Dallas Cowboys: Class of the NFC East

by Tuna Helper on Jun 27, 2008 1:23 AM CDT

The crew at ESPN's NFL Live discussed each team in the NFC East. Despite the fact that the New York Giants are the champs, the panel started with the ‘Boys. I think everyone knows that Dallas is loaded and should contend for a championship.

ESPN Writer Jeff Chadiha talked about his concerns about Dallas and their coaching situation. He’s worried about Wade Phillips and all the money Jason Garrett is getting. Former player Marcellus "No Not that Marsellus" Wiley compares Wade to Eli Manning. Wow. No response on that one.

It was a good discussion. Check it out.

ESPN’s Matt Mosley has a good article on the state of the Cowboys. He covers minicamp, DeMarcus Ware, Pacman Jones, Roy Williams and our looming contract issues. He points out how tireless Romo and Garrett are working to improve Romo’s skills. He also gives a shoutout to Miles Austin.

Quarterback Tony Romo and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett have spent a lot of time working together on fundamentals. Garrett believes Romo can become an even more accurate passer. He's walked a fine line with Romo because he doesn't want to take away any of the quarterback's well-documented improvisational skills.

Backup wide receiver Miles Austin may not be a "wow" player, but he did turn a few heads during recent workouts. A week after Adam Jones was lauded on "SportsCenter" for picking off a third-string quarterback twice in practice, Austin burned him for an acrobatic 45-yard touchdown pass. Austin's always had the size and athleticism, but now it looks as though he's improved his hands.

If there’s anything I’m game for it’s a good conspiracy theory. The Tuskegee Experiment. The Federal Government trying to take all of your money. Emmitt Smith was so good sometimes I thought he was a Scanner. I come from a long line of conspiracy theorists buddy.

And the granddaddy of them all? Dallas Cowboy bias in the media.

Now I’m not saying CBS’ Pete Prisco is part of the conspiracy to bring down America’s Team just cause he refused to put Tony Romo in his Top 50 rankings. But it wouldn’t surprise me. I’ve expressed my opinion on Romo’s shortcomings but he definitely deserves to be in the list for Top 50 players in the league. I’d say Top 10. He’s not better than Andre Johnson and Wes Welker?

NFL.com has a good list of the Top 10 feuds in league history and guess what? The Cowboys made the list twice! Hells yeah!

This first one is as a group. Apparently, George Allen really hated the Cowboys. I mean, really really hated the Cowboys. I mean, who hates Roger Staubach? Who wants to beat up Tom Landry? George Allen. That’s who.

Then there’s the T.O. and Donovan McNabb feud. Ok fine. I realize this has become the NFL’s version of the Kobe-Shaq feud. Just please don’t pick up the mic T.O. McNabb too for that matter. Cause just because you’re a world-class athlete does not mean you can rap. At all.

Check out other Cowboys entries in the NFL.com Top 10 series: best nickname for America’s Team, best weather game for the Ice Bowl and Top 10 unbreakable records for Tom Landry’s 29 seasons at the helm (No Emmitt though? Weak).

Ok. Unsubstantiated rumor time. Would the ‘Boys give Joe Horn a look? Particularly with the current situation involving Terry Glenn? I’d pass. But that’s just me. I did love the cell phone bit though I must admit. Again this is not news but just a theory posited in the rumor section of Cowboysgab.com. But I think it’s worth a look. I’ve certainly thought about it. But we don’t need an old receiver with baggage. We already have one of those. But he’s fast and strong. I’ll take him over Horn. Shoot I’ll take Austin and Hurd over Horn. At least they know the system.

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On paper the Cowboys look like the NFC's best

but the East alone could be hard to get out of. The Giants will be good once again. The Eagles – if Donovan is healthy – should be very tough. Only the Redskins look like they might have taken a step backwards with wholesale coaching changes. This season should be epic…

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Jun 27, 2008 6:45 AM CDT 0 recs

I personally think Andre Johnson is the best WR in the league

but that’s just my opinion.

