Terrell Owens Will Lead Cowboys in TDs

Last year was Owens' first year as a Dallas Cowboy and he met all expectations as he stacked up some Pro Bowl numbers, 85 receptions for 1180 yards with 13TDs. Yes, he had some dropped passes, but his offensive scoring power cannot be denied. So, Owens had pretty good numbers in what is considered to have been a conservative type passing game, can you imagine this year?

Now comes year two with a new "players coach" and a new offensive coordinator with Jason Garrett. Garrett has already said this offense will look alot like the offenses the Cowboys employed in the '90s. This is good news for Owens, and you can expect another solid year from T.O.

It is my prediction that T.O. will lead the Cowboys in touchdowns this year, and according to a poll at our message board, most fans also believe T.O. will lead in TDs:

Terrell Owens %58
Marion Barber III %29
Jason Witten %8
Julius Jones %4
Other %0-1

T.O. is money in the fantasy football realm, but I wouldn't overlook MB3 or Julius Jones for that matter. In several leagues, I've been able to draft Julius Jones in later rounds, and this could be an absolute steal under Garrett's new offense.

Witten should get way more touches in the redzone, and this should make him another solid pick this year.

In other T.O. news, Owens is suing a Manhattan Nightclub for using his name and likeness. Owens is seeking around $600,000 in damages. Check out the article here.

Marion Barber III and Cowboys News

Some Interesting News Snippets today (Rotoworld)

Marion Barber III can be a restricted free agent after this season.
Barber, a fourth-round pick in 2005, signed a rare "five-year" rookie deal that will void after he plays this year. He could be competing against Julius Jones, an impending unrestricted free agent, for a contract extension.

Looks like both running backs are going to be running their ways to some hefty new contracts this year. We should see some high octane attack from these two stars.

Despite speculation the Cowboys would move second-year OL Pat McQuistan to guard, he has been practicing at tackle this offseason.

McQuistan ran with the first team while Flozell Adams (knee) rehabbed. His roster spot seems safe despite James Marten and Doug Free's additions.

Cowboys claimed C Matt Tarullo off waivers from the Colts.
The Syracuse product is a heady player, but a longshot to make the club.

The Cowboys signed guard/center Steve Franklin.6-2, 320 pounds, spent this spring playing for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europa

Drew Henson is still competing at a high level and wants another chance in Minnesota:

"There are few places in sports you dictate what is going on. I love to compete. It gets back to the reasons why you played when you were younger. You just enjoy the competition."

And some comments from Deion Sanders about Henson's stint in Dallas:

"I don't think the offense was good. I don't think the team was good. He was in a bad situation," Sanders says. "People who know the game of football will say, "Forget Dallas, period. That don't even count.'

"What he went through in Dallas, I wish no quarterback to go through, especially a young quarterback."

Overall, this is a interesting article for those wondering what Henson is up to, you can read the rest here. I definitely wish him well and success in his en devours .

Tank Johnson Being Considered in Dallas?

Word is, the Cowboys could be in the hunt for the much troubled Tank Johnson. Now, when you hear all the commotion that Pacman Jones, the Bengals, and Tank Johnson are causing, you wish them good riddance from the NFL. Most of these players are playmakers on-the field; however, the off-the field issues are a huge risk for any team looking at acquiring any of these guys.

The only thing about signing Tank Johnson, is his off-the field record, his on-the field work is pretty solid. But you simply can't count on these players. The Bears, in their embarrassment decided to cut their ties, and determined that Johnson, though talented, could not be reliable for the season.

Before being cut by the Bears, Tank Johnson was to serve a 8-game suspension. So, wherever Johnson lands, he will have to serve that league mandated suspension. Could Jerry Jones take a high risk with Tank Johnson? Sure, you can say Jerry takes risks with players like Terrell Owens, but T.O. does not have criminal off the field problems.

Don't be surprised if Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones is at the head of the line. He believes in taking risks on talented but troubled players (see Charles Haley and T.O.), and I assure you he will be tempted to sign Johnson at some point.

In fact, I just talked to a member of the organization who said Johnson would be a "perfect fit" in head coach Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense. He said the Phillips scheme actually works better with inside players who have flourished in the 4-3, as Johnson has, because it requires them to line up at different spots along the line and use their quickness to make plays.(Mosley)

Tempting, but not worth it to me, I'll pass on Tank Johnson.

