Cowboys wide receivers ranked 8th

Scouts, Inc. ranks the WR corps of each team today. They have the Cowboys at #8. 

Even though the Cowboys extended Terrell Owens' contract recently, he still turns 35 this season. However, he continues to play at a very high level. Patrick Crayton can be a decent No. 2 receiver opposite Owens. He can align both in the slot and on the outside, where he can utilize his size and speed to get separation. He is above-average route-runner with big-play ability. Terry Glenn is an experienced player with explosive playmaking skills, but played in only one game last season due to a knee injury. There is uncertainty with his future playing status with the Cowboys. Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback all contributed on special team units last season and must find consistent roles in offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's multiple spread sets. The Cowboys don't have a lot depth behind their experienced starters.

T.O. keeps us in the Top 10 on his ability alone. Patrick Crayton gets some props about his speed? I never thought of Crayton as a speed guy or a big play guy. I always saw him as a good route-runner with good hands (yes, good hands, the Giants playoff game was an aberration.) I didn’t think Stanback contributed that much on special teams but I wouldn’t swear by that. Anyway, we ended up behind the Patriots, Cardinals, Bengals, Packers, Colts, Browns and Lions.

DC.com continues its series on the assistant coaches with a look at defensive line coach Todd Grantham. He was the defensive coordinator for the Browns before they canned him over the offseason  and that’s where Brian Stewart stepped in to get him on staff. Stewart and Grantham coached together with the Texans. Our DL sure has a lot of talent and Grantham uses that for motivation.

Grantham certainly does have a deep roster of players to work with, something the coach admits is a huge advantage for him. The depth allows him to motivate the starters and backups in different ways. The starters are constantly challenged by the backups, who are trying to get more playing time. That challenge gets the starters to become even better.

"I think that even the guys who have been here, like Chris Canty - who has been a strong guarder, he's improved his play," Grantham said. "I think that competition there is what allows us to improve on things that they did last year."

Hey, what’s our old friend Ken Norton, Jr. been up to?

Maiava's [linebacker] position coach [at USC], Ken Norton Jr., won Super Bowl rings with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers during a 13-year NFL career.

"In high school I was basically running around with my head cut off," Maiava said. "(Norton) taught me everything; it's just a different game now. The fire he brings — just watching film he gets intense and loses his mind — he lives and dies with the game. It's just been amazing being coached by that guy."

And speaking of Norton, here’s an article about fan favorites jumping ship to rival teams.

Longtime Cowboy Ken Norton, Jr., fresh off two straight NFC Championship Game victories over the 49ers, jumped ship in the winter of '94, opting to man the linebacker spot for hated San Francisco the following season. Wearing Niners' metallic gold and cardinal red, Norton won a third straight NFC Championship Game -- this time over the Cowboys -- and helped lead San Francisco to the franchise's fifth Super Bowl ring two weeks later.

I have to admit, seeing Norton playing for the 49ers made me ill.