I understand that this is not a Cowboys-related matter, but a young man's life is at stake here, and this is an NFL matter that encompasses all fans. Bengals wide-receiver Chris Henry is likely to lose his life tonight after an extremely odd automobile accident.

Henry is on life support after reportedly falling out of a pickup truck. Homicide decetives were called onto the scene, so loss of life is almost imminent in this case.

As we all know, Henry has been a troubled man throughout his football career. But in the last calendar year, Henry has been an example of how it is possible to turn a troubled life around.

Whatever you think about this man, please pray for him. He is only 26 years old, and a father of three. No young man deserves this fate. No children deserve to lose their father.

PLEASE SEND UP YOUR PRAYERS FOR CHRIS HENRY TONIGHT.

More photos » by Marcio Sanchez - AP

Look at the guns on #17! Those are the fruits of hard work and determination. That's what it takes to last in the NFL as an undrafted free agent. This year may finally be the year for Sam Hurd.

Browse more photos »

I know it’s only the preseason. I know it’s only one game, but Sam Hurd looked good Thursday night. With all of this talk about whether or not Miles Austin would overtake Patrick Crayton as the #2 receiver, I don’t think any of us considered the possibility of Hurd making a case for the #3 spot. Again, it was just one preseason game, but Hurd showed some things that were really encouraging.

After losing a great deal of his 2008 season to an ankle injury, Hurd is fully recovered. He's still listed at 205 lbs. but appears to be more muscular than in years past. He seems to have an extra little bounce in his step, and for a guy who is supposed to be slow, he’s proving that he is fast enough to get open. It’s early, but it’s beginning to look like Sam Hurd is determined to contribute this year.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

Rather than experimenting with the Wildcat formation, the Cowboys would do best to just keep the ball in this man's hands.

Browse more photos »

With the NFL being the copycat league that it is, the Wildcat formation became a league-wide craze last season when the Miami Dolphins used it to inject a little juice into an otherwise less than special offense. I, like many other Cowboy fans, have had my fair share of daydreams about Isaiah Stanback or Patrick Crayton lining up behind center. But the more I think about this whole Wildcat thing, the more I personally would prefer the Cowboys leave it alone entirely. 

Of course the Wildcat sounds like a ton of fun, especially considering the Cowboys personnel. But one quote from an owner who has had a great deal of success began to sway my opinion. When asked if his team may have interest in signing Michael Vick to run a little Wildcat, Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a ton of sense in one sentence:

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Head Coach Wade Phillips can be more demanding of his players without necessarily becoming a tougher coach.

Browse more photos »

Training camp is here at last. As Cowboy fans we have been anxiously waiting to finally see this new-look, streamlined Cowboy unit in action. We’ve all been waiting to see what a healthy Roy Williams looks like in T.O.’s old spot. We’ve debated at length which sophomore corner will hold down the island opposite Terence Newman. We’ve hypothesized all offseason about the role Jason Garrett will be carving out for Felix Jones. With all of these great training camp related unsolved issues, there was still one question that loomed larger than all of the rest in my mind. I wanted to know whether or not we were all going to see this tougher, more demanding Wade Phillips that we were promised.

At his pre-camp presser, Coach Phillips looked at times like a guy who was trying on his tough guy suit for the first time. He was in a few instances, uncharacteristically short and dismissive with the media. He also seemed to be almost fighting his own natural smile, attempting to look a bit more subdued and businesslike. I get it. The guy wants to be taken serious, and is probably a bit tired of the way that he is perceived by members of the media. And to his credit, early reports from camp have players moving in and out of drills at a much more urgent pace than in recent years.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Cornerback Terence Newman (left) and safety Ken Hamlim (right) are penciled in as Week 1 starters. Other Cowboys will have to prove themselves at training camp.

Browse more photos »

[Ed. Note by Grizz]: It turned out that Carl and I both wrote posts about things to watch for at training camp. I was planning to do a Part II to the Five Things post from yesterday, but since Carl already had a post of stuff he's watching out for, we'll use that as part two. [End Note]

Okay, if you want to be technical about it, I won’t be at Cowboys training camp so I won’t be watching anything. I guess I will be listening for, or reading up on a few different storylines coming out of Cowboys camp. Considering the abundant media coverage these days, coaching staffs are reluctant to reveal much before the regular season kicks off. Still, if we look closely, we can probably gather a few vital tidbits of information about the Cowboys upcoming season. Here are the things that I will be looking for at Cowboys camp.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Tony Romo still knows how to keep things loose off the field, despite the pressure.

Browse more photos »

Less than two weeks remain until the Dallas Cowboys open training camp. Pretty soon we will be opining about the ongoing training camp battles, and the prospects of the coming season. At this particular time however, there is not a ton of earth-moving news coming out of Valley Ranch. There were a few minor things in the news this week that stood out to me. Again, these are not huge issues or news stories, just a few things that I felt were worthy of a little discussion.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Marion Barber is the lead dog in the Cowboys talented backfield.

