SB Nation User Blog: Tuna Helper

Sam Hurd out for the opener

Tuna Helper — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:51:12 -0000

Cowboys PR chief Rich Dalrymple just poked his head into the media room and informed us that Sam Hurd (high ankle sprain) will not play in the season opener.

We will not have our projected No. 3 and No. 4 receivers against the Browns, and they could possibly be out longer. Sam Hurd and Miles Austin have respective injuries that will keep them out. Austin could miss the first month. Does this mean we keep Danny Amendola and Mike Jefferson? Can we afford to do that? Can we afford not to do that? Do we hit the waiver wire?

Again, I repeat. Not good.

Wade, or as Deke and Randy Galloway might say, Benny Hill, says Witten will be our No. 3 receiver in the season opener. He also said Martellus Bennett and Felix Jones will play big roles as receivers in our offense.

M'kay. I think I'm okay with that.

Different takes on the possible 53-man roster. Rick Herrin says we keep Mike Jefferson and not Danny Amendola, keeping only five WRs. Clarence Hill goes with Danny Amendola and says we keep Evan Oglesby and Alan Ball.

Could Captain Caveman get the ax? Wow.

Here's a theory that was being kicked around during the postgame media bullshooting session in the Texas Stadium parking lot: Sometimes you give a guy extensive preseason playing time to prove that he can't play. And LB Bobby Carpenter played a whole bunch this preseason, including the entire game last night.

So there was some speculating that Carpenter's time with the Cowboys could end Saturday.

I think he's safe. We've got to many injuries at that position and too much invested in his success. But I will say this. If his playing career is like playing "Contra" this would be his last life.

How will Adam Jones fit in? Just fine I hope once the rust is knocked off. Matt Mosley agrees.

The Cowboys may be more excited about Jones' ability in the return game than in the secondary. The club hasn't had a consistent threat in either area since Deion Sanders left the building. And don't try to bring up Reggie Swinton. He played on horrible teams, and he wasn't that consistent. (He did make some decent rap videos.)

Bubble players make their case

Tuna Helper — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:39:57 -0000

Not a lot of drama in Thursday's nights game. Almost all of our starters didn't even play. So how did the bubble players perform? Calvin Watkins of the DMN is on the scene.

Cornerbacks Evan Oglesby and Alan Ball are battling for a possible sixth spot at that position. Oglesby deflected a potential touchdown pass in the end zone and made a strong tackle on a run play in the third quarter.

Linebackers Tearrius George and Tyson Smith are also on the bubble.

During one stretch of the third quarter, George had a sack and two knockdowns of quarterback Brooks Bollinger. George added another sack in the fourth quarter.

Watkins also talks about two players who might see more time than expected at wide receiver. First they have to make the team though. But with the injuries to our wide receiver position, I don't see how one of these guys doesn't make the team.

Two players who needed to prove themselves were wide receivers Mike Jefferson and Danny Amendola.

Jefferson led the team with three catches for 36 yards. Amendola had two catches for 19 yards, and he averaged just nine yards in four punt returns.

Richard Bartel. Not bad young man. Not bad at all. Wade and Jason Garrett weighed in and seem to agree he was productive. DC.com's Mark Norris covers Bartel's night.

"He was up and down," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said. "I thought he fought hard the whole game. I thought at points in the game he got away from what he does well. At other spots, I thought he threw the ball really well."

Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was more generous with his praise, saying it was good to give the first-year quarterback a chance to be in control for more than a half.

"I thought he did a good job managing some of the bad things that happened around him and just kind of getting us out of Dodge so to speak," Garrett said. "It was fun to see him play. It was fun to give him a chance to play the whole game and see how he responded to different situations."

I really like this though.

Bartel finished 28 of 41 in passing for 233 yards with no touchdowns and three sacks for -23 yards, courtesy of those Viking defenders. But he did drive the Cowboys to one touchdown and three Nick Folk field goals to leave the Cowboys with a 2-2 preseason record.

Postgame wrap-up with Clarence Hill and Rick Herrin.

Cricket takes one for the team.

Wow. Randy Galloway's new article in the Star-Telegram is a masterpiece.

