Cowboys Draft Class May Devour "Camp Cupcake"
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Apr 29, 2009 8:24 PM CDT
in Draft
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After the Cowboys’ 2008 season ended with a resounding crash, Jerry Jones made it clear that the organization would rethink it’s method of operation from the top on down. In recent years, one of the Cowboys’ most commonly scrutinized practices has been coach Wade Phillips’ laid back approach to training camp. While coach Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett have both pledged to toughen their methodology, they may not have much control over the tempo at practice. In 2009, "Camp Cupcake" will be staring down the barrel of 12 second-day draft picks, fighting for their NFL lives.
What do you get when you mix a few fringe veterans with 12 bloodthirsty rookies? Grizz has dubbed the Cowboys’ upcoming training camp Death Camp 2009. I guess you could call it NFL Deathmatch, or Survivor: Dallas. Whatever you want to call it, the competition is officially on like Donkey Kong. The Cowboys have starters in place for the most part, but everything after that is pretty much up for grabs. I seriously doubt Coach Phillips will have to do much to ratchet up the intensity at practice this year.
Other than the starters, who can relax now? Do you think Greg Ellis is lying around eating pork rinds after seeing the Cowboys select two young, athletic kids to play his position in ten picks apart? How comfortable can Pat Watkins, Alan Ball, or Courtney Brown be with three new defensive backs now in the picture? There may be guys on this roster who saw a certain name called Sunday and headed straight to the gym.
The psychology of this situation is the fascinating part. A veteran may feel disrespected because the team felt that it needed to upgrade that particular player’s position. The rookies are going to come in with an underdog mentality because they were 5th, or 6th, or 7th round picks. The veterans of course want to keep their jobs, and losing a training camp battle means more than just no longer being a Cowboy. Imagine being cut from an NFL team after being there a few years. Maybe you have a home in the area that you now have to sell. Maybe your wife loves it there, and your child likes his/her school. Maybe you’ve moved your mother to the Dallas area to be close to you, and she likes being there. Now you’ve got to pack all of that up, and move to a new city. Getting fired in the NFL means relocating your entire life. Now maybe there are some players on the roster who are ready for a fresh start elsewhere. But the guys who enjoy being a Cowboy have an awful lot to fight for.
Though the backups are the ones fighting for their lives, the intensity in practice will most likely affect the starters as well. For seasoned veterans, training camp is mostly about learning, developing rapport with new teammates, and just trying to stay healthy. For guys on the roster bubble, training camp is about trying to impress the coaching staff.
Remember, in training camp there are a lot of drills that will pit the first team offense against the second team defense and vice-versa. So what happens the first time Roy Williams catches a pass, and receives a little extra pop from some rookie cornerback who is only supposed to be wrapping up? We all know how Marion Barber deals with these type of situations, but it’s not a stretch to expect things to get a bit more chippie than usual. Even assuming the guys all keep it civil, nobody wants to get shown up by a rookie.
By injecting so much new blood into the roster, the Dallas Cowboys have created a competitive culture that might have been absent in recent years. With so many jobs on the line, this year’s training camp will almost certainly have a different feel.
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$10!
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 8:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I am loving
some Death Camp ’09. Gonna be some serious slobber-knockin.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 8:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
"Slobber-Knockin"
Haha ok JR
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
by AirforceBat on Apr 29, 2009 9:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Survivor: Dallas" may be better
something about Death Camp doesn’t sound quite right…
by quincyyyyy on Apr 29, 2009 8:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Death
for slackers (professional death, that is).
Oh, but wait. Justin Tuck said none of these new guys can help the team.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 8:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It Sounds Too Much Like a Concentration Camp
Grizz is one of my favorite guys, but Death Camp has too many negative connotations, especially for those who remember WWII. Places like Treblinka and Auschwitz were Death Camps…we gotta come up with something in better taste.
I like “Survivor: Dallas”. It ties in with a culturally-acceptable icon, and sounds more subtle and metaphorical then literal.
by kindablue on Apr 29, 2009 8:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think I originally I called it Death Match...
that was the code name for the operation of choosing 12 players. Someone later said Death Camp 2009 and I thought that was clever but I was thinking along the lines of Death Race 2000. But I can see where the connotations can be seen negatively.
