SB Nation - Mike Jefferson

Dallas Cowboys 2009 Training Camp: Evaluating the Roster So Far

Dave Halprin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:24:39 -0000

What these two guys see at camp counts for a lot more than what I see, but that never stopped me from spouting an opinion.

Browse more photos »

Now seems like a good time for some player evaluations based on the first week of training camp practices. I'm going to concentrate mainly on the backups and the bubble players, the starters are pretty much set and evaluating them against these practices is not as useful as relying on recent regular-season play from the past couple of years. Although I will briefly touch on some for the sake of a full evaluation.

For example, both Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten have been omnipresent during practices. Tight end is definitely one position that we won't have to worry about. Also, Tony Romo has been his normal self. He's throwing well for the most part and he's continuing to hit the first-read if open or checking down to the second or third options when needed. The leadership question is not something I can truly evaluate from these practices because I can't hear what's being said on the field and these aren't game-like conditions. His connection with Roy has been discussed to death in many places, but suffice it to say when Romo sees Roy open, he throws it to him, if Roy is not the first-read or if he's covered, Romo is spreading the ball around.

As for Roy himself, he's doing his job just like one would expect. He's not the dominant force at camp that Terrell Owens was, but that doesn't mean when the real games finally arrive that he won't be a force and he is definitely helping other guys get open as discussed in this practice report. Patrick Crayton has been what we've come to expect, solid and dependable.

Much more after the jump.

Both Felix Jones and Tashard Choice have looked very good, with Choice especially standing out by showing his uncanny ability to negotiate traffic and gain yards. Marion Barber is at a disadvantage in camp because the nature of his game is physical contact and punishing tacklers while picking up extra-yards. That is not on display during these sessions but I don't think Cowboys fans are worried about MB3 for the regular season.

The starting o-line has progressed nicely with the return of Kyle Kosier and despite the defense winning more of the camp days than the offense, there haven't been a lot of noticeable jailbreak rushes on the QB's. The last couple of practices have had the offense on the move; this bodes well for the line. It's hard to evaluate all of the line while still watching the skill positions that are handling the ball, but I think they're doing fine for the moment.

On defense, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware have really stood out but I think that was to be expected. Anthony Spencer had been quiet until the past couple of practices where I've noticed his activity picking up. Keith Brooking has yet to show a lot, but I'm willing to give him some time to familiarize himself with the Cowboys defense, so the last weeks of camp and whatever time he plays in pre-season will be more instructive. Mike Jenkins has been solid, I like what I've seen from him, ditto Orlando Scandrick. The guy I wanted to see in the secondary was Gerald Sensabaugh and so far I'm impressed. He has show a nice ability to diagnose runs, screens and short passes and make his way through the blocking to get in on the plays. There hasn't been a lot of action in the deep middle so that would lead me to believe that he and Ken Hamlin are doing well in coverage.

With all that out of the way, let's talk about the other players.

QB - I don't think Jon Kitna has had that strong of a camp so far. He's had three or four plays where there have been timing issues in the backfield where he's collided or almost collided with other offensive players on handoffs, guys in motion or guys pulling for blocks. This is probably just an issue of him getting familiar with the timing of the Cowboys offense. In some of the 7-on-7's I think he's missed some open reads. Don't panic though, he's light years ahead of Brad Johnson and he has the arm-strength to threaten teams deep. I suspect as time goes along he'll get more comfortable. Stephen McGee is exactly what you'd expect, a young QB that has a long way to go before being ready for real NFL action.

RB - We already have our three running backs. At FB, it's probably going to be Deon Anderson. With the 2-TE set being used more and more by the Cowboys, this position has less emphasis.

TE - John Phillips is by far the best backup TE we have at camp (I'm considering Bennett a co-starter). Coming out of college he kind of had the rep as a blocker, but he can catch the ball and has been showing the ability to get open. I don't think there's a real competition between him and Rodney Hannah, at this point its Phillips hands down.

WR - Both Miles Austin and Sam Hurd started off slow but in the last couple of practices have really come on. Especially Hurd, who lacks some of the "star" abilities you normally associate with a receiver but he gets open and makes catches. He's got sure-hands and I think he has locked down that 4th receiver spot. Austin hasn't been special yet, but he is making good progress in this camp and his abilities over the past couple of days have started to show. Isaiah Stanback had not blossomed in this camp, he's had some good days but other days he dropped some passes. Now, with his injury, he's got some work to do. Why? Because both Mike Jefferson and Willie Reid have turned in very solid performances. Two years ago in San Antonio, Jefferson would get open all the time but couldn't catch anything. Now, he's showing good hands and making plays. Willie Reid, in the past couple of practices, has started to turn it on and the Cowboys could use him in the return game on special teams. I see a good battle coming on. The only other receiver to stand out is Kevin Ogletree, who has made some nice plays, so I'll throw him in the mix.

