A return to school and an increased workload at work due to sick leave has cut into my blogging time.  Not cool.

Ah well, time for a collective group of thoughts about baseball.

Scott Rolen and Troy Glaus Traded For Each Other

Kinda a odd deal, considering that both are high priced deals with huge landmines attached to them (Health) but overall the deal does work to the favor of each team in one way or another.

WIth Rolen, the Blue Jays gain a Gold Glove defender at third base, which would help compensate for the lead glove of David Eckstein, at the cost of some offense.  However, Eckstein is better than the shuffle at short the Jays had and there is the off chance that Rolen can prove himself to be semi-adequate with the bat.  More than anything, however, the Jays need some type of return from Vernon Wells, who disappointed last season after signing for superstar money with the Jays. 

In Glaus, the Cardinals get a big bat that is needed to help bolster the offense, which is, to be frank, pathetic outside of Pujols.  More than anything, however, the Cardinals needed to diffuse the situation between Tony LaRussa and Rolen, which was made all but irreparable after LaRussa poured gas on that particular fire this off-season.  The signing of Cesar Izturis does help improve the defense enough where the Cardinals can suffer through Glaus' hands of stone, and the move to natural grass and away from Toronto's turf should prove to be beneficial in the long run for Glaus.

All in all, it's a good gamble for both sides, but more importantly, it clears up some potential locker room disaster that would have exploded during the season had either player remained with their former teams.

Grade For Both Sides:  B

Thoughts On The Kotsay Trade

I was going to rant about how the Braves should have just offered Andruw Jones arbitration, keeping him around for one more year, as he would have accepted, and keeping the offense together.

Instead, they pull this trade.

To be honest, I gotta give Billy Beane all the credit in the world on this one, as I think Kotsay is done.  He's not the defender he once was and in terms of offense, he's not going to give you much in return.  In all honesty, the Braves would have been better off just giving the job to Josh Anderson for the season and just gone with it from there.  At least he's mostly paid for.

Oh wait.  Oakland got two prospects, one of which, Joey Devine, the Braves' first round pick from two years ago, will likely help out Oakland in the bullpen this season.  And they also got Jamie RIchmond, a right hander that could be a fifth starter.  That's quite a haul for a broken player.

Anyhow, that's my take on that.

Oakland Grade - B

Atlanta Grade - D

Lost A Bet

To my friend, who's an Astros fan, on the Cowboy Game on Sunday.

So, expect the first (and only) Astros Report sometime this week.

Ugh...

The Rangers Report

Record As Of June 13, 2007

23-41, Fourth In The AL West

Top 30 Rangers Prospects – 16 through 20

Note:  These Rankings Will Not Include The Recent Draft Candidates

16 – German Duran (INF)

• DOB:  8/3/84
• Drafted:  6th Round, 2005, TCU
• 2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
• Height/Weight: 5-10/185
• Bats/Throws:  R/R
• The Skinny:  Duran hit .284 last year at Bakersfield, while hitting 13 homers and 72 RBIs.  He did all of this playing mostly shortstop and finished strong with a huge August, where he hit six homers and drove in 23 runs.  He's versatile and will turn 23 this summer.
• The Good:  Duran has some power to him as well as some speed on the baselines.  His biggest trait is that he’s flexible and can play shortstop and second base well, and has recently been learning how to play third as well.  His defense is excellent and many love his work ethic.
• The Bad:  Duran may not be able to be a regular at any position in the majors.  Hence, he may be a utilityman in the future, though he could be a very good one.  He also needs to work a bit more on his plate discipline.
• Projection: Medium.  Duran is an interesting prospect in that he’s excelled in wherever he’s played, