SB Nation User Blog: CTBoy

Pacman suspended indefinitely

CTBoy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:47:24 -0000

PFT is reporting that Pacman is suspended indefinitely, and at least for the next 4 games.

here is the link: http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/10/14/pacman-jones-suspended-indefinitely/

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones has been suspended indefinitely.

Jones will be suspended without pay and will miss at least four games.

The NFL found that Jones was involved in an alcohol-related physical altercation and had therefore violated the terms of his reinstatement.

Greatest Draft of Jerry Jones Era?

CTBoy — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:16:27 -0000

In a recent interview that Grizz linked to from the Star-Telegram, Jerry Jones talked about how excited he is about this year's class of rookies.

[Jerry] also labeled running back Felix Jones, cornerback Mike Jenkins, tight end Martellus Bennett, running back Tashard Choice and cornerback Orlando Scandrick as the most impactful rookie class he’s had since joining the Cowboys in 1989.

"We are getting maybe the best rookie contribution right off the bat that we’ve had," Jones said. "That is not average for us. When you figure the rookie class contributing like it is, then it’s really coming together."

The link can be found on the BTB homepage, but i'll also link it here.

Reading this at midnight as I took a break from my overwhelming 1L course load, I began to contemplate this idea. Out of all the great drafts classes that have come to Dallas in the past 20 years, with proven talent evaluators like Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells and even (not as proven, yet ) Jeff Ireland making their opinions known to GM Jerry, is the 2008 rookie class the best of the bunch?

I don't claim to be anything more than a diehard Cowboy and NFL fan, and I will be the first to admit that I do no scouting, mock drafting, or anything like that. All i can give is my personal opinion, as a fan, and I have to say that, through three weeks (i know, WAY too short of a time to be making claims like this, but like i said, i'm looking for a way to prostrastinate from my work right now), this draft, pick for pick, very well could be the best of the Jerry Jones Era.

Let's take a look at the past 20 drafts and see which ones have a chance at being the best.

1989: My analysis might already be over, because the first Jones/Johnson draft proved to be deep with players who would make huge impacts on the championship teams of the early 90's.

Many teams have whiffed with the number 1 overall pick, but you can't really find more of a home run pick than Troy Aikman with the first pick in 1989. Funny thing is, they weren't sure they had their QB of the future, and ended up using their 1990 first round pick in the 1989 supplemental draft (which ended up by the #1 pick after a 1-15 record) to take Steve Walsh, Johnson's QB at Miami. I think we all know who turned out to be worthy of a #1 overall pick.

This draft had some other great picks. 2nd Rounder Steve Wisniewski, who was quickly traded to the Raiders after being drafted, made many pro bowls, and was a member of the all 1990's team. He would have looked great with a star on his helmet. Another 2nd Rounder, Daryl "Moose" Johnston, paved the way for #22 during out glory years on the 90s. 3rd Round C Mike Stepnoski was a starter on our great O-lines in the early 90s (and again at the end of his career). 4th Round DE Tony Tolbert was a upper-echelon lineman, and paired with Charles Haley to be a dominant pair of DE bookends. All in all, a great start to the Jerry Jones Era.

1990: Any time you draft the eventual All Time Rushing Leader, that draft will stand out. 3rd Round DL Jimmie Jones was a solid contributor on that great D-Line rotation on those teams. (Quick Note: I have a poster in my room titled "Doomsday Afternoon" with a menacing picture of Leon Lett, Tony Tolbert, Jimmie Jones, Jim Jeffcoat, Tony Casillas, Russell Maryland, and Charles Haley on it. In my opinion, the great poster ever made).

1991: No wonder those early 90's teams were so good. Every year was a hit. Three 1st rounders certainly help. Alvin Harper and Russell Maryland were key cogs in championship teams. Kelvin Pritchett, although imediately traded to Detroit, turned into a very solid starting DT in this league.

3rd rounder Erik Williams is one of the best OT's this team has ever had. 7th Rounder Leon Lett was a pro-bowler, and 12th rounder Larry Brown was the MVP of Super Bowl XXX. That's a pretty damn good draft right there.

1992: Another great year. Historically probably seen as the best of them all. 1st round CB Kevin Smith was an upper-echelon starter for many years. Fellow 1st Rounder Robert Jones was solid, though never lived up to his 1 round status. Our two 2nd rounders can both make tempting arguments for enshrinement in Canton, although the Cowboys only reaped the benefits of one of them. Jimmy Smith (pick 36) is the Jaguars Franchise leader in basically every receiving category. Darren Woodson (pick 37) was the quarterback of our secondary from the day he stepped on the field until his back gave out 4 years ago. I always get upset at the fact that He wasn't able to get more time tutoring Roy Williams in the art of coverage. If only...

