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• Training Camp

“I Know What’s Outside. I Don’t Know What’s Inside Yet…”

Bill Parcells ended the Cowboys mini-camp with a far-ranging press conference that tempered optimism with caution. While admitting that he was excited by some rookies he reminded the press that he had no idea of his team’s heart or chemistry, and would not know until they faced opposition. Here are some key points:

Julius Jones knows much more about what it takes to be an effective NFL back. According to Parcells, Jones understands give-up plays and when to gamble; “he knows when to settle [now] for three yards instead of getting one yard trying to run for ten… he knows I’d rather have fifteen good runs than twelve good runs and ten give-ups.”

Parcells compared rookie Marion Barber to former Jet Leon Johnson. “[Johnson] was our backup runner, our 3rd-down back and returned kickoffs.” Parcells envisions a similar role for Barber, hoping he can play 20 to 25 plays on offense and 20 to 25 on special teams.

Drew Bledsoe will surprise fans with his legs. Parcells said Bledsoe is much better running than people realize. He hinted that the sprint-out passes Vinnie Testaverde used last season would stay in the playbook for Bledsoe. He also discounted criticisms that Bledsoe tips off defenders by tapping the ball in the pocket. “Joe Montana couldn’t pat the ball fast enough,” said Parcells. The problem for Bledsoe is not patting the ball, but holding it too long trying to make a great play.

Parcells has a double-secret escape plan for right tackle. He likes the competition there, but teased reporters by stating, “I have an idea of what I will do if it doesn’t work out, but don’t speculate because you’re gonna be wrong.”

Parcells likes Keith Davis as a free safety prospect, but is “torn” by the prospect of taking him off special teams because Davis is currently Dallas’ best special teamer. “If you’re good on defense and better-than-good on special teams, I’d rather have the better- than-good,” he said of Davis. Parcells did compare Davis in an oblique way to Lester Hayes, saying that the ball seemed to find both players on pass plays.

Parcells explained his pre-season practice of playing the 3rd QB before the backup. He likes to insert the backup late in these games because they are often out of hand and give the backup a chance to lead a rally. If the backup can do so, the team gains confidence in him.

Parcells will spend his upcoming break working on his camp teaching schedule. He wants to keep both the offense and defense in the dark this year. He claimed each unit knew what the other was doing last year and cheated a bit by game planning early for the other, thus losing teaching opportunities. He wants a greater element of surprise, so the team can learn to adjust on the fly.

Reading the Tea Leaves — Minicamp Edition

The Cowboys opened their first and last mini-camp before their training camp in California this August. While there is little of positive certainly to be learned after one practice — it’s impossible to tell who will be the starters after today — there are some signs to be noted on the negative side of the ledger. Among them:

Long snapper Jeff Robinson may be on the block or in danger of being cut. The Cowboys “excused” him from the weekend to get a better look at rookie snappers. Robinson was signed for a huge sum after the Cowboys blew two 2001 games with bad kick snaps. He’s been steady, but deep snappers with big contracts are luxuries, even for good teams.

RT Torrin Tucker is trying to walk a tightrope — while eating two Big Macs at the same time. Quick, what’s the fastest way to earn Bill Parcells’ wrath in late May? Getting fat you say? Good answer. See Raul to collect your prize. According to Parcells, Tucker reported “substantially overweight.” Torrin’s status wasn’t exactly firm to begin with. He had better get in shape quickly or he may not even be on the roster when the team leaves for Oxnard.

On the encouraging side:

Marco Rivera is apparently ready to go. The guard, who herniated a disc only days after signing a huge contract, was held out of workouts as a precaution. Parcells described him as being “well down the road” of his rehab and proclaimed him fit to play.

All the veterans injured in 2004 appear healthy. Dan Campbell and Terry Glenn practiced today, with no lingering effects from their serious foot injuries.

Marcus Spears is the anti-Tucker having lost 13 pounds since the rookie camp last month.

Other notes:

Parcells says he will take only three QBs to camp, to increase the reps Drew Henson and Tony Romo will receive.

Even though the right tackle position is unsettled, Parcells is satisfied with the talent on hand and dismissed signing a veteran.

