Jesse Holley is now the latest member of the Dallas Cowboys. Who you say? That’s right Jesse Holley! Thanks to the Michael Irvin show 4^th and Long The Cowboys now have another man on the roster, the question is though will he stick? or is he just the product of another marketing gimmick?

I will tell you straight up that I watched only the first episode of 4^th and Long! Not because it was a bad show (although it was not a show that made me want to put the DVR to use) but more because it was just too damn gimmicky for me.

So who is Jesse Holley? Well I do not know just a ton about him, but what I do know is not all that glamorous.

Jesse was a two sport player at the University of North Carolina from 2003 – 2006, was a member of the 04’-05’ National Championship basketball team. He was a very solid Wide Receiver for the Tar heels, played all fours years that he was there.

In 2007 Holley was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was then released by the team at the end of Training camp only to be signed to the practice squad. Jesse lasted one month on the practice squad before being released.

In 2008 Jesse signed on to play for the BC Lions of the CFL. After the teams first Pre Season game (one month later) He was released.

Basically Jesse Holley is the same as a million other solid collegiate athletes with dreams of being a Pro, but now his dream is a reality thanks to Spike T.V.?????

I have a question for all of you that I need help answering. Can anybody tell me who was the last player (that went undrafted, unable to stick on a practice squad, and unable to make it in the CFL) that has been talked about this much?

My partner and I had a… well let’s call it a discussion yesterday about this situation, and well… Let’s just say our thoughts were not anywhere near the same!

Bryson watched the series from beginning to end, and had nothing but good to say about Jesse and his abilities. While I respect his opinion on the matter I strongly disagreed with his synopsis. He told me about how he was a big and physical receiver with good hands and the ability to go up and get a jump ball. He also told me how he thought “he may be a good addition for us” and “he may be able to take Stanback’s spot”.

It was about this time that the “discussion” got a little more heated. Not because I think Stanback is such a great receiver, but because I simply cannot comprehend how a guy who cannot make a CFL roster can come in and be a better player than a guy who has stuck on an NFL roster for 3 years!

The argument will always be “NFL scouts do make mistakes and miss on players, just look at Tom Brady” and while that is accurate to an extent, name me a player who has been a contributing player in the NFL that was unable to stay on a practice squad and unable to make a CFL roster.

Every year NFL teams bring in players this time of year that will never play a down in a regular season game, simply to fill roster spots at training camp.

It takes a very special athlete to be able to make and then stay on a NFL roster, Any NFL roster! If you have ever played a sport then you know that there are two kinds of players. (1) Overly Gifted (2) Under Gifted.

For the overly gifted athlete things come easy to them and they are generally stand out players, the great ones have the same work ethic as the guy who has less talent and has to rely on his determination, and hard work.

The under gifted player while he has talent he MUST work harder than everyone else, and he MUST be involved with his sport of choice on a continuous basis (playing on a year in year out basis) as this player simply would fall way behind his competitors if he took a year off.

Jesse Holley falls into the Under Gifted category, while I am sure he has some very nice talents, the fact remains he has not played in almost 2 years and was not very good then! I would like nothing better than to see this kid come into camp and set the world on fire and prove me wrong!

The problem that I have with this show is simple, a guy has become a member of the Dallas Cowboys and thrust into the spotlight for no other reason than because he was on a T.V. show! And better still because he competed against other players who cannot make an NFL roster and shined against them, this show has given Cowboy fans a severely skewed opinion of their talents.

Without this show no one would care about anyone of these guys! Much less believe any of them could “add” anything to this team! Or believe they could take a job away from a veteran NFL player.

Just to put it in perspective, I played Football and Baseball all my life and was never anymore than an average player. When I got into my twenties I started playing in a local Softball Beer league. I was and am a decent player but by no means a “Pro” but every time I have played against people that were not very good I looked like a “Bad Ass” player. The contestants on this show are no different!

These contestants performed against the likes of Semi-Pro players (your Beer League of the Football world) and cast away Arena League players. Frankly these guys should look like superb football players, but many of them did not! The two that did make it to the finals did look the part, but one of those was only 5’7”! And by all accounts if he had not been a midget(pardon me vertically challenged) he would have won the competition.

In the end, I have done nothing but waste your time and mine writing about a guy that more than likely will end up like all the other late invitees to a NFL camp, released and never heard from again!

Popularity: 4%

In part one of this series we discussed how we see things shaking down amongst the over populated line backing corps.

This next group some might say is the most critical to the Cowboys success, and I would be one of those people. As far as the defense goes this unit holds all the keys to success!

This very potent and powerful defense cannot do the things it wants without solid secondary play. The Cowboys have spent a lot of time and draft picks on shoring up the secondary, from first on the depth chart down to the last man on the chart.

So let’s take a look at what they have going to camp!

Corners:

Terrence Newman – Will be the starting Left Corner (barring Injury)

Mike Jenkins – Heading into camp as the leading candidate to start at Right Corner, but will have to battle to keep the spot.

Orlando Scandrick – The leading candidate to replace Jenkins if he stumbles, and most assuredly the best Nickel corner on the team.

Alan Ball – Alan has a leg up on the rest of the competition heading into camp based off of the solid year he had in 2008 with the boys.

Mike Mickens – By most accounts the steal of the draft, thought by many to be a top of the 2^nd round guy the Cowboys were able to wait and pick him up in the middle of the 7^th. Should be able to contribute in special teams right away.

Safeties:

Ken Hamlin – Will be the starting Free Safety again this year for the Cowboys, and thanks to an upgrade at Strong safety Hamlin should be able to get back to his 2007 Pro Bowl form.

Gerald Sensebaugh – One of the Cowboys top free agents acquisitions this year should add a much needed dimension to the Cowboys secondary.

Courtney Brown – Originally a Corner but made the switch to Safety at the start of 2007. Brown has the ability to be a ball hawking safety, this being his third year with the team and at safety means that this is a make or break year for him. Could also see some time at corner.

Pat Watkins – Is a big athletic, rangy player the Cowboys had high hopes for this young man, unfortunately that has not come to fruition just yet. Pat is a solid special teams player (has gotten lost a few times however) Special teams play will not keep him on the team this year, he must prove his worth as a safety.

Jerome Carter – Former 4^th round selection of the St.Louis Rams in 2005 and spent all of last year out of work, was signed to a futures contract by the Cowboys in January.

DeAngelo Smith – The Cowboys used the first of two 5th round picks on Mike Mickens collegiate teammate. DeAngelo was a top cornerback in college but the Cowboys have moved him over to safety, giving themselves more options at the position. In the early stages of his career could see some opportunities at corner as well.

Michael Hamlin – The second of two 5^th round selections Hamlin is a pure Free Safety, while lacking a little in the pure speed department he makes up for in instincts and awareness, hard hitting safety that has a nose for the ball and an exceptional leader.

Last year the Cowboys kept seven Cornerbacks and 4 Safeties, and I think those are probably pretty decent figures to go with this year. So with that in mind the coaching staff will have some major decisions to make.

With eleven spots available and 12 players vying for those spots the competition could get very heated in San Antonio.

My belief is that the Cowboys will end up releasing Jerome Carter, and then use DeAngelo Smith, and Courtney Brown as “Tweeners” leaving the secondary looking something like this.

Left Corner:

Terrence Newman , Orlando Scandrick

Right Corner:

Mike Jenkins , Alan Ball

Sub Packages:

Courtney Brown , DeAngelo Smith

Free Safety:

Ken Hamlin , Courtney Brown , DeAngelo Smith

Strong Safety:

Gerald Sensebaugh , Michael Hamlin , Pat Watkins

I would however like to say that I would not be a bit surprised if Pat Watkins was released as well. Pat has gotten several opportunities to claim a spot on this team and has simply not capitalized on those opportunities.

Who stays and who goes in your view?

Popularity: 1%

When identifying yourself as a Cowboy’s fan for the first time to someone who also is a Cowboy’s fan, the first question that typically come’s up is, “What did you think about them releasing T.O.?”  Beyond being genuinly interested in your perspective, there is an ulterior motive in that question.  The asker want’s to determine what kind of Cowboy’s fan you are.  Are you optimistic, pessimistic, or realistic.

Personally, I try to be realistic about everything in life, but, admittedly, when it comes to my Cowboy’s, the preverbial hope springs eternal.  In all of the forum’s I contribute to, I’m typically regarded as the homer; the guy who always expects the best from this team.  With that in mind, despite the fact that the media and sport’s analyst abroad have already wrote off the 2009 Cowboy season, I will make an attempt to shift the light from the Cowboy’s good side and focus on what could go horribly wrong.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is conditioning.  Considering the barrage of injuries the Cowboy’s weathered last year and the now infamous December swoon the Cowboy’s are known for (14 – 32 since 2000 in December), questioning the Cowboy’s overall conditioning seems like a logical place to begin.  So far, the picture that has been painted by Cowboy’s staffer’s and the kinder mediots, is that quite a few of the Cowboy’s have been working throughout the offseason to make sure they are properly conditioned for the season.  But isn’t that the standard company line every offseason?  The injury list is already stacked, and training camp doesn’t start until the end of July.  How does that happen?  The broken, bruised, and busted I understand; but strains and pulls typically indicates improper hydration and/or stretching.  In my mind, if a player is getting paid millions of dollars to play this game, he should futher understand that preparation for training is just as important as the actual training.

Coaching.  You really have to wonder about the coaching situation.  Making Wade Phillips the Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator is unprecedented in football.  It sends the message that Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett are sharing the role of Head Coach or, the more accurate way of looking at it, Jerry Jones is the Head Coach.  The thought is scary, but to hear him weigh in on strategy before, during and after games, really makes me wonder how much say he has in getting the ball to certain players.  And if he does have a say in this, it’s not hard to figure out what is truly wrong with this team, despite all of their collective talent.

Aside from the questionable dual role, I feel pretty confident in Wade’s ability to make the Cowboy’s defense rank top 10 this year.  However, Jason Garrett’s ability to make a T.O.less offense work is definitely a big question.  Since the beginning of his tenure as OC, the pass first mentality has been evident.  And, to be honest, to a certain extent, that approach based on previous personnel was justifyable.  However, this year, the Cowboy’s offense, despite the very few modifications to the starting line-up on offense, are now built for balance.   Does Jason recognize this need?  Can he effectively call plays designed to spread the ball over that trio of backs, duo of TE’s, and that potentially clutch WR group?

The Offensive Line.  Despite the catalog of failure that was the 2008 season for this group, very little was done to fortify the line.  Enemy #1 amongst Cowboy’s fan’s is likely between Flozell Adams, notorious for False Starts and struggling with speed rushers,  and Cory Proctor who seems to be physically and mentally inferior to the average defensive lineman.   The Cowboy’s added a few rookies, but it will likely be two to three years before any of them see extended playing time, barring another unlucky barrage of injuries.   Therefore, regardless of the dangerous weapons, if Romo doesn’t have adequate time to identify the open receiver and our running back’s don’t have time to accelerate or a hole to accelarate through, this team’s offensive effectiveness will be marginal, at best.  And, obviously, with a steady dose of 3 and out’s you get an exhausted defense in the 2nd half.

Youth served.  Another huge difference in the 2009 Cowboy’s vs. the 2008 Cowboy’s is average age.   The Cowboy’s lost quite a few starting veterans over the offseason, particularly on defense (Anthony Henry, Roy Williams, Keith Davis, Tank Johnson, Zach Thomas, Kevin Burnett, and Chris Canty).  Add to that the fact that the Cowboy’s drafted 12 rookies, and you have a team exceptionally younger than last year.  With youth, typically comes a marked improvement in overall speed.  But, speed minus experience can often lead to going fast in the wrong direction, ultimately, putting said youngster further from where he needs to be in a given play…and no amount of speed can fix that.

Special Teams.  Special Teams has been quite possibly the softest spot on this team for the last few seasons.  In response to that, Wade Phillips went out and got a Special Teams coach that is considered by many to be the best in the business.  But, if you consider that he’s brand new to this team and quite a few of the player’s he will have to work with are also brand new to this team, if not to the league, how much improvement can we really expect?  It’d be one thing if Decamallis was working with the exact same group of player’s as last year, but the truth is,  10 of those 12 rookies are expected to play significant roles on special teams if they want to make the team.  That could be a disaster in the making, regardless of how good the coaching is.

Romo.  It happened with Jeff Garcia.  Then, many speculated, the same happened with Donovan McNabb.  No more T.O., no more impressive numbers.  In two stops previous to Dallas, T.O. left a huge hole in otherwise pedestrian offenses, which led to the cliched theory  that T.O. makes QB’s better than what they really are.  Will this prove to be true of Romo?  Prior to T.O., Romo was an undrafted Free Agent 4th on the depth chart of a bunch of no-bodies and has-beens.  But in 2007, the Romo to T.O. connection rewrote the franchise record book.  In 2008, opposing defenses took T.O. out of the equation and the Cowboy’s go 9 – 7 and miss the Play Off’s.  Coincidence?  I hope so, but it is something to consider before assuming Romo’s name will eventually find it’s place in the Ring of Honor or Hall of Fame.

Obviously, there are question’s about team-wide depth,  overall wide receiver talent, last year’s rookies stepping into starting roles, and the pandoras box of intangible questions about heart, chemistry and leadership.   The truth is, another barrage of injuries could end this season like last year.  If Roy William’s is not, at least, consistent, the ground game will likely suffer significantly.  And if Scandrick or Jenkins don’t, at least, duplicate their last year’s performance the defense will leak like a sieve.   That is football.  All the moving part’s have to be functional, or the machine will not work.  As for the immeasurable contribution of heart, leadership, and chemistry, this will likely be determined by how the team begins the season.

Popularity: unranked

It was about this time two years ago when Lee and I created “A Cowboy Nation”. In the beginning Wow! The posts weren’t so great, but over time we grew and they got better. Then last year I met Bryson at “Cowboys Nation” and together we created the site you see now.

I was born and raised in Arlington, Texas so being a fan of the Cowboys has been in my blood from the beginning, 36 years ago. A Cowboy Nation was started just to have an outlet for my joys and frustrations of being a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, nothing more and nothing less.

In December of 2004 my family and I moved to Houston, Texas to help take care of my wife’s mother after we lost my Father-In-Law to Cancer. Not being in the Dallas area around all my Cowboys friends is really what set these wheels in motion.

During my years of being a Cowboy fan there has been one person whom I have had a lot of admiration for, and just truly enjoyed when it comes to what is happening with the Cowboys. So a couple of months ago I reached out to him about the possibility of him participating in an interview with us.

I really never expected him to actually do the interview, after all he has nothing to gain by helping out a couple of guys he has never met, with a blog! But he gladly accepted the invitation, and now we are very proud to present to you our very first interview! With none other than long time Dallas Cowboy columnist Mickey Spagnola!

DCN:

As a professional sports writer, what is your process for reading the new outlets, such as blogs?

Spagnola:

Depends on their credibility. If they are creditable, I’ll check in, otherwise I don’t even bother, especially when blogs come from bloggers who don’t cover the team on a daily basis. I don’t consider blogs news outlets unless they are from a professional news-gathering outlet.

DCN:

When you write an article or blog post, or even answer Mick’s Mail – what qualities do you really try to convey and emphasize to the fans? For instance, do you aim to be more technical, or freely opinionated? Is there a difference in your goals for your blog vs your newspaper articles?

Spagnola:

Tell the truth. Give people accurate information. No different. Blogs are just faster. More immediate, which you have to be careful of, because sometimes in the effort to be fast with information you do not take care to be as accurate as you should always be. Sometimes being first is not always best, which was one of the better qualities of newspapers in the days gone by because writers had more time to collect information than say the radio or TV.

DCN:

How is DeAngelo Smith developing so far? What do you think he needs to do to succeed at this level?

Spagnola:

Just learn the game. Gain more experience. I really like how athletic he is and how competitive he is. He already seems to be a quick learner, and I’d imagine he’ll be a huge contributor immediately on special teams.

DCN:

Of all the rookies this year, which one for each defense and offense do you believe will make the biggest impact in 2009 and why?

Spagnola:

I really don’t see a rookie making a huge impact on the offense this year, unless you want to count kicker David Buehler if he makes the team as a kick-off specialist. I mean if you don’t count Buehler, then only four of the 11 draft choices were offensive players, and one is competing to become the third quarterback and one is sort of a project offensive lineman. The other two, Jason Phillips and Manual Johnson, would seem headed toward the practice squad. On defense, well, that will depend on opportunity. None figure to be starters. Keep an eye on the outside linebackers, Victor Butler and Brandon Williams, if they have an opportunity to rush in passing situations and the DB’s on special teams.

DCN:

Coverage of the team seems to lead to the denigration of the chemistry of the team and that between Tony Romo and Roy Williams.  From what you see, is the chemistry getting stronger for the team?

Spagnola:

Chemistry always is strong when you win and before you play a game. I can say, though, the coaching staff has to be pleased with how hard these players have competed in the OTA and minicamp practices. When you compete hard, you tend to bond and when you bond chemistry improves and is strong enough for when things go bad, which they will at some point in a season for every team.

DCN:

What do you think would be the best possible rotation for our 3 headed beast of a running game?

Spagnola:

So the running game which gained one yard or less last year on nearly 30 percent of the carries already is a beast is it? That has yet to be proven. You are only a beast running the ball when the other teams know you are going to run it and you do run it successfully. My guess is Marion Barber will open and close and be used in short-yardage and goal line situations. You will see Felix all over the formations and on third downs and Tashard Choice will get a series here and there in the middle quarters. But have seen no evidence to suggest I’m totally accurate.

DCN:

Based on the draft, the free agent acquisitions of Keith Brooking and Gerald Sensabaugh, and the resigning of Miles Austin; which do you believe will impact the organization the most?

Spagnola:

Sensabaugh since that position has the most room for improvement. Remember, Zach Thomas wasn’t a liability out there last year, so if Brooking is at least a push, then that’s good. As for Austin, he can be, but again, how many snaps will he earn and how much do you want to count on from a guy with 19 career catches? But Sensabaugh, with his coverage ability should be a huge improvement over Roy Williams, especially since it doesn’t seem he needs to be substituted for on the nickel defense.

DCN:

There is a perception that you tend to write more fluff when writing about controversial players and issues, what do you say to that?

Spagnola:

Fluff is in the eye of the beholder I guess. My other guess is, if that’s accurate, just because I don’t take out a big hammer and bludgeon the subject away that could be the perception. But I do think I make my point in a more literary way. Plus, I’ve always valued being right more than being tough. Seems to me these days being tough but ultimately wrong is accepted more so than being fair and accurate.

DCN:

Is it difficult to manage calling things as you see them with regards to the coaching staff, players and decision making of the Cowboys, since you are employed by them?

Spagnola:

Not as long as I’m right. Not as long as I have all the facts and don’t buy into perceptions. No one here has ever, ever told me to change a story or take something down, so in my mind there would be no need to feel that way. Sometimes when you are around things and really know what’s going on then calling things as you see them means you see them far differently than the people who don’t really know the truth. Sort of like those stories at the end of the season on why the Cowboys charter flights were routinely taking off late. I was on those charter flights, so I knew that wasn’t accurate and when they did leave late I knew why. Sometimes it’s more difficult when your opinion stands alone. It’s easy to follow the crowd.

DCN:

How did you manage to end up as the top guy for the Cowboys and what is your official title?

Spagnola:

I was hired back when the Cowboys were trying to make their website something more than just a normal PR site as most professional team sites were back in 2000. And they decided they wanted opinions, meaning a columnist.

DCN:

Do you believe that the influx of youth is going to build a team that can contend for years to come?  If not, what is necessary to solidify the future?

Spagnola:

You can’t wait until you’ve grown old to get younger. Must be a constant process, and the Cowboys obviously have made a concerted effort this off-season to prevent growing old. The idea is to sustain goodness over a long period of time and avoid the inevitable down cycles that cripple franchises, as the Cowboys were in the late ‘80s and at the turn of the century.

DCN:

It appears as though the Cowboys are in the middle of making an organizational change in the way they look at players (looking more at their character issues). Do you feel that this is true? Or are they simply trying to relieve some of the scrutiny and will be back to collecting players that require team supplied body guards?

Spagnola:

Chances are the days of running a rehabilitation locker room are over for now. If you build from within, especially continually bringing in good, young players, then you avoid getting into situations where you become so desperate for help you take chances on guys with questionable character. If you already are a successful team, with a strong locker room, then you are better equipped to take chances on guys like Pacman Jones. But a team still seeking success is far too fragile.

Popularity: 2%

Just when we think that maybe this team is going to get what it needs this off-season personnel-wise, here goes Jerry Jones flapping away about the … ready for it? The best player available.

First thing that comes to mind when I think about him saying that is last years draft … that was the mentality that went into drafting Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, and Martellus Bennett. Maybe Bennett needs to keep his rap career on hold, but a year later and that guy certainly fits the idea of “best player available.” Same goes for any one of those guys.

But the second thing that comes to my mind … and this kind of a big one … we have needs to be filled this year beyond just taking talent. Our safety corps need help.

Hamlin is really living up to the stereotypical mold of a player just looking for his payday. He came in a short term deal after some issues arose in his career, played well enough to deserve a nice contract, and instead got a huge contract. Talk about adding insult to injury, this guy didn’t even earn what should have been a nice contract in 2008, let alone the huge contract he signed.

Roy Williams is gone, and so the Cowboys sign Gerald Sensabaugh. Coming out of Jacksonville to sign a one year deal, he’s got a few decent seasons under his belt and looks to be a major upgrade over Roy Williams. He’s still no Ed Reed but the guy can still play in a 3-4 though. He’s had some off-the-field issues, and while we don’t need another one of those, it’s hard to say the guy is trouble when you see what his legal issues have been.

He’s been charged with reckless driving on his motorcycle, which got him a suspended license that later got him charged with driving with a suspended license. That’s two of his three issues right there and they don’t worry me at all, aside from wondering if he’ll have a wreck at some point during the season anyway. His lone concerning issue was a charge for possession of a firearm. It’s not a traffic incident but it’s not an outright crime either.

Tank Johnson had similar issues and he turned out okay, yeah he was a total moron after the Philly game shouting about being a free agent heading into the locker room after that beating, but he didn’t cause problems for the team on the field, and he stayed out of trouble.

Then you have the likes of Pat Watkins, a guy that can’t seem to stay healthy for even half a season; Courtney Brown, who hasn’t done much to talk about yet; and Tra Battle, a guy that was signed for depth mid-season and made a noticeable impact on special teams on the opening kickoff of his first game. Three developmental players at best, though Battle seems to have a leg up on the other two.

And now we have talks coming about switching another corner to safety at least part-time. I say another because Anthony Henry was the leading candidate for that change before he was traded to the Lions for Jon Kitna. Henry was a logical choice for the simple reason that he was struggling in the man coverage scheme that Phillips began using religiously by mid-season. Henry had always been a zone type of guy, and his age only seemed to expose that fact even more.

Terrence Newman was the first to bring it up publicly that Orlando Scandrick, the perennial cover guy in the slot in his rookie season, could be switched to safety. I understand the temptation in such times of bad play at safety to take your best corner in the middle of the field and move him to safety, it almost makes sense because the area of the field is largely the same, but Scandrick isn’t a safety, and playing safety verses playing corner does not come down to position on the field.

Aside from the media speculation that seemed to pour over Newman’s comments, we haven’t really heard anything else about that. Instead we’re now hearing that Scandrick is likely safe at corner and Alan Ball has taken his place under the speculative guillotine.

Same argument applies to Ball as Scandrick; the only difference is that Ball hasn’t been as productive as Scandrick even with the extra time in the league. It doesn’t even matter that much that we’re lacking depth at corner without Ball in the lineup because we’re short even with Ball playing corner because he can’t be relied upon to contribute. I say move him to safety and see if he can finally play good enough to justify keeping his spot on the roster, and if not, cut him loose next year.

That’s just at safety, folks, and here Jerry Jones is saying we can take the best player available. I know it’s get old, but it’s still true to say that Jerry need some help getting the General Manager stuff done.

Check out Part 2 of this article at ACowboyNation.com.

Popularity: 1%

It turns out I was wrong… We haven’t seen the last of our free agents moves.  Today the Cowboys signed former San Diego Chargers Defensive End Igor Olshansky to a 4 year 18 millions dollar contract according to Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com.  Olshansky played under coach Wade Phillips while he was a defensive coordinator in San Diego.  This guy is no joke, he is 6-6 and 309 lbs.  Perfect to line up against some of the bigger linemen in the NFC east.  In 5 years he’s totaled 179 tackles, 11.0 sacks, and 1 interception.

The signing of Olshansky fills a deep void at right end, and takes some pressure off of Hatcher and Bowen.  This move wont replace canty, but it will add some serious help to a healthy rotation that has to potential to disturb some quarterbacks and fill those running gaps.  All and all I find this to be a great decision by the Cowboys front office.

Popularity: 1%

Well I’m excited to start writing for the site however I am not excited about our recent offseason moves. Don’t take this as me slamming the Cowboys I’m just simply highly aggravated lately with our front office management.

So far my grade for this offseason’s moves is a D it certainly can be worse but not much.

We all know Jerry Jones is the GM for the Cowboys and I have to say I am completely disgusted already with the off-season moves.

First we trade Anthony Henry whom lead The Dallas Cowboys in interceptions in 2007 and we already cut Pacman Jones so now all we have is Terence Newman who can’t seem to stay healthy for an entire season to save his life and the Dallas cornerbacks  are weak to begin with!

So we get rid of Henry now it’s Newman, Jenkins, and Scandrick as the top three corners?

Give me a break; remember when Jenkins refused to even attempt to tackle Derrick Ward last season? (footage here) that’s a great guy to have in your top three corners.

I’ve heard rumors about Shaun Springs coming to Dallas and that would certainly help the cornerback situation. However, either way, by trading Henry we lose much needed depth at Corner and actually lose cap space because of Kitna’s contract, when we could have just signed a free agent backup such as Kyle Boller or Rex Grossman who is younger and likely better.

Dallas gave up another late round pick to the Lions did Dallas give them enough this year? We already gave them our 1st round picks and 3rd for Roy Williams and we don’t learn we get ripped off by them again. Kitna is 36 years old I really don’t see much of a difference between him and Brad Johnson.

The Lions were 0-16 last year and by those standars aren’t by any means a good football team yet we keep giving them picks and taking their players that leave much to be desired.

Lastly, hasn’t our entire defense had a problem with this guy? Terence Newman, Ware, and Bradie James. Definitely a good way to get a locker room closer together.

We get the chance to sign Ray Lewis a MLB something we actually need, someone who would take command in the locker room and instead we get Keith Brooking.  The Cowboys had their most disappointing season possibly of all time last year and what do they do to start the off-season? Trade a needed Corner, get a washed up outside linebacker we don’t need and waste a bunch of cap space.

Dallas also has not resigned Chris Canty who was a vital part of the 3-4 defense last year, now he is on the New York Giants.

Now im not completely ignorant not everything you want can happen. Maybe signing Ray Lewis was a strech but wait Demarcus Ware had this to say

“You know, actually, when we played Ray Lewis and Baltimore at the end of the season, he came over and pointed to my helmet. He said, ‘I want to wear this star on my helmet, that’s my dream…that’s my dream.’ When we got to the Pro Bowl, he did it again. He came at me every day. It’s a great opportunity for him. His door is open. He’s an unrestricted free agent. He’s trying to get down where the star is. He told me he needed me to get him Jerry Jones’ phone number for him. I just busted out laughing.” (Link here)

Wait a second…You’re telling me Demarcus Ware and Ray Lewis our both good friends off the field. Yes they are, so with me typing this seething I think to myself we could have had Ray Lewis and Demarcus Ware the two captains of the defense and take over the entire locker room.

There would be no split locker room or animosity with Lewis coming into the Cowboys defense and Ware saying “this is my defense” The two are already friends!

 We aren’t getting a 1st round pick this year so virtually we head into next season with the same exact team as last year. If not a little worse. If that doesn’t scare us Cowboys fan’s i’m not sure what will.

 I hope I’m wrong about all this, because all I want is the Cowboys to actually succeed and not be a joke to the media and fans. 

But I’m starting to think the longer Jerry Jones is GM the worse this team is going to be. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great owner and business man and has made the Cowboys into an economic powerhouse in the NFL. But looks how many coaches we’ve been through in the last 13 years of not winning a playoff game. How many times do you think he would have fired the GM if it wasn’t him?

Dallas fan’s deserve better, and so does this team.

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The talk for a long time now has been will Chris Canty stay with the Cowboys, or would he land the huge contract he was in search of? All the talk became a reality on Sunday morning, when the New York Giants signed Chris Canty. The Giants signed Canty to a six year $42 million dollar contract, with $17.25 million of it guaranteed.

While I am not in shock that Canty was able to get this kind of money, even though he did nothing to deserve it. I was shocked at who gave it to him! The Giants already have Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora holding down the End positions. Now they bring in Canty and are going to pay him more than either one of those guys! Why?

In article by Clarence Hill over at the Star- Telegram where he says that Canty will be moved to the tackle position. If this is the Giants plan, it is most definitely a plan they will grow to regret! Canty was, well average at best during his stint with the Cowboys. All the Cowboys asked him to do, was to be able to hold position against big offensive tackles. He was not asked to be a rusher. The Cowboys have had one guy on the defensive line that has been able to do this on a weekly basis, and no I am not talking about Marcus Spears! Jay Ratliff has been the only constant producing lineman on this team, whether that be from the middle or out on the end. The Giants are now going to ask him to move down into the real trenches, to battle with players such Leonard Davis. Chris Canty stands no chance of being able to get any kind of push on these road graders!

I have one last issue I would like to cover with all of you. This morning I read an article, in which the author goes on and on about how Dallas should have made re-signing Canty a priority. The author says things like

“be careful how you snicker and wink at each other today, as defensive end Chris Canty departs the Dallas Cowboys via the free agent door.” and “if he was so expendable, why did the line for his services form”.

This just drives me insane! For some unknown reason members of the Dallas area media, have this deficiency in their brain that does not allow them to understand simple things. The Dallas Cowboys  wanted Chris Canty back, but Canty and a handful of teams thought he was worth $7 million a season! I implore anyone to show me where this guy played $7million a year good! If Dallas had given Canty this deal, there would have been people screaming from the rafters that Jerry has lost his mind!

So listen up! It is impossible to keep everyone, and correct me if I am wrong, but what was so stellar about the 2008 Dallas Cowboy rush defense? So with that thinking, how would this line be any better if no one new was added? There will be players added via free agency and the draft to repair this problem, and I will assure you that the departure of Chris Canty will not destroy this team!

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Free agency has gotten under way in 2009 without much of a bang so far. It’s 3 hours and 50 minutes in as I write this, and we’ve yet to hear anything significant regarding Haynesworth, Canty, or Ray Lewis.

Haynesworth is worth keeping an eye on not only because one of the more prominent prospects for him is none other than our NFC East rivals, the Washington Redskins, but also because him leaving the Titans leaves an opening. But if he does end up in Washington, it’ll means the Cowboys will face him twice in 2009, and that could be problematic if the Dallas offensive line play doesn’t step up.

While the Titans have the personnel to continue on without adding any players to replace Haynesworth, they have already made contact with Canty’s agent and are scheduling an interview with him likely either Friday or Saturday. Chris Canty also has an interview lined up already in Washington on Friday.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh went on ESPN’s NFL Live just minutes after the free agency period opened tonight stating that he had been in contact with his agent via text messaging, but that he had not called him to avoid tying up his agent’s phone line. He did mention that he is interested in the Vikings, Eagles, Seahawks, and New York. He didn’t specify Jets or Giants, but it’s likely he meant the Giants.

Meanwhile, the Redskins retained corner back DeAngelo Hall with a six year, $54 million deal, with $30 million of that due in the first three years.

So overall, the Cowboys division opponents appear to be gearing up for the year to come, and that will certainly play a factor in how well the Cowboys do in 2009. The NFC East was again one of the toughest divisions in the league in 2008, and that doesn’t appear to be changing.

No other news so far on any of the Cowboys’ other free agents, so we’ll check back tomorrow and hope that something breaks in favor of Dallas. Would not be good for the Eagles, Giants, and Redskins to beef up if the Cowboys don’t do the same.

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As news gets out that the Cowboys are seeking a trade
partner for SS Roy Williams, there are a few issues to consider regarding the
late moves by the team.

After saying repeatedly during this off-season that the
Cowboys would not be making a big splash in free agency, it appears the ‘Boys
may have been trying to lay a sleeper on everyone.

Early this afternoon, the Cowboys released veteran
quarterback Brad Johnson. The moves frees up about $2 million of the salary
cap, which saw an additional hike in addition to the long planned annual
increase today, and also leaves an opening for even one signed backup
quarterback.

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And Brad Johnson is out of here!

The Dallas Cowboys released Johnson today after he spent the better part of 2008 under heavy scrutiny for his miserable performance during Romo’s injury absence.

The move frees up another couple of million for the Cowboys to use toward either extending Ware’s contract, signing new free agents, keeping some of their own free agents, and signing draft picks come May.

There is no question that Brad Johnson can no longer cut it as an NFL quarterback, and it’s expected that he’ll announce his retirement unless some team is becomes truly desperate for a quarterback.

Look next for a decision on SS Roy Williams. He is on the chopping block this weekend and could be cut as well to free up additional cap space. Williams has made it known that he’d be willing to move to linebacker and even restructure his contract to lessen his hit on the cap this year in order to stay in Dallas.

We’ll bring you more as it’s announced.

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Today, Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com spoke with Chris
Canty regarding his status as a free agent defensive end come late tonight,
here’s what Canty had to say.

“I’ll start by saying this … I would love to stay in
Dallas,” Canty said. “But I don’t think that the Cowboys are going to afford me
that opportunity. You have to be somewhat realistic when you’re talking about
the opportunity that free agency presents for a player financially. It’s just
one of those things – you have to capitalize on that when you have the
leverage. Players really don’t have leverage very often in the NFL, so when you
do have that leverage, you have to capitalize on that.“

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For those of you hoping to see Gibril Wilson join another NFC East team, news out of Miami today is that Wilson has signed a 5 year deal with the Dolphins.

A lot of you had expressed wanting Wilson to come to Dallas to help shore up a troubled secondary. With 13 career interceptions, 23 passes deflected, and 489 total tackles, the 5th year veteran could have brought in a little more explosiveness at the safety position than the Cowboys have had since Darren Woodson retired.

Other notable free agent safeties still available as of 11:00 this morning are Jim Leonhard, who played last year with the Baltimore Ravens, and the Browns Sean Jones.

Not to mention long time Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and Patriots saftey Lawyer Milloy.

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Free agency begins Friday in the NFL, as does the 2009 NFL league year, and while the Cowboys are fairly certain which players will stay and which will go, who is coming in remains a mystery.

The most notable of the Cowboys free agents is Chris Canty. It has been reported many times that he is seeking the kind of contracts that every player in the NFL dreams of, the only problem is that he didn’t well enough to earn that kind of money from the Cowboys.

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