The Patrick Crayton debate thickens. Earlier today, Crayton indicated that he wants the Cowboys to release him soon. With a logjam at wide receiver, which includes Pro Bowler Miles Austin, Roy Williams, and first-round pick Dez Bryant, Crayton could be inevitably buried on the depth chart.
Crayton does not want to be a fourth receiver and he does not want to be the team's "insurance" guy.
"For those guys to develop, they have to be on the field," Crayton said. "For them to be on the field, I'm not going to be on it, so I would love them to not dangle me around and everything because I have a family to think about."
It's hard to blame Crayton for wanting to get his groove on somewhere else. Entering his eighth NFL season, the wide receiver knows that while he may be considered an aging veteran, he would rather contribute to a new team for a shot at some consistent playing time.
Seeing that he's a native Texan and has played for the Cowboys his entire career, he is anxious to move on in getting acclimated to a new work environment.
"If I'm going to be with another team, I need to get used to another city, another franchise, a new coach, a new quarterback, a new coordinator, everything. Just a whole new environment. My wife and kids got to get settled in, got to get in schools and everything. I would love to have the opportunity to compete with another team versus come here and come here for a numbers thing where they're like, 'Oh, we're not going to pay you that to be our fourth or fifth guy,' or whatever the situation is and you kept me the whole training camp because you need camp bodies.
"To me, you're messing with people's careers and people's lives."
More VRR after the jump.
BTBers already have the great Crayton debate in full swing with Alexcomestokill's "Why we shouldn't keep Patrick Crayton". More recent Crayton posts are also featured here, here, and here.
Kevin Ogletree is one player who has been benefitting from Crayton's absence. In regards to the WR's offseason workouts with Joe Juraszek and his general maturity, Coach Phillips says that Ogletree is simply "getting it". "
Joe pushes them to the limit, and we say all of them are working hard," Phillips said. "But certain guys start going above and beyond. That is where (Ogletree) has gotten to.
"When Joe brags on a guy, he is doing some good things."
And what's a wide receiver-news day without some choice quotes from Roy Williams? With thanks to O.C.C.'s FanShot, Williams offers us some reflection on his days so far as a Cowboy.
"It’s been a nightmare," said the native of Odessa, Texas, which is roughly 350 miles from Dallas. "That’s the truth. I’m not going to hide from it. I understand the business. … I thought this was going to be a dream. It’s been a nightmare."
Throughout all the turmoil he's been through in Dallas, William$ remains optimistic even when constantly asked questions about Dez Bryant.
"Dez doesn’t even know how good he can be," Williams said in one of his typically effusive comments about a guy who could end up taking time from him.
"The dude is scary. The dude is good and he doesn’t even know it yet. Once the light bulb goes on he will probably be the best in the league. … He’s a man among boys. He’s got big hands. Real big hands. When he shakes my hand, his fingers come up to my elbows."
Gerald Sensabaugh's tender signing may be a step towards working out a long-term deal with the Cowboys. Here's hoping Sensei's agent, Kevin Conner, is burning the midnight oil.
"We are still very optimistic and extremely confident a long-term deal will happen," Conner said. "Gerald wants to focus on the upcoming season and playing at a high level."
Hat tip to lonewolfz28 for the FanPost.
Based on Jerry Jones' words, signing Sensabaugh and Miles Austin to long-term deals could be the Cowboys' next order of business--and rightfully so.
Jones has expressed previously his intention to work out new contracts for receiver Miles Austin and safety Gerald Sensabaugh, the Cowboys' only still-unsigned restricted free agents. He underlined that objective Tuesday.
"I can speak emphatically," Jones said. "They're very much a part of the future of the Dallas Cowboys. Emphatically."
Sensabaugh's second-round tender offer is worth $1.8 million.
One of the Cowboys' other 2010 RFAs, Marcus Spears, is working with the coaches to prove his value to the team.
"It helps that he's out here," said coach Wade Phillips, who also oversees Spears' role as the defensive co-ordinator.
"We've identified some things technique-wise that he can do better and he's been working on those things. I think we can get him better, and he's the type of guy that'll work at it. I think that helps both of us, short-term and long-term — and business-wise. The better player you are, the better you end up business-wise."
David Buehler's transition to placekicker is continuing to improve.
The early results have Buehler, who kicked field goals at USC, flourishing through the transition. Buehler has impressed teammates and, more importantly, coaches, at this early stage by lining up and consistently nailing field goals in practice. Wade Phillips, who is wont to gush at times, recently extolled Buehler for his progress, noting that, by his count, Buehler was perfect on attempts Monday.
Coach Phillips says that they don't necessarily want Buehler to boom every kick. Accuracy and control, of course, are in order for those short-ranged three pointers.
"We know he has the leg strength," Phillips said. "We worry about him overkicking it, trying to overpower it, but he looks like he's got his stroke down."
Darren Woodson shared his thoughts on the Cowboys' plans to start Alan Ball at free safety.
"They have to be nervous about Alan Ball starting at safety," Woodson said Thursday afternoon. "He's a cornerback playing safety. He has a cover mentality, and that's apparently what they want. They want a ballhawk back there."
Hat tip to TheAnsah for the FanShot.
The city of Dallas is ready for Super Bowl XLV. Wouldn't it be nice if the Cowboys were ready too?