OL - Nobody new is really standing out. If I had to guess right now, it would be Doug Free, Montrae Holland, Cory Procter and Pat McQuistan as backups. I'm not a fan of McQ and was hoping that Robert Brewster would replace him, but since he's out I think its McQ by default. At guard, I'm pretty sure it will be Holland and Free will definitely be the other backup tackle. They've given Holland a few reps at center, but not a lot and not enough to convince me they are going to consider him as the legitimate backup center, meaning they have to keep Procter again. None of the other OL backups have stood out so far.

DE - At defensive end, Marcus Dixon has made a few plays as has relatively unknown Derreck Robinson. Is it enough to unseat either Bown or Hatcher? No way. And considering they are using Bowen as one of the down linemen in the nickel formation, I think the Cowboys feel secure with Olshansky, Spears, Bowen and Hatcher. I wouldn't say any of these guys have had spectacular camps, except maybe Bowen who has done some good things, but they are solid.

NT - Still a weakness behind the Rat. Neither Junior Siavii nor Jonas Seawright has been impressive. One of them will get the backup position by default. Right now, Siavii is getting the majority of the second-team reps so I suspect it will be him.

OLB - This is a position where I have been impressed with some of the backups. Victor Butler has especially caught my eye, along with Steve Octavien. Butler has shown he can rush the passer and has put himself above the rest of the guys in that respect. I'm looking forward to seeing him play in pre-season games. I never even thought about Octavien before this camp, I figured he was your typical camp body, but so far, the kid has made plays. If he keeps it up, he may have a real shot at sticking around. Less impressive so far has been Brandon Williams. He had a good practice the other day, but has been overshadowed by the other two guys mentioned above.

ILB - Bobby Carpenter is doing his usual thing, and that's having a good camp. Last year in Oxnard, the guy made a ton of plays but never saw the field in the regular season. Again in this camp, he's been very active and has been the cover linebacker in the nickel. I don't think there's any chance he won't be on the roster come September and from what I can tell they plan to play him. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I had high hopes for Jason Williams but so far it's been slow going. He hasn't really showed up in a significant way. Maybe he's a gamer, or maybe he's just adjusting to a new defensive role, or adjusting to the pro game. Whatever the case, he hasn't stood out so far. Stephen Hodge needs to get healthy and get on the field before we can even begin to evaluate him. Matt Stewart and Justin Rogers have been pretty much invisible, although Stewart is the backup long snapper, so that might help him. Also, as a caveat with a lot of these guys (not just the OLBs), we haven't seen them play in live-action special teams situations yet. That could change the evaluation on a lot of these guys because that is where they'll mainly contribute. So a couple of pre-season games could make these early evaluations irrelevant.

CB - Unfortunately, the backup CBs have been getting toasted regularly in camp. Mike Mickens has not been the steal of the Cowboys draft that many fans hoped for. His lack of recovery speed is an issue, he hasn't been reading the routes all that well and just hasn't made many plays. Courtney Brown has been roasted more than a pack of hotdogs at a Boy Scout camp out. I have no confidence that we could rely on him. The guy I liked early in camp was Michael Hawkins, he made plays but his injury has slowed down that progress, he needs to get back out there and try to claim a spot.

S - I like what Michael Hamlin has showed so far. He still needs to work on knowing the defensive coverages and reacting quicker to guys coming into his zone, but he shows nice athletic ability and he gets his hands on the ball, and he can catch it when he does. If I had to evaluate his future based on 5-6 practices, I would say it's bright. DeAngelo Smith hasn't really caught my eye yet so I can't really say much about him. Pat Watkins has done nothing in camp to change my opinion, he just doesn't seem to live up to his physical gifts. Alan Ball hasn't stood out. Jerome Carter is a big kid, in his pads he almost looks like a linebacker. He hasn't made a lot of plays yet so I can't put too much confidence in him. If I had to guess, it's a battle between Smith, Watkins and Ball for the fourth spot behind Hamlin, Sensabaugh and Hamlin.

That's what I can tell you so far, but based on six training camp practices, it's by no means a set-in-stone evaluation. Also, without film to watch, you can miss a lot of things. For example, if you're watching the ball on most plays, you really don't see what the safeties, or the other corners are doing in coverage. Admittedly, I consider these evaluations to be somewhat incomplete, but it's the best I can do.

If I've missed anybody or you have questions, I'll try to answer them. There's another practice this afternoon so come back for that practice report.

Dallas Cowboys 2009 Training Camp: Practice #5

Dave Halprin — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:57:51 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

That's 4th and Long's Jesse Holley versus rookie Mike Mickens.

