WHO'S STAR IS SHINING THE BRIGHTEST?
I wanted to share this interesting article I found at the Star-Telegram this morning. In it, the Dallas Cowboys Beat Writers have sort of a round-table and fielded a few questions ranging from Roy Williams, Mini-Camp, and Ken Hamlin negotiations.
Who was the biggest surprise during mini-camp and why?
Mac Engel: I know he's a first round pick so he should not be a surprise, but there is a thought that Felix Jones is already better than Julius Jones.
Rick Herrin: Wide receiver Miles Austin. He looked confident and he played confident. Austin has had shaky hands during his time in Dallas but he was grabbing everything out of the air during the mini-camp. The highlight was when he blew past Pacman Jones and made a leaping grab in the end zone for a TD. The Cowboys corners are having trouble keeping up with Austin.
Clarence Hill: Wide receiver Miles Austin always had speed. But his hands were a question mark. During mini-camp he showed great speed and good hands. He made one of the biggest plays in offseason when he blew by cornerback Adam Pacman Jones for a deep ball. If he continues to show consistency with his hands he could be the deep threat the Cowboys are looking for, sans Terry Glenn.
Wow, after doing a nice job on Special Teams, I would love to see Miles Austin step up and give Patrick Crayton a challenge for the number two wide receiver spot. We always knew that Austin has break-away speed, but to hear glowing reports about his pass catching abilities is great news.
Last week I wrote about the position battles that are shaping up for the Cowboys this pre-season, and as I mentioned back then, I like Patrick Crayton a lot, but I believe he is better suited to be a number three receiver rather than the guy who lines up opposite Terrell Owens.
If Miles Austin can continue to prove that he can catch passes and run with the best of them, he might just be the guy we need to pair up with T.O. A burner with great hands and reach will minimize the double coverage on Owens and translate into a big season for everyone involved. Having Patrick Crayton give them a blow now and then to keep them fresh, and also play during three wide receiver sets would be an added bonus.
We'll keep an eye on this as the off-season progresses.
By the way... I think Kelly did a fantastic job sprucing up the site and absolutely love the new banner and the new look. Hang in there Lone Star Struck readers, off-season is almost over!
Comments
I haven’t had the opportunity to watch him practice (I will at training camp) but his attitude has me convinced that Felix Jones will definitely be better than Julius Jones. I seriously never got the warm and fuzzy from Julius and that's attributed to his performance on the field, his first two seasons were spent watching from the bench, in his third season there was all this hype about him running for 2000 yards plus, yet he couldn’t surpass the 1000 yard mark, and then came last season and all the talk about Bill Parcel holding him back, blah, blah, blah. Well he had his chances and blew it, good luck Julius in Seattle see you during the regular season (Cowboys, having been removed of his tin-star this former vaquero is riding into town with vengeance on his mind and he’s not coming alone).
As for Miles Austin, he will definitely step up and give Patrick Crayton a run for his money. Unlike Crayton, Austin is a hungry kid who’ll do whatever it takes to become a starter, so don’t be surprised when during the season you see him lineup opposite Terrell Owens. As for Terry Glenn, if you decide not to sign the proposed wavier, thank you for your services and please do yourself a favor and serious consider retiring gracefully and with dignity (consulting with Jerry Rice is also an option).
I agree with Adam Jones dropping the Pac-Man nickname, don’t know if it’s a smoke screen but if it’s not and he’s truly serious about changing his lifestyle, I will respect that.
PS: I’m not a hater I’m just a Cowboys fan who wants this team to reach the ultimate goal and a new banner to go with a new stadium is what the Doctor ordered.
Posted by: Cowboy | June 23, 2008 12:54 PM
I'm excited to see what Isaiah Stanback can do now that he's back to full health. I'm also anxious to see if Dave Campo has helped Roy Williams tranform back into his former self.
Posted by: Derek S. | June 23, 2008 3:08 PM