InmanRoshi
Zone Scribe
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I want to accessible and responsive to your questions about the team or players. Or comments about the new commish.
Take on TO’s injury?
I rely heavily on our trainers and doctors on medical aspects. I was just in the dentists office about a possible root canal a few hours ago, and he said he’s not going to do anything until I tell him exactly what the problem was. Regardless of what the x-rays say. That’s the policy of the Dallas Cowboys. It all comes down to the player’s assessment of where he is. We have confidence that he is making every effort he can to get ready for our season.
Does it bother you that he and Bill haven’t discussed it?
I haven’t been with a coach in 17 years that spent a lot of time talking with injured players. They all get their information from their trainers and staff.
Has the scrutiny exceeded your expectations?
Not surprising at all. If this was Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith or Troy Aikman they would get the same amount of attention if they couldn’t practice with injury.
Are you aware of the reports that he’s faking it?
I think that’s completely out in left field and not the case.
Are you okay with him bringing in his own people?
Yes. This has been going on for the 17 years I’ve been with the Cowboys. When we initially talked, I knew that Terrell uses several people to prepare to play and he has specialists that advise and treat him. Its not surprising and its normal course of business.
At what point does his absence become a problem?
The fundamental reason you practice is to rep and get familiar with the schemes and get coordination with the QB. So the more time you spend the better you can execute early. But this season is a marathon. Its several months, and hundreds of plays long. You have to use perspective when it comes to missing a few practices early. Will we even remember this conversation in December? My experience is they’re not even remembered by anyone.
TO forged a relationship with you. Will that work with you as a go between you and Bill?
I don’t see that as my role. Its not surprising it happened, because I was the first person to deal with him when we conducted business. But that’s not my role. His relationship with his coaches, teammates and Bill are all individual and have their own nuances. It doesn’t work in anything I’ve ever done in my life to be a go between.
Why did TO approach you yesterday?
To ask me if we made a good decision as commissioner.
(laughing) Is that true?
What a hell of a thing to say to me Babe.
I don’t think that’s true.
You would be surprised how many players have asked me about it. Everyone has an interest in it. I’ve had several consersations with all kinds of people in my organization about it.
Does this whole situation seem volatile to you?
If I had a heartattack everytime we had an injury that kept a player out a week, I wouldn’t have lasted a week in the NFL. It’s a part of how you put a team together. One thing I know for sure when we put our team together in the spring is that we will have an injury, I just don’t know to who. I would rather one happen at the start of the season and have the player helping you win a Superbowl at the end of the season. My first year we paid a running back a lot of money from Nebraska and the first day he was out there a safety hit him out of bounds and he was out of the year. Ruined him. I paid him $400k and it was a fortune in 1989. That was my introduction into the NFL. Its not just the impact on the team, its the financial aspect of it too.
Bradie James new contract?
His agent is here and we’re discussing it right now. That’s been going on for a couple of days.
What do you like about him?
Bradie is very smart. Overcome some tough family problems. He’s handled adversity at a young age. It wasn’t given to him here, he had to improve and work for it. I like his size and speed. He can overcome some of his shortcomings with experience. He plays downhill and will take it on physically, which he has to do at that position.
You got used to Troy Aikman at QB the #1 pick in the draft. You’ve drafted Qb’s high like Quincy. Is there irony that a guy from Eastern Illionios now might be your future QB now?
Well, we have some potential to not have to take on the huge risk that comes with the top of the draft that just cripples clubs when they miss. And they miss. Its such a drain to miss at the top of the draft, with the commitment of the assets. Obviously, you haven’t seen me try to trade up to the top of the draft to make that investment in picks and money. Quincy is an example of that. We wanted a multi year contract to develop him and it didn’t work out. So if Tony came along, at least that plan will have paid off.
Are you as anxious as all the fans are to see him out there?