Browse more photos »

The Cowboys were in full pads this morning in what turned out to be a very spirited practice. Things were getting a little chippy on the field, a couple of defensive players decided to tackle the ball carriers and there was some physical play from both sides.

As usual, they started with special teams, this time with punt drills. The gunners were practicing on one side and that group included Pat Watkins, Orlando Scandrick, Miles Austin, DeAngelo Smith, Courtney Brown and Alan Ball. At the other end punt formations were going on, Joe DeCamillis uses three protectors on punts, the first unit was Steve Octavien, Tashard Choice and Deon Anderson, the second group was David Buehler, Sam Hurd and Jerome Carter. Catching punts was the regular group of Terence Newman, Patrick Crayton, Willie Reid, Felix Jones and DeAngelo Smith.

On the injury front, Isaiah Stanback joined the group with a sore hamstring along with Stephen Hodge and Tim Anderson. I know, you're shocked Stanback was injured again.

After stretching and warm-ups they went into a feisty session of 9-on-9 while the WRs/CBs battled on the other side. I followed the 9-on-9 this morning. The first run was by MB3 up the middle but Igor Olshansky knifed into the backfield to stop it, MB3 tried another run towards the outside but DeMarcus Ware pursued it down the line to catch him before it could really get going. MB3 did manage to get a nice gain on a run to the right on the next play. Felix Jones started a run outside but cutback to the middle for around 5-yds before Bobby Carpenter made the stop. Doug Free had a false start and was replaced, then Felix took the handoff and after Julius Crosslin and Jason Williams had a big collision in the backfield, Jason Hatcher moved in for the stop. Choice tried the middle and got a few yards before Carpenter stopped him and started a little of the rough stuff that characterized the day by not just touching Choice but wrestling with him for a bit. Alonzo Coleman had a nice run through a big hole up the middle, next Victor Butler got fooled and gave up contain allowing Coleman to get wide on a pitch play. They followed with a draw to Coleman but Pat Watkins snuffed it out. Ware blew right by a Jason Witten block to stuff MB3, next MB3 had a short run, then Felix blew through a big hole up the middle. Felix then slipped the next run to the right and outran Carpenter who was in pursuit and turned it upfield for a nice gain. Choice then had a run to the right side but Carpenter made the stop and pushed Choice to the turf in a little more extra-curricular activity.

The next session was 11-on-11 with the defense lining up in a nickel package on some of the plays. The four down lineman on the nickel were Anthony Spencer, Jay Ratliff, Stephen Bowen and DeMarcus Ware. Carpenter replaced Keith Brooking in this package. Tony Romo started it off with a draw to MB3 for about 5-yds before Bradie James made the tackle. After a swing pass to MB3, Romo threw a bullet that threaded the needle between two defenders for a Martellus Bennett catch. Octavien got good pressure on the next play and probably would have got the sack so Romo tucked it and ran. Romo dumped one short to Felix but Brooking made the stop, then they ran a draw to Felix who had a big gain up the middle.

Kitna came on and threw to Bennett in the flats, then threw and incompletion after Carpenter broke through for what would have been a sack. Spencer broke through to stop Coleman in the backfield, but they let the play run some more and Coleman ran into Mike Jenkins - Coleman stiff-armed Jenks in the facemask which got Jenks upset and they wrestled around a bit after the whistle. Stephen McGee took over and made a nifty little flip-pass to Keon Lattimore while under pressure but Ratliff was there and he ended up tackling Lattimore to the turf. On the next play McGee lofted a floater to the sidelines which Kevin Ogletree caught but was probably out-of-bounds.

Romo was back and tried a draw to MB3 but Brandon Williams stopped it quickly, the next play Romo dropped back to pass but nothing came open and Romo had to hold the ball, frustrated, he just spiked it to the turf. Next, he hit Witten for 10-yards, then he had to avoid pressure from Butler and hit Miles Austin for 20-yds or so over the middle. Kitna hit Mike Jefferson in front of Mike Mickens, then got flushed from the pocket and tried to hit Crayton but Kitna was clearly past the line of scrimmage.

After a short water break they formed up for another round of 11-on-11. They were using quite a bit of 2-TE sets in today's sessions. Romo tried a hitch-screen to Roy but the pass was low and Roy couldn't scoop it up. MB3 tried to get wide on a run but Ware and T-New shut it off. Romo tried to hit Roy deep over the middle but Ken Hamlin swooped in at the last second to break it up. Felix ran a draw play and made a move that broke Bradie James' ankles in the hole and then he ripped off a nice gain. Austin made a nice catch for 15-yds or so beating Courtney Brown. Felix ran another draw for 10-yds before Jason Williams made the stop.

Kitna threw into the flats to Manuel Johnson and Scandrick made the tackle, Jefferson then dropped a pass that hit him right in the hands while he was wide open. DE Derreck Robinson blew right by an attempted block from Greg Isdaner to stop a Coleman run, then Butler had pressure again, probably a sack, but the play continued and Kitna hit Bennett for 15-yds or so. McGee threw to Jesse Holley in the flats and he made a nice move on DeAngelo Smith and Courtney Brown to get some extra yards. Lattimore tried a run but Derreck Robinson shot through the line again, this time beating Turkovich, and stuffed it for a loss.

Romo's last session started with a swing pass to MB3 that Brooking tracked down for a stop, then on the next play Rat was so quick getting through the line he actually hit Romo's arm as he attempted a quick pass to the flats and it fell incomplete. Crayton then caught one in the flats, Witten caught a short one, then Austin collected a pass in front of Jenkins for good yards. MB3 finished Romo's session with a nice run.

Kitna overthrew Hurd and then Choice ran the ball for a good gain. Kitna then threw a pass to the endzone from around 20-yds out that Roy Williams caught making a nice play beating DeAngelo Smith. Matt Stewart then stuffed a Coleman run. Rudy Carpenter threw one to Jefferson on the sidelines and then finished the practice with a throw-away pass out-of-bounds.

I'll be back this afternoon for a second practice.

Dallas Cowboys 2009 Training Camp: Practice #4

Dave Halprin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:37:19 -0000

Full pads for today's affair. Stephen Hodge, Tim Anderson still rehabbing. One thing I like, DeAngelo Smith was out on the field 30 minutes before practice catching punts from the machine. Nice to see a rookie dedicated like that.

Started out with special teams drills again, and then went into some punts. Mat McBriar was crushing the punts today, high and far. Catching punts: Felix Jones, Terence Newman, Patrick Crayton, and Willie Reid. After team stretching they went into some FGs with both Nick Folk and David Buehler.

The defense then broke off and did drills that were all about fumbles. They did stations were the defensive groups rotated - they worked on falling on fumbles and properly wrapping it up, stripping the ball from the QB from behind, trying to punch the ball out of the ball-carrier's hands from behind and keeping a fumble in-bounds so another player could fall on it. Nice, we need turnovers this year.

While all that was going on, Buehler was practicing on-sides kicks. The guy was pounding them into the turf and having them pop up, they were going almost exactly 10 yards and right into the hands of Folk. His accuracy at getting the distance and keeping it in-bounds w\as uncanny, Folk rarely had to move to catch it.

Make the jump.

The broke off into 9-on-9 on one side and WR vs. DB on the other. I followed the WRs/DBs. Jenkins had great coverage on Crayton for an incompletion, Austin caught a slant in front of Courtney Brown, then Scandrick had great coverage on Kevin Ogletree for an incompletion. Stanback made a very nice catch on Alan Ball, Jesse Holley cooked Mike Mickens on a bomb, Mickens had to commit pass interference to stop it. Mike Jefferson blew right by Newman for a bomb, Crayton made a great in and out move to lose Scandrick, and Willie Reid beat Ball for a tough catch.

Mickens had nice coverage on Hurd for an incompletion, T-New looked good against Austin, then Roy almost made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch on a bomb with tight coverage from Jenkins, but just couldn't hold on to it. Stanback beat Scandrick short, Scandrick gave him way too much room, then Jefferson cooked Mickens on a stop and go pattern deep. Julian Hawkins made a nice grab against T-New but ended up out-of-bounds. Austin caught a short one on Jenkins and Crayton abused Courtney Brown on a deep pass. Roy and Scandrick had a real physical battle on a short pattern to the sidelines with Roy winning the battle and making the catch. Manuel Johnson had and easy time with DeAngelo Smith, Reid caught a short one on Mickens and Hurd ran an excellent route to shake Brown.

D. Smith came back with nice coverage on a deep pass, then Scandrick got inside Reid on a dig route to break it up and Jefferson spun Brown around to make a short catch. Hawkins ran a good route to shake Mickens, then D. Smith was all over Austin on a deep pass. Crayton ran a route to the sidelines and got his hands on the ball up high but Jenkins recovered to knock it out of his hands before he could complete the catch. T-New had no problem covering Reid, Roy beat Scandrick on a short pass to the sidelines and Holley was able to shake C. Brown for a catch.

After that, they did 7-on-7 while the OL battled the DL. I followed the 7-on-7. Romo overthrew Witten on an out pattern, Bennett caught a short pass then Romo tried to hit Witten deep but Bradie James had excellent coverage. Hurd made a nice catch while simultaneously being hit from behind by Jenkins, Scandrick broke up a pass for Bennett and Roy caught one over the middle in front of C. Brown. Kitna threw a short pass to Scott Chandler, had a terrible throw to John Phillips, hit Ogletree in front of D. Smith and finished with and overthrow of and open Reid on the sidelines. McGee hit Hawkins in the hands but he dropped it and then connected with Philips on a short one.

