Dallas Cowboy OL Larry Allen era could be ending
Jean-Jacques Taylor: Allen era could be ending
Larry Allen has played in 10 Pro Bowls. Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bib Lilly is the only player in franchise history to play in more.
Allen is scheduled to count more than $6 million against the club’s 2005 salary cap. No player counts more. Allen is the only player currently on the roster to win a playoff game or earn a Super Bowl ring wearing a Cowboys helmet.
He is the last remaining link to the Cowboys’ glorious past that brought three championships in four seasons to owner Jerry Jones in the early 1990s.
But is it time for Allen to go?
Allen is no longer an elite player, though he’s paid like one. He struggles to reach the second level where he can attack linebackers and create creases for long runs, and at 34 – Allen will be 35 in November – he no longer dominates every play. Or even every other play.
He’s still a good player, but today’s NFL is all about value. Dallas released defensive tackle La’Roi Glover last week because they viewed him as a spare part in the 3-4 defense. That meant he wasn’t worth a salary-cap figure of more than $6 million – even though he was still a productive player – because Dallas was only going to play him 15 to 20 snaps per game.
Defensive end Greg Ellis remains with the Cowboys because he represents good value. His cap figure is less than $3.5 million, and coach Bill Parcells and Jones have vowed to get him on the field a lot more than the 20 plays he averaged in the second half of last season.
Allen no longer represents good value for the Cowboys.
His salary far exceeds his production, and at this stage of his career, he no longer has an upside. That, however, doesn’t mean the Cowboys will part with him since he’s a future Hall of Fame player and Jones would love to see him end his career in a Cowboys uniform. Sadly, that no longer happens with regularity in sports.
If Dallas released Allen, the Cowboys could use that money to sign another guard for less money and use the additional money to improve other aspects of the team. It’s not an easy decision to part with someone who has meant so much to a franchise.
But Johnny Unitas ended his career with San Diego. Tony Dorsett finished in Denver. So did Jerry Rice.
Maybe, it’s time for Allen to wear another helmet. At least it’s time to think about and discuss the possibility.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: The Redskins have cut LaVar Arrington for salary-cap reasons. Should the Cowboys pursue him in free agency? Arrington could provide a good pass rush off the edge along with DeMarcus Ware.
Rodney Dixon, Brookeville, Md.
TAYLOR: Arrington is an intriguing player because he’s such a physical presence and has always had such potential. But the last two years he has been injured and unproductive, so the question is whether that was a result of a feud with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams or he’s simply already on the backside of his career. He showed he could be a dominant player at times toward the end of the season, but how much are you going to pay a player who’s been as inconsistent as Arrington? I think he’s an above-average player, but perhaps a team like Dallas could get more production out of him because maybe he has been humbled since he has been released for the first time in his career and wants to show Washington what a mistake it made.
• • •
Q: I know the Cowboys are one of the highest revenue-producing teams, but it is because Jerry Jones is a marketing machine. He works as hard if not harder to open these avenues up. How is it fair that his dividends should be divided with those who don’t work as hard?
Kevin Hawkey, Kalamazoo, Mich.
TAYLOR: I understand your point, but I don’t know that you can make a blanket statement and just say every other small-market team doesn’t work hard to market its players and its team. Clearly, a team like Cincinnati is notorious for doing the bare minimum to promote its franchise. I don’t think you can say that about everybody. Green Bay can only get so much marketing money just because of the size of its city.
• • •
Q: Without an extension of the NFL’s labor agreement, do you believe the Cowboys will become pro football’s version of the New York Yankees in terms of spending?
Timothy Stearns
TAYLOR: I don’t think so. It’s just that they will be able to be aggressive without the limitations of a salary cap like they were in the early ’90s. More important than signing free agents is that it would allow Dallas to keep all of its drafted players that become worthy of high salaries because the team wouldn’t be limited by a cap. That said, I keep thinking a deal will get done at some point because the uncapped year was not supposed to be a positive. There are a lot of things that aren’t positive that will happen in an uncapped year. The NFL and the NFLPA wanted it like that because they never wanted to have an uncapped year.
