Lone Star Struck

Today from dallascowboys.com:

The Cowboys are trading Ferguson to the Dolphins for a 2009 sixth-round pick, and the teams will swap sixth-rounders this year. Dealing Ferguson clears about $2.4 million on this year’s salary cap.

Ferguson, an 11-year veteran, signed a five-year deal with Dallas that included a $9 million signing bonus in 2005. He missed nearly the entire 2008 season with a torn biceps tendon suffered in the regular-season opener against the Giants, however, and became expendable when Jay Ratliff filled in capably for the final 15 games and signed a five-year, $20.5 million extension in December.

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Nice move! When Ferguson got injured we were worried but Jay Ratliff did more than fill his shoes, and in the process earned himself a nice contract. Now we opened up a roster spot and have more money to deal.

A few more hours and his fate could have been much different, but now Flozell Adams’ career is set in place. Adams signed a 6-year deal worth around $42 million on the last day before free agency signing began. The new contract includes $15 million in guaranteed money and about $13 million in signing bonus.

Flozell Adams was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round of the 1998 Draft. He is a 4-time Pro Bowler and also selected All-Pro second team in 2007.

Adams told the press that he was happy to be in Dallas and never thought of leaving. He will turn 33 in May, so this deal ensures he will finish his career as a Dallas Cowboy, exactly where it began.

Restricted free agent Marion Barber has been tendered for $2.562 million. Any team looking to propose an offer to Barber would also have to give up a first and third round draft pick if the Cowboys failed to match the offer. I think that pretty much ensures Barber will be a Cowboy next season. The Cowboys will probably offer the Pro Bowl running back a long-term contract after free agency.

Chris Canty was also tendered for $2.017 million, any team going after Canty would have to give up a first round draft pick in the deal. Canty is a 3-year veteran who had an impressive year in ‘07. I would like to see him remain in Dallas.

Guard Joe Berger received the $927,000 tender.

Irving native Tyson Thompson was not offered a tender and therefore will probably no longer be in Dallas.

Fullback Oliver Hoyte was waived today. He spent alot of time injured and never really brought anything to the table. His football career may come to an end.

Unrestricted free agents include Julius Jones, Keith Davis, Flozell Adams, Nate Jones and Jacques Reeves. The Cowboys may go up until the 11pm deadline negotiating with Flozell Adams. I wouldn’t be surprised if Keith Davis ends up in Miami. As for Julius, Nate and Jacques, good luck out there guys!

***UPDATE: The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Flozell Adams has agreed to a multi-year contract, terms to be announced tomorrow.***

After watching a repeat of the Super bowl on the NFL Network it showed the Patriots fans after the loss. I am not a Patriot fan by any means but  the pain on the fans faces made me feel for them.  It reminded me of one of the games that tore my heart out. Every loss hurts, but there are certain losses that you will never forget! 

In 1983, we played the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship game. This game bothered me more than any other and  it  wasn’t  even a close game. Danny White was knocked out of the game by Dexter Manly. After "the catch" game the year before I wanted them to go to the Super Bowl so bad. This team had been to the playoffs every year. They deserved it. And everyone knew if Danny White didn’t get to the Super Bowl he wouldn’t be remembered as a top quarterback. I wanted that for him but, everyone was right. When you talk about Dallas Cowboy Quarterbacks  you think of Stauback and Aikman. A Super Bowl win defines a Hall of Fame player. So after that blow out loss it broke my heart I cried and cried. It took awhile for me to get over it. Everyone says "Why that game?"  I don’t know it wasn’t a great game. It wasn’t close and we didn’t lose in the final seconds. But that is my heartbreaker!

The great snow game on Thanksgiving against Miami was the second game that tore me up. It was a great game, the snow made it even more dramatic. But, we all know what happened in the final seconds on special teams don’t we? I think the reason it was so painful was seeing poor Leon Lett on the sidelines after he made that costly mistake. He was crying and wanted to be anywhere but there.  I just knew Jimmy Johnson was going to lay into him but, he was actually kind in the following interviews. I was at a friend’s house who are Chief fans but cheer for the Cowboys. I was standing and cheering thinking we had it won and I missed the Lett play. I saw the look on my friend’s face, and knew something really bad happened. I am thinking what could happen as I turn and see the replay. I couldn’t speak, all I could do was cuddle up in my husband’s arms and cry.   Thank goodness my friends are football fanatics also so they understood the tears. I will always have a special place for Leon Lett after that game.