Browse more photos »

Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice. Any offensive coordinator would be elated to have such an outstanding trio of backs at their disposal. As Cowboy fans it is difficult to step away from our slightly slanted vision, as we are quick to adorn the Cowboys three-headed monster the best in the business. All biases aside, how does the Cowboys backfield stack up against the rest of the league? Sure, there are quite a few remarkable one-two punches, but can anybody go three deep as well as the ‘Boys can? Let's take a look at some of the more potent projected backfields around the league. 

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips instructs one of his quality control coaches at a recent practice. "Great Scott son! Get me some gull-danged plutonium, dad-gummit! It's right over there!"

Browse more photos »

As many of you may know, DC.com is running a series on the 50 greatest Cowboys of all time. The countdown currently stands at #15, where DC.com has named wide receiver Drew Pearson as the 15th greatest Cowboy of all time. Reading about all of the Cowboys of old brings back some fond memories, and also invokes a little imagination. As I continue to read through the series, I continue to mull over one question. If I had an ‘85 Delorian, a flux capacitor, and a little plutonium, what former Cowboy would I travel back in time to kidnap and add to the current unit?

Offensively it is easy to go with one of the all-time greats. Sure, any of us would probably love to have Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman to come in and guide the ship. Both are Hall of Fame quarterbacks with Super Bowl rings. But with Tony Romo on board, I personally would not spend my one and only pick on a quarterback, however important the position may be. It is natural to blurt out a name like Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett, or Emmitt Smith. For this particular post, I wanted to dig a little deeper and tag players who would fit need areas for the current Cowboys.

My list is not by any means all-inclusive. There have been too many great Cowboys over the years to include them all, so forgive me if I left out your guy.

Continue reading this post »

"Success occurs when preparation and opportunity intersect."  I’m not sure on who said it first, but that is one of my favorite phrases in the world, and boy is it ever true. Take a guy like Tashard Choice for example. In college Choice found himself behind future NFL backs like Adrian Peterson and P.J. Daniels. In his inaugural NFL season he found himself third on the depth chart behind Pro Bowler Marion Barber, and first-round pick Felix Jones. In both instances, Choice kept himself prepared and was able to capitalize on his opportunity when he was called upon.

The stars are beginning to align for a few other current Cowboys. A handful of Cowboys have a chance to prove their worth, and play more significant roles than they ever have. What remains to be seen is whether or not said players will truly be ready to make the most of their opportunities.

A look at a few Cowboys who have a chance to make a significantly greater impact going forward:

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Jon Kitna can help the Cowboys in a big way this season...even if he never plays a down.

Browse more photos »

The Dallas Cowboys never made the blockbuster move this offseason. The Cowboys were however quite efficient at filling holes with affordable free agents. One of the first moves the Cowboys made at the onset of free agency was shipping aging cornerback Anthony Henry to Detroit in exchange for quarterback Jon Kitna. This move was only a footnote to all of the madness that is the free agency signing period, but for the Cowboys it could prove to be the biggest move of the offseason.

Jon Kitna is not without his flaws. He has struggled with injury of late and has always had a propensity for throwing interceptions. Still, Kitna is quite the upgrade over last year’s backup, Brad Johnson. If nothing else, Kitna’s arm strength will force other teams to respect the entire field. Kitna’s arm will also keep the team from having to reign in the playbook, which Kitna is quite familiar with, having spent time in a system with similar terminology in Detroit.

Kitna knows he is not here to compete for a starting job and has said as much. While he offers security as a backup quarterback, his greatest value may be as a mentor. As a Bengal in 2003, Kitna served as a mentor for #1 overall pick Carson Palmer. The fact that Kitna was willing to groom a rookie to eventually supplant him says a lot in itself about Kitna’s character. Much like Trent Dilfer, Kitna is a player whose average play is not a fair indicator of his immense knowledge of the game. Some guys are just better teachers than players, and Carson Palmer has always gone out of his way to attribute much of his success to Kitna’s teaching. Palmer believes that Kitna will be an asset to Tony Romo as well.

Palmer Tuesday on ESPN’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd:

"…you said that the biggest move of the offseason wasn’t Jay Cutler. It wasn’t T.O., but it was Jon Kitna going to Dallas, and you couldn’t have been more right…If Tony just follows what he (Kitna) says and listens to him, he’s gonna have a great year."

Maybe a guy like Kitna is just what Tony Romo needs. A backup who is not exactly breathing down his neck, but who is a good and willing teacher. Kitna is not a Hall of Famer by any stretch of the imagination, but he has seen a lot more live bullets than Tony Romo has in his short career. Kitna should be a great guy for Romo to have with him in the film room. If nothing else, Kitna ought to be able to draw from his experience and drop a few words of wisdom on Tony when times get tough. If things go well for the Cowboys, Jon Kitna won’t be playing a single meaningful down this season. If things go well for Tony Romo, it may have something to do with Jon Kitna.