I'm not saying it's Pulitzer-worthy because it's not. But it's the perfect combination of sarcasm, personal digs and condescension. I'd say it's Hater Ball Hall of Fame worthy but it's more than that.

It's hate-tastic.

Just a few samples.

Side note to Richard Bartel, Cowboys quarterback:

Not bad, kid. You’ve come a long way from Tarleton State, and certainly from that day when struggling SM-who didn’t want you anymore. If Wade Phillips doesn’t go three deep at QB (Wade screwed up last August on Matt Moore in the same situation), then Thursday night might have been enough for another team to offer a roster job.

There's even a little something for the newest of Cowboys.

When "in shape" Holland distributes 325 pounds over a 6-foot-2 frame, a ratio not recommended by the surgeon general. In Denver, he was said to be up around 340.

Montrae has been a proven player, and between the Broncos and his former team, the Saints, he’s started plenty of games. Plus, new-old offensive line coach Hudson Houck loves guys with a bubble butt. Hud found himself the backend of an 18-wheeler here.

And let's not forget Killer.

Day two of Keith Davis being on the NFL street, and the Cowboys still haven’t re-signed the special teams’ coverage ace. Sources say the club is "gathering all the facts" on why Big Bill wanted Davis gone in Miami.

But it wasn’t for murder and it wasn’t for drugs (I watch The First 48 and have seen nothing from Miami involving Davis), so who the heck cares what Bill was thinking? What’s this, the Cowboys, of all teams, suddenly being picky?

It's almost as if Galloway made it rain with cynicism. Skip Brainless and Jay Mariotti would be proud.

Others weigh in on Jones reinstatement; Keith Davis released by MIA

Tuna Helper — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:55:23 -0000

In one of my favorite movies, "Carlito's Way," Al Pacino's character Carlito Brigante has just been released from prison and he yells to the judge "I've been completed rehabilitated, reinvigorated, reassimilated and finally going to be relocated!"

I'm sure Adam Jones can relate. As Brandon W reported earlier he's finally been reinstated by Roger Goodell.

Here's the official stories from the DMN, the Star-Telegram and DC.com.

Spags lays out what was the worst-kept secret in the NFL. The Cowboys had a plan for Jones, Jones followed it, Goodell was watching and on the seventh day he said "Let there be light!"

The Cowboys, as an organization, have worked diligently with Jones to give him every chance of meeting all the stipulations Goodell wanted him to follow ever since being suspended in April of 2007 for repeated violations of the league's newly-instituted personal conduct guidelines for players.

Plus, Jones likely had added incentive to adhere to these stipulations since being suspended without pay has caused him some financial hardships, having to sell one of his houses in the Nashville, Tenn., area and having another foreclosed upon.

All along, the Cowboys were counting on hearing something from the commissioner before Sept. 1, as Goodell outlined during a summer visit to Dallas for a speaking engagement at a luncheon. And with the NFL's final cuts coming down at 3 p.m. (CDT) Saturday, it only made sense Goodell's ruling was imminent.

"Adam has worked hard to get to this point, but he also knows that there is still a lot of work ahead of him," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.

"He is fully aware of the opportunity that he has been given, and he knows that this is an ongoing process."

Shout out to jacksastud and his fanpost here.

So Gestapo Goodell has stayed true to his word and reinstated Jones. People are already weighing in.

Here Ed Werner drops his two cents in this video. Michael Smith, who oddly has become the go-to-guy of all things football-related at ESPN, weighs in as well. Profootballtalk.com thinks it's a riot that Jones found out about Goodell's decision while eating at Hooters.

Keith Davis was just cut by the Dolphins. The term "this stinks to high heaven" comes to mind. It seems as if he was an integral part of their plans. Hmmm. Tuna seems to have a love-hate relationship with KD. I guess the hate kicked back in.

Davis and his agent Curtis Stephens are staying tight-lipped.

"Players get released in the NFL every day and this is no different from any of those instances in any way," Stephens said. "Believe me, there is nothing curious about this. There was no off-field issue involved in this and when you complete your due diligence, I'm certain you'll find that to be true."

