One to Go — Draftees and Days Until Practice
Posted: July 27, 2006 @ 11:49 pm
Update: And then there were none. Bobby Carpenter signed today, meaning all new Cowboys will be on the field for the first practice tomorrow.
Update II: He better be good — for San Francisco’s sake. The 49ers awarded top pick Vernon Davis a contract that makes him the highest paid TE in the game. His deal surpasses that signed by Jason Witten last week.
– Camp has yet to begin and we’ve already had a Greg Ellis gripefest, with the veteran telling Morning News scribe J.J. Taylor, “I don’t want to be here.” (scroll down)
Mr. Ellis, if you really want to be traded to a 4-3 team, SHUT UP! Nothing like open whining to drive down your trade value and embarrass the front office, which will make them that much more willing and able to give you what you want. (Insert sarcasm here.)
It’s hard to watch a smart player be so dumb.
– Bobby Carpenter is now the only unsigned draftee, though that should change tomorrow. Carpenter flew to Oxnard on the team’s charter plane.
Comments
34 Responses to “One to Go — Draftees and Days Until Practice”
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
-
"The Sports Doctors"
iTunes/
Winamp
Windows
Media
RealOne -
Cowboy Up
Dedicated to providing the best Cowboys analysis anywhere, our efforts are free of charge but not free of expense. Your kind donation today will keep our drive alive.
Thank you
Or mail payment to:
RV2 Enterprises
P.O. Box 150093
Austin TX 78715-0093
Advertisers
-
Fave it!
-
SiteMeter
Burst Media
Agree on Ellis, the time for griping is over. Parcells has forgot more about football than this sourpuss will ever know - he needs to trust the Tuna, embrace his McGinest-type role that will prolong Greg’s career, and more importantly STOP with the whining. The Cowboys are not, and should not do a thing with your contract.
PS: Hate to say “I told you so” on Keith Davis… but I told you so. He must go. Even worse, this cancer used “church and family” as his excuse.
I’m one of those Ellis supporters, but this is just getting out of hand…
I do see the value on him staying with the team, to me the team is still going to play a lot of 4 man fronts, last season they were in the Nickel for what? 40% of the plays? He’s going to still get his sacks, last season as far as I can tell, only one of his sacks came from playing in the 3 man front.
That’s 7 sacks in the Nickel, plus what he could take in the package that Parcells wants to put to test.
This is just dumb.
BTW, I wasn’t capable to answer to some guys that were trash talking Spags some days ago, you guys made it sound as if he’s just a company guy that sings the company tune… If I remember correctly last season he criticized the move to the 3-4 as the base Defense and when Q was around there was hardly a media guy that didn’t liked the guy as good as him. He isn’t a company guy, but probably his stance on the Owens subject confused some of his readers.
Chandus,
You stole my thunder on the Ellis deal. I cannot agree with you more.
Ellis is getting paid good money, he has a good contract and he is producing.
I don’t understand how he and his agent can argue that his value is being diminished with the Cowboys.
Hello, excellent site. Bill Parcells is great coach, and he always does a good job of putting his players in the best position to make plays. I can’t think of any player that left his team and had a better year. So on the Eliis issue I’d probaly lean towards the coach’s position. However, Ellis is an old dog who has been doing the 4-3 defensive end trick for a long time. 9 years I think. Now you want to teach him a new linebacker trick. Think about all the young guys. Carpenter, Hatcher, Canty, Spears, any of theses guys have a great year (8-10 sacks) and Ellis struggle at something new. Would you keep him around. Probaly not. So then he becomes a 31/32 year old defensive end who has always been solid but not spectacular coming off a bad season on the free agent market. You think he might lose a few million dollars? I trust the coach, but I don’t know who I would trust when we are talking that kind of money. I think he just wants the Cowboys to share some of that risk.
What a world. Ellis is disgruntled and talking trash to the press while TO is being a model Cowboy.