• • •
Q: I see where Chris Claiborne was released by the Rams. He would provide the Cowboys with great size in the middle and youth as well. Good fit or not?
Eddie Arnold
TAYLOR: Maybe it’s just me, but I’m leery of guys who are about to play on their third team in three years. He’s only 28, but he has played more than 12 games just once in the last three seasons. He’s never had more than 4.5 sacks in a season and has just 1.5 in the last two seasons. If he’s a role player in Dallas, then fine. But I wouldn’t invest much money in him.
• • •
Q: In light of the CBA falling apart and the increase in the salary cap not happening, what’s your outlook on what they can/cannot do in free agency? Would players like Mike Williams, Julian Peterson and Chris Hope be out of the question?
John Kwak, New York
TAYLOR: Vice president Stephen Jones is one of the most creative minds in the business, so the Cowboys will always be able to maneuver some within the constraints of the salary cap. That said, there’s no way they would add all three of those guys. Mike Williams might be intriguing because he’s from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and he has some physical talent. As I’ve said before, I don’t know that Dallas wants to spend the cash it would take to land Peterson or Hope.
• • •
Q: Has Parcells ever drafted a wide receiver in either of the first two rounds of any draft?
David Reyes, Boston
TAYLOR: Parcells has actually spent several premium draft picks on receivers in the course of his career. He took Terry Glenn (New England, 1996) and Mark Ingram (New York Giants, 1987) in the first round. Kevin Lee (New England, 1994) and Stacy Robinson (New York Giants, 1985) were second-rounders. There have been some hits and some misses, but I don’t think he’s opposed to taking a big-time receiver. The problem with receivers is they’re like “2” guards in the NBA – great ones come along every year and half of them don’t pan out.
• • •
Q: Now that the Bills have released Lawyer Milloy, would he be a good stop-gap answer at free safety? I know he’s older (32), but the Cowboys could sign him for a couple of years, then draft a promising young player to take over when he leaves.
Jim Lincoln, Los Angeles
TAYLOR: Again, why pay age as a stop-gap player when you can get a young guy with upside for a lot less money? Dallas might go after Marcus Coleman, who was released by Houston last year, or it might look at Corey Chavous, who has spent the last few years with Minnesota.
• • •
Q: Do you see the Cowboys drafting a wide receiver like Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes with the 18th pick?
Artis Carrol, Chicago
TAYLOR: I don’t think they would take a guy like Holmes because he doesn’t have the size Parcells would prefer. I’m also not sure just how good he is. He might be the best receiver in this draft, but this is supposed to be a down year for receivers. He’s a good return man and has potential, but I don’t know if he fits in Dallas. I do, however, reserve the right to change my mind when I get more information in the next few weeks.
• • •
Q: Do you think that Justin Beriault might be able to make the switch from strong safety to free safety. I remember him in last year’s preseason constantly being around the ball and making plays.
Thomas Tuckwell, Miami
TAYLOR: I don’t think so. He was a physical player at Ball State, and he has a linebacker’s mentality. I don’t think you can change that and make him a free safety at this point in his career. I like some of the things he did, but he’s going to have a tough time making the team with a degenerative knee condition.
• • •
Q:. Now that we’ve had some time to watch the drafts in the Parcells’ era, what is the consensus grade on each draft?
Hugh Alexander
TAYLOR: I’d say the 2003 draft is an A because the first four picks are current starters, and I would expect all but Al Johnson to be re-signed by the club. Terence Newman and Bradie James also have an opportunity to join Jason Witten as Pro Bowl players. The 2004 draft is a C because only Julius Jones has been an impact player. Patrick Crayton has been a solid player, and Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones have contributed. The 2005 draft is an A because DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Rob Petitti and Marion Barber each made significant contributions last year.
