DMN Blog: Spencer wants Ellis to stay

[Zimmy Lives]

For some reason, people feel Ellis, who has never achieved anything much other than being a great citizen..."

What do you mean?

Ellis has been the model of mediocrity. When the Cowboys needed a big sack in a crucial moment of a big game, Ellis was sure to not be the one to make it. He is the poster child for the common NFL player. He goes to work every day and does his average best. He was the captain of three 5-11 teams. He's the guy every average football player looks up to.

What more can the fans and Jerry ask of him? He has done everything within his power to be the best average DE in the NFL and that's all anyone can expect. Why shouldn't he expect to receive word from Jerry that he is loved and that bad old Spencer-for-Hire will not take his job? And, that to prove he is loved, Jerry will give him more money?

Lay off of Greg, Zoners. Lay off of Greg.

 

[DanTanna]

Ellis career, paywise, has been the opposite of most players. He signed a GIANT rookie contract, for what turned out to be 3rd round talent - he was WAY overpaid initially. Then he turned out to be merely average his whole career. Now he is being underpaid compared to the new guys, which is just making up for the way way way over payment he started with.

Model citizen was an adjective commonly used when describing Ellis - AS LONG AS HE WAS OVER PAID.

 

[ZeroClub]

Oh the brighter side of this - it's nice that Spencer is getting tips from Ellis.

I'm looking forward to seeing Spencer in action. Things I have read about him suggest that Spencer plays with a lot of intensity ... he gets fired up and can fire up others. I hope we see some of this in the coming months.

 

[Hostile]

Why would we want to release one of our top players?

The irony is stifling.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

So why didn't Flozell Adams demand a contract extension in minicamp last year?

I wonder how many people would have been in support of that.

It is exactly the same scenario. Player goes down, the entire unit collapses and that one player is looked at as the primary reason.

For some reason, people feel Ellis, who has never achieved anything much other than being a great citizen, is viewed as getting a raw deal. Yet, Flozell Adams, who actually has something noteworthy on his resume, is perceived as being overpaid.

I suppose if people felt he was a nice person if they would feel differently.

I guarantee some of you would. The hypocrisy is sickening.

I find it odd that lots of people here connect the dots: Ellis is injured and the defensive unit goes bad.
I don't think an entire unit tanks just because one person goes down. It was much more than that.
It had to do with teams exploiting, over and over again, a defensive weakness that coaches figured out.
And our unwillingness or ability to make the adjustments.
Also, I truly believe the defense kida gave up toward the end. Perhaps as a mini-revolt against man boobs or as a signal of dissatisfaction with a predictable and ineffective scheme.
Anyone who believes the defense faltered because of Ellis and only Ellis needs to go to summer fan camp to get reoriented re reality.

 

[jterrell]

So why didn't Flozell Adams demand a contract extension in minicamp last year?

I wonder how many people would have been in support of that.

It is exactly the same scenario. Player goes down, the entire unit collapses and that one player is looked at as the primary reason.

For some reason, people feel Ellis, who has never achieved anything much other than being a great citizen, is viewed as getting a raw deal. Yet, Flozell Adams, who actually has something noteworthy on his resume, is perceived as being overpaid.

I suppose if people felt he was a nice person if they would feel differently.

I guarantee some of you would. The hypocrisy is sickening.

Flozell Adams got a 10 million dollar signing bonus. 5 years 25 million.
Let's not be daft here and call their contracts the same.

In fact BP was upset Jerry has signed Adams to such a rich deal right before he got here and said it hand-cuffed him a bit. Ellis came soon after and got less than half the signing bonus. Ellis asked for 10 mil up front but was flatly denied, and Ellis believes this was at BPs urging....

 

[Chuck 54]

It would be foolish to give Greg Ellis a big contract...we won't do it. It would also be foolish to release him because he could be valuable if Spencer or Ware were injured or if Spencer wore down in his rookie year...nope, makes more sense to use Ellis, throw him on the field and make him play under his current contract, then release him or whatever in the offseason. This is a business, and the Cowboys don't owe Greg Ellis anything...they ARE paying him big money that he agreed to when he signed the contract.

I like Greg Ellis, but I don't feel sorry for him, not one bit. Put him on "ignore" and use him like you would use any other player with a contract.

 

[jterrell]

I find it odd that lots of people here connect the dots: Ellis is injured and the defensive unit goes bad.
I don't think an entire unit tanks just because one person goes down. It was much more than that.
It had to do with teams exploiting, over and over again, a defensive weakness that coaches figured out.
And our unwillingness or ability to make the adjustments.
Also, I truly believe the defense kida gave up toward the end. Perhaps as a mini-revolt against man boobs or as a signal of dissatisfaction with a predictable and ineffective scheme.
Anyone who believes the defense faltered because of Ellis and only Ellis needs to go to summer fan camp to get reoriented re reality.

BP has run the same defense for about 15 years....
I wonder why no one exploited that previous to Greg Ellis getting hurt?

And I guess all the players who stated he made a difference he needed to be here are just loony?

While I am at the reality camp can you find a nice football one to attend? I now the Cowboy Wives host one to teach the basics, I'd suggest it for you(hey, they are hot).

 

[superpunk]

Flozell Adams got a 10 million dollar signing bonus. 5 years 25 million.
Let's not be daft here and call their contracts the same.

In fact BP was upset Jerry has signed Adams to such a rich deal right before he got here and said it hand-cuffed him a bit. Ellis came soon after and got less than half the signing bonus. Ellis asked for 10 mil up front but was flatly denied, and Ellis believes this was at BPs urging....

Ellis can believe whatever he wants.

He signed the deal. He can paint himself the saint and everyone can clamor "Greg, oh Greg, you really DO like being a Cowboy" but this guy's about money. If you want to naively believe he surrendered millions of dollars to stay a Cowboy, and wasn't just taking what he believed was the best deal he could get at the time - go right on ahead. Reality will be waiting over here.

he got a deal similar to what elite players at his position had just gotten. (please note that Ellis is not "elite") He signed the damn deal. he can belly-ache, and look longingly at others contracts where he thinkgs he's been slighted, but it all comes back to the fact that Ellis signed the deal, because it was the best he thought he could get.

He can feed that martyr bull to people who actually want to eat it. He got paid. The club has honored every bit of that contract. he could've gotten more money if his performance had been better, and he had notched double digit sacks EVEN ONCE!

He didn't. So he got what he and the team decided he was worth.

Cry me a river.

 

[Jarv]

BP has run the same defense for about 15 years....
I wonder why no one exploited that previous to Greg Ellis getting hurt?

And I guess all the players who stated he made a difference he needed to be here are just loony?

While I am at the reality camp can you find a nice football one to attend? I now the Cowboy Wives host one to teach the basics, I'd suggest it for you(hey, they are hot).

I'll go to that camp !

As for Greg, I seem to like the guy more than most here. He wants more money, so what. He didn't get paid in his last contract like his other DE's (Grant Winstrom for example). Now he feels he's underpaid.

If he wasn't injured so badly last year I think he could have gotten a bump like Terry Glen did last year.

As long as he doesn't hold out I have no problem with him wanting more money. He probably won't get it, but whatever.

The big thing with me is that he shut his mouth last year after the season began and performed well. Thats what I'm looking for this year.

 

[TheSport78]

does anyone else find it ironic that we drafted Greg Ellis and passed on Randy Moss because of character? I know Moss hasn't been the poster boy for the NFL but Ellis is whining and Moss could be set to have a huge year on a stacked team.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

I find it odd that lots of people here connect the dots: Ellis is injured and the defensive unit goes bad.
I don't think an entire unit tanks just because one person goes down. It was much more than that.
It had to do with teams exploiting, over and over again, a defensive weakness that coaches figured out.
And our unwillingness or ability to make the adjustments.
Also, I truly believe the defense kida gave up toward the end. Perhaps as a mini-revolt against man boobs or as a signal of dissatisfaction with a predictable and ineffective scheme.
Anyone who believes the defense faltered because of Ellis and only Ellis needs to go to summer fan camp to get reoriented re reality.

