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Cowboys Team Report
Updated: July 17, 2009, 2:20 AM EDT
Comment
Inside Slant
If the spotlight wasn't squarely fixed on Tony Romo heading into what is being billed as a crossroad season in 2009, news of his recent breakup with celebrity girlfriend Jessica Simpson brought new attention to the Cowboys' much-maligned quarterback.
Few have questioned Romo's talent. At least not since he replaced Drew Bledsoe and became the team's starting quarterback and rock star-like sensation.
Romomania was everywhere and he backed it up with record-breaking statistics and a celebrity lifestyle.
Along the way, however, Romo's celebrity status and numbers began to ring hollow.
Instead of becoming the next Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman with Super Bowl rings on their resume, he is starting to look like the next Danny White, a quarterback who could never get the Cowboys over the hump despite all of his glossy individual numbers.
With a combined 5-10 career record in December and January, including two first-round losses in the playoffs, Romo is starting to get the label of not being able to win the big game.
His legacy is on the line in 2009.
The Cowboys have done everything they could to set Romo up for success, leading to the team's decision to release controversial receiver Terrell Owens, a problem in the huddle and the locker room depending on whose opinion is heard.
But alas, the biggest move of the offseason might actually be Romo's decision to remove what has been perceived as an off-the-field distraction in the form of celebrity companion Simpson.
Of course, there was no way to know if the relationship had any bearing whatsoever on his play on the field. Even so, there are people who looked at his high-profile relationship as another example of his all glitz, no substance football career.
She's gone and in the mind of Cowboys' fans, so are any excuses for Romo not to finally put it all together in 2009.
CAMP CALENDAR: Players report to camp in San Antonio July 28. The first practice is July 29. Camp ends Aug. 19.
Notes and Quotes
--TE Martellus Bennett has come under fire for a recent YouTube video on his own MartyBTV channel that features Bennett and his brothers engaged in contests to see who could eat watermelon and chicken and drink Kool-Aid the fastest. Bennett said he wasn't being racist. He was just having a little fun and being himself.
"We're like, man, we're eating every stereotype," Bennett said. "Let's see who can eat the chicken fastest. ... It was all fun and games.
"Stereotypes are something we deal with every day. If we make a joke about it, that's even funnier."
--WR Roy Williams has been scrutinized heavily since being traded to Dallas last season and then becoming the focal point of the receiver corps after the departure of Terrell Owens. He said he is not talking to the media this season.
"It's just that no matter what I say, it's always going to get turned around and be pointed in a negative way," Williams said. "So I'm just going to shut up and play ball."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He has to be a vocal leader. He has to be the one and go out and take command of this team. He is the leader of this team. I think he's done that, especially this offseason. He's been more vocal. He's going out and working hard, doing extra with Roy (Williams) and some of the other receivers. It's showing. Those guys are getting on the same page. Hopefully we can start off and we're clicking from the jump." -- S Ken Hamlin on Tony Romo.
Strategy and Personnel
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Tony Romo. Backups -- Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee, Rudy Carpenter.
The Cowboys shored up their backup quarterback position with Kitna and they drafted a quarterback for the future. But this season is all about starter Romo and the question of whether he will finally live up to the legacy of Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach and become a big-game quarterback. To date, he's considered a guy that puts up a lot of stats but can't win the big one. The Cowboys have removed all the excuses for Romo with the departure of Terrell Owens making the huddle and locker room more "Romo friendly."
RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- RB Marion Barber, FB Deon Anderson. Backups -- RB Felix Jones, RB Tashard Choice, RB Alonzo Coleman, RB Keon Lattimore, FB Julius Crosslin, FB Asaph Schwapp.
The departure of Owens means the Cowboys are going to build their offense around the running game where the trio of Barber, Jones and Choice are as good as any in the league. Look for packages with Barber and Jones in the backfield together. And look for packages with Jones and Choice on the field together. Barber is the starter and Mr. Reliable, but the speedy Jones is the focal point. He is a game-breaker and the Cowboys want to put him in positions to make plays.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Jason Witten. Backups -- Martellus Bennett, John Phillips, Rodney Hannah, Scott Chandler.