Put Kevin Burnett, Al Singleton and Kalen Thornton at the left OLB position. Parcells expressed some disappointment with the lack of size there, but is satisfied that Burnett and Singleton have the athleticism to play effectively.

Parcells mentioned Stephen Peterman, Lousaka Polite, Sean Ryan and Kalen Thornton as young players who made significant progress this offseason.

Parcells discounted suggestions that Jacob Rogers is behind his peers at OT. Rogers has had a good offseason conditioning himself, but is “a bit behind” on his technique, since he cannot yet take part in contact drills.

The Cowboys did not vote for it, but Parcells is confident that the NFL put due thought into the new “horsecollar” rule. He has some concern that it won’t be called uniformly, but does not feel Roy Williams’ play will be hurt by the rule.

Fantasy Survey

How many of you play fantasy ball? How many teams do you run in a season? Do you draft on straight value, or do you try to get as many Cowboys players as possible? Do you think the blog should cover this topic?

Safety Update

Dallas will likely have more veteran options to contemplate when June 1st rolls around. The Sporting News is reporting that Pittsburgh Steelers FS Mike Logan will likely be cut next week. Logan’s play has been described as “athletic but not heady” which does not sound like a good fit for the quarterback of a Bill Parcells secondary. The fact that Logan lost his starting job last year could also factor in the Cowboys’ thinking should Logan actually hit the market.

A more tantalizing option would be Vikings SS Corey Chavous. The former Vanderbilt standout is avoiding offseason workouts with Minnesota because of a contract dispute. The fact that he’s in the last year of his contract, and that Minnesota has a young SS they like in Willie Offord could make Chavous expendable.

Why might the Cowboys covet a strong safety, when Roy Williams is on the roster? Consider Chavous’ profile in Pro Football Weekly’s 2004 preview, which rated him the seventh best safely in the league.

Cerebral defensive back and student of the game made smooth transition from cornerback to strong safety but is still out of position. Chavous would be a superstar at free safety, but Minnesota didn’t move him to the FS spot due to Brian Russell’s production at that position.

I have found mention of a chronic knee problem, but Chavous has missed only three games in his seven-year career. Minnesota spent a small fortune signing Darren Sharper to play FS, so Chavous won’t be moving there soon — at least not in a Vikings uniform.

Update: Former Falcons FS Corey Hall, whom the Cowboys worked out last week, signed today with the Washington Redskins.

Sign of the Times

They couldn’t be looking over their shoulders at folks like us, could they? The Dallas Morning News announced with some fanfare that all its sportwriters are going blogging. It’s actually a big debate in newsrooms, with some newspaper staffs embracing blogging and others being hostile towards us pesky outsiders. In the sports world, however, you have to wonder why anybody would oppose it?

Pick Your Starters — Nickel Formations

When Blog reader Don Swalinksi caught up to former LB Bryan Cox last month, Cox predicted Dallas might spend a high pick on a cornerback, reasoning that NFL teams needed three corners in this day of spread offenses in order to be effective.

The Cowboys did follow Cox’ advice, though they used free agency to stock their secondary, signing CB Anthony Henry in March and CB Aaron Glenn one week after the draft, when Glenn was cut by the Texans. The cornerbacks solve the Cowboys most glaring defensive hole from 2004, when the team was unable to field a sound base secondary, much less one that could produce in passing situations.

That does not mean the secondary is whole. Free safety remains an enigma, with the Cowboys closely watching the waiver wire for any late veteran cuts. However, the players already on the roster give us a chance to fill out the rest of the positions.

Base defense:

Left corner — Terrence Newman

Strong safety — Roy Williams

Free safety — Lynn Scott

Right corner — Anthony Henry

Darren Woodson’s back injury just a week before camp least season devastated this unit. The secondary thrived in ‘03 with a combination of Williams at SS and Woodson at FS and Newman and Mario Edwards at the corners. Woodson’s skill at coverage let Williams play in the box, where his playmaking skills came to the fore. Just as important, Woodson provided cover for Edwards and Newman, who could play aggressive man coverage, allowing DC Mike Zimmer to blitz, which was a necessity given the anemic rush generated by the front four.