Larry Allen has played in 10 Pro Bowls. Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bib Lilly is the only player in franchise history to play in more.
Allen is scheduled to count more than $6 million against the club’s 2005 salary cap. No player counts more. Allen is the only player currently on the roster to win a playoff game or earn a Super Bowl ring wearing a Cowboys helmet.
He is the last remaining link to the Cowboys’ glorious past that brought three championships in four seasons to owner Jerry Jones in the early 1990s.
But is it time for Allen to go?
Allen is no longer an elite player, though he’s paid like one. He struggles to reach the second level where he can attack linebackers and create creases for long runs, and at 34 – Allen will be 35 in November – he no longer dominates every play. Or even every other play.
He’s still a good player, but today’s NFL is all about value. Dallas released defensive tackle La’Roi Glover last week because they viewed him as a spare part in the 3-4 defense. That meant he wasn’t worth a salary-cap figure of more than $6 million – even though he was still a productive player – because Dallas was only going to play him 15 to 20 snaps per game.
Defensive end Greg Ellis remains with the Cowboys because he represents good value. His cap figure is less than $3.5 million, and coach Bill Parcells and Jones have vowed to get him on the field a lot more than the 20 plays he averaged in the second half of last season.
Allen no longer represents good value for the Cowboys.
His salary far exceeds his production, and at this stage of his career, he no longer has an upside. That, however, doesn’t mean the Cowboys will part with him since he’s a future Hall of Fame player and Jones would love to see him end his career in a Cowboys uniform. Sadly, that no longer happens with regularity in sports.
If Dallas released Allen, the Cowboys could use that money to sign another guard for less money and use the additional money to improve other aspects of the team. It’s not an easy decision to part with someone who has meant so much to a franchise.
But Johnny Unitas ended his career with San Diego. Tony Dorsett finished in Denver. So did Jerry Rice.
Maybe, it’s time for Allen to wear another helmet. At least it’s time to think about and discuss the possibility.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: The Redskins have cut LaVar Arrington for salary-cap reasons. Should the Cowboys pursue him in free agency? Arrington could provide a good pass rush off the edge along with DeMarcus Ware.
Rodney Dixon, Brookeville, Md.
TAYLOR: Arrington is an intriguing player because he’s such a physical presence and has always had such potential. But the last two years he has been injured and unproductive, so the question is whether that was a result of a feud with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams or he’s simply already on the backside of his career. He showed he could be a dominant player at times toward the end of the season, but how much are you going to pay a player who’s been as inconsistent as Arrington? I think he’s an above-average player, but perhaps a team like Dallas could get more production out of him because maybe he has been humbled since he has been released for the first time in his career and wants to show Washington what a mistake it made.
• • •
Q: I know the Cowboys are one of the highest revenue-producing teams, but it is because Jerry Jones is a marketing machine. He works as hard if not harder to open these avenues up. How is it fair that his dividends should be divided with those who don’t work as hard?
Kevin Hawkey, Kalamazoo, Mich.
TAYLOR: I understand your point, but I don’t know that you can make a blanket statement and just say every other small-market team doesn’t work hard to market its players and its team. Clearly, a team like Cincinnati is notorious for doing the bare minimum to promote its franchise. I don’t think you can say that about everybody. Green Bay can only get so much marketing money just because of the size of its city.
• • •
Q: Without an extension of the NFL’s labor agreement, do you believe the Cowboys will become pro football’s version of the New York Yankees in terms of spending?
Timothy Stearns
TAYLOR: I don’t think so. It’s just that they will be able to be aggressive without the limitations of a salary cap like they were in the early ’90s. More important than signing free agents is that it would allow Dallas to keep all of its drafted players that become worthy of high salaries because the team wouldn’t be limited by a cap. That said, I keep thinking a deal will get done at some point because the uncapped year was not supposed to be a positive. There are a lot of things that aren’t positive that will happen in an uncapped year. The NFL and the NFLPA wanted it like that because they never wanted to have an uncapped year.
