are not based on the average annual salary, rather its base salary for that year plus the prorated portion of the salary cap. I’m thinking the Redskins have severly backloaded all of these contracts they just gave out along with really big signing bonuses. I doubt any of the players they signed see any money past year 3.

I like the Ayodele signing because I think he would provide some good pass rushing so that teams won’t try to get Ware into coverage on third downs. Btw, anyone know when Kalen Thornton will be ready?

One player I would target in the second or third round of the draft would be Cedric Griffin from UT. That guy played CB in college but he’s got pretty good size to play safety and from all the games I saw, he hit like a ton of bricks.

Jackson who showed the speed at the combine, only averaged 10.6 yards per catch in college, that tells me, he’s doesn’t have breakaway football speed after the catch where Holmes from Ohio averaged 18.3 yards per catch, Holmes is the better reciever but neither of these recievers are worthy of the 18th pick, mid 20’s at most.

DC reworked between 10 and 12 players deals and you never know some of these deals could be backloaded but have a lot of guaranteed money!! It will all blow up bad one day!

I too follow the Jaguars Defense because i like to see smashmouth defensive football. Since i started playing Fantasy Football i look at other teams more now than i used to. I followed the Jaguars pretty closely this year and last and Sterling nailed it right on the dot when he said that they didn’t blitz Ayodele alot. Not because he’s not a good blitzer but because he was always covering the TE. One thing i would always see from Ayodele was that once he hits you your going down. He doesn’t miss tackles. His hits have lots of pop in them and i saw him pancake a couple of FB and OL. He will be solid with us.

Raf, Sterling, Chandus,
I need you fellows put you thinking cap on and answer this question (pleas).
Now that some teams which are ahead of us on the draft have picked up some FAs… and addressed some of their needs.. How would that impact the previously (guessed) mock drafts? Do you see some of the guys who were originally assumed to be picked by those teams may fell to us at 18th.. If yes who do you like the most. Thanks.

Dale in Atlanta:

Ayodele is an upgrade over Singleton. Fujita was only starting because of all the injuries, otherwise he was there for depth to spell the starters because the rest of the LB’s were either too green (Burnett, etc.) or too injured (Singleton).

The Jags are one of the few teams other than the Cowboys that I truly enjoy watching play. I don’t really care too much if they win or lose, but I do like watching them play because their defense reminds me a lot of the 70’s Cowboys defenses. They probably have the tallest average starting lineup in the NFL on both sides of the ball.

That said, I have seen a lot of Ayodele, and from what I have seen he is a huge upgrade for the Cowboys. After Dat got injured Bradie James was the only LB that seemed to play well consistently, so if nothing else Ayodele will solidify one of the two LB spots that are crying out for consistency. From what I have seen of him, he plays way more physical and dominating against the run than any of our current LB’s, so that should help out a lot too.

My hunch is Parcells will try playing these guys (Singleton, Ayodele, etc.) at OLB and ILB in camp and then figure out how to put the best 4 LB’s on the field at the same time, so it may be too soon to figure out where everyone will play.

thanks Sterling, sounds good….appreciate the feedback..

was akin ayodele the guy that got run over by ben watson in the pats vs jags playoff game?

tos agent,
I didn’t see the game.. but did it happen only one time or the whole game?
P.S. See you on wedensday, when your client gets released by the eagles.

Toast:

The major change I see in the mocks will be at RB. With the Vikings, Ravens, and Cardinals all picking up FA’s, the likelihood of them going 1st round RB diminishes significantly. It’s possible the Vikings may still pull the trigger on one, but the Cards (Edge, Arrington)and Ravens (Lewis, Anderson) seem very unlikely.

Given the needs of the other teams in the top 17, that means at least one of the trio of DeAngelo Williams, LenDale White, and Laurence Maroney will probably still be around when the Cowboys draft. That might present the opportunity to trade down, but the thing is of the next 8 teams after the Cowboys, only the Patriots (possibly the Broncos, because they are unpredictable) would be considered as a team likely to draft a 1st round RB. Of course some teams take the best player available regardless of need (Lions), so who knows for sure. Most have other priorities and are either playoff teams or on the cusp, so they might want to have a potential starter from the 1st round instead of a backup. Either way, I would expect to see at least one or two of those 3 RB’s drop a lot lower.

TOs Agent:

Was that T.O. I saw get dragged down from behind by Roy Williams and limp off the field with a busted ankle afterward?