1993: Not nearly as great as the previous four drafts, but solid starters like Derrick Smith (2nd Rd.) and Brock Marion (7th Rd.) made impacts on this team. OL Ron Stone (4th Rd.) was a very good starter for the Giants and Niners, and CB Dave Thomas had a solid career, mostly with the Jaguars.

1994: DE Shante Carver (1st Rd.) was basically a bust, but 2nd Rounder Larry Allen is a sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer, and maybe the best Guard of all time. I know Andre Gurode and Flozell Adams learned a lot from playing with big #73.

1995: Now you start to see some of the reason why the Cowboys Dynasty of the 90's fell so far. These last three drafts did not produce much, and this one might have been the worst, with really no major contributors coming onboard, unless you considered TE Eric Bjornson (4th Rd.) or backup RB Sherman Williams (2nd Rd.) contributors (which I'm sure most of you don't).

1996: Another poor year, although maybe not as bad as 95. 2nd Rounder Randal Godfrey was a good player for the Cowboys, and Stepfret Williams was a personaly favorite of mine, and had his moments as a third down receiver.

1997: Potentially the worst 1st round pick in history (TE David LaFluer) was actually out last offensive player picked in the first round until Felix Jones this year. I don't blame Jerry for being afraid of picking offense in Rd. 1 after this pick. 2nd. Rounder Dexter Coakley was pound for pound for the best linebackers in the league for a few years and got a couple probowl invites to show for it. Omar Stoutmire (7th Rd.) became a solid safety for the Giants. Other than Coakley though, another poor draft, and another example of how we got to three straight 5-11 seasons a few years later.

1998: A throwback year, in terms of picking up many solid players throughout this draft. The standouts are 1st rounder Greg Ellis and 2nd. Rounder Flozell Adams. They both have had the definition of "solid" careers, and as the elder statesmen of this team, have both seen their productivity increase as their careers went on (and as the front office finally got some talent around them). Other solid picks in this draft were DT Michael Myers (4th Rd.) who was a good if unspectacular DT, OT Oliver Ross (5h Rd.) who had some very good seasons in Pittsburgh, and safety Izell Reese (6th Rd.) who was a solid backup.

1999: Lots of disappointment in this draft. Ebenezer Ekuban never lived up to his 1st round draft spot. OL Soloman Page (2nd Rd.) was a starter for a few years, but we were always looking for someone better, basically because he wasn't really any good. Third Round LB Dat Nguyen was a steal, and in my opinion should have made the Pro Bowl a few times. I'm glad to see him still on the payroll as assistant linebacker coach. He was always a personal favorite of mine.

2000: Another candidate for worst draft. Dwayne Goodrich (2nd), Kareen Larrimore (4th), Michael Wiley (4th), Mario Edwards (6th). Somehow we got into a position where all these players were being counted on to step up and be solid starters. That is how you get good coaches like Dave Campo fired. Horrible. Just Horrible.

2001: As i go through some of these drafts from '95 till the early 2000's, it dawns on me that it is really a miracle that we are at the level we are now. These drafts were really horrible. Quincy Carter in the 2nd round of this draft just says it all. But he wasn't the only horrible pick. Safety Tony Dixon (2nd Rd.) never came close to being the eventual replacement to Darren Woodson that we had hoped for. Willie Blade(3rd), Marcus Steele(4th), Delroy Stewart(6th), and Colston Weatherington(7th) all had legitimate shots at being starters on this team. Seriously? Oh yeah, and Matt Lehr (5th), who actually started for a bit, might be the linchpin in a steroids scandal that I always fear is just around the corner for this league. What a waste of a draft.

2002: Finally, some hits. Roy Williams (1st Round) and Andre Gurode (2nd) are starters and have multiple probowls on their resume. We can debate the real value of Roy Williams for hours, but he is certainly at the very least a solid starter, although not worth what he is getting paid. However, this draft has some big blunder as well. Antonio Bryant (2nd) has never harnessed his great talent. We all had such great hopes for him. Derek Ross (3rd) and Pete Hunter (4th) were just the latest in the multitude of horrible defensive back picks for this team.

2003: Now we really start to see the base of this current team coming to life. Bill Parcel's first draft landed us a very good starter and leader (4th rounder Bradie James) a pro bowler (1st rounder Terrence Newman), and an all-timer (3rd rounder Jason Witten). Those are some great picks, especially considering Newman came out of Kansas State, which does not produce many NFL stars. 2nd rounder Al Johnson started for a while, and is still starting out in Arizona. On the three big players picked in this round, it certainly can be considered the best of the post Campo years.

