05/26/2010 11:28 AM
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...FL&eid=5220082
Jerry Jones indicates that there's no reason Marion Barber shouldn't be the Cowboys' starting running back.
IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones, who has publicly questioned whether Marion Barber would be better returning to a reserve role, indicated Tuesday that he sees no reason for the running back's role to change.Jones had previously stated the concern that using Barber as a starter might limit his effectiveness at the end of games. Jones said in March that the Cowboys were considering making Felix Jones the starter.
However, Jones strongly hinted Tuesday that Barber's starting job is secure.
"I know this: He looks quicker," Jones said at the NFL owners' meetings. "I think that is going to make him even more effective. He's just in great shape. He looks as good out here just in these initial practices as I've seen him look in his career. You could easily go from there and look at what his role might be, and it'd certainly be on par with anything he's done."
Barber became a starter after signing a seven-year, $45 million contract before the 2008 season. The Cowboys drafted Felix Jones and Tashard Choice that year to complement Barber, who earned a Pro Bowl trip as a reserve by rushing for a career-high 975 yards the previous season.
Barber's productivity has dropped since he became a starter. He has averaged 4.0 yards per carry and rushed for a total of 14 touchdowns over the last two seasons, when he was nagged by a variety of injuries. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and rushed for a total of 24 touchdowns the previous two seasons.
"I think the real question is, should he be finishing rather than beginning?" Jerry Jones said on KRLD-FM in December. "In his Pro Bowl year, where he had his best year, [Barber was] finishing the game. If you recall, Julius Jones started the game. We injected the quickness of his speed there early.
"That would be the issue. It's not a question of starting as much as it is, when do you use Barber at his best? There are a lot of people, prominent people who know Barber well, who feel like he would be better served used to finish the game than really used a lot at the start."
Felix Jones, the Cowboys' first-round pick in 2008, has been a dynamic playmaker with durability issues during his first two NFL seasons. Jones averaged 6.5 yards per carry but missed 12 games due to hamstring, toe and knee injuries.
He provided the Cowboys evidence down the stretch of the 2009 season that he can handle a heavier workload. He had double-digit carries in the final six games, including the postseason. That run was highlighted by his 16-carry, 148-yard, one-touchdown performance in the playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys relied on Jones because Barber was dealing with quadriceps, thumb and knee injuries.
Barber still got the biggest share of the carries over the course of the season despite having the worst average among the team's running backs. He led the Cowboys with 932 yards on 214 carries. Jones rushed for 685 yards on 116 carries, and Choice rushed for 349 yards on 64 carries.
"We're in really good shape there," Jerry Jones said. "We've just got to plan on before it's over using three backs. I think it will bear out that way."
Tim MacMahon covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag.
05/25/2010 11:42 PM
by David Moore
http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com
Some have dismissed Roy Williams as delusional with his comments this off-season.
He's not. The spirit of what Williams has to say is often taken the wrong way by those who are not there when he makes the comments. He's not full of bluster. He's thoughtful. He also rejects the notion that his contract gives him an edge when it comes to the battle for a starting receiver spot.
"It is a fair competition for the spot,'' Williams said. "My thing is, if you're good enough, come get it.
"I've been working really hard this off-season. Obviously, something I've been doing these past two years hasn't been working so I took it another step further and it's working pretty good this year.
"I hope it can translate on the field. But if it doesn't, No. 88 is going to be right there. He's that good. He's going to be right there regardless. I've got to stay on my game.''
But Williams isn't finished when it comes to talking about No. 88, Dez Bryant.
"The dude is scary,'' Williams said. "The dude is good and he doesn't even know it yet. Once the light bulb goes on he will probably be the best in the league.
"He's a man among boys. He's got big hands. Real big hands. When he shakes my hand, his fingers come up to my elbows.''
05/25/2010 11:34 PM
temple3.wordpress.com
Back in April, the NFL concluded the 2010 draft. This year’s draft was punctuated by the prime time debut of Round 1 at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall. The draft was extended over a three day period and received wide acclaim from fans and media, alike.
It is too early to say who the winners are for the 2010 draft. Some draft picks never make it out of camp; some never fulfill the promise of their rookie contract. Still others exceed the greatest expectations. It has been widely stated that the average career of an NFL player is 4-5 years. Given that, let’s take a look at the 2005 NFL Draft.
The Rules of the Game
There are as many ways to evaluate the success of a draft class as there are to evaluate players. What matters most? Years as a starter, Pro Bowl selections, All Pro selections, team wins, championships, value at selected position, value over next selection? There are a lot of criteria to consider.
I’ll leave that final determination to you. For my own purposes, I admit using a subjective mix of all of those criteria. Here is a link for you to make your own decision.
Top Dog of the 2005 NFL Draft
1. Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys used two first round selections to grab DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears. Ware has become a dominant defensive force in the league. He has been selected to four Pro Bowls and been named All-Pro three times. He is arguably the best player at his position in the entire NFL. Ware, to the Cowboys credit, was taken just before Chargers LB Shawne Merriman.
DeMarcus Ware: 2005 Draft Cream of the Crop
Spears has been solid as a 300 pound defensive end in the Cowboys 3-4 alignment, but the other crown jewel of this draft was selected in the 7th round. Defensive tackle Jay Ratliff was named All-Pro this past season and has blossomed into an elite anchor for the Cowboys. Ratliff is solid against the run and excels on passing downs. He collapses the pocket and creates havoc in the middle.
The selections of Ware and Ratliff alone would probably suffice to put the Cowboys on top, but Dallas also picked up linebacker Kevin Burnett in the 2nd round, and Marion Barber and Chris Canty in the 4th round. Canty was an excellent performer on the defensive line for Dallas during the 2008 season and garnered interest from many teams around the league when his rookie deal expired. Last year, Canty underperformed for the New York Giants, but can be expected to bounce back in a more aggressive scheme. Marion Barber leads the all members of the 2005 draft class (Cadillac Williams, Brandon Jacobs, Frank Gore, Ronnie Brown, Cedric Benson, Darren Sproles) with 43 rushing touchdowns.
This draft class produced 4 All-Pro selections, 7 Pro Bowl nods, and a solid core of reliable players that allowed the Cowboys defense to improve from 27th in points allowed in 2004 to 2nd in points allowed in 2009. This is a high impact draft. If the Cowboys talent on offense can match that of the defense, Dallas may get a chance to play the final game of the season at home in 2010.
Notables from the 2005 Draft
Perhaps the most memorable thing for me about this draft is the number of teams that missed on first round selections. Alex Smith (#1) has been a bust in San Francisco. He has shown signs that he may emerge, but the question marks surrounding his performance linger. Braylon Edwards (#3) washed out in Cleveland, as did Cedric Benson in Chicago (#4). Cadillac Williams (#5) has been an exceptional player in Tampa Bay (2005 Rookie of the Year), but he has suffered some of the most excrutiating injuries in the history of the game. The Titans selected Adam Jones at #6; the Jaguars selected Troy Williamson at #7; and, the Detroit Lions picked USC’s Mike Williams at #10. Only picks #8 (Antrel Rolle, Arizona) and #9 (Carlos Rogers, Auburn) emerged from this minefield. The Dolphins top pick, Ronnie Brown (#2, and one of four Auburn players selected in Round 1), has also battled health issues.
The first round wasn’t all bad. Aaron Rodgers was selected by the Packers. Heath Miller went to the Steelers. Marlin Jackson was picked by the Colts. The Atlanta Falcons chose Roddy White.
Contenders
The Cowboys were not alone in drafting well in 2005. Here is a short list of teams that drafted well and their selections:
New York Giants (4 picks): Corey Webster, Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs.
San Diego Chargers: Shawne Merriman, Luis Castillo, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Heath Miller, Bryant McFadden, Chris Kemeotu.
05/25/2010 11:30 PM
CBS Sportsline.com
Time Story Bryant continues to improve : The Dallas Morning News reports that Cowboys rookie WR Dez Bryant continues to make strides with each offseason workout.
05/25/2010 11:30 PM
CBS Sportsline.com
Time Story Austin doesn't plan to hold out : The Dallas Morning News reports Monday that Cowboys WR Miles Austin continues to focus on the field and not about earning a contract extension
05/25/2010 11:28 PM
by donpotts21
During this part of the offseason, NFL storylines are few and far between. OTA’s are underway, and we are about eight or nine weeks until the start of training camp. Therefore, many times reporters, bloggers and the media world will reach to get their headlines. In Dallas, the focus has been on Dez Bryant and Roy Williams on the field. Off the field? Well, there has been some Super chatter. You are beginning to hear mur-mur’s of the Cowboys possibly playing in the Superbowl at their home stadium – a feat that has never occurred in Superbowl history. Radio hosts and former players are voicing their opinions on this very topic. The most recent headline came from Cowboy great, Roger Staubach:
“I didn’t want to jinx them about the Super Bowl being here, but that would be fun,” Staubach said. “That would be extra special. And it could happen.”
He continued …
“This is a really, really good football team and they have the capability,” Staubach said. “There are probably five or six teams in the NFL that can win it all. This is one of them. They can do it.
“It’s a matter of giving that little extra and fighting, and I think they have that attitude, too. The way it transpired at the end of the year in the Minnesota game was rough, but they really were a team at the end of the year, and I think they’re even better this year.”
Staubach, a Cowboy legend, just put a hex on the whole damn thing! So I figure for the Cowboys best interest I will slow things down a bit, relax and take a look at five possible hindrances to the teams Super aspirations.
1 – Offensive Line Depth
The Cowboys head into the season with questions on their offensive line. Doug Free is replacing the recently unemployed Flozell Adams. Free is young and athletic, but also still raw. He will have his struggles this year your delusional if you think otherwise. What happens if any starter on the line gets injured for any substantial period of time? The depth within this group seems weak, and that is a major liability.
2 – Who Is Going To Play The Middle?
Ken Hamlin got cut. Great. He was terrible. Now, the team is replacing him with either Alan Ball (?) or ironically Michael Hamlin. Since the team cut ties with Big Bro Hamlin, they have been raving about the potential of both Ball and Lil Bro.
Myself. I am not a fan of Ball. In the games he started he did absolutely nothing to impress me. I saw a player who recorded zero turnovers playing a position in which that’s all your judged on.
I cannot make an honest assessment of Lil Bro Hamlin because he’s been injured. All I know is that the Cowboys like his potential and think he will be a starter in the NFL. Me personally … not too crazy about the bloodline.
3 - Road Woes
The Cowboys have traditionally under Wade Phillips been a team that struggled in big road games. Last year’s playoff game in Minnesota as the most recent example. Now for the Cowboys to reach the Superbowl you would think they probably will have to play at least one road playoff game. I say that because Minnesota and New Orleans have a much easier path for home field advantage than the Cowboys. A great year in the difficult NFC East is 12-4 and that rarely is best in the conference. Therefore, assuming the Cowboys get in the playoffs and get a decent seed (neither are sure things), then they will once again have to go on the road and play in a hostile environment. What makes you believe they will emerge victorious? Which brings me to point four …
4 – The Cowboys Lack Playoff Caliber Coaching
With all due respect to Coach Phillips and his staff, they are not one of the league’s best. I think Phillips is a stellar defensive coach, but in big games the defense has struggled some. On the offensive side, I am not enamored with Jason Garrett. His offensive gameplans will be flawless one week and head-scratching another. He called a terrible game in last year’s playoff loss at Minnesota, and I do not trust him calling a Conference Championship on the road. For the Cowboys to play in the Superbowl, they have to get home-field advantage throughout. And finally …
5 – History (Pressure)
There is a reason no one has ever played a Superbowl at home. It is not easy. You can have all the talent in the world but you also need a good amount of luck and good fortune. A major injury, a tipped ball or a bad call can ruin a game and/or season. Also, if the Cowboys do make the playoffs, then the pressure really mounts. Imagine if the Cowboys completed the task of reaching the Superbowl, then lost at home to the Jets? History will not be kind to the franchise if that scenario plays out.
I understand many of my readers will wonder who @#$! in my cereal this morning. I still haven’t caught the person, but if you have any ideas email me. But seriously, I do not wanna feed the hype machine. We have to realize that the Cowboys have flaws just like every other team. Do they look good on paper? Yes. Would I be surprised if they don’t make the playoffs? Yes. Is this there best chance to reach the Superbowl in over a decade? Probably. As a fan, there is a lot to be excited for this season. And if they happen to reach and win the Superbowl, it will be a historic season. But until then, as the famous Pulp Fiction quote goes “Let’s not start sucking each other’s d*ck’s just yet.” Thanks for reading. Stay Tuned!
05/24/2010 09:12 PM
By Tim MacMahon
IRVING, Texas – Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach expressed optimism Monday that his former team can become the first to play a Super Bowl in its own stadium.
That was after Staubach, the North Texas Super Bowl committee chairman, briefly addressed the Dallas Cowboys after their organized team activity workout.
“I didn’t want to jinx them about the Super Bowl being here, but that would be fun,” Staubach said. “That would be extra special. And it could happen.”
Staubach discussed the importance of pulling together, telling the players how the 1971 Cowboys recovered from a drama-filled 4-3 start to earn the first of the franchise’s five Super Bowl championships. Staubach believes these Cowboys have the potential to add to that total after ending a 13-season playoff win drought last year.
“This is a really, really good football team and they have the capability,” Staubach said. “There are probably five or six teams in the NFL that can win it all. This is one of them. They can do it.
“It’s a matter of giving that little extra and fighting, and I think they have that attitude, too. The way it transpired at the end of the year in the Minnesota game was rough, but they really were a team at the end of the year, and I think they’re even better this year.”
Staubach raved about all the Cowboys’ offensive weapons, comparing it to the best units he quarterbacked during the 1970s. But his optimism begins with Tony Romo.
“I’m a big Tony Romo fan,” Staubach said. “You’ve got that feeling. There’s a few quarterbacks that when they hit the field, you know something good is going to happen. When Troy was here, I knew it. I just felt it. I feel the same way about Tony. When he’s on that field, good things are going to happen.”
05/24/2010 07:59 PM
by Ryan Nox
1. Dallas Cowboys (+120 odds to win NFC East in 2010-11 season)
2009 Record: 11-5 (1st)
Dallas will be seeking its third division title in the last four years this season. The Cowboys captured the 2009 NFC East crown with a dominant effort against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17. Dallas mirrored that performance the following week against Philly to gain its first playoff win since 1996. In 2009, the Cowboys were second in the league in total offense but were just 14th in scoring offense. Dallas is hoping that rookie wideout Dez Bryant will aid the Cowboys in the red zone in 2010. On defense, the Cowboys were second in the NFL in scoring defense a year ago. However, the unit struggled in the divisional playoffs against Minnesota. With the exception of the opener at Washington, the Cowboys won’t face a team away from home that had a losing record in 2009.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (+250 odds to win NFC East in 2010-11 season)
2009 Record: 11-5 (2nd)
It’s the end of an era in Philly. After leading the Eagles to five conference championship games in the last decade, quarterback Donovan McNabb is in a different locale in the NFC East. With only two career starts under his belt, fourth-year QB Kevin Kolb is now the starting signal-caller for Philadelphia. The Eagles have ranked sixth or higher in the NFL in scoring offense in three of the last four seasons. The running game will also be without a longtime standout. Brain Westbrook, who led the squad in rushing for six straight seasons from 2003-08, is no longer an Eagle. After ranking fourth in the NFL in scoring defense in 2008, the Eagles fell to 19th in this category in 2009. With only two games against 2009 playoff teams in its first 12 contests, Philadelphia has a chance to enter the final quarter of the year in good shape.
3. New York Giants (+250 odds to win NFC East in 2010-11 season)
2009 Record: 8-8 (3rd)
New York cruised to a 5-0 start in 2009 but stumbled to a .500 squad by the end of the year. The Giants were outscored 85-16 in the final two games of the 2009 campaign. The collapse of the defense was the main problem. The unit that shined during the 2007 postseason run was 30th in the league in scoring defense a year ago. The Giants signed All-Pro safety Antrel Rolle during the offseason to boost the secondary. Up front, rookie defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul should help the pass rush. The offense finished eighth in the NFL in scoring and total offense a year ago. Young wideout Steve Smith emerged to grab 107 catches in 2009. The road slate is daunting for New York in the 2010 NFL betting season. Five of its first seven away outings are against 2009 playoff squads.
4. Washington Redskins (+700 odds to win NFC East in 2010-11 season)
2009 Record: 4-12 (4th)
The arrivals of McNabb and new head coach Mike Shanahan have brought some cautious optimism to Washington. However, a mediocre group of receivers and some aging running backs could make it a challenge for McNabb in his debut season for the Redskins. A defense that has finished in the top 10 in total defense in eight of the last ten seasons is in a lot better shape. The Redskins could be in an early hole based on its schedule. Of its first six games, four are against 2009 playoff clubs.