Another suggestion:
Last Stand at the Alamodome
by Dave Halprin on Apr 29, 2009 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol, you won't catch me typing all that out
How about just Boot Camp 09, where the main goal is to avoid getting the boot
by sublimezg on Apr 30, 2009 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ya, I Like "Surviver Dallas"
Hope everyone is healthy at the end of it!
by bad knees on Apr 29, 2009 8:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow......
Are we worrying about being politically incorrect??
by TARHEEL PAUL on Apr 29, 2009 9:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Seriously? You don't see anything wrong with calling it death camp?
by quincyyyyy on Apr 29, 2009 9:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Uh no.....
because i realize he’s talking about football and not death in its literal sense.
by TARHEEL PAUL on Apr 29, 2009 9:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Haven't you ever heard of Nazi Death Camps?
the phrase “Death Camp” is primarily associated with a concentration camp.
by quincyyyyy on Apr 29, 2009 9:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes. History buff here.........
And yes i know that is what concentration camps were called. But were talking about football here. I just think its sad that everything has to be so politically correct that we can’t even talk about football without having to worry about offending someone. Just my opinion. I don’t care what we call it. Death Camp, Survivor Dallas, who really cares. It’s all for fun either way. I could go on a huge rant here but im not. It would be silly to. People are offended way too easy and thats just the world we live in.
by TARHEEL PAUL on Apr 29, 2009 9:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ok so if you don't care about being PC
why don’t we call it “Cowboys training camp 2009: Christians in the Colosseum.” How does that sound?
by quincyyyyy on Apr 29, 2009 10:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You think
the Lions are going to eat us alive?
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Because being a Survivor has nothing to do with death....
If you survive something, that must mean others died or am I wrong?
Just because some stupid show bears the name Survivor, does that make it okay?
by j1veturkey on Apr 29, 2009 10:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
PLEASE NOTE!
The phrase Death Camp led to a long discussion about concentration camps, Jews, political correctness, religion, etc. in this thread. Those are exactly the type of things we try to avoid here. I understand the bad reaction to Death Camp by some, even though I think I originally wrote Death Match. I was thinking along the lines of a wrestling match, a Battle Royal were the last guy standing wins. In fact, initially I had it saying something like – Operation Name: No Holds Barred, Tables and Ladders Cage Match, Battle Royal. I’m not kidding. Then I thought that was just too long, so I went with Death Match.
The point being, I buried a lot of comments on this thread in an attempt to keep it on track. I get the problems with the name, the name was really a throwaway phrase anyway, and by the looks of things deserves to be thrown away in this case.
Back to football please and sorry for any confusion.
by Dave Halprin on Apr 30, 2009 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like "Survivor: Dallas" as well
Also, I really think Hard Knocks missed a good camp with us by a season.
Tom Grieve is my hero.
by tasan on Apr 29, 2009 9:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Survivor?
Golly, that conjures up scary images of the Donner Party. Cannibalism is bound to offend some people.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 9:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I believe you are thinking of Alive
by quincyyyyy on Apr 29, 2009 9:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That was
about the Andes plane crash in 1972.
Donner Party was in the US, Sierra Nevada in the 1840s.
All cannibals are scary to some people, so it is not Politically Correct.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Survivor
That reminds me of The Eye of the Tiger
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on Apr 30, 2009 12:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was thinking more of that TLC song.
Trust them...they know what they're doing.
by Aaron Novinger on Apr 30, 2009 8:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
finally
a football team that will be run like a “real” football team instead of some panzy publicity vehicle for the new stadium.
IT"S ABOUT TIME WE GOT SOME FOOTBALL PLAYERS!
I WANT PLAYERS WHO WANT TO BANG!
by rotovibe on Apr 29, 2009 9:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Ha, Maybe that's why TO's gone?
Couldn’t keep his hands to himself!!
by Luke. on Apr 30, 2009 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dallas Cowboys
Beyond Thunderdome
by AustonianAggie on Apr 29, 2009 9:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I bet if flies.
Trust them...they know what they're doing.
by Aaron Novinger on Apr 30, 2009 8:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
For $1 Billion, it better!