Woodson’s injury, which ended his career, caused a domino effect that weakened the entire defense. With no dependable free safety on the roster, Zimmer moved Williams to the free. Coverage is not Williams’ forte, and he struggled. Furthermore, when he had to play fifteen yards off the line of scrimmage, he could not be used as a blitzer. Tony Dixon replaced Williams in the box but could not hold the job.

With the safety positons so unsettled, Zimmer softened his coverage. Newman did not adjust to the more passive scheme and his play regressed. He was uncertain of when to attack the ball and when to back off. Teams identified his tentativeness and attacked him mercilessly. His play improved at mid-season, when Zimmer finally moved Williams back to SS and began blitzing again, but he never found consistency.

Up front, the lack of blitz support exposed how thin the Dallas rush really was; aside from LaRoi Glover and Greg Ellis, nobody else up front could bring heat on a regular basis. Henry’s addition means the Cowboys should play more of the press coverage we saw in ‘03, rather than the half-hearted zones of ‘04. Williams will start at his natural strong safety postion, and his play should respond.

Nickel packages
4-2-5

LE — Greg Ellis

LT — Marcus Spears

RT — LaRoi Glover

RE — Demarcus Ware

LB — Dat Nguyen

LB — Kevin Burnett

LCB — Terrence Newman

SlotCB — Anthony Henry

RCB — Aaron Glenn

SS — Roy Williams

FS — Pete Hunter

The 4-2-5 package has been the Cowboys base nickel set for years, though they do mix in some 3-3-5 looks from time to time. The objective up front is to put your best four pass rushers in the game, regardless of position. Keep an eye on 7th rounder Jay Ratliff, a DE with some speed. If he shows good rush skills inside, he could line up next to Glover inside. Or, he could line up wide, with Ellis moving to tackle, as he has in the past.

3-3-5

LE — Marcus Spears

NT — LaRoi Glover

RE — Greg Ellis

OLB — Kevin Burnett

MLB — Dat Nguyen

OLB — Demarcus Ware

LCB — Terrence Newman

SlotCB — Anthony Henry

RCB — Aaron Glenn

SS — Roy Williams

FS — Pete Hunter

In the secondary, the question is which corner will line up in the slot. Since many offenses place their best receiver in the slot in three WR sets, defenses now put their best cover corner at that position. Tampa Bay, for example has used Ronde Barber there for years. If the corner is a good rusher, and if his team has a FS who can cover, he can also be used effectively as a corner blitzer. Glenn played LC at Houston, so do not be surprised if Newman gets the call inside. However, my guess is that Henry will get this task and that Glenn will line up on the right side. Henry has experience as a nickel corner and racked up ten interceptions as a rookie playing inside.

Beat the Press

We are less than two weeks from the June 1st cuts, which constitute the last major player swaps before training camps open. Just as importantly from a fan’s perspective, June marks the beginning of the pre-season annual rollouts. Lindy’s, Althon’s, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly and others will offer their takes on the upcoming season.

I’d like to canvass the community and learn what annual or annuals you buy? Which of these do you find useful and which are larded with hype? I’d like to create a database of player values, using these annuals as a guide. From this, we can make our own assessments as to how far the Cowboys have improved, based solely on the upgrade in talent. We will consider coaching value at a later date.

Tumbling Tumbleweed: Rolling with Nate

NFL news is like a ghost town. The trails are so dusty that even the big news agencies are spitting mud, thirsting for that watering hole, that wellspring of activity called June 1st cuts. Until then, if you’re looking for football topics, barring any stupid-human pet tricks, you’re probably going to have to bed down with some minor player maneuverings, team analysis ad nauseam, how it’s not about T.O. being greedy or self-centered, how Jevon Walker’s not bothered by Brett Favre’s criticism, or How-to: The Art of Speed-bike Triple Gainers.

For the Dallas-delirious, it’s worse. This is the price for having all but one veteran player under contract, the price for staffing players of character and the price for exhausting the canteen with talk of all the draft picks and all the possibilities; all good problems to have if not for unquenchable thirsts.