I will trust Stephen's word.

Davis was listed on the team's flight manifest for Wednesday's trip to New Orleans. He was even given a room number. But he was told of his release before the team left South Florida so he didn't make the trip. The Dolphins, meanwhile, offered no comment on the Davis transaction.

Davis was signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Cowboys this offseason. He was part of the Cowboyfication of the Dolphins that included tight end Anthony Fasano, linebacker Akin Ayodele and others.

Could Dallas give him a look? Our special teams troubles this preseason have been well documented. He's familiar with our schemes. He was one of the best special team players we've had to play for us in a while.

But I'm going to have to pass. Tuna wanted him. Coach Sparano wanted him. They paid him and guaranteed him he was starting. Now he's gone? I hate the "where's there's smoke, there's fire" analogy but it's applicable in this situation. Something smells fishy here and it's not just Bill Parcells' gym shorts.

Shout out to GimmyJ and his fanpost here.

Weird Team Preview of the Dallas Cowboys by ESPN. One expert picks us to finish third in the division. They also list the top five players on the team and Antonio Romo is not on the list. Also they list our strengths and the term TWO-TIME PRO BOWL QUARTERBACK are not used. WTF?

Thinning out at the wide receiver position

Tuna Helper — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:11:37 -0000

DeMarcus Ware is one heckuva football player. But he's a better man and father.

I realize a lot of us were dealing with pain after last year's playoff loss. After the game I was sitting in my truck staring at the steering wheel for what seemed like hours. But that pales in comparison to what the Wares have been through.

Last January, DeMarcus and Taniqua were hurting professionally and personally.

The football season crashed when the Cowboys lost to the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Sitting in the front row behind the Cowboys' bench was Taniqua. She was crying as she talked on her cellphone to family members.

Just five days earlier, Taniqua had suffered her third miscarriage.

The Ware family was trying to come to grips with it all.

But don't worry. The sun came out. And the story has a good ending. They were able to adopt a child and they couldn't be happier.

Being a father is important to DeMarcus, who was raised in a single-parent household while growing up in Alabama.

"I never had a father around and so now with Marley in our lives this has really taught me a lot of responsibility," DeMarcus said. "It's also taught me how important a child is and how much happiness a child can bring to a family."

Repeat after me: tell this story whenever someone starts ranting about how selfish professional athletes are.

Hmmm. Apparently N.D. Kalu was not that impressed with MB3 even though he continually smashed his defense in the mouth. Not particularly much of a statement to get me riled up. But that doesn't mean I can't blow it out of proportion though!

Check this out. If you allow a running back to get 75 yards and a touchdown on you in a half, the best thing for you to do is compliment that back and then stay quiet. Otherwise you just seem like a donkey's behind. And I'm not talking about Eddie Murphy in "Shrek."

Our receivers are dropping like bird crap on a windshield. DC.com takes notice.

With fourth receivers dropping like flies, roster hopefuls such as Danny Amendola and Mike Jefferson might be hesitant to take on the role for fear of falling victim to the curse. But they're not scared, and right now having them step up is exactly what the Cowboys need.

Both Amendola, an undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech, and Jefferson, a practice squader last season in his rookie year, made plays in Friday night's game. Neither has played all that much in the first two games, and neither has produced much, either. But Friday night, they were on fire, Jefferson pulling in three passes for 33 yards and Amendola netting one catch for 35 yards.

With two receivers out until the beginning of the regular season, the Cowboys might be forced to go long at the wide receiver position and possibly start scouring the waiver wire once teams start cutting their rosters, scheduled to be down to 75 by Tuesday afternoon and then 53 on Saturday.

Five observations about our preseason game against the Texans from hater extraordinaire Mac Engel: if we stay healthy we're pretty good, were thin at receiver now, Adam Jones is still dusting off the rust, our rookie class seems promising and we cut down on penalties during Friday's game.

Brandon W does a great job of covering our injuries as well as the Kyle Kosier injury. Here's the official DMN story about it, as well as updates on Stanback's injury and Spears progress.

Ex-Cowboy dead at 40. Sad. Just real sad.