There's also some contradiction floating around these parts. Many say that the defense tanked late in the season because of Ellis' injury. While others say that Ellis has a history of disappearing after Game 8. Which is it? If he historically fades each season, then his injury wasn't a factor, right? I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

 

[QT]

If we drafted Moss, I doubt that Randy Moss would have stayed here as long as Ellis has. Moss probably would have asked out after we got Ryan Leaf.

 

[Alexander]

Flozell Adams got a 10 million dollar signing bonus. 5 years 25 million.
Let's not be daft here and call their contracts the same.

There is a substancial difference in what both have accomplished as NFL players.

Let's not be daft here either.

Adams earned his contract after having a career year and making his first Pro Bowl at perhaps one of the most challenging positions on a football field.

And Ellis?

Well, you got me. He just did his usual. Rank near the top of NFC DEs in sacks at midseason and take his usual Nestea plunge at the end and settle right back into the realm of mediocrity he has inhabited his entire NFL career.

In fact BP was upset Jerry has signed Adams to such a rich deal right before he got here and said it hand-cuffed him a bit. Ellis came soon after and got less than half the signing bonus. Ellis asked for 10 mil up front but was flatly denied, and Ellis believes this was at BPs urging....

Contractual issues are the realm of Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones. Parcells could make recommendations, but all Ellis is doing is cleverly name dropping the evil Parcells name in there to lend backlash credibility to his dubious story that only he is talking about.

Don't worry. We have all noticed he has avoided claiming that Jones is specifically shafting him now and he refers back in time, in a politically correct way, of course. Because he is "classy".

He thinks he is smart by playing the media, but thank heavens, Mister Jones is even smarter.

He didn't get to be a millionaire by giving "commitments" to underachieving worrywarts with self esteem problems.

 

[Hostile]

There is a substancial difference in what both have accomplished as NFL players.

Let's not be daft here either.

Adams earned his contract after having a career year and making his first Pro Bowl at perhaps one of the most challenging positions on a football field.

And Ellis?

Well, you got me. He just did his usual. Rank near the top of NFC DEs in sacks at midseason and take his usual Nestea plunge at the end and settle right back into the realm of mediocrity he has inhabited his entire NFL career.



Contractual issues are the realm of Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones. Parcells could make recommendations, but all Ellis is doing is cleverly name dropping the evil Parcells name in there to lend backlash credibility to his dubious story that only he is talking about.

Don't worry. We have all noticed he has avoided claiming that Jones is specifically shafting him now and he refers back in time, in a politically correct way, of course. Because he is "classy".

He thinks he is smart by playing the media, but thank heavens, Mister Jones is even smarter.

He didn't get to be a millionaire by giving "commitments" to underachieving worrywarts with self esteem problems.

Great post. Covered every angle with truth and logic.

 

[Alexander]

There's also some contradiction floating around these parts. Many say that the defense tanked late in the season because of Ellis' injury. While others say that Ellis has a history of disappearing after Game 8. Which is it? If he historically fades each season, then his injury wasn't a factor, right? I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Ellis' annual late season swoon is a fact. It has happened practically every year.

I know I noticed our defense was not exactly dominant when he was there and it was terrible after he was out. That was due more to Al Singleton having to play than Ellis being irreplaceable.

But that didn't stop anyone from noting feats of superhuman pass rush ability from Ellis, when let's be truthful, he only had 4.5 sacks in nine games. He had 5.5 sacks in nine games in 2005 as 3-4 end. Why wasn't he indispensible thereafter? Oh, that's because he did his usual disappearing act.

That's no different than the Flozell Adams situation. It wasn't that he was dominant. We just had terrible talent in Torrin Tucker trying to fill his place.