Cowboys News & Notes

Keeping our fingers crossed for an end to this dastardly lockout soon. In the meantime, some Cowboys stories to chew on.

At NFL.com, Pat Kirwan ranks the tops pass rushers in the league. In Group A, the best of the best, we find, of course, DeMarcus Ware.

DeMarcus Ware, 3-4 OLB, Cowboys (>): Ware led the league in sacks in 2008 (20) and again last season (15.5). He now has 80 sacks in 96 games as a pro.

Todd Archer over at ESPN has an interesting nugget to add to this article, he notes that three of the other top four pass rushers in Group A, Jared Allen, Dwight Freeney, and James Harrison also had teammates that made the list. Ware doesn't, as Anthony Spencer continues to frustrate with his 'Almost Anthony' moniker.

Allen had Ray Edwards. Freeney had Robert Mathis and Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. How much does it help Allen, Freeney and Harrison to have such a threat on the opposite side?

If Rob Ryan can get Spencer going, what a difference that would make.

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The mothership comments on the consistent greatness of Jason Witten. I posted about his inclusion in the Top 100 NFL players (#36), and OCC noted his high-ranking as a pass-blocking tight end. He's also closing in on some Cowboys records.

Witten ranks fifth in receiving yards for the club with 6,967, and is likely to pass [Bob] Hayes (7,295) and possibly [Drew] Pearson (7,822) in 2011. [Michael] Irvin's team record is 11,904 yards, which Witten is on pace to pass in less than six seasons if his career average of 870 yards per campaign holds up. Even more attainable is Irvin's club record for receptions (750), which Witten could reach in the next two years.

Our old friend Dat Nguyen is helping new rookie Von Miller get ready for the NFL.

Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller intends to be ready to go whenever the NFL labor dispute is resolved. The Butkus Award winner and first-round draft pick from Texas A&M is getting up to speed on the intricacies of the 4-3 defense from former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dat Nguyen. Nguyen coaches linebackers for the Aggies.

"He played in the 4-3 in the NFL, he knows what to expect, so I've been working with him," Miller told the Denver Post. "I want to have all of the terminology down, know my responsibilities. That's my expectation, to be ready to do what I'm supposed to do in the Broncos' defense."

In light of the Mavs winning the championship and having a victory parade, thoughts turned to the Cowboys 1993 victory parade, which turned into a disaster.

Tons of confetti rained down on Commerce Street and the first floats in the parade got through. But soon afterward the massive crowd, estimated later at 400,000 people, literally swallowed up the cars carrying the players.

Some bailed out and had to plow through adoring fans on foot. A car carrying one player was set on fire as police lost control.

Too few cops and not enough planning were a disastrous combination. And when the celebration ended roving gangs of young people started attacking people at random, from City Hall to the West End.

Among those attacked were TV news photographers, including one who suffered a serious head injury.

Some notes about Cowboys training camp in San Antonio, if it happens.