Romo came back on and threw short to Witten, hit Austin in the flats, then just missed Austin on an out pattern. He tried to hit Bennett on a deep pass but Bennett's feet got tangled up with T-New and the ball was incomplete. He finished with a pass that had beautiful touch and floated softly into Jefferson's hands and then threw a swing pass to Felix. Kitna threw short to Bennett, then tried a pass over the middle but Mike Hamlin tipped the ball in the air then dove to make the INT. Kitna finished with short passes to Bennett and Hurd. Rudy Carpenter threw short to Keon Lattimore and then got picked-off by Scandrick.

Practice closed with a long session of 11-on-11. Wade was turning the defense loose as they blitzed often and they used nickel/dime coverages where they were putting two safeties near the line and only one linebacker. The defense got the better of the offense most of the day. Romo started by hitting Witten over the middle between Brooking and Sensabaugh, then Ratliff stuffed an MB3 run. Roy caught one on the sidelines in front of Scandrick, Felix caught a swing pass but Carpenter had good pursuit, then Felix tried a sweep but Brandon Williams fought the block and turned it into traffic. Kyle Kosier had a false start and was replaced and Romo hit Hurd on a deep pass that Hurd leaped high to get. Kitna rolled-out under pressure from Ocatvien and hit Phillips on a short pass. He tried to go deep to Reid but C. Brown and D. Smith had bracketed coverage. Choice caught a short pass but Jason Williams was right there for the stop. Anthony Spencer timed a rush to get good pressure forcing a dump-off, and Bennett caught a short pass but Brooking was all over him. McGee handed to Choice up the middle but Carpenter stuffed it. Lattimore caught a swing pass but Jerome Carter came up and accidentally decked him. Lattimore tried a run but had no room and then Brandon Williams got good pressure causing a throw-away.

Romo was back and immediately felt pressure from Octavien, he threw it to Crayton who dropped it. After a dump-off to MB3, he threw to Roy but Mickens was there, they both caught the ball and Mickens ended up with it. Witten got loose down the seam and Romo hit him in stride, they tried a pitch to Felix but Brooking and Bradie ate it up. They tried a reverse to Felix but he was forced to cut it back inside where Bradie was waiting. Kitna started out by overthrowing Reid on the sideline, next threw an incompletion after B. Williams applied pressure, and then threw the ball right to Ball who dropped the INT. Choice took and inside handoff and cut back outside for a long run followed by an Alonzo Coleman draw play that went for big yards. Rudy Carpenter threw a dump-off to Manuel Johnson, then pitched it to Coleman but Spencer disrupted the blocking and Bradie made the tackle. They tried a screen that had no chance as the blitz was on him before it could develop and finished by having Jenkins break up a pass.

That was that.

Week 3 of OTAs is a Wrap!

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:57:34 -0000

The Cowboys finished up their organized team activities for the week, today. Hopefully, next week won't have as many absences. Here is today's list courtesy of the DMNblog:

K Nick Folk, WR Travis Wilson, WR Sam Hurd, WR Miles Austin, S Courtney Brown, CB Mike Mickens, FB Deon Anderson, CB Terence Newman, TE Rodney Hannah, LB Justin Rogers, LB Stephen Hodge, LB Bradie James, LB Victor Butler,G Kyle Kosier, OT Michael Turkovich, WR Isaiah Stanback, DT Tim Anderson, and DE Jason Hatcher

(Bradie James is on his honeymoon! Congrats.)

Josh Ellis and Tim McMahon's observations included some intriguing stuff. Who would've thought the day the media had access to practice that the Cowboys would run the ~~WildCat~~ Razorback?

- The "Razorback"-- as Ellis said Wade Phillips called it--featured Patrick Crayton at QB, with Felix Jones in motion and Tony Romo as a split end. Sweet!

- Both Ellis and McMahon said Felix practiced as a punt returner; both also said he looked rather inexperienced doing so.

- SS Gerald Sensabaugh, again, looked to be impressive in coverage drills.

- Ellis noted that the return of WR Mike Jefferson was not only highlighted by his "rocked-up" upper torso, but also that he saw time with the 1st-team offense in multiple WR sets. Jefferson wore #81.

- Rookie TE John Phillips looks more comfortable in the H-back position, than 2nd-year pro Martellus Bennett.

- LBs coach Reggie Herring praised rookie ILB Jason Williams for his coverage skills.

- CB Terence Newman sat out with a minor quad injury.

- Both McMahon and Ellis wrote that although Romo looked inconsistent early, he heated up. McMahon said that Romo and Witten finally "clicked" later on after the QB missed his wide-open TE several times early.

