Texas WR Jordan Shipley: 2010 Draft Prospect Profile

The combine has begun and so will we here at DCN. With draft prospects becoming more and more known the Cowboys have shown great interest in a few players. However, you guys have shown interest in a few players too. A player that you guys have talked about is WR Jordan Shipley from Texas and today he is the target of our Prospect Profile.

Jordan Shipley (6-0, 195lbs)

Wr/Texas

Shipley is a speedy experienced receiver. His time in the game has allowed him to study the game and understand complex defensive formations and assignments.

Why the Take Him: Shipley is a Texas player so naturally people would love to see him in the Blue and Silver. Beyond that Shipley is an explosive player with great speed and ability. He could add depth to a mediocre receiving unit as well as fill in as a slot receiver. He is an attractive pick if he’s available in the third round.

Why they don’t: You know, there is just not that many weaknesses in this kid. I believe he’s a talented player being easily forgotten in a draft with some great receivers.

Final Word: Shipley is a versatile player who could make plays in different position. He is also known for making big plays when they needed them. However, you’re looking at placing him next to Ogletree and I’m not sure you want to stop the development of Ogletree quite yet.

Tomlinson, Westbrook Cut: Nick Folk Signs With Jets

It looks like a bad year to be a veteran running back in the NFL. First the Chargers release 9 year vet LaDainian Tomlinson and now the Eagles have delivered a shiny new axe to Brian Westbrook.

I must say that L.T. leaving San Diego is a story that’s been in the making for a while now. It was just this time last year when the rumor mill was swirling with the pending decision to keep or cut him. It’s the first of his nine seasons to finish the year with under 1,100 yards rushing.

Though the general consensus is that his release was due to monetary constraints. It doesn’t hurt that Darren Sproles was technically backing Tomlinson up either.

Brian Westbrook, however, has come on as a franchise runner in Philly so I doubt anyone expected that he’d be released.

Westbrook did have some issues over a concussion that helped put a spotlight on the late and great movement toward player safety and giving concussed players ample time to heal before checking back into the game. He missed a few games and ended the year well short of his best season yardage with only 274 yards on the ground.

Personally, I’m surprised enough by the Eagles’ move that I’d now think twice before saying with any degree of confidence that Andy Reid or Donovan McNabb wouldn’t be released. Westbrook may not have been the top rusher in Philadelphia the past two years, but he wasn’t considered expendable either.

Nick Folk is going Green
Looks like that trip to New York for tryouts wasn’t a wasted effort after all for the former Cowboys kicker. The Jets have signed him to a one year deal, opting to go with a rebounding Folk over veteran place kicker Jay Feely.

Maybe Folk can turn things around before they get any worse for him.

Don’t forget, I want your reactions to Tomlinson and Westbrook being released, and Folk’s future with the J – E – T – S.

2010 Draft Prospect Profile: USC Safety Taylor Mays

As I’ve stated many times, my projected first round pick for the Cowboys is Idaho guard Mike Iupati, however, that’s merely an opinion. Someone once said to me “Opinions are like buttholes, everyone’s got one and most of them stink.” So another popular opinion among experts has the Dallas Cowboys taking Safety Taylor Mays of USC. So I thought we’d start our series of Player Profiles here and analyze this pick.

Taylor Mays (6-3, 220, Safety-USC)

Why they take him: Mays is an extremely rangy safety. He clocks a 4.45 40-yard dash and is an incredible physical specimen. His play has showcased some terrific abilities from jumping to movement. He has proven to be durable and have terrific work ethic while always keeping the team first which would match the new Cowboys locker room style to a tee. His ability to play the run is also attractive.

Why they don’t: Mays is your typical Roy Williams cliché. Despite his upside he has been inconsistent making questionable decisions and plays. Often caught going for the big hit instead of the safe tackle, Mays can easily become a liability at the next level. Many experts believe that he will have an issue playing man coverage with receivers due to his technique.