This may be the team's strongest position outside of running back. Witten is a five-time Pro Bowler and Romo's most trusted pass catcher. He has caught at least 60 passes in each of the last five years and holds almost all of the Cowboys' tight end receiving records. He caught 81 passes last season. The 6-7 Bennett is a big-time target and could be the go-to guy in the red zone. He caught four touchdowns on just 20 receptions last season.
More important, Bennett is more focused than ever and is ready to tap into his enormous potential. He and Witten could be the best tight end tandem in the league. Phillips, a rookie, should fill the all-important, do-everything role of the third tight end.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton. Backups -- Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Mike Jefferson, Julian Hawkins, Kevin Ogletree, Manual Johnson, Travis Wilson.
The Cowboys call Owens' release addition by subtraction; he was a distraction in the huddle and the locker room. Still the team must replace his production -- namely three straight double-digit touchdown seasons. Williams was acquired from Detroit for three draft picks last season, but there are questions about his ability to be the No. 1 receiver. He has worked all offseason to get on the same page with Romo. He will be scrutinized from Day 1 of training camp throughout the season. Crayton became a very capable No. 3 receiver; whether he can be a No. 2 is unknown. The Cowboys are gambling that the speedy Austin, who has 18 career catches, will have a breakout season. He will be counted on to replace Owens as the downfield big-play threat.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- RT Marc Colombo, RG Leonard Davis, C Andre Gurode, LG Kyle Kosier LT Flozell Adams. Backups -- T Doug Free, T Pat McQuistan, T Robert Brewster, G Montrae Holland, G Ryan Gibbons, G Travis Bright, G Greg Isdaner.
The Cowboys have two sure things on the line in Gurode and Davis. Both are coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons and are the anchors to the strong up-the-middle attack. Colombo is solid on the right side. The big questions are on the left side where Adams is in full decline and Kosier is coming off a foot fracture that sidelined him last season. Maligned in the past, the Cowboys didn't realize Kosier's true value until he was gone. Now they hope he can return to form. And even still that might not be enough because Holland has held the position throughout the offseason and has the body the Cowboys prefer at the position. Adams, 34, gave up 7.25 sacks and was flagged for 12 penalties last season. It's not what the Cowboys expected after giving him a $43 million contract extension last season. If he doesn't improve in 2009, this will be his last season in Dallas.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LE Marcus Spears, NT Jay Ratliff, RE Igor Olshansky. Backups -- E Marcus Dixon, E Jason Hatcher, NT Tim Anderson, NT Jonas Seawright, DL Junior Siavii.
Ratliff is the bell cow on the defensive line. The former seventh-round pick notched 7.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl last season. The Cowboys are expecting even more this season. The question is at backup nose tackle after the Cowboys let Tank Johnson walk in free agency. Siavii will get the first shot at becoming Ratliff's primary backup. The Cowboys also let starting right end Chris Canty walk in free agency and signed Olshansky to replace him. Olshansky is familiar with Phillips' defense from their days in San Diego. He is solid but is not much of a playmaker. The same is true for left end Marcus Spears, in the final year of his contract and needing a big season. Keep an eye on Dixon to make a push for playing time at defensive end after a redshirt season.
LINEBACKERS: Starters -- OLB DeMarcus Ware, OLB Anthony Spencer, ILB Bradie James, ILB Keith Brookings. Backups -- Victor Butler, Bobby Carpenter, Stephen Hodge, Brandon Williams, Jason Williams, Steve Octavian, Justin Rogers.