I guess that trans universe device I was working on might have twisted our dimension.
Ellis has no leverage and he is only hurting himself by talking negative crap and not getting his head straight to learn everything he can about his alternate position. Sure, I UNDERSTAND him, and it would be real nice of Jones to hand him some of his latter contract upfront in a bonus, but Jones doesnt have to and Ellis can only hurt himself.
A trade-he wants a trade now that the Cowboys are aspiring to the Superbowl. I thought he was a team guy. I wonder what he Cowboys would look for in a trade if things got so bad that he was hurting team chemistry and hurting he attitude of the younger players?
Greg Ellis is an average DE who has been paid average DE money for the past few years. If he repeats last season’s performance (i.e. a situational pass-rusher who records 8 sacks in part-time duty), and learns to play OLB like Willie McGinest (who has 3 Super Bowl rings and is the all-time leader in playoff sacks in the same role at which Ellis is now turning up his nose), does he really think he will HURT his value? What a moron!
I believe the “trade deadline” for the NFL is week 6. I have a feeling Dallas is keeping Ellis around until they’re sure that Canty/Spears can become another pass rusher that can go w/ Ware. Also, is Carpenter capable of getting to the QB when needed. If Canty or Spears can become a 8-10 sack guy, then they trade Ellis before the deadline. Maybe get a safety(if needed) or a 4th rd pick for Ellis.
DaveL,
I agree completely. They may see what they have in camp and also see if a 4-3 team loses a DE to injury which would boost Ellis’ value.
Yes, Carpenter has very good pass rushing skills. In fact, at OSU, he played a little at the DE position in a few situations.
Also, don’t forget about Hatcher. They’re probably looking to see what he brings too.
I think it’s a shame that the Cowboys have asked Greg Ellis to switch positions or attempt to switch positions at this point in his career. They know he can’t play LBer and so does Greg, it’s a bad fit all around. I went back and looked at some numbers from last season. Ellis did not make three starts (NYG 12/4, KC 12/11 and WAS 12/18). In the games he did start:
Points allowed 17.53
without 26.6
1st Downs per game 15.7
without 20.3
3rd Down Pct 31.73%
without 43.48%
Rushing yards 97.84
without 153.00
would I call Greg Ellis a great player no, but throughout his Cowboys career, I would say he was pretty damm steady. It’s just a shame that it has come to this.
Lets all give BP a chance to teach this ol dog a new trick. Then if it isn’t working out, we can trade him. I bet he will change his tune after some practice time, and after BP gets on his case. GE really doesn’t seem like the hard nosed type to me. Heck, we all get a little stiff necked and fed up with our job from time to time. This should work itself out.
Raf, I take it then that Skyler green is now signed? And I thought that Carpenter had alresay agreed to terms.
I know this has probably been covered somewhere but I think there is no question now that Al Johnson will have a better year than LeCharles Bentley.
Wow! Could the Browns be more snakebit year after year? Winslow, Braylon Edwards, now the biggest free agent signing of the offseason (at least top 5.) Lets pray for no injuries (although we always know there will be some.)
pro,
Great analysis w/ the stats but because Ellis started doesn’t mean he was drained for the whole game, playing every down.
With the rotation this team had/has on the defensive line, it’s not so much as who actually starts the game. Playing time was and will be rotated between both the starters and backup players.
I think that the Cowboys may still be shopping Ellis. The problem is that Ellis is seen as a good deal by Jerry Jones. He will not pull the trigger just to satisfy a cry baby. If Jerry can get someone Parcells wants, look out.
Did I miss something? Is Greg Ellis a Sack machine all of a sudden? His BESt years have been th elast three under Parcells with 8, 9, and 8 respectively- a very steady performance but not top tier. So Parcells wants to give him a chance to be in a position to get MORE sacks while remaining fresh longer and have to take a minimum number of double teams and shots by 300 + lb lineman and he decides to cry about it ?(and at this stage it does come across like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum) I am mystified and wonder if any team would want someone who comes across this way as a late addition- at least willing enough to pay the price JJ will ask.
