Mick: Not Your Micowave Boys - Dallas Cowboys Forum

Mavs Man · 04-25-2004

Not Your Microwave Boys

By MICKEY SPAGNOLA
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
April 25, 2004, 8:25 a.m. (CDT)

IRVING, Texas - With one bold stroke, filled with as much brass as the ones Jimmy Johnson retired following his 1993 NFC Championship game prediction, the Dallas Cowboys answered a multitude of questions Saturday afternoon.

They still got nerve, yes, they do, willing to walk the high wire for huge reward without a safety net hovering above predictable howling public opinion.

No matter what the "experts" said or predicted, or what you are I thought, they obviously did not think the next Emmitt Smith was in this draft.

No matter how the pre-draft words of Jerry Jones were interpreted, most thinking each vowel was filled with smoke, the Cowboys indeed thought there were six running backs in this draft capable of soothing this sorest of spots - failing to see a significant enough difference between Steven Jackson from Kevin Jones from Julius Jones from Greg Jones from Chris Perry from Tatum Bell.

By not conforming to the conventional thinking of taking the best running back available in the first round, indeed the Cowboys would have selected Arkansas offensive tackle Shawn Andrews with their 22nd pick in the NFL Draft if they had the opportunity the Eagles squashed with that trade-up and then addressed their running back needs in the second round. (Hint: Even Jerry Jones, talking about that first-round pick, made a Freudian slip, and instead of referring to one of the top two running backs, said, "Andrews.")

Once again the Cowboys, Jerry Jones and you'd better believe Bill Parcells reinforced what a few of you were just starting to believe and thousands of you have been closing your eyes to ever since the start of free agency:

They are not into instant gratification - no Redskins microwaving success - but are striving to build a solid foundation piece by piece, brick by brick, with an eye on the big picture instead of a mere freeze frame.

And now, if free agency hasn't been enough proof, if trading for rookie quarterback Drew Henson hasn't been even further proof, then being willing to accept Notre Dame running back Julius Jones for the right to grab an extra first-round draft choice in 2005 is irrefutable evidence Parcells is here not to further his own legacy with a quick-fix, see-ya-later reign, but is here to further the legacy of the Dallas Cowboys.

For that you should be eternally grateful.

For that, you should be telling me "you told us so."

Because if none of this was right, if the Cowboys were all about the 2004 season, if Parcells wanted to repair this flat franchise in three years so he could retreat to the Jersey Shores from whence he came, if he was only using Jerry Jones to serve his own ego, then the Cowboys would have done the easy things this off-season.

They would have overpaid for Jevon Kearse.

They would have mortgaged their draft to rent Corey Dillon for two years.

They would have overpaid for Antoine Winfield.

They would have overpaid for Mark Brunell.

And they would have stood right there with the 22nd pick to take a running back none of the other 21 teams ahead of them, including Detroit, Tampa Bay and Denver, thought worthy of a top 21 pick by selecting Steven Jackson or Kevin Jones - and two of the three eventually ended up with running backs.

"It points to the fact this is a building process," Jerry Jones said - again, "and we're putting blocks in. This speaks to the fact Bill is interested as I am in the longer term goal and the building process."

But when they didn't just take the running back, I'm figuring too bad the National Blood Bank wasn't out in full force around the country catching drippings from all the slit wrists after NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Buffalo, in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, select . . . .

Admit it, your hearts stopped. You doused your big screen with Ultra. You thought the Cowboys had lost their minds, which would have been the same reaction had the Cowboys had the opportunity to select the second best offensive tackle in this draft with the 22nd pick instead of taking one of the two running backs projected to go in the first round as I predicted was their thinking.

Oh, by the way, funny thing about those projections. First, nobody touched Jackson until St. Louis traded up to the 24th pick. Nobody touched Kevin Jones until Detroit traded up to the 30th pick, where evidently the Cowboys were trying to climb back to after trading down. Perry went 24th. Bell, surprisingly, went to Denver at 10 - in the second round.

That all should tell you something.

Now it's not as if they Cowboys planned it this way. How could they have? But Buffalo made an offer they couldn't refuse. I mean, the Bills were so desperate to grab quarterback J.P. Losman, they were willing to forfeit next year's draft, and you know the pain full well having gone through a draft - or two - without a first-round pick.

