TMQ's Dallas appraisal at ESPN. The sheep won't be amused.
Dallas Cowboys
At Texas Stadium, they'll be watching the scoreboard and rooting for the Browns to lose. Dallas holds Cleveland's first-round choice in the 2008 draft. "Play Quinn! Play Quinn!" the Cowboys' faithful will chant, considering that starting rookie QB Brady Quinn might brighten Cleveland's long-term prospects but also lead to another cellar-dweller season for the Browns in 2007.
Why do the Cowboys hold Cleveland's 2008 first choice? Because they traded to the Browns the chance to draft Quinn. Tony Romo had a few good games in 2006, then Jones concluded his quarterbacking was set and passed on the Notre Dame star in the draft. It wasn't long ago Quincy Carter had a few good games for the Cowboys, then Jones concluded his quarterbacking was set, then Carter was history. Since Troy Aikman taped his ankles for the final time, the core problem for Dallas has been the lack of a young franchise-quality quarterback. Dallas has not won a playoff game in 11 years, and this period coincides with Jones trying to slide by with quarterbacking on the cheap.
Jones passed on J.P. Losman in the 2004 draft, passed on Jason Campbell in the 2005 draft, now has passed on Quinn in the 2007 draft. Romo's 2006 performance gave new meaning to "flash in the pan." Taking over from Drew Bledsoe at midseason, Romo won five of his first six starts, and based on just six outings, was named to the Pro Bowl -- whose balloting ridiculously closes with the season still in progress. Romo proceeded to lose four of his final five starts, including Dallas' playoff game, in the process often looking terrible behind center. Was his early success beginner's luck? Yet Jones decided his quarterbacking was set, and traded to Cleveland the pick that could have brought Quinn to the Cowboys.
During free agency Jones gave a huge stack of bills -- about $19 million guaranteed -- to Leonard Davis, who might be a giant but has always played like a man of average size. Don't marry them thinking you are going to change them! The likelihood is Davis won't suddenly become the dominant performer he has never been until this point. There's a greater chance that, having signed his monster contract, Davis will celebrate by taking 2007 off. During free agency, offensive linemen Kris Dielman, Derrick Dockery and Eric Steinbach also signed deals with huge guarantees, and none has made the Pro Bowl -- but unlike Davis, all played really well in the past two seasons. Dielman, Dockery or Steinbach might have gone to the Pro Bowl, were Honolulu invitations for offensive linemen not based solely on rep. All three performed better in 2006 than guard Larry Allen, who went to the Pro Bowl solely on rep. That guards, tackles and centers make the Pro Bowl based on rep, not performance, shows that not even other NFL players really pay attention to who the good offensive linemen are. Anyway, four megadeals went to offensive linemen during this free-agency period, and Dallas might be left holding the least cost-effective of the group.
