Since we like taking chances on troubled DT's...

[Cheap Shot Artist]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=1839187

Thoughts?

[TruBlueCowboy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=1839187

Thoughts?

If a bunch of ex-Raiders coaches who knew him in his prime don't want him anymore, then we don't want him either.

[Cheap Shot Artist]

Leo Carson either was or is in Jail and our DT Brooks has a nice rap sheet too....

[MichaelWinicki]

Leo Carson either was or is in Jail and our DT Brooks has a nice rap sheet too....


I like our DT prospects.

[crazylegs]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=1839187

Thoughts?

Talk about scraping the bottom of the jelly jar?

[Hostile]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=1839187

Thoughts?
I have been saying for 2 years we should take a shot.

[joseephuss]

I have been saying for 2 years we should take a shot.

Obviously he is willing to sign a minimum contract. He is worth taking to training camp in my opinion. He just may not have it any more.

[Yeagermeister]

Min salary with no incentives....why not

[Cheap Shot Artist]

Talk about scraping the bottom of the jelly jar?

Just like we did with Carson and Brooks...basically keeping them out of Jail

What would the lives of Carson and Brooks be without football? Where would they be?

Im with Hostile..outside of Glover..who is a sure thing @ DT?

You choose..

Blade?
Stewart? (nice offseason... but again..offseason)
Jailbird Carson?
Jailbird Brooks?

Russell has already played @ a preety high level in this league before his self inflicted fall...and is still only 28

[InmanRoshi]

Brooks and Carson are working on 2nd chances. Russell is working on about his 5th chance.

Talk about an "always something" player.

[Cheap Shot Artist]

Brooks and Carson are working on 2nd chances. Russell is working on about his 5th chance.

Talk about an "always something" player.

Very true, but Parcells MAYBE the only one HC in football to press the right buttons of Russell

[MichaelWinicki]

Very true, but Parcells MAYBE the only one HC in football to press the right buttons of Russell


Too much baggage.

[big dog cowboy]

No thanks. I like our DT's also.

[Derinyar]

Our DT projects are both projects and character problems. Russell's question is can he keep his nose out of things. If he can theres a really good chance hes got some high level play in him. Especially if its a low risk contract, it would almost be stupid not to take a shot at it.

[trickblue]

Min salary with no incentives....why not

If... and only IF he agrees to a "no-knucklehead clause"

I am past worrying about Cowboys/potential Cowboys with troubled pasts... we will get the rap no matter what as long as ESPN is on the air and has footage of "The Catch"...

Sign who can help...

[speedkilz88]

Russell reminds me so much of Leon Lett. What a waste.

[SALADIN]

I have been saying for 2 years we should take a shot.

I'm with you Hos.

And it's not like he's over the hill and washed up. He just turned 28 in May.

Min contract and if it doesn't work out, turn him lose. No harm no foul.

[jobberone]

And he will take a roster spot that could mean cutting a promising player.

Let me resurrect his career elsewhere IMO.

[Skeptic]

Hmm.

Vet's min I might be inclined.

Anything else and this ex-rapist can kiss my ***.

At the same time, who else but Zim and Parcells can whip this bad boy into shape?

[SALADIN]

And he will take a roster spot that could mean cutting a promising player.

Let me resurrect his career elsewhere IMO.

If the player was that promising then he wouldn't get beat out of a roster spot.

This is about the best man winning, putting the players on the final 53...right? ;)

[InmanRoshi]

We're already overloaded at DT prospects as it is.

Just a little reminder about Russell's past 4 years ...

Failed a drug test and gets put into the NFL Substance Abuse Program. Russell, in a never ending pattern of failing to accept responsibility, claims he inhaled 2nd hand marijuanna smoke. Skips a drug test, which is essentially the same as failing, and gets handed a 4 game suspension. Gets a 1 year suspension for failing a third test drug test and admits he tested positive for ecstasy, but claims that it was unknowingly spiked in his drink. Tagliabue then raised the suspension from 1 year to indefinite because he wasn't satisfied with Russell's participation in the program after he is charged with DUI when he is caught driving drunk after leaving a Nevada Brothel. After posting bail for the DUI, the owners of the Nevada Brothel said Russell immediately returned right back at the Bunny Ranch from jail. Then he was charged with 25 counts of rape and sexual assualt for drugging a woman and having sex with her. While cleared of cirminal activity, Russell (at the very least) demonstrated very questionable character in the events by admitting he videotaped two friends (both convicted felons) having sex with the accuser. Makes his comeback with the Redskins last year, and goes on and on about how gratefull he is for the 2nd chance and how he's learned his lesson. Russell demonstrates his gratitude by showing up late for Redskin practices and was deactivated. The Redskins, desperate for any DL help, decline even the possibility of resigning him. Russell, with no other suitors, is forced to sign a minimum wage contract with the Bucs for no bonus. Russell doesn't even see his first training camp with the Bucs before being released for undisclosed reasons.

