New Dawg Blog

One of my favorites, Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com came out with a list of ten coaches on the hot seat for The Sporting News.

I understand his reasoning, but things can and do happen.  What if Tony Romo breaks his leg and the team has to win with Brad Johnson as the starting quarterback?

I’m a fan of Wade.  I think he did done a darn good job of getting 13 wins out of last year’s club.  They were learning a new defensive and offensive scheme.

The offense didn’t have it’s #2 wide receiver in Terry Glenn and the defense was never at full strentgh because starting corners Anthony Henry and Terence Newman rarely played together because of injuries.

Unlike Bill Parcells, Wade made sure he got Terrell Owens the football and always tried to make sure it was about the team and not him.

Here is Florio’s take below:

1. Wade Phillips, Cowboys. Coaches from playoff teams aren’t usually on the hot seat. Then again, not many coaches preside over teams that haven’t won a playoff game since 1996, are expected to go to the Super Bowl in 2008 and have the next head coach, Jason Garrett, ready to step in at a moment’s notice.

Wade Phillips has the temperament to withstand the pressure. Besides, he’s no stranger to being fired. But it doesn’t make the pressure any less real.

So if the Cowboys don’t make the postseason, or if they don’t win a game or two once they get there, Wade won’t be back in 2009.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones loves to spend money on stars.

Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman got a 6-year contract extension.  The deal is reportedly for 50 million and 22.5 million is guaranteed. 

I would be shocked if Newman gets to the end of this deal.   He’s 30 now.  Not many corners are 36 so if the Cowboys get three good years out of the deal they should be happy.

I like T-New.  He is a classy kid and I am happy for him.   Jones took care of him.

Now the deal for Marion Barber, III was not smart in my opinion.  Barber has only started on NFL game and Jones rewarded him with a 7-year contract for 45 million. 

Barber made the Pro Bowl, but geez, he got paid for 16 games as a backup. 

If he is worth 45 million why did they have to use a first round pick on a running back and a fourth round pick on a running back in the April NFL Draft?

Barber will get 21 million in the first three years of the contract.   I sound like a hater, but he’s never gained one thousand yards in the NFL. 

Hey, it ain’t my money.  It’s Jerry Jones’.   Oh yeah, when is T.O. going to get paid.  He is in the final year of his contract.

Cowboys Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams doesn’t like playing in the 3-4 defense.  At least that is what Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis told Sirius NFL Radio.

The Dallas Morning News Cowboys blog is all over this story.   

“Greg Ellis made some pretty interesting statements about Roy Williams during an appearance on Sirius NFL Radio this afternoon. Ellis said that Williams doesn’t feel like he fits in Wade Phillips’ scheme and has been isolating himself from teammates.

Ellis said Williams first expressed concerns about the Phillips 3-4 during training camp in San Antonio.

“He said, ‘Greg, this defense does not fit me. I don’t fit in well with this defense at all,’” Ellis said. “So when he told me that, I was like, ‘Well, man, it’s still new. Get used to it and it’ll probably be fine for you.’” And obviously I think it came to be true. Just like he said, he doesn’t fit what’s going on here in Dallas right now.

“Now maybe this year, if they decide to keep him for this season, Wade and them will kind of adjust some things to fit him better.”

Todd Archer of the Morning News says it will cost the Cowboys 6.667 million to let him go.  He’s got more.

Of course we wrote this may be Roy’s last year with the Cowboys a few weeks ago on the newdawgblog and for the Star-Telegram.

For all my Dallas Cowboys fans, put me down for Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart if he is available when they draft at 22.

He is a big back at 235 pounds who can do it all.

Think of it this way, the Cowboys can erase the mistake of passing on Steven Jackson a few years ago.  I think the St. Louis Rams came out OK on that draft pick.

Stewart is injured right now (toe) but he should be OK according to this ESPN.com article.

Another former personnel man thinks Stewart is worth of a top ten selection.

So I hope Jerry Jones goes Stewart at 22 then take corner at 28. 

Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News penned a very nice column on the Cowboys players take on newly acquired corner Adam “Pacman” Jones.

They ain’t taking care of him and he if cuts up, it’s on him.

That’s how they are in that locker room.  I know it, I cover it.   Just like Terrell Owens and Tank Johnson came to Valley Ranch with baggage, the guys in the room never allowed that their past issues to take away from their focus on the field.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo taking a bunch of teammates to Mexico with Jessica Simpson during the bye week of the playoffs is another story.

Taylor pens a piece that lets you know how guys think about their new nickel cornerback:

But the players insist they’re not going to be part of Jerry Jones’ security force.

They’re not going to be chaperoning Pacman. Or calling him to make sure he’s home by midnight. Or having the bouncers at various strip clubs phone them when he’s on the premises.

Nor should they. It’s not their responsibility.

I love reading Peter King each Monday. 

Even if he loves up the Patriots all the time.  And I mean all the time.

He’s got his mock draft up.  Here are his Cowboys 1st round picks:

22. Dallas. RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois. Jerry Jones is dancing in the draft room — he didn’t have to trade into the top of the draft for a back, and he ends up with a guy some in our business think is better and a lower risk than Darren McFadden. One question, though: Why couldn’t he beat out Pierre Thomas at Illinois two years ago?

28. Dallas. CB Aqib Talib, Kansas. If the Cowboys can get a veteran receiver in exchange for this pick — Roy Williamswould be the preference — they’ll jump at it. If not, they’ll solve the cornerback need and hope to get an experienced receiver this summer.

Now I see no way Mendenhall falls this far, but Steven Jackson fell to the Cowboys a few years ago and Parcells screwed up and traded out of the spot.

On Talib, I’m not sure if the Cowboys like some of his bad habits on the field.

Get your MMQB on!

Jerry Jones would love to trade a first round pick to the Lions for wide receiver Roy Williams, but the Leos say no way.

Why?

Because last year’s 1st rounder Calvin Johnson has a screwed up back.  Read his horror here.  As told to Tom Kowalski of Booth Newspapers

“I was on meds the rest of the season. I was taking Vicodin twice a game just to get through the game,” Johnson said. “I stayed hurt the whole season, probably because I was trying to come back too soon. But I’m not going to be the kind of guy who’s going to say, ‘I can’t do this or this because I’m hurt.’ ”

Fans did not know how severely Johnson was hurt, and it took the coaching staff some time to realize it, too.