ProFootball Weekly:Way we hear it:Cowboys likely won't blow up O-line

[TheSport78]

I am not too worried about what anyone thinks frankly about whether we have an inactive first rd choice. Who cares?

One thing to remember that at the moment whatever big contracts we dump will still be counted in future years. I think there WILL be a salary cap again because it just makes too much sense. So thinking we can freely dump big contracts is a mistake.

Flo was handling Allen pretty well up to his injury. He is still a very good LT who can at times look bad or all world. I really doubt though that we can really get anything for him. Colombo was playing pretty well until his injury. Free played RT well. I say draft at least one tackle high this year and frankly I would take two. Also someone like Pouncy who can play guard and center so that the PROCTOLOGIST can be finally surgically removed. Brewster is still an unknown. No matter what any coaches may say (Good things were once said about McQ and Martin and others and they never panned out). Until a player shows what he can do in regular season games and at least several of them he does not count.

With our extremely poor record of developing O Lineman over the last 10 years I am not willing to let anyone who has shown they can play go UNTIL we see someone else show they can play.

We KNOW Free can play RT already. It is time for Colombo to go. All of our OL starters are over 30, I wonder if we're the only team in the league to have this? There just comes a time where you need to get younger, especially when we KNOW Free can play RT. Keep Flozell for one more year, release or trade Colombo, move Free to RT and draft Flozell's replacement in the 1st round this year. Hopefully Brewster works out at guard.

 

[Aliencowboy]

I'd like to see them draft a LT Guard or go D nose late in the
first round.

Kosier's replacement
or
a back up LT with starting potential.

 

[CF74]

We KNOW Free can play RT already. It is time for Colombo to go. All of our OL starters are over 30, I wonder if we're the only team in the league to have this? There just comes a time where you need to get younger, especially when we KNOW Free can play RT. Keep Flozell for one more year, release or trade Colombo, move Free to RT and draft Flozell's replacement in the 1st round this year. Hopefully Brewster works out at guard.

If we can get a 2nd or 3rd rounder for Colombo then I say pull the trigger while he still has some value, otherwise he's got at least three years left in the tank...

 

[hairic]

It's smoke screen season.

It may not be blown up until next season, but it doesn't mean we won't draft a couple early this draft.

 

[KingintheNorth]

I think we should draft Iupati and start him at LG and Free at LT. I would bite the bullet and let Flo go.

One thing no one is discussing is whether Flozell wants to come back. I haven't heard anything on this but he's getting up there towards retirement (will be 35 next training camp). With all of the injuries and a $13 million dollar signing bonus in the bank, he may just call it a career.

If he returns I think it would benefit both him and Free greatly to give Flozell some series off. Free gets much-needed experience, Adams gets some rest.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

One thing no one is discussing is whether Flozell wants to come back. I haven't heard anything on this but he's getting up there towards retirement (will be 35 next training camp). With all of the injuries and a $13 million dollar signing bonus in the bank, he may just call it a career.

If he returns I think it would benefit both him and Free greatly to give Flozell some series off. Free gets much-needed experience, Adams gets some rest.

That's a solid point.

It wouldn't be a surprise if he did announce his retirement.

 

[dthahn]

I think we should draft Iupati and start him at LG and Free at LT. I would bite the bullet and let Flo go.

Drafting Iupati sounds good but why on earth do you let Flo go when it was Colombo who got abused in the Vikings game? Flo played well down the stretch. If anything, you let Colombo go and let Free start at RT. Then you draft an OT to back up Flo for 1 or 2 seasons and eventually take over.

 

[Randy White]

Trading Columbo and starting Free is not exactly out of the realm of possibility. Though I think keeping Columbo and releasing Flozell is more likely given his age and salary. .

^^^^

This




Folks need to look beyond 2010. FLO's is not the only contract that needs to be looked at for the possibility of termination.

 

[Randy White]

I think we should draft Iupati and start him at LG and Free at LT. I would bite the bullet and let Flo go.

 

[Randy White]

If we have the same 5 starters on the OL for Week 1 of the 2010 season, I'll be very disappointed..

If that happens, I'm prepared to say that the Cowboys will finish 3rd in the division and out of the playoffs. They'd be lucky if they finished .500. Next year's schedule is that tough.

This team cannot afford going into next season with the same starting 5 O-lineman. The common misconception is that " well, it's just one more year " and that's the biggest trap that sometimes teams, and most of the times, fans, fall for. It's not just " one more year ". It's 1 more year of training, 1 more year of training camp, practices, OTAs, and players that get older take more time to recouparate as opposed to younger players.

This team needs at least two new, younger starters in the O-line, and serious playing time for the new back ups as well. Do what teams do with D-linemen and rotate the back ups for a couple of series during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of every game. Doesn't mean ALL the back ups at the same time, but give Columbo a series or two off. Same with Biggs, and if possible, same with Gurode.

 

[TheSport78]

If that happens, I'm prepared to say that the Cowboys will finish 3rd in the division and out of the playoffs. They'd be lucky if they finished .500. Next year's schedule is that tough.