.... yeah, I'm real sure he's learned his lesson THIS time. I'm not under the illusion that the NFL is composed of Boy Scouts, but this guy is nothing more than a liar, a con artist and a sociopath. I don't want this scumbag to be rewarded for his behavour by even making $500,000 while playing in a Cowboy uniform. He needs to go work at Burger King for $6.50 working a friar and cleaning toilets.

[crazylegs]

Just like we did with Carson and Brooks...basically keeping them out of Jail

What would the lives of Carson and Brooks be without football? Where would they be?

Im with Hostile..outside of Glover..who is a sure thing @ DT?

You choose..

Blade?
Stewart? (nice offseason... but again..offseason)
Jailbird Carson?
Jailbird Brooks?

Russell has already played @ a preety high level in this league before his self inflicted fall...and is still only 28

You haven’t convinced me if you’re agreeing with me or against me? But I assume you mean, give this puke another chance.

Russ is a total looser, give him 2 chances, 5 chances, 50 chances, 100 chances?

At some point you have to ask yourself. Do you even want this person living in your town? To hell with football, do you even want this person living in your town?

[M'Kevon]

Very true, but Parcells MAYBE the only one HC in football to press the right buttons of Russell

couldn't press this clown's "right buttons". Pass.

[BrAinPaiNt]

Per the Daily Turd.....HOWEVER...was listening to ESPN radio and it seems rumors of a failed drug test are floating around the league.....so we will wait and see....
Either way I say PASS on this guy at all costs.

REASONS FOR RUSSELL RELEASE A MYSTERY



A day after the Tampa Bay Bucs decided abruptly to part ways with former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Darrell Russell, the reasons for the move are in dispute.



The oddest aspect of the development is that the Bucs didn't bother to inform Russell before cutting him. According to the Tampa Tribune, he learned of it via a phone call from a friend who heard the news on ESPN.



Russell explains away the decision to dump him by pointing to the team's depth at the nose tackle position. "This is all about Tampa Bay freeing up a position they felt they were stacked in,'' Russell said. "Even though I had a rapport with [G.M.] Bruce [Allen], Coach [Jon] Gruden and [defensive line coach] Rod Marinelli, I was competing against guys like Chuck Darby and Ellis Wyms, who had been in the program for years."



The team provides a different spin. "We had strict parameters for this young man, and those parameters were not met,'' Gruden said. "We put in all these hurdles to test how much of a price Darrell was willing to pay. It's disappointing, because even before the relationship begins, the relationship is over."



In an apparent effort to defuse speculation that Russell reverted to prior conduct (actual and/or alleged), Allen said, "You can rule that out -- Darrell didn't break any laws. But he didn't comply, and it didn't work out for him. It is what it is. You feel for the player because this was a second, third or fourth chance for him."



Still, there is speculation in league circles (and speculation only), that the Bucs made the move upon receiving from the NFL official notice that Russell had tested positive for a banned substance, which most likely would have triggered a mandatory suspension. As one league source explained to us, there otherwise would have been no reason to jettison before camp opened a guy who is making the veteran minimum, which would cost the team only $450,000 in real dollars and in cap dollars.



If the move indeed were prompted by receipt of such notification from the NFL (and we'll say it again -- we're speculating as to whether any league policies were violated by Russell), this would make the team's failure to give him a ring before making the move more understandable, since Russell and/or his agent soon will be receiving their own copy of the letter.



Other theories making the rounds are that Russell was 20 pounds overweight, that he has lost his high-level ability, and that he simply doesn't like playing football. The last reason meshes most closely with Gruden's explanation that the team tried to test Russell by seeing how much of a price he was willing to pay.



Still, Russell's ultimate transgression was sufficiently serious to prompt Gruden and Allen to proceed without bothering to make a phone call to the player first, and this tells us: (1) that something came to their attention out of the blue; (2) that it was sufficiently clear and convincing to make any efforts to obtain an explanation from Russell useless; (3) and/or that Allen and/or Gruden were sufficiently pissed off by the news to prompt them to hit the kill switch immediately.



So if we were betting men (and as far as anyone knows we aren't), we'd drop some coin on the "positive pee test" square.



And for the other end of the parlay, we'd wager that Russell's NFL career is done, permanently.

[Sitting Bull]

I like our DTs, but I don't see much of a downside risk in checking him out. The key question- is he crazy or lazy? Oh, and how many personalities does he have?

[SALADIN]

...demonstrated very questionable character in the events by admitting he videotaped two friends (both convicted felons) having sex with the accuser..


Who doesn't have AT LEAST two friends who aren't convicted felons?

...anyone? :o