The word on the Cowboys today amounts to this: Parcells wants Marcus Spears to lose ten pounds before camp, while the former 88’s, Drew Pearson & Michael Irvin, both think Dallas can contend for the Super Bowl this season with their new additions (in Mike’s case, only if Philly does not avoid collapse). And, because it’s become increasingly difficult to bash the ‘boys and their faithful with new controversy, any such attempts surrounding Chris Canty quickly dried up, the media must rely on an old piece of bait in the form of one Nate Newton and his details on how football excellence translates into trucking excellence. Nate, Nate, Nate. We were this close to getting past all of that.

The story, an act of seeming desperation, derives from one interviewer’s one question: Why? (Although it’s the definitive one to ask aside from breaching the code-of-silence surrounding the dropping of the soap—I once asked an ex-con acquaintance about this, let’s just say there were no admissions nor any summary denials on his part), and when Nate’s answer hit the wire, it ran like a three-legged horse around the news circuit. It leaves me asking: Are people still riding this pony?

Are the trails so dry, the town so abandoned? Is this newsworthy? (The wind howls and stirs up devils in the dust, tumbleweed tumbles by). Perhaps I’m not objective enough but this story reeks of old politics from the media, “Yes, Dallas you’ve come a long way, but least not forget from whence you came. HOF Committee, take note.” File Nate’s exploits under Hollywood Henderson, Michael Irvin, and Mark Tuinei & Bullet Bob Hayes (R.I.P.) and let’s mosey on. In the immortal words of Chris Cornell: “Follow me into the desert, as thirsty as you are…”

Happy trails.

Safety Watch

If actions speak louder than words, the Cowboys will sign a veteran free safety at some point before the season starts, no matter how good they might feel about rookie draftee Justin Beriault. The team hosted former Falcons FS Corey Hall this past week, but declined to offer him a contract. The also snuck in former Seahawks FS Damien Robinson for a look-see, but also declined to offer him a deal.

The Cowboys may be keeping an eye on Tennessee, where FS Lance Shulters could be a June 1st salary cap cut. Shulters will meet with Titans GM Floyd Reese this week to discuss his high cap number and his role on the team.

It was the Summer of ‘69

The country was still embroiled in the Viet Nam war. A festival of peace and love in Woodstock, New York was taking place. The Manson Family was causing the country to lock their doors. And a 27 year old rookie quarterback was about to be discharged from the United States Navy.

The rookie quarterback stood 6’3” and weighed in at 200lbs. He was fresh off a four year tour with the United States Navy. Four years removed from the gridiron and five and half years since the Heisman Trophy Award of 1963 and a 9-1 record and overall national rank of #2 for the Navy Midshipmen. Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach in the 10th round in1964. Tex Schramm wrote the futures contract out by hand and agreed to pay Roger whenever he could show up for training camp if he had leave. He was not available for full time football until the summer of ’69. He graduated Annapolis in 1965 and owed the United States Navy a four year commitment that would also include a one year tour in Viet Nam aboard ship.

The Summer of ’69 Also saw the retirement of Cowboy great and future commentator Don Meredith. Craig Morton was the starting QB, a job he would keep in 1969 and most of 1970. Roger would see limited time behind Craig Morton the starting QB. Roger managed appearances in 6 games for 421 yards, on 23 completions, 1 TD, 2 INTs, on 47 attempts. 1970 brought appearances in 8 games, for 542 yards 2TDs, 8 Ints, on 44 completions on 82 attempts. Staubach’s 1970 passer rating was 42.9. Not exactly the stuff of legends. Landry must have seen something he liked. This was also the era before salary cap and ESPN highlights. Roger was not under the cap pressure to perform like Phillip Rivers, Eli Manning, or JP Losman now face in only their second NFL season.

It would be 1971 where Roger became the official starter for 10 games of the 14 game season. The Cowboys were settling into the then modern Texas Stadium and expectations were high for Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys. The offense featured Bullet Bob Hayes, Calvin Hill, Duane Thomas, Billy Truax and Iron Mike Ditka. The Cowboys went on to Super Bowl VI and Roger Staubach threw 2 touchdowns and was named MVP.