So I am wondering what game/games are your Heartbreaker! I know you have one let’s hear it!

I just wanted to share some tidbits I found while browsing Cowboys news. Not much is going on but Jerry Jones did share some of his thoughts on some positions and players.

Jerry Jones said he is confident that Terry Glenn will be a factor next year. He admitted he hadn’t talked to Glenn but from what he understood from other inside sources, Glenn is going to play without surgery and will be ready to go.

There is concern about injury in the position after what happened with Glenn and Owens in the postseason. Behind those two veteran players are Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback for starters. The Cowboys have some nice up-and-coming players but what happens if or when your older veterans get injured? Good question…

Jones also talked about the possibility that Flozell Adams may not be with the Cowboys next year. He said a deal could still be made but in the case that he leaves, Leonard Davis could start at left tackle.

Despite his tendencies to rack up false start penalties, Flozell was a great part of Tony Romo’s success. Covering Romo’s blind side is a huge job that Flozell handled very well. Davis played right guard and was also elected to the Pro Bowl in that position, so if he moves to LT we in turn lose a Pro Bowl right guard. I think we need to try and keep Flozell if at all possible.

Hey guys whats up? Sorry I didnt write on my Spot last week but I was busy attending to some personal things but I am back. I got many emails asking me what happened! Geez! I miss one Sunday and you guys freak! Chill out guys! I’m Back! So lets get started with some Tidbits & Notes.

The NFL Combine is going on as we speak. I really dont put too much into this aspect of Pre-NFL Draft workouts. There have been several high profile collegiate athletes who perform at the NFL Combine to stellar reviews only to become NFL Busts. I prefer to look at game situational film and overall performance from the 1st to 4rth quarter if Im in an NFL War room. I just dont get it but anything to parade these future Hall of Famers around is great by NFL standards I guess. Thats my 2 cents on that.

The Dallas Cowboys signed Zach Thomas to a 1 year 3 million dollar deal. Now I know many of you are groping and griping about this signing stating that we have more pressing needs than a has been, concussion prone linebacker. Personally, I think it’s a great signing for 3 reasons. First, It’s CHEAP! Thomas will make 1 million in base, got a 1 million dollar signing bonus and the other million is incentive laden. So that means, Thomas would have to beat out Ayodele for starting positon during training camp, start 16 NFL regular season games, have over 100 tackles, make the Pro Bowl, and be voted an All-Pro probably to make the other million count in his favor. So all this deal is costing us is 2 million dollars up front. Not bad for a 7 time Pro Bowler. Second, Thomas passed a medical evaluation by the Cowboys medical staff. He is at 100 % people. Dallas would not of signed him considering how severe the concussion he suffered last year was and if there were still any lingering effects. Thomas is a tackling machine. If he is anywhere near what he is capable of and performs at that level, we just might of signed the STEAL of free-agency this year. And Third, He is and grew up a HUGE COWBOY FAN. Thomas compared yesterday’s signing to that of how he felt on Draft Day. His family was so ecstatic by the signing as well. Thomas stated he felt so re-energized and ready to go. So you see folks, chill out on this signing. It might be a blessing in disguise.That my 2 cents on that!

I have a HUGE GRIPE to pick with the city of San Antonio. Due to scheduling problems at the Alamodome, the Dallas Cowboys will not hold training camp in San Antonio, Texas this year. I am PISSED people! If the Dallas Cowboys signed a 5 year contract to hold training camp in San Antonio last year wouldn’t that make the city of San Antonio in breach of contract? Or the Alamodome? What puzzles me is that someone with a college degree in the scheduling department at the Alamodome would schedule a Church convention during the time the Cowboys would be in San Antonio during training camp. I just don’t get it. I am sure that the city of San Antonio is going to lose millions of dollars in revenue and tourism because of this fiasco. It’s a shame, really a shame. I have tried repeatedly to get in contact with someone who makes decisions at the Alamodome to no avail. I have tried both emailing and calling them. Can never get a straight answer. Oh well, theres always next year right? That my 2 cents on that! 

Finally, I will be conducting the 1st ever LoneStarStruck NFL Mock Draft next week. Be sure to look out for that one. I will be creative as well folks. I will throw in some draft day trades in there. It’s really not going to be anything like any of the other NFL Mock Drafts the other guys have, so be sure to check it out. Also if any of you guys want to hit me up on myspace, here is the link! Send me a friend invite! Cowboys Alliance . Thats my 2 cents on that! So thats all for now kiddies! See ya next time! Same Cowboys Time! Same Cowboys Place! Same Cowboys Channel! 