I think an even bigger “Wuuuuh?!” is that Witten didn’t even make the list. He made a few first team all pro lists last season, and he is considered by most to be the best all around TE in the league. If you don’t put Witten in the top 50, then you must have a bias pure and simple.

by quincyyyyy on Jun 27, 2008 8:28 AM CDT 0 recs

+1

I would put Johnson above Romo on a Top 50 list.

by bryangene on Jun 27, 2008 9:21 AM CDT up 0 recs

My biggest wuuuhh is Carson Palmer's ranking

That guy is living off of his reputation. As one of his fantasy owners last year, I can safely say he is way overrated. Brees, Roethlisberger, and Romo are better QBs in my opinion. No QB did less with more last year than Palmer.

by grapejoos on Jun 27, 2008 9:53 AM CDT up 0 recs

I disagree

Palmer is a pure drop back passer and needs protection which he didn’t have behind Cinci’s rotating offensive line last year not to mention no running game. I would put Palmer right near the top of the QB list, the guy is just unfortunate to play for the Bengals (who I am a big fan of). Every QB needs help.

by bluewolf021 on Jun 27, 2008 10:41 AM CDT up 0 recs

Well, you may be right

And no QB has more help at the WR position in the NFL than Carson Palmer does. I know you also need a running game and especially pass protection, but he was simply bad last year. If you throw out the one barnburner against Cleveland, his stats bear that out.

Maybe his offensive line was worse that I realize, but it seemed like the same unit other than Steinbach leaving. Seems like the running game was a bigger factor, and I know they were playing from behind a lot. That said, i just don’t see the argument that he’s a top 5 QB at this point.

I’m not burying him yet, but things change fast in the NFL, and he didn’t show me a lot last year when his team needed him to step up.

by grapejoos on Jun 27, 2008 12:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

You said it grapejoos.

Even Romo, in his 1 full year as a starter, has more playoff experience.

Palmer’s had his entire career to work with Chad and TJ and a consistent head coaching staff.

I’ve let Prisco’s subpar writing/analyzing skills piss me off before and swore not to let him get to me again. Serenity now…serenity now.

That #38 sure can hit!

by Bigrigga31 on Jun 27, 2008 12:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

Carson

Line is garbage, they let his best young lineman get away and there tackles were both hurt last year.

Chad and TJ still got there’s last year, but that as a whole, has many holes..

I think Grapejoos is like rest of us who has Carson starting in a fantasy league disappointed.

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 1:02 PM CDT up 0 recs

I have a friend who always argues

that the only reason Emmitt broke Payton’s record was because of the O-line he had in front of him.

You can’t give or take away a player’s success because of what his team has or doesn’t have. What about LeeRoy Selmon with the crappy Bucs? Or Barry Sanders?

It’s too easy to play what if. So, do you think Palmer or Carr would do just as well as Romo did if they were on the Cowboys instead?

Don’t think so. It’s chemistry and heart and those poor linemen in Cincy don’t want to be the excuse for Palmer and Rudi not tearing it up.

That #38 sure can hit!

by Bigrigga31 on Jun 27, 2008 1:33 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well

Brady’s line broke down against the Giants and he sure didn’t look like Brady in the Regular Season.

I am sorry, but the players around you make a difference. It works both ways..

Emmitt benefited from a good line, there is doubt about it, but he was the one that took advantage of the situation. He made the cuts, he broke the tackles, he stayed healthy..

Julius Jones and Marion Barber showed last year both sides of spectrum one killed behind a good line and other looked horrible.

That is just sports!!

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 3:47 PM CDT up 0 recs

I hear u

I think Carson is extremely talented and on any given Sunday he can l;ook like the best QB in the league, but his last season was not a step forward.

Both him and Romo have been to the Pro-Bowl twice and Romo has more playoff apperances in less time. Yet they question Romo?

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 12:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

Good points W.

That #38 sure can hit!

by Bigrigga31 on Jun 27, 2008 1:28 PM CDT up 0 recs

he's real real good...

but he’s gotta stay healthy….

but he’s got all the talent in the world…

by Tuna Helper on Jun 27, 2008 11:29 AM CDT up 0 recs

It's hard to judge between positions

but if QB is what everyone says – the ONE key position required to win in the NFL – one o fthe best in the league can’t be that far down. It just makes no sense.