Terrell Owens a Top 5 Receiver

SI.com has an article to keep us going while we wait for training camp to get here. The author has Terrell Owens at the #5 receiver in the league:

1. Steve Smith - Carolina
2. Chad Johnson - Cincinnati
3. Roy Williams - Detroit
4. Marvin Harrison - Indianapolis
5. Terrell Owens - Dallas

Not, a bad start; however, for arguments sake I would say Owens and Harrison would rank higher that Detroit's Roy Williams. For me, T.O. is a top 3 receiver. He's a big weapon to have, big, strong, and a major playmaker.

Anquan Boldin at #9 and Randy Moss at #10

Overall, not a bad list to start off, but I would think the much underrated Terry Glenn should get in this list somewhere. Reggie Wayne is in here, and Glenn is at the same level if not better than Wayne. They have have Laveranues Coles at #19 and Mark Clayton at #21. C'mon, Glenn is way better than these two jokes.

Check out the article here


More on Wade Wilson

Name: Wade Wilson
Age: 48
Position: Quarterbacks
Coaching Exp.: 6 years
NFL Exp.: 6 years
Coaching Highlights:
Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach (2004-06); Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach (2000-02).

DC.Com has a new article covering the return of QB Coach, Wade Wilson. Wilson gives us some insight to the coaching strategy that Garrett and himself will rollout this year:

"We're banking on his experiences not only here but with different teams and different offenses, and my experiences throughout the league," Wilson said. "We're kind of blending all those experiences we had, and trying to come up with the best of all those organizations."

Dallas Cowboys Most Searched NFL Team Online

According to the Yahoo! Buzz Index, Its all about our Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys are the most searched NFL team online, not the Super Bowl Champ Colts, not Da Bears, not the Patriots, but the 'Boys!

Interesting to see the Cowboys are the only NFL team in Yahoo's Buzz Index Top 20 for (323) days and counting, that's almost a year straight. Right now the NFL is ranked at #5, with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Champhionship) at #6 at (323) days as well, a very strong showing with Boxing no where in the top 20 list.

Other sports topics strong with (323) days are:
MLB, Nascar, NBA (all very boring if you ask me)

I'll take the Dallas Cowboys and some Mixed Martial Arts with the UFC over the other boring junk out there. Go Cowboys!

Only the NY Yankees score higher with 1034 days in the top 20.

Check out the Yahoo! Buzz Index Top 20.

Check out NFLDraftCountDown's Draft Review, Scott Wright gives us a (B). I'll take that, as far as talent acquistion potential goes. The truth will be known in 2-3 years, when we can truly gauge what these young bucks will do for our team.

Can "Player's Coaches" Succeed?

The 2007 season will see a whole new set of head coaches, and the league has entered an era of the "player's coach," its in vogue right now. A majority, if not all, the new head coaches are thought as being coaches that can relate to players at different levels rather than being the hardcore, stern, disciplinarian type coach.

Wade Phillips (Cowboys), Norv Turner (Chargers), Cam Cameron (Dolphins), Mike Tomlin (Steelers), and Ken Whisenhunt (Cardinals) are all coming into favorable situations with teams with alot of upside.

Turner is coming into a team, that by all accounts could have been in the Super Bowl last year with their explosive offense and aggressive defense; however, the question will be can a player's coach like Turner get this team over the hump? Is he the final piece needed to get this team to the Super Bowl, is this the perfect situation for Turner and his players?

Players have said that change can be good, and some players respond better to different coaching styles than others. Could this be the answer in San Diego? We know Turner can get the offense going, but will the lack of being a disciplinarian make the team lose concentration and cause more penalties? We'll see how the team responds from the hardcore coaching style of their previous coach in Marty Schottenheimer compared to Norv Turner.

The Chargers head coaching change and situation mirrors the Cowboys greatly. Wade Phillips is coming into a situation where the team has improved over the year's with the base of talent coming from the draft. The main difference between the Chargers and Cowboys are the coaches. I believe the Cowboys have assembled the better coaching staff, from the Special Teams coach Bruce Read, WRs Coach Ray Sherman, DC Brian Stewart, OC Jason Garrett, to name a few.

The Cowboys have two major strengths on each side of the ball. Wade Phillips is the defensive-guru, and Jason Garrett is the offensive prodigy who comes from a solid offensive minded lineage.

Both Turner and Phillips could be what their teams need in this day and age in the NFL, this could be their perfect opportunity at the right time.