The Dallas Cowboys have signed veteran Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas to a one year deal worth approximately 3 million dollars. It is expected that Thomas will compete with Akin Ayodele for the starting job come training camp. AKin Ayodele’s performance in the latter half of the season came into question as both his presense and tackles diminished as the season wore on. It is also no secret that Dallas coach Wade Phillips loves Zach Thomas and strongly believes he is still capable of playing at a Pro Bowl level. Thomas was offered a contract by both the Patriots and Saints before deciding to sign with Dallas this morning. Texas native Thomas also grew up a Cowboys fan. 

Last night as I lay in bed, I was flipping through the channels and something caught my eye. Now I’m not one to watch TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) or any other religious channel, but I stopped because I seen a picture of a football player in Cowboys uniform flash on the screen. I knew who it was from his jesey number and the picture looked familiar. In fact, last year we did a bio on him in our Legends of the Star series. It was Rayfield Wright.

I never knew much about Rayfield. I knew he was a great tackle and was enducted into the hall of fame the same time as Troy Aikman. He played football before I was even born. But as I listened to him tell his story, I gained so much respect for the man. He spoke very well, he seemed very educated but also grateful for the life God had given him.

The host of the show asked Rayfield to tell the story of how he became to be a Dallas Cowboy. He said that he never really wanted to play football. He didn’t play football in high school, he played basketball. He was a tall skinny kid who didn’t look like a football player at all. He went to Fort Valley State College in Georgia on an athletic scholarship for his basketball talent. He played basketball and had to choose one other sport and chose football.

Rayfield was asked to leave college to go to the NBA early, but turned down the offer stating he made a commitment to get his education and that’s what he intended to do. His senior year he was contact by someone from the Dallas Cowboys and told they were looking to draft him. This was a surprise to Rayfield because he considered himself a basketball player not football. He said football training camp was in July and basketball camp was in August. He decided to go to Dallas and see what it was all about, then he never looked back.

He became very close with coach Tom Landry. He respected Landry a great deal and said Landry’s priorities in life were in this order: God, Family, then Football. I don’t think many would think that of one of the best football coaches of all time, but I suppose maybe that’s what made him so successful and such a great leader.

It was a short interview and I’m pretty sure it was a rerun, but I’m glad I stopped on that channel and got the pleasure of getting to know more about Mr. Wright. It’s great to know that someone can start off in this world with nothing, and live his life to the fullest with nothing but love, respect and the power of prayer.

Rayfield Wright’s Athletic Accomplishments

Dallas Cowboys 1st Anniversary Team—1985.
Dallas Cowboys All Decade Team of the 1970s.
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor—Texas Stadium—Inducted 2004.
Hall of Faith Award—Athletes International Ministries—1977.
Hall of Fame—Griffin, Georgia. Inducted 1974.
Hall of Fame—Fort Valley State College. Inducted 1983.
Hall of Fame—State of Georgia. Inducted 1988.
Heroes of Football—Inducted 2000.
NFL All Super Bowl Team—1990.
NFL Legends Award—1990.
NFL Alumni “Ring of Honor” Dallas Chapter—2003.
Pat Summerall & John Madden’s—Best of the Dallas Cowboys 1995.
Received 12 game balls during his career as an Offensive Lineman.
Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame—Inducted 2002.
Texas Sports Hall of Fame—Inducted 2005.

“Although he was a long shot in the 1967 draft, Rayfield’s superior athletic ability and competitiveness carried him to six straight Pro Bowls and four All-Pro seasons, making him the most honored offensive lineman in Cowboys history. Rayfield was an integral part of all five of our Super Bowl teams. He was always a team player whose solid character contributed to a winning atmosphere. It was an honor to coach Rayfield Wright.” COACH TOM LANDRY in a letter to the State of Georgia Hall of Fame
 

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Rayfield Wright has a website: www.rayfieldwright.com and has also written a book titled "Wright Up Front" about his life which you can purchase from his website.

According to several NFL sources, Pro Bowl safety, Ken Hamlin has been designated with the franchise tag by the Dallas Cowboys.

