Off-season moves are promising
Jean-Jacques Taylor: Off-season moves are promising
As we move into April, the focus of most teams shifts from free agency to the draft.
With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at what the Cowboys have accomplished in free agency and how it has affected their team.
Without a doubt, the biggest move the Cowboys made was the addition of Terrell Owens. He is the best receiver in the NFL – only a healthy Randy Moss and Steve Smith are in his class – but the question is whether he will mesh with coach Bill Parcells and his teammates.
If he does, then Dallas is an instant contender to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl because Terry Glenn and tight end Jason Witten give them additional threats in the passing game, and running backs Julius Jones and Marion Barber give Dallas a solid ground game. When Drew Bledsoe is protected well, then he remains one of the finest pure passers in the game.
So this season is really about T.O. and his ability to elevate the Cowboys to championship status because the other moves pale in comparison.
That said, owner Jerry Jones made a good decision to spend money on Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history. The only complaint is that now he says Dallas is going to have to get a kickoff specialist. If that’s the case, then Dallas should have increased its offer and went after Adam Vinatieri, the best kicker in the league.
The rest of the players Dallas signed in free agency are primarily young players, such as guard Kyle Kosier, linebacker Akin Ayodele, linebacker Rocky Boiman and tight end Ryan Hannam trying to establish an identity in the league.
They all have upside, but significant questions about each of them exist – questions that can’t possibly be answered until the season starts. The Cowboys need Kosier to prove he’s more than just a guy and Ayodele has to show that he can play inside linebacker after spending his entire career at outside linebacker. Boiman needs to be a superior player on special teams like he’s flashed with the Tennessee Titans, and Hannam has to demonstrate he can be a quality blocker and enhance the running game.
Then there’s veteran tackle Jason Fabini, who’s coming off a serious chest injury and will be competing for a starting job.
The Cowboys have had a productive off-season, thus far, but none of the players they signed is a sure thing. That’s what makes the 2006 season intriguing.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: Why would the Cowboys be looking at Joey Harrington? It seems that Romo is still a definite future quarterback, and the verdict is still out on Henson. What do you think?
Stacy K. Martin, Houston
TAYLOR: Actually, I think the answer is very simple: Tony Romo has never played in a regular-season game, and Drew Henson has made one career start, which lasted only a half. So if you’re Bill Parcells, and Drew Bledsoe goes down in Week 12 and a playoff spot is at stake over the next month, would you rather have Joey Harrington, Romo or Henson as the starting quarterback? I think the answer is easy. It’s Harrington because he has started and won NFL games. He has struggled quite a bit, but at least you know he can perform. Romo has been impressive in his progress, but you still don’t know how he would perform.
• • •
Q: With all the free-agent moves the Cowboys have made on the offense line and the expected loss of Torrin Tucker, do you think they will be looking to add depth to the offense line and draft, say Eric Winston? Or would they be better served drafting one of the available safeties, say Jimmy Williams?
Floyd Wells, Edgewood, N.M.
TAYLOR: The Cowboys will draft an offensive lineman – maybe two – before the end of the draft because they need players capable of starting as well as being key backups. Before Winston’s outstanding workout Sunday, maybe he would’ve slipped to Dallas with the 18th pick of the first round. Now, I don’t think there’s any way that happens. Dallas will take an offensive lineman some time on the first day and hope he’s capable of winning the starting job at some point during the season.
• • •
Q: I was reviewing the members of the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor and I noticed that membership seemed to be more selective in the early years: none between 1977 and 1981, 1983 and 1989, 1989 and 1993, and 1994 and 2001. Since 2003, at least one new member has been added each year. Does this suggest that the Ring of Honor induction might become an annual event?
Charles Bankhead
TAYLOR: I don’t think that’s going to happen. I don’t think there’s anyone else out there by Jerry Jones’ standard who needs to be honored except for Darren Woodson. He’s the team’s all-time leading tackler, he’s one of the classiest individuals you’ll ever meet and he was an important member of three Super Bowl champions. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jerry put him in the Ring of Honor in the next couple of years. He deserves it. Jerry wants it to be an exclusive club, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.
• • •
Q: It pains me very much to suggest this, because he is my favorite player, but is there any team that would give us a first-round pick (preferably in the teens) for Roy Williams? As much as I love him, I just don’t think he’s the do-it-all type like Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, and that’s what we need. What do you think?