Final Word: Mays is a tremendous talent and may be hard to pass up. However, he is just not what this team needs. This team needs a safety that won’t be a liability in pass coverage and will be reliable when backs or receivers threaten that last line of defense. Mays has many strengths but his weaknesses ruin Cowboys compatibility. If they do take him, I’d be surprised if the relationship lasted longer than his rookie contract.

Deon Anderson Should Fear Team Reaction

Of all the things to happen, why’d Deon Anderson have to land himself a gun related charge? Seriously, as if Plaxico Burress didn’t make that point crystal clear for the league.

To me it seems like there are just too many dynamics in play to try to figure out what will happen with him should he be convicted, and even if he’s not. I say too many because one of the key dynamics is the amount of change in Jerry Jones regarding his players and personal conduct.

We all remember the 90′s—it was ugly as far as personal conduct.

But then Adam “Pacman” Jones was able to test and tread the waters before eventually sinking at the hands of Jerry Jones. And who can forget Terrell Owens, given that anyone believes the decision to release him last year was even slightly about team chemistry and “The Player’s” attitude.

Jerry has possibly demonstrated a change in his own policies for dealing with players who cause and get into trouble. I use possibly because while things were really heating up with Pacman and T.O., Anthony Spencer got into some trouble and barely received a slap on the wrist.

So what will Jerry do with Deon, regardless of if he is eventually convicted or not? It’s hard to say.

T.O. had become more of a problem than a producer, and Pacman could never stay out of trouble long enough to start producing in Dallas. But Spencer was viewed as the next starting OLB ready for the soon-after release of Greg Ellis.

Deon Anderson had one catch for five yards in 2009. That’s it. That was all of his involvement.

It seems to me that the axe would fall swiftly if it even looked like he was facing jail time. But a guy that touches the ball only once in a whole season plus two playoff games should be very worried no matter what.

So you guys tell me what you think, should he be cut and under what circumstances? Answer in the comments.

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Got A New Outfit

It’s been almost a full year since we last updated our design, so it was time to finally get into something we can live a long time with. The last one was just a temporary solution.

So we got a tan, how do you like the new digs?

I’ll tell you, you all seem to like it a lot and I’m certain glad to see it. It’s only been a day and already there’s been an overwhelming response to the new design. Thanks.

So we’re ready to get started with the new season of football. It’s early, but you can never start football too early. We’re ready to start adding folks to our crew here and build our nation’s presence up.

We even got a new Dallas Cowboys Nation Facebook page. You can check it out and become a fan, we need more. Just use the new Fan Box on the right below the recent posts list.

We need Link Bloggers, Video Bloggers, Social Bloggers, and definitely some more Draft Analysts. We don’t care if you want to write a hundred articles or just one, we just want more fans sharing their opinions with us. You can even stick to something more simple like commenting on posts. We can’t wait to hear from you.

And you know getting started is easy—you just have to register for a free account and submit your article to us. So what are you waiting for?

Let’s show the world that the Dallas Cowboys are still America’s Team with a strong force of writers going nuts. Good times.

Dallas Cowboys Hire Bobby King To Replace Dat Nguyen

Earlier this year former Dallas linebacker turned Dallas assistant head coach and assistant linebackers coach Dat Nguyen announced that he was not interested in returning to the Cowboys in 2010. Reasons cited took focus around the notion that Nguyen felt there wasn’t room for the kind of advancement he wanted in the near future.

He has since returned to Texas A&M as the linebackers coach.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys officially hired Bobby King to replace Nguyen today. From the DMN Cowboys Blog:

“Bobby King, a defensive line coach at West Texas A&M the past two seasons, has been added to the staff as a defensive assistant. Before his latest coaching stint with the Buffaloes, King worked defensive tackles at Baylor in 2006 and ’07. He was a teammate of Cowboys quality control coach Wes Phillips at UT El Paso and also worked on staffs with Phillips at West Texas A&M (’05) and Baylor (’06).” – Feb. 17, David Moore

Ex-Cowboys Kicker Nick Folk On The Hunt

After leading the league in 2009 with 10 missed field goal attempts at the three-quarter mark, Dallas’ star kicker Nick Folk was cut in search of consistency on the three-point-tries.