• • •
Q: I see where Chris Claiborne was released by the Rams. He would provide the Cowboys with great size in the middle and youth as well. Good fit or not?
Eddie Arnold
TAYLOR: Maybe it’s just me, but I’m leery of guys who are about to play on their third team in three years. He’s only 28, but he has played more than 12 games just once in the last three seasons. He’s never had more than 4.5 sacks in a season and has just 1.5 in the last two seasons. If he’s a role player in Dallas, then fine. But I wouldn’t invest much money in him.
• • •
Q: In light of the CBA falling apart and the increase in the salary cap not happening, what’s your outlook on what they can/cannot do in free agency? Would players like Mike Williams, Julian Peterson and Chris Hope be out of the question?
John Kwak, New York
TAYLOR: Vice president Stephen Jones is one of the most creative minds in the business, so the Cowboys will always be able to maneuver some within the constraints of the salary cap. That said, there’s no way they would add all three of those guys. Mike Williams might be intriguing because he’s from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and he has some physical talent. As I’ve said before, I don’t know that Dallas wants to spend the cash it would take to land Peterson or Hope.
• • •
Q: Has Parcells ever drafted a wide receiver in either of the first two rounds of any draft?
David Reyes, Boston
TAYLOR: Parcells has actually spent several premium draft picks on receivers in the course of his career. He took Terry Glenn (New England, 1996) and Mark Ingram (New York Giants, 1987) in the first round. Kevin Lee (New England, 1994) and Stacy Robinson (New York Giants, 1985) were second-rounders. There have been some hits and some misses, but I don’t think he’s opposed to taking a big-time receiver. The problem with receivers is they’re like “2” guards in the NBA – great ones come along every year and half of them don’t pan out.
• • •
Q: Now that the Bills have released Lawyer Milloy, would he be a good stop-gap answer at free safety? I know he’s older (32), but the Cowboys could sign him for a couple of years, then draft a promising young player to take over when he leaves.
Jim Lincoln, Los Angeles
TAYLOR: Again, why pay age as a stop-gap player when you can get a young guy with upside for a lot less money? Dallas might go after Marcus Coleman, who was released by Houston last year, or it might look at Corey Chavous, who has spent the last few years with Minnesota.
• • •
Q: Do you see the Cowboys drafting a wide receiver like Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes with the 18th pick?
Artis Carrol, Chicago
TAYLOR: I don’t think they would take a guy like Holmes because he doesn’t have the size Parcells would prefer. I’m also not sure just how good he is. He might be the best receiver in this draft, but this is supposed to be a down year for receivers. He’s a good return man and has potential, but I don’t know if he fits in Dallas. I do, however, reserve the right to change my mind when I get more information in the next few weeks.
• • •
Q: Do you think that Justin Beriault might be able to make the switch from strong safety to free safety. I remember him in last year’s preseason constantly being around the ball and making plays.
Thomas Tuckwell, Miami
TAYLOR: I don’t think so. He was a physical player at Ball State, and he has a linebacker’s mentality. I don’t think you can change that and make him a free safety at this point in his career. I like some of the things he did, but he’s going to have a tough time making the team with a degenerative knee condition.
• • •
Q:. Now that we’ve had some time to watch the drafts in the Parcells’ era, what is the consensus grade on each draft?
Hugh Alexander
TAYLOR: I’d say the 2003 draft is an A because the first four picks are current starters, and I would expect all but Al Johnson to be re-signed by the club. Terence Newman and Bradie James also have an opportunity to join Jason Witten as Pro Bowl players. The 2004 draft is a C because only Julius Jones has been an impact player. Patrick Crayton has been a solid player, and Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones have contributed. The 2005 draft is an A because DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Rob Petitti and Marion Barber each made significant contributions last year.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:16 PM
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