The answer is that MB3 is working out in Miami. Nick Eatman has a very good article looking at the situation involving Marion Barber and to a lesser extent Ken Hamlin. Both players have yet to sign the tenders and the thought is that their agents and the Cowboys are trying to hammer out long-term deals. Eatman wonders why they can’t be at Valley Ranch anyway seeing as how both will be playing for the Cowboys this year. They have until June 1^st to sign their current tenders and after that point the Cowboys can actually lower them. I wouldn’t expect any shenanigans like that occurring but the underlying point of them not being at the Ranch is valid. Surely Felix Jones and Tashard Choice could benefit from MB3’s presence even though he’s one of the quietest Cowboys on the team. They could watch his work ethic and follow his examples in their first steps towards having an NFL career. On the other hand, Hamlin is considered one of the vocal leaders on the defense and could definitely be helping guys like Jenkins and Scandrick get acquainted with the Cowboys secondary. It’s not that unusual for players who have yet to be signed to work out elsewhere during the offseason, sometimes even players who are signed don’t make regular trips to the facilities during this period. But it sure would be nice if MB3 and Hamlin were there. Chris Canty, another player who still hasn’t signed his tender, has been present at all Valley Ranch functions.

MB3’s situation is getting tricky considering the initial reports about the money he’s asking for – LT-type money. The Cowboys are not going to go down that road and may be taking a page out the Romo playbook by waiting to see how MB3 performs this year as the undisputed starter. If the Barbarian proves to be a feature back that can be counted on to carry the load, they might be willing to give him a fairly sizable contract thought I doubt they are going to break the bank the way Drew Rosenhaus would like them to do. But at least the Cowboys have some insurance by drafting El Gato and Taster’s Choice, but those two have to prove it on the field before they can turn into real leverage in the MB3 negotiations.

The Cowboys also are bring in Ray-Ray’s little bro, Keon Lattimore. Being an ACC guy I watched Lattimore play on a few different occasions and thought he was an OK back. When he told his older brother Ray Lewis that he had signed an UDFA contract with the Cowboys, Ray broke down and cried. 

"When he called me and said, 'Bro, I'm a Cowboy,' the tears came easy," Lewis said. "I love him like a brother, but I've always looked at him like my child, too. When your child accomplishes something like that and you know you had a major part in it, it's an amazing feeling.

"The emotions I felt that day were overwhelming."

Zach Thomas fells like he’s ready to go and that the injuries are not going to bother him this season.

"When I see my game decline or I'm at risk health-wise, I'll shut it down. There are guys that can't turn the page. I'm not one of those guys. I know I still have game."

I’ve tried to stay away from Romo’s romantic life but I had to pass along this zinger in the San Jose Mercury News. 

Jessica and Tony: Well, are they or aren't they?

It's The Great Debate: Are Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson done? "Extra" and "Access Hollywood" say no. TMZ.com and the Dallas Morning News say yes. And the Cowboys are just thankful to have the calm, stabilizing influence of Terrell Owens and maybe Pacman Jones.

Nice. BTW, if you’re interested, here’s a pic of the supposed new-woman Romo’s pursuing. Gee, you think Romo might have "a type?"

I’d be happy with a playoff win this year but my team doesn’t just play for playoff wins. We play for Super Bowls.

Foxsports.com’s John Czarnecki lists five teams he believes could compete for a championship and guess who made the cut? That’s right! The Dallas Cowboys. Key graphs.

Dallas simply ran out of gas and defensive backs last season when the Giants upset them in the playoffs. That shouldn't happen this year because the Cowboys are loaded at cornerback if Pacman Jones is reinstated (and continues to behave himself), plus if rookies Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick continue to improve. Scandrick, a fifth-round pick from Boise State, out-played Jenkins in a recent mini-camp. Starters Anthony Henry and Terence Newman return. Granted, the Cowboys have to figure out how to handle safety Roy Williams, who remains a major liability in pass coverage. If Wade Phillips can figure out how to use Williams properly, the defense should be prepared for all those three and four receiver sets that worked so successfully against it last season.

The Cowboys remain solid on offense as long as Tony Romo keeps improving. Jason Garrett knows how to keep Terrell Owens motivated and tight end Jason Witten is a rising star. And don't worry about the loss of Julius Jones in free agency because rookies Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, who rushed for over 2,800 yards at Georgia Tech, give Garrett two options next to bruiser Marion Barber. Granted, the NFC East could be football's toughest division this season, but the Cowboys caught a schedule break by catching the NFC West and the AFC North this season.