Bryant Summers
TAYLOR: I think you have to realize that Roy can only do what the Cowboys allow him to do. If the coaching staff doesn’t consistently put him in position to be near the line of scrimmage and attack offenses, then he can’t make plays. His strength is not coverage, so they’ve got to keep him out of those roles. Roy is one of the best players in the league. If he’s not here, you would miss him a lot more than you think.
• • •
Q: Ty Law is seeking $10 million in guaranteed money. Wouldn’t it be worth getting him? He’s got at least three years left in him, don’t you think? That would be worth it. Do a four-year deal. Plus, if Henry or Newman get hurt, Law moves from safety to cornerback.
Scott Euart, Lake Tahoe, Nev.
TAYLOR: It’s just me, but I’m not giving a 32-year-old cornerback $10 million. The receivers are getting younger and faster, and it’s getting more difficult each year for veteran cornerbacks to play at a high level. That’s also way too much money for a free safety. Think about it. There’s a reason a valuable player like Law is still available in free agency – he has priced himself out of the market for most teams. I don’t know where he will land, but I would be shocked to see him get $10 million a year on average.
• • •
Q: If Dallas could find somebody, anybody on this planet, that could consistently kick the ball through the end zone on nearly every kickoff, and that’s all they’d ever do, wouldn’t it be worth a roster spot?
Curt Thompson, Castle Rock, Colo.
TAYLOR: It would be to me, and I think owner Jerry Jones has said as much. That player would have a much bigger impact than a ninth offensive lineman or a fifth receiver. Parcells will moan and groan about it because he’s only going to get – at most – five or six plays from the guy each week. But hopefully kicker Mike Vanderjagt’s accuracy will make up for having to sign a kickoff specialist.
• • •
Q: Why does Bill Parcells feel the need to rotate centers?
Roger Haywood
TAYLOR: He doesn’t feel like he has a complete player in Andre Gurode or Al Johnson because each of them has a completely different skill set. Gurode is a bigger, more physical player who can handle 330-pound nose guards but struggles to make adjustments for the rest of the offensive line. Johnson is a more mobile, quicker player who does a good job of making blocks in space and giving the Cowboys a perimeter running game. He’s better at making adjustments on the offensive line but struggles with massive defensive tackles and nose tackles who can push him around.
• • •
Q: Why don’t the Cowboys trade their first-round pick to the Falcons for quarterback Matt Schaub? Is he not worth a first-round pick?
Jaime Garza, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
TAYLOR: I wouldn’t do it this year because Drew Bledsoe is the starter in 2006. Do you really want to give up a first-round pick for a player who isn’t going to start for at least one year and maybe two? Besides, I’m always leery of trading first-round picks for quarterbacks who haven’t proven themselves as starters. There’s a whole different mentality between a backup who starts a few games for an organization that has a clear starter and a true starting quarterback in the NFL. The guy has made two starts in two seasons, completing 49.3 percent of the 134 passes he has attempted with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Do you really want to give up a first-round pick for that?
• • •
Q: I think Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter is a great fit for the Cowboys. Granted, most don’t have him rated as high as 18, but maybe a trade down. Your thoughts?
Clay Robertson, Kerrville, Texas
TAYLOR: If the Cowboys could trade down to the low 20s and pick up a third- or fourth-round pick as well, then that’s a move I would make. He’s a physical run defender, has some coverage skills and can put his hand on the ground on occasion and rush the passer. That’s a good combination. He’s not quite worth the 18th pick of the first round, but I think he’d be outstanding in the 3-4 defense.
• • •
Q: It looks as though in past years Sean Payton was being groomed to eventually be the successor to Tuna. Do you think they have given any thought to a transition and prospects?
Peter Pratt
TAYLOR: I’m sure owner Jerry Jones has a short list of candidates because with Bill Parcells, you never know when he’s going to decide that he’s had enough. I’m sure Jones has Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis on the list, as well as whatever high-profile offensive and defensive coordinators emerge from the 2006 football season.
• • •
Q: Do you think Bill Parcells will be with the Cowboys in 2007 if they reach the NFC title this season?
Efren Maldanado, Germany
TAYLOR: It’s really hard to predict what Parcells will do a year from now, although I do not think he will return for 2007. I could, however, see how he might be tempted to coach another year if Dallas advanced to the NFC title game and he thought this was a legitimate contender to win a Super Bowl. The combination of taking three different teams to the Super Bowl and winning three championships would be too much for him to resist.