Not only were the Cowboys "looking at the long-range view," as Parcells suggested, but Parcells had this nagging reminder of first-round running backs discovering the NFL world was flat, simply running right off the edge. Let's start with last year, and go back awhile. You decide .

Willis McGahee, Larry Johnson, William Green, T.J. Duckett, LaDainian Tomlinson, Deuce McAlister, Michael Bennett, Jamal Lewis, Thomas Jones, Ron Dayne, Shaun Alexander, Trung Canidate, Edgerrin James, Ricky Williams, Curtis Ennis, Robert Edwards, Fred Taylor, John Avery, Warrick Dunn, Antowain Smith, Lawrence Phillips, Tim Biakabutuka, Eddie George, Ki-Jana Carter, Tyrone Wheatley, Napoleon Kauffman, James Stewart, Rashaan Salaam.

There, that takes us back to 1995, the last year the Cowboys used as high as a second-round draft choice on a running back, and unfortunately for them, it was Sherman Williams. Now of these 29 first-round running backs, how many have been worth the first-round price - meaning franchise running backs - and even though McGahee and Johnson didn't get much of a chance to play last year, since I'm making up the rules, they go into the have not category since they haven't yet?

What, like nine so far? That's like batting .391, and hey, this ain't baseball. So if you're following these odds, of the backs selected in the first round on Saturday, only one's going to make it. What if the Cowboys didn't get the one?

"I just look at the history of the draft," Parcells said, "and the running back position with early picks has been the position of highest failure during my time in the NFL."

Hey, I just went back to 1995. Want to go back to 1990 when the Cowboys used the 17th pick in the draft to select Emmitt Smith? Well, then I'd have to add these running backs to the scrap heap:

Greg Hill, William Floyd, Tommy Vardell, Troy Smith, Vaughn Dunbar, Leonard Russell, Harvey Williams, Jarrod Bunch, Blair Thomas, Darrell Thompson, Steve Broussard, Dexter Carter.

Holy Joe Don Looney, that's 12 more, and four of those guys were in that '90 draft when the Cowboys selected Emmitt and, (ahem) Parcells grabbed Rodney Hampton, who in eight seasons became the Giants all-time leading rusher.

"Hey, the best running back I ever coached, we got in the third round," Parcells said of Curtis Martin, who he picked up while with New England and reacquired as a restricted free agent for a first and third when with the Jets."

This all entered the picture. But face it, if the Bills had not kicked in the first-round pick, at most, the Cowboys might have traded down just a few spots in the first round and taken their shot with Kevin Jones. Or just stayed right there and taken Jackson.

But that first round pick.

And it could be a good first-round pick, if you follow Parcells' logic that the Bills in the AFC East probably aren't as good as defending Super Bowl champ New England or Miami and split games this past year with the Jets - that's six of their games - and then still have to face Baltimore, St. Louis and Seattle, not to mention at Oakland and up-and-coming Cincinnati.

That pick, coupled with the Cowboys' pick in 2005 might net the Cowboys the one player who puts them over the edge - their next Charles Haley, who put the Cowboys over the edge in 1992. At least they know they'll have the ability to sell out for the big one if they continue to improve this season.

Plus, they have Julius Jones, who just might be the back the Cowboys figured they would have ended up with in the second round if everything else was even. A brightening future, no matter what, has a chance to get even brighter through next year's draft and the money the Cowboys didn't spend extravagantly during this year's free agency.

Imagine all that. Of all people, Jerry Jones exhibiting patience. Imagine that, Bill Parcells not in a hurry to hurry up and leave. Hey, the guy, from all indications, was having the time of his life these past two months getting ready for this draft.

Bill, ya staying longer than expected?

"No, and I'm not saying no to that . . . now I am saying that in my heart I have to approach this from the long-range view if I'm going to be honest and forthright with the Joneses," Parcells said. "I have to do what I genuinely think what's in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys franchise. We've had many discussions in that regard in the time I've been here. And I do think having been a general manager I have a greater appreciation of that than a coach who hasn't been a general manager.