Hard to tell what Spags is getting at in his newest article. I think he's saying "Don't trip it's only the preseason and Romo is good enough to put us all at ease."

I think.

Kosier out six weeks

Tuna Helper — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:14:18 -0000

The injury bug seems to have bit our team in the behind once again.

The DMN Blog is reporting Kyle Kosier could miss up to six weeks with his injury.

Left guard Kyle Kosier could miss up to six weeks because of a sprained right foot and hairline fracture. Kosier left Texas Stadium in a walking boot.
Joe Berger is the favorite to take over for Kosier.

This is tough news on several fronts as Grizz has pointed out. Our line looked dominant, cohesive and physical in Friday's game. Anything that messes up the chemistry of that group is troubling. Berger has potential but is fairly untested and will immediately be singled out as a weak spot on our Pro Bowl caliber line. Also if Kosier is out six weeks he'll miss roughly the first month of the schedule. We've got some tough games against Philly, Green Bay and Washington where he'll be sorely missed.

Isaiah Stanback also separated his left shoulder and is doubtful to play Thursday versus the Vikings, according to the DMN Blog. The game just got so much bigger for Mike Jefferson and Danny Amendola.

The biggest blow to the team is Stanback, we doubt he will play on Thursday night against Minnesota, because it cause depth issues at wide receiver.

Just tough on all fronts.

Shout out to Deke and his fanpost here.

Starters look sharp in win versus Texans

Tuna Helper — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:24:15 -0000

The 'Boys escaped with a 23-22 victory Friday night against the Texans. The score wasn't indictive of how dominant our starters looked against theirs but at least we got the win.

This was a weird game. A lot of good things (Romo looked sharp, MB3 ran well, Crayton played well) and a lot of not so good things (too many turnovers, special teams still struggled). But overall an improvement from our previous preseason games.

The DMN picked up on this phenomenon.

During the regular season, how the Cowboys react to situations -- good and bad -- will determine success.
On Friday, the Cowboys dealt with both.

• The good (defense): Also in the loss to the Chargers, the defense could not handle the "sudden change" after a Danny Amendola fumble on a punt return, allowing a touchdown. On Friday, they held the Texans to 11 yards and a 44-yard field goal by Kris Brown.

• The bad (special teams): Andre Davis opened the game with a 68-yard kickoff return that gave Houston the ball at the Cowboys 37. The coverage looked as porous as the punt coverage against San Diego in the preseason opener.

There are a lot of good things to take from our performance Friday. DC.com's Rob Phillips breaks it down like a fraction.

The offensive line created gaping holes for Marion Barber, who plowed through the Texans' defense for 75 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

Romo completed 15 of 19 passes for 166 yards and led the offense on two touchdown drives, including a six-yard TD pass to Patrick Crayton in the first quarter. His lone significant mistake was an interception in the end zone with the Cowboys poised to score from the one-yard line.

The defense held Houston to six total yards on its first three series, allowing only a field goal on the opening drive after Texans return specialist Andre Davis ran the kickoff to the Dallas 37. The Texans did finish with 309 total yards, however, thanks in part to 73 second-half rushing yards.

Nick Folk drilled field goals of 48, 41 and 35 yards, adding to his perfect preseason. His second make came after the offense drove 52 yards in the final 34 seconds of the first half.

The team committed only five penalties for 38 yards, including one offensive infraction (five yards for illegal formation).

One of the most exciting things about Friday's game was the play of Marion Barber. He was fierce. He was powerful. He was shifty. He was running people over like Norbit's wife.

He's our Kyra Sedgwick.

Tim Cowlishaw knows the deal.

Barber as a starting running back. Just what might he deliver in 2008?

In his career as a backup, third-down and goal-line specialist, Barber has averaged 4.5 yards per carry. That ranks right alongside most of the elite backs in the NFC.

Although he has never rushed for 1,000 yards, he's been close. He gained 975 on a 4.8 average in 2007 and earned his first Pro Bowl trip.

His 24 rushing touchdowns the last two seasons rank first in the NFC.