Of course I agree with Czarnecki about the Cowboys but the list is kind of dubious. He also cites the Vikings, the Panthers and the Browns as teams that could end up in the Super Bowl this year. Yikes. Don’t know about the Vikings or the Browns. The Vikings have QB problems and the Browns are in a tough division. The Panthers always seems to be on lists like these but it never seems to materialize. I think the ‘Boys are really the only team ready to challenge for a ring on this list. Just my unbiased opinion.

Tony Romo and Patrick Crayton look back at the playoff loss to the Giants. They come to two conclusions: that sucked and we can learn from it.

Drew Pearson and Tony Casillas are being inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Congrats guys.

What’s that old school classic by The Stylistics? "Break Up to Make Up" is the song I'm thinking about. Is this the nature of Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson’s relationship? As the song says, "break to make up/ that’s all we do/ that’s all we do/ first you love me/then you hate me/ that’s a game for fools."

Romo was heard saying "Me and Jessica are done" in Chicago. Then Team Jessica responded quickly to stamp out that rumor. Romo has reiterated that he doesn’t want to talk about it. So that’s where we are: the adamant denial of a rumor but Team Jess while Romo stays quiet.

Wow. Too much tabloid junk for me to handle. I need a shower.

ESPN has a pretty good Q&A with T.O.

Sam Alipour had an interesting 10-minute phone conversation with Owens. The highlights of the conversation are: his thoughts on Simpson writing a song about Romo on her new album, Flavor Flav being a huge Cowboy and T.O. fan and what his gift would be if and when Romo and Simpson decide to get married.

Pretty hilarious.

Hat tip to jsams for his FanShot here.

Since Roy Williams seems to be getting a lot of negative publicity over the last week or so, I decided to post something positive for the man Cowboys fans love to hate. Roy’s charity foundation goes all out for select groups of mothers on Mother’s Day.

This year Williams is planning something bigger with a spa day, where a group of women will be pampered with manicures and massages while their kids will be have fun at a go-kart racing track.

"Sometimes I can go a little crazy, but it just makes me so happy to see their faces," says Williams. "You have to respect the moms for Mother's Day."

The article also talks with Roy’s mom.

Meanwhile, over at the DMN blog Calvin Watkins has a post talking all about Roy. 

Ok, I think everybody knows Roy Williams isn't going to another team. The Cowboys are not going to cut him. So let's stop this Roy Williams needs to go blog posts. They are really stupid.

Hey, Watkins said that, not me. Another nugget about whether Roy can revive his game this year.

Can he? Yes. Two opposing coaches told me they would take Williams in a minute if he were on the open market. Williams, however, needs to play much better in this 3-4 scheme. He has to study his playbook more, come in much better shape, and attack defenders. The scheme is not the problem. DeMarcus Ware, Ken Hamlin, Anthony Henry and Ellis had no problems with it.

And the defensive coaches need to stop babying him. I thought they did a lot of that last year. Dave Campo is no babysitter and that will probably help Williams more than anything else. Williams needs to be challenged.

My city paper has a nice article about Tashard Choice. It’s worth a read and talks about the budding relationship between Choice and El Gato.

"We have a good relationship," Felix Jones said. "We met at the [NFL scouting] combine and clicked. He's somebody I can talk to and relate to. We're going through the same thing. We're going to compete out there on the field but in the locker room, we're friends and we'll communicate. We talk about things."

This is a weird article. It’s about people who want their ashes spread at sports sites after they’re dead. It includes a Cowboys reference.

[Al] Everest's namesake uncle Al, was a big Cowboy fan and knew his football-oriented family — his brother Andy was a coach and his nephews played and coached football — would always think of him when they saw Texas Stadium if his ashes were scattered there.

"I'd had his ashes for a couple of years and my sister Kathy and brother Tom finally decided to do something about it," Al Everest said. "There might have been some liquid refreshment involved, but they took Uncle Al's ashes to the stadium and scattered them on the flowers outside the gate. It worked: I never see the Cowboys but what I think of Uncle Al."

What do the Cowboys think of such practices?

"It probably happens and we sort of turn a blind eye if people are discreet," said Rich Dalrymple, spokesman for the Dallas Cowboys. "But we don't really feel it's appropriate. And besides, these things have a way of turning into elaborate ceremonies and we don't want a stream of hearses pulling up to the stadium."