Is Parnell the only player on the team with a superbowl ring?

[21Savage]

I was looking up some info on Parnell (full admission of my obsession; he's my new pet cat) when I came across this interesting nugget:

http://www.macsfootballblog.com/2010/09/dolphins-waive-ot-jermey-parnell.html

Parnell (6-6, 290) played only one season of football, at defensive end, at Ole Miss, only putting on the pads after playing four years on the basketball team. Signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Parnell moved from defensive end to tight end to the offensive line, spending his rookie season on the Saints' practice squad, picking up a Super Bowl ring in the process.



This got me thinking if he's the only player on the team with one. And I believe he is. Will Allen lost in the superbowl with Pitt to Greenbay and would've been the other person close to getting one.

 

[Ultimategamer5567]

You have nothing straight. Try again

By your signature I'm guessing it is at least partially because you see him beating out Doug Free?
Which reminds me, I need to update my own sig!

 

[Zordon]

brandon underwood got one with the pack.

 

[21Savage]

brandon underwood got one with the pack.

Ahhh, thanks. I knew I had to be missing someone.

 

[21Savage]

He's been my pet cat for a while and is a viable alternative to Doug Free. The superbowl ring I just found out about in the last 2 hours so that has nothing to do with it.

Hmmm, let me see: Tyron Smith type skill set (quick feet, long hands and apparently the strongest punch on the team as measured by the athletic trainers); hungry and trying to improve. Played the bulk of 2 games last year at LT where he had a couple of bad plays as to be expected but for the most part held the fort down for Tyron Smith. And we didn't give him a ton of help (I just watched him in the Cleveland game again; and from the 3rd quarter onward we pretty much threw on every down).

His performance at RT was comparable to Doug Free's (improved play) at the end of the season and he hadn't gotten that much time at RT before that. Callahan apparently wanted to rotate them early in the season so they've had confidence in him for a while; it wasn't just a spur of the moment deal.

Based on the RT play towards the end of the season, whoever wins will give us some quality reps. And if an OT of Parnell's skill set can come into his own, then we just might have a top quality line.

 

[Lonestar94]

Never knew Parnell had a ring. In fact i thought he had always been a Cowboy.

 

[xwalker]

He's been my pet cat for a while and is a viable alternative to Doug Free. The superbowl ring I just found out about in the last 2 hours so that has nothing to do with it.

Hmmm, let me see: Tyron Smith type skill set (quick feet, long hands and apparently the strongest punch on the team as measured by the athletic trainers); hungry and trying to improve. Played the bulk of 2 games last year at LT where he had a couple of bad plays as to be expected but for the most part held the fort down for Tyron Smith. And we didn't give him a ton of help (I just watched him in the Cleveland game again; and from the 3rd quarter onward we pretty much threw on every down).

His performance at RT was comparable to Doug Free's (improved play) at the end of the season and he hadn't gotten that much time at RT before that. Callahan apparently wanted to rotate them early in the season so they've had confidence in him for a while; it wasn't just a spur of the moment deal.

Based on the RT play towards the end of the season, whoever wins will give us some quality reps. And if an OT of Parnell's skill set can come into his own, then we just might have a top quality line.

Parnell is physically superior to Free. He is both quicker and stronger. As you indicated, he has long arms, big hands and the strongest punch ever measured by Woicik.

Last season Parnell was rarely if ever beaten physically. Any issues that he had were mental. He just needs to improve on the details of the job like how to work with the Guard to pick up DL stunts and that type of thing. He almost always won the battle when the DL either tried to beat him with speed to the outside or tried to bull-rush him.

The problem is that he can only get better by playing. An OLineman can only improve up to a point with just practice or pre-season games. They really need to bite the bullet and let him play. I thought that the rotation was a brilliant method to get him into the games without the pressure of starting.

 

[Eskimo]

I agree with you xwalker.

I was so disappointed when we brought back Free. I wasn't so much disappointed about bringing in a guy who I think can still play a decent RT. I was upset that his contract was guaranteed which will make it much harder for the coaches to cut him or even to bench him in favor of Parnell. I really wanted Parnell to have an open competition with Free for the spot but now I am not sure that will really happen. I think it is Free's job to lose. I really think that if Parnell participated now in a Pro day he would wow all the scouts with his footwork, strength, length and explosiveness. He just needs to get a chance to play for an extended period but for a lot of guys like him that only happens when injury strikes and they get thrust into the game.

 

[xwalker]

I agree with you xwalker.

I was so disappointed when we brought back Free. I wasn't so much disappointed about bringing in a guy who I think can still play a decent RT. I was upset that his contract was guaranteed which will make it much harder for the coaches to cut him or even to bench him in favor of Parnell. I really wanted Parnell to have an open competition with Free for the spot but now I am not sure that will really happen. I think it is Free's job to lose. I really think that if Parnell participated now in a Pro day he would wow all the scouts with his footwork, strength, length and explosiveness. He just needs to get a chance to play for an extended period but for a lot of guys like him that only happens when injury strikes and they get thrust into the game.