Cowboy Quickies

Even the haters (ahem: Randy Galloway) had to admit our stars were right when they said "we'll be fine." Backhand compliments galore from Galloway!

We cut down the penalties but our special teams weren't so special. Nick Folk rocked though!

Terence Newman. Anthony Spencer. Miles Austin. Kevin Burnett. Now Isaiah Stanback and Kyle Kosier. The injury gods have forsaken us.

Felix the Cat didn't play so nifty at home.

Marcus Spears and Captain Caveman played well Friday.

Harry Williams fractured his vertebra in Friday's game. I'm pulling for ya man.

Getting ready for the Texans

Tuna Helper — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:47:34 -0000

We all know the preseason doesn't amount to much. But if there's a time to get semi-serious, it's this game. Most of the starters probably won't play in the next preseason game so this is game to get your tempo down. They'll see extended time against the Texans.

Adam Jones is ready.

The different approach comes with a change in the lineup. Adam "Pacman" Jones will start at left cornerback after rookie Mike Jenkins was there the first two games, working in place of the injured Terence Newman. Phillips said Jones would get more of a chance to showcase his punt returning skills. Jones rebounded from a poor game in the preseason opener to have a nice showing in game two against Denver, tying for a team-high six tackles. If Jones stays true to form, he'll relish every chance to guard Houston's best playmaker, Pro-Bowl receiver Andre Johnson.

"Whoever comes up there, I'm ready to compete," Jones said.

Wade wants us to be efficient and productive.

Man we talk a lot about Roy Williams. We've all covered the reasons why. But here's something I've honestly not thought about in a while. Roy could actually be close to the guy we knew in year's past -- disruptive and hard-hitting. The DMN Blog is all over it.

It can't hurt Williams to work again with DB coach Dave Campo, the head coach when the Cowboys drafted Williams. But pride and personnel are the two primary reason Williams could wreak havoc again.

Williams knows what's been written and said about him, and he's determined to prove it wrong. And he certainly doesn't want his Cowboys career to end with a whimper, which will happen if he doesn't make an impact this season.

He wore a T-shirt last night that had his new number on the front and "NO HORSING AROUND IN '08" on the back. There was a picture of a hand reaching up to make a horse-collar tackle, but the double-meaning is pretty clear.

I can dig it.

Spags has kind of been on fire of late. In this article he talks about how we have to progress from last year. Just reading it made me feel like Ricky Bobby. "If you're not first, you're last." Word to Reese Bobby!

Stewart said something like, "Just like we were talking about the other day," meaning to his players in a meeting, "we're good, got to be great."

That, for some reason stuck in my mind, causing me to circle what he said afterward in my notebook. And then there it was Wednesday night while watching Hard Knocks following the Cowboys night practice before 25,000 people at Texas Stadium thanks to the miracle of DVR in High Def, Stewart saying the exact same thing in front of his defense, assumingly during a meeting in Denver, and likely after one of the lackluster practices on Wednesday against the Broncos.

"We're good, but now we got to be great."

Good last year was good enough to match the club record for most wins in a season. Good last year was good enough to win the NFC East and earn the top playoff seed in the NFC, along with the accompanying first-round bye and a home game in the playoffs.

But in the end, good was not good enough.

Gisele v. Jessica? Any opinions? Here's one: Cowboy game, 12-pack of ice-cold beer and hot wings. I'll take that everytime.

Dreaming of Anquan Boldin

Tuna Helper — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:33:42 -0000

Roy Williams is really getting it from all sides now: NCAA bans the horse-collar tackle. Next up Pop Warner Football. Hopefully he doesn't get a congressional censure.

Could the 'Boys get Anquan Boldin? It would solve our No. 2 WR problems and he's obviously unhappy.

Spags stirs the pot a little bit by diving into this topic.

Jerry Jones meant, of course, potentially trading for a veteran wide receiver who could provide instant help rather than drafting one in the second or third round. Nothing materialized in the off-season, and Cardinals officials are insisting no matter what the veteran Boldin says, they have no interest in trading a guy under a contract averaging $4 million a year for three more years.

But Stephen Jones would go on to say, "If we have a chance to improve ourselves, we'll look at that."

