April 30, 2009 | Filed Under Cowboys News, Player Info | Comments Off
Brad Johnson has come back swinging in denying that he was not a snitch for Ed Werder,
read here.
Brad Johnson called to adamantly deny the connecting-the-dots theory that he was the infamous Valley Ranch snitch.
Johnson didn't deny that he discussed the T.O./Tony Romo situation with the NFL Network's Warren Sapp, who won a Super Bowl with Johnson as Buccaneers and referenced a conversation with the quarterback during footage of a Ravens-Cowboys production meeting that aired this week.
However, Johnson said he never took sides in the drama and firmly denied that he was a source for ESPN reporter Ed Werder's story about T.O. being jealous of Jason Witten.
"I don't know who was Ed Werder's snitch," said Johnson, a 17-year veteran who was released this off-season. "I don't know. I never asked. There were a lot of things said, and I stayed out of the whole deal."
Johnson said that there was a lot of "miscommunication" in the Cowboys' locker room after the pass-triangle story blew up, but he didn't believe that contributed to the Cowboys' poor finish. He insisted that he did nothing to contribute to the drama.
"I'm telling you that wasn't me," said Johnson, who thought that T.O. and Romo were both right about certain things. "I was not the guy who talked to Ed Werder. I have no clue who said this.
"I don't know who the snitch was. I know it wasn't me."
Here's my problem with Brad.
You just admitted you were gabbing with Sapp about 'in house' stuff with the Cowboys.
So even if you didn't go to Werder I still think he's a fool.
And I don't want to hear anyone giving Johnson a pass on this because Sapp is an old friend either because Sapp, and Johnson damn well knew this, has a big fat mouth and he's now part of the 'evil media' that was supposedly out to get the team last season.
All we ever heard about Johnson was that he's a team leader, a solid guy and that he was a very smart QB.
Well then why didn't 'Mr. Smart QB' know that he should have just kept it vanilla with Sapp when he spoke to him?
In one way I am glad Johnson is gone. But I am not too happy that 'The Rat' may still be in the locker room.
April 30, 2009 | Filed Under 2009 NFL Draft, Cowboys News, Player Info | Comments Off
Here's Goose Gosselin talking about what he thinks of the Cowboys 2009 draft...
I completely agree with Goose that the Cowboys should have traded up into the early part of round two and I don't even have a particular player in mind that I wanted. If someone can tell me why the Cowboys would want to use 12 draft picks and not sound like they are just spinning it because they are a fan of the team I would love to hear it.
And if only half of these draft picks make the team there is going to be a lot of fans going off on Jerry and Wade come September.
April 30, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off
April 30, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off
April 30, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off
April 30, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off
BY MIKE BALDWIN
Dallas Cowboys scouting director Tom Ciskowski said the organization is pleased with the recent draft despite criticism for selecting Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee in the fourth round and concentrating on special teams players.
With no picks the first day and 12 selections the second day, the Cowboys added depth at linebacker and the secondary but didn’t address what some felt were the biggest needs — safety and wide receiver.
"Because a lot of these players will be good special teams players, the media has misconstrued that all they can do is play special teams,” said Ciskowski, an Oklahoma native. "That’s not true at all. We drafted football players that can play special teams.
"Because we signed (three veteran free agents), for the most part we have our 22 starters penciled in. But some of these draft picks will be quality backups that can ascend into starters.”
After a mediocre career at Texas A&M, McGee has been the Cowboys’ hot-button selection. He started only three games his senior year, but the Cowboys contend McGee was miscast with the Aggies and that he’s a strong-armed, mobile, pro-style quarterback with potential.
"He didn’t lose his job. He got hurt,” Ciskowski said. "We have (Tony) Romo in his prime. We have (Jon) Kitna, who probably will be good for two years. (McGee) is going to be able to develop and can ascend to being a backup, maybe even a starter.
"We have the perfect situation (at quarterback). We have our starter. We have a veteran who can fill in and give us a chance to win if something happens to (Romo). Then you have a young guy who can learn. We can take our time with him.”
Ciskowski, who grew up in Medford, attended Cameron and coached at several colleges, including East Central and Oklahoma State before becoming a scout with the Cowboys 17 years ago, has a reputation for evaluating players beyond 40-yard dash times and Wonderlic scores.