With the signing of Ayodele, is there a possibility the cowboys could try moving up in the 1st round to get Huff? The lions didn’t have much of a pass rush last year so trading Ellis and the 18th for the 9th pick and a say a 3rd rounder might interest them. Draft Huff, grab a OT or DE in 2nd and and use the 3rd rounder for the other position… just throwing out ideas

Hey everybody, Micky Spags on DC.com is now reporting that Ayodele was signed to play one of the two ILB spots. I wonder if he is just getting that from ESPN? If this is true, then we might still be in the market for an SOLB. I like Burnett, and if he can stay healthy, I think he could take over that position.

And a note on the first round running back situation:
Teams like New England, and especially Indy might be looking to trade up to grab the RB they like. At pick number 18, we look like were in a prime spot to acquire some additional draft picks.

My bad. Actually its still Eatman reporting that Ayodele was signed to play ILB.

Derrick, what that should tell you about Jackson is that he was in an Urban Myer run spread offense.

David-CT that’s funny he must of revised his article. Earlier he said OLB.

He revised it. My idea a few months back was to get Ayodele to replace Dat inside as a run stuffer and provide some situational pass rush blitzing from the ILB position. There was a few games where Dat blitzed from inside and it worked really well because the offense wasn’t expecting it from that position. I have also seen Steelers and Patriots games where they used the ILB blitz effectively from their 3-4 base formation because the offense is usually more worried about the OLB’s.

Sterling,
Yup, i think you also saw him in the super bowl give an mvp performance.

The loss of Fujita seems to say to me
that Singleton is expected back and Akin
is going to play inside where his skills seem to fit better.OLB looks like it will be addressed in the draft.

Sterling is right. If you watch the Patriots (and this is the reason why BP loves converted DEs as LBs), you see that they blitz all of their LBs. Ayodele gives us a real blitzing threat on the inside, which a lot of teams have trouble picking up. And if teams have to watch out for more blitzing threats inside, it gives our outside speed rushers a little bit of an advantage and will slow down the reactions of the Olinemen.

I’ll do my best to project a draft, but its insanely hard right now:

1. HOU- Reggie Bush
2. NO- D’Brick Ferguson- if they sign Brees.
3. TEN- Matt Leinhart
4. NYJ- Jay Cutler
5. GB- AJ Hawk—They resigned Kappman and have KGB.
6. SF- Vernon Davis
7. OAK- Mario Williams
8. BUF- Ngata
9. DET- Vince Young
10. ARI- Winston Justice
11. STL- Michael Huff
12. CLE- Broderick Bunkley
13. BAL- Jimmy Williams
14. PHI- Chad Greenway
15. ATL- Tamba Hali
16. MIA- Antonio Cromaite
17. MIN- DeAngelo Williams

Theres a couple that are really shaky like CLE, PHI, and ATL, but you can see that leaves us with alot of options, most likely trading down.

Vince Young all the way down to number 9?

lou c

I disgree with cleveland taking Bunkley. I think they have more pressing needs on defense, but I’m not sure exactly who they would take – I just don’t think they would take Bunkley.

I also disgree with Minny taking Williams. I think they would take LenDale White if they take a RB at all. They now have Chester Taylor, who is a lot like Williams.

I’m all for trading down and picking up at least a 4th round. I’m hearing no interest on Jason Fabini. If his age is scaring teams away, he could be had for relatively low price.

Oh man! listen to this. Steve Hutchinson’s agent and the Vikings threw a clause into the offer sheet he signed that says the entire $50 million becomes guaranteed if he’s not the highest paid player on his team. If the Seahawks were to match it, he wouldn’t be because Walter Jones makes about $.5 million more a year, so Seattle would have to guarantee all $50 mil. Thats pretty smart on the part of the Vikes, and I bet Seattle is kicking themselves in the head right now for not making him a franchise player instead of a transition player.

Sorry, here’s the link:
http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/9305826

David-CT,

Your right about Lendale White, I meant to put him in but when I switched a couple of things I forgot about him. As for Bunkley, I see either him or Manny Lawson, the Browns have no good DE’s in a 3-4 and I think Bunkley could be like Spears, 3-4 DE or 4-3 Nickel DT.

TOs Agent:

Yeah, I watched his team lose in the Super Bowl because he couldn’t carry them to victory despite playing his best. Might have something to do with being a WR. But hey, it’s all about individual achievement anyway…right?

I also watched him wipe tears away like the little bitch that he is on the Donnie Deutsch show ‘The Big Idea’ and cry about how people don’t know how hard it is to be him. That would be shortly after he called his QB out for getting tired in the Super Bowl, and a few months before he got on a radio show and compared himself to Jesus Christ because the fans were persecuting him.