Sorry guys but I refuse to believe this is going to happen. First of all, the Cards are going to try and appease him. This is my belief. He's too good of a football player to let go. It hasn't escalated to the point of no return yet, although he has asked to be traded. I still think, for whatever reason, the fences will be mended and he'll be a very productive member of that football team for the foreseeable future. More importantly though, there is no way the Cards are going to trade him to an already loaded team and conference competitor like the Cowboys. Just not going to happen.

But I can certainly dream about it. How nasty would that be? Two big physical receivers breaking through arm tackles and punishing would be defenders. Boldin taking over as our No. 1 receiver after age finally catches up to T.O. (if it ever does). Wow. I'm getting ants in my pants just thinking about it.

Too bad it's not gonna happen.

Shout out to HutHut and his FanPost. here.

A fan almost makes the roster by running rings around security.

Everybody agrees. Martellus Bennett looks like a horse's backside with his antics on Hard Knocks. But Barry Horn of DMN points out other moments: Mike Jenkins struggling versus the Broncos and DeMarcus Ware playing with his daughter.

This show and it's affect on our team has been greatly overrated in my opinion. When the talk of the show is our third-string rookie tight end and not Romo painting Jessica's nails during training camp or Adam Jones leading a high speed chase or some other crazy scenario then I'm happy. It was supposed to be a circus. But so far the only clowns I see are the football experts who told us how detrimental it would be.

TD sees Texas Stadium as a landmark.

I sure do. Last time I was there Emmitt broke the NFL rushing record. There's really a majestic feel to the stadium.

Speaking of Emmitt, SportsNation chose him as the Greatest Cowboy of All-Time. Well duh. And I'd like to add most classiest although he's probably tied with Roger Staubach on that front. And the best dancer.

What? Me? Worry?!?!

Tuna Helper — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:01:34 -0000

Can Marion Barber handle the load?

This article on ESPN answers the question definitively. James Quintong breaks down what type of back Barber is, how we use him and why he's capable of spearheading our ground game.

Barber's greatest asset is his versatility. He established himself as a third-down back who can catch passes out of the backfield, but he's also a hard-nosed runner between the tackles, which made him the go-to guy at the goal line. But he can also rip off the big play, as he's averaged 4.8 yards per carry each of the past two seasons. You can't pull off an average like that if you're only getting carries inside the 20.

In 2007, Barber carried the ball 160 of 204 times outside the opponent's 20-yard line. In those carries, he averaged a whopping 5.3 yards per carry. That includes a crazy 8.5 yards-per-carry on 44 attempts between the 40s. So obviously, he can be trusted upon to carry the ball anywhere on the field.

Hat tip and shout out to scottmaui and his fanpost here.

There seems to be a national consensus that maybe Cowboy Nation should be concerned about our 0-2 preseason start. Why do I say that? Because everywhere I go I see someone telling me not to worry.

First up is Spags. No one does sarcasm quite like Spags. His thoughts? Calm down, dude.

But for some reason, this season already is building as a Super Bowl or bust one, starting in preseason - already - and no matter the quarterback will be starting only his second full season in the NFL.

That's why it was quite reassuring to hear Terrell Owens' perspective on all this when he was assaulted with question after question here on Tuesday about the 0-2 start in preseason and those lofty goals.

"My thing is, let's win a playoff game," Owens said.

My thing, too.

Next up Clarence Hill and Mac Engel at the Star-Telegram. Their thoughts? Well the players say not to worry.

IRVING -- When it comes to their performance in the first two preseason games, the Dallas Cowboys are like many of their fans. Some are dismissing it, while others are starting to be alarmed.

Tight end Jason Witten and linebacker Bradie James say the team needs to play with a sense of urgency. Quarterback Tony Romo and receiver Terrell Owens are calling it much ado about nothing.

Owens said the preseason just isn’t that big a deal, pointing out that the current Super Bowl champions (New York Giants) won one game last year in the preseason.

