Warning: Numerous Jerry Jones quotes ahead!
Hey, the offseason is Mr. Jones' season. He's got a huge championship boxing match coming up at Cowboys Stadium this Saturday and plenty of why-so-quiet-in-free-agency questions to answer.
Getting right to it, we've seen how busy the Giants and Eagles have been since free agency opened. Apparently, many folks are surprised that Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder aren't spending freely in this uncapped year. The NFC East does have some new faces already, but Jones doesn't sound too concerned.
The New York Giants have signed safety Antrel Rolle and quarterback Jim Sorgi. Philadelphia has re-signed wide receiver Jason Avant and fullback Leonard Weaver and has corner Marlin Jackson in for a visit. Washington has played it slow, too, but signed guard Artis Hicks.
"I watch keenly what they do," Jones said. "I don't get into what they're doing or how they're doing it, but when they add and improve their roster, that gets my attention ... As far as feeling like we're dropping behind those guys, I don't feel that way at all."
More VRR after the jump.
John Clayton looks at the trends of this uncapped year and sees the Cowboys and Redskins as teams that are using it to "clean up cap problems".
Teams are doing extra to clean up their cap problems in this uncapped year: The Washington Redskins released nine veterans when free agency opened. Those released accounted for $62.2 million of dead cap money. If the $123 million cap were in effect, the Redskins would be $39 million over.
The Dallas Cowboys kept their team intact. They would be $34 million over the cap and have $107 million in base salaries. Seven other teams, including the Vikings, Seahawks and Panthers, would also be over the cap.
FOX Sports' John Czarnecki doesn't expect the Cowboys and Redskins to remain quiet for too long.
In the old days, the Cowboys would have made a play for Saints free safety Darren Sharper, who recently had left knee surgery. But that isn’t going to happen and the Steelers re-signed Ryan Clark, the best young player available at the position.
Right now, the Cowboys definitely need a proven kicker and they are supposed to make a run at 42-year-old Matt Stover, who was put on the streets by the Colts. Stover, though, has talked about retirement since his wife and three children remained in Baltimore last season while he kicked for the Colts.
Recently, the Cowboys' annual plans for free agency have been to first, protect your own players; and second, fill a need.
[R]emember the core group of this team has gotten better already the last year or so. Several moves made last year -- five new defensive starters -- made the Cowboys one of the best defensive teams in the NFC last year.
Also, when the Cowboys make moves, it's done for a need. Example: When Chris Canty was let go in free agency, the Cowboys signed Igor Olshansky. When Zach Thomas was let go, Keith Brooking came in. When Roy Williams was cut, it allowed the team to sign Gerald Sensabaugh.
Jerry Jones on teams being interested in SS Gerald Sensabaugh:
"That doesn't surprise me for any of our players to have interest," Jerry Jones said Tuesday. "I don't know that that's a concern because I've heard it. I crossed that bridge when we made the decision on what we were going to do in free agency on restricting him . . . So I thought that one through."
At the NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 28, Jones said Sensabaugh is a big part of the Cowboys' defensive plans in 2010.
Matt Mosely looks to upgrade the Cowboys' free safety position.
I'm hearing that the Cowboys believe that safeties Nate Allen (South Florida) and Taylor Mays (USC) aren't that far apart in terms of talent. It seems like Allen has a lot more range from what I've seen, but starting a rookie at safety is a risky proposition.
I think a better option might be Oshiomogho Atogwe of the St. Louis Rams. He's a restricted free agent who received the lowest-possible tender. The 29-year-old Atogwe is coming off a right shoulder injury, but he's been much more productive than Hamlin since '06 with 18 interceptions and 14 forced fumbles. Over that same period of time, Hamlin has nine interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Jerry Jones doesn't seem too concerned that a poison-pill attack will affect the Cowboys' ability to retain Miles Austin. He may, though, be more concerned about such a thing in capped years ahead.
"That's always a concern and that's one of the things that needs to be addressed in the new collective bargaining agreement," Jones said Tuesday, per Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News.
"Those are called unintended consequences there. What turns into trying to be competitive among clubs and what turns into trying to be fair for a player turns into being a disadvantage for the clubs."
Hat tip to what_the_crap for the FanShot.
Jerry Jones on Roy Williams and the media's pressure on the WR:
"As a matter of fact, his ability to handle things that would make any of us nervous has been impressive to me, and it's one of the things I'm encouraged about," Jones said.
"He knows how to make it a positive and I've seen him do that. If he'll continue to work as hard as he's worked, we're going to be fine with Roy, and he's going to be fine with us."
Tim MacMahon compares Roy Williams' numbers (Receiver A) with Patrick Crayton's (Receiver B).