Ken Hamlin is coming off of a fine season in which he established himself as a force in the secondary and earned Pro Bowl honors in the process. It was believed that after the season the Cowboys would sign the 27-year old to a long term deal, but that still may happen despite the franchise designation.

There was some speculation that Flozell Adams may have gotten the tag instead so that the Cowboys could keep the 33-year old tackle on a one-year deal rather than giving him a longer term deal. However that speculation ended when it became apparent that the team would have had to pay him about $9 million dollars for the season.

Hamlin will be paid $4.4 million next season.

Players who are designated franchise players receive a salary that is the average of the top five players at their position.

The bottom line is we have Ken Hamlin in the fold and that’s a good thing!

Go Cowboys!

According to reports at the Star-Telegram, the Cowboys are expect to start talks with Marion Barber and his agent this week at the NFL Combine. Barber is a restricted free agent that had a very impressive season this past year and looks to make a long term deal with the Cowboys.

For those of you who remain interested in Darren McFadden, I don’t think this is going to happen. The Cowboys have $13 million left in their salary cap and have to take care of their free agents and draft picks. McFadden would cost the Cowboys a lot of money that they just don’t have to spend. Stranger things have happened but I don’t see it.

Personally, I think the Cowboys should hold on to Marion Barber and draft another running back. They are going to need a backup. Julius Jones is definitely not sticking around and Tyson Thompson did horrible last year, even thought he didn’t get much of a chance. I’m not sure how many running backs are available in free agency, I doubt very many good ones. They are definitely hard to come by.

Lock up Barber! Do it NOW!

The McDonald’s NBA All Star Celebrity Game took place in New Orleans on Friday the 15th of February featuring Team New Orleans against Team Hornets.  Yes, having two teams with one named New Orleans and the other named Hornets can get confusing, so I will try not to lose you.

Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys was slated to play for Team New Orleans in the game but had not arrived by tip off time.  Another former Dallas Cowboy, Deion Sanders, was playing for Team Hornets.

The Hornets led the game most of the way and were spurred on by the play of Deion Sanders who scored 14 points and had 13 rebounds in the game.

Midway through the 2nd quarter, with Team Hornets leading by double digits, a familiar face appears on the sideline wearing the uniform of New Orleans. Getcha popcorn ready cause T.O. has just arrived.  T.O. quickly makes an impact on the game but his team still trails the Hornets 28-23 at the half. 

In the second half, New Orleans makes a game out of it by closing the gap to 50-49 in favor of the Hornets with 19.5 seconds to go.  With that short time remaining, Floyd Mayweather (world welterweight champion) was sent to the foul line and hit both free throws to give New Orleans a lead of 51-50.  No other points were scored in the final seconds of the game giving New Orleans the win.

Terrell Owens finished the game as the high scorer with 18 points, including one dunk, and 3 rebounds.  Due to his efforts on the court he was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.  Not bad for a guy who didn’t show up until the middle of the second quarter.  Don’t ya just love him?  Way to go T.O.

Sundays just don’t seem the same anymore. The hype has disappeared. Football season seems so short, just as it starts to get interesting, its over. Now we have to wait for spring and summer to pass before we get to enjoy our favorite pastime again.

But think about it…

Preseason is in August… Training Camp is in July… then there’s mini camps that start as early as May and the NFL Draft in April. So, really we just have to get through the rest of February and March. February is half over now, free agency starts at the end of the month. Hell, by the time you get back from your Spring Break vacation it will be time to start studying the players again! See, nothing to worry about - football will be back in no time at all!

I know, I know… its not the same, but its always been this way. Maybe when you have such a good team you just can’t wait to see them out there playing again. Or just maybe when you have a great team that loses in the end when it counts the most, you just want to see them get another shot. Either way, I miss those Cowboys. I can honestly say I don’t miss the insane drama the media created for them, or that ‘one’ girl who presumably jinxed the team with a dream. But I miss the action.

I miss the escape moves pulled off by MB3 & Romo and the nearly impossible bombs that reached the end zone just in the "Nick" of time. I miss Terrell Owens’ big smile and his confidence that no one could tarnish. I miss the Helmetless Warrior and the "Ware" wolf and the Sack Monster. I miss hearing old Cowboy stars like Moose, Deion, Emmitt and Troy talk about the Cowboys before a big game, usually defending them when others would express only negative thoughts.