This team cannot afford going into next season with the same starting 5 O-lineman. The common misconception is that " well, it's just one more year " and that's the biggest trap that sometimes teams, and most of the times, fans, fall for. It's not just " one more year ". It's 1 more year of training, 1 more year of training camp, practices, OTAs, and players that get older take more time to recouparate as opposed to younger players.

Couldn't have said it any better. I will be shocked if the Cowboys go into the 2010 season with Colombo, a player who has been solid for us but is coming back from numerous injuries, and Flozell who is clearly on the decline. Kosier was a good signing, but when we play those teams with great defensive lines, he gets over-matched. Gurode and Bigg should be the only two locks to have their spots on the OL. When Flozell went out, it wasn't Jared Allen who took the game over, it was RAY EDWARDS. Colombo had his worst game as a Cowboy and he cannot be depended on to be our starting RT.

 

[Randy White]

You get out of bad contracts if the player/s arnt worth it, and Adams doesnt fit that description. He's still extremely good, especially in pass protection. You also have to be damn sur if you release him, that somebody as good or betetr is ready to step in. Not sure you can say that in regards to Adams. Free maybe, but we dont know for sure. 1st rd pick, maybe, but doubtful considering where we'll be drafting..

Forget the fact that FLO is not worth the 7 millions he's going to make next season. If he's released this minute, nobody in the NFL would sign him for even half that.

If there was no future cap, I'd have no problems keeping him under that contract because he deserves it for all the contributions he's made, but that's not reality. The problem is not what he's going to make next season which, again, it's way too much anyways, but what he's going to make the years after that. If the Cowboys can get rid of him this off-season and not affect any future cap, then they must do it. Otherwise, when he does get cut, which will probably be after 2010 at the latest, it would probably affect the Cowboys' future cap.

As for somebody being ready to step in, FREE is that man. He's proven it.

 

[Randy White]

One thing no one is discussing is whether Flozell wants to come back. I haven't heard anything on this but he's getting up there towards retirement (will be 35 next training camp). With all of the injuries and a $13 million dollar signing bonus in the bank, he may just call it a career.

It's not that easy, although in reality, he'd be doing the Cowboys a big favor. A player cannot just decide to retire and keep the signing bonus. The team would have to agree to it. The Cowboys might just do that anyways, but it would be up to them.

If he returns I think it would benefit both him and Free greatly to give Flozell some series off. Free gets much-needed experience, Adams gets some rest.

For that he might as well not return. At his age, the worst thing you can do to him is play him and bench him during the games. You can do that with younger players, but not with older ones. Especially older O-linemen..

 

[Randy White]

Couldn't have said it any better. I will be shocked if the Cowboys go into the 2010 season with Colombo, a player who has been solid for us but is coming back from numerous injuries, and Flozell who is clearly on the decline. Kosier was a good signing, but when we play those teams with great defensive lines, he gets over-matched. Gurode and Bigg should be the only two locks to have their spots on the OL..

I understand the sentiment, but Columbo is needed for at least 1 more year, preferably 2. He was having a good season right up until he was injured and he just had a horrible game against the Vikes. I think he was surprised by the Vike's defensive game plan ( remember that Childress said that the Vikes knew the Cowboys were going to beat the Beagles and have been preparing for them for two weeks ), that allow Edwards to just attack upfield. He's younger and cheaper than FLO too.

The two guys who should not return for next season are Kozier and Flo. After next season, re-evaluate Gurode and Columbo and then the season after that, Biggs. That's how a team should replace an aging O-line. Slowly and carefuly.

 

[Eskimo]

That's a solid point.

It wouldn't be a surprise if he did announce his retirement.

If he retires, isn't it protocol that he return a pro-rated share of his bonus - so he'd have to give back 60% because he only played two of the five years.

 

[Randy White]

If he retires, isn't it protocol that he return a pro-rated share of his bonus - so he'd have to give back 60% because he only played two of the five years.

It would be up to the Cowboys.

They'd probably allow it if they were going to cut him anyways.

 

[Eskimo]

It would be up to the Cowboys.

They'd probably allow it if they were going to cut him anyways.

That would probably depend upon the cap implications and what the intentions were on both parties at the time the contract was signed.

Maybe Jerry pulls a DeBartolo and says he'll pay him in five years with interest once the league is looking the other way.

 

[Randy White]

That would probably depend upon the cap implications and what the intentions were on both parties at the time the contract was signed..

There's no cap this year to count any accelarated bonus against, which is why this speculation about players being waived actually makes sense.

Now, the question is wether the new CBA would have rules that carry over existing contracts, for example: if FLO is cut or retired in 2010, will his bonus then accelarate against the NEW cap, OR would there be a sort of " reset " button where if a contract was terminated during the 2010 season, it's pro-rated figure will NOT count against the new cap ?

We're going to have to wait and see.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

If he retires, isn't it protocol that he return a pro-rated share of his bonus - so he'd have to give back 60% because he only played two of the five years.

I think that's more of a good-feeling thing on behalf of the player. It's not mandatory.

That's why they say the bonus is guaranteed... It's truly guaranteed.

When the guard we signed from GB retired after what-2 seasons? He never gave back a portion of his bonus.

 

[burmafrd]

Sad thing is we have done much better with our FA signings of O Line then developing our own.

Cutting either Colombo or Flo or trading them while we have no good tackle to replace them is STUPID.