- Rookie QB Stephen McGee got some more action than previously seen in other media-friendly practices. McGee impressed with his ability to avoid the rush and his accuracy on short passes (under 15 yards).

- Bobby Carpenter split time with Jason Williams in sub packages while Bradie James was out.

Michael Irvin's 4th and Long

Dave Halprin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Because Jerry Jones appeared on tonight's episode of 4th and Long, I had reason to use his picture in this article. In reality, there were a couple of other reasons to use this photo.

Browse more photos »

After watching Michael Irvin's 4^th and Long on Spike for three weeks, I've reached a few conclusions.

1. They should be applauded for taking it seriously. They've done just about everything they can to make it a serious football tryout. They have the stadium, the coaches with experience and they spend most of the time concentrating on nothing but football. The production team has managed to stay away from too much of the frivolous stuff and allowed Irvin, Bill Bates and Joe Avezzano to give it an air of legitimacy. The reality show/soap opera format has been largely avoided.

2. Michael Irvin's charisma and attitude really drives the show. Somehow, I get the feeling that Irvin cares about this more than the kids trying out do. Whenever Irvin pulls one of the kids aside and gives them a speech about heart, finishing, and winning the fourth quarter - I want to get up and run through the wall. Irvin is like the Godfather as he sits back in the War Room and decides the fate of the players with his capos Bates and Avezzano. He even manages to throw a bone to his old buddy Nate Newton. But when Irvin sits down with Jerry Jones, we see who the true Godfather is.

3. It's really hard to tell if these guys got any real talent. Irvin, Bates and Avezzano know, they get to watch all the drills and all the practices. We get 25 minutes or so of actual football plays/drills a week. That's a lot of stuff we miss out on. I imagine through the magic of editing they're building up drama about who stays and who goes, but somehow I don't think it's that dramatic. Especially in the beginning. The truth is only two or three of these guys could even be competitive at a training camp. These initial weeks are just delaying the inevitable competition between a few guys at the end.

4. I don't think this matters a lick; it's just a fantasy camp. The chance that Irvin actually "brings a ballplayer" to Jerry Jones, as commanded, is very slim. Sure, there's always the off-chance they catch lightning in a bottle and the kid will really be able to make a play for the roster (or even the practice squad), but in reality, it won't happen. So far, there hasn't been a defensive back on the field that looks ready to compete in San Antonio. On offense, Andrew Hawkins has some quicks and has shown he can run with the ball some after fielding a punt. Truly, that's the only way I can see a WR competing in San Antonio. Jesse Holley has also looked pretty good. But the top four receivers on the Cowboys are set. Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd are not going to get beat out by anybody on the show. Isaiah Stanback's position is still a little shaky on this roster and his recent injury isn't helping his cause, but he's still more likely than not to make the roster. After that, draft pick Manuel Johnson is waiting to prove what he can do. Even further down, you got Mike Jefferson who was recently re-signed and UDFA's like Kevin Ogletree and Julian Hawkins. You better be something special returning kicks to beat out all those other guys as a receiver.

In the end, though, it is entertaining to watch. I find myself enjoying the show and thinking about training camp and the start of the 2009 season. It has enough Cowboys flavor to make it worth consuming each week. The production is well-done and the guys are giving it every effort. But I just don't see it meaning much come regular season.

Now, about Pacman Jones' performance on Pros vs. Joes...hmm, maybe not.

Dallas Cowboys news & notes

Dave Halprin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:37:40 -0000

We've found the theme for the week. The Cowboys are so ridiculously beat up as a team right now, with so many injuries and with a critical problem at QB, that they have no conceivable way of knocking off the Super Bowl champs at their place. And that's the reason they can win, because they can play like they have nothing to lose, because they've already lost the game in most people's eyes. I know, it's kind of convoluted and hokey, but sometimes you gotta grab at something. Tim Cowlishaw, Clarence Hill and to a lesser extent Nick Eatman run with the theme.

As has been reported, Jason Witten has a bad rib.

Tests on Monday revealed tight end Jason Witten suffered a cracked rib during Sunday's win over Tampa Bay. Witten left the game in the second quarter and was taken to the locker room. While the initial x-rays were negative, Witten was unable to return to the game. He said he tried to doctor up the pain at halftime, but it was too unbearable.

Hat tip to DallascowboysTO for posting the news.

But you guys know Witten, he's a tough guy so he'll try to practice this week in order to play the game.

As was also reported, our old friend Quincy Butler is back at the Ranch.

On Tuesday the Cowboys released safety Daren Stone, who they signed just last Wednesday to address potential depth problems at the position.

[snip]

Cutting Stone allows the Cowboys to sign cornerback Quincy Butler from New Orleans' practice squad, where he has spent the last three weeks

We also dumped Mike Jefferson.