ESPN has a good article that covers this very subject, they talk about how there's a cycle in the NFL; in where, stern coaches get the boot in favor for mild-mannered coaches. Right now, the league has entered the era of the player's coach.

The two teams in the Super Bowl were coached by player's coaches, Tony Dungy (Colts) and Lovie Smith (Bears)

Those players talked about their preference for coaches who don't rely on intimidation, rigid rules or silly mind games to motivate their teams. They liked the idea of being around head coaches who saw themselves more as teachers than drill sergeants, and it's become apparent that the league's decision makers have recognized the value in that as well.

Players like Julius Jones embrace the change:

The Cowboys were so pleased to have a mild-mannered coach that some -- notably running back Julius Jones -- publicly expressed their gratitude for not having to deal with a daily dose of Tuna any longer.

Charger's players are looking forward to a new regime as well:

"I think Norv has been good to have around because the younger players are learning that there's another way to do the job as a head coach. As much as we liked Marty, it's important for some of these guys to know that not every coach has to give a bunch of passionate speeches or be a tough guy to win games."

The interesting part of the article comes from the end:

The question, of course, is whether all these players' coaches -- and the warmer environments they subsequently create -- will produce more victories than their predecessors. Usually, the knock on such men is they can become too soft, and eventually lose their ability to motivate players. That's what killed Turner when he coached the Oakland Raiders, and it's also been a knock on Phillips and Buffalo's Dick Jauron in the past. They were such nice guys in their previous jobs, their teams never became that tough or consistent.

The theory has been that player's coaches have short term success, and players stop responding and inherently need more structure and discipline. This may or may not be true, depending on who you ask. Colts fans would argue that their coach has been very successful over the years, while others would point out the factor that it took Dungy a long time to get his team over the hump because of the way he coaches.

People are so use to seeing the Patriots in the Super Bowl that was the assumed blueprint for success: get a disciplinarian like Belichick and you too can win a Super Bowl. Well, guess what, there may be some truth to this, and this is why we saw coaches like Gibbs, Parcells, and Coughlin return to coaching, they were the desired type of coach at the time.

Look at the past Super Bowl winners (excluding last year):
XL 2006 Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10
XXXIX 2005 New England 24, Philadelphia 21
XXXVIII 2004 New England 32, Carolina 29
XXXVII 2003 Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21
XXXVI 2002 New England 20, St. Louis 17
XXXV 2001 Baltimore 34, N.Y. Giants 7

Did the Colts and Bears set the bar now for their coaching style as being the more effective style or is this just a coincidence? We'll see how the games pan out; however, with the league having more player's coaches there's going to be some canceling out of each other somewhere along the line. I like our chances in the NFC East where players are failing to respond to coaches like Gibbs and Coughlin, who are old school disciplinarians. Andy Reid is probably the only consistent coach in the NFC East the last several years, so I would expect them to be in the hunt as usual, despite their diminishing talent on both sides of the ball.

So to answer the question, I would have to say yes. I think our coach, Wade Phillips will have success. A Super Bowl victory being the ultimate goal. He has the staff and hungry players to make a serious run here in Dallas.

Canty Get Some Love?

Chris Canty was drafted in the 4th round and considered a steal back then, and even today, Canty seems to be the better DE than 1st rounder Marcus Spears. Canty came from a 3-4 system out of Virginia, and his transition to Parcell's 34 was not bad; however, Canty's upside will truly increase under the aggressive Phillips 34. Canty is a big guy, plays hard, and still plays with something to prove.

Fox Sports has a article on 9 breakout stars for 2007, and Chris Canty makes the list:

Chris Canty: The first few seasons for Canty as a pro ball player have been solid. Canty's upside is spectacular. You have to jog the mental rolodex to Canty's junior year at the University of Virginia to remember how explosive he can be. In talking to the Dallas defensive end, he thinks that this will be his breakout season under Wade Phillips. Everyone's talking about the impact Phillips will have on Marcus Spears, but watch Canty become a major disruption to offenses this season.

Other players among the list are: QB Matt Schaub (Texans), LB Chad Greenway (Minnesota), and WR Reggie Brown (Eagles)

Should the Cowboys Draft CB Paul Oliver?

Considering what the Cowboys have done in this year's draft I would say probably not. I doubt the Cowboys draft Georgia's CB Paul Oliver on July 13th during the NFL Supplemental Draft. Oliver is probably the lone player with a chance at actually getting drafted. Over the last couple of months his draft stock has plummeted and its now looking like Oliver could be drafted in the 3rd at the very highest and more likely between the 5th and 7th round.

