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The missing pieces
6:21 PM Wed, May 14, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
There's little question that few NFL teams can boast that they've got as talented a roster, top-to-bottom, as the Cowboys. And that's why, when Jerry Jones was asked about any additional players joining the team, he said Dallas has reached its "numbers."
But there are two pretty big pieces -- Pro Bowl pieces at that -- that remain unsigned. Tailback Marion Barber, a restricted free agent, is one. Ken Hamlin, the club's franchise-tagged free safety, is the other. Jones was asked if, at this point, the two are the team's biggest issues to address.
"I think it's fairer to say that they're a part of our entire team and our effort going into training camp to get everything put to bed," Jones said. "Getting Barber and getting Ken Hamlin on the field is an important thing. We expect to do that, and I think we'll do that certainly within the timeframe that's good for everybody."
Barber has a one-year, $2.562 million deal on the table, the tender offer attached to his restricted status. Hamlin's looking at a one-year, $4.396 million deal as part of the franchise designation.
Both are looking for long-term megadeals. Neither has been part of the team's offseason program, which is pretty standard for players who aren't under contract.
But Jones remains confident that something will get done, with two players that, at this stage of the offseason, have contract situations that are a top priority for the club.
Meanwhile, the team kicks off OTAs next week and would hardly come as surprise if Barber and Hamlin were absent.
"We've had visits and talked with them and their representatives," Jones said. "I don't need to and wouldn't speculate as to when those types of things get done, as far as their contracts are concerned. If their contracts were done, then I would expect them to be part of OTAs and minicamps."
Jones also left open the possibility that each player signs his tender, rather than striking a long-term deal. With Hamlin, considering what guys like Gibril Wilson got on the open market, it seems like there might be a chance of that happening. With Barber, considering how running backs generally want to get their money quickly because of the shelf-life of the position, it's not as much.
In the meantime, Jones is confident that Barber's preparing himself for the season just fine, even if it hasn't been at Valley Ranch.
"I just want to get some things done because he's a big part of our future," Jones said. "And so I want to get his business done. But I need to get it done in a way that's good for our entire team. And that's not a negotiating ploy, that's just fact.
"As far as being disappointed in his preparation or being able to be what Marion Barber can be for this team, I don't see that this will have a negative impact, the fact that he's not here."
Next up for the team, after those two, will likely be Terence Newman and Terrell Owens, and perhaps even DeMarcus Ware, who has two years left on his deal. And Jones expects all those issues to be addressed.
"I say this without addressing any one person or player's situation, and it's not in any way meant to minimize one player, but as a team this is an ongoing thing," Jones said. "It goes on all the time. We have players at all times that have one year left on their contract, we have players that are in certain stages of the rules. That's just a part of running a team or putting a team together. So you don't feel like you've got this big glaring sensitive spot that you can't get to sleep at night over.
"It's just a part of putting your team together, and just by the very nature of it, you have varying lengths of players' contracts, they're all at varying times of their careers. That's just an ongoing thing. And when you ask me about one specific player and if that's a priority, everybody's a priority."
6:21 PM Wed, May 14, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
There's little question that few NFL teams can boast that they've got as talented a roster, top-to-bottom, as the Cowboys. And that's why, when Jerry Jones was asked about any additional players joining the team, he said Dallas has reached its "numbers."
But there are two pretty big pieces -- Pro Bowl pieces at that -- that remain unsigned. Tailback Marion Barber, a restricted free agent, is one. Ken Hamlin, the club's franchise-tagged free safety, is the other. Jones was asked if, at this point, the two are the team's biggest issues to address.
"I think it's fairer to say that they're a part of our entire team and our effort going into training camp to get everything put to bed," Jones said. "Getting Barber and getting Ken Hamlin on the field is an important thing. We expect to do that, and I think we'll do that certainly within the timeframe that's good for everybody."
Barber has a one-year, $2.562 million deal on the table, the tender offer attached to his restricted status. Hamlin's looking at a one-year, $4.396 million deal as part of the franchise designation.
Both are looking for long-term megadeals. Neither has been part of the team's offseason program, which is pretty standard for players who aren't under contract.
But Jones remains confident that something will get done, with two players that, at this stage of the offseason, have contract situations that are a top priority for the club.
Meanwhile, the team kicks off OTAs next week and would hardly come as surprise if Barber and Hamlin were absent.
"We've had visits and talked with them and their representatives," Jones said. "I don't need to and wouldn't speculate as to when those types of things get done, as far as their contracts are concerned. If their contracts were done, then I would expect them to be part of OTAs and minicamps."
Jones also left open the possibility that each player signs his tender, rather than striking a long-term deal. With Hamlin, considering what guys like Gibril Wilson got on the open market, it seems like there might be a chance of that happening. With Barber, considering how running backs generally want to get their money quickly because of the shelf-life of the position, it's not as much.
In the meantime, Jones is confident that Barber's preparing himself for the season just fine, even if it hasn't been at Valley Ranch.
"I just want to get some things done because he's a big part of our future," Jones said. "And so I want to get his business done. But I need to get it done in a way that's good for our entire team. And that's not a negotiating ploy, that's just fact.
"As far as being disappointed in his preparation or being able to be what Marion Barber can be for this team, I don't see that this will have a negative impact, the fact that he's not here."
Next up for the team, after those two, will likely be Terence Newman and Terrell Owens, and perhaps even DeMarcus Ware, who has two years left on his deal. And Jones expects all those issues to be addressed.
"I say this without addressing any one person or player's situation, and it's not in any way meant to minimize one player, but as a team this is an ongoing thing," Jones said. "It goes on all the time. We have players at all times that have one year left on their contract, we have players that are in certain stages of the rules. That's just a part of running a team or putting a team together. So you don't feel like you've got this big glaring sensitive spot that you can't get to sleep at night over.
"It's just a part of putting your team together, and just by the very nature of it, you have varying lengths of players' contracts, they're all at varying times of their careers. That's just an ongoing thing. And when you ask me about one specific player and if that's a priority, everybody's a priority."