I AM THE LAST NAKED WARRIOR!
by Nelson... on Apr 30, 2009 9:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why is everybody picking on Ellis?
He’s a whiner but he shouldn’t be mentioned in the same paragraph with permanent backups Ball, Watkins, and Brown. I’m sure he’s not worried about a couple of 4th round reaches. He could eat all the pork rinds he wants and start for any other team in the league (with the possible exception of the NY Giants). Our bottom 3 secondary guys will never sniff the starting lineup with any NFL team.
The one who should be worried is Spencer. These guys could easily be a huge improvement over his 1.5 sacks and fat, unathletic build and bump him down a notch in the depth chart.
by JimmyJohnson on Apr 29, 2009 9:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely right about Ellis..........
I think the only reason he is mentioned in the group of players that should worry is because of his age. I’m not 100% sure but i believe the cowboys could save $4 million against the cap if they let him loose. I’m not saying i would agree with the move but thats how the business goes in the NFL.
by TARHEEL PAUL on Apr 29, 2009 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ellis will
be relegated to a role player, and if he ever figures out how old he is, he will accept it gracefully.
You are right, he does not belong in the category of scrubs who should be fearing the Wild Bunch.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 9:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wouldn't be so sure.
I think that his cap number and his whining are catching up to him. If either Brandon Williams or Victor Butler prove themselves capable, I could see the team moving on.
I’m not high on Spencer either, but the team will at least give him this year to prove himself. There’s no way they want to admit blowing it two years in a row on first round LBs.
Jerry Jones could go in his sock, slap you wit a stack of hundreds, then catch you again on the backswing wit 3 Super Bowl rings. So who the hell are you makin' fun of?
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Apr 29, 2009 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
in a recent interview with jerry jones
he stated something along the lines of he is expecting greg ellis to whine, because thats what he does… every year…
kind of sounded aggitated…
and on the note of anthony spencer… i thought he was ware’esque in training camp last year? i’d love to have him fully healthy all year… if these rookies light a fire under his tail, we could have a devastating set of starting outside backers…
by CowboysFan4Life on Apr 29, 2009 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Spencer
is a punk, getting drunk and fighting with cops. Ellis has earned his spurs in the league.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
by OskieOskie on Apr 29, 2009 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Spencer Is on The Road to Being a Bust
Sure, it is too early to say he will arrive at bust headquarters . . . but Dallas grossly overpaid to move back up to take him at the end of round one. That little late night dust up with alcohol and the police is worrisome. The draft this year ought to make Spencer get off his butt; however, the money and the lack of work ethic, if this be true, is not easy to fix.
by Iowacowboy on Apr 30, 2009 7:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hopefully Spencer gets phased out
Maybe he’ll give the same answer he did to cops
“Who cares? Go ahead,”
by j1veturkey on Apr 29, 2009 10:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I hope not
We already have one 1st round pick going down the tubes in Carp, I’d hate to see the same happen to a guy who has actually shown talent at OLB.
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on Apr 30, 2009 12:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
About our 2 new OLBs...
They seem to be built a little different…..Just from looks Brandon Williams seems to be more suited to be Ware’s backup playing on the weakside whereas Butler looks to be a little bigger and more suited to be a strong side OLB, which means I am going to pay a lot of attention to Butler because if he can show some nice potential I think it could spell the end of Ellis in Dallas
by nicholas.rodriguez on Apr 29, 2009 10:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I was thinking the same thing.
Ware needs some backup and B.Williams can contribute behind him. Butler, may have a good shot at getting some more TC reps behind the Ellis/Spencer situation.
Trust them...they know what they're doing.
by Aaron Novinger on Apr 30, 2009 8:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am all for healthy competition....
…but I kinda got the impression that the problems were centric to team cohesiveness, not putting them at each others throats. I lived in St Louis the year that Kurt took over as QB. Every year prior to that the town bitched and moaned that they must not be working the guys hard enough, or being too soft on them. They didn’t have enough heart. Hell they ran ‘The Bus’ out of town to Pittsburgh because they felt all the offensive woes centered around his apparent lack of effort. The team would turn around and tell you emphatically that no one in the NFL worked as hard as they did. Then the magical happened. They became a team rallied behind an improbably starting quarterback that no one believed could do the job.