I can’t help, at any position, to want to see a young player knowing that there is something in the future there. On the otherhand, I don’t want my enthusiasm for the future color the fact that my expectations for this year will be hard to reach with a rookie QB .. and having not taken a snap in the NFL, that’s what I consider him. On the other hand, it would be exciting to see him establish something here with something on the line. We had him in preseason last year and he performed well. But this year, Bledsoe with a great defense is what I’m depending on to get us to the Superbowl. Although stranger things have happened .. Marino went to the Superbowl his rookie year. But I’m not saying he’s Marino.
What is your comfort level with the OL?
That’s our biggest challenge. Flozell will need to improve, and will. We got a lot of ‘if’s there. But that doesn’t surprise me, because we really had the circumstances to really evaluate them. We haven’t found out a lot at RT either. Again, that our biggest challenge. That’s the best way I can put it.
Feel good at Kosier at left guard?
I can’t narrow it down to that, I’ve got to look at the whole picture there, and I don’t feel any different than I felt when we came into camp. We got to see some things and we got some work to do.
Do you really look at this TO deal the same at Troy and Emmitt?
I used the example when you asked me about injury. Injuries to those players would have gotten a lot of attention. Michael wasn’t without criticism beyond injury. Deion in his own way had cynics. This isn’t new to me. I’ve seen this time of year come and go, and seen those guys win a Superbowl in January. So obviously it didn’t effect the result.
Do you know TO enough to say it really is an injury?
There’s no doubt in my mind. None. None. I just got the most sophisticated x-ray in the world done on my root canal, and it came up inconclusive. The doctor said if I felt pain there then we’ll just go ahead with the root canal. We get so caught up on these technical devices that we want clear diagnosis. How many times have we taken a family member to the hospital and gotten 5 different diagnosis? Its not an exact science. The patient and the player has to be the decision maker. His record of competing and pushing through with injury is premiere. He had time in SF when he was down in trainng camp. We’re well aware of it.
Did you get the root canal?
No. I put it off. I said “give me a big bottle of Vicatin and said we’ll talk about it later”.
Take on TO’s injury?
I rely heavily on our trainers and doctors on medical aspects. I was just in the dentists office about a possible root canal a few hours ago, and he said he’s not going to do anything until I tell him exactly what the problem was. Regardless of what the x-rays say. That’s the policy of the Dallas Cowboys. It all comes down to the player’s assessment of where he is. We have confidence that he is making every effort he can to get ready for our season.
Does it bother you that he and Bill haven’t discussed it?
I haven’t been with a coach in 17 years that spent a lot of time talking with injured players. They all get their information from their trainers and staff.
Has the scrutiny exceeded your expectations?
Not surprising at all. If this was Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith or Troy Aikman they would get the same amount of attention if they couldn’t practice with injury.
Are you aware of the reports that he’s faking it?
I think that’s completely out in left field and not the case.
Are you okay with him bringing in his own people?
Yes. This has been going on for the 17 years I’ve been with the Cowboys. When we initially talked, I knew that Terrell uses several people to prepare to play and he has specialists that advise and treat him. Its not surprising and its normal course of business.
At what point does his absence become a problem?
The fundamental reason you practice is to rep and get familiar with the schemes and get coordination with the QB. So the more time you spend the better you can execute early. But this season is a marathon. Its several months, and hundreds of plays long. You have to use perspective when it comes to missing a few practices early. Will we even remember this conversation in December? My experience is they’re not even remembered by anyone.
TO forged a relationship with you. Will that work with you as a go between you and Bill?
I don’t see that as my role. Its not surprising it happened, because I was the first person to deal with him when we conducted business. But that’s not my role. His relationship with his coaches, teammates and Bill are all individual and have their own nuances. It doesn’t work in anything I’ve ever done in my life to be a go between.
Why did TO approach you yesterday?
To ask me if we made a good decision as commissioner.
(laughing) Is that true?
What a hell of a thing to say to me Babe.