His career began to rise in 1994 as an area scout when he strongly urged Dallas to select offensive lineman Larry Allen. A potential Hall of Famer from Sonoma State, Allen proved to be one of the top picks in franchise history.
Ciskowski, 53, also is credited for convincing owner Jerry Jones five years ago to place more emphasis on scouts’ evaluations, a strategy that overrode some of Bill Parcells’ opinions.
Last year, the Cowboys’ first draft under Ciskowski, received rave reviews. This draft has received lower marks, although it takes a couple of years before a draft can be accurately graded.
The Cowboys drafted four linebackers, Cincinnati’s two starting cornerbacks and USC kicker David Buehler, who will kick off and also be a cover man on special teams, a unique combination.
"We feel good about this group,” Ciskowski said. "When you look at the history of this league, there are good players in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. The more picks you have the more will stick.
"Granted, you’d love to be in the first round and get a player like Felix Jones (in the 2008 draft). But we knew we didn’t have a No. 1. We tried to get good football players with no intentions of taking a backup or a special teams guy.”
April 30, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nflnation...ft-column.html
Excerpt
Dallas Cowboys: Grade: 5.8
Explanation: OK, I'll admit it. This draft's not as bad as I made it out to be -- based on my discussion with personnel types across the league. Taking a kicker in the fifth round is still somewhat of a head-scratcher to me, but three different scouts and one draft guru (Rick "Goose" Gosselin) told me that USC's David Buehler actually represented excellent value in the fifth round.
Gosselin explained to me that Buehler could be flipped for a fourth-round pick when someone needs a kicker in training camp. But if the Cowboys keep him, Buehler may emerge as one of the best kickoff specialists of our time -- if there is such a thing. After extensive research (thanks, Mike Sando), I've determined that only two teams deployed the two-kicker approach for at least half the '08 season (Ravens and Panthers).
The league leader in touchbacks finished with 33. The Cowboys think Buehler could eventually surpass that mark, and the extra 10 yards or so in field position might come in handy. Still I don't totally agree with it, but some of the explanations make a little sense. Scouts and coaches are divided on Western Illinois outside linebacker Jason Williams as the No. 69 player overall. One scout said he had a seventh-round grade on Williams. But an NFC scout told me that Williams would have an immediate impact as a pass-rushing specialist. And even though some early reports had Williams eventually replacing Keith Brooking at inside linebacker, I'm told the plan is to keep him on the outside. There's also some thought that he could be a special teams demon. In other news, I'm hearing that Cincinnati cornerback Mike Mickens had excellent value in the seventh round. The Cowboys may be as excited about Mickens as anyone they took. Not sure what that says about them
So...he gave us 3rd best in the Beast...which I agree with.
April 30, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off
http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/...-unrestricted/
Is Ware Aware He Might Not Be Unrestricted?
Posted by Mike Florio on April 30, 2009, 9:16 a.m. EDT
The range is set for the new contract eventually to be signed by Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware. At the high end? Albert Haynesworth’s $100 million contract in Washington, with $41 million guaranteed. At the low end? James Harrison’s $51 million contract in Pittsburgh, with $20 million guaranteed. So where does Ware fall in the $49 million gap?
“It’s not $51 [million],” Ware told Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News. “It might not be $100 [million]. It’s somewhere between the two. Maybe it’s $94 [million].” (Ware’s jersey number is 94.) But there’s a big difference, as we see it, between Ware’s situation and those of Haynesworth and Harrison. Haynesworth was fully unrestricted, with no ability by the Titans to put the franchise tag on him, under the terms of his one-year deal in 2008. He hit the market free and clear, and the Redskins opened up their vault for him. Harrison, like Ware, was entering the final year of his contract. But Harrison would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2010. Ware won’t be. It’s the one fact that many players seem to be overlooking. Absent an extension to the labor deal, 2010 will unfold without a salary cap. And, under the rules of uncapped free agency, players with less than six years will be eligible only for restricted free agency.
After the 2009 season, Ware will have five years of service. As a result, the Cowboys will be able to squat on Ware in 2009 by tendering him a non-guaranteed one-year deal in the range of $3 million or so. And if someone else wants to swoop in and take him away, they’d have to cough up a first-round pick and a third-round pick. We wonder whether Ware knows this. We wonder whether any other players with four years of current service whose contracts expire after this season think otherwise.
Ware is worth more than a 1st and a 3rd.. But I don't think he's gonna get more than Fat Albert..
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