Dallas Cowboys Footnotes: Felix, Romo, and D-Ware

Less than two weeks remain until the Dallas Cowboys open training camp. Pretty soon we will be opining about the ongoing training camp battles, and the prospects of the coming season. At this particular time however, there is not a ton of earth-moving news coming out of Valley Ranch. There were a few minor things in the news this week that stood out to me. Again, these are not huge issues or news stories, just a few things that I felt were worthy of a little discussion.

Felix Jones and the return game:

No one who matters has come right out and said it, but those closer to the organization than I are insinuating that Felix Jones will again be the Cowboys full-time kickoff returner. If there is any truth to this, let me first say "good move." I have always felt that quality return men have been undervalued. Field position is key. Big returns breathe life into the entire team, and return touchdowns are almost like stealing points. Felix has what it takes to be one of the better return men in the game, and I say go for it.

You can’t play the game scared. Sure, there is a bit of a heightened risk that comes along with special teams play, but you can’t keep a game changer off of a special teams unit on the chance that he may get hurt. With that said, if the Cowboys are leading or trailing by 20 points with 3 minutes left, I would rather see Isaiah Stanback or someone else handling kickoffs.

I know Felix got hurt last season, but I am not ready to buy into the talk about him being fragile. Not yet. Now if he goes on IR again next season then we will have something to talk about. Jones will likely have an expanded role on offense. Still, the amount of touches he gets on offense should not be a number so great that he would be wearing himself down by returning kickoffs. Even if Jones gets 15 offensive touches every game, another 4-5 kickoffs should not be enough to wear down the 22-year old Jones. I think the Cowboys would be making the right call by again making Felix Jones the full-time kickoff returner.

Tony Romo and the camera:

Funnyordie.com is one of my favorite websites. It is basically a tube for funny videos and segments of standup comedy. Check out this video, starring none other than our beloved starting quarterback Tony Romo ((FanShot here from Seanrude). I’m sure Tony didn’t write it himself, but I’ve got to say it’s pretty funny. It’s not nearly as funny as this video about Tony, but not bad.

I’m going to take a position that is probably going to be an unpopular one on this subject. I personally was refreshed by this video. I’ve never seen Tony show this side before. I was just happy to see that he wasn’t in a basement somewhere, toeing a shotgun trigger, thinking about all of the pressure that now rests on his shoulders. I’m glad to see that he is loose because he needs to be.

It doesn’t bother me when Romo makes a funny video, or goes off and plays golf for a weekend. The last thing I want is for him to be agonizing over the pressure. I would probably think a little less of him if he kept his head down solely to please those who question his dedication. This video shows that Tony Romo is comfortable in his own skin, and that he doesn’t care much about what anyone has to say about him. I like that.

DeMarcus Ware and the contract:

Am I the only one who is reluctant to read any stories that have the words DeMarcus Ware and contract in the heading. All this time I’ve been kind of closing my eyes, and never really entertaining the horrific thought of DeMarcus Ware eventually hitting the open market. It’s one of those issues that you treat the same way you treat those old student loans. You just think that if you just don’t open the mail, then maybe it will just go away.

I still think that this will get done. The Cowboys want DeMarcus Ware to be a Cowboy for life, and by all accounts, Ware wants the same. Supposedly the two sides are a ways apart on the proposed length of the deal. The Cowboys want to lock Ware up long term, but Ware wants a bit shorter deal, so that he can cash in on one more payday in his prime.

I know I’m the guy who is always saying never to negotiate out of fear, but boy if there is ever a time to just bend over and take it, this is it. I hope that the Cowboys do whatever they can to get this deal done. Ware is the guy who makes the defense go, and has a chance to truly be an all-time great. The scary thing is that he is still improving. With Wade Phillips running the defense full-time, and hopefully a bit better coverage in the secondary, Ware’s numbers could go through the roof this season. Ware is already poised to become one of the highest paid defensive players in the league's history, and he isn’t going to get any cheaper.

The Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison for 6 years/ $51.75 million. Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs just re-signed with the team for 6 years/$63 million ($33.1 million guaranteed). It was said months ago that these two deals, upon completion would serve as somewhat of a template for Ware’s deal. The problem is that DeMarcus Ware is younger and more talented than both players, so his contract should trump both of these. I really hope that this thing doesn’t get ugly. The Cowboys have got to do whatever it takes to get Ware locked up for the future.