The Witten omission is beyond stupid.

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Jun 27, 2008 4:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

co-sign

by Tuna Helper on Jun 27, 2008 5:03 PM CDT up 0 recs

and the Tuskegee experiment is not a theory its a fact

sadly

by quincyyyyy on Jun 27, 2008 8:34 AM CDT 0 recs

true

by Tuna Helper on Jun 27, 2008 11:28 AM CDT up 0 recs

Difference between Mcnabb-Owens and Kobe-Shaq

Kobe and Shaq pretend and make nice like the feud is over, yet the trash talk still occurs. It honestly does seem like McNabb and Owens have put their mess behind them.

You can't have Thunder without Lightning.

by Nelson... on Jun 27, 2008 8:38 AM CDT 0 recs

I like Horn, but he's old.

We need to get younger, not older.

You can't have Thunder without Lightning.

by Nelson... on Jun 27, 2008 8:40 AM CDT 0 recs

TOP 50

That list is so far off? Carson #8? Newman didn’t make it either…

Wes Welker made it? Haynesworth over Tommie Harris?

Mario Williams 6?

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 8:55 AM CDT 0 recs

Carson Palmer?

Carson Palmer? Has he (with 2 bomb ass receivers) done what Romo did with an offense last year?

Guess Prisco thinks Romo’s a one-hit wonder.

I think Prisco’s on crack because he obviously rushed this article.

That #38 sure can hit!

by Bigrigga31 on Jun 27, 2008 12:17 PM CDT 0 recs

Newman on ESPN

That comes straight from Terence Newman’s fingers. He did a chat this afternoon on ESPN.com as part of his Bristol tour, and there’s a lot of Terry Glenn talk.

He was asked who was the toughest receiver he’s ever had to cover. His answer: “Terry Glenn,” which led to another question.

Rob (Boston): Terry Glenn? Really? You’re just saying that.
Terence Newman: Nah, he’s one of the toughest receivers I have ever faced. He comes out of his breaks better than anybody in the league. He has cat-like quickness. He just understands the game.

This only makes me think what If last year…...

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 1:00 PM CDT 0 recs

Cowboy Hating = Brainless way to generate readership

Prisco sells his integrity for readership, plain and simple.

The guy loses all credibility … which in his case was not a big loss.

Tar Heels football will surprise this year

by DalaiLuke on Jun 27, 2008 1:00 PM CDT 0 recs

It also gets cowboy fans to read and complain, like us

No other team generates the response that Dallas does. Either you love em or love to hate em. Very few football fans are in between.

by grapejoos on Jun 27, 2008 1:02 PM CDT up 0 recs

Everyone with a half a brain

knows that Pete Prisco is an idiotic moron who knows nothing about football or the NFL. He is to CBS Sportsline what Skip Bayless is to ESPN.

The jackass writes for them just to stir up controversy.

Anyone who truly knows football knows Romo is an unquestioned top 5 QB and easily top 25 player in the league. Any player, coach, GM or scout will tell you that.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Jun 27, 2008 1:12 PM CDT 0 recs

I'm with ya Terry.

Makes you wonder why dipshits like Prisco and Bayless get the jobs.

That #38 sure can hit!

by Bigrigga31 on Jun 27, 2008 1:29 PM CDT 0 recs

flawd list

back to the drawing board with that one, Bayless stil mad from getn kickd out of town,(hate everythin Dallas now) , too bad for him the Cowboys is tha Hottest Team,still. does”nt matter say somthin bad about tha Boys & you”ll get a response EVERYTIME!
id pass on Horn, the only way Austin-Hurd combo can get better is to be in the action.
I think coach Wade knew in the back of his mind that he was to be a bridge for Jason,but he also wants a SB title before he retires, id probably go along with it too

by bleedn blu on Jun 27, 2008 3:18 PM CDT 0 recs

Rankings are Tough

I think any system is flawed, but I think when you rank the NFL you should go by Tier. Champ maybe the 5th best player in the league, but is he more important to win and loss column then 10th best QB, no. Matt Hasselbeck is more important to Seattle, then Champ is to Denver.