While Free Love was being sold. The bra was being burned, and Jimi Hendrix would perform his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner the late sixties and early seventies were truly an interesting time. Broadway Joe Namath was making a reputation on and off the field. Roger Staubach would comment that he liked sex too. He even said he had plenty of it, only it was with his wife and his wife only. If America was looking for Everybody’s All American or a role model, Roger Staubach seemed to step right in. He was a clean cut All American and might well be the reason the Dallas Cowboys became America’s Team. 1969-1979 the Dallas Cowboys appeared in 5 Super Bowls, and won two. Even defeating former Cowboys QB Craig Morton with the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII. Before Elway or Marino, Captain Comeback was the come from behind quarterback. Roger Staubach managed 23 fourth quarter victories. Including a 50 yard “Hail Mary” to Drew Pearson to defeat the Vikings in a playoff victory. His ability to scramble out of trouble and gain 2,264 career rushing yards in the NFL also gave the qb another nickname “Rodger Dodger.” Following the 1979 season, and concerned with the after-effects of concussions(Aikman was not our first early retiree) Roger retired.

Patience is a virtue, and the Dallas Cowboys waited out the commitment to the Navy as well as the first few years where Roger looked anything but stellar. Perhaps before we rush to judgment on Drew Henson we should look at our History and the success of a 27 year old rookie. Bill Parcells has already shown respect for our tradition with the move back to Oxnard, California for Training Camp. Oxnard was a favorite of Landry, who found the climate perfect for getting his Dallas Cowboys ready for the regular season. Perhaps Bill has some Landry like plan for Drew Henson as well. Bill obviously knows quarterbacks. Phil Simms, Drew Hostetler, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe, and Chad Pennington just to name a few. He agreed to risk a 3rd round pick on Drew Henson and a cap friendly contract. Patience my friends, patience.

Consider the results of Patience with respect to Roger Staubach as we next look at Drew Henson.

• The Accomplishments of Roger Staubach
• 1985 Hall of Fame Inductee
• Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor 1983
• 1685 Completions on 2,958 attempts for 22,700 yards and 153 Touchdowns.
• Rushing 410 Attempts for 2,264 yards and 20 touchdowns.
• 4 Time NFC Passing Champion & retired with the Highest Passer Rating at that time
• Five NFC Titles and Five Super Bowl Appearances Starting in Four
• Two Super Bowl Victories VI, XII and an MVP

The San Antonio Saints?

The New Orleans press is abuzz with word that Saints owner Tom Benson has talked to San Antonio about moving the Saints to the Alamo City. While many in Louisiana take this as a bargaining ploy — Benson, whose Saints rank 31st in revenue in the NFL, has been trying to force a better lease from the state — a real move would have disatrous consequences for Cowboys fans in Texas. Consider:

NFL territories and blackout rules would make the Saints THE Fox team in the San Antonio and Austin markets. Right now, the Texans and ‘Pokes co-exist peacefully, with the Texans on CBS and the Cowboys on Fox. The Saints would blow this arrangement apart. Any Cowboys fan living in these markets would have to get the Sunday ticket or go to a sports bar. Austin’s Fox affiliate would face the horrible choice of annoying the NFL, by working outside of the blackout rule, or forcing a team most Austinites don’t care about onto the city.

And let’s not forget San Antonio, where the Cowboys have held training camp. It’s quite possible that the new Saints would face a problem the Oilers had in early ’70s; being the second most popular team in their home city.

This would be a stupid move for Benson. The Alamodome is not a luxury-box-laden facility, and luxury boxes are the lifeblood of all new stadiums. San Antonio is also one of the poorest major cities and would not have the business base to fill the boxes on a level seen league wide. If Benson thought New Orleans was small potatoes revenue-wise, let him move to San Antonio.

If Benson was really a good poker player, he would have been caught talking to Los Angeles. This move only makes him look like a rube — or so Cowboys fans should hope. If Benson were to make the move — hey, anything is possible; the NFL is still home to Bud Adams, right? — Cowboys fans from the Rio Grande Valley to Austin could get a raw deal.

Turning Their Noses on Greatness

With five Super Bowl victories, an unprecedented eight Super Bowl appearances, and 20 consecutive winning seasons the Dallas Cowboys are rich in a tradition of success. “America’s Team” has appeared in a record 10 NFC Championship games and has won 32 playoff games, the most since the AFL/NFL merger, yet something has eluded the NFL’s most prolific franchise.

