Do you think BP spends big money on FA this

[Thick 'N Hearty]

time around?

We've tried taking relatively "low priced" FAs BP's first year with the Cowboys. I think that was D. Campbell, Richie Anderson, etc. if I remember correctly. We basically waited until the first few weeks of FA had concluded to get better value. . . .

We've also tried taking some high priced FAs lately. For instance, Rivera, TO, Fergy, Vandy, and Henry.

Looking at our holes going into 2007, we probably need a FS (and JJ seems set to finally have RW play closer to the LOS in 2007), a pass rusher to complement Ware, a back up NT to rotate with Fergy, and 1-2 OL, depending if we keep Gurode and Colombo.

IMO, a pass rusher in FA is going to command big bucks, if one is even available by the time FA rolls around (A. Thomas).

A decent FS should be more affordable. Not a "cheap" FA option, but a moderately priced one.

If we cut Rivera and upgrade, the Guard position should not break the bank. But again, a starting quality Guard will be moderately to fairly expensive as well.

As for a back up NT, there we may look for a cheaper option or go to the Draft. After what JJ paid Fergy, I don't think he's going to pay a lot for a back-up to rotate with him.

On the face of it, it looks like while the pass rusher is going to be expensive, if one is available, the other upgrades shouldn't be too expensive.

During the first few days of FA, I guess I'd definitely focus on getting the pass rusher and the OL. The back up NT position could be had after FA "settled" down a bit. As for the FS, that would come somewhere in between in terms of a time line.

BP's signing checks now? Maybe he will stay.

 

[Mansta54]

Parcells will probably bring in Adalius Thomas. The Cowboys have a serious need for another premier pass rusher.

Oh I hope so!!!!

 

[Cochese]

why would dallas bring in thomas when jerry already said ellis will be back this yr? along with carpenter and ware. bringing in thomas and a 7-9 mil a yr contract would be utterly stupid

Adalius Thomas is a much better football player than Ellis who may or may not be 100% after his injury.

 

[sonnyboy]

And another thing.........2007 IS THE ONLY YEAR. There is no 2008. The worlds coming to an end. That should be our motto for this offseason.

I want FA's. I want the best FA at his position and the runner up.
I don't just want DE/OLB Thomas. I want him and the number two guy at that position in case Ware gets hurt.

I want TWO OG's who can start and star for this team. Two guys who can fule our running game.

I want the two best FS's availible.

I want contracts with big escaltions in the cap hits for 08 and 09. Big signing bonuses to make up the difference.
I want to maximize the cap room we do have to get as much talent as possible.


Here's a thought. Why did we cut Glover? To save a few million that we ultimately moved to this years cap! BS!
I don't care that Glover wasn't a proto 3-4 DL. The guy got to the QB!
He was a pressure player! How fresh would he have been down the stretch playing 30-35% of our plays, perhaps only DT or strong side DE in the nickle defense.
How good would he have looked on third down after third down agianst the saints and eagles when we couldn't snif the QB or get a stop!
You think maybe, just maybe he gets a couple key pressures, forces a few bad throws, gets a key sack!

TO HELL WITH 2008!

 

[VA Cowboy]

I wouldnt mind just getting Woodley

I don't care what you do in your spare time.






Oh... you said Woodley.

 

[Mansta54]

Adalius Thomas is a much better football player than Ellis who may or may not be 100% after his injury.

A 100 times BETTER then Ellis. Its comparing apples to oranges... Gimmie Thomas any day.. Ware and Thomas coming off the edge, that's a train wreck...

 

[COWBOYSNUM1]

Parcells will probably bring in Adalius Thomas. The Cowboys have a serious need for another premier pass rusher.

I hope you're right.

 

[LatinMind]

Adalius Thomas is a much better football player than Ellis who may or may not be 100% after his injury.

why would they have drafted carpenter then? he obviously is going to be the SOLB. thats real smart

 

[Cochese]

why would they have drafted carpenter then? he obviously is going to be the SOLB. thats real smart

I guess Parcells was just wasting everyones time whenever he was playing him at one of the inside spots in training camp and at practice earlier in the season.

 

[Coakleys Dad]

theebs, i like your new sig

 

[Mansta54]

I guess Parcells was just wasting everyones time whenever he was playing him at one of the inside spots in training camp and at practice earlier in the season.

I'm glad you said it!!!!

 

[Munchis]

I'm sure he'll bring in a few more scrubs like Kosier and think the offensive line will be fixed. This team has way too many holes to fix in one offseason.

Munchis.....Out!!!!!

 

[theebs]

theebs, i like your new sig

Thanks man. I had some free time and made it wednesday!!!!

I have 3 more of those, one of 03,04 and 05 to go with this years.

I was going to animate them and have them all keep flashing but, I realized we cant use those!!

 

[superpunk]

I don't see a big-name pass-rusher, mainly because there is no room. Carpenter is forcing his way on the field. That either puts him at OLB, taking Ellis' spot (who may or may not be himself next year) or at ILB taking Bradie's spot. Considering Bradie's contract situation, and the fact that he HAS played at a high level, although not currently, makes me think he's at least the plan heading into 07. If not, maybe we move Carpenter inside and Burnett outside, if Ellis can't go.

The only position we might spend on is a guard. Maybe another Kosier type, who the staff sees potential in.

 

[theogt]

I don't see a big-name pass-rusher, mainly because there is no room. Carpenter is forcing his way on the field. That either puts him at OLB, taking Ellis' spot (who may or may not be himself next year) or at ILB taking Bradie's spot. Considering Bradie's contract situation, and the fact that he HAS played at a high level, although not currently, makes me think he's at least the plan heading into 07. If not, maybe we move Carpenter inside and Burnett outside, if Ellis can't go.

The only position we might spend on is a guard. Maybe another Kosier type, who the staff sees potential in.

I know this has been said 1000 times, but Bradie's contract really isn't that big. I'm not sure if he's played at a high level of if his weaknesses were simply never exploited on a weekly basis.

Burnett is too small to play LOLB if Carp is moved inside. We didn't get a pass-rush from anyone other than Ware when Ellis went down. If someone isn't brought in or Ellis isn't back at 100%, that won't change next season. If that doesn't change, I wouldn't expect much out of the 2007 season.

 

[superpunk]

I know this has been said 1000 times, but Bradie's contract really isn't that big. I'm not sure if he's played at a high level of if his weaknesses were simply never exploited on a weekly basis.

Burnett is too small to play LOLB if Carp is moved inside. We didn't get a pass-rush from anyone other than Ware when Ellis went down. If someone isn't brought in or Ellis isn't back at 100%, that won't change next season. If that doesn't change, I wouldn't expect much out of the 2007 season.

I know about Bradie, but it is a new contract, and he has played well in the past - I feel the plan is for him to keep his job. Obviosly, they've shown with guys like Boiman and Vandy that they really don't care what you're making or who you are.

Size is an issue, but good football players get on the field no matter what. Maybe the design was for Burnett to be a nickel LB forever. But I'm thinking their intentions for him were slightly more glorious. We heard alot about his strides in preseason, and then saw pretty much nothing all year. Next year is year three, if he's gonna come on, it will be then.

Regardless, with the logjam it seems unlikely we'll pursue an OLB in FA. Jerry did say the other day we could use more LBs, but we'll probably keep going to the draft. I don't see Thomas here.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I see Carpenter starting in the base defense at LOLB, and substituted out in nickel situations for a pass rush specialist. For that reason, I don't see us spending big bucks on a pass rusher since he'll be a part-time player. Now, a high draft pick? That could be another story. I think Hatcher puts either Spears or Canty on the bench next year, and hopefully upgrades the pass rush in our base.

If I were going to spend big money on one player this offseason it would be Eric Steinbach. Specifically because many believe he's versatile and athletic enough that he could be moved to left tackle. He could fill two huge holes on Dallas' roster as an immediate upgrade over Rivera at RG, and a longterm replacement for Flozell down the road who is probably in his last year with the Cowboys. If Pat McQuinston turns out to be the real deal at LT, that's fine. Steinbach will still provide you a Pro Bowl caliber player at RG. But if McQuinstan turns out to be the latest Daleroy Stewart or Rob Pettiti, it would be nice to have Steinbach to fall back on. I would rather not put all my left tackle eggs in a Pat McQuinston basket when it comes to such a critical position that can absolutely hold your entire team hostage. And Steinbach is still young at 26, so even if you overpay for him now he could be a decent/good contract down the road, especially if he's playing LT for you.

 

[superpunk]

Yeah, IR - Steinbach was the guard I had in mind. It's fiscally feasible IIRC to rid ourselves of Rivera, and we've spent there before. His youth makes it even better. If there's one big name free agent I'm hooting for them to get, he's it. I wonder how similar the block schemes are from CIN to DAL.

 

[theogt]

I know about Bradie, but it is a new contract, and he has played well in the past - I feel the plan is for him to keep his job. Obviosly, they've shown with guys like Boiman and Vandy that they really don't care what you're making or who you are.

Size is an issue, but good football players get on the field no matter what. Maybe the design was for Burnett to be a nickel LB forever. But I'm thinking their intentions for him were slightly more glorious. We heard alot about his strides in preseason, and then saw pretty much nothing all year. Next year is year three, if he's gonna come on, it will be then.

Regardless, with the logjam it seems unlikely we'll pursue an OLB in FA. Jerry did say the other day we could use more LBs, but we'll probably keep going to the draft. I don't see Thomas here.