His message to Cowboys fans: "There is no need to panic. You can’t assess how the season is going to go by the way you play throughout the preseason. The Giants won the Super Bowl [last year] and they only won one game in the preseason. It’s not a real true game feel assessment, because you are not really playing four quarters. We have made some strides. We are confident about the season."

But just in case you want to worry here are some solid things to get upset about.

Five reasons to be concerned
Tight end Martellus Bennett

The rookie second-round draft pick from Texas A&M has become a favorite of the Hard Knocks cameras because tight ends coach John Garrett has been all over him. The Cowboys want Bennett to exploit his enormous athletic ability, but this will likely be a season-long project. "I know what’s real and what’s not real, so it doesn’t bother me," Bennett said, regarding the Hard Knocks-generated perception. "I don’t regret anything I did. I’m picking things up every week."

Threat of injuries

Injuries are a concern for every team. If the Cowboys sustain injuries at the key positions -- Tony Romo, Flozell Adams, Terrell Owens, DeMarcus Ware, etc. -- there will be problems. The Cowboys are like most teams in that they have depth here and there, but not everywhere.

Call 1-800-Pass-Catcher

"We haven’t played anything yet," receiver Sam Hurd said. "Give us a chance to show what we can do. We haven’t played to our full ability yet." Hurd wants the media/fans to allow the backup receivers to at least play a game before they are collectively buried. Before the injury to Miles Austin, who has one career catch, this unit was thought to be an area of concern, even in the front office. Until proven otherwise, this is regarded as a concern.

Big Top becomes a Big Mess

Among a Pacman, a Tank, a T.O. and a Romo, there are a lot of personalities on this team, as well as lots of talent. It should work. But if it doesn’t, it has the ingredients for a finger-pointing salad.

Head coach Wade Phillips

It borders on unfair that a coach with a career record of 61-42 has his feet in the fire, but this is unique. His rumored successor was hired before he was, is his top assistant, and makes a lot of money. If for some reason the season doesn’t start well, do players look or even align themselves with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett? The situation is tenable, largely because of the two personalities involved, but there is a potential distraction should losses become more prevalent than wins.

Finally here comes T.O. His thoughts? Read my lips. I. Am. Not. Worried. FOXSports.com tries to goad him but he's not taking the bait.

"We'll be fine once the season starts," Owens said Tuesday. "I promise you."

So should we be worried? Look our special teams has played pretty terrible. Denver ran all over our first team defense. We have yet to score more than 20 points. Miles Austin was hurt. There are things to be worried about.

But in the grand scheme of things this stuff is relatively minor. Our offense has looked pretty good at times. None of our big stars are hurt. Felix Jones looks like a barnburner. Adam Jones looks like the real thing as a punt returner and he's rounding into form as a cornerback. We're going to be fine gentlemen. Just fine.

Hat tip and shout out to SmittyCityMo and his fanpost here.

Dallas Cowboys Roundup: Pacman Jerry's biggest gamble ever?

Tuna Helper — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:50:40 -0000

What about Roy Williams on special teams?

The guys at DC.com tackle this interesting question posed by a reader. They cover all angles. Do we really want our starting strong safety at risk like that? But didn't Darren Woodson do it though? Does he even want to do it?

We're paying him a lot of money so I'm hesitant to put him on special teams. But if he can get his mojo back by smacking a couple of return guys I'm all for it.

GEORGE AVARA, EL PASO, TX: If I recall correctly, Darren Woodson was a special teams player for most of his career even when he was our starting safety. So, why doesn't Roy Williams play on special teams? He's no longer an every down player because of his limited pass coverage skills but he can still tackle pretty darn good and maybe cause some turnovers. The problems the Cowboys are having on special teams need to be addressed immediately and this would give Roy a chance to contribute to the team in other ways. What are your thoughts?

Josh: I think Roy would be a fine addition to the special teams. Remember, he was like the Grim Reaper out there his rookie year on kickoff coverage with some of those big hits. Jimmy Williams, the ex 49ers return man is still having nightmares. The only thing is, does Roy want to play special teams? That's not something you want to hear, but in reality, it's probably his call.