For the players who made the plays, whether it be a pancake block, a jarring hit, or a nicely threaded pass, only five of them have made it into pro football’s Hall of Fame.

This may not be as eye popping as it really is, but just consider that the lowly San Diego Chargers, who became a pro team the same year as the Cowboys (1960), have also had five Hall of Fame players inducted into the Hall. While the Raiders, another franchise introduced in 1960, have sported 10 Hall of Fame players. Yet, Oakland has had marginal success when compared to Dallas’.

Are Cowboys’ greats being snubbed?

Cliff Harris and Rayfield Wright found a way to combined for 12 pro bowls, 8 All-Pro teams, and 4 Super Bowl rings, yet can’t find their way into Canton’s hallowed halls. Despite being two of only thirteen players to play in 5 Super Bowls, Harris and Wright have been ignored by the writers who induct ex-NFLers annually. Do Harris’ and Wright’s accomplishments warrant a shrine in Canton? That question may be argued for plenty years to come, but did having a star on their helmet have anything to do with why they don’t?

Unlike the Cowboy’s alumnus before him, Michael Irvin’s case, is a bit different. Irvin played wide receiver, a position where he could rack up stats … and that’s exactly what he did. So how does Michael’s career compare to previously enshrined receivers? Well, Hall of Fame wide out, Charlie Joiner had 750 receptions and 65 touchdowns.

Ironically, the “Playmaker” retired with the same exact numbers, but Irvin played 80 games less (159-239) than Joiner and has 3 shiny rings on his fingers, while Joiner has none. 80 games! That’s 5 full season’s worth of games! Fred Biletnikoff compiled 589 receptions, 8,974 yards, and 76 TDs during his Hall of Fame career. While Irvin caught over 150 more passes and had almost 2,000 more yards (11,904) than Biletnikoff, the Raiders wide out did hit paydirt 11 more times than Irvin.

Our #88 also played against another H.O.F. wide out, James Lofton. Lofton’s tenure in the NFL was 4 years longer than Irvin’s, but their numbers were similar, as Lofton had 764/14,004/75 respectfully.

The “Playmakers” numbers are there, and in some cases far exceed Hall of Fame credentials! Take Lynn Swan for example, he had 336 receptions, 5,462 yards, 51 touchdowns. An astounding 414 receptions less and 6,442 yards less than Irvin. In fact, you can double Swan’s receptions and yardage, and he still has less than Irvin.

“There was not one time I ever thought about playing for any other organization other than the Dallas Cowboys. I didn’t want to give my heart to any other fans other than the Dallas fans because that’s what they gave me.”- Michael Irvin upon retiring in July of 2000 .

If only the writers who vote understood what it means to be a Cowboy. Does a bias against America’s Team really exist?

Cowboys Crumbs

Was Rome Too Soon? Posters on the draft threads noted that radio huckster Jim Rome pushed a rumor that the Cowboys had discussed moving DT LaRoi Glover to the Lions in exchange for WR Charles Rogers. While lots of theories and opinions were offered, the best rationale I saw was that Dallas was tying Detroit up during their 15 minutes on the clock to ensure no team traded ahead of the Cowboys and took Demarcus Ware.

Today on ESPN (subscription only) Randy Mueller offered a positive evaluation of Dallas’ offseason, saying Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones are fast-tracking their way back into contention. While I agree that the free agency moves are for today, the draft picks instead show a deliberate approach to rebuilding. If Dallas was really in the win-now mode, it would have dealt one of its high picks for Darren Howard.

Of further interest were Mueller’s comments about the Cowboys defensive philosophy:

Parcells’ emphasis is on getting bigger and more physical on defense in order to shut down an opponent’s running game…the Cowboys identified what they wanted and moved on several fronts to fix it. They no longer will be a smaller finesse group that relies on speed and quickness. The newly rebuilt defense will be much better suited for man-for-man contact at all three levels: at the point of attack up front; at linebacker (they can knock players backward); and at corner, where size like [Anthony] Henry’s has been sorely lacking.

The odd man out in this big-body philosophy may be DT LaRoi Glover, a player Mueller oversaw while he was GM of the Saints:

Players such as La’Roi Glover, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle who relies on his speed, no longer fit the Cowboys’ style. We had the same feelings about Glover in my tenure with the Saints. He has to jump around too many blocks and gives up too many running lanes for opposing backs to jump through.

