Mickey Spags most recent novel concerns Zach Thomas. It’s a pretty good article and I recommend that you read it. But in the interest of time, I’ll pull out the two most relevant parts. One concerns the good job the Dolphins defense did on the Cowboys until late in the game when the two teams met early in 2007. Mickey relates what Romo said to him after the game.
I remember Romo telling me a while afterward the Dolphins' defense was extremely difficult to play against. And he said one reason was the Thomas' ability to play the pass from his middle linebacker position; that he still had the speed and savvy to get depth under all those throws down the middle. And I'm darn sure you don't remember Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, he of the 96-catch season, caught only two passes in that game, matching his season low.
The other nugget of interest are the numbers for cutting someone to make room for Thomas.
Plus cutting or trading guys costs. Cut or trade Carpenter, as many of you are suggesting, would cost the Cowboys $4.5 million this year if done before June 1 or $1.5 million this year and $3 million next if later. The same with Ayodele, the guy it would seem Thomas might challenge for a starting job. The Cowboys still must account for three-fifths of his prorated $5 million signing bonus. That comes to $3 million if not on the roster before June 1 or $1 million this year and $2 million next if he vanishes afterward.
A good article over at SI.com on the CB's at the combine today.
A couple of samples:
Mike Jenkins, South Florida: Jenkins was clearly the class of the cornerback position Tuesday. He started swiftly, clocking in the mid 4.3s in the 40. Jenkins continued to impress with a great practice session, showing some of the finest footwork, hip movement and hands of the day. He also completed 18 reps on the bench, one of the better marks for his position. Scouts came away thinking Jenkins had solidified himself as the top corner in the draft.
We might have known that if the NFL Network would have bothered to show us his workout.
On the downside:
Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech: Scouts and general managers from a number of teams ranked Flowers as their top cornerback in the draft, but that is likely to change. Flowers was unable to break the 4.5-second mark Tuesday and looked ordinary during the practice session.
Also, from the Ranch Report: DRC’s representatives say that the Cowboys are the team that have shown the "most interest" in DRC. I like.
Jerry Jones discusses the labor agreement and the possible labor unrest in the future. My mind is too caught up in this offseason, I can’t even contemplate down-the-road labor issues right now.