2007 was definitely a memorable year for Cowboys fans. Whether you choose to remember it for the good, the bad or the ugly is up to you. I, for one, will remember the great moments. I’ll remember when I first learned Tony Romo got his contract. And when he broke records, left and right. What about when Terrell Owens was named "NFC Player of the Month" last November. Yeah, I know, I’m an optimist. I always have been, and I don’t think its a bad thing really. It gets my heart broken every once in a while, but it also keeps a smile on my face and hope in my heart.

LET’S GO COWBOYS!

As I kicked back and enjoyed highlights of all 17 of the Cowboys’ games a couple weeks back, many players caught my eye with their surprising success.  As everyone knows however, highlights always show the good, but not always the bad and the ugly.  And with that, here are a few players I thought had disappointing years for the silver and blue.

Julius Jones

Julius Jones tops this list without question in my mind.  Going into a contract year, I expected Jones to have a breakout season and have success that would turn Jerry Jones’ head enough to re-sign Jones to a lucrative deal.  That however was far from the case.  Jones started all 16 regular season games, but failed to record a 100-yard outing.  He amassed a mere 588 yards and only saw the end-zone twice this season.  Many could argue that Jones’ lack of success was due to Marion Barber getting most of the carries later on in games.  But it seemed as though Jones lacked the explosiveness and downhill style of Barber.  Jones was often seen dancing around in the backfield trying to make something happen rather than hitting the hole.  I feel that Jones’ performance this season will be his ticket out of Dallas via free agency.  This year’s draft could produce arguably the best crop of running backs in 10 years, and I expect the Cowboys to nab one of these runners early in the draft. 

Roy Williams

As Plaxico Burress strolled into the endzone untouched on the very first play of the 2007 season, we all gave our best ‘here we go again’ look when we spotted Roy Williams trailing 10 yards behind Burress.  The play ended up being a great summary for Williams’ season.  Williams was frequently the guilty party for busted coverages and long touchdown passes.  He was also the culprit for many long runs, often whiffing on the tackle trying to produce a big time hit.  Although a vulnerability many a time this year, Roy Williams is still a major part of the Cowboys defense.  All the babble about him being released or traded need to be silenced and talk of him moving to linebacker needs to be put to rest.  He will return to Dallas at safety next year.  Maybe his number change to 38 will bring back the welcomed sight of Roy laying a good lickin’ on wide receivers.  And let’s hope that Dave Campo won’t teach an old dog new tricks, but revert him back to his old ones. 

Jacques Reeves

As Roy Williams was having his routine problems in coverage, Jacques Reeves was having issues of his own.  Opposing quarterbacks routinely locked Reeves in their crosshairs, often with successful results.  While Reeves possesses game-changing speed, he often looked lost in coverage and a step slower than everyone else.  Although Reeves gained much game experience this season, it’s safe to say he won’t be Dallas’ top priority as far as re-signing goes.  While they might bring Reeves back at the right price, he will more than likely end up in a different uniform next year.  Look for Dallas to pick one of the stellar corners in the draft.

The Cowboys have been working hard since their season ended, trying to fill coaching and staff positions early in the offseason. After former Cowboys head coach took over operations for the Dolphins, a four coaches left to join him in Miami. 

The Cowboys brought back some familiar faces with Dave Campo and Hudson Houck. Campo spent over a decade with the Cowboys before being fired in 2002. Many of those years were very successful when he coached the defense, prior to being named head coach. Hudson Houck led the offensive line from 1993-2001, what were glory years for the Cowboys.

Hopefully all the pieces are falling into place. Some critics believe the only coaches that matter are the head coach and the offensive and defensive coordinators. I disagree with this, I think every person counts and has an effect on the team, even the smallest roles. These could be the leaders of a dynasty in the making.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.   -John Quincy Adams

 

2008 Coaching Staff for the Dallas Cowboys

Wade Phillips – Head Coach

Offense:

Jason Garrett – Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Hudson Houck - Offensive Line 

Ray Sherman – Wide Receivers

John Garrett – Tight Ends

Skip Peete – Running Backs

Wade Wilson – Quarterbacks

Wesley Phillips – Offensive Assistant/Quality Control

Defense:

Brian Stewart – Defensive Coordinator

Todd Grantham – Defensive Line

Dave Campo – Secondary 

Reggie Herring – Linebackers

Dat Nguyen – Assistant Linebackers/ Defensive Quality Control 

Specialty:

Bruce Read – Special Teams

Joe Juraszek – Strength and Conditioning