I just don't see a logjam at LB, unless Ellis comes back full strength. If he doesn't come back full strength, then I wouldn't consider him a LB at all. On top of that, it's not certain that Al Singleton will be back. If that's the case, then we'll only have 5 starting quality LBs on the depth chart. That sounds sufficient, but it certainly isn't a logjam (considering this year we had 7 "starting quality" LBs on the roster).

There will definitely be room for a FA. However, I do get the feeling James will keep his spot and Carpenter/Ellis will be at LOLB, but that doesn't mean it's the best possible scenario (far from it, in fact).

 

[theebs]

Yeah, IR - Steinbach was the guard I had in mind. It's fiscally feasible IIRC to rid ourselves of Rivera, and we've spent there before. His youth makes it even better. If there's one big name free agent I'm hooting for them to get, he's it. I wonder how similar the block schemes are from CIN to DAL.

Not sure if this helps but here is the info on Paul Alexander the bengals offensive line coach.....he is a rochester ny guy...my neck of the woods!!








Paul Alexander

Assistant head coach/offensive line
Offense
2/12/1960




Paul Alexander is in his 13th season on the Bengals coaching staff. It’s his 12th straight season as offensive line coach, and since the hiring of Marvin Lewis as Bengals head coach in 2003, Alexander has had the added role of assistant head coach.

"It has been important to me to have Paul as an advisor, as well as having him for his work with our offensive line," said Lewis. "When I first came here, his knowledge of our team gave me a source for some very important direction. Since then, he has helped me in a lot of areas off and on the field."

As offensive line coach in 2005, Alexander directed a unit primarily responsible for the best pass protection in franchise history. The ’05 club set franchise records for fewest total sacks allowed (21) and sacks allowed per game (1.3). The previous record for total sacks allowed had been 24, set during the 14-game seasons of 1972 and ’73. The previous record for sacks per game had been 1.6, set by the Alexander-coached 1995 line that allowed 25 total in 16 games.

The Bengals did not allow more than two sacks in any game in ’05, and the line’s excellent protection helped QB Carson Palmer set Bengals records for passer rating (101.1) and TD passes (NFL-leading 32).

"Simply, we have talented guys who are technically sound and play well together," Alexander said of the 2005 performance. "We’re fortunate to have as many good linemen as we do."

Alexander was instrumental in the securing of those linemen. Starting ROT Willie Anderson, who made the Pro Bowl for the third straight year in 2005, was recommended by Alexander when the Bengals looked for an offensive tackle with their first choice in the 1996 NFL Draft. Two more recent Alexander draftees, left guard Eric Steinbach and left tackle Levi Jones, also had fine years as starters in ’05. Steinbach was voted a first alternate to the AFC Pro Bowl team, and Jones was a second alternate.

Also last season, the Bengals line helped RB Rudi Johnson set a team rushing record for the second straight year (1458 yards). The Bengals have had a rusher gain 1200 or more yards six times in the last seven seasons, including the five most productive individual rushing seasons in team history.

All of the above helped the offense finish fourth in the NFL in scoring at 26.3 points per game. The team’s 421 total points tied for third-most in Bengals history.

On Oct. 22, 2000, Alexander’s Bengals line shared the glory of a 278-yard rushing game by RB Corey Dillon vs. Denver. It was an NFL record at the time, and it still stands second in league annals entering the 2006 season. The Bengals’ 407 total rushing yards in that game ranks as the fifth-highest single-game total in NFL history, and as the most yards in 55 years. The last team to top it was the New York Giants, who gained 423 against Baltimore in 1950.

Alexander began his NFL coaching career in 1992 as tight ends coach of the N.Y. Jets, under head coach Bruce Coslet. When Coslet moved to Cincinnati as offensive coordinator in 1994, Alexander joined him, in the role of Bengals tight ends coach.

But Alexander’s first love in football was always the offensive line. He was afforded the chance to take over that job for the Bengals in 1995, and has held it ever since.

Alexander is a product of distinguished teachers. He coached under Joe Paterno at Penn State and Bo Schembechler at Michigan. He also was offensive line coach at Central Michigan, a school whose coach, Herb Deromedi, ranks with Paterno and Schembechler among the winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history.

Alexander’s birthdate is Feb. 12, 1960. He’s a native of Rochester, N.Y., where he attended Cardinal Mooney High School. He was an Academic All-American at Cortland State (N.Y.) and holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Penn State. He and his wife, Kathy, have three daughters, Mary Beth, Carolyn and Emily.

PLAYING AND COACHING HISTORY — 1979-81: Played offensive tackle at Cortland State. 1982-84: Graduate assistant, Penn State. 1985-86: Graduate assistant, Michigan. 1987-91: Assistant coach (AC), Central Michigan. 1992-93: AC, New York Jets. 1994-2002: AC, Bengals. 2003-present: Assistant head coach/offensive line coach, Bengals.