Profile: Matt Stewart - Friend of Phillips

by Jim Vance on May 9, 2009 2:20 PM CDT in General Comment 34 comments

[Note by Grizz]: Final profile in our discussion of our new free agents. Matt Stewart is spotlighted below by Jim Vance. Can Stewart provide any help at LB, or is he strictly special teams? Can Wade Phillips get the production out of him he got earlier this decade? Is Stewart in playing shape after being out of football? Read Jim's profile then discuss how Matt Stewart will fare this season. [End Note]

Matt Stewart is 29 years old and stands 6'3" weighing in at 239 pounds.

Stewart was one of the first Cowboy free agents signed this off season.

He was originally drafted by Atlanta in the fourth round, 102nd overall, in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played for the Falcons for four years and it was there he worked with Keith Brooking and Wade Phillips. He signed as an unrestricted free agent with Cleveland on March 15, 2005.

He played for Cleveland for three seasons, however for his entire third season (2007) he was on injured reserve with a torn shoulder muscle. Stewart was an unrestricted free agent in 2008 and signed with the Cardinals but was cut before the season started.


Year	Team	Tackles	Asst.	Sacks	Ints.
2001	Falcons	9	3	0	0
2002	Falcons	48	5	3	0
2003	Falcons	59	17	2.5	0
2004	Falcons	56	11	1.5	0
2005	Browns	26	12	0	1
2006	Browns	11	1	1	0

Total		209	49	8	1

When you look at his league travels you get the impression that he may be more of a backup/special teamer than actual starter material. But what you also notice is that when Stewart was teamed up with Wade Phillips' defense, he had his best years. From '02 to '04, Stewart was productive as a linebacker for Phillips when teamed with with the other Cowboys free agent from Atlanta, Keith Brooking.

I think Wade was also willing to give him a shot because Stewart is a high character guy with high intelligence. Look at his accomplishments at Vanderbilt - he has a degree in mechanical engineering, he was SEC honor roll as junior and senior, a team captain, team MVP, Gray MVP in the Blue Gray All Star Team, All -SEC leading his team in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss.

Stewart will have competition from some of the rookies this year and signing him may have been a gamble. If you are going to take a chance on a guy, Matt Stewart is the kind of high character player that is worth the risk.

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Comments

1st!!!!!

by Este on May 9, 2009 2:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Camp fodder

by quincyyyyy on May 9, 2009 2:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Took my exact quote.

A post on a guy who’s been out of football for 2 years?

Who had all of 11 tackles in 2006?

Is it really that slow?

I’d rather debate guns!

by Realist Larry on May 9, 2009 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You gave it a pretty good 'shot' earlier.

by GalTex on May 9, 2009 3:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol!

by Realist Larry on May 9, 2009 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're welcome to start your own blog

to discuss guns! Thanks for all the appreciation of the tireless work people put into keeping this blog going.

by Dave Halprin on May 9, 2009 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Larry, i know you probably didn’t intend to seem disrespectful. but, your comment doesn’t read very well.

by falconPUNCH on May 9, 2009 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

After all the focus on the draft

I appreciate this series going back and reviewing all the FAs now.

And I can see why Stewart makes sense. Could be kind of a sleeper if being next to Brooking and under Wade brings out his best.

by scottmaui on May 9, 2009 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything"

OK, I could have just moved on.

And I didn’t mean to be disrespectful to the person who wrote it.

Was kinda going w/ the original ‘camp fodder’ arguement…..

by Realist Larry on May 9, 2009 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There comes a moment in life....

….when someone is so deeply offensive in this realm in which we live that the recipient of the abuse, along with many unsuspecting victims caught in the crossfire, are so integrally hurt and taken aback by the attack that their forthcoming days, weeks, and months are relegated to a depressing, zombie-walk.

This, Larry, is what you’ve done to all of us with your unprovoked lashing-out. Where do we go from here…….

…thanks…

by KaceOFbass on May 9, 2009 4:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

skewed humor

I like that!

I just may go watch “Evil Dead”.

by Realist Larry on May 9, 2009 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

good flick...my favorite horror movie..

by My_2_Cents on May 9, 2009 6:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's a trick, get an axe.

Bruce Campbell is the man.

Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!

by cowboy78 on May 10, 2009 9:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like posts giving info on the players on our roster. Until now Stewart was just a name. Now he is a person. Keep up the good work.

Rockytop

by rockytop on May 9, 2009 8:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

More productive than Spencer

every year he played. If he really is back from the injury, he should get a shot. But, if wade thought he had a chance with this guy, we should have drafted 1 or 2 fewer longshot prospects for the same position.

by JimmyJohnson on May 9, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No doubt

the coaches satisfied themselves that Stewart can still play in some role. Looks like WP is putting the pieces together to suit his 34 (imagine Grizz’s Phillips 34 graphic).