05/24/2010 07:26 PM
Written by theMBIIIeffect
AUTHOR: thelandryhat
I have to give credit to SI’s Peter King for coming up with this great concept for an article. I disagree with him rating us as the 10th-best team in the NFL–picking us after the Dolphins and the Panthers is bordering on lunacy–but I have to give him credit on this idea of writing about things he thinks he thinks about the NFL.
I’ll be focusing on the Cowboys, of course.
1. The Cowboys have to have one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL: The Cowboys get the new-look Redskins the first week of the season and won’t have any tape on Donovan McNabb. The Redskins were awful last year but it’s the NFL and upsets happen. After that it gets worse: at Houston in the third week won’t be a walk in the park, an early bye week followed by 13 more games including at Minnesota, at Green Bay, home against New Orleans then away to Arizona and Philly to finish the year.
2. If the Cowboys make it to the playoffs, they’ll make a run: This is the upside to playing this hard a schedule. The Cowboys will probably play more playoff teams during the year than teams that will have their golf clubs out after week 17. They’re going to be playing playoff football all year and they’ll be better for it.
3. Dez Bryant will start one game before week 8: The guy is too good to keep off the field. Cornerback Mike Jenkins said that Bryant has the potential to be the best wide receiver on the team. Roy Williams certainly has to see Bryant in his rearview mirror and all the comments he’s making about the work he’s putting in this summer suggests that he knows he’ll have to perform to keep his job.
4. The Cowboys won’t sign another safety: Any dreamers thinking that the Cowboys will work out some kind of trade for O.J. Atogwe ought to wake up now. It’s not going to happen. That’s ok, though, because Alan Ball and Mike Hamlin will be able to handle one of the safety spots. If it were up to me, I’d have Gerald Sensabaugh at free safety and let Hamlin play strong safety. I think Sensabaugh has better range and Hamlin is a better tackler (not in a Roy Williams way–the guy can cover pretty well).
5. The Cowboys will create more turnovers than they did last year: The Cowboys defense was one of the best defenses in the league last year if you don’t use turnovers to judge defenses–so the Cowboys just had a pretty good defense last year. Only 21 turnovers in 16 games last year won’t cut it, especially with DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer rushing off the edges.
6. Anthony Spencer will have 10 sacks this year: This guy is figuring out the NFL and he had six sacks last year. He’s got 10.5 for his career and he’ll nearly double that total this year as he’s getting better and better.
7. The Rams will come out ahead in the Bobby Carpenter-Alex Barron trade: Barron has to beat out Doug Free or Marc Columbo or hope for one of them to get hurt in order to see the field–I’m not buying that there’s really an open competition for the left tackle spot. Carpenter will get to start over in a defensive scheme he’s more comfortable with. Am I saying it was a bad trade for us? No. We weren’t going to be using Carpenter after taking Sean Lee in this year’s draft and we needed the depth at offensive tackle. It was a smart move for both parties, but the Rams will see an immediate impact from Carpenter.
8. Mike Jenkins will become one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL this year: Jenkins is a big, physical corner that can keep up with quick receivers while still being able to fight with larger receivers. If he can put up some better stats and intercept a few more passes, he’ll be on the Pro Bowl roster from the start and will be considered within the top six or seven corners in the game.
9. Tony Romo will throw at least five more interceptions but ten more touchdowns than last year: Adding Bryant and having an other year with Martellus Bennett will surely help in the red zone. Bryant isn’t the biggest or fastest receiver, but he fights for jump balls in the end zone. He also has better hands than most of the other Cowboys receivers–I’m not sure he has better hands than Miles Austin but I think he does. I also think Romo will be behind in a few games this year and he’ll probably force a few, but that’s ok. These things happen.
10. The Cowboys won’t be playing in this year’s Super Bowl: I don’t think they’re quite there yet. They’re a strong team and have to be considered amongst the best in the NFC. They just aren’t Super Bowl winners yet I don’t think. The pressure is on the Cowboys this year because the Super Bowl is being played in Arlington. I think they need one more year. I’d love to be wrong here, but that’s what I think.
…I think.
05/24/2010 07:17 PM
Dallas Cowboys FS Alan Ball is the leading candidate to start at free safety this season, according to Carlos Mendez, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, however, there is some concern as to how well he can tackle at the position. "His tackling and stuff, in the ballgames, because of his size, is really the only drawback on him," head coach Wade Phillips said. "I think he's going to be a really good free safety-type guy. Our free safety wasn't involved in a lot of the tackling, anyway."
Read more: http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl#ixzz0os8j2CE0
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