Ellis is older, slower, weaker, grouchier, and obviously dumber. His best years were average to good and now they are gone. The best that can be said of him now is that he battled through some tough years, but if he wants to ruin that legacy, so be it.
He could be a great mentor to these young studs, but instead he will try to take on Parcells. Stupid move. He will lose, and the only lesson he will be teaching these youngsters is how NOT to act when you are trying to squeeze a year or two out of a used up NFL body. Sad.
Interesting new about K Davis. Seems he was out partying the night he was shot. Anyone want to call him a Saint now? I bet you Parcells does.
I wonder if Davis got a special letter from the doctor so he could get through the metal detectors at the airport. The way he attracts lead, I wonder who was brave enough to sit beside him on the plane, I didn’t hear of any word of gunshots on the trip to Oxnard. If it wasn’t for that roster bonus of 1 mil matching the Saints offer sheet, I think he’d be gone by now.
Carpenter has signed ….at least
according to espn.
Big Ed Werner is up to the same
mediot nonsense the Cowboys are a
now an old team with a last shot
at the playoffs……does it ever
end???
The Carp has been signed:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2532320
Becker,
they’re now an old team.
Yes, because replacing Dexter Coakley, Dat Nguyen, Larry Allen, LaRoi Glover, Dan Campbell and Keyshawn Johnson with younger players makes you an older team. Demoting greybeards like Al Singleton and Greg Ellis and plugging kids into the starting lineup makes you older. Impeccable logic.
Hey, be happy Werder’s not putting that powerful intellect to work at something important, like air traffic control or something.
Raf:
But they also added Owens and Vanderjagt and they are old, nearly 100 years old, that tips the scales…
Yeah, TOs so old, he’s actually younger than Keyshawn.
Willie Roaf retired, that’s kind of a big blow to the Kansas City Old Farts… er, Chiefs
Hey Rafael…….
When u goin to Oxnard?
FINALLY FOOTBALL Begins……….
I plan on catching the Boys at Fedex Field and in Charlotte…….I think this is our year fellas…….Let’s go the Doomsday D is back in big D.
The Espn-onsense we hear this year will be off the charts. One anti-Cowboy story line I saw yesterday was subtle but completely pathological.
Keyshawn Johnson will be an ‘impact’ player this year, according to NFL Live. Now I do love Keyshawn, loud mouth and all (actually I think his vocal nature is a plus.) But when he was playing his heart out for the ‘Boys last year, all we heard was how slow he was, that he was a ticking timebomb if the ‘Boys didnt win or get him the ball, etc, etc. In fact, Johnson enjoyed a worse rep at ESPN than TO as I recall, prior to last year’s meltdown, eventhough he had a Super Bowl ring.
Now the story is Keyshawn an Impact player and TO a Cowboys headache. I do think Keyshawn instantly make Carolina passing game better, but did he get any faster over the last year? Will he call for the ball any less in ESPN’s eyes? Typical.
. . .and now the ‘Old’ thing. Bledsoe’s old but Favre is ‘youthful’.
TO’s old at 32, but Jerry Rice was ’still better at 42 than players half his age’.
Vanderjagt’s old at 34(?) and as we all know, that matters because kickers just can’t cut it after age 33 (the Andersons, Landetta, the Bahrs, Eddie Murray, Moseley, Blanda, Ray Guy, etc, etc, etc).
Terry Glenn is old, but Darrell Green could play forever because he still ran a 4.3 40.
Rivera and Fabini are old, but Shields, Roaf, Ogden, Pace, etc. are all cornerstones.
That’s 6 guys, all of whom can still PLAY. Who else is old on this team?