As we move into April, the focus of most teams shifts from free agency to the draft.
With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at what the Cowboys have accomplished in free agency and how it has affected their team.
Without a doubt, the biggest move the Cowboys made was the addition of Terrell Owens. He is the best receiver in the NFL – only a healthy Randy Moss and Steve Smith are in his class – but the question is whether he will mesh with coach Bill Parcells and his teammates.
If he does, then Dallas is an instant contender to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl because Terry Glenn and tight end Jason Witten give them additional threats in the passing game, and running backs Julius Jones and Marion Barber give Dallas a solid ground game. When Drew Bledsoe is protected well, then he remains one of the finest pure passers in the game.
So this season is really about T.O. and his ability to elevate the Cowboys to championship status because the other moves pale in comparison.
That said, owner Jerry Jones made a good decision to spend money on Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history. The only complaint is that now he says Dallas is going to have to get a kickoff specialist. If that’s the case, then Dallas should have increased its offer and went after Adam Vinatieri, the best kicker in the league.
The rest of the players Dallas signed in free agency are primarily young players, such as guard Kyle Kosier, linebacker Akin Ayodele, linebacker Rocky Boiman and tight end Ryan Hannam trying to establish an identity in the league.
They all have upside, but significant questions about each of them exist – questions that can’t possibly be answered until the season starts. The Cowboys need Kosier to prove he’s more than just a guy and Ayodele has to show that he can play inside linebacker after spending his entire career at outside linebacker. Boiman needs to be a superior player on special teams like he’s flashed with the Tennessee Titans, and Hannam has to demonstrate he can be a quality blocker and enhance the running game.
Then there’s veteran tackle Jason Fabini, who’s coming off a serious chest injury and will be competing for a starting job.
The Cowboys have had a productive off-season, thus far, but none of the players they signed is a sure thing. That’s what makes the 2006 season intriguing.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: Why would the Cowboys be looking at Joey Harrington? It seems that Romo is still a definite future quarterback, and the verdict is still out on Henson. What do you think?
Stacy K. Martin, Houston
TAYLOR: Actually, I think the answer is very simple: Tony Romo has never played in a regular-season game, and Drew Henson has made one career start, which lasted only a half. So if you’re Bill Parcells, and Drew Bledsoe goes down in Week 12 and a playoff spot is at stake over the next month, would you rather have Joey Harrington, Romo or Henson as the starting quarterback? I think the answer is easy. It’s Harrington because he has started and won NFL games. He has struggled quite a bit, but at least you know he can perform. Romo has been impressive in his progress, but you still don’t know how he would perform.
• • •
Q: With all the free-agent moves the Cowboys have made on the offense line and the expected loss of Torrin Tucker, do you think they will be looking to add depth to the offense line and draft, say Eric Winston? Or would they be better served drafting one of the available safeties, say Jimmy Williams?
Floyd Wells, Edgewood, N.M.
TAYLOR: The Cowboys will draft an offensive lineman – maybe two – before the end of the draft because they need players capable of starting as well as being key backups. Before Winston’s outstanding workout Sunday, maybe he would’ve slipped to Dallas with the 18th pick of the first round. Now, I don’t think there’s any way that happens. Dallas will take an offensive lineman some time on the first day and hope he’s capable of winning the starting job at some point during the season.
• • •
Q: I was reviewing the members of the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor and I noticed that membership seemed to be more selective in the early years: none between 1977 and 1981, 1983 and 1989, 1989 and 1993, and 1994 and 2001. Since 2003, at least one new member has been added each year. Does this suggest that the Ring of Honor induction might become an annual event?
Charles Bankhead
TAYLOR: I don’t think that’s going to happen. I don’t think there’s anyone else out there by Jerry Jones’ standard who needs to be honored except for Darren Woodson. He’s the team’s all-time leading tackler, he’s one of the classiest individuals you’ll ever meet and he was an important member of three Super Bowl champions. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jerry put him in the Ring of Honor in the next couple of years. He deserves it. Jerry wants it to be an exclusive club, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.
• • •
Q: It pains me very much to suggest this, because he is my favorite player, but is there any team that would give us a first-round pick (preferably in the teens) for Roy Williams? As much as I love him, I just don’t think he’s the do-it-all type like Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, and that’s what we need. What do you think?
