2016 Dallas Cowboys Offseason

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys had their first practice in their new headquarters at The Star in Frisco so I just had to link a video of the place from DallasCowboys.com along with a link to the article about the ribbon cutting to open the facility yesterday. Notice in the article that one of the main features of The Star is the partnership with the Frisco Independent School District and it's even more incredible that this Saturday there will be 4 games featuring 8 teams in the Frisco school district with coverage by ESPN. Not bad at all.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/21/first-practice-ribbon-cutting-ceremony-%E2%80%9C-star%E2%80%9D-officially-opens

 

I totally missed this but LT Tyron Smith has missed the first two preseason games because of stinger he got in practice in Oxnard. This is the extent of the injury report Jason Garrett updated yesterday before the team's first practice at the new facility. Tyron Smith to take part in individual drills on Sunday. Ezekiel Elliott to practice fully with the team. Mark Nzeocha Achilles strain and they are hoping to get him back soon. That's it. There are the usual guys who have been out of practice rehabbing injuries but day by day the Cowboys are getting healthier (knocking on wood because I don't want to jinx them or cancel my spell of health in placed on the team last week). Dallas has a short week as they will travel to Seattle for their 3rd preseason game this Thursday night. It will be after that game that the first cuts will need to be made as Dallas and the rest of the NFL will need to go from 90 players to 75.

 

Another guy who is slated to return to practice is RB Lance Dunbar. Dunbar missed most of the 2015 season with a torn ACL and Patellar tendon. He is supposed to go through some individual drills for his first work in a long time. I'm sure there is pressure on Dunbar to get back to work because he sees newcomers Alfred Morris and Darius Jackson doing well and the longer he stays out the less chance he has to continue being a Dallas Cowboy.

 

You know, I'm glad Dak Prescott is doing well but folks need to tap the breaks on him. He's done exceptionally well in his first two preseason games but people need to remember he's a rookie and the hopes for the playoffs lie strictly in the hands of Tony Romo. If all goes according to plan you won't see Prescott on the field in 2016 unless it's doing mop up duty in a blowout win. What is does do is set the Cowboys up for a QB controversy if Romo struggles. If that happens everyone will be screaming to bench Tony and put in Dak so it will be important for Jason Garrett to keep a lid on any sort of crap like that. People need to understand Tony is the guy, period. Dak is an interesting story but that's it. This is Tony's team and there is no question about. Now in 3 or 4 years when Romo hangs it up then it's all Dak and more power to him but if I have my way Tony will be wearing a ring or two or three by then.

 

How about some thoughts on Friday night's game from DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus?

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/20/scouts-eye-frazier-traylor-among-impressive-rookies-other-game-notes

[Dracula]

Like a blind pig, that every once in a while, finds a truffle, Jones may have found his truffle in Dak Prescott. I think that Dallas is going to give Prescott his own set of formations to run.

[eagle eye]

Like a blind pig, that every once in a while, finds a truffle, Jones may have found his truffle in Dak Prescott. I think that Dallas is going to give Prescott his own set of formations to run.

 

You are really right on with that comment Drac. On recent podcasts on DallasCowboys.com they have talked about sort of lucking into Prescott because he was actually the QB on their depth chart behind Goff, Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook and then Dak. Dallas tried to trade their 2nd round pick to move up to 26 with Seattle but the Seahawks chose instead to deal with Denver. The prevailing reason was Denver was offering their 31st pick (NE was stripped of their pick by Herr Goodell) for Lynch which Seattle liked better because the pick is still in the 1st round which mean the Seahawks would have the 5th year option on their draft pick. That option is only available to 1st round picks so it's kind of a big deal when you talk about holding a player's rights for 5 years instead of 4. If Jerry and Co. had gotten the deal with Seattle the Cowboys would have Lynch and probably not Jaylon Smith and certainly no Dak.

As a side note, on podcast a couple of weeks ago Gil Brandt, the former player personnel guy under Tom Landry, said that Prescott was the best prospect in this year's draft and he would take him over any of the other QB in the draft. Brandt, who is a contributor to NFL.com, know his stuff with players and that's pretty heady praise for a prospect who got into trouble in the off season with a DUI. I don't sweat DUI's as much as I do most other things, 1) because drinking is legal and 2) I, am most of the people I know could've been stopped for DUI on multiple occasions. You're young, you drink a little bit, you drive home. Not the smartest thing but there wasn't such an animal as a "designated driver" when I was younger and penalties weren't what they are now. It a serious thing driving drunk and it could result in the loss of life so I am not minimizing the seriousness of a DUI but what I am saying is alcohol is LEGAL. In most states smoking pot or doing other drugs is not and even in the states pot is legal you still can't operate a motor vehicle under the influence. The main thing is the NFL won't suspend you as readily for DUI as they will for violating their substance abuse policy. Dak is cool right now and I hope he turns out to be the QB of the future Dallas has been needing to find for so long.

 

I guess me and Doreen's voodoo spell didn't work so well. Since Sunday the Cowboys have lost DT Tyrone Crawford and WR Dez Bryant for the Seahawks game on Thursday due to their having to go through the concussion protocols. Crawford had his head knocked in Sunday's practice and Dez bumped heads with someone in yesterday's practice. After yesterday's practice Dez tweeted that he's okay and nobody has to worry about him after this week. The thing about concussions every one after that first one is just a littler easier to get after each incidence. Concussions can literally shorten a player's career. Dez will be back but isn't it getting a little old seeing Crawford constantly missing for one damn thing after another? More than anything else Dallas needs players they can count on being on the field and so far Crawford is not that guy.

 

Dallas has gotten some players back recently and in the case of Tyrone Crawford's absence it will give rookie Maliek Collins more reps. These will make up for all the reps Collins missed while his foot that broken in OTA's healed. Collins is back and he will have roughly 4 weeks of practice and two preseason games to get ready for the season which is a better prognosis that when he got hurt. Back in July when Collins broke his foot it was being reported that he would not return to the field until the end of training camp. Obviously he healed much faster than originally thought and now he will benefit from Crawford's injury proneness to make for some of the reps he's missed. Another guy who snuck back into the mix is DT Terrell McClain. He's the guy Dallas signed as a free agent in 2014 after playing in Houston. McClain was a bit of a bust last year as he was hurt most of the season. So far in OTA's and mini camp he did okay but he's missed the bulk of training camp due to continued rehab on the toe he had surgery on last fall. If he can stay healthy the Cowboys may not miss Crawford all that much.

 

Another guy who is back in the D-line rotation is DE Benson Mayowa. Mayowa was signed by Dallas this off season after stints with Seattle and Oakland and they first look at Mayowa was that he would be a guy who should thrive in Rod Marinelli's defense. Unfortunately, Mayow had to miss the final Cowboys mini camp and spring training so far because he injured his knee which required arthroscopic surgery to fix. Mayowa returned to practice in the Cowboys last week in Oxnard and he's been working his way into the mix at right defensive end. I would bet he will see reps in this week's game against Seattle.

 

The fullback position might be becoming clearer. There has been a battle for that FB spot since the spring when the Cowboys told LB Keith Smith he was moving to FB and Rod Smith would transition from RB to FB. You might think that the fact Rod is Dallas' 2nd round pick Jaylon Smith's brother might give him a leg up but that isn't the case. Keith Smith has outplayed Rod during training camp and Rod has now missed over a week's worth of practices due to injury. I think the writing may already be on the wall about Jaylon's big brother's fate as a Dallas Cowboy and it doesn't look good.

 

Lance Dunbar is back at practice but he's limited to individual drills right now which is slowing down his full return to the field after suffering a torn ACL and patellar tendon last season. Another thing that could be slowing him down is the performance of rookie draft pick Darius Jackson. Jackson has played well on offense and as a member of special teams. It's possible Dunbar has a front row seat to watch a guy take his spot on the roster. Too bad because before he got hurt last year he had become a big part of the Cowboys offense.

[eagle eye]

Dallas is winging their way to Seattle for their game with the Seahawks tomorrow night. It is the third preseason game, the one that usually designated the "dress rehearsal" game because that's when most of the starters play the longest in the preseason. Tony Romo's PT will depend on how Jason Garrett feels about having Chaz Green at left tackle and no Dez Bryant to throw to. Tyron Smith is out recovering from a stinger (pinched nerve in his neck) suffered a couple of weeks ago and Dez is out because he bumped his head on Barry Church's shoulder pads in practice on Monday and he's in the concussion protocol. The Cowboys will also be missing Tyrone Crawford (concussion protocol), Charles Tapper (hip) and DE Shaneil Jenkins. They will also be without David Irvin, Mark Nzeocha and Rod Smith among the players who will miss the game. Ezekiel Elliott is not on that list, however. He will be making his first appearance of the preseason in a game so far this summer. He has been nursing a strained hammy since the first week of training camp and he wasn't able to return to practicing with the team until late last week. If the game has counted in the standings Zeke probably would have played last Friday night against the Dolphins but as this is preseason and games don't count for anything the Cowboys usually take a conservative approach to PT for the walking wounded.

 

Here's a link to a slide show on DallasCowboys.com recounting the team's first week of practice at their new facility, The Star in Frisco. Looks like a cool place to work. The indoor practice field is nicer than some of the stadiums around the NFL.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/galleries/2016/08/22/first-week-practice-star

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys are playing Seattle tonight but the start time is a little late, 9:00 PM, because it's on the West Coast. Looks like I'll be feeling like crap tomorrow.

 

The other day Dallas signed a new offensive lineman by the name of Dan Buchholz a rookie UFA from Duquesne. Brian Broaddus give a scouting report on this guy. If you read the article you wonder what the hell Dallas was thinking signing this guy. Broaddus make him appear to be a lousy player. Maybe the Cowboys just need a warm body to finish out the preseason with. Who knows?

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/23/scouting-report-new-ol-signee-dan-buchholz-expected-play-interior

 

One guy who will get a real test is going to be WR Brice Butler. The reason Butler will be showcased is because Dez is sitting out this game and Butler will get the chance to show how much a full offseason and training camp has helped him get better. Butler has had a great training camp by all accounts but he's got to take it to the field. So far Butler hasn't been bad. In last week's game he caught a deep post for a 50 yard gain to the Dolphins one yard line and a play or two later he caught a back shoulder fade for the TD. He was also robbed of a TD by a BS pass interference call. I guess refs need the preseason too. Butler will really need to step up and show he deserves a spot on the Cowboys roster. This link below is from DallasCowboys.com where the staff writers give their players to watch tonight (or on DVR if you're not into self abuse).