Agree about the Pro Day concept. I like to envision what would have happened if an SEC team could have magically traded with the Cowboys for Parnell last summer and he started for them the entire 2012 season. Where would he have been drafted?

In regards to Free, I'm not certain that he is a definite starter due to the contract. Normally, I would think that a 3.5M salary would make him a favorite to be the starter; however, Jerry rambled on about how it was important that Free could also play LT. Since Parnell proved that he can play LT as the backup, I'm not certain why Free's ability to play LT was on Jerry's mind around the time that they renegotiated Free's contract unless he thought that there was a possibility of Parnell winning the RT job.

It was reported that Free and Parnell were splitting the 1st team reps in the OTAs and mini-camp. To me, that is another indication that Parnell has some chance of winning the job despite Free's salary.

 

[KJJ]

He's been my pet cat for a while and is a viable alternative to Doug Free. The superbowl ring I just found out about in the last 2 hours so that has nothing to do with it.

Hmmm, let me see: Tyron Smith type skill set (quick feet, long hands and apparently the strongest punch on the team as measured by the athletic trainers); hungry and trying to improve. Played the bulk of 2 games last year at LT where he had a couple of bad plays as to be expected but for the most part held the fort down for Tyron Smith. And we didn't give him a ton of help (I just watched him in the Cleveland game again; and from the 3rd quarter onward we pretty much threw on every down).

His performance at RT was comparable to Doug Free's (improved play) at the end of the season and he hadn't gotten that much time at RT before that. Callahan apparently wanted to rotate them early in the season so they've had confidence in him for a while; it wasn't just a spur of the moment deal.

Based on the RT play towards the end of the season, whoever wins will give us some quality reps. And if an OT of Parnell's skill set can come into his own, then we just might have a top quality line.

Parnell is going through a developmental stage he has a long way to go to be a solid fix for the problems the Cowboys have upfront. He has a tendency to get off balance so he needs to get stronger. The 2013 season will go a long way in determining his future with the team.

 

[xwalker]

Parnell is going through a developmental stage he has a long way to go to be a solid fix for the problems the Cowboys have upfront. He has a tendency to get off balance so he needs to get stronger. The 2013 season will go a long way in determining his future with the team.

I watched all snaps that Parnell played in 2012 on the Coaches Film at least 10 times each. I didn't see him off balance or lacking strength while playing OT.

His playing strength appears to be much better than Doug Free's. Brian Broaddus also believes that Parnell is stronger than Free.

 

[KJJ]

I watched all snaps that Parnell played in 2012 on the Coaches Film at least 10 times each. I didn't see him off balance or lacking strength while playing OT.

His playing strength appears to be much better than Doug Free's. Brian Broaddus also believes that Parnell is stronger than Free.

Here's an except from the article below "Parnell's biggest shortcomings as a starting offensive tackle is a lack of power, overextending and becoming unbalanced. In order to gain the strength and power, Parnell must get into the weight room. As for overextending, that's a technique issue that should be corrected by coaching."

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2013/2/22/4019386/dallas-cowboys-jeremy-parnell-starter-right-tackle

 

[jobberone]

I watched all snaps that Parnell played in 2012 on the Coaches Film at least 10 times each. I didn't see him off balance or lacking strength while playing OT.

His playing strength appears to be much better than Doug Free's. Brian Broaddus also believes that Parnell is stronger than Free.

Without a doubt. And as you stated earlier, when Parnell engages then that's it. His mistakes were mental. The only people that got by him were those he just didn't try to block. I suspect Free is considered a swing tackle if Parnell beats him out....which I think is likely. Otherwise Parnell is the swing tackle. I want to see Weems play some.

 

[jobberone]

Here's an except from the article below "Parnell's biggest shortcomings as a starting offensive tackle is a lack of power, overextending and becoming unbalanced. In order to gain the strength and power, Parnell must get into the weight room. As for overextending, that's a technique issue that should be corrected by coaching."

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2013/2/22/4019386/dallas-cowboys-jeremy-parnell-starter-right-tackle

Not bothering to read the article but the bolded part is wrong. You have to watch the guy play. Once he gets some experience I think he can be better than Smith whom I like a lot.

 

[Muhast]

Not bothering to read the article but the bolded part is wrong. You have to watch the guy play. Once he gets some experience I think he can be better than Smith whom I like a lot.

Tyron Smith?

 

[KJJ]

Not bothering to read the article but the bolded part is wrong. You have to watch the guy play. Once he gets some experience I think he can be better than Smith whom I like a lot.

You don't agree so you're not bothering to read the article. I watched Parnell play and before I even found the article my impression was that he needed to get stronger and work on his balance. He clearly lacks experience but he has shown potential. He still has a ways to go. If Parnell ends up better than Smith than Tyron was a big mistake at #10 3 years ago. I haven't been all that impressed with him so far he's also been part of the problem upfront. He showed a lot of promise at RT his rookie year but struggled most of last season at LT.