BTW – the MVP in that game was Deion Branch, not Terrell Owens.

(from the star telegram article)

the best part of the ayodele signing: his agent said that ayodele “realized a dream come true by coming to terms with his hometown team.”

and further, "There is no question where he wanted to be,” agent Mike Sullivan said. â€Å"He came here first and didnâ€â"¢t take any other visits.”

and maybe best of all: "Itâ€â"¢s a great fit,” Sullivan said. â€Å"He loved his meeting with coach [Bill Parcells].”

‘nuff said…we’ve got us a genuine cowboy!

A.V. WHERE ARE YOU!!!

TO defines what is wrong with professional sports. He, like Vince Carter and Allen Iverson of the NBA, will NEVER win a championship because he is too self-centered and never sacrifice anything for his team. Football especially is a team sport, and players like him SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY.

Of course they will always exist to sell tickets and merchandise, so there’s nothing we can do to keep them out of the league.

I just pray that we do not sign TO and ruin any chance we have of winning a superbowl this season.

david ct:
i’m sure there are those that don’t appreciate his gangsta stylins’, but i haven’t seen iverson throw team-mates under the bus and internally sabotage/destroy 2 teams…

imo, ayodele was a good pickup.
I think LB corps is set, no need to use high draft pick on another on.
I think Willie G. would be a bad move, c’mon 12 years on his wheels already, how much and how “long” would he contribute. I’m 50/50 on T.O. If not him we should get young at receiver. C.J. out of FL. at 18.
with C. Hope at free safety we’re done. I’m out!

I am not a University of Texas fan. However, I did predict and was happy when they beat USC.

What are the chances of a Texas Two Step and they win the NCAA DivI Basketball Tournament TOO?

Wonder what the odds of that are in Vegas?

Oh well…..probably not going to happen anyway…..but interesting that the school has a powerhouse basketball team to go along with a legendary football program. Do they have classes at UT or is it just 6th Street and then the practice field? Hey only joking……Lord knows UVA and Va Tech have produced some follies in athletics that would shame Thomas Jefferson.

Oh well back to the best sport……football. So when is Vinateri signing with us anyway?

A Kicker, A Guard, and a Linebacker……that would not be bad for FA period…..who knows there maybe some sweet pickings with the cuts coming later this year too.

C’mon david-ct, get real.
I am the BIGGEST cowboy fan, I
can’t stand T.O. for his performance
after touchdown on our star. But to say he is what is wrong with the sport is hatin’ and to say he won’t win a championship is hopin’ most us us know that if T.O. goes to the right team he’ll get a ring. sometimes even I wonder if that team should be us.

David,

You are flat wrong. I dont have the breath to even go into all the reasons how. But what a freakin fascist way to look at sports… Shame on you. If a player is a cancer to their team they shouldn’t be on that team but there is a place for everyone in this world and in every league. You gonna bag on Rodman too?? The ultimate team player ON THE COURT! Because he said and did some stupid stuff off the field. Remind me how many rings he has?? I even think there is a place for statements like that and you got me steamed so much I will have to quote Voltaire… “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend with my life your RIGHT to say it.”

as long as we are talking about disgruntled wide recievers who have had problems with management and coaching……….Eric Moulds could soon be an FA and he and Drew did pretty well together…….he might come on the cheap for a one year deal……..and he ain’t even half the headache of TO…..

What is the biggest difference between Owens and Michael Irvin? .. Everyone wants to shout out loud his faults and his mistakes .. What about the things he brings to the table?

If you all want to bury Owens, then please recount your arguements about Irvin going into the Hall. Snorting cocane and getting suspended is as bad as anything Owens has done. But I guess all is forgiven because Irvin is a Cowboy. Please people get real! Owens has done some stupid things, but give the guy a break.

My point exactly Eric, and I’ve detailed it before with relation to those two. Cheers, Now, since I’m calm, Bartender, another cervesa, por favor.

Eric R:

Irvin was the ultimate team guy and always had the respect and admiration of his teammates and his coaches. He NEVER, EVER talked bad about Troy, EVER. Irvin never blamed the fans for his problems, he never blamed his QB or coaches publicly if they had a bad game or if he didn’t get the ball enough. When he gave interviews he always had a smile on his face, a positive attitude, and a generally friendly demeanor.

Irvin’s off the field problems were something that he showed contrition for. He apologized for the effect it had on the team. He didn’t read from a slip of paper like a grade schooler giving his book report. He didn’t have to have his agent go out and answer (or refuse to answer) questions about his behavior towards his QB and coaches.