So Tier’s would be something like this..

Tier 1
Peyton Manning Tom Brady

Tier 2
Tony Romo Ben R. Carson Palmer Drew Brees

Tier 3
Matt Hasselbeck, etc..

I think Tier system is better at saying all things being Equal, these guys would put up similar stats.. You can argue who you would rather have, but it is tough to deny that other guy is close.

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 3:56 PM CDT 0 recs

I can buy that

but you left off the man-crush of the moment, Eli…

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Jun 27, 2008 4:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

TRUE

What Tier would you put him in?

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 5:24 PM CDT up 0 recs

second tier

with ben roth…...

by Tuna Helper on Jun 27, 2008 5:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

Third

Eli and Hasselbeck have a lot in common, in my opinion. They’re both smart, game-managing QBs that can make a big play. Of course, I guess you could say he should be treated the same as Roethlisberger too; both won a title due to other areas of strength on their teams, not to take anything away from him. This year will be the true test of Eli. He’s always been streaky, so if he can be as good all the time as he tends to be against us, he’ll move into that 2nd tier.

by grapejoos on Jun 27, 2008 6:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

i think that's a fair assessment...

he’s never proved he can have the type of year romo had and romo hasn’t proved he can have the type of postseason eli had this year. we’ll see if eli gets complacent. all the money says romo has way more motivation to succeed than any QB in the league…

by Tuna Helper on Jun 27, 2008 6:32 PM CDT up 0 recs

I agree that it's a fair assessment of Eli

I don’t know if it’s fair to put Romo in tier 2, but what’s the fun in being a homer if you can’t compliment your own players? Ultimately it’s hard to rank QBs like this unless you ignore playoff success, I think.

McNabb also belongs on this list. I’d put him in tier 3 I guess, but he really would be in tier 2 if he got to throw to more than one good receiver in his career.

by grapejoos on Jun 27, 2008 8:03 PM CDT up 0 recs

You could justify putting both Eli and Tony

between 2 and 3. They both have to play more before we’ll know. I know that is vastly unpopular in this snap-judgment world, but it’s really the only rational way to see it.

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Jun 27, 2008 8:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

I agree

I am enamored with Romo because I saw every minute of his 17 starts, so I can really appreciate his skill set.

I also agree McNabb is a beast, so we are tiering off all things being equal I place him in 2, and I place Eli in 3, because he won the super bowl because the D is what carried them in the playoffs.

My Tiers where off the cuff,.

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 8:38 PM CDT up 0 recs

The difference is...

Eli has had 50 games to show his regular season prowess. Tony has had 2 chances in the post season. Which one has the weight of evidence?

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Jun 27, 2008 8:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

Question

Is Ben in 2 or 3 then since his post season was similiar to Eli’s except he bombed in the Super bowl?

"Why everything that's supposed to be bad, Make me feel so good?"

by Wmillion on Jun 27, 2008 8:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

I place Ben ahead of Eli

but again for me, on the body of his work and not on a few games. Ben in regular season and playoffs combined is significantly better. The question on Eli is whether his last five games arre a new trend upward or just five good games. Too early to tell. I also hold to the notion that with the Giants outstanding defensive play and solid running game, Coughlin had Eli doing less which improved his efficiency.

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Jun 28, 2008 7:51 AM CDT up 0 recs

TH, you mentioned the George Allen/Cowboy feud!

But didn’t Allen actually become a consultant or some-such for Dallas, later in life before he passed on?

Wharter

by Wharter on Jun 28, 2008 1:12 PM CDT 0 recs

i don't think so

i did some thorough research (actually I just went to wikipedia and his hall of fame profile) and I saw nothing of the sort. I’m about 90 percent sure this didn’t happen. but if you have evidence that it’s not the case, by all means, prove me wrong. he hated landry, so i’m positive he didn’t work with him and I’m was self-aware during the jerry jones era and I’m unaware of any such goings-on….

by Tuna Helper on Jun 28, 2008 1:49 PM CDT up 0 recs