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/24/butler-collins-durant-zeke-wilber-among-players-watch-vs-seattle

 

As Dallas winds down the second half of training camp it has been said that DE DeMarcus Lawrence has had a good camp. I don't know his stat line but I don't remember seeing him getting a sack or any hurries but that doesn't mean he hasn't had some. He needs to be the best he can be now because beginning with Week 1 he will be sitting out his 4 game suspension with no opportunities to practice. He can go to meetings which will help him stay connected and he can watch film but he says he will make a big impact for the Cowboys defense when he gets back in Week 5. So, Lawrence is a player to watch tonight and one more guy needs some attention. With all the hoopla over the Cowboys defensive end woes the Cowboys got free agent signee Benson Mayowa back last week and tonight should be his first game action this year. It will be interesting to see what the man can do in a game that will likely be close to regular season intensity.

[eagle eye]

Dallas lost to Seattle 27-17 but that isn't the whole story. The Cowboys starters except for Tony Romo played the whole first half and the score was 10-10 at the end of the 2nd quarter and if not for a missed 52 yard FG attempt by Dan Bailey, one that looked like he kicked it with his left foot he missed it so badly, Dallas would have had a 3 point lead at the break. That's where you have to see that at the beginning of the 3rd quarter the game changed in the Seahawks favor. Why? Simple. The 'Hawks chose to play their starters well into the 3rd quarter and Dallas came out after the break and played backups. That's when the Seahawks took control of the game scoring 10 points in the quarter with their starters and then they got an extra TD with their backups which gave Seattle 17 unanswered points in the 3rd. Dallas got a score late in the game to make it look more respectable but the real story was how well the starters did against the Seahawks starters and there is a lot of reason hope. I gotta go right now but I'll be back later to talk about some players I noticed in this game.

[eagle eye]

To expound on what I was saying earlier, the Cowboys first unit with Dak Prescott at QB actually outplayed the Seahawks. The half ended 10-10 but it could have been 16-10 or 20-10 if Bailey's kick hadn't been hooked and if Terrence Williams had caught a deep throw that he really should have had. Terrence knew he should have caught that ball but he didn't aggressively to after the ball and catch it like he should have. Instead, he let the ball come to him allowing the Seahawk's safety to come over and break up the pass. If Williams catches that pass they have the ball in the vicinity of the Seahawks 25. That drive would have ended up either a TD or FG I have no doubt. So, the Cowboy beat the Seahawks on the road when the 1's played the 1's. That is pretty good. This is a game where the final score is not truly indicative of what the game really was.

 

Now for the guys I was looking at for this game:

 

> DT Maliek Collins - Showed some quickness off the ball and was part of the unit that really didn't allow the Seahawks to run the ball. The D-line also had so-so pressure on Russell Wilson. The Seahawks have had some weakness in their offensive line and the Cowboys didn't really pressure Wilson like you would have liked and Collins name wasn't called that I remember.

 

> DE Ryan Russell - He looked like crap to be honest. He didn't maintain containment on the edge worth a damn and I actually saw him quit for a split second while he was chasing Russell Wilson when they did get pressure on him. Same when Wilson came out and the Seahawks backup, TCU's Trevone Boykin. Russell has a weak motor IMO and he may have played himself off the team last night.

 

> Ezekiel Elliott - The guy is all that we had hoped for based on the plays he was in last night. He had seven carries for 48 yards which is 6.9 YPC. Not only that he made some really good blocks in protection of both Romo and Prescott. On the play that Tony Romo was hurt on Zeke blocked his man that sent the Seahawk ass over teakettle to the ground. It definitely wasn't Elliott's man who got to Romo. Zeke also showed speed and burst going around the edge and accelerating through a hole. The best thing was his power which I didn't know he had. On two separate runs Zeke was one on one against Seahawks safety Cam Chancellor he won both battles knocking Cam off his spot. The other thing I liked was the Seahawks tried to intimidate him and talked trash about initiating Zeke to see if he belonged in the NFL. Zeke told the Seahawks, "I belong" and he didn't take any crap off them. Inspiring stuff, you like to see a guy with that kind of fire.

 

> Dak Prescott - Okay, I'm convinced. Dak made mistakes but he keeps missing the bad consequences of those mistakes. Dak threw a bad pass that looked like it was to the Seahawks linebacker instead of Jason Witten but Witten actually reached over the guy and caught the ball for the Cowboys first TD. Witten washed up---not hardly. The thing is, Dak has looked better than any backup Dallas has had since Kyle Orton backed up Romo in 2012/13. Romo was out of the game after just a couple of plays and if that happens in the regular season I think Dak will be okay. If Romo does go down it may be it for the Cowboys playoff hopes but Prescott is good enough to lead the Cowboys to some wins.

 

> Brice Butler - The guy keeps making plays. Nothing spectacular but he gets open and he catches the ball when it comes to him. If Butler continues to show up he could supplant Terrence Wiliams as the #2 guy because he's just stronger going for balls.

 

One side note on Zeke. TMZ (the National Enquirer of video media) reported that man that looked like Elliott entered a legal pot store in Seattle named Herban Legends. The TMZ report did not say Zeke bought anything, he just went in. Jerry Jones replied to the report and this link from Bleacher Report talks about the incident. Now the wagging tongues in the media are calling into question Zeke's character since earlier this year Zeke was accused of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend. Zeke will have to learn when you are a celebrity or athlete you do not have a private life and you have to watch where you go and with whom you go there with. Shit, it's always something with the friggin' Cowboys.

[eagle eye]

I got an alert on my phone today that said that Tony Romo has a broken bone in his back, could be available for Week 1. I have to tell you, I don't know if I was more pissed or disappointed. I like Romo. I've always said he's better than he's given credit and he's one tough SOB as evidenced by how many times he's played with injuries that cause excruciating pain. I have watched slugs like Joe Flacco win Super Bowls and thought that was so unfair a guy like that gets credit for winning the biggest game of all when it was the defense that carried the day. Russell Wilson has a ring but he got it on the back of Seattle's defense. Romo has never had that defense to count on and I was hoping that this year or next he would finally have a defense that would help carry Tony and the rest of the team to that elusive Super Bowl that Cowboys fans have waited over 20 years for. I could still happen but Tony's been hurt more than he's been healthy the last 3 or 4 years and at 36 you know his NFL career days are numbered.

 

The updated info on Romo is that a bone in his lower back was broken. The extend of the break, whether it's a complete break of just something like a hairline fracture has not been announced but the media has reported that the recovery timeline is 6-10 weeks. Jason Garrett had a press conference today where he announced the bad news and he classified Romo's status as day-to-day giving the impression that Tony may be able to play on September 11th in the season opener against the Giants. Later in the day it was reported that the Cowboys have named Dak Prescott the starter in Week 1. Dak has been the darling of the preseason so far with even national media sitting up and taking notice of how well Dak has performed. Through 3 preseason games Prescott has a QBR of 137 and nobody in the NFL this preseason is even close to that. But it's preseason. Nobody has game planned for Dak, nobody placed a target on his back and nobody has thrown the kitchen sink defensively at him. The preseason is not even close to the regular season in terms of game speed, difficulty of reading defenses and facing an NFL 1st team for a whole game. We know all that but Dak still give us hope that maybe this season isn't lost with yet another Romo injury.

 

I saw a tweet on Bleacher Report that was written by a Dr David Chao that said the following:

David J. Chao, MD @ProFootballDoc The mechanism for @tonyromo injury would be vertebral body compression fracture. Fits 6-10 week timeline. No surgery. No long term risk.

2:12 PM - 27 Aug 2016

 

 

No long term risk is really good news which means it's not career threatening unless he comes back too soon and a hit causes actual damage to his spinal cord because the bone isn't fully healed. I don't see that happening because of what happened when the broken collarbone Romo suffered in Week 2 in Philly last year wasn't fully healed when he played against Carolina on Thanksgiving. Dallas' bye week comes after their Week 6 game against the Packers so it's conceivable Romo could be back in Week 8 (Game 7) against Philly at home on October 30th. There are some questions that beg to be asked, what if Dak is as good in the regular season as he's been in preseason? What if the Cowboys are .500 or better after those 6 games? What if Dallas is 5-1 heading into their bye week? How much would Dallas need Tony to come back? If Dak is a runaway success could Tony be done as the starting QB of the Cowboys? There are some serious questions that now come up because of Tony's age and recent injury history. Would Tony be okay to be a backup through the end of the season? Knowing how competitive Tony is I can't imagine he would be at all thrilled to sit on the sidelines when a game is going on but if Prescott is kicking ass and taking names how could Jason Garrett throw and monkey wrench in that kind of success? It's such a fluke injury and it comes as a result of a really terrible slide attempt by Romo you just wonder why God seems to target Romo for so much grief. If Tony slides properly we wouldn't be talking about all this right now. We'd likely be saying that the Cowboys 1st unit looked good against the Seahawks 1st unit and Dak looked good in relief. Dak would have gotten most of the snaps against the Texans this coming Thursday in the final preseason game and we would get a fond farewell look a Jameill Showers as a potential QB of the Cowboys. But that's not where we are now. The whole picture has changed and we are back to wondering just where this team is headed in 2016 and beyond. Again, I feel really bad for Tony Romo, he deserves so much better than he's gotten. I hope he comes back stronger than ever and I hope he gets The Ring he deserves before he has to hang it up for good. I also like Dak. It really looks like he is going to be the QB of the future but aside from the games he has to play to begin this season I hope he gets to watch and learn for a couple more years, and hopefully a couple of Super Bowls, before he takes the reins of the Cowboys.

[eagle eye]

No long term issues except for the fact Tony Romo has been hurt more than he's been on the field the last couple of years. Or so it would seem anyway. So here is an article from sportsinjurypredictor.com listing the games he's missed since 2008. It should be noted that Romo took over for Drew Bledsoe in 2007 in game #7 in 2006 and he didn't miss any time that season once he took over as starter of the Cowboys. In 2008 he played in 13 games missing 3 games due to a sprained finger. In 2009 he played in all 16 games. In 2010 he had his collarbone broken for the 1st time in the game vs the NY Giants. In 2011 and 2012 Tony played in all 16 games but he did get his hand bruised in a game in 2011. In 2013 in the second to last game of the season he spun out of a tackle and herniated a disc in his back that ended his season. The game was against the Redskins and despite the injury and being in excruciating pain he finished the game leading the Cowboys to a last second win over the 'Skins. In 2014 Romo got kneed in the back during a game with Washington that resulted in breaking a transverse process bone in his back in the first half of the game. Romo returned to the game in the 4th quarter but he was not able to lead the comeback to beat the Redskins. The game was a Monday night game. Romo missed the following game against Arizona but returned the next week against Jacksonville in London. So, in 2014 Romo played 15 of 16 regular season games and was a bad call short in Green Bay of going to Seattle for the NFC title game. You all know about 2015 and the broken collarbones in which he played in only 4 games finishing only two of those. It must also be noted that in 2011 in San Francisco Romo suffered cracked ribs and a punctured lung in the third play of that game. Romo played through the 1st half but he missed all but 37 seconds of the 3rd quarter waiting for a pain shot to take effect. Romo led the Cowboys back to tie the game late in the 4th quarter forcing overtime. In overtime Romo hit Michael Irvin's reality show, 4th and Long, winner Jesse Holley on 77 yard pass play that resulted in a Dan Bailey FG to win the game. Romo missed no time as a result of that injury. That was also the game when the media stopped saying Romo wasn't a clutch player. In the 4th quarter and overtime Romo was 12-15 passing for 201 yards in the Cowboys come from behind victory with those broken ribs and that punctured lung. All the Romo bashing that was only partially deserved ended that day. I have yet to hear someone from the media say Romo isn't clutch since.