I also don’t ever recall Irvin getting on TV and demanding that the Cowboys didn’t want to pay him that they should trade him to the Atlanta Falcons or any other NFL team he considered a contender.

Please don’t compare Irvin to Owens. It only makes Owens look so much worse in contrast.

Let’s see:

Irvin = One team, 3 rings, love and admiration of the fans

T.O. = Two teams (and he screwed the Ravens over), Zero rings, most fans of his ex-teams loathe everything about him. Two coaches and two QB’s thrown under the bus publicly…accused one QB of being gay when he isn’t, and the other of not having enough heart.

There’s no comparison at all.

Whoa Impatient

Man, I love Rodman. Sure he was a nut off the court, but you are right, he was the ultimate team player. TO is a completely different story. TO isn’t a team player, simple as that. When I watch football, I want to see an entire team WORKING TOGETHER. That is what wins championships, and that is what Rodman did. TO on the other hand, and guys like Vince Carter aren’t team players. I’m not saying they aren’t good (especially Allen Iverson, cause he’s the man – but i’m going to maintain that he’s not a team player. He has however, tried to improve), I’m just saying that I don’t want them on my team because I want to win a championship.

The Eagles had a chance to win last year, even without TO. BUT THEY DIDN’T WIN WITH HIM. Sure he played a good game, but Brandon Lloyd played some good games – with the THE FOURTY NINERS.

C’mon, I’m for winning, that’s all I’m saying. And TO isn’t a winner.

Plus, we don’t need another over-thirty wide receiver. At this point I’m not even sure we need another receiver at all.

I agree with Sterling, do not EVER compare TO and Irvin. Sure Owens has better stats, but football is a team game, its not like golf or poker. The only thing that should matter is winning championships. That is why I am not a fan of fantasy football.

If you have seen any of the Ohio State games this year you will understand the hype surrounding their LBs. Bobby Carpenter is phenomenal and would be talked of more highly if he wasn’t overshadowed by AJ Hawk. I feel he would be a fantastic addition to the other side of the LB corps.

The one person in the world who is basically guaranteed to be able to control TO happens to be the head coach of the Cowboys. As someone sad earlier just look at the “troublemaker” Keyshawn.

If we pick up any of the free agent LBs then that one should be Peterson. Arrington wants too much money and Mcginest is too old to pay what he is potentially worth.

Just a note before I’m out:

Chris Hope is apparently visiting the 49ers this week. So those of you that are still high on him, you’ll want to follow this. The 49ers need all the defensive help they can get.

Good points all folks… I just think Irvin would keep TO in line as I detailed in a previous thread…

Eric R,

If you can honestly say you don’t see the difference in Owens and Irvin then you must be a new fan to the Cowboys. Irvin was the heart sould of the team. Any guy who played with him will tell you that he cared more about the team and winning than any of the rest of them. I will go so far as to say that Emmit Smith is more like Owens than Irvin ever was. While Irvin will admit that he did some selfish thing off the field it was never a deliberate attempt at dividing the team. He was the most hurt when Johnson left to go to Miami, because he didn’t want the family broken up. Emmit Smith was a pure cancer in the locker room in his final days, laughing at Campo when the guy tried to instill discipline in the team. Emmit Smith was more worried about his records and playing dominos than he was winning before he left.

Impatient,

You may be correct, but I would give him nothing more than a one year, deal with the ability to earn another year through incentives.

Cash,

Me either, but I’m all for giving the guy a shot with us because I truly believe that Michael would not lead us wrong and I believe he has campaigned for TO to be here. Mike seems to know what he thinks more then most. And TO is damn talented on the field.

I DO NOT believe he should be signed to a long term deal. I dont want him here for 7 years 19 million or anything.. But I would pay him what Key was scheduled to make this year with incentives that are both team and personal marks to attain.

Impatient,

I think Mike is just a loyal guy, and there is nothing to lead me to believe that it isn’t blind loyalty. I think he would trust anyone till they gave him a reason not to. He’s very freindly. I wouldn’t trust him as somone who could adequately discern a man’s soul. BP just has to decide if he’s willing to deal with it or not. Because he won’t put up with teh stomping up and down the sidelines antics. On the otherhand if what the player on the field does is all that matters then BP will love the kid. I think in large part the Eagles in ability to portray Owens’s off the field comments as meaningless cost them. BP will flat out tell the press, “Hey the kid is a certifiable nut case. What do you expect him to say?”. Much the same way he discounts Keyshawns remarks when the media tries to stir the pot.

that was saposed to be a slight on the Eagles 7 years 49 million… oops

it might be all mute, If I were Philly, I’d trade him to KC for a seventh round pick just so Dallas couldn’t sign him.