I don’t think that’s true.
You would be surprised how many players have asked me about it. Everyone has an interest in it. I’ve had several consersations with all kinds of people in my organization about it.
Does this whole situation seem volatile to you?
If I had a heartattack everytime we had an injury that kept a player out a week, I wouldn’t have lasted a week in the NFL. It’s a part of how you put a team together. One thing I know for sure when we put our team together in the spring is that we will have an injury, I just don’t know to who. I would rather one happen at the start of the season and have the player helping you win a Superbowl at the end of the season. My first year we paid a running back a lot of money from Nebraska and the first day he was out there a safety hit him out of bounds and he was out of the year. Ruined him. I paid him $400k and it was a fortune in 1989. That was my introduction into the NFL. Its not just the impact on the team, its the financial aspect of it too.
Bradie James new contract?
His agent is here and we’re discussing it right now. That’s been going on for a couple of days.
What do you like about him?
Bradie is very smart. Overcome some tough family problems. He’s handled adversity at a young age. It wasn’t given to him here, he had to improve and work for it. I like his size and speed. He can overcome some of his shortcomings with experience. He plays downhill and will take it on physically, which he has to do at that position.
You got used to Troy Aikman at QB the #1 pick in the draft. You’ve drafted Qb’s high like Quincy. Is there irony that a guy from Eastern Illionios now might be your future QB now?
Well, we have some potential to not have to take on the huge risk that comes with the top of the draft that just cripples clubs when they miss. And they miss. Its such a drain to miss at the top of the draft, with the commitment of the assets. Obviously, you haven’t seen me try to trade up to the top of the draft to make that investment in picks and money. Quincy is an example of that. We wanted a multi year contract to develop him and it didn’t work out. So if Tony came along, at least that plan will have paid off.
Are you as anxious as all the fans are to see him out there?
I can’t help, at any position, to want to see a young player knowing that there is something in the future there. On the otherhand, I don’t want my enthusiasm for the future color the fact that my expectations for this year will be hard to reach with a rookie QB .. and having not taken a snap in the NFL, that’s what I consider him. On the other hand, it would be exciting to see him establish something here with something on the line. We had him in preseason last year and he performed well. But this year, Bledsoe with a great defense is what I’m depending on to get us to the Superbowl. Although stranger things have happened .. Marino went to the Superbowl his rookie year. But I’m not saying he’s Marino.
What is your comfort level with the OL?
That’s our biggest challenge. Flozell will need to improve, and will. We got a lot of ‘if’s there. But that doesn’t surprise me, because we really had the circumstances to really evaluate them. We haven’t found out a lot at RT either. Again, that our biggest challenge. That’s the best way I can put it.
Feel good at Kosier at left guard?
I can’t narrow it down to that, I’ve got to look at the whole picture there, and I don’t feel any different than I felt when we came into camp. We got to see some things and we got some work to do.
Do you really look at this TO deal the same at Troy and Emmitt?
I used the example when you asked me about injury. Injuries to those players would have gotten a lot of attention. Michael wasn’t without criticism beyond injury. Deion in his own way had cynics. This isn’t new to me. I’ve seen this time of year come and go, and seen those guys win a Superbowl in January. So obviously it didn’t effect the result.
Do you know TO enough to say it really is an injury?
There’s no doubt in my mind. None. None. I just got the most sophisticated x-ray in the world done on my root canal, and it came up inconclusive. The doctor said if I felt pain there then we’ll just go ahead with the root canal. We get so caught up on these technical devices that we want clear diagnosis. How many times have we taken a family member to the hospital and gotten 5 different diagnosis? Its not an exact science. The patient and the player has to be the decision maker. His record of competing and pushing through with injury is premiere. He had time in SF when he was down in trainng camp. We’re well aware of it.
Did you get the root canal?
No. I put it off. I said “give me a big bottle of Vicatin and said we’ll talk about it later”.