2004: Parcel's second draft looked more like what the cowboys were doign before he got here. Trading out of the first round (where we could have taken now Ram Stephen Jackson) to take Julius Jones in the 2nd still stings a lot of us. However, with Jacksin struggling now behind a horrible line in St. Louis, and JuJo seeming to be having the beginnings of what could be a career resurgence, maybe that trade doesnt look so horrible anymore (check: it still looks horrible). Whiffs on OL Jacob Rogers and Stephen Peterman are still hurting our O-Line depth. I cannot imagine how, after all the years of horrible depth in the secondary, that the brain trust felt that Nate Jones and Jaques Reeves were the answer for those troubles, and the fact that they both were counted on last year makes me puzzled as to how we went 13-3 (but it helps understand why we lost in the playoffs). 7th rounder Patric Crayton is certainly the highlight out of this draft. He's starting slow this year, but in my eyes he is still a solid #2 receiver. Terrance Copper was a rookie free agent this year, and he is a good backup WR in New Orleans.

2005: BOOM. Maybe this is the best draft of the 20 years. If this team goes on to win multipe championships, this draft may be looked at like those of '90, '91, and '92. 1st rounder Demarcus Ware has blossomed into a top 5 defensive player in the NFL. Fellow first rounder Marcus Spears, while some feel hasnt lived up to his billing, is still a better than average/good starter on the D Line. 2nd rounder Kevin Burnett has found his role on this team as a nickle linebacker, and may turn into a starter down the road. Chris Canty (4th), despite a somewhat slow start this year, is still a beast. The steal of this draft may have been DT Jay Ratliff in the 7th round. Our D-line is beastly once again with Spears, Canty, and Ratlif, along with Tank Johnson, and Jason Hatcher.

But the best pick in this draft, and potentially of any draft, was 4th rounder Marion Barber. This kid is for real. Pray to the lord he can stay healthy, and we have our franchise back again. One of the most productive and entertaining players to watch that we have had on the Cowboys in my lifetime, and with this franchise, even for only 24 years, that is saying something.

2006: Meh. Parcel's last draft was certainly nothing special. 1st rounder Bobby Carpenter is still waiting to make the impact he, and we, hoped he would have. I am still holding out hope that he will eventually turn the corner. 2nd Rounder Anthony Fasano is now down in Miami with the Tuna. He is a marginal starting TE in this league, but i wish him well because i had always heard he was a good guy. A few blown picks in the draft, like 4th rounder Skyler Green, and 6th rounder Montavious Stanley, but 3rd rounder Jason Hatcher is progressing well and some feel is pushing Marcus Spears for a starting spot. Pat Watkins is a very good backup safety, who some beleive could eventually step into the starting lineup permanently whenever Roy Williams is gone. I dont know about that one, but he's good in spurts.

2007: I know, its too early to be making predictions on this draft, but as of now things are looking good. Anothony Spencer has shown periods of great talent. I hope he starts to come along more, because as good as Gregg Elliss is playing still, he won't keep it up forever. The lineman (3rd Rounder James Martin and 4th Rounder Doug Free) don't seem to be coming along as well as he coaches would like. Isaiah Stanback is still a project, but even he is startign to show a little bit. I'm excited for him to eventually "get it" and turn up all that athleticism into production. The big scores from this draft were the two 6th rounders. Nick Folk has immediately established himself among the leagues best and most cutch kickers in less than a year and a quarter. After the revolving door of kickers since Chris Boniol, I for one, am relieved that Jerry finally drafted a kicker instead of tring to find one off the scrap heap every year. Deon "Criket" Anderson from UCONN (love it) seems to be a good fit in this offense. A wiling and improving blocker, and an improving threat out of the backfeild. And a team favorite in the locker room. Love this guy. Hope his knee gets better soon.

And this leads us up to the reason I just spent the last 2 hours not working on the memo that is due on tuesday: The 2008 draft class. Jerry claims its the best. Feix Jones certainly seems to have come as advertised. I've was excited about the possibility of him doing what hes doing since the beginning of last college football season. GREAT pick, so far. The other first rounder, Mike Jenkins, is still a bit of an unknown. The reason for that, is that we finally have good (great?) depth in the defensive backfeild. Fans have been screaming to take a corner in the first round for years, and then when we finally take one, we don't even really need him, yet. The long rumored Anthony Henry to safety move might be a season away, at which point Jenkins will help form hopefully the best 1-2-3 at the CB position in the league with T-New and Adam Jones. Orlando Scandrick might finally be a late round hit at the CB position, something this team has been horrible at over the years. Again, we finally hit on one, and we don't really need him. He will provide great depth however. 2nd rounder Martellus Bennet is raw talent, and if he gets his head on straight, he may be another great weapon in this offense. Learning from Jason Witten is not a bad way to get an education. Lastly, 4th rounder Tashard Choice might have been my favorite pick of this last draft. With Marion Barber finally stepping into the every day starter shoes, you lose that ability to bring a guy off the bench to bang agaisnthe defense at the end of the game to preserve a win. While Barber will still do that a lot, it is nice to be able to take him out and not worry about taking a huge step down. With these two rookie running backs behind Barber, he have the best depth we've had back there since Chris Warren was backing up Emmitt.

So, what have we learned? Is 2008 the best rookie class of he Jerry Jones Era? It's certainly too early to tell. If i had to give my vote, i'd say...no. 1991, and 1992 are just epic drafts. It is hard to top them in the history of the league, let alone this franchise. Of the recent drafts, i certainly look at that 2005 draft. If this team reaches the heights of its historic past, that draft may be viewed on the same level as '91 and '92. Is it possible for the 2008 draft to get to that level? Sure. But it is facing an upward battle. Every player in this draft is backing up a Pro Bowler, still in the prime of their careers. Of course i hope that Felix, Jenkins, Bennet, Scandrick, and Choice become great players. But at the expense of Marion Barber? Jason Witten? Terence Newman? uh uh. It will be interesting to see who the next few years go.

Anyways, if you've read this far, thank you for indulging me. I apologize for the spelling and grammar errors. i'm not proofreading this thing. Now i'm going to reluctantly go back to the real world, where my memo is still due tuesday, and I don't think my professor will allow me to submit my analysis of Jerry Jones draft record.

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!!

Gregg Williams to Jaguars

CTBoy — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:21:07 -0000

Well, we don't have to worry about Williams not fitting into our 3-4 scheme as a coach or consultant.

According to the folks over at ProFootballtalk.com, it seems the Jaguars will announce the hiring of Gregg Williams to be their D-Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach, which is the same position he was in with the Skins.

Personally i'd rather have Capers on the staff that Williams. But I don't think either were going to be our new linebackers coach, which is something we do need to hire. What about Dat Nguyen?

I'm only half-kidding.

Assistants?

CTBoy — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:22:27 -0000

I know we've done a lot of speculating recently (anything to get our minds past the playoff loss) about who the Cowboys should go after in the draft and free agency. But with it becoming clearer that we have become the farm system for Miami Dolphin Coach's and Staff, what options are out there to fill in our own coaching staff?

I personally think that Garret is going to stick around. He's a smart guy, and he knows that his stock will only continue to rise, and that he is very well liked around the league, so even if thecowboys take a step back next year, he will still be a hot option for next year's coaching carrosell.

But with Sparano now in Miami, and apparently bringing Todd Bowles, and Paul Pasqualoni, who is out there to fill those spaces? Is Dat Nguyen going to be our new Linebackers Coach?

I'm sure that with 30 years of coaching experience, Wade has connections and will fill in the holes, but does anyone have any idea who that might be? Anybody a big Wade Phillips guy? I know Cam Cameron was thrown around, especially if we lose Garret, but I also have heard that if Garret takes a HC job, he's naming Cam as his OC and Dom Capers as his DC.

Any names of young guys who were with Wade in San Diego or even Buffalo?

Look to '08-'09

CTBoy — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:39:47 -0000

I can't think about this game anymore. i can't think about the past season anymore. It's too frustrating and it breaks my heart.

So, I need to start looking forward to next year, if just for my own sanity. Here is a brief synoposis of how I want this offseason to go.

Re-sign our own free agents. Obviousely number 1 is Barber, gotta get him locked up. Then Canty needs to get locked up. He is a beast and only getting better, and perfect for the 3-4 scheme. BTW, can anyone think of a better draft pick during the parcells era? Maybe Ware, but he was high on everyone's board. Canty fell to the 4th (? i think) round cause of his eye and his leg, and MAN did he pan out as hoped.

Also, resign Flozell. He is getting up there in years, yes, but he is still a top 6 or 7 tackle in the NFL, and those DO NOT grow on trees. McQuistan looks good (from what I hear, never really seen him play), but I guess he can maybe play guard for a year of two until he can take over for Adams. Doug Free also looks to have potential, but neither are in the same galaxy as Adams, or will be for at least 2 more years. Must re-sign The Hotel.

