Dallas Cowboys news and notes

by Brandon W on Apr 18, 2008 4:46 PM CDT in News

The deadline for restricted free agents to sign deals with other teams has come and gone. The Cowboys now have exclusive negotiating rights to Marion Barber and Chris Canty.

Canty has been part of the team's offseason program. He signed a deal that protects him in the event of an injury, which would ensures he'd get paid the one-year, $2.017 million tender if he was hurt at the team's facility. Canty's planning on signing the tender in the next few days, while keeping an eye on the Barber negotiations, which are a high priority for the club.

The Cowboys and Marion Barber are not any closer to working out a long term deal. Barber was tendered at the highest level, worth $2.562 million for 2008.

Todd Archer puts together some of the random Cowboys happenings from the past week.

One interesting note is Jerry's take on the shortened time for each pick in the draft.

• The NFL has shortened the time teams have in the first and second rounds to make their picks, cutting back from 15 to 10 minutes in the opening round and 10 to seven minutes in Round 2.
The Cowboys are one of the league's biggest wheelers and dealers during the draft, so does owner and general manager Jerry Jones think the cutdown will hurt any possible trades?
"It'll cut down on some of the BS when you're talking, and you can get to the bottom line quicker," Jones said. "That will probably serve me pretty well because I've got too much of that BS."

Recently the DMN blog has had some musings about the all-time great Cowboys draft steals.

Anyways, ESPN has put out it's list of the top 50 all-time great NFL draft steals and draft busts.

Three Cowboys make the list:

17. T Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State) Drafted by: Cowboys, seventh round, No. 182 overall, 1967.
41. CB Larry Brown (TCU)
Drafted by: Cowboys, 12th round, No. 320 overall, 1991.
45. DT Leon Lett (Emporia State)
Drafted by: Cowboys, seventh round, No.173 overall, 1991.

Before Terry flies off his rocker, you have to know that ESPN limited the list to drafts held after the 1967 merger. Therefore, Roger Staubach and the great Bob Hayes do not qualify.

David LaFleur is the only Dallas Cowboy to crack ESPN's list of draft busts.

TE David LaFleur (LSU)

Drafted by: Cowboys, first round, No. 22 overall, 1997.

Update [2008-4-18 23:15:1 by Brandon]: A belated hat tip to markdamack, who first posted the link the ESPN story in his diary.

Rick Gosselin has his much anticipated 2nd mock draft up.

22. Dallas DeSean Jackson WR California
Comment: His punt returns mean shorter fields for Tony Romo
28. Dallas Aqib Talib CB Kansas
Comment: The Cowboys might trade this pick

I know a lot of people supposedly have a lot respect for Goose's mocks, but has he paid ANY attention to what Jerry and Stephen have been saying regarding the drafting of a wide receiver in the first round? Maybe he thinks it's all a smoke screen.

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There aren't any

WRs I'm stoked about in this draft. I'm hoping for CB and RB, but Jerry almost never does what I think he will. Instead he'll probably trade the first pick to Al Davis for all his picks next year plus two sequined jumpsuits, and draft a NT with the second.

by dunkman on Apr 18, 2008 4:57 PM CDT 0 recs

Goose's first two mocks

are meaningless, and he says so himself. The first is basically his big board, the second more based on team needs. But they're both there to give fans an idea of the players their team may be targeting evenetually, not give a real accurate description of the situation. The third mock, which he releases on the morning of draft day, is the one heralded as #1 in accuracy. Goose has more contacts in high places than Jerry has haters.

So busy with this blog that he has no time to update his own. Props to Grizz and co. (i.e. everyone here) :) Embrace Adam Jones! PacMan is history!

by BudLight on Apr 18, 2008 5:46 PM CDT 0 recs

Don't Pay Barber

It might be better for the Cowboys' Super Bowl hopes to not pay him this year. If you thought that he ran hard before, wait until you see him fighting for free agency dollars. Seriously though, I don't think he's a true franchise back/long term solution, so I don't think it's a good idea to pay him big time money. He couldn't even beat out Julius Jones. I mean, if everyone thinks we have to take an RB in round 1, is the guy that we have really that good?

I'm also interested to see how well he does now that the NFL will be cracking down on offensive head slaps and face masks.

Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but I don't think he'll make it through the season as a full time starter with his violent running style, and I don't think he's on the same level as LT, LJ, or the other top dollar backs. What does Thomas Jones make? That's who I would compare him to.

by Baked Potato Soup on Apr 18, 2008 5:49 PM CDT 0 recs

good post bake...let him earn his money..........

If he puts up 1,300 yards and 15 TD's...THEN i'd say he's worthy of 7 million a year...

Let's see him get 16 starts under his belt before caving into those BS numbers he's looking at.

True Cowboys diehard since 1975.

by BoyzRback07 on Apr 18, 2008 6:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

300+ carries

Not a bad way to look at it. I hope he accepts a reasonable contract, but If he wants too much then work him like a dog. At his salary next year I think that comes to about $9,000 per carry - or about $1,800 per yard.

by BigE on Apr 18, 2008 7:36 PM CDT up 0 recs

I like the "let him earn his $" school of thought

And I think he'll prove that he's worth every penny, and I think we'll be trying to nail down a deal by November or so.

Having said that, anyone that truly believes in MBIII should not be targeting a RB in the first round. There are simply too many quality guys that will still be available by our second round pick. We can afford to wait on a RB is my current thinking.

Tar Heels football will surprise this year.

by DalaiLuke on Apr 18, 2008 10:31 PM CDT up 0 recs

Here's his problem -

He thinks he is worth top dollar free agent money, which is what it would cost to keep him next year as well. So why would Jerry pay him that price this year without letting him prove himself? If he is worth it, they can just franchise him next year and then pay him the big contract. Why give it up this year before they know for sure?

by Baked Potato Soup on Apr 18, 2008 10:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

umm

they will pick a WR in the first round. Very obvious.

by Longhorn on Apr 18, 2008 8:47 PM CDT 0 recs

I agree

Whether JJ pulls-off a trade for a 'marquee' WR or not, the 'Boys NEED to address the WR position.

A young speedburner would do us just fine, as we finally have a QB who can make him a threat.

Grooming Crayton as anything more than a #3 is a big waste of time, IMO. No quickness or suddeness to his game. I put Hurd on the same plane as Crayton.

To me, DeSean Jackson makes the most sense due to his legitimacy as a deep threat and the value he brings to the return game.

by Starred4Life on Apr 19, 2008 11:59 AM CDT up 0 recs