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Ex-coach of Cowboys' Terrell McClain says 'phenomenal' athlete will fit Rod Marinelli's scheme | Rick Gosselin, DMN
Rick Gosselin had a chance to catch up with former University of South Florida defensive line coach Kevin Patrick, who is now coaching at North Texas. While at USF, Patrick coached both Terrell McClain and George Selvie, and he likes what both could bring to Marinelli's defense. Here's an excerpt of what Patrick said in a very readable article by Gosselin.
"Look at Marinelli’s track record and the body types he’s coached," Patrick said. "I can see why Marinelli likes Terrell and had a say in his signing. Terrell fits athletically. He’s a big dude now."
"George has already put his best foot forward for the Cowboys, and I’d be surprised if McClain doesn’t as well. They’ve got two damn good players. I’m excited to have them both close by me again."
"We used to call [McClain] Dancing Bear," Patrick said. "He’s a pretty phenomenal athlete for a guy his size (6-2, 293). He’s going to give you effort, no doubt about that. But the first thing that stands out is his unbelievable power and athletic ability."
Can Scott Linehan help the Cowboys offense evolve? | David Moore, Dallas Morning News
Moore argues that the "clumsy transition from Jason Garrett to Bill Callahan and back to Garrett" is one of the reason the Cowboys offense fell to No. 16 in 2013, its lowest rank since 2002. That should change with Linehan:
Linehan’s charge is to bring some creativity to this offense, get everyone on the same page and call the plays. His offense in Detroit ranked No. 6 overall last season and No. 3 in passing.
Garrett: Sense of Urgency at Valley Ranch is "Palpable" | Scott Crisp, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Entering the final year of his contract, Jason Garrett says the Cowboys are working with a strong sense of urgency, Crisp writes.
"You need to show it immediately, as you’re trying to put your program in place you’re playing games and the games count," Garrett said, per ESPN Dallas. "That started in the middle of the 2010 season when I took over as the interim head coach. These games on Sunday count. We understand that. The sense of urgency we have as coaches and players is palpable, is strong."
"Having said that, you’ve got to be careful about being shortsighted and make it all immediate results oriented. You want to put your program in place, you want to bring the right kind of people in, and you want to make the right decisions for your team now and going forward. That’s what we’ve tried to do."
Lovie Smith Calls Melton & Marinelli "Great Combination" - Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com
Lovie Smith observed the interaction between Henri Melton and Rod Marinelli up close for three years in Chicago, and likes seeing the two together again.
"That’s a great combination," Smith said of Melton and Marinelli. "Henry will tell you, the guy that had the most to do with his progress as a defensive linemen, of course it was Rod. Rod is just a great technician and was able to really reach him."
Garrett: Cowboys Still High on Brandon Carr | Scott Crisp, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Carr has had some rough stretches since coming to Dallas back in 2012, but Jason Garrett says the team remains highly confident in Carr.
"We have a lot of confidence in him," Garrett said of Carr, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He plays very well. He’s had a couple of games he certainly would have liked to have played better in, but again, we evaluate what we did as a defensive staff in some of those games and how we could have put him in a better situation."
"He’ll learn and grow from all of those experiences. He’s the right kind of guy. He cares a great deal about getting better."
Cowboys won't host Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater - Calvin Watkins, ESPN Dallas
In related news, the Cowboys will not sign Tim Tebow, they will not try to coax Brett Favre out of retirement, Miley Cyrus will not perform during the Thanksgiving game halftime show and Justin Bieber will not record a Cowboys song.
No escape from DeSean Jackson for Cowboys | Matt Mosley, FOX Sports on MSN
Mosley somehow manages to conjure a major threat for the Cowboys out of the Redskins signing Jackson - but fails to show any number to prove his point. That a simple tweet by none other than Calvin Watkins renders the entire article moot is telling.
As explosive as Jackson is he's caught just 1 TD vs Cowboys in 10 career gms. In 2 games last yr didn't get more than 30 yds in each 1.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) April 2, 2014
2014 NFL Draft: Taking a look at where Mike Mayock hit and missed over the years - SBNation.com
Mike Mayock is one of the most respected NFL Draft analysts in the business. How have his favorite prospects of the last five draft classes panned out?
Big-name NFL veterans still looking for a job - NFL.com
The first wave of NFL free agency is over, leaving one-time stars like Asante Samuel and Ed Reed looking for work at drastically reduced prices -- if they can get it at all. Three former Cowboys make the list: Anthony Spencer, Miles Austin and Felix Jones.
All-Time Team - Dallas Cowboys | NFL.com
NFL.com concludes "Dynasty Month" with 25 players they would pick for the all-time team of the Dallas Cowboys. Current players on that 25-man roster: Jason Witten, Dan Bailey (and DeMarcus Ware).
Rebuilding a dynasty: How Dallas can return to glory - Gil Brandt, NFL.com
Gil Brandt has a five-point plan that could help the proud Dallas Cowboys franchise recapture its winning ways. The five points aren't really rocket science, but I stopped halfway through when I found references to Roy Williams and Marion Barber. That is sooo 2010.
The best trick plays in NFL history - NFL.com
This is a fun diversion: take a look at some of the best trick plays in NFL history -- the kind of plays that make defenses look utterly foolish.
Sunday duty: Jason Witten driving the pace car for NASCAR race at TMS . Carlos Mendez, Star-Telegram
Witten is the first Cowboys player to drive the pace car at Texas Motor Speedway.
CMT announces more 'Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' - TheWrap
"Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team" will return for its ninth season and the network promises it it will "will prove to be one of the most dramatic and competitive seasons ever." Of course.