"I do try to take a view that is down the road - hey, now I don't know what God has in store for me in terms of my well-being and all that, but . . . ."

But he's not in a hurry to go anywhere. He wants to do this right.

And once and for all, maybe now you'll believe me.

Juke99 · 04-25-2004

If we were interested in building for the future, we should have drafted Henson LAST year when he was available to us for five rounds...we should have played guys like Vollers, Tucker, J Martin, A Bryant, J Collins, Pete Hunter...even Hutch (who had to go to NFLE for us to have any idea about him)...we should have kept Swinton, certainly Dantzler rather than how we ended the season, with a 58 year old kick returner.

Maybe I'm just in a lousy mood...but it seems like ONCE again, we've not had the same play two seasons in a row.

Chief · 04-25-2004

Quote:

For that, you should be telling me "you told us so."

Now, is this line necessary?

Mick, that's why people can't stomach reading your column.

Juke99 · 04-25-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief

Now, is this line necessary?

Mick, that's why people can't stomach reading your column.

Well Chief, at least he spelled "for" correctly.

He's nothing without that Peters kid.

Danny White · 04-25-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Real Mavs Man

By not conforming to the conventional thinking of taking the best running back available in the first round, indeed the Cowboys would have selected Arkansas offensive tackle Shawn Andrews with their 22nd pick in the NFL Draft if they had the opportunity the Eagles squashed with that trade-up and then addressed their running back needs in the second round. (Hint: Even Jerry Jones, talking about that first-round pick, made a Freudian slip, and instead of referring to one of the top two running backs, said, "Andrews.")

If we really weren't going to draft a running back in the first round no matter what -- which is what Mick is saying here -- then it's awesome to have gotten the first rounder next year instead of keeping it and picking an OL there.

Hollywood Henderson · 04-25-2004

Another good read by Spags...It explains to the people with "Blinders" the thought process about building and having long term goals...

They probally still don't or won't "get it"

Juke99 · 04-25-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollywood Henderson

Another good read by Spags...It explains to the people with "Blinders" the thought process about building and having long term goals...

They probally still don't or won't "get it"

Yeah, DUH for such a bafoon like me.

This year's flavor is "rebuilding".

Last year, we were a playoff team...which explains why we let Collins, Tucker, Vollers, J Martin, A Bryant, etc sit on the bench....and why we cut Swinton and Dantzler and ended up with Methusala as a kick returner...

I'd just like to stick with one plan for more than a season.

I have the patience of Job...I read posts like yours, don't I?

Mike 1967 · 04-25-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juke99

If we were interested in building for the future, we should have drafted Henson LAST year when he was available to us for five rounds...we should have played guys like Vollers, Tucker, J Martin, A Bryant, J Collins, Pete Hunter...even Hutch (who had to go to NFLE for us to have any idea about him)...we should have kept Swinton, certainly Dantzler rather than how we ended the season, with a 58 year old kick returner.

Maybe I'm just in a lousy mood...but it seems like ONCE again, we've not had the same play two seasons in a row.

PArt of the foundation in building a winner is establishing an expectation of winning and excellence.

The boys has been down for so long that the majority of the team did not know what it felt like to win.

Great organizations gain momentum from thier pasts.

The Cubs, in the back of thier minds, have a certain level of expectation of a disaster when they approach the playoffs.

OTher organizations, like Yankee's, have won for so long that there is an expectation of winning.

Parcells made it a point last year that this team had to learn how to win.....and had to gain an expectation of winning.

That first Giants victory was the biggest game for us last year. And it was also the biggest for them. Both teams headed in two opposite directions after that game.

My point is that winning is a necessary ingredient to building for the future.

Juke99 · 04-25-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike 1967

PArt of the foundation in building a winner is establishing an expectation of winning and excellence.

The boys has been down for so long that the majority of the team did not know what it felt like to win.

Great organizations gain momentum from thier pasts.

The Cubs, in the back of thier minds, have a certain level of expectation of a disaster when they approach the playoffs.

OTher organizations, like Yankee's, have won for so long that there is an expectation of winning.

Parcells made it a point last year that this team had to learn how to win.....and had to gain an expectation of winning.

