Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones likes '09 football season
BY MAC ENGEL
tengel@star-telegram.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jerry Jones likes Celine Dion, he's not saying about Terrell Owens, finding a backup quarterback is a priority, and he has countless reasons to be excited about the 2009 season.
Walking around a quiet but busy Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday while the NFL Combine continued on the field below, Jones nearly bubbled about the new Cowboys stadium.
"I want it to be the Cowboys; I'm not trying to be modest. I don't prefer the reference of Jerry's Place or Jerry's World," Jones said. "I've never been under any illusion as to why I have visibility or any type of interest. It has to do with the Dallas Cowboys."
What Jones envisions for the new stadium is a merger of the enhancements of a luxurious, home-entertainment system with the tangible touch of attending the actual event.
What Jones envisions for his team in 2009 is a far better product than the one that finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in '08.
In an interview that lasted more than a hour, Jones covered subjects ranging from the perks and experience of the new stadium to the draft, to Adam "Pacman" Jones to the '09 season to, yes, T.O.
Here are the highlights:
Why should fans be optimistic about the '09 season?
We'll get better quarterbacking. Tony (Romo) is early in his career. I'm not going to say that we're gonna have him for 16 games and through the playoffs. We all know the injury factor isn't something you can plan on. We need to do a better job when we don't have him at quarterback. Last year was a good experience for us. Defensively, I think we've got a chance with some things that Wade is doing. We've got some things that will make us a better defense. Special teams, we did make a change there. We didn't go status quo. I think we'll be improved. It will be real nice to get our punter back. Everybody had injuries; we had some material injuries last year. I think it's not wise to say we're not going to have some injuries next year but maybe we won't have them impact us in some of the ways they did.
Do you need to find another quarterback, veteran or rookie?
It's a real priority for us to get where we'd like to be with our backup situation at quarterback. A real priority.
A veteran?
Not necessarily. A veteran may be too much of a veteran. You say, 'Well, you roll the dice a little bit and get by on two or three games.' You can make a case that you don't (win) a game you should have and it might have meant the Super Bowl. It could have meant that much to us to have won one of those games that we didn't win when we didn't have Tony. We were lucky to have won the one we did without Tony, frankly. We have to have improvement there.
Why don't you think the locker room issues are an issue?
I just don't. It's principally because I've experienced locker rooms that look dysfunctional on the face of it and won championships. In a pecking order of important things about your team, that is very low on the list. But our locker room issues did not impact in any way our 9-7 record and what we're doing. In any way. That's why I don't get uptight about it.
What is the high priority?
I think being as Romo-friendly as our team can be. Romo friendly means let's utilize his skills to the fullest and make sure everything we do maximizes his abilities
You hinted last week that you plan to keep Terrell Owens. Do you?
You got my drift. And that's all I want to say about that.
Romo echoed some things that Owens had said about the scheme and the offense last season; are you concerned about that as it relates to Jason Garrett?
I know first-hand where (Romo) is with Jason, pointedly. I know where they are on a working relationship basis. OK? I know you don't have one sitting over here throwing one under the bus. That's just not happening. That's why I'm not concerned about it.
Does Wade need to be 'harder' or more disciplined?
Wade's style, and I'm talking about both directly with players but just his style as a coach, I've seen that win championships. What we need Wade to be is him. But I've seen him bite and bite good. It's a mistake for anybody that he won't and doesn't disagree with me. He can be none abrasive, but he can be very firm on his points.
Do players need to fear if they are late for a meeting or something there will be a penalty?
Yes. But do they need to feel that? Yes. Do they need to feel it more than they have in the past? I'm not agreeing to that. But is that an important aspect of being considerate to everyone else as far as meeting attendance or rules relative to how you monitor injury. I believe that very strongly. I think you have to have fines.
Because I know that most of our fans know that in order to manage a lot of people and certainly manage a team that discipline needs to be a part of it. I would hope that we can correct that perception. I don't believe that is the case or is going to be the case.
How do you correct that perception?
I'm not so sure about that. I don't want to go as far as announcing every fine we give. That violates some other things I'm not for.
Is the Cowboys' relationship with Pacman Jones done?
I'm not going to go far. That's pretty sweeping; it covers a lot. He's better off; we're better off him not being on our roster. We're better off.
You have free agents such as Kevin Burnett, Chris Canty, Zach Thomas and Keith Davis. What are their chances of coming back?
I think every one of those you just mentioned I would like to think have a chance to be with the Cowboys. Rolling the clock forward, I would like to think the circumstances would be that we could figure out a way for them to be with the Cowboys.
You want them but, but the numbers might not allow it?
That's it.
Are your draft priorities safety, linebacker, defensive line and backup offensive line?
Those could be special teams guys as well so I would certainly say those are positions that we would look to that could help us this year as well as be potential players for the future at those positions.
tengel@star-telegram.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jerry Jones likes Celine Dion, he's not saying about Terrell Owens, finding a backup quarterback is a priority, and he has countless reasons to be excited about the 2009 season.
Walking around a quiet but busy Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday while the NFL Combine continued on the field below, Jones nearly bubbled about the new Cowboys stadium.
"I want it to be the Cowboys; I'm not trying to be modest. I don't prefer the reference of Jerry's Place or Jerry's World," Jones said. "I've never been under any illusion as to why I have visibility or any type of interest. It has to do with the Dallas Cowboys."
What Jones envisions for the new stadium is a merger of the enhancements of a luxurious, home-entertainment system with the tangible touch of attending the actual event.
What Jones envisions for his team in 2009 is a far better product than the one that finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in '08.
In an interview that lasted more than a hour, Jones covered subjects ranging from the perks and experience of the new stadium to the draft, to Adam "Pacman" Jones to the '09 season to, yes, T.O.
Here are the highlights:
Why should fans be optimistic about the '09 season?
We'll get better quarterbacking. Tony (Romo) is early in his career. I'm not going to say that we're gonna have him for 16 games and through the playoffs. We all know the injury factor isn't something you can plan on. We need to do a better job when we don't have him at quarterback. Last year was a good experience for us. Defensively, I think we've got a chance with some things that Wade is doing. We've got some things that will make us a better defense. Special teams, we did make a change there. We didn't go status quo. I think we'll be improved. It will be real nice to get our punter back. Everybody had injuries; we had some material injuries last year. I think it's not wise to say we're not going to have some injuries next year but maybe we won't have them impact us in some of the ways they did.
Do you need to find another quarterback, veteran or rookie?
It's a real priority for us to get where we'd like to be with our backup situation at quarterback. A real priority.
A veteran?
Not necessarily. A veteran may be too much of a veteran. You say, 'Well, you roll the dice a little bit and get by on two or three games.' You can make a case that you don't (win) a game you should have and it might have meant the Super Bowl. It could have meant that much to us to have won one of those games that we didn't win when we didn't have Tony. We were lucky to have won the one we did without Tony, frankly. We have to have improvement there.
Why don't you think the locker room issues are an issue?
I just don't. It's principally because I've experienced locker rooms that look dysfunctional on the face of it and won championships. In a pecking order of important things about your team, that is very low on the list. But our locker room issues did not impact in any way our 9-7 record and what we're doing. In any way. That's why I don't get uptight about it.
What is the high priority?
I think being as Romo-friendly as our team can be. Romo friendly means let's utilize his skills to the fullest and make sure everything we do maximizes his abilities
You hinted last week that you plan to keep Terrell Owens. Do you?
You got my drift. And that's all I want to say about that.
Romo echoed some things that Owens had said about the scheme and the offense last season; are you concerned about that as it relates to Jason Garrett?
I know first-hand where (Romo) is with Jason, pointedly. I know where they are on a working relationship basis. OK? I know you don't have one sitting over here throwing one under the bus. That's just not happening. That's why I'm not concerned about it.
Does Wade need to be 'harder' or more disciplined?
Wade's style, and I'm talking about both directly with players but just his style as a coach, I've seen that win championships. What we need Wade to be is him. But I've seen him bite and bite good. It's a mistake for anybody that he won't and doesn't disagree with me. He can be none abrasive, but he can be very firm on his points.
Do players need to fear if they are late for a meeting or something there will be a penalty?
Yes. But do they need to feel that? Yes. Do they need to feel it more than they have in the past? I'm not agreeing to that. But is that an important aspect of being considerate to everyone else as far as meeting attendance or rules relative to how you monitor injury. I believe that very strongly. I think you have to have fines.
Because I know that most of our fans know that in order to manage a lot of people and certainly manage a team that discipline needs to be a part of it. I would hope that we can correct that perception. I don't believe that is the case or is going to be the case.
How do you correct that perception?
I'm not so sure about that. I don't want to go as far as announcing every fine we give. That violates some other things I'm not for.
Is the Cowboys' relationship with Pacman Jones done?
I'm not going to go far. That's pretty sweeping; it covers a lot. He's better off; we're better off him not being on our roster. We're better off.
You have free agents such as Kevin Burnett, Chris Canty, Zach Thomas and Keith Davis. What are their chances of coming back?
I think every one of those you just mentioned I would like to think have a chance to be with the Cowboys. Rolling the clock forward, I would like to think the circumstances would be that we could figure out a way for them to be with the Cowboys.
You want them but, but the numbers might not allow it?
That's it.
Are your draft priorities safety, linebacker, defensive line and backup offensive line?
Those could be special teams guys as well so I would certainly say those are positions that we would look to that could help us this year as well as be potential players for the future at those positions.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:59 PM
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