The Cowboys have released WR Mike Jefferson and safety Daren Stone. Jefferson, a former practice squad player, was on the reserve/suspended list for violating the league's substance abuse policy and served a four-game suspension.

Marc Colombo gets some love.

Dallas Cowboys news & notes

Dave Halprin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:20:58 -0000

Not a lot of time today for me to write-up anything so I'll just pass along some articles you might be interested in reading.

The Cowboys are doing the smart thing by nipping in the bud any potential problems with Adam Jones' reinstatement. According to the Star-T, Jerry Jones has stepped in and asked AJ to tone down his profile which has gotten a little too visible lately for the Cowboys' liking.

Hat tip to Mullin who first posted this news.

With Mike Jefferson suspended for four weeks off the practice squad, the Cowboys added former Cleveland WR Travis Wilson.

Carson Palmer is still questionable for Sunday's game. Visit Cincy Jungle for all news on the Bengals. Like the fact that they just signed RB Cedric Benson. Also, the report is that Chris Henry will be playing this Sunday.

After Shawn Springs did some good work on T.O. in the loss to the Redskins, he stayed the night at T.O.'s house. That must have been interesting but Springs says they didn't talk much about the game and just watched some of the Chicago/Philly game.

T.O. denies all and is pretty funny in doing it. "Sheshawn" Now that's funny. More on T.O. from Nick Eatman.

Hat tip silverblue5 for first posting this item.

JJT says Romo must play better even though he's playing well.

Dallas Cowboys sign QB Brooks Bollinger

Dave Halprin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:04:35 -0000

The DMN blog has a list of updates for you.

The highlights:

- The Cowboys signed Brooks Bollinger for a pro-rated veteran minimum, $569,411 plus a $40,000 signing bonus. He’ll wear #5.

- Terence Newman plans to play against Philly.

- Deon Anderson, speaking for MB3, says the Barbarian will practice on Wednesday.

- Mike Jefferson (cut for Bollinger) will go back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. The Cowboys find out today if James Marten cleared waivers, if he did they’ll put him on the practice squad.

- Sam Hurd is out of the walking boot and will try to start running this week.

A quick hit observation from the game by me.

Cory Procter played pretty well. Now, I know he had two plays where he whiffed in pass protection and led to Romo getting popped, but other than those and a few run block whiffs, he was effective. They did give him a lot of help from Andre Gurode, but he did OK on solo missions, too. Was he the worst of the Cowboys linemen on the day? Most likely. But when a line plays at the level the Cowboys’ did on Sunday, even the least of a group can have a good game. Montrae Holland may prove to be a better fit, we’ll see in practices this week, but I’ve got a little more confidence in Procter now than I did going into the game. He did have a few fantastic run blocks on pulls that sprung the running backs.

Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster in flux

Dave Halprin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:02:19 -0000

The Dallas Cowboys have about three or four days to get this all straightened out. What they presented as their 53-man roster and practice squad will surely change this week, and possibly next week, the question is how much.

We know that Keith Davis is going to be signed, possibly on Tuesday or Wednesday. That means one person is gone from the 53-man roster. Dallas is carrying one extra defensive back and one extra offensive lineman, so you would guess one of the bottom two corners, Alan Ball or Evan Oglesby, would get the boot. I don’t think they’d carry 12 defensive backs.

But there is another piece of the puzzle that could change who Davis replaces. Isaiah Stanback is going to attempt to practice in a shoulder harness. His success or failure will determine his future, which could go from playing in the season opener to landing on IR. The Cowboys will watch him at practice and make a determination on his season. If he can play on Sunday, Danny Amendola and Mike Jefferson will likely remain on the practice squad.

For the immediate week, it doesn’t look like the Cowboys are going to add a veteran WR, instead they will depend on either Stanback’s health or call up Amendola or Jefferson. Unless they are working on a trade, it appears they will go in-house for week one. After week one, they can look at outside free-agent options.

Also in the mix for the following week is a veteran QB coming on board to be the #3. Everybody says that it’s Brooks Bollinger and not Chris Simms. Dallas put Richard Bartel on the practice quad this morning, but his future is very unsure.

So let me try and sum it up:

Keith Davis is going to take a 53-man roster spot.
If Isaiah Stanback is healthy enough to play, Davis would displace either Ball or Oglesby, or possibly even James Marten.
If Stanback goes to IR, then Davis could take his spot.
But Stanback’s absence would most likely require a call-up of Mike Jefferson or Danny Amendola, meaning Ball, Oglesby or Marten will have to go.
Next week, barring a trade this week, the Cowboys could look at adding a WR, depending on health issues.
Next week, they might bring in a #3 QB and Brooks Bollinger appears to be the leader in the clubhouse.