So, it just seems like Tony has been hurt more than he's been playing but it just isn't true. It's true he's been hurt a lot but he hasn't missed significant time except for last year and 2010. It looks like he might miss 6-10 weeks but Jason Garrett refuses to classify Romo as anything but day to day. Romo could realistically miss the first 6 games of the season if you go by the 6-10 week timeline. Dallas' bye week is week 7 meaning Week 8 (Game #7) Romo could be back on the field totally healthy. If it's a 3-6 time frame Romo could be back as early as Week 2. This is bad luck for Romo but he will be back. In the meantime let Dak Prescott have the con. He's played very well during the preseason and there is confidence in Dallas' locker room that Prescott will do okay as long as everyone else on offense stays healthy. If Dak has to play the first six games he could conceivably go .500 in those games leaving Romo a 3-3 record when he returns at home against the Eagles in Week 8. Any Romo doubters out there? You had better think twice about that because Tony Romo is one tough sonofabitch and you shouldn't count him out. Not yet anyway.

 

Sean Lee has apparently been dealing with a sore knee that has limited him in practice the past two days. We'll see because you always hold your breath when it comes to Lee and anything related to a knee. The Cowboys aren't making too much of this so hopefully he is okay going forward.

 

In his Scout's Notebook Bryan Broaddus talks about what will be going in this last week of preseason.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/08/29/scouts-notebook-what-expect-during-final-week-preseason

[eagle eye]

Tonight is the end of the preseason with all but the Redskins and Tampa Bay, who played last night, slated to play their final preseason game tonight otherwise known as the "Who gives a crap" Bowls. Well, that name is for all the fans who sit through games when only scrubs are playing just because it's their favorite team on the field. Those people know this game is meaningless except for the players who are on the bubble of the final cut down list and they are trying like heck to make the football team. Tonight Dallas closes out their preseason facing the Texans like they usually do. Tonight we'll get to see a lot of Jameill Showers because Dak Prescott likely won't see a down since he's starting Week 1 and they don't want to get him hurt. Dallas has already lost two quarterbacks in Tony Romo and Kellen Moore and I would be surprised as heck if they risk Dak in a meaningless game. Showers is playing for a roster spot because the backup QB situation for the few weeks Romo will miss is still very much in the air. The Cowboys worked out a QB named Austin Davis and he may be signed as an emergency QB for tonight only. Davis hasn't had much success in the NFL and he's had his chances with the Rams and the Browns in the four years he's been in the NFL. I'm not all that happy if they sign Davis, I think Brandon Weeden will be available after the final cuts on Saturday and he would be a great fit in Dallas because he's already familiar with the team and the offense. He would be a plug-and-play guy for Dallas assuming he would agree to a short term deal.

There are a couple of guys who still have a shot at a roster spot. Guys like WR Andy Jones who has been turning heads in training camp but he's been a bit of a disappointment in the preseason games. Or a guy like Mike McAdoo out of North Carolina who is trying to fit into a defensive end position that maybe isn't crowded now but will be in 4 weeks when DeMarcus Lawrence gets past his suspension. He, along with 2015 draft pick Ryan Russell, is in a battle that nobody has really stepped up and took charge of yet. Then there's DB Dax Swanson, a Southland Conference kid from Sam Houston State, who has been turning heads mainly as a kick returner. Then there is the ever present battle for backup positions on the O-line. A lot could be decided there tonight. Let's face it, tonight's game will be a penalty filled snooze fest but it does mean something to the players trying to make it in the NFL -- and it is football -- and the Astros are off -- and there's no new TV shows to watch -- yeah, I'll be watching. What the heck.

[eagle eye]

Dallas lost to Houston 27-17 but in reality I don't think anyone on either side of the bench cared what the final outcome was their main concern was to show the coaches enough to make the final cut and make the team. QB Jameill Showers played the who game as he tried prove he should be the backup to Dak Prescott. He was good at times and not so good the rest of the time. He didn't get a lot of help from the O-line but there were plays he could've made and he didn't get it done. I think Dallas will hit the cut lists around NFL Saturday afternoon and find a veteran QB to bring in a back up Prescott. If Showers stays with the Cowboys it will as a practice squad player IMO. RB Darius Jackson had a decent night despite the struggle of the line to open up holes. He finished the night with 9 carries for 21 yards and 3 catches for 32 yards and a TD. Jackson was the leading receiver for the Cowboys last night. Jaylon Smith's big brother Rod got some mop up duty in the fourth quarter and he ended up the leading rusher for Dallas last night. He went 7 carries for 42 yards last night as he tries to put some good plays on tape so another team will consider picking him up. I say that because through OTAs and training camp Smith was trying out as a fullback but converted LB Keith Smith is going to make the team as the Cowboys fullback. The fact of the matter is the Cowboys didn't generate a lot of offense in the game last night and big reason for that was Showers. He tried like hell but he didn't make enough plays and that is what will cost him a roster spot on the final 53.