Keyshawn was never a “troublemaker” for Parcells. Yeah, he wrote a mouthy book about wanting the ball more, and he had a dustup with Jon Gruden, but Parcells has never had to “handle” him.

Keyshawn is so unlike T.O. it’s ridiculous. Keyshawn is a man. He has invested his money well and is building towards a post-football career as a developer.

T.O.? He’s good at building big piles of cash and setting them on fire.

And let’s look at what acquiring T.O. will likely mean:

1. That Parcells has agreed to swap Owens for Johnson. Johnson has played hurt for the Cowboys and made plays in the process. He was very good in the red zone last year. Do you think Parcells will throw one of his “guys” under the bus so easily?

2. The bigger issue. Parcells has a young team. A young talented, impressionable team. When he sent Antonio Bryant away he made the point that he was too old to put up with Bryant’s type of nonsense. T.O. is more talented, but why risk losing control of HIS team because Jerry is in love with the guy?

Yeah, it sells papers, but in the end, if he doesn’t want T.O., Parcells can always say “it’s him or me” and Jerry will fold. Parcells played him like a guitar in January when he got the contract extension.

And while Michael Irvin might like the guy and believe in him, Michael Irvin has no say in personnel last I checked.

I don’t like TO as much as the next guy… I am thinking.. After what has been through with his fantastic agent “drew”… If he has half a brain, he would know he has no card to play with and should keep his mouth shut and just let his game represent him.. I would think if we do sign him, BP will have a very short leash on him and would yank the Cr@# of it if necessary, IMHO.

Get ready for the big bang tomorrow, I believe it will be the signing of T.O., Vin., and someone else…

Raf,

You’re right. The media likes to lump Keyshawn and Owens together but it’s two diffrent men with two totally different personalities. Every WR in the NFL, with any kind of talent, has a large ego.It’s a glamour position. But Keyshawn has not been a guy that has tried to divide the lockeroom. Keyshawn can let sideline spats go, and make amends as long as he knows your willing to take what you give. He hates having his talent questioned. Owens invents problems. He’s incoherent when he tries to explain himself. My point in bringing up Keyshawn was to show how BP douses fires that the media themselves try to ignite. But in a small defense for TO, he’s just as willing to do all fo the things on the field that Keyshawn does, but with about 10 more TD’s and 700 more receiving yards.

By the way, my nickname for Keyshawn is Mr. Clutch. If Bledsoe doesn’t think he’s open in single coverage no matter how close the guy is to Keyshawn, then that’s a bad decision on Bledsoe’s part. The man gets the damn ball.

Change of subject – I’m sick of TO talk.

Clayton points out in his ESPN Insider blog that 12 DT have signed now. He names some warm bodies who are left. Makes me pretty confident that the Cowboys are going to draft NT in rounds 1-3 next month.

If James and Akin are inside, and Ware is on one end, does Burnett take the other end? If we draft OLB in round 1 where does our second round pick last year go?

I think Burnett needs to start being more consistent on special teams, to warrant future consideration, as I see him as nothing more than a situational backup. Looking back on it, I’m wondering if Daryl Blackstock wouldn’t have been a better pick.

True enough Raf… I donâ€â"¢t want to turn us into the Lions or anything. I just really believe TO could help and my intention is to point out reasons why IMO TO will not be a cancer here like he was everywhere else.

To whoever said BP wouldn’t put up with sideline ranting must not have seen the very public feud on the sidelines between Drew and Key. When TO went off on Donavan like that, Donavan just sat there like a bump on a log. TO needs fiery leadership that he hasnâ€â"¢t had in mild mannered Andy Reid, and Mariucci, and soft spoken McNabb and Jeff Garcia. I just think the dynamic here suits his personality.

If his work ethic rubs off on the younger guys here I wouldn’t mind it either. Remember TO’s beefs have always been with soft spoken veterans who haven’t been living up to their potential. Even with McNabb. TO bitched when he wasn’t getting the ball, yes. But neither was anyone else who was doing anything with it. TO wants to win. He never whined when Jerry Rice was there holding his hand. Back then he was just Terrell Owens.

All of this of course is IMHO. I’ve got more to say on it but I will dole it out in spurts ;-)

New guy on deck. Anyone know the status of Beriault for this year? BP seemed to like him last year, and the guy throws his body around.