Bryant Summers
TAYLOR: I think you have to realize that Roy can only do what the Cowboys allow him to do. If the coaching staff doesn’t consistently put him in position to be near the line of scrimmage and attack offenses, then he can’t make plays. His strength is not coverage, so they’ve got to keep him out of those roles. Roy is one of the best players in the league. If he’s not here, you would miss him a lot more than you think.
• • •
Q: Ty Law is seeking $10 million in guaranteed money. Wouldn’t it be worth getting him? He’s got at least three years left in him, don’t you think? That would be worth it. Do a four-year deal. Plus, if Henry or Newman get hurt, Law moves from safety to cornerback.
Scott Euart, Lake Tahoe, Nev.
TAYLOR: It’s just me, but I’m not giving a 32-year-old cornerback $10 million. The receivers are getting younger and faster, and it’s getting more difficult each year for veteran cornerbacks to play at a high level. That’s also way too much money for a free safety. Think about it. There’s a reason a valuable player like Law is still available in free agency – he has priced himself out of the market for most teams. I don’t know where he will land, but I would be shocked to see him get $10 million a year on average.
• • •
Q: If Dallas could find somebody, anybody on this planet, that could consistently kick the ball through the end zone on nearly every kickoff, and that’s all they’d ever do, wouldn’t it be worth a roster spot?
Curt Thompson, Castle Rock, Colo.
TAYLOR: It would be to me, and I think owner Jerry Jones has said as much. That player would have a much bigger impact than a ninth offensive lineman or a fifth receiver. Parcells will moan and groan about it because he’s only going to get – at most – five or six plays from the guy each week. But hopefully kicker Mike Vanderjagt’s accuracy will make up for having to sign a kickoff specialist.
• • •
Q: Why does Bill Parcells feel the need to rotate centers?
Roger Haywood
TAYLOR: He doesn’t feel like he has a complete player in Andre Gurode or Al Johnson because each of them has a completely different skill set. Gurode is a bigger, more physical player who can handle 330-pound nose guards but struggles to make adjustments for the rest of the offensive line. Johnson is a more mobile, quicker player who does a good job of making blocks in space and giving the Cowboys a perimeter running game. He’s better at making adjustments on the offensive line but struggles with massive defensive tackles and nose tackles who can push him around.
• • •
Q: Why don’t the Cowboys trade their first-round pick to the Falcons for quarterback Matt Schaub? Is he not worth a first-round pick?
Jaime Garza, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
TAYLOR: I wouldn’t do it this year because Drew Bledsoe is the starter in 2006. Do you really want to give up a first-round pick for a player who isn’t going to start for at least one year and maybe two? Besides, I’m always leery of trading first-round picks for quarterbacks who haven’t proven themselves as starters. There’s a whole different mentality between a backup who starts a few games for an organization that has a clear starter and a true starting quarterback in the NFL. The guy has made two starts in two seasons, completing 49.3 percent of the 134 passes he has attempted with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Do you really want to give up a first-round pick for that?
• • •
Q: I think Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter is a great fit for the Cowboys. Granted, most don’t have him rated as high as 18, but maybe a trade down. Your thoughts?
Clay Robertson, Kerrville, Texas
TAYLOR: If the Cowboys could trade down to the low 20s and pick up a third- or fourth-round pick as well, then that’s a move I would make. He’s a physical run defender, has some coverage skills and can put his hand on the ground on occasion and rush the passer. That’s a good combination. He’s not quite worth the 18th pick of the first round, but I think he’d be outstanding in the 3-4 defense.
• • •
Q: It looks as though in past years Sean Payton was being groomed to eventually be the successor to Tuna. Do you think they have given any thought to a transition and prospects?
Peter Pratt
TAYLOR: I’m sure owner Jerry Jones has a short list of candidates because with Bill Parcells, you never know when he’s going to decide that he’s had enough. I’m sure Jones has Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis on the list, as well as whatever high-profile offensive and defensive coordinators emerge from the 2006 football season.
• • •
Q: Do you think Bill Parcells will be with the Cowboys in 2007 if they reach the NFC title this season?
Efren Maldanado, Germany
TAYLOR: It’s really hard to predict what Parcells will do a year from now, although I do not think he will return for 2007. I could, however, see how he might be tempted to coach another year if Dallas advanced to the NFC title game and he thought this was a legitimate contender to win a Super Bowl. The combination of taking three different teams to the Super Bowl and winning three championships would be too much for him to resist.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:52 PM
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