Receiver A has 57 catches for 794 yards and eight touchdowns in 24 starts for the Dallas Cowboys.
Receiver B has 65 catches for 940 yards and eight touchdowns in 21 starts for the Cowboys.
Pat Kirwan's Mock draft 2.0 has the Cowboys getting a value pick: WR Dez Bryant. Now, that's the first time I've seen that name at 27!
27. Dallas Cowboys Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
Everyone projects Bryant much higher than this but he has baggage and some risk. The Cowboys could want an offensive tackle like Bruce Campbell here but the athletic grade on Bryant might be too good to turn down. A year from now, the Cowboys could be done with Roy Williams.
Tendering Marcus Spears' RFA offer lower than that of backup DEs Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher was in no way a slight to Spears--so says Jerry Jones.
"Not really," Jones said. "Our motivation in how we did our free agency was strictly relative to what we thought we could handle as a club [rather than] anything to create any incentive or disincentive."
DC.com continues its Roster Rundown series with Igor "Strong-Like-Bull" Olshansky.
Here's a list of the remaining Unrestricted Free Agents.
See the positive side to Martellus Bennett. He and his brother are teaming up with Everson Walls to help the city of Dallas raise awareness about chronic kidney disease.
District 5 City Councilmember Vonciel Jones Hill will host the press conference to announce the city's partnership with the National Kidney Foundation and World Kidney Day on March 11.
The foundation is providing free kidney health assessments from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 11 on the sixth floor of City Hall.
Who will sponsor the Texas Stadium implosion on April 11? Will it be Kraft's Mac & Cheese or the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine?
Robert De Niro will play Vince Lombardi in the movie Lombardi set to be released in 2012. No word yet on who will play Tom Landry. I'm thinking Ed Harris?
The story will follow Lombardi from his first season as Packers coach, in 1959, through the five NFL titles and will culminate with the Packers' win over the Dallas Cowboys in the "Ice Bowl" played at Lambeau Field on Dec. 31, 1967.
It also will chronicle Lombardi's rivalry with former Cowboys coach Tom Landry, who served on the New York Giants coaching staff with Lombardi.
Jerry Jones is getting ready for the championship boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clotty.
Jones, a fight fan who said he had been to some 20 championship bouts over the years, including Ali-Spinks and Hagler-Hearns, would like to make Cowboys Stadium one of the premier venues for boxing. Pacquiao-Clottey is the first of what Jones hopes will be many big-name matches underneath the world's largest high-definition screen.
"The Event" is this Saturday, March 13 at 8PM (CST) and will be broadcast on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Cowboys Stadium is ready for this weekend's big fight.
The ring will be on the star logo at the 50-yard line. The world’s largest high-definition television screen will loom above, giving people in the worst seats a close-up look at every bead of sweat and drip of blood.
"This is going to be big-time," Jones said Tuesday. "I’m going to over-deliver what it means to (fans) to be involved in this stadium. ... You’re not going to need any incentive to get these fighters to compete."
Ding, ding, ding! In this corner, Emmitt Smith!
Because here is a guy who thought he could build a football team just because he has the money to buy players. There's more to it than that. And he's not a compassionate person, not a compassionate person at all from what I understand. And that makes me just want to pummel somebody.
You know, you hate to see pride, wearing itself on his forehead and his chest. And to me, arrogance sticks out like a sore thumb when you talk about him. And the lack of compassion for others is a problem.
And in this corner, Dan Snyder!
"I applaud Emmitt Smith's induction into the NFL Hall of Fame and, from what I understand, he's a heck of a dancer. I think we've only met once briefly at an NFL function in 2000. I will say, however, that I like to think of myself as being a compassionate person, except toward the Dallas Cowboys."
The DMN continues its series of the Cowboys best/worst draft pick series with the running back position. Of course, they've got Emmitt listed as the best RB draft pick.
The Cowboys won three Super Bowls with Smith leading the way on the ground and Smith won NFL rushing titles in 1991-93, '95. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times, was named league MVP in 1993 and MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII.
On Oct. 27, 2002, he broke Walter Payton's all-time rushing mark and finished his career with 18,355 yards. In 2005, he was added to the Ring of Honor, and he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.
Prepare to see much more of Emmitt's face this week. He will be featured on the show Who Do You Think You Are? and discussed his genealogical findings with Oprah.
The show follows celebrities as they go back in history to climb their family tree. Yesterday, Emmitt was on Oprah detailing the process. Smith will discuss the process of genealogical research which culminated in the former Cowboy tracing his roots in the United States back to slavery.
"I feel like a detective on a hunt trying to find clues," Smith says, per the website.
DCFanatic has Emmitt's piece on Oprah here (Part One) and here (Part Two).