Cash,

Right. His production cannot be questioned. But then, if T.O.‘s mind were as consistent as his feet and hands, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

TO is simply too big a risk, talent or no talent. We have a young talented TEAM that is learning how to win. For all his talent, TO is too big a threat to team development to take the risk, especially when WR is not our biggest area of need. KJ and TG while getting old are still very capable and Crayton is developing into a very good receiver. I might take a risk on a RT, our area greatest need, but not on WR where we have adequate talent.

militarydude,

Welcome. He does throw his body around, which makes you wince because he’s skinny. And he seems better suited to be a SS than a FS. In 2006 I say he’s a nickel safey and a special teams demon. Kind of like Bill Bates, only with more speed.

Swidge, I agree with you regarding TO. He is too risky, not to mention I can’t stand the punk for what he did to our STAR! However, that stated, I think JJ is going to pull the trigger on this guy. Bad for us! Maybe Roy will clock him over the middle during practice and end all our worries!

Raf, thanks for the update on Beriault. The Boys definitely win if we get a Bill Bates kind of guy for such a late round pick last year! Was he 6th or 7th?

Beriault was a sixth round picks, if that micro surgery he had on his knee is successful, he’ll be in the mix, not only at strong safety as Roys backup, but I wouldn’t count Beriault out at free safety either.His workout compared and was even better in some drill against the other top notch safeties. Kalen Thornton will be in the mix also at Linebacker

t.o. is an idiot…but he does have talent. BP has two years left. JJ loves big names and big headlines. Incentives can make it very clear that if he behaves, t.o. will get a ton of cash…if he doesn’t, he won’t…and the call will be Bill’s.

Figure he gets a $5-7 mil bonus (basically, his first year’s salary) a ton of “not likely” incentives that he’ll easily make (because he didn’t play but a few games, any number (say 50 catches) would be considered unlikely) that would boost it to ~$10 mil…if he plays.

This will get done, by Dallas, Denver, or someone else. But it won’t happen ‘til Thursday. His bonus is not paid until 5 days after start of FA, that’s Wed. night.

Anybody know much info on Kalen Thorton? I think he was a rookie free agent from Texas that played DE in college correct? Does he have a chance to be a real contributor?

Scout.com sez Vanderjagt as a suprise visit with the Cowboys…..

Please stop comparing T.O. to Irvin! Michael was the heart and soul of the Cowboys, not a cancer dividing the locker room. ONE team, 3 rings. ’Nuff said!

I really like the Ayodele signing, and I think he’ll play inside, with Burnett or another FA/Draft pick playing outside. It all depends on Burnett’s health, but he’ll have some competition regardless.

All that talent means nothing to the success of the Cowboys if the distractions he causes throw the team off course and if Parcells and Bledsoe have to spend more time and energy dealing with T.O.’s feelings and the media than they do preparing for games.

Does anyone really think that some of the young guys on this team who are still getting used to life in the NFL should have to deal with Sal Paolantonio and the rest of the media jokers sticking a microphone, video camera, and bright lights in their face to give their opinion on T.O.’s latest end zone celebration? Not me. I want these guys focused on playing football and gelling together as a team.

Can’t some of you see that this would be a media circus? Satellite trucks littering the parking lot at Valley Ranch and reporters stalking players for T.O. comments. Look at what the media did about Parcells’ supposed “retirement” a couple of months ago. They love to stir the pot with JJ, Parcells, Bledsoe, and all the rest. Add T.O. to the mix and you end up with the next tabloid-style media feeding frenzy worse than we saw with Philly last season. Even if he keeps his mouth shut (something which he has never shown any ability to do ever in his career) the media will still be looking for every shred of controversy or soundbite they can use to sell their stories.

This is not worth it, trust me. It will reverse all the gains this franchise has made in the last 3 years under Parcells within one year. I predicted it in Philly, where he got to play with his handpicked team, with his dream QB, and under a system that complemented his talents to the fullest and that he was very familiar with. You couldn’t ask for a more tailor-made situation to put him in…and he still wasn’t happy. Can you honestly say that you can get inside his twisted psyche and guarantee that he won’t cause trouble with Drew Bledsoe, or Terry Glenn, or any of the others? No…you can’t….you can only hope against experience that he will get the message, and that’s a tall order.

He doesn’t fit the offense, he doesn’t fit the team, and for the most part he isn’t wanted. That should be enough.

sharkz.