On the Ellis situation, I still whole heartedly believe that his tune will change once he realizes what his new roll will detail. If he realizes that the Cowboys will hold more second half leads, then he will understand that his playing time in pressure situations will be substaintial. A heavy dose of that playing time will still be a 4 man front nickel. He is looking at approximately 10-15 snaps per game in the 3-4. Not as big of an adjsutment he is making this out to be. And trust me after 8 games of not always having an OT to tend to and possibly having 6+ sacks under his belt, Ellis will be singing a different melody. What is that Hawii Five-0 song anyway?
On the Davis thing, well I will say it again: “Bad association ruins useful habits.” .. I do believe by his work ethic, that Davis is a good guy. Just young minded. He needs to start filtering his life choices. Not only for the Dallas Cowboys sake, but really this guy is fortunate to still be alive. Hope the best for him.
Finally on Werder .. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!!!! While the Cowboys do have some veteran starters whose window of opportunity is closing, they have an extremely young and talented team. This team is built to challenge for the next 5+ years!!
reldbr,
Dallas has six starters over 30. Five on offense and ONE on defense.
Pittsburgh has five. Washington has seven. The Giants have four.
The Cowboys are not any older or younger than many top contenders. It was a cheap shot and a sloppy one at that. Werder of all people should know better.
About Ellis. I was watching some tapes of the 2005 preseason, and recall at least one defensive play where they experimented with Ellis as a standup OLB. I think it was a third down, other team trying to get out of their own end zone (1yd line). Ellis lined up on the left side. At the snap I think he may have taken on a TE or FB, then drifted left going parallel to the LOS as he shadowed the QB who was rolling out to his side. The QB tried to put a move on, but Ellis sacked the QB for no gain. It was nearly a safety.
My point is, Ellis needs to look at that tape. He looked great as a rush OLB to me.
On the other hand, I also think Ellis is justified in making a stink. If he wants to complain, then get off the man’s back. Almost every player complains about their salary at some point, so in that light Ellis is just another one of the guys in this big business we call the NFL.
My hope is that he gets the guaranteed money AND he also becomes a sack monster.
Raf,
Its the Giants and the Redskins that crack me up the most. Strahan and Tiki Barber dont count for them (and, frankly, they shouldn’t given their excellent level of play.) But I’d rather have an ‘old’ QB and a young RB any day (Bledsoe-Jones) than the other way around (Manning-Barber). And the ’skins have Old and Rapidly Aging in those two positions. I guess we’ll prove them wrong soon enough!
Art,
If Ellis really wants out, publicly complaining *diminishes* his ability to leave. And if he stays it only increases the ill will.
He’s got a right to pout, no doubt about it. I’m not questioning that. I question the *intelligence* of complaining, or in this case, the lack of intelligence.
IMO- Greg ellis is worth more to the Cowboys in the next 3 years then a fourth round pick. I would not do that under any circumstances. I’d let him si out before I did that. The Cowboys say they do not want to trade Ellis and I believe them. They want Ellis unless the deal is simply too good to pass up.
They may have considered a Darren Howard for Greg Ellis trade or for another player who can get o he QB as a hybrid but barring that, I believe the Cowboys truly want Ellis around. He’s getting some very bad advice and looking at his all wrong. Its really too bad. I hope this goes away by the second game of preseason.
Actually, this situation may change how Parcells
utlizes the scheme in preseason. He may have wanted to keep it under wraps and surprise temas wih the alternate alignment so they couldnt practice for it, BUT he may just use it it quite a bit in preseason just so that Greg Ellis understands that this will work for him allowing him to feel more comfortable.
Just a thought.
Raf,
You ain’t kidding about “Mr.Ed” being
a little slow.His new “TO problem”
revolves around TO not getting the
ball as much as he did in Philly..
ergo TO timebomb…..
Eric R,
Perhaps you could specify the ‘bad association’ that Davis is involved with. Is this ‘association’ a person or some activity that you had in mind? Just what, exactly, are you charging Davis with doing?