That first Giants victory was the biggest game for us last year. And it was also the biggest for them. Both teams headed in two opposite directions after that game.

My point is that winning is a necessary ingredient to building for the future.

Mike...I agree, somewhat...BUT it was pretty clear that last year was about making the playoffs once we got a sniff of it...and that is all well and good...that's what we are supposed to be doing...and since it's a business, it also brings in the dough...But I think the two run away egos, Jerry and Bill, couldn't help but reach for the "aren't we geniuses" ring as they got closer and closer to a playoff spot...that, IMO, is why we saw so little of Bryant, J Martin, Tucker, etc and saw too much of Anderson, L Allen, T Glenn and Galloway.

As I said last year, often, I would have been happy with a competitive team, that built momentum as the season progressed (which in fact, we didnt) that finished with a less gaudy record...and a better draft slot so we could have avoided moving out of the spot, as we did yesterday.

I don't by any stretch suggest not putting forth your best effort...but I would have preferred the young guys getting more playing time.

That we are now labelling these moves as "rebuilding" seems a bit of a spin to me.

Mike 1967 · 04-25-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juke99

Mike...I agree, somewhat...BUT it was pretty clear that last year was about making the playoffs once we got a sniff of it...and that is all well and good...that's what we are supposed to be doing...and since it's a business, it also brings in the dough...But I think the two run away egos, Jerry and Bill, couldn't help but reach for the "aren't we geniuses" ring as they got closer and closer to a playoff spot...that, IMO, is why we saw so little of Bryant, J Martin, Tucker, etc and saw too much of Anderson, L Allen, T Glenn and Galloway.

As I said last year, often, I would have been happy with a competitive team, that built momentum as the season progressed (which in fact, we didnt) that finished with a less gaudy record...and a better draft slot so we could have avoided moving out of the spot, as we did yesterday.

[View Full Quote]

Perhaps Bill did not believe in some of these young players. Tucker being the only exception. But Tuckers situation is a bit unique because of the position that he plays.

I'm not sure that T. MArting and/or Bryant are Parcell guys. It will be interesting to see how he works with the young players that he drafted last year and this year.

cowheel · 04-25-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juke99

Yeah, DUH for such a bafoon like me.

This year's flavor is "rebuilding".

Last year, we were a playoff team...which explains why we let Collins, Tucker, Vollers, J Martin, A Bryant, etc sit on the bench....and why we cut Swinton and Dantzler and ended up with Methusala as a kick returner...

I'd just like to stick with one plan for more than a season.

I have the patience of Job...I read posts like yours, don't I?

Why everybody is already labeling this coming season as a bust just because we haven't signed a bunch of high priced free agents and haven't drafted a bunch of big names.

This team DID win 10 games last year.

We DID field the #1 defense in the NFL.

I don't care what the schedule looked like - 10 wins is 10 wins.
And despite what somepeople think.... the addition of Marcus Wiley, Keyshawn Johnson, and these draft picks WILL make us a better team this year than we were last year.

Not to say that = 10+ wins.... different season different factors...
but we WILL be a better squad.

Have you guys ever heard of developing the talent that you already have???
this thing called. I mean, ya'll do remember how young a team this was even before this draft don't you?

Why can't Quincy Carter get better this year?
Why can't Antonio Bryant get better this year?
Why can't Willie Blade get better this year?
Why can't Newman, R.Williams,P.Hunter,Torrin Tucker, Andre Gurode,etc...
all get better this year?

I mean - all of these guys are young.... are we convinced they've all hit the ceiling so soon into their careers?

Geesh....

If that's the case - whats the d#^@ use of getting all these great coaches in here? I mean - if they can't develop all the young talent we've assembled - what the heck is thei purpose???? Tell Sean Payton to give that contract back.

Dallas has made a commitment to keeping and developing the young talent that they've selected and I for one am darn glad to see it after experiencing what we experienced in the late 90s. Let the Redskins have that 'BIG signing bonus to 20 free agent crap'.

You will never build cohesiveness by turning over the roster every 3 years.
And without the cohesiveness that breeds execution - you will NOT win a Super Bowl.

Get a grip ya'll.... just because we're looking to the future doesn't mean the present is trashed.