Now I am not reading anywhere that Dallas is going to be a team to beat. They have never had more to prove than they do today. Whatever happens in camp I sure hope they find that magic and make it happen during the season.
endeavor to persevere
by captain caveman on Apr 29, 2009 10:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
They might have complained during the Rich Brooks era
(1995-1996) about the team being too soft, but nobody was saying that with the arrival of Dick Vermeil in 1997.
In fact, Vermeil was so tough on the team that the players almost did the unprecedented: They almost staged a walk out. In Vermeil’s third year with the Rams, at the insistenece of management, he toned it down a ‘touch’ and the Rams won the SB.
Almost this exact same scenario played itself out in NY with Tom Coughlin. Coughlin drove his team as hard as Vermeil, was told by management to tone it down a ‘touch’ in his fourth year, and that year they too won the SB.
Moral of the story? It’s much easier to drive your team hard (ala a Jimmy Johnson) and then lighten up a little, than to run a country club (ala a Wade Phillips) and then finally start to toughen up.
That’s just human nature.
by GeoMak on Apr 29, 2009 11:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great angle GD88, a very nice piece. Thanks.
by MooEChili on Apr 29, 2009 10:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
The Defense will be good, what I'm concerned about is the offense
The offense will be a lot different with the likes of T.O. gone. Terry Glenn’s gone, T.O. is gone, so can RW and Miles Austin step up? How about this older offensive line? Can they wear defenses down by running the ball down their throat with the trey backs? Can Jason Garrett be creative enough to keep opposing defenses guessing most of the game? I know that when T.O. was out Dallas had a lot harder time moving the ball. This Dallas Cowboys team is built so that the offense hopefully doesn’t have to put up 30 points a game to win every game. This defense is maturing and has a lot of playmakers. They need to stop the run better than last year and I think they will in 09 because Thomas was just too small in the 3-4. Take away the big play with good FS play and this defense will finally start living up to it’s expectations. Run the ball, play action, keep the opposing offense off the field, win the game. Raising my beer to hoping!
by torchindefenses on Apr 30, 2009 1:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm not worried about the offense
so long Romo and the Cat remain healthy.
In Romo we Trust
by Terry on Apr 30, 2009 8:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
My concern with the offense is getting steady performances
from the offenseive line
by AustonianAggie on Apr 30, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
me too actually
I have more faith in this D than the offense right now. I still quesiton our depth at linebacker and safety, but hopefully some of the rookies come through.
Offensively, while we have talent, there is so much unproven. I think Romo, Witten, Barber & Choice are the only surefire proven weapons we have. Felix was great, but only played 5 or so games, and didn’t touch the ball on any sort of consistent basis. Bennet looked good, but hes still a young guy and a couple plays doesn’t mean hes going ot be a star. I have high hopes for roy, but last year was a disaster. And the oline is very iffy, especially the depth. The East got a lot stronger up front defensively this offseason.
Not saying we won’t be competitive – i think we will. I think we’ll challenge for the division title and at the least make the playoffs and win a game. But we are no sure thing on the offensive side of the ball without TO.
by foyesboys on Apr 30, 2009 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice post Glory
btw, did you notice that the Cards picked up Garrvin from FSU? Hope he gets to show what he can do on the NFL level.
Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Congrats boys first time in team history over .500
by aussie_cowboy on Apr 30, 2009 1:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!! Dammit!!!!!
I think he’s gonna be a standout return guy. Cards are loaded.
Jerry Jones could go in his sock, slap you wit a stack of hundreds, then catch you again on the backswing wit 3 Super Bowl rings. So who the hell are you makin' fun of?
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Apr 30, 2009 4:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed
Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Congrats boys first time in team history over .500
by aussie_cowboy on Apr 30, 2009 5:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think they can repeat this success
they’ve lost both coordinators and were covering remarkable problems on defenses by use of one of the best players in the game
by AustonianAggie on Apr 30, 2009 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Le Sigh.
Drafting Anthony Spencer was supposed to be the “lighting a fire” under the ass of Ellis.