The defense played well at the line of scrimmage. They got pressure up the middle and David Irving, who had missed time recently to an injury had a decent game. He will make the final 53 but he needed the work after missing the last two games. The Texans found gaining yards on the ground tough and while the Cowboys only recorded on sack by DE Mike McAdoo you could see the Cowboys were applying pressure on Houston's QBs. There is one player who wishes he had a do-over and that's CB Deji Olatoye. Both Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden threw almost exclusively at the defensive right side where Olatoye was playing. The Texans just wore that young man out. In the second half the Texans tried to exploit rookie Anthony Brown who took over for Olatoye but Brown, the Cowboys 6th round pick in this year's draft out of Purdue, was having none of it. He jumped an out route thrown by Brandon Weeden and took it to the house for a pick six. In all the Cowboys forced 2 turnovers, both leading to scores in the game. That should make DC Rod Marinelli at least a little bit happy. The other player I noticed to who made a couple of nice plays was CB Dax Swanson from Sam Houston State. Swanson was good in pass coverage and broke up several passes. He also got to return 2 kickoffs and a punt but he didn't show the same explosiveness he had shown in the previous two games.

The preseason is over except for the final cuts tomorrow and it is nine days until their 3 o'clock kickoff to the 2016 season against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium.

 

The questions about Romo still keep coming. He is scheduled for a 2nd MRI today. It hasn't been discussed why but it could be Romo is still experiencing a lot of pain and maybe doctors want to see if they missed something the first time around. The latest news is that he will need 8-10 weeks to allow the broken vertebrae in his back time to heal. What that means is a max of 8 weeks of the season is what Romo could miss because the first two weeks are in the preseason. He was hurt on the 3rd play of the Seattle game last Saturday so he had this past week as week 1. This coming week leading up to opening weekend will be week two so that leave the 8 weeks I spoke of earlier. The Cowboys bye week is in Week 7 so Romo would conceivably miss only 6 games if he returns after the bye week against Philadelphia on Sunday night October 30th. That would be the story on a featured game on Sunday Night Football and the NFL would probably see the ratings for that game go through the roof if Romo was to come back then. A discussion about what would happen if Dak Prescott goes into that bye week with the Cowboys sitting at 4-2 or 5-1 is an interesting topic for another day.

 

The Cowboys restructured Sean Lee's contract but it was just a deal to allow Lee to recoup the money he lost when he had to sit out the Cowboys season finale back in January. It's just worded to allow him to get the $2MM he lost when he wasn't able to meet and incentive clause in his contract last year.

 

The most encouraging news comes from Jaylon Smith. He was placed on the NFI/injured list which will mean he will have to be inactive at least the first 8 games of the season. He is not projected to be able to play this season anyway but the worry has been over whether the nerves in his knee and ankle have begun to start firing. The resounding answer is yes. He is getting better and the video of an interview with Smith he is asked specific question regarding the health of his knee. His answers were, in a nutshell, yes he is getting better and the nerves are beginning to work. That is the news the Cowboys and their fans have been wanting to hear and it is cause for a big sigh of relief in Cowboy-land. The other good thing, maybe even great thing, is that Jaylon Smith gets it. He has shown a great football intelligence and he's grasped Rod Marinelli's scheme like a hand to a glove. He is said to be Sean Lee-esque in his approach to the game in terms of his dedication and drive to do anything to know everything there is to know about his job. Film study and book learning is all he can do right now but he's amazing people with his grasp of the Cowboys defense. The word is this kid has "stud" written all over him and the Cowboys are foaming at the mouth thinking about his return to the playing field. It won't help this year but in 2017 and beyond....................

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/08/30/jaylon-smith-improvement-field

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have not posted their cuts as yet but it doesn't mean there isn't some news. The Seattle Seahawks Cliff Avril was the guy who put the hit on Tony Romo a week ago that broke a his L1 vertebrae and will cause him to miss up to 8 weeks of the season. The link below is about how Avril reached out to Romo to let him know he wasn't trying to injure him and what Romo's response was.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000694990/article/romo-to-avril-we-will-see-yall-in-the-playoffs

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have posted their cuts and roster moves including moving RB Darren McFadden to the NFI list which means he won't be eligible to come back until Week 8. Here's a link to DallasCowboys.com and the list of players who got the boot today. Some of those guys will only be unemployed just long enough to clear waivers before Dallas signs them to their practice squad. No real surprises but some of you may be surprised that WR Devon Street was cut. Street was a 4th round pick by the Cowboys 3 years ago but he hasn't produced so I was thinking he was going to be cut and he was.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/09/03/three-former-draft-picks-among-cowboys-cuts-mcfadden-moved-nfi

 

From the "WTF" file comes news that Dallas will sign Mark Sanchez who was cut today by the Broncos. Sanchez was all but handed the starting job in Denver when he signed with the Broncos in the spring but he sucked so bad the Broncos cut him today. Minutes after the cut was announced the Cowboys were saying they had agreed to terms with Sanchez. NFL.com classified this as a low level signing and they are so right. I pray to the Good Lord that Dak Prescott doesn't get hurt before Tony Romo returns from his injury. Dallas will be a grand stage for Sanchez to just crash and burn if Prescott goes down. Names bandied about included Brandon Weeden but he wasn't cut as expected by the Texans or Aaron Murray the former Georgia QB who was cut by Kansas City. Even Austin Davis was in the mix but he was signed by, wait for it...............the Denver Broncos. It has to be true because nobody could make this crap up.

