Amendola joins Pokes’ practice squad
By Howard Roden
Published: 08.31.08
With only two healthy wide receivers heading into the regular season, Danny Amendola appeared to have a pretty good chance of making the Dallas Cowboys’ final 53-man roster.
But that didn’t happen Saturday as The Woodlands graduate was among the 21 players cut by the Cowboys.
Still, the former Texas Tech receiver landed a consolation prize. The Cowboys signed the 5-foot-11, 190-pound rookie free agent to their eight-man practice squad.
“It gives me hope,” Amendola said shortly after the team revealed its list. “As long as I’ve got the helmet and I’m able to pay the bills I’m going to keep working at it.”
Regarded by many as a long shot to make the team, Amendola spent all of training camp as a third-team receiver. But his hopes were buoyed by the recent rash of injuries that hit the team’s receiving corps.
Isaiah Stanback – the No. 2 receiver in front of Amendola on the depth chart – sustained a shoulder injury returning a kickoff against Houston. Sam Hurd sustained a high ankle sprain against Minnesota Thursday but will sit out the Cowboys’ Sept. 7 opener in Cleveland.
And Miles Austin sustained an MCL injury two weeks ago in Denver and could miss Dallas’ first two regular-season games.
However, the numbers game that really mattered most for Amendola was the decision by head coach Wade Phillips and his staff to keep only five wide receivers.
“The fact they decided to keep five wide receivers (on the active roster) worked against me,” Amendola said.
The Cowboys decided to keep 11 defensive backs and 11 offensive lineman. With an extra defensive back and an extra offensive linemen, the Cowboys have room to make a move if they decide to pursue another receiver.
Owner Jerry Jones insisted after the Cowboys’ preseason game Thursday night that he preferred to stick with players that quarterback Tony Romo was familiar with. But that was also before other teams made cuts.
Neither Jones or coach Wade Phillips were available for comment Saturday. The team sent out its cuts in an e-mail.
On a recent episode of the HBO series “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys,” the coaching staff made no bones about Amendola’s problems adjusting to the NFL game.
“I’ve got to get a better understanding about the game. I’ve got to get smarter and that means learning the playbook better,” he said. “It’s about the mental aspect.
“But I’m not disappointed. I have the opportunity to learn more about this game.”
Amendola also is holding out hope that he might be picked up by another NFL club. He said he didn’t know of a team that had shown any interest in him.
“If that takes place, it will be tomorrow (Sunday),” he said.
During the four preseason games, Amendola caught four passes for 64 yards, with his 35-yard catch against Houston the shining moment.
He led the Cowboys in punt returns with seven for an average of 9.1 yards per attempt.
Amendola returned three kickoffs for a total of 52 yards.
Richard Bartel, a practice squad member last season when Tony Romo and Brad Johnson were the only quarterbacks on the roster, was cut after playing the entire game Thursday night, going 28-of-41 passing for 233 yards in a 16-10 victory over Minnesota.
Rookie linebacker Erik Walden, a sixth-round pick from Middle Tennessee State, was the only one of the team’s six draft picks from April who didn’t make the final roster.
Receiver Todd Lowber, who got a Super Bowl championship ring after being on the New York Giants’ practice squad last season, and rookie free agent running back Keon Lattimore, the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, were also cut.
The remaining cuts were tight end Drew Atchison, nose tackle Remi Ayodele, receiver Mark Bradford, running back Alonzo Coleman, fullback Julius Crosslin, safety Dowayne Davis, defensive end Marcus Dixon, linebacker Tearrius George, offensive tackle Ryan Gibbons, tight end Rodney Hannah, offensive tackle Cory Lekkerkerker, linebacker Darrell Robertson, nose tackle Junior Siavii, defensive end Marcus Smith and linebacker Tyson Smith.
Published: 08.31.08
With only two healthy wide receivers heading into the regular season, Danny Amendola appeared to have a pretty good chance of making the Dallas Cowboys’ final 53-man roster.
But that didn’t happen Saturday as The Woodlands graduate was among the 21 players cut by the Cowboys.
Still, the former Texas Tech receiver landed a consolation prize. The Cowboys signed the 5-foot-11, 190-pound rookie free agent to their eight-man practice squad.
“It gives me hope,” Amendola said shortly after the team revealed its list. “As long as I’ve got the helmet and I’m able to pay the bills I’m going to keep working at it.”
Regarded by many as a long shot to make the team, Amendola spent all of training camp as a third-team receiver. But his hopes were buoyed by the recent rash of injuries that hit the team’s receiving corps.
Isaiah Stanback – the No. 2 receiver in front of Amendola on the depth chart – sustained a shoulder injury returning a kickoff against Houston. Sam Hurd sustained a high ankle sprain against Minnesota Thursday but will sit out the Cowboys’ Sept. 7 opener in Cleveland.
And Miles Austin sustained an MCL injury two weeks ago in Denver and could miss Dallas’ first two regular-season games.
However, the numbers game that really mattered most for Amendola was the decision by head coach Wade Phillips and his staff to keep only five wide receivers.
“The fact they decided to keep five wide receivers (on the active roster) worked against me,” Amendola said.
The Cowboys decided to keep 11 defensive backs and 11 offensive lineman. With an extra defensive back and an extra offensive linemen, the Cowboys have room to make a move if they decide to pursue another receiver.
Owner Jerry Jones insisted after the Cowboys’ preseason game Thursday night that he preferred to stick with players that quarterback Tony Romo was familiar with. But that was also before other teams made cuts.
Neither Jones or coach Wade Phillips were available for comment Saturday. The team sent out its cuts in an e-mail.
On a recent episode of the HBO series “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys,” the coaching staff made no bones about Amendola’s problems adjusting to the NFL game.
“I’ve got to get a better understanding about the game. I’ve got to get smarter and that means learning the playbook better,” he said. “It’s about the mental aspect.
“But I’m not disappointed. I have the opportunity to learn more about this game.”
Amendola also is holding out hope that he might be picked up by another NFL club. He said he didn’t know of a team that had shown any interest in him.
“If that takes place, it will be tomorrow (Sunday),” he said.
During the four preseason games, Amendola caught four passes for 64 yards, with his 35-yard catch against Houston the shining moment.
He led the Cowboys in punt returns with seven for an average of 9.1 yards per attempt.
Amendola returned three kickoffs for a total of 52 yards.
Richard Bartel, a practice squad member last season when Tony Romo and Brad Johnson were the only quarterbacks on the roster, was cut after playing the entire game Thursday night, going 28-of-41 passing for 233 yards in a 16-10 victory over Minnesota.
Rookie linebacker Erik Walden, a sixth-round pick from Middle Tennessee State, was the only one of the team’s six draft picks from April who didn’t make the final roster.
Receiver Todd Lowber, who got a Super Bowl championship ring after being on the New York Giants’ practice squad last season, and rookie free agent running back Keon Lattimore, the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, were also cut.
The remaining cuts were tight end Drew Atchison, nose tackle Remi Ayodele, receiver Mark Bradford, running back Alonzo Coleman, fullback Julius Crosslin, safety Dowayne Davis, defensive end Marcus Dixon, linebacker Tearrius George, offensive tackle Ryan Gibbons, tight end Rodney Hannah, offensive tackle Cory Lekkerkerker, linebacker Darrell Robertson, nose tackle Junior Siavii, defensive end Marcus Smith and linebacker Tyson Smith.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:10 AM
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