Todd Archer checks up on the Demarcus Ware contract situation. The all-everything OLB doesn't sound too worried. Ware joked about the $20 million and $41 million respectively guaranteed to all-pro defenders James Harrison and Albert Haynesworth.
"I feel like it's somewhere in there," Ware said. "It's not 51. It might not be 100. It's somewhere between the two. Maybe it's 94."
[snip]
"I'm not frustrated because at the end of the day I know I can play," said Ware, who led the league with 20 sacks in 2008. "Like I say, I'm a Ferrari. The only thing I do is appreciate. It's on them to get it done."
Todd Archer at the DMN blog on players that will be attending the upcoming rookie camp besides the draft picks.
Those without a full season will be on hand, mostly guys from last year's practice squad. They are: tight end Rodney Hannah, center Ryan Gibbons, defensive lineman Marcus Dixon, fullback Julius Crosslin and offensive lineman Matt Spanos.
Been wondering about the backup NT, besides Junior Siavii? Maybe Marcus Dixon is in the mix.
Of the vets, I'm looking forward to seeing Dixon. Jerry Jones talked him up the last few times we spoke, saying he might be able to get in the mix as a backup nose tackle.
Will there be even more competition at inside linebacker? Coach Phillips suggested that sixth-round pick Stephen Hodge will get some looks there.
"We'll have to see," Phillips said. "Obviously, he hasn't played linebacker. But he played safety and made a lot of tackles. He came up a lot and made a lot of plays and obviously was a real good safety. We see him as an inside 'backer and we'll just have to get a feel for if he can do both."
Hat tip to CowboyHornedFrogs for his FanPost on Hodge.
Gilmer, Texas native, Manuel Johnson, talks to KTTB radio about being drafted by the Cowboys. Topics discussed are Jerry Jones' explanation to him of why they didn't draft him earlier (a focus on defense), his chances of climbing up the wide receiver depth chart in Big D, and how being picked by the Cowboys was worth waiting into the seventh-round.
It's easy for us couch-sitters to be skeptical about every draft pick for every team. But you gotta love what being drafted means to the young men and their families. Here's a local news story that covered draft day at the home of Cowboys rookie safety Michael Hamlin.
Jason Witten and his foundation are continuing to fight domestic violence. He recently spoke at a benefit luncheon for the Texas Advocacy Program.
Mickey Spagnola reports on the Cowboys' allotted dollars for this year's rookie class.
The combined first-year cap charge for those 12 players can't exceed $4.639 million. That amount ranks 16th in the NFL, and represents the total salary cap hit in 2009 (base salary plus prorated signing bonus) for all first-year players, which includes the rookie free agents who will officially be signed on Thursday.