Rob: You're right, Williams isn't an every-down player anymore, but he's still your starting strong safety. I certainly wouldn't put him on every special teams unit, but if the coverage struggles continue maybe it's something Wade Phillips should consider. Williams did play special teams as a rookie in 2002.

Mickey: I certainly don't have any problems with that. And you are right, until the very end, Woodson played special team, mostly on kick-off coverage that latter part of his career, and I remember this distinctly because we'd joke with him about can't an old man get off special teams at some point in his career. The Cowboys coverage units must improve, and if that is at the expenses of some starters having to play a few more down, like a Roy Williams, then so be it. This weakness from last year cannot continue to be this week again.

Anthony Spencer is getting an MRI on his knee. Dr. Jerry says it's a bone bruise. Wade says not to worry.

Spags wants to come back to Oxnard. Who doesn't?

But if it were me, and everything else was even, I'd have the Cowboys returning to Oxnard for training camp, the place Al Davis discovered when his Raiders were stationed in L.A., and probably because Tex Schramm already had discovered the benefits of training in Thousand Oaks back in 1963.

Now the Cowboys vacated this place in 2007 because those owning the property surrounding the practice complex were supposed to build a housing development. But thanks to the economy's downturn, I'm told by local realtors that's just not going to happen any time soon; that this land used for parking and the fan zones will be available for years to come.

Be a shame to just let this land sit vacant year round.

Now didn't someone once say contracts are made to be broken? Or was that records? Can't remember.

But after Monday's practice Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was seen talking with the Oxnard mayor, along with one of the city councilman, both of whom came out to "say goodbye," but as Jones said he told them, "keep communicating."

And the good news is this: When asked, knowing the club has a contract for upcoming camps in San Antonio, if there was a chance of coming back here to training camp, Jones said, "Yes, yes, there is a significant chance," and he would go on to say with a big grin on his face, "there are some things about (camp in Oxnard) I like a lot.

It's a shame I live so close yet have never gone to a training camp in Oxnard. Good thing Grizz represented for the whole BTB.

Matt Mosley has a good roundup of opinions on our first preseason game. The consensus seems to be that our first team looked pretty good and then -- like when these three guys show up -- it all went to hell in a handbasket.

Todd Archer and Tim Cowlishaw tell the masses not to get our panties in a bunch and not to read too much into the San Diego debacle.

Adam Jones says he's usually a slow starter. He says he'll get it together soon. Probably in a week.

Pacman, who stressed that he didn't come to Dallas to be patient, cautioned a handful of reporters that it's too early to push the panic button.

"I ain't trying to say this, but the first preseason game I always play like [manure]," Pacman said. "We'll just see how I play this weekend. If I do that same [manure] I did last weekend this weekend, put me up under the bus.

"Just one week. Don't need no more weeks. I give y'all permission to blast me if I do that again this week."

While this week grace period is in effect the DMN Blog ponders whether Jones is Jerry's biggest gamble ever. I don't know. Firing a legend to give his job to a college buddy with no NFL experience has to be up there. Firing another legend for another college coach gets consideration. Signing Ryan Leaf has to be mentioned.

If we're just talking recent player transactions I'd say T.O. and AJ would probably have to be a tie. Not from a talent standpoint because Owens is a better player than Jones. Much better. But as far as bad publicity. These guys were like whirlwinds of bad publicity when Jerry signed them. It's risky in the sense that it could tick off a loyal fanbase. Ultimately though I think Jerry knows his fanbase better than most owners. He knows we want to win. Not at all costs but pretty darn close too it. So there's risk there but not as substantial as one would think. Throw in the way the contracts were structured and the risk gets smaller.

Donovan McNabb says T.O. is finally maturing. Does that mean he'll finally admit that he's acting more and more like a child? Apparently he thinks the Eagles are the class of the NFC. Forgetting for a second that the class of the NFC plays in Irving.

Let's check up on former DMN Blog point man Albert Breer shall we? He's got what seems like a profile on Jerry and his pursuit of another ring at his new publication. Gotta subscribe to see the rest. Subscription is free so I'd check it out.

I kinda miss the Breerman and his Patriot homerism. I guess he never recovered from the Super Bowl. Oh so close! Yet so far!