Tank Johnson has changed his number to 95 and Montrae Holland will wear #64. The question is what number will Keith Davis wear? Tashard Choice has his old #29.

As noted above, Richard Bartel was added to the practice squad Monday morning.

The DMN says we’ve expressed interest in old friend Jamaica Rector but not Joe Horn or Freddie Mitchell. Freddie Mitchell?

Adam Jones has been a good guy.

Folkin-A!

Film review: Cowboys vs. Vikings - Bubble Watch edition

Dave Halprin — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:01:59 -0000

I’ve watched the film on the Dallas Cowboys game with the Minnesota Vikings and have compiled my film review – The Bubble Watch edition. Not quite a traditional film review, I concentrated on those areas where I think we have decisions to make. Mainly, this included the offensive line, WR, OLB and the secondary. Later tonight, I’ll post my 53-man roster prediction.

One note, the Cowboys sure wanted to get a look at the line, the receivers and Bartel because in the second half when the Vikings kept blitzing and getting pressure, the Cowboys kept on throwing the ball basically abandoning the running game.

Offensive line

Joe Berger – For the most part I liked the game he played and would rate it better than Pat McQuistan’s or Cory Procter’s. He showed good mobility when he had to pull and was also good about picking up the right defender on those plays. His pass protection was pretty solid for most of the evening. I saw him blow a pass protection on a stunt and then he just got beat another time. He was also slow getting out on a screen. But for most of the game he was delivering a very solid performance.

Pat McQuistan – McQ got almost all the snaps at Kyle Kosier’s vacant left guard position but had some problems along the way. He did have moments when he was powerful in the run game and showed some mobility on the pull blocks, but didn’t always find a guy to block. He had a few soft moments in pass protection including one pitiful play. He also had three plays where his run blocks were complete failures and one almost led to a turnover. He did get downfield nicely on a screen pass.

Cory Procter – Procter only played a couple of series at left guard towards the end of the game. My guess is they are not considering him seriously for Kosier’s spot. Procter still suffers from being a little soft in the middle, he’s very susceptible to getting pushed straight back and he’s not as agile when he has to pull. He showed nothing in this game that should really change his status one way or the other.

Doug Free – Good thing my man Free isn’t really fighting for a roster spot because he played a lousy game. He was repeatedly beaten in pass protection and had a hard time recognizing some of the blitzes and stunts. The speed rush was really giving him trouble.

James Marten – I actually came away with the feeling that Marten played alright for him, which isn’t an overwhelming endorsement. He still had plays where he whiffed on blocks or didn’t hold his ground, but they were fewer than I’ve come to expect from him.

Mike Jefferson – He had a few moments, especially towards the beginning where he caught some balls and made a few plays. He did have one easy drop and he didn’t show up on special teams at all. But he did get the nod as the starter next to Sam Hurd, so that could be an indication about how the Cowboys view him. He did get a couple of good blocks downfield in the run game.

Danny Amendola – He made a few plays catching the ball and blocking downfield, but really looks like if he’s going to stick it will be because he can add to the special teams. As both a backup punt and kick returner, he gets an advantage. But he didn’t exactly shine in this game, but didn’t make any big mistakes.

OLB

Justin Rogers – Don’t see him as “on the bubble” so didn’t chart him. They need his experience (the little he has) and his play on special teams.

Erik Walden – He didn’t really impress in the pass rush department but he did do a better job than I’ve seen him do before at standing his ground against the run. He did blow an easy tackle in the backfield on one play. But what caught my eye was that on four kick/punt coverage plays, Walden showed up around the ball and made a couple of tackles. If he can contribute on special teams, that’s a great sign for him sticking around.

Tearrius George – If George could have had a couple of more games like this or showed some of this in camp, the Cowboys would for sure create a place for him on the roster. The guy had at least six plays in the backfield. He had a great penetration blowing up a run, he got a couple of sacks and hit the QB a couple of other times disrupting passes. Now, he did a lot of this later in the game against the Vikings’ scrubs, but it still was an impressive performance. The question is - was it too late to change his future?

Darrell Robertson – Just didn’t do enough to change his fate.

CB/S

Evan Oglesby – Helped himself again this game with a nice breakup of a pass in the endzone, another pass break up later, a good tackle against the run and generally no big mistakes. The only bad thing I saw him do is use bad technique and turn his back to a receiver on a short pass. One problem for Oglesby is he doesn’t show up much on special teams and that could hurt his chances.

Alan Ball – Had one great special teams play on punt coverage and one good deep coverage but not much else. He just doesn’t make a lot of plays.

Dowayne Davis – A couple of nice tackles on defense but not much on special teams where he needs to shine to make the team. Didn’t really help himself much during the game.