It’s not clear. Yes, if you go to cowboys.scout.com you see Vanderjagt: A surprise Monday visit at the top of the page. But go to dolphins.scout.com and you’ll see the exact same thing. KFFL was quoting one of the Miami papers placing him in Miami Monday.

The .scout sites are all part of one big network. They’re teasing you, trying to get you to subscribe.

I’m not a fan of TO’s behavior but I can’t deny his talent. If he had the correct attitude, I’d say he is hand’s down the best receiver in the NFL.

If he comes to Dallas I hope his contract allows the Cowboys to get rid of him with little loss if he does become that cancer – if he doesn’t come to Dallas, so be it. But, if he comes, shuts his mouth and tries real hard to get his career back on track, he’ll be a great aquisition and will definitly help the offense.

One other thing – I truly believe the Philly situation needs to be looked at closer. McNabb is a cry-baby and didn’t help the situation with his passive/aggressive approach. And Philly’s administration does not reward their players players – there were a lot of Philly players who openly sided with TO because of how Philly has treated them.

JJ doesn’t alienate good players – he rewards them. BP doesn’t tolerate cancers – he gets rid of them (A.Bryant, D.Ross). It might, just might, be a good fit.

Ah thanks Raf……..

boysfan:
Thornton went undrafted because he was an undersized end that didn’t collected many sacks, what does that mean? It means that he isn’t really talented, he is probably just a body. I wouldn’t expect much from him.

sierrareef:

T.O. was harshly disciplined when he was with the 49ers by both Mariucci and the organization after his stupid and disrespectful spectacle of dancing on the Star. He whined about it and said the 49ers and Mooch abandoned him because they suspended and fined him. The next time he played the Cowboys he danced in our little end zone star…doesn’t sound to me like someone who learned a lesson of any kind. More like someone who enjoys disrespecting other people and glorifying himself at the expense of others.

He once told the media that Marriucci threw a game against the Bears to save Dick Jauron’s job. The funny thing is that it was because T.O. bobbled a pass that led to an INT returned for a TD in Overtime. Now that takes a lot of nerve.

When the 49ers lost in the playoffs to the Packers he was slamming his teammates to the media in the lockerroom. One of their O-Linemen bowed up on him and told him to shut the hell up. The next day T.O. called his agent and demanded to be traded.

After the Sharpie incident he had the nerve to call the NFL racists because Mike Holmgren and Sean Salisbury said he disrespected the game. Everyone laughed at him because Dennis Green and Tom Jackson said the exact same thing. Talk about ridiculous.

Jeff Garcia got into it with him on numerous occassions on the sidelines and in the lockerroom. Instead of being a man about it, T.O. went out and spread a rumor in Playboy magazine of all places that Garcia is gay. He later it back when Garcia’s lawyers called T.O.’s people.

So if the Philly situation isn’t enough for you…there’s plenty more.

Oh, I know…he’s changed, sitting out half a season changed him. He knows this is his last chance. Not likely, if people like some of the T.O. fans on this blog keep saying give him more chances he’ll keep doing what he does…because he knows there’s another sucker out there who will be starstruck with his ability and think “he can’t possibly blow it again, he knows this will be his last chance!!” Pffffft.

Great points, sierrareef! We’ll see how all this plays out!

I’m not a T.O. guy, but if he can keep his mouth shut, he’s one hell of a talent and would help our team on the field. Unfortunately, he can singlehandedly destroy it as well.

Keeping him happy is a tall order, though. We’d all be walking on our tippy toes!

T.O. has too much to lose f***ing up here or anywhere else. When or if he comes I do not believe he will be a problem. If anyone thinks he will be a prob. then he wont come. And for someone up at the top who posted, at one time in irvins career he did want himself to be traded. As stated above Mike wouldnt talk so highly of T.O. if there were to be true problems.
Not only that but you see Bledsoe bump heads with Key last year? I hardly doubt my man Drew would back sown from T.O. in any event. But beyond that the true point is that T.O. can and will help any team he lands with. HE may be an asshole, but he has the talent, skill, and work ethic that one should admire. And screw the comparisons above, both Key and Mike f***ed up and were a locker room distraction, but who cares? They both have rings. Who cares? Everyone I know was singing the same tune when Key was headed here. If T.O. comes here, be prepared for someone unlike the historical bad attitude Owens. One more thing, ppl who say that others who say the comparison of owens to Key or Owens to Mike, arent true fans….Thats kind of stupid. Opinions fellas! Thats all. We all have a right to em’. I have been a boys fan since i was a child and I will go so far to say I will make the comparisons to some extent as well.

