clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

When sportswriters attack...

Matt Mosley's getting a little testy on his blog today about some of Bill Parcells' decisions, especially the impending release/trade of Mosley's golden boy, Drew Henson.

In the end, Bill Parcells said he "just didn't see enough" in Henson, who arrived via trade (third-round pick) in 2004. The truth is that Parcells never wanted him here in the first place.

A few of us have been told that Henson's former boss, Yankees manager Joe Torre, told Parcells not to expect much from his former high-profile third base prospect.

That's why Henson was always a Jerry Jones vehicle. He was enamored with Henson's size (6-5) and mobility.


Saying "the truth is that Parcells never wanted him here in the first place" in the context of the rest of the blog entry is code. It stands in place of: Henson could've been the greatest QB since Joe Montana and Parcells still wouldn't have played him. Please, give me a break. If Parcells saw something in Henson that he thought would help him to win he would've played him. I was out at practice for two weeks - Mosley was there, too - so I ask if we saw the same player out there? The Henson I saw was erratic, his passes were routinely off-target, he held the ball forever before making a decision; in short, he just wasn't very good. More Mosley:
He's had his delivery changed, his poise questioned and his success in NFL Europe almost mocked. Some of you will say Parcells gave him a chance against the Bears two years ago on Thanksgiving. I say Parcells gave him a chance to fail. When he made costly mistakes in the first half, Parcells decided to insert a quarterback stumbling toward retirement.

Am I taking up for Henson? Not really, although I do know him pretty well and wish him success. What I'm saying is that Bill Parcells determined that Henson wasn't going to be successful here a long time ago.

Yes, you are taking up for Henson by saying that Parcells was determined to make the kid fail. You're implying that Henson's failure here in Dallas was not of his own doing. Mosely never entertains the notion that Henson just might be a bad QB. I'm all for having an opinion, but don't be afraid to admit your underlying motivation. Mosley wasn't done with Parcells, from another blog entry:

If you're scoring at home, Procter was an undrafted player out of the University of Montana who was signed off Detroit's practice squad last season. Peterman's the latest in what is becoming a disturbing trend for a coach who supposedly specializes in recognizing talented young offensive linemen.

I thought Parcells was a coach who supposedly specializes in winning. Besides that, yes, Peterman was a bust, but where's the credit for recognizing that Procter seems to be a pretty good prospect and Parcells spotted him on the Lions' practice squad? Doesn't it work both ways? I don't know what's up with Mosley today - actually, I do - or why I felt compelled to write my response. I usually enjoy his articles.

Terrell Owens and his hamstring are making more news. I'll pass on the quotes without comment.

"I felt like I've done that before, and gotten no respect from it," Owens said. "I'm just going to do what's best for me, and I know what's best for this team, and I know I'm looking at the big picture, and I know we need to win ball games and try to get to the playoffs and obviously, ultimate goal to win the Super bowl."

"I felt like I was never pressured to get back on the field, I just tried to compromise with some people, just try to be around the team and get back on there," Owens said. "It just flared up again...just because the MRI doesn't show anything, that doesn't mean that I'm not hurting."

"We need him back as soon as we can, but we don't need to put him in a bad situation where he comes back and hurts it again," tight end Jason Witten said. "I don't think he is feeling any pressure from us nor do we want to put it on him. We hope he's back for the first game."


Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Blogging The Boys Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your Dallas Cowboys news from Blogging The Boys