If there is any question mark, it's at the strong-side outside linebacker position where Spencer will finally take over for the departed Greg Ellis. Spencer, a first-round pick in 2007, has double-digit sack potential but he has yet to put it all together. The Cowboys believe he will have a breakout season in 2009. However they have little experienced depth if he falters. Butler and Williams, rookies who both make the transition from college defensive end, are the primary backups. Ware is the league's most feared pass rusher and is a perennial defensive player of the year candidate. He notched 20 sacks last season and should again make a run at Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5. James is as solid as they come at inside linebacker. He has led the team in tackles in each of the last four years, including 206 last season Brooking was signed to replace Zach Thomas alongside James at inside linebacker. He is aging but comfortable in the Phillips 3-4. Brooking played his first 11 seasons in Atlanta, including 2002-03 when Phillips was the Falcons' defensive coordinator.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: CB Mike Jenkins, CB Terence Newman, S Ken Hamlin, S Gerald Sensabaugh. Backups -- CB Orlando Scandrick, CB Alan Ball, CB Mike Mickens, Mike Hawkins, S Pat Watkins, S DeAngelo Smith, S Courtney Brown, S Jerome Carter.
Terence Newman is healthy again and ready for a big season. He missed six games last year with a hernia injury. When healthy, Newman is one of the league's top shutdown corners. Anthony Henry, who started at right cornerback for the past four seasons, was traded to Detroit in the Kitna deal. The Cowboys will have a training camp battle between Jenkins and Scandrick to determine the other starter. Scandrick played best as a rookie last season. But Jenkins was a first-round pick in 2008 and will have every chance to win the job. Hamlin is coming off a down season, which might have been the byproduct of injuries and constant lineup changes around him. Sensabaugh replaces Roy Williams, who left for Cincinnati. Sensabaugh signed a one-year deal. He's better in coverage and just as good a tackler, which makes him an upgrade. Fifth-round picks Smith (Cincinnati) and Hamlin (Clemson) will provide depth at safety. Mickens could also surprise as the fourth cornerback.
SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Nick Folk, P Matt McBriar, LS L.P. Ladouceur, KR Felix Jones, PR Patrick Crayton, K David Buehler, KR Miles Austin, PR DeAngelo Smith.
The Cowboys have made special teams a priority. They drafted Buehler to be their kickoff specialist, which should help the coverage unit. The Cowboys have a game-breaker on kickoff returns in Jones. Smith will take over punt return duties from Patrick Crayton.
**If this is a repost please delete**
Updated: July 17, 2009, 2:20 AM EDT
Comment
Inside Slant
If the spotlight wasn't squarely fixed on Tony Romo heading into what is being billed as a crossroad season in 2009, news of his recent breakup with celebrity girlfriend Jessica Simpson brought new attention to the Cowboys' much-maligned quarterback.
Few have questioned Romo's talent. At least not since he replaced Drew Bledsoe and became the team's starting quarterback and rock star-like sensation.
Romomania was everywhere and he backed it up with record-breaking statistics and a celebrity lifestyle.
Along the way, however, Romo's celebrity status and numbers began to ring hollow.
Instead of becoming the next Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman with Super Bowl rings on their resume, he is starting to look like the next Danny White, a quarterback who could never get the Cowboys over the hump despite all of his glossy individual numbers.
With a combined 5-10 career record in December and January, including two first-round losses in the playoffs, Romo is starting to get the label of not being able to win the big game.
His legacy is on the line in 2009.
The Cowboys have done everything they could to set Romo up for success, leading to the team's decision to release controversial receiver Terrell Owens, a problem in the huddle and the locker room depending on whose opinion is heard.
But alas, the biggest move of the offseason might actually be Romo's decision to remove what has been perceived as an off-the-field distraction in the form of celebrity companion Simpson.
Of course, there was no way to know if the relationship had any bearing whatsoever on his play on the field. Even so, there are people who looked at his high-profile relationship as another example of his all glitz, no substance football career.
She's gone and in the mind of Cowboys' fans, so are any excuses for Romo not to finally put it all together in 2009.
CAMP CALENDAR: Players report to camp in San Antonio July 28. The first practice is July 29. Camp ends Aug. 19.
Notes and Quotes
--TE Martellus Bennett has come under fire for a recent YouTube video on his own MartyBTV channel that features Bennett and his brothers engaged in contests to see who could eat watermelon and chicken and drink Kool-Aid the fastest. Bennett said he wasn't being racist. He was just having a little fun and being himself.
