Pretty good article from ESPN Insider breaking down the Cowboys offseason moves (sub. req.). Occasionally, I read something that makes me really wish I had written it. So it was with the opening paragraph of this article:
If there is one thing we have learned about Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Bill Parcells, it is that they don't believe in mediocrity. It won't be tolerated and, when it occurs, drastic measures will be taken.
That's about as accurate as it gets. Now, those drastic measures may not always turn out to be right, but at least they take them. Take, for instance, the signing of Owens, the man who desecrated the star; he of the divided locker rooms.
Well, that is why Jones is one of the best owners in the NFL. He doesn't get caught up in the past. He is all about winning, and maybe a little about the bottom line as I am sure those No. 81 Owens jerseys are flying out of the stores at a pretty rapid rate.
Despite all of our varied opinions of the Terrell Owens signing, and there were many opinions, there's one thing no one is debating: On the field, the guy is going to help us in a big way. With Owens, Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, Julius Jones and others ready to score the points, there's only one issue on offense.
The bottom line is this: Bledsoe still can play when he gets protection up front. He showed time and time again last season that when his offensive line performed, he could pick a defense apart. When the offensive line got whipped, he was basically a shell of himself.
So true - remember the first Philly game last year? That was a thing of beauty. The offense was an unstoppable machine in that game. Then next week Flozell goes down and it all starts to fall apart.
Lots of teams can score, but can they play defense?
The deciding factor will be who can stop people. When you look at Dallas' front seven right now, this is a unit that should definitely be a top-10 defense versus the run as well as the pass because of its ability to get consistent pressure on opposing QBs.
So what's it all mean?
The Cowboys appear to be a lot tougher both mentally and physically than they were a season ago. That is something they needed to accomplish this offseason, to eliminate the sour taste that resulted from their late-season fade in 2005. This is a recipe that should bring an NFC East crown to the Cowboys come January.
Love it.