 

Here is a link to a Rob Phillips column from DallasCowboys.com breaking down this final 53 man roster. The fact is this probably not the final 53 because now comes the time when teams look to upgrade their rosters by shoring up weak area with some of the quality players who were cut today. There are quality players out there as teams either strapped for cash and needing to get under the salary cap or teams so deep they can't help but cut a good player. Those guys don't stay unemployed long and Dallas still needs a swing tackle they can depend on. But Mr Phillips breaks things down as they currently stand.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/09/03/closer-look-current-53-man-roster-position-position-breakdown

[eagle eye]

The preseason is over. The final 53 man roster has been set and Dallas filled out most of their practice squad the list of which is linked below. This article from DallasCowboys.com lists the roster moves Dallas made to finalize the final 53 including the release of QB Jameill Showers and the retention of Tony Romo as an active member of that 53 man roster. What the article doesn't tell us is that Dallas still could decide to sign Showers to the practice squad but they haven't just yet. Dallas signed 7 players to their practice squad leaving 3 spots open for an interesting player or two, maybe even Showers. Among the signings are DE Ryan Russell a 2015 draft pick and TE Rico Gathers a 2016 draft pick.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/09/04/cowboys-sign-sanchez-release-showers-7-added-practice-squad

 

The obvious reason that Tony Romo is on the final 53 is because there is a better than even chance Romo will be back sooner rather than later. If the Cowboys place Romo on the IR/scheduled for return list he would not be able to play before Week 9. Dak Prescott has been the story in the whole NFL this past month because of how well he has performed. That's awesome and he gives Cowboys fans reason to believe there will be life after Romo retires. But, he is still a rookie and he has yet to face an NFL defense that will be doing everything they can to confuse and confound him. Not to mention throwing every look and every blitz in the book. There will be times he definitely looks like a rookie. The long term success of the Cowboys still lies in Tony Romo's hands. Dallas still has 3 QB's on the roster it's just that one of them won't be able to play for a while.

 

Another move I believe I've mentioned is that Darren McFadden has been placed on the NFI/scheduled to return list so he won't be available until Week 9 and his value as trade bait isn't all that great now. What McFadden is now is an insurance policy against an injury. The top RBs in the lineup are going to be Zeke Elliott and Alfred Morris with Darius Jackson and Lance Dunbar playing roles.

 

I am getting different messages from sources about DE Randy Gregory. In Bleacher Report there are two different accounts of Gregory's appeal of a 10 game suspension. One report says he won his appeal and will have to serve the original 4 game suspension for substance abuse that was levied on him this past spring. Another report said that appeal has yet to be determined but all that is in force right now is the 4 gamer. I think a corroborating story on NFL.com backing up the second, 10 suspension still up in the air story, is the one to depend on. The 10 game suspension threat came about when it was revealed that Gregory failed yet another drug test after the 4 game suspension was handed down. Before the ink on story of his latest failure was dry Gregory checked himself into a rehab facility where he is still residing. Word is he is doing well and that's a good thing. Not just for the Cowboys sake but primarily for his.

 

This thread is over because the preseason is over. Roster is set and the practice squad is pretty well set too. It's time to get busy with the real fun, the regular season. It seems like it's been a long time coming. It' here now so it's time to retire this thread. Thanks to those who gave it look and for those who posted. I hope to see you in the regular season.

[eagle eye]

That crazy old Jerry Jones. He probably had the line of the year on 105.3 the fan this morning when asked if the Cowboys were seriously considering putting Tony Romo on IR/Scheduled for return so the Cowboys could have an extra roster spot for a position player. Jones replied that when you look at the value of having Romo back early vs the quality of player who essentially would be the 53rd player on the roster was a no-brainer to opt for Romo. Jones said, "We don't have to circumcise a mosquito to know we're better off with Romo on the active roster." I laughed my butt off when I heard that. To think Jones would say something like that on the radio is just hilarious.

 

Apparently, Darren McFadden wasn't a happy camper to be put on the NFI/Scheduled to return list. It means he can't come back until Week 9 robbing him of half the season. McFadden becomes an insurance policy against an injury or injuries to the RBs on the roster. Right now the pecking order is Zeke, Morris, Dunbar, Jackson, Smith. Smith? What Smith? That would be Rod Smith big brother to rookie LB Jaylon the Cowboys 2nd round pick in this year's draft. Smith came to the Cowboys last season and he got some carries as a RB last year. This year during OTA's, mini camps and training camp Rod was in a battle for the fullback spot with converted LB Keith Smith. According to reports, Keith Smith was better at playing fullback but in the last preseason game Rod Smith played RB, not fullback, and he had some good carries. It's unusual for teams to keep one fullback in this day and age of pass oriented offenses so it's downright weird for the Cowboys to keep two. The fact is, both guys play big roles on all the special teams units and both have a lot of value and could Dallas could easily have both active on game day.

 

Some good off field news came out today. As you may remember Ezekiel Elliott was facing domestic violence charges made by an ex-girlfriend. At the time Elliott said he had emails and texts proving the girl was trying to set him up as revenge for breaking up with her. After about 4 months of investigation Elliott was cleared of any wrong-doing. Finally got a favorable ruling from either the cops or the NFL. Things could be looking up.

 

You can't worry about the backup QB. I'm just telling you it's a losing proposition. You are already playing your true backup to start the season so whether the backup to the backup was going to Jameill Showers who has been with the team for 2 years or Mark Sanchez who has been in the NFL for seven seasons but only a couple of days with Dallas. If either plays it means Prescott is hurt and out of the game and if that's the case Cowboys would be up a fecal waterway without a wooden plank for boat propulsion. Long story short, if Dak is decked Dallas is FUBAR until Romo returns regardless of who the next man up is.