"We're like, man, we're eating every stereotype," Bennett said. "Let's see who can eat the chicken fastest. ... It was all fun and games.
"Stereotypes are something we deal with every day. If we make a joke about it, that's even funnier."
--WR Roy Williams has been scrutinized heavily since being traded to Dallas last season and then becoming the focal point of the receiver corps after the departure of Terrell Owens. He said he is not talking to the media this season.
"It's just that no matter what I say, it's always going to get turned around and be pointed in a negative way," Williams said. "So I'm just going to shut up and play ball."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He has to be a vocal leader. He has to be the one and go out and take command of this team. He is the leader of this team. I think he's done that, especially this offseason. He's been more vocal. He's going out and working hard, doing extra with Roy (Williams) and some of the other receivers. It's showing. Those guys are getting on the same page. Hopefully we can start off and we're clicking from the jump." -- S Ken Hamlin on Tony Romo.
Strategy and Personnel
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Tony Romo. Backups -- Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee, Rudy Carpenter.
The Cowboys shored up their backup quarterback position with Kitna and they drafted a quarterback for the future. But this season is all about starter Romo and the question of whether he will finally live up to the legacy of Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach and become a big-game quarterback. To date, he's considered a guy that puts up a lot of stats but can't win the big one. The Cowboys have removed all the excuses for Romo with the departure of Terrell Owens making the huddle and locker room more "Romo friendly."
RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- RB Marion Barber, FB Deon Anderson. Backups -- RB Felix Jones, RB Tashard Choice, RB Alonzo Coleman, RB Keon Lattimore, FB Julius Crosslin, FB Asaph Schwapp.
The departure of Owens means the Cowboys are going to build their offense around the running game where the trio of Barber, Jones and Choice are as good as any in the league. Look for packages with Barber and Jones in the backfield together. And look for packages with Jones and Choice on the field together. Barber is the starter and Mr. Reliable, but the speedy Jones is the focal point. He is a game-breaker and the Cowboys want to put him in positions to make plays.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Jason Witten. Backups -- Martellus Bennett, John Phillips, Rodney Hannah, Scott Chandler.
This may be the team's strongest position outside of running back. Witten is a five-time Pro Bowler and Romo's most trusted pass catcher. He has caught at least 60 passes in each of the last five years and holds almost all of the Cowboys' tight end receiving records. He caught 81 passes last season. The 6-7 Bennett is a big-time target and could be the go-to guy in the red zone. He caught four touchdowns on just 20 receptions last season.
More important, Bennett is more focused than ever and is ready to tap into his enormous potential. He and Witten could be the best tight end tandem in the league. Phillips, a rookie, should fill the all-important, do-everything role of the third tight end.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton. Backups -- Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Mike Jefferson, Julian Hawkins, Kevin Ogletree, Manual Johnson, Travis Wilson.
The Cowboys call Owens' release addition by subtraction; he was a distraction in the huddle and the locker room. Still the team must replace his production -- namely three straight double-digit touchdown seasons. Williams was acquired from Detroit for three draft picks last season, but there are questions about his ability to be the No. 1 receiver. He has worked all offseason to get on the same page with Romo. He will be scrutinized from Day 1 of training camp throughout the season. Crayton became a very capable No. 3 receiver; whether he can be a No. 2 is unknown. The Cowboys are gambling that the speedy Austin, who has 18 career catches, will have a breakout season. He will be counted on to replace Owens as the downfield big-play threat.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- RT Marc Colombo, RG Leonard Davis, C Andre Gurode, LG Kyle Kosier LT Flozell Adams. Backups -- T Doug Free, T Pat McQuistan, T Robert Brewster, G Montrae Holland, G Ryan Gibbons, G Travis Bright, G Greg Isdaner.