Mueller’s critique raises the question of whether Glover might become trade bait in the near future? He’s got the biggest contract on the defensive side of the ball. The front office downplayed any discussion of trading him after Jason Ferguson was signed, but if the rookies show promise during the preseason I would not be surprised to see rumors resurface sending Glover to another team for a first round pick or a playmaking receiver. His contract is too big for a rotation nose tackle.

Down Ty Law It’s been fun to speculate on Ty Law’s future and whether he might accept an offer to play FS for the Cowboys. I came across two words today that should scotch those fantasies once and for all — the Postons. The Poston brothers are Law’s agents and they are asking a fortune for their client. According to Mickey Spagnola, the organization tries to steer clear of the Postons. I’m sure the brass is relieved that it avoided a potential holdout by passing over Shawne Merriman, the Postons’ latest client.

Help Wanted

I’m going to be away from the blog for about a week or so, and want to keep the discussions moving. Since a solid community has formed in the mere two and a half months that Cowboys Blog has been around, I’d like to solicit some ideas and guest posters from the group.

If you’ve ever wanted to take the controls of the blog from me and post your own stuff, this is your chance. Respond in the thread and I’ll contact you. I’m hoping for find five or six guest bloggers to share the labor.

Usage update: We’re young, but we’re growing. Last Tuesday, Cowboys Blog received it’s 50,000th visit. At some point the next day, it took its 500,000th hit. Thanks to everyone for stopping by. More importantly, thanks to everyone for coming back. Spread the word. 2005 is going to be a good year.

Pick Your Starters — Defense, 3-4 Edition

Say it with me now, D-E-P-T-H. It’s the one word that comes to mind as the optimistic news from mini-camp continues to roll in. ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli reports that the Dallas coaches were highly impressed with seventh round pick Jay Ratliff of Auburn, especially as a DE in 3-4 sets.

Earlier, we discussed the base defense, and focused on the 4-3 front, which I think Dallas will play more of the time, at least early in the season. But what would a 3-4 front look like, and what would the rotations be? My early guess is that we would see these lineups:

LE — Marcus Spears, backup - Kenyon Coleman

Spears gets to stay on the left side, where he played in college. Coleman, a 285 lb. power rusher, may be better suited to this formation than the 4-3.

NT — Jason Ferguson, backup — LaRoi Glover

Glover played NT earlier in his career at New Orleans. He would probably be the best pass rushing nose guard in a long time.

RE — Greg Ellis, backup — Jay Ratliff

The surpising emergence of Ratliff offers Dallas the opportunity to go at least two deep across the board. If Chris Canty is somehow ready for camp, this goes three deep, with Ratliff going to third string. That’s a nice problem to have.

LOLB — Kalen Thornton, backups — Scott Shanle, Al Singleton

When you’re in the 3-4, the OLBs have to play the tight end head up. You don’t get to stack behind the linemen and run free. That’s why Thornton and Shanle, who both go 245-250, get the nod over the game, but 228 lb. Singleton, who has played in speed-linebacker-friendly schemes like Tampa Bay’s and Dallas’ 4-3. I’ve seen some question Thornton as a starter, but he was probably one of the first 3-4 pieces Dallas secured last year. Parcells commented in training camp that he had talent, but limited his play in the 4-3 because he didn’t want to make Thornton, “a square peg in a round hole.” As the season went on and Dallas experimented more with 3-4 looks, Thornton got a lot more playing time, as a situational rusher and dropping into coverage.

ILBs — Dat Nguyen and Kevin Burnett, backups - Bradie James

Nguyen, who played in this scheme at Texas A&M, has one spot locked down. James and Burnett will battle for the other. Given that Burnett got the best reviews of any rookie defender at the mini camp, I’m giving him the nod.

ROLB — Demarcus Ware, backup — Kevin Burnett

This is the position Ware was drafted to play. Parcells made an oblique reference to Lawrence Taylor, comparing Ware to “number 56″ and to Willie McGinest, and there is no doubt he cannot wait to see if Ware can live up to the comparison.

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