Whoops….sorry guys….That would be my brother being a dick again….

Or was it me? hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
Sorry for the, now that I look at it, very long double post….oops.

All the TO supporters base their position on big “ifs”—IF he keeps his mouth shut, IF he learned his lesson, IF he can behave himself. This is all wishful thinking, There is no reason, absolutely none, to believe any of these “ifs” can come true. If you ignore what you fantasize is possible and look at his actual behavior, the probability is that he tears the team apart. Look at teh Iggles. That was a veterna team and he destroyed it. Give me KJ and TG, I’ve seen how they act and I’ve seen how TO acts. Its a disaster waiting to happen and we don’t need him to be successful. Take the same money and get Runyan and we’re much more likely to win.

Sterling

I don’t think I represented that he learned his lesson and wouldn’t blow it again. In fact, if the Cowboys sign him, I indicated that I hoped it would be to a contract they could void with minimal impact to their team if he became disruptive.

You obviously feel very strongly that he’ll damage the team’s morale and you may be right – he’s been on two teams and damaged them both. But whether we like it or not – he might become a Dallas Cowboy, and if he does, I hope the Cowboy’s system, the Cowboy’s owner and coaching staff and the Cowboy’s players, coupled with a very team-friendly contract help to make him a productive player. His talent can’t be denied and if Dallas signs him it’s because BP thinks he can help his team win football games.

I didn’t like Keyshawn Johnson, Deion Sanders, Charles Haley or Jimmy Johnson before they became Cowboys – but when they were signed I hoped for the best and the Cowboys did okay with them.

TO has been much worse than all of them, probably combined. Heck, I work for a living and I’m not rich, let alone filthy rich, so I’m not sympathetic toward TO or any of these other selfish, money-hungry modern athletes. I just want Dallas to win every game they play so, if they take TO, I hope (notice I didn’t say I believe), I hope he helps them win games.

sierraref:

Fair enough. I hope for the sake of our team none of us have to find out if that experiment would work.

I liked all the players you mentioned before they joined the Cowboys, but then again the only one that really caused big problems was Haley and that was things that happened internally with the 49ers, not in the media so much.

We don’t need T.O. to win. Defense, a FG Kicker, and a better running game is all it will take.

The Truth,

TO for President

If it will keep him off the Cowboys, he has my vote.

aftercall and lou c,

texashammer has it right!

It doesn’t make any difference what the average cap costs are for the Redskins players. They backload all their contracts, and stick in roster bonuses that can later be guaranteed, causing the money to be pro-rated. Or they can cut the player. No Redskins player sees the end of his inflated contract.

The NFL doesn’t care if these contracts might put the Redskins over the cap in 2007 or beyond. The Redskins just have to worry about 2006, and hope that they can worm their way out of trouble in future years. Archuletta will only cost them $1 million against the cap this year.

Cash,

The only reason Ware was ever replaced by Burnett was to give him a breather. There were some games where Ware played almost 100% of the defensive plays, playing on all base-defense plays, and as a down rusher in the nickel. There was no way he could keep that up for a full season.

I don’t believe that any of the players we have signed so far would preclude us from drafting ANY position. While these players fill areas of need, the contracts are not that expensive.

Specifically, a linebacker in any round, and a guard in any round but the first, are still possibilities. [As if there was a guard rated high enough for the first round.] If a player at those positions is high enough on our board, he can still be taken.

Chandus,

You’re way wrong on Thornton.

He was singled out by BP as having really made strides with the switch to OLB and was actually the projected starter ahead of Ware before the injury.

He is very fast and was in the draft tweener mode before the mass exodus to the 3-4…but was the first player the Cowboys picked up with a significant signing bonus…actually more than our 6th & 7th rounders that year.

Fighter,

I 100% agree. I saw a preseason game where he got two sacks on two consecutive plays. Yes, it was preseason, but how many other players have we had that go 2 sacks in a row during preseason. The guy has a lot of potential and if he has recovered from his injury, I think a lot of fans will be surprised at how good he is.

Mr. Bill,

You can go back through Spags email bag archives yourself if you want where he discusses it; Ware was sat because he was struggling in recognition. It’s a fact. Perhaps it was for reasons that guys have stated here but it wasn’t just for a breather.

Chandus,

Rod Smith was undrafted, does that mean he isn’t any good?

David CT I like the Vince Carter Owens comparison. I live an hour south of Toronto and watch all the Raptors games. There is one diference between the two, Owens plays hard all the time Carter didn’t. I am a huge Allen Iverson fan though.