The Cowboys have two sure things on the line in Gurode and Davis. Both are coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons and are the anchors to the strong up-the-middle attack. Colombo is solid on the right side. The big questions are on the left side where Adams is in full decline and Kosier is coming off a foot fracture that sidelined him last season. Maligned in the past, the Cowboys didn't realize Kosier's true value until he was gone. Now they hope he can return to form. And even still that might not be enough because Holland has held the position throughout the offseason and has the body the Cowboys prefer at the position. Adams, 34, gave up 7.25 sacks and was flagged for 12 penalties last season. It's not what the Cowboys expected after giving him a $43 million contract extension last season. If he doesn't improve in 2009, this will be his last season in Dallas.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LE Marcus Spears, NT Jay Ratliff, RE Igor Olshansky. Backups -- E Marcus Dixon, E Jason Hatcher, NT Tim Anderson, NT Jonas Seawright, DL Junior Siavii.
Ratliff is the bell cow on the defensive line. The former seventh-round pick notched 7.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl last season. The Cowboys are expecting even more this season. The question is at backup nose tackle after the Cowboys let Tank Johnson walk in free agency. Siavii will get the first shot at becoming Ratliff's primary backup. The Cowboys also let starting right end Chris Canty walk in free agency and signed Olshansky to replace him. Olshansky is familiar with Phillips' defense from their days in San Diego. He is solid but is not much of a playmaker. The same is true for left end Marcus Spears, in the final year of his contract and needing a big season. Keep an eye on Dixon to make a push for playing time at defensive end after a redshirt season.
LINEBACKERS: Starters -- OLB DeMarcus Ware, OLB Anthony Spencer, ILB Bradie James, ILB Keith Brookings. Backups -- Victor Butler, Bobby Carpenter, Stephen Hodge, Brandon Williams, Jason Williams, Steve Octavian, Justin Rogers.
If there is any question mark, it's at the strong-side outside linebacker position where Spencer will finally take over for the departed Greg Ellis. Spencer, a first-round pick in 2007, has double-digit sack potential but he has yet to put it all together. The Cowboys believe he will have a breakout season in 2009. However they have little experienced depth if he falters. Butler and Williams, rookies who both make the transition from college defensive end, are the primary backups. Ware is the league's most feared pass rusher and is a perennial defensive player of the year candidate. He notched 20 sacks last season and should again make a run at Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5. James is as solid as they come at inside linebacker. He has led the team in tackles in each of the last four years, including 206 last season Brooking was signed to replace Zach Thomas alongside James at inside linebacker. He is aging but comfortable in the Phillips 3-4. Brooking played his first 11 seasons in Atlanta, including 2002-03 when Phillips was the Falcons' defensive coordinator.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: CB Mike Jenkins, CB Terence Newman, S Ken Hamlin, S Gerald Sensabaugh. Backups -- CB Orlando Scandrick, CB Alan Ball, CB Mike Mickens, Mike Hawkins, S Pat Watkins, S DeAngelo Smith, S Courtney Brown, S Jerome Carter.
Terence Newman is healthy again and ready for a big season. He missed six games last year with a hernia injury. When healthy, Newman is one of the league's top shutdown corners. Anthony Henry, who started at right cornerback for the past four seasons, was traded to Detroit in the Kitna deal. The Cowboys will have a training camp battle between Jenkins and Scandrick to determine the other starter. Scandrick played best as a rookie last season. But Jenkins was a first-round pick in 2008 and will have every chance to win the job. Hamlin is coming off a down season, which might have been the byproduct of injuries and constant lineup changes around him. Sensabaugh replaces Roy Williams, who left for Cincinnati. Sensabaugh signed a one-year deal. He's better in coverage and just as good a tackler, which makes him an upgrade. Fifth-round picks Smith (Cincinnati) and Hamlin (Clemson) will provide depth at safety. Mickens could also surprise as the fourth cornerback.
SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Nick Folk, P Matt McBriar, LS L.P. Ladouceur, KR Felix Jones, PR Patrick Crayton, K David Buehler, KR Miles Austin, PR DeAngelo Smith.
The Cowboys have made special teams a priority. They drafted Buehler to be their kickoff specialist, which should help the coverage unit. The Cowboys have a game-breaker on kickoff returns in Jones. Smith will take over punt return duties from Patrick Crayton.
**If this is a repost please delete**
