Bill Parcells spoke to the media yesterday; the first time we've heard about player personnel decisions from the Tuna in the offseason. So when the big man speaks, you need to listen because he's running the show in Dallas.
So what did he have to say? I'm going to crib liberally fromm the DMN article.
"I think the team was pretty good for a while there and improving. We started to have some problems. Basically with the offensive line, where most of it started to occur. We had [Flozell] Adams out after that. That kind of exposed us a little bit."
Music to any Cowboys fan's ears. Offensive line depth is going to be the key issue for 2006. FA and the draft will include plenty of candidates for any spot along the line. Parcells boiled the 2005 failure down to Flozell Adams getting hurt and having no backup plan.
"You know our receivers were pretty productive - the starters. I think we have a couple of young guys that could be in the three-, four-, five-receiver category. Now can they elevate themselves into the one, two category? I can't tell you that right now. I was thinking [Patrick] Crayton could do that earlier in the year, but I'm still not sure."
Parcells doesn't give any indication that the wide receiver position will be an issue in the offseason. I guess if Santonio Holmes dropped into their laps they would have to consider it, but otherwise, he looks content with what he has.
And speaking of wide receivers:
"Well, this guy isn't even free yet, so I wouldn't know."
He's not giving anybody a headline to use about Dallas and T.O.
"He's coming back. I would think so. He's under contract, and we don't have any plans to trade him. When you've got a young team changing defenses with rookies, these vets don't always understand the pace you've got to go.
"I know we're going to try to do a couple of different things that involve Greg this year."
The news seems to get better for Greg Ellis as time passes, unless Ellis wants out of Dallas. I still think they'll shop his name anyway, just to see what they could get, but unless it's too good to pass up it looks like Ellis will be back.
On the other hand:
"Well, this is where I think I don't have much for you because there's tremendous uncertainty going on [because of the collective bargaining agreement]."
That's not exactly a vote of confidence for La'Roi. His cap number is just too big for the amount of playing time he'll get. I'm still confident they're going to release Glover, as much as I hate to see a good player go.
"If he's smart, he will [stay in New England]. Because he'd be Bobby Orr and Carl Yasztremski and John Havlicek. That guy's done a lot. ... I'd say we might be in the kicking market."
I think the translation goes like this: we aren't going to pay the kind of money he's going to get, we have our eye on a cheaper kicker, so as a disinterested party I would advise him to stay with the Patriots.