Oliver basically quit going to school after the football season ended and didn't have any ambitions of going to class in the spring. So, with Oliver being academically ineligible he'll roll the dice by going into the Supplemental Draft.

Oliver just held his pro-day, and he put in some mediocre numbers. Oliver was clocked between 4.50-to-4.58 seconds in the 40 and his vertical jump was 33.5 inches. The RanchReport is reporting that 27 teams were on hand at the workout as both league scouts and directors of college scouting lined the field.

So, with the apparent lack of self motivation, and his mediocre numbers, you have to wonder if this is even a prospect you'd want on your team. If he can't put in the time for class and stay eligible for the thing he supposedly loves to do, then you could assume this work ethic would not bode well at the NFL level, its a red flag.

Some other reports on Oliver:

Oliver left school before the spring semester, and just as his absence was a big blow to Georgia's defense, his presence in the supplemental draft is getting NFL general managers excited. NFL Network's Adam Schefter has reported that Oliver is expected to be a third- or fourth-round pick in the July 12 supplemental draft.

He might go even higher than that. Matched up with Calvin Johnson when Georgia played Georgia Tech last season, Oliver had an outstanding game, as Johnson finished with just two catches for 13 yards. Johnson was the second pick in the April draft, and if Oliver puts on a show when he works out for NFL scouts on Wednesday, a whole lot of NFL teams will have an interest in the guy who shut Johnson down (NFL Fanhouse)

Oliver measured at 6'0'' 208lbs.

Spencer's Job to Lose?

Anthony Spencer was the Cowboys target all along, and even after the Cowboys traded out of the first round, then traded back into the first to draft Anthony Spencer. That has to show how much they think of Spencer's talent.

With Greg Ellis still recovering from his achilles injury, Spencer has been deep in study, absorbing everything around him in order to make the transition from college to NFL as smooth as possible. Spencer's been running with the first team in OTAs and in Mini Camps, so, right now you would have to say this is Spencer's job to lose.

In addition, you have to wonder if Ellis will infact be the same player before the injury. Seahawks OLB Julian Peterson had the same injury and he was never a big impact as he was before his achilles injury. So, we'll see where he's at when camp and preseason roll out.

As a fan, Spencer is doing everything right on the field, and looks to be the part. He seems to be up to the task, and has a great attitude (from DC.com):

"I think everyone wants to start," Spencer said. "You want to play and go out there and make things happen. That's what I hope, too. But if I end up starting or playing in other packages, that's fine, too. Right now, I just want to get better."

Despite how some media outlets are reporting the "Ellis Situation" Spencer explains that Ellis has been helpful and offers him tips on the field:

"Greg has really helped me," Spencer said. "He gives me a lot of good tips on what to do in certain situations. He knows where I'm coming from and the things I need to do to get better. He's probably the person I talk to the most because I sit right behind him in meetings. So whenever I have a question about what happened out on the field, I go to him and he's always telling me what I'm doing right or wrong."

So, with Parcells retired, looks like Spencer has escaped water boy duties.....or has he?

"I'm sure it's going to come up in training camp," Spencer said. "I've heard about it. I'm sure they'll come up with something for me to do."

NFL.Com has a small writeup on 15 players with something to prove, and the article cites QB Tony Romo and RB Julius Jones:

Julius Jones, RB, Dallas: Jones is in the midst of a six-year contract but the final two years can be voided based on certain incentives, so he can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2007 season. While his backfield mate, Marion Barber, will be the more attractive choice in most drafts due to his nose for the end zone, Jones seems to be much more comfortable with Wade Phillips at the helm and will look to produce well for his own professional (and financial) reasons.

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas: There has been much talk about an extension for Romo after the Cowboys showed faith in his skills and decided to pass on Brady Quinn in the NFL Draft, but at this time he is still without a long-term deal. Considered the heir apparent to Troy Aikman, Romo threw an impressive 17 touchdown passes in 10 starts last season and should be motivated to prove his success was no fluke. He'll no doubt be a borderline No. 1 or 2 fantasy quarterback in all formats.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the Die Hard Cowboys Dad's out there today. Continue to raise your kids as Cowboys fans!

Not much news today. Here's an interesting article about The Cal Poly Curse and Courtney Brown.

And a very good write up on our own 2nd year player, Jason Hatcher: "Hatcher camp teaches work ethic, positive attitude"