Larry, you may not have meant to offend, but why don’t you go drop a few bucks in the camp fund to make amends. Just saying.

Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.

by OskieOskie on May 9, 2009 3:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I've given what I can

But the year my 3 kids finish college, I may fund the whole trip!

Except I’ll be in debt even more….

by Realist Larry on May 10, 2009 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps the year AFTER they finish college?

lol

by mdlusk on May 12, 2009 2:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No offense taken

Grizz had the idea to have a series on the free agents, and if you’re going to have a series then you have to include ALL of the FAs signed. As sure as Ike, if I had omitted Matt Stewart because he had only 11 tackles and been out for two years, there would have been 30 comments reminding me about Matt Stewart!!

I appreciate the defense from Grizz and all others, but I also appreciate the comments that readers make..all of them. It means you’re reading the posts.

I used to have a reputation for saying things that popped into my head. I was told more than once that I offended some people. The best advice I got in that regard was from my Old Man. He said, “Son, you don’t have to tell your best friend his sister is ugly. Just keep quiet and never ask her out on a date.”

"He has a peculiar felicity of expression." John Adams

by Jim Vance on May 9, 2009 3:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

lol

by scottmaui on May 9, 2009 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

classy

thanks

I didn’t even remember signing the guy!

by Realist Larry on May 9, 2009 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now that's a precious gem (that advice, that is).

by GalTex on May 9, 2009 4:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Probably less than 30 comments

But he was an off season FA signing, so you have to give a synopsis.

I doubt he makes it to the final 53.

Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.

by APerfectStar on May 9, 2009 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow.

Anybody catch the ending of game 4 of the Mavs/Nuggets series? Talk about another kick in the nuts for us Mavs fans….pretty much sums up the franchise.

by Thehomerpimpson on May 9, 2009 8:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

yep

thank god for the Cowboys

by quincyyyyy on May 9, 2009 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

BTB's

Grizz

I appreciate your efforts on my most favorite of subjects.

I am a moderator on a different type of board (totally different subject) and know how hard it can be to keep new posts with a new subject on a daily time table.

My hat’s off you and the entire BTB’s team.

Now to the subject at hand: M.Stewart, I don’t think he well make this team, but nothing says he can’t show enough to make another.

I live and die with the Dallas Cowboys

by stxshooter on May 9, 2009 10:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks stx,

you know what it’s like. We’re not machines that just spit out articles, and this isn’t our job, we all have to make money some other way. Plus, BTB is free. That’s quite the bargain!

Thanks for reading and commenting.

As for Stewart, I think he has a pretty fair shot of making this team. His vet minimum must be around $600,000, and the Cowboys might have given him a little more or a signing bonus. If Wade didn’t think he could play and contribute, I doubt seriously they would waste the money or the training camp invite. I watched him play in Atlanta, for a couple of years there he was a valuable member of the defense. Being out of the game hurts his chances, but I got a feeling Wade wants him here for a reason that is more than being a camp body.

by Dave Halprin on May 10, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Show potential and desire...

That is what I want from the rookies. Even if they are not as good as the vets at the end of camp as long as they are in the ball park I would think about keeping them over Stewart, Carpenter and Ellis. Maybe the Boys could get a low round pick for Carp if some team has a LB go down. I don’t think you could trade Ellis because of his contract being high for his age.

Come on Rookies make the scouts look good!

by christmasisdraftday on May 9, 2009 11:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He's a longshot

Wade is probably just giving him a chance because he was a good guy to have around. If he beats out the rooks, we didn’t do as well in the draft as we had hoped.

Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.

Joe ThEEsman

by SB Six on May 9, 2009 11:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think it's more than just "giving a good guy another chance..."

But, also less than a 50 / 50 to make the roster. My guess is Wade saw a guy that is smart enough and been around his version of the 3/4 enough to be as good as another coach out there. Better in some ways, when you consider the value of on-field leadership.

With all the draftees, Stewart will have a tough time making it in Big D. But he can show his mettle to other teams … he can show potential ability as a future coach … and he can CERTAINLY contribute as a leadership and experience presence on the field in training camp.

Tar Heels = National Champs in Basketball ... top 5 in Baseball ... Top 10 this year in Football?

by DalaiLuke on May 10, 2009 7:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

True Dat (pun intended)

I’m glad Dat is on the squad. He was one of the most instinctive LB’s I’ve ever seen. My last memory of him has a Cowboy was accurately yelling “Watch the shovel pass!” against the Eagles. He has alot to teach LB’s in general. But he doesn’t know the nuances of being a 3-4 LB.

Maybe Stewart can bring some of the young guys along without stepping on Dat’s toes.

by JimmyJohnson on May 10, 2009 8:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope Dat makes Jason Wiiliams his pet

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 May 10, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs