The Cowboys BeatThe Cowboys BeatA blog dedicated to the Dallas Cowboys, the team, their history, the players, even Jerry Jones. Articles
The 5 Toughest Games
2008-05-18 21:51:00 I haven’t written anything on the schedule yet. At the point, analyzing the schedule is really just a bunch of guesswork. It won’t be until week 2 and week 3 of the schedule before we really get an idea of who’s good, who’s not so good, and where the surprises are going to be. But I was glancing over the schedule again and I couldn’t help but think that our first game is going to be one of the most difficult. Cleveland had a pretty good offense last year, and they are going to be a better team. The Stallworth addition at receiver is going to make their passing attack even scarier, and their defense should be improved as well. The toughest game? No. But almost. Here’s how I have them ranked: #1 - Week Sixteen - @ New York Giants Despite being the defending Super Bowl champs, I don’t think the Giants are a better football team than the Cowboys. I still expect the Cowboys to win the division, and I expect them to actually win a playoff... More About: Games
Matt Walsh Has Been Great For Patriots
2008-05-14 16:34:00 I try not to comment too much outside of the Cowboys sphere, but I have to say that this Matt Walsh character has really been great for the Patriots organization. First, he pops up with talk about some mysterious tapes and gets everyone in a frenzy about possible new sanctions against New England. Then, the tapes are revealed to be pretty much what the Patriots said they had done. Now, everyone thinks Spygate is done. Well, maybe not everyone, but there does seem to be a major sentiment that the investigation is pretty much over barring any other revelations that come from left field. Matt Walsh has all but put to rest any idea that New England taped the Rams walkthrough. Now, let me say that while I thought the Patriots got off too light in punishment, I also think people have overreacted to the situation. Spying has always been a part of football. That’s why coaches are quick to kick out any suspicious characters spotted during practice. But I have to say tha... More About: Great
What About Romo Worries Defenses The Most?
2008-05-12 22:30:00 In under two seasons, Tony Romo has become one of the most popular figures in sports. But what about him do defenses around the league fear the most? His arm? His elusive legs? The answer might surprise you. Yes. There you have it. His voice. Able to knock down opposing linebackers in a single lyric, Tony Romo has found a weapon more powerful than his ability to miss qualifying for the pro golf tour by only a few strokes: His ability to completely butcher songs. ShareThis More About: Defenses
Danny Amendola Impresses Dallas Coaches
2008-05-07 04:18:00 DallasCowboys.com has a writeup about Danny Amendola, a rookie free agent out of Texas Tech who has been opening some eyes at minicamp and is drawing comparisons to Wes Welker. Playing alongside Michael Crabtree, Amendola was forced into the position of second fiddle, but he had a strong career at Texas Tech with 224 catches for 2,246 yards and 15 TDs. Amendola ran a not-so-fast 4.64 in the forty at the combine, but he definitely looks faster in this YouTube video: And, remember, Felix Jones had a not-so-fast forty time at the combine but is much faster than those numbers would indicate. For a not-so-well-known receiver out of Texas Tech, a bad forty time at the combine is enough to drop you right out of the draft, but if this guy has football quickness, he might just press Miles Austin for a spot on the roster. ShareThis More About: Dallas , Coaches
Hard Knocks With The Cowboys? Say It Ain’t So!
2008-05-07 01:36:00 I might be the only one with this sentiment, but I am not looking forward to the impending announcement that HBO will be filming a new Hard Knocks series this year and that the Cowboys will be in the limelight. It’s one thing when it is a 5-11 team being filmed, but I would rather limit the distractions as much as possible for a team that has Super Bowl potential. I know, I know, the only way you can get to the Super Bowl is to be able to play despite the many distractions that certainly will come up during a run to the big game, but that doesn’t mean we have to invite the distractions to us does it? I’ll admit, I’ll definitely sign up for HBO if they do film Hard Knocks with the ‘Boys. I’ll even enjoy it — heck, what fan wouldn’t enjoy being able to see more than just a few sparing highlights shown at the end of the 10 o’clock news? But, given the choice, I’d definitely pass just to have less distractions. Heck, it ...
Dallas Completes Draft With More Picks Next Year
2008-04-28 18:18:00 Once again, Dallas leaves a draft with additional picks in the next year’s draft. No extra first rounder this time, but an extra third and an extra fourth isn’t too shabby. Some quality players come out of those rounds. (For example, Marion Barber III.) Overall, I would say that Dallas had a solid if not sexy draft. Their second day maneuvering was enough to bring them up to around a B- for the entire draft. Not only did the get a few extra picks, but they picked up another running back (much needed for depth) and another sub-4.40 40 cornerback — never can get too many speedy cover guys. At the very least, that guy is going to get some playing time on special teams. In fact, if you add the special teams impact into the equation, Dallas may very well have improved that area after letting some key players go in the offseason (Keith Davis and Nate Jones being two stars of our special teams unit last year). Both cornerbacks (Jenkins and Scandrick) should see so... More About: Draft , Year
A Very “C+” Draft For Cowboys On First Day
2008-04-27 05:29:00 The first day of the draft is over, and it looks like the Cowboys really did have blinders on and were staring down Felix Jones all the way. After Rashard Mendenhall slipped all the way down to the Cowboys, Dallas went ahead and pulled the trigger on Jones despite the fact that Mendenhall actually posted a faster 40 time at the combine than Felix Jones. Largely thought of as the most complete back of the draft with both power and speed, Mendenhall’s main knock was that he only started one year. So, it makes sense that Dallas picks a back that didn’t start at all. The Felix Jones pick was disappointing, but was evident that Dallas had him circled as the guy they wanted in the backfield with Marion Barber. Knowing that, if they didn’t take him at 22, the Titans would grab him, they went ahead an pulled the trigger. And, while a lot of us fans aren’t going to like it, hopefully it will work out in the long run. One thing that Felix Jones has going ... More About: Draft
Felix Jones to Dallas a Done Deal?
2008-04-25 18:34:00 I just don’t buy all this hype on Dallas choosing Felix Jones . I was watching the NFL Network’s mock draft last night and I had to grown when they came to the Cowboys and had them picking Felix Jones with the 22nd pick. It’s bad enough that I’ve seen so many mock drafts with us picking Jones with the 28th pick, now we are going for him right off the bat? If that’s not bad enough, they had us taking Kenny Phillips the safety out of Florida with that 28th pick. Hey, I’m not saying it’s impossible. If he’s the best player on the board, there’s a chance, but when you have Pro Bowl players manning both your safety spots, it’s a little hard to take a safety in the first round. Getting back to Felix Jones, we’ve all seen him in mock drafts being taken by Dallas on the pretext of Jerry Jones being an Arkansas alumni and it seems a lot of people haven’t done the research to find out that Jerry Jones has *never* chosen... More About: Deal
Pacman Arrives in Dallas
2008-04-24 20:05:00 Well, okay, Pacman will arrive in Dallas if and when the commish gives him the thumbs up. The terms of the deal: Dallas gives Tennessee a fourth round pick in this draft and an additional sixth round pick in the 2009 draft if Pacman steps on the field this year. If he doesn’t, Dallas gets Tennessee’s fourth round pick in 2009. (Correct me if I am wrong on those details — I’m doing it from memory.) Good deal? I think so. Essentially, what you need to ask yourself is if a cornerback who is in the top 10 and probably top 5 of his position in the NFL is worth a fourth round pick for one year of service. Because, lets face it, we can’t count on him for much more than a year. If he turns his life around and becomes a great and outstanding fellow, that’s great, but we can’t count on it. Is it worth it? If Dallas was still that 5-11 team that was in dire need of long term talent, I’d say no. But Dallas is a championship ca...
Sports Media Should Learn To Read The Sporting News
2008-04-23 17:51:00 Jaime Aron, an AP sports writer, believes Jerry Jones is “…soooo in his element at this draft.” Why does Jaime think Jerry Jones is happy? “He has two first-round picks, the only team with such lavish trade bait.” This is what Jaime Aron writes in his article, Jones thrilled with how things stack up for Cowboys in draft. Unfortunately, Mr. Aron wasn’t paying attention to the news in the NFL. If he did, he would have known about the Jared Allen trade that makes his statement false about the same time it came off the e-press. Despite the mistake, the article still sums up rather nicely that Dallas is sitting pretty in the draft. I also liked how it calls the secondary the “biggest area of concern” instead of the biggest weakness. I know it seems standard to label team needs as weaknesses, but does Dallas have any weakness? Its generally agreed upon by fans, media, and no doubt the Cowboys coaching staff and general management... More About: News , Media , Sports , Read , Sporting
NFL Network Makes Right Decision in Dumping Gumbel
2008-04-12 00:30:00 Yahoo reports that Bryant Gumbel and the NFL Network will part ways with Gumbel giving up his play-by-play duties on the network. And it’s about damn time! It was quite obvious within only a few games that Bryant Gumbel was such a bad announcer that he was making the Monday Night Football crew almost bearrable. I can still remember him calling Tony Romo about every name in the book *besides* Tony Romo. Nick Romo? Tom Romo? Who the heck is that quarterback! And have we heard a more boring and grating voice on television? I think we can all breath a collective sigh of relief. Of course, knowing the NFL Channel, they’ll probably replace him with Dennis Miller. ShareThis More About: Decision
Why Pacman and Not Henry?
2008-04-10 16:13:00 When asked about the chances of signing Chris Henry , the troubled wide receiver recently cut from the Bengals, Jerry Jones said, “Unlikely, unlikely, just because of what we’re doing at wide receiver. Just the nature of it, but it’s unlikely.” His answer makes sense if you think about it. At cornerback, we don’t have much standing behind Terence Newman and Anthony Henry. Even if we traded for Pacman , we would still be looking for an additional corner — both as an insurance policy and to fill out the roster. Wide receiver is another popular position of speculation when people look at who Dallas might draft in the first round. In fact, it is often listed as a position of ‘need’. But Dallas has Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton. The only question mark there is Glenn who much come back from a season of knee injuries, but it is unlikely Dallas will cut him. They also have Sam Hurd. He’s looked very ...
So Close And Yet So Far Away
2008-04-07 17:25:00 Well, it certainly looked like the Pacman trade was imminent early last week, but things have stalled out. Unless something has changed recently, the Titans are stuck on a multiple draft picks in the 2008 draft, while Dallas would rather one draft pick in the 2009 draft that could be voided if Pacman doesn’t get on the field enough. Here’s to hoping Jerry Jones sticks to his guns and doesn’t take a gamble. Let’s face it, there ain’t too many teams lining up to give up draft picks this year for a player who might not even play a down. Might as well wait until after the draft and see what tune the Titans begin playing. Personally, while I love the talent he brings, I’d be fine if this deal falls through. He wasn’t exactly a great teammate over in Tennessee — his ego getting in the way of his fellow players — and that is something the Cowboys probably don’t need. But, at the right price (i.e. cheap), I could see ta... More About: Close
Staying Awake With the Cowboys
2008-04-02 17:19:00 It seems that keeping up with Cowboys news these days is more of an issue of staying awake than anything else. We had the excitement of a possible Pacman signing this week — still expecting news of that this week — but this offseason has been a real snoozefest for the most part. And, hey, that’s a good thing. If they do nothing more than bring back the same basic team as last year, I’ll be happy. Let’s face it, they were really good last year even without Terry Glenn for the vast majority of the season. But it sure would be nice to make a little splash. And maybe that will happen. Mickey Spagnola writes about the possibility of trading for a veteren wide receiver. Now, I’m not completely sold on giving up a first round draft choice unless we get a Chad Johnson or Roy Williams, but a nice upgrade at receiver would be nice. Though that wouldn’t solve our age issue. Still need to get younger. Bring in a 30+ year old vete... More About: Awake
Pacman Acquisition Changes the Draft
2008-03-28 15:11:00 From all reports, the Pacman deal is going to happen. Right now, it is only a matter of hammering out the details, but Pacman should be in a Cowboys uniform come the start of the 2008 season — at least, if he’s in any uniform at all. There’s no guarantee that the commissioner won’t keep him suspended through part of 2008. That said, the pickup does change the way the Cowboys can look at the draft by taking away the pressing need we had at cornerback. With only two cornerbacks with any real experience on the roster, we would need to look at taking a cornerback early — teams need three solid corners. And, while I still think it is important to grab a cornerback just in case Pacman doesn’t work out quite so well, the need isn’t as pressing with him on the roster. This really clears the way for the Cowboys to do something they haven’t done much of lately: draft offense. Since Emmitt Smith was chosen in 1990, there have only bee... More About: Draft , Acquisition
Pacman Addition Looking More Likely
2008-03-26 17:51:00 It’s a common story: disgruntled and/or troubled star player linked with team, the rumor mill swirls, the rumor picks up steam, the star player comes into town for a radio interview with a former player, and then the announcement comes that he has been signed. Okay, perhaps it isn’t a common story, but I get the feeling that is how this story is going to end. I can’t say that I am looking forward to it either. No doubt, Pacman is a terrific player. But the chances are good that he won’t be able to make it through a whole season without getting into trouble. But, before I harp too much on Pacman, let’s give the guy some credit. He’s pretty good. I wouldn’t trade Newman for him, but Pacman is pretty close on that list. He’s a playmaker, and he can contribute as a punt returner as well as a cornerback. In a league where lining up with three or four wide receivers is becoming more and more popular, being able to defend it with Newman, Pacm...
Tell Us Who The Cowboys Should Draft
2008-03-25 02:54:00 I’ve put up a new poll about draft needs. You can only choose one answer in this poll, so you need to go with what you think the most pressing need for the Cowboys is. Also, I didn’t include every position group. I think we’re pretty set at linebacker and tight end, but if you really think that is where we should target our first pick for then go ahead and choose ‘other’. Somehow, I think most of you agree that we don’t need yet another linebacker. ShareThis More About: Draft
Everyone Wants To Be A Cowboy
2008-03-21 21:28:00 Earlier this week, I was talking to my friend who was letting me know about Chad Johnson’s rant on becoming a Cowboy . Hey, if there wasn’t such a thing as the salary cap, I’d bee all for it. I’d love for them to work it out in such a way that we could sign him, sign Barber up to a long term deal, sign two first round draft choices, and still not be setting ourselves up for cap hell in the future. No doubt, T.O. and Eighty-Five could be a dynamic duo to rival any in the NFL. And then, there’s all the news about Pacman. Let me see if I get this straight: Pacman’s agent lets loose that Dallas might be in talks with Tennessee, starting a nice snowball of a rumor that Pacman will be a Cowboy. Dunno about all that. I wouldn’t put it past an agent to start a rumor just to try and get something going for his client. As for Pacman, I suppose I’d be willing to risk the veteran minimum on him on a one year deal. But I’d hate to...