2.Let some baggage go. As much as I have always supporterd Julius Jones and admired him for beign a good soldier as his touches dwindled over the past two years, I could not blame him if he couldnt keep quiet another year. He needs to go somewhere, like Houston, where his talent and character can be appreciated. I really hope he succeeds somewhere else, and I will always root for him. BUT, as my bartender always tells me, "you don't gotta go home, but you can't stay here".

Also, please, get Jauques Reeves and Nate Jones and Alan Ball, and all these other "project" cornerbacks that we pick up at the end of the draft OFF THE TEAM. Since 2004 it seems like we draft one or two corners at the end of the draft every year, and none of them pan out, and it KILLED us this year when we had no third corner after letting Aaron Glenn go. Which leads me to my third point...

DRAFT A TOP TEIR CORNERBACK!!! Holy Moses, it seems like very year, we go into the draft with a need for CB depth, and come out with seventh roudners instead of an Aaron Ross, or a Reggie Nelson (i know hes a safety, but still) or a Kelly Jennings, or an Antonio Cromartie (picked one pick after Bobby Carpenter BTW). If the cowboys don't pick Talib, or one ofthe Jenkins', or McKelvin, or some other cornerin the first round, i'm going to burst. I'm not going to say any of the three guys I just mentioned is who they should pick. They have scouts who are very good at what they do, and I'm sure that the ones who don't defect to Miami will be able to determine which cornerback we should pick.

Don't trade up for a RB. Wait for our second first round pick, which won't be as high now (single tear) or even our second round pick. Also, draft a WR who isn't a project or just a guy who can return kicks. Steiback and Austin can return kicks. We need a RECEIVER, not a Receiver/Returner.

5.Bring back Hudson Houck. After Sporano leaves, we'll need someone to kick those big guys in the rear end. They have so much talent, they just need continuous reminders to remain deisciplined.

Jerry Jones, I implore you, don't go backwards and start beleiving your own hype. No drafting Quncy Carter or Duane Hawthorn. Listen to your people (the ones who haven't defected to Miami yet). Develope more scouts. Bring back Larry Lacewell if you have to. But don't think you can do it yourself. You've come so far since three straight 5-11 seasons in the post Jimmy era. Don't go backwards! PLEASE!!! LISTEN TO YOUR FOOTBALL PEOPLE!!!

That is all. It feels better to look forward. THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT YEAR, and it seems these Cowboys have a bright future.

Boys Get Three All Pros

CTBoy — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:16:16 -0000

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=090...

Usual Suspects on this one. Owens Witten and Ware. They certainly are the three best players on this team, and obviously the AP feels they are the best at their position in the league.

Flozell and Leonard "Bigg" Davis were named to the Second All Pro Team.

Brett Favre beat out Romo for the Second Team QB spot, behind Tom "The Clef" Brady.

Drafting Arkansas RB

CTBoy — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:15:51 -0000

This is my first diary. Sorry if it sucks.

I know the 2008 Draft is far away, but I just wanted to get people’s opinions.

I know there has long been talk of the cowboys picking an Arkansas running back in the 2008 draft, by trading up using our two first round picks (in a bigger package) to the Dolphins for the #1 pick and take Darren McFadden. While I love McFadden and feel that he will be a beast in this league, what then would become of Marion Barber? I know he works best as a tandem back (Maroney in College, JJ here), but with McFadden on the team, do you really think we would be maximizing those two backs? I know that Purple Jesus and Chester Taylor up there in Minnesota are working well this year, but seriously, how many of you think that Taylor will get even a third of the carries next year with a fully healthy AP. I know most Cowboy Fans wouldn't want to relegate MB3 to 1/3 of the carries, again, especially after how he has performed this year.

SO, the point of the Diary, is to suggest that we draft the OTHER Arkansas running back, Felix Jones, assuming he declares for the draft (he's only a Junior, like McFadden). He's a quick back, very good receiver, with good speed = A GREAT complement to Barber's bruising style. He's basically a quicker Julius Jones (nothing against JJ, I still really like him and would actually be totaly fine with him coming back in a similar role).

We could most likely draft Felix with our late first round pick, and certainly with the pick the Browns give us (GO TITANS!!!), so rather than drafting a player who we all know will be great but take away from an already great player, draft a player who looks as if he would be the perfect complement to our already great player.

Thoughts?

Also, I'm going to the game sunday. Looking forward to stomping on some Hogs after Brad Johnson throws a TD pass to Miles Austin.