 

[KJJ]

Tyron Smith?

That's who he was referring to.

 

[jobberone]

You don't agree so you're not bothering to read the article. I watched Parnell play and before I even found the article my impression was that he needed to get stronger and work on his balance. He clearly lacks experience but he has shown potential. He still has a ways to go. If Parnell ends up better than Smith than Tyron was a big mistake at #10 3 years ago. I haven't been all that impressed with him so far he's also been part of the problem upfront. He showed a lot of potential at RT his rookie year but struggled most of last season at LT.

I'm not reading the article because no one I know that matters believes that and I know that is not true. Last year if Parnell tried to block you he did. He sits better than Free, has a better punch and hands, anchors better, and even protects the outside better. He just needs game experience and that's the only reason Free can even compete with him right now. Perhaps Parnell won't finish picking up the mental side of the game. Right now it's a pretty good bet at some point he'll beat Free out. Parnell has a ways to go to be better than Smith but he has the athletic and physical tools to be as good or better. He's stronger than Smith, sits and anchors better and has the same feet. I don't know about his run blocking enough to compare them although he's not bad. I need to see more of that from all the tackles. Well, actually the entire line. And while Smith struggles some I wouldn't say he struggled the entire season.

 

[Eskimo]

if you're so convinced Tyron is weak why not detail all the plays where he's being dumped into Romo's lap on a bullrush? Or how about all the plays where he gets tossed aside in the running game? How about all the plays where a DL with a running start just flat out tanks him?

I do know that the Dallas Cowboys training staff say he has the strongest punch they have ever recorded. That suggests incredible functional strength and power. This is from a staff that has had guys like Erik Williams, Larry Allen, Logan Makins, Nate Newton, Sebastian Vollmer....But Parnell was the strongest they have felt.

The sad part about all of this is because he doesn't have a Pro day hacks get to write whatever they want about him without substantiation and then it is hard to call them on it. I firmly believe he has a lot to work on technique wise that will only get sorted out by exposure to top competition. Over-extension is a very common error for an OL to make so it makes sense that a guy who had 0 career starts at OL in HS, college and the NFL struggled seeing NFL quality DL. That was to be expected and was an investment in making decisions for this year. Knowing what they know about him, they were comfortable to give Free an ultimatum and get the salary reduction.

I think what Parnell has done is one of the most amazing trans-sport transformations I have seen. He went from a 250 pound basketball player to a 310 pound NFL OT. His position is so dependent on strength and yet he comes from a sport where extensive weight lifting is not common and is predominantly non-contact in its play. What it did force him to do was practice anchoring against post players and grabbing rebounds and it also forced him to develop footwork to mirror players on the perimeter. But that is still different than facing guys who are 6-5 and 290 pounds running at you.

I think the leaps he has made each year he has been here have been amazing. I think there is every reason to expect another big leap again this year as he refines his technique and increases his strength. I just hope that the contract situation doesn't hand Free the starting job.

 

[KJJ]

I'm not reading the article because no one I know that matters believes that and I know that is not true. Last year if Parnell tried to block you he did. He sits better than Free, has a better punch and hands, anchors better, and even protects the outside better. He just needs game experience and that's the only reason Free can even compete with him right now. Perhaps Parnell won't finish picking up the mental side of the game. Right now it's a pretty good bet at some point he'll beat Free out. Parnell has a ways to go to be better than Smith but he has the athletic and physical tools to be as good or better. He's stronger than Smith, sits and anchors better and has the same feet. I don't know about his run blocking enough to compare them although he's not bad. I need to see more of that from all the tackles. Well, actually the entire line. And while Smith struggles some I wouldn't say he struggled the entire season.

Feel free to post an article from someone you know that matters disputing the opinion in the article I posted. If Parnell does all the things you mentioned better than Free how come he only got one start last season? He's yet to beat out Free who played like crap last season. I expect Parnell to replace Free this season because the Cowboys are clearly not happy with Free. Parnell was an undrafted FA who will be entering his 4th official season in the NFL. If he had all the athletic and physical tools to be better than Smith how come he didn't even get drafted and has been cut loose by a couple of teams? You would think after 3 seasons in Dallas he would be starting by now if he was anything special.

I not saying Parnell won't eventually be a solid player but solid is the best he'll ever be in my opinion. If he ends up better than Tyron then Tyron is going to be a big disappointment. The Cowboys used a top 10 pick on Tyron because they had expectations of him being a great player so if an undrafted FA ends up being better than him that's going to be a huge blow to the team. The Cowboys could have traded down and got JJ Watt but they took Tyron because they thought he was special. The Cowboys need at least one "great" player upfront and if Tyron doesn't end up being that guy this group they have now will probably end up being average at best.