Dallas went on to sign Shaun Suisham who has flopped so far and Folk went to the unemployment lines.

Some of us Dallas fans struggled with the decision to release Folk. Some said he still hadn’t gotten right after his preseason hip surgery and others simply maintained that he needed time to work through a tough spell in his young career. Neither has yet to be settled as anything more than mere speculation.

As of today, though, the clock starts ticking down to the moment when we’ll all know if Folk was a two-year man or just in need of some refocusing.

According to Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com, Nick Folk is headed to New York for tryouts with both the New York Jets and New York Giants. The Giants still have a guy under contract while the Jets’ only kicker is an unrestricted free agent. Read the full article at PFT: Nick Folk Has Two Tryouts Coming Up

Apparently few have forgotten what Folk has done when at his best and seem to be willing to give him a shot. We’ll have to keep an eye out to see what happens.

Anyone think Dallas could/should/would resign Folk before the 2010 season starts? Give your answers in the comments.

Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: Mike Iupati, Jordan Shipley Headline

Hey Cowboys Nation, I’m here to treat you with my first 2010 mock draft. I’ve done a decent amount of research and watching and have established, what I believe is a solid draft for the Dallas Cowboys. Of course, this can all change as we watch the combine and pro days in the weeks ahead.

Over the next few weeks I will be looking at each of these choices in depth, and will also provide news, combine, and prospect updates in the days leading to the draft. So enjoy this, share your insight, and stay tuned as Dallas Cowboys Nation begins to lead you through this offseason.

G/T Mike Iupati

Idaho

Why They Take Him: Mike Iupati has been a favorite of the Cowboys Scouts. Impressive at the senior bowl, Iupati has all the intangibles that the Cowboys love on the line. He is powerful, fast, and knowledgeable. If Iupati is available, which I believe he will be, He will prove over time to be a steal at 27.

How He Fits: Iupati would make an immediate impact on this team. With Flo on his way out and Kosier finishing up his contact we are in need of offensive lineman.

Continue reading →

Connor Hughes Faced Off With Shaun Suisham

What a year for kickers in Dallas. First we start off thinking that we’re golden, set to go.

We got the newbie David Buehler ready to handling the kick offs and Pro Bowl strong-leg Nick Folk coming back as the place kicker. The worst things we had to worry about were injuries or maybe the rookie fluffing out, in which case Folk would just go back to kicking short kick offs again.

Nobody expected Folk to struggle the way he did.

Connor Hughes was one of the guys who tried out with Folks replacement, Shaun Suisham late in the year. He’s basically got nothing by way of experience having played a year for Philly in the AFL, plus two training camps, one with Pittsburgh and the other with New Orleans.

It would seem that his lack of experience is exactly why he wasn’t retained to finish out the year. Instead we resigned Shaun Suisham shortly after the Redskins cut him for missing a couple of field goals. Actually he missed a couple of tries against the then unbeaten Saints, and they had a shot to win it late too. Suisham easily got the blame for that loss.

So now, after being resigned to the team, Hughes is saying that he out-performed all of the other kickers who tried out during the year, and only lost out because of his lack of playing time.

He did go 5 for 5 in exhibition games with the Steelers and Saints, though most were under 30 yards.

The possible Cinderella story Hughes hopes that now he can come in and do a good job for the Cowboys. Maybe he can shore up a kicking game that has been lacking consistency, aside from a great year with folk, for more than a decade.

As for Suisham, this was a return to Dallas for him, and he didn’t do so well. He’ll be most remembered for missing two field goals, chip shots at that, against the Vikings to stunt momentum in the Divisional round of the playoffs.

So long Suisham…I’m tired of spelling your name.

Read the full story on DMN – Cowboys Kicker: I Outperformed Shaun Suisham in December