This year’s draft class isn’t going to make him work any harder than he already was.
Every year there’s people fighting for jobs, this year is no different.
The only way the intensity gets driven up during traning camp in ’09 is if the coaching staff enforces it.
by JBell523 on Apr 30, 2009 1:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I disagree.
Every year there’s people fighting for jobs, this year is no different.
True, but look at last year. Last year we knew the role of every pick as soon as they were drafted. We knew Felix was gonna be the 2, Choice was the 3. Bennett was a 2. Jenkins would be a 3/4…..and so on.
We can’t clearly define a the role of any of these 12 guys. They are all going to have to make one.
Jerry Jones could go in his sock, slap you wit a stack of hundreds, then catch you again on the backswing wit 3 Super Bowl rings. So who the hell are you makin' fun of?
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Apr 30, 2009 4:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The New Players Will Light a Fire
No doubt in my mind this dozen and a half new players, plus the guys from last season’s practice squad will make this team better. No doubt in my mind that if there is a close competition between a veteran and a rookie, the rookie is going to win the nod. This team needed a lobotomy; it needed a heart transplant; it needed an enema wth a fire hose. This draft proves this day is upon us – football is mostly a young man’s game and many teams are getting younger – see Packers . . . so Dallas is getting younger too and this is a good thing. Let the death camp begin!
by Iowacowboy on Apr 30, 2009 7:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think we've ever drafted a guy to "light a fire" under ellis' ass
though he does whine a lot, ellis has always been a hard worker and leader for this defense. Spencer was drafted to be able to replace ellis at this point, which he hasn’t lived up to.
And for the most part, we haven’t had too many people fighting for jobs.
If you add 12 hard hitters and intense players to the team, and we can expect about 6-10 to make it, I don’t see any way training camp won’t be more competitive.
by foyesboys on Apr 30, 2009 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
with this draft
Ellis and Carp could be gone.
by ziggy19 on Apr 30, 2009 5:48 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
It feels like
1997 all over again.
Hello 6-10.
by Sharksbreath on Apr 30, 2009 6:36 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
is there some guy on the roster that is 6 foot 10
’cause NO WAY our RECORD will be 6-10 :)
by BishopWest on Apr 30, 2009 7:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
YOU...
…are quite the optimist. Do you miss TO? :]
Hooah.
by .FRoST.USAF on Apr 30, 2009 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why?
Best WR/TE in the division
Best RB Trio in the Division
2nd best O-line in the division
Best LB Core in the Division
Best CB Core in the Division
We won 9 games last year with our QB out for 3 games.
I got us at 10+ I expect our D and ST to be improved.
"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
by Wmillion on Apr 30, 2009 11:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really?
I would disagree about the line and the CBs, We have the best TE in the division, but it’s still up in the air about WR. Santana Moss and DeSean Jackson both had better years last year than Roy W did last year or the year before, and Jackson should be even better this year.
by Baked Potato Soup on Apr 30, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
he meant receivers as a group
which includes tight ends. I don’t think anyone in this division beats roy williams, witten, austin and crayton for sure. We have much more proven commodities than anyone else as of now.
Now of course, if maclin instantly becomes a player for philly, or if devin thomas improves for wahsington, that could change.
by foyesboys on Apr 30, 2009 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
defense
you have to compare front 7, not lb core cause of the different defenses. I think us and the giants have the best front 7, but we do have some moving parts, igor needs to replace canty and brooking needs to replace zach thomas. The Giants added canty and bernard, so i think going into the year, they have to be given a slight edge.
in terms of CBs….i think you need to look at overall secondaries, nto jsut cbs. I think washington is tops in the division in secondary play. Us and new york are second – we have better depth after our #1 cb, but they have better players at safety i think. The Eagles are a huge question mark right now – i can’t believe everyone thinks they are favorites for the division when their only capable safety as of now is ellis hobbs and sheldon brown wants out. They don’t have the pass rush to make up for a lack of players in their secondary considering how pass happy this league is.
by foyesboys on Apr 30, 2009 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Where is Tuna Helper?
"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
by Wmillion on Apr 30, 2009 10:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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