Reminder: Saturday morning the Scouting Combine kicks into high gear.
Saturday, Feb. 24
11 a.m. ET: Workouts: Tight Ends, Kickers and Offensive Linemen (LIVE) (repeats at 4 & 8 p.m.)
I'm interested in three guys so far, but I'm sure watching the o-line prospects on the field will peak my interest in others. I want to see Justin Blalock, Ben Grubbs and Aaron Sears. Yeah, I'm looking for a Marco Rivera replacement. I'll also be looking at some tackles in case Marc Colombo decides to cash-in and the Cowboys would rather spend their money elsewhere. But I'm still optimistic that the Cowboys and Colombo will get something worked out.
The rest of the Scouting Combine schedule can be found here.
The DMN blog has a couple of interesting items.
With Drew Bledsoe expected to be released before he is due a $1 million roster bonus, Wade Phillips said he would think the Cowboys would be in the market for a veteran backup.
We all guessed it would be a veteran QB, but it's good to hear it from the coach. In his latest article, Mickey Spags makes the point that Cowboys fans have been ignoring the backup QB situation when talking about the biggest needs in the offseason. I think it's more of a case of we know we need one, we know they're going to sign someone, so we tend to classify it as a necessity, not an option. Instead we like arguing about whether we should get a new o-line, bring in safety help, get more help in the pass rush, add a corner and move Henry, you know, stuff that is debatable. We know we need a backup QB, so the only debate is who it will be, not whether it's a need.
And we've had some discussion on who the backup QB should be, here. Right now, I'm thinking about Damon Huard.
More stuff from the DMN:
Yes, he will continue to play outside linebacker, which he was not completely thrilled with before the season. And Phillips has offered some motivation.
"I told him it's the same position that Rickey Jackson, Bryce Paup and Shawne Merriman played," Phillips said. "I think most of them led the league in sacks."
That's a big question that we just don't know the answer to - how healthy will Greg Ellis be for 2007? Achilles tendon injuries can be tricky, and Ellis isn't a spring chicken. But if he can get back to playing like he was before the injury last year, then that may save us from having to spend a lot of money or a high draft pick on some OLB help. If Carpenter continues to get better, Ellis gets healthy, and DeMarcus Ware continues to do his thing, we could generate some pass rush.
Mickey Spags has a new mailbag column that is worth a read. Lots of stuff on potential backup QB's and a detailed explanation of the "Quality Control" coach.