Cowboys Strategy This Offseason Is The Right One
2008-03-13 15:30:00 The Cowboys have been quiet this offseason. Thus far, they have lost three players — Julius Jones, Jacques Reeves and Keith Davis — and signed only one — Zack Thomas. Of the three players signing with other teams, two were predominantly special teams players. And while Jones was the starter for the entire regular season, his playing time gave way to Marion Barber III, and it was unlikely he would have still been the starter next year. What they have done is resign players — Flozell Adams being the big signing, with the franchise tag given to Ken Hamlin and high tender offers to restricted free agents Marion Barber and Chris Canty. This is the right strategy for a team that went 13-3 last year and holds two first round picks in the draft. There have been two things that have become extremely overpriced in the NFL: High-first-round draft choices and free agents taken in the first couple of weeks of free agency. In those cases, the dollar figures are... More About: Strategy , Offseason
Giving The Barbarian His Due
2008-03-10 19:33:00 With Julius’s departure to Seattle, the way is cleared for Marion “the Barbarian” to be the feature back for the Cowboys. And as much as I liked Julius, the Cowboys should be better off without him so long as that means more carries for Marion. Certainly, we’ll be looking for an other back in free agency or the draft. You definitely need two solid backs in the NFL these days. And while Marion may not be as explosive of a back in terms of raw speed, he does provide his own type of explosion. Put simply, Marion plays running back like a linebacker — he’s always looking to blow someone up. So, to give him his due, enjoy this video: More About: Giving
Julius Signs with Seattle
2008-03-08 06:38:00 Which makes sense considering how much he burned Seattle during his career. As much as he seemed like a dud the last two seasons, he was a real stud during his first two. I hope he turns it around with the Seahawks. More About: Signs , Julius
The Titans and the Cardinals
2008-03-05 20:35:00 Those are two teams I am keeping an eye on for the next couple of days. For the Titans , it is because of talks with Julius Jones. I already like watching the Titans because of Vince Young. Heck, I liked them before V.Y. — I was a Houston Oilers fan growing up. And, I’ve always like Julius. I think it is the right decision for the Cowboys to feature The Barbarian next year, but I wish Julius all the luck in finding a prominent role on a new team. And, if he should sign with the Titans — and I think that it would be a great fit for him — it gives me all the reason to catch Titans games when I can. As for the Cardinals , I am simply keeping an eye on the Larry Fitzgerald situation. As you can tell, the Cowboys haven’t exactly made a splash in free agency. And that’s been a good thing for the most part — we’ve seen some mid-tier level players getting way overpaid. But that doesn’t mean the Cowboys can’t make so... More About: The Cardinals
Dunn Interested - Moss Off Board - Farve Retiring
2008-03-04 17:22:00 It’s still pretty quiet over at Valley Ranch. The calm before the storm? Probably not. This was a lackluster free agency to begin with, and most of the big names have already signed. About the only big splash the Cowboys could make at this point was arranging a trade to move up in the draft, and that’s probably something that would happen on draft day — if at all. There are a few interesting free agents still available, Warrick Dunn being one of them. And the Dallas Morning News reports he is interested. Personally, I’d rather have Tatum Bell or Julius Jones, but if the price is right, Dunn could be a good pick up as an insurance policy. Though, if we did go with Dunn, we’d better be planning on spending one of those day one picks on a running back. At age 33, he is old by running back standards, and his 3.2 yards per carry average last year wasn’t exactly impressive — though Atlanta did stink it up pretty bad in all phases of the... More About: Board , Moss
All Quiet on the Cowboys Front
2008-03-02 20:06:00 Outside of a little whispering, the Cowboys have been pretty quiet thus far in free agency. They are getting a few mentions as one of the teams that might be interested in Randy Moss, and their interest in Javon Walker is well known, but other than that, it’s pretty quiet. They seem to be making more noise with Cowboys that sign with other teams than their own signings. Jacques Reeves signed a big deal with the Houston Texans. I have to agree with Trip over at Bleeding Blue and Silver, this is just way too much money for a cornerback who will be an iffy starter in the league and is probably more of a backup or nickle guy. Now I can see why the Cowboys let him go. I’d have liked to have kept him — at a far lower cost — just as an insurance policy. You need three solid corners in this league, and the Cowboys only have two proven corners on their roster right now. Perhaps there is a Ty Law in their future? We need some type of insurance policy. Obviously... More About: Front , Quiet