 

So if you've got a little time on your hands here's a link to a Cowboys show called Cowboys Hour with Brad Sham as the host. In this episode we get to know rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2016/09/06/cowboys-hour-ezekiel-elliott

[eagle eye]

I'm not the only one who was moping around yesterday after the Cowboys lost to the NY Giants by one point Sunday afternoon. I had people go out of their way looking for someone to reassure them that the world was not coming to an end because Dak and Zeke didn't have enough magic to win the day. Losing just sucks especially when there are so many haters who gleefully rub your nose in the fecal matter that comes with losing. You can't argue with them but you live for the day when you can talk that smack right back at those folks when the Cowboys lose. I had many more good days in 2014 when Dallas went 12-4 and won a playoff game than I did last year when the home team went 4-12. There was a steady diet of fecal sandwiches last year and the hopes going into this year were much higher and the anticipation of the beginning of the season was pretty high. Probably unreasonably high considering Romo was not in the lineup but we saw enough of Dak Prescott to give us hope in the preseason. Dak was decent and if Cole Beasley makes a play and Dez could hang on to the ball in the end zone it would be a way different story. We are all down off the ledge today but the sting is still there.

The monkey in the wrench to ruin our hope came from Colin Cowherd yesterday who said Dak made good decisions but he was too enamored with the check down. Cowherd disparaged Prescott for targeting Jason Witten and Cole Beasley way more than Dez Bryant. Colin continued by comparing Dak to Jimmy Garoppolo who led the Patriots over the Cardinals, who are much better than the Giants, on the road because when he threw passes they were down the field. Even guest on Cowherds show pointed out that you can't win games in the NFL with an average of just over 5 yards per pass. Garoppolo, Jameis Winston, David Carr and even fellow rookie Carson Wentz threw the ball down the field. Dink and dunking down the field doesn't win you games. What was the complaint about Brandon Weeden last year. He checked down too much preferring to dink and dunk. What was the end result most of the time? A field goal, which is what Dallas had to settle for 4 times on Sunday. And yet, Dallas lost by one measly point. I think there is one failure of this coaching staff. They don't use Dez like they should. Back in the day Michael Irvin was targeted by Troy Aikman multiple times a game because he was the primary threat on the outside and his bread and butter was the slant. If the WR get inside position on a DB the slant is almost impossible to stop without pass interference being committed. Dez, like Michael Irvin, is a big strong guy with very strong hands. I would wear defenses out with that play until the rolled over to stop it then I'd wear out the guy in single coverage on either Bryce Butler or Terrence Williams down the field or I'd go underneath to Cole Beasley or hit Witten down the seam. When teams have to worry about Dez it opens everything else up for the other guys including Zeke Elliott.

 

I have one more thing. If the Cowboys have the best offensive line in football why on earth can't they open up more holes for Zeke? I've heard that question but if you watched the game you saw the Giants loading up the box to stop the run as well as dialing up run blitzes. The Giants geared up to stop the run and 5 guys just cannot block 7 or 8 or 9 guys. What you saw from Zeke was a guy who constantly got what Jason Garrett calls 'dirty yards' which is another way of saying he ran tough. There were times that Zeke was stopped with a no gain or just a yard but he finished these runs so they ended up 3 or 4 yard gains. He suffered because the Giants loaded the box to stop Zeke because they weren't afraid of Dak burning them with the pass. It didn't help that Giants DE Olivier Vernon, who couldn't do much against Tyron Smith started burning La'el Collins who got a case of lazy feet and Vernon's quickness gave Collins fits. Jason Pierre-Paul also challenged Doug Free on the right side. The Giants dialed up pressure on Dak when he did drop back to pass and his accuracy suffered greatly as a result. The thing was Prescott could not, or did not, do was make the Giants pay for loading the box the way they did. Dak didn't make any bad mistakes but he didn't burn the Giants the way Romo would have. The line was okay so don't let people tell you otherwise. Dak will learn but it takes time.

 

Randy Gregory is no longer in rehab and he was moved from the Reserved/Did Not Report list to the Reserve/Suspended list. This means that Gregory can go to the Cowboys new practice facility but he can't practice or play in games for the first 4 weeks of the season because of his drug related suspension by the NFL. There is still no resolution as to whether or not Gregory will get an additional 6 games because he failed to show up for scheduled drug screening earlier this year. There is still a chance that Gregory will not be suspended more games because of circumstances around the missed drug test and the fact that he missed all of training camp because he entered rehab to straighten his life. It's also being reported that if he does get the additional 6 games he will go back to rehab. Given that knowledge, I kind of hope the NFL does increase his suspension to 10 games because it sounds like Gregory needs rehab much more than he needs football right now. I would love to see him get his life together first and foremost and when, and if, he does then he can be a trusted member of the team.

 

Best line of the day yesterday? When Jason Garrett asked if he intends to do anything about the sunlight coming through the glass in the end zone during late afternoon games Garrett replied, "Yeah, the sun has been burning for 5 billion years and it will be there 5 billion more. The way I look at it is if there are conditions that affect the players it affects the players on both sides of the ball. What needs to happen is accepting the challenge and make plays." Basically, he means that regardless of the conditions you need to fight through them and make things happen in a positive way for your team. I heard a podcast which included former O-lineman Nate Newton and he laughed his behind off at the 5 billion years remark. He also agreed with Garrett's point of fighting through conditions to make plays. Funny way to make a serious point.

Edited September 13, 2016 by eagle eye