Philadelphia Grabs Top Free Agent
2008-03-01 06:19:00 It didn’t take long for the Eagles to improve their team through free agency. No sooner had the first day arrived than they snatched up what many consider the best free agent out of a lackluster group: Asante Samuel. Samuel has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league for the past few years, recording an NFL high 16 interceptions in the last two years. But he should have his hands full next year trying to cover Terrell Owens for two games. As for the Cowboys, they made their splash the day before free agency started by resigning Flozell Adams. Adams’ resigning will ensure that Dallas’s offensive line will remain consistent. More About: Agent , Philadelphia , Free , Free Agent
Dallas Has Salary Cap Woes If Rumors Are True
2008-02-27 15:37:00 It wouldn’t be an offseason if there weren’t a whole lot of trade rumors circling around about the Cowboys. Heck, the way I hear it we are getting Randy Moss, DeAngelo Hall and Darren McFadden. Sounds good, except we’ll have to figure out how to pay everyone! For those still dreaming about Darren McFadden — and I don’t blame you, a powerful running back with shutdown cornerback speed would be nice — here’s an idea of what it would take to move up and grab him. Let’s say the Cowboys are willing to package their two first rounders to move up. Where does that take them? The 22nd and 28th picks are worth a combined 1,440 points. That would move them to the 8th overall pick. They could add a 4th and a 6th to that and get to 1,502, which would be enough to get the 7th overall pick. But, chances say, McFadden is going to be long gone by then. So, we package up both 1sts and a 2nd to get 1,740 points which is enough to move to 5th on ... More About: Dallas , Rumors , True , Salary
Busy week for the Cowboys
2008-02-24 04:00:00 The Cowboys made two significant moves this week in franchising safety Ken Hamlin and signing linebacker Zack Thomas to a one year 3 million dollar deal. ... More About: Week , Busy
Busy week for the Cowboys
2008-02-24 04:00:00 The Cowboys made two significant moves this week in franchising safety Ken Hamlin and signing linebacker Zack Thomas to a one year 3 million dollar deal. The Hamlin move was expected and was the smart, conservative move by the Cowboys. Remember, just a year ago, Hamlin was a cast off. He had a great year last year, but the franchise tag lets the Cowboys see if he’s a one-year wonder and gives them another year eyeballing Patrick Watkins to see if he can turn into a starting free safety. The Zack Thomas was a little more surprising, but not terribly so since the rumors had been that he would sign with Dallas ever since his release from Miami. This deal looks like it has more to do with adding Thomas’s brain and personality than his playmaking ability. Not that Thomas can’t make plays, but the Cowboys have solid linebackers and two great ones in Ware and Ellis, so they aren’t in desperate need of playmaking. But, having an experienced veteran could give ... More About: Week , Busy
Let's Talk About the Free Agents
2008-02-20 16:15:00 Free agency will officially begin in a few weeks, and it's that time of year where some teams go out and try to make headlines while other teams go bargain-hunting. ... More About: Agents , Free , Talk
Let’s Talk About the Free Agents
More articles from this author:2008-02-20 16:15:00 Free agency will officially begin in a few weeks, and it’s that time of year where some teams go out and try to make headlines while other teams go bargain-hunting. I used to pay no attention to the off-season, but about eight years ago I started poring over the sports news daily for any word from the Cowboys. What I found was that the off-season, while not quite as exciting as the regular season, had its moments. It can be great fun to study what the Cowboys need, who’s out there, who they might get, and then watch the moves unfold. But before looking to the outside, you have to look to your own house. The Cowboys have a number of key players who are free agents, so they’ll need to sign some of their own players before looking for a big name in free agency. Cowboys Restricted Free Agents Marion Barber III. Barber is a no-brainer to resign, the question is when. The Cowboys can put the highest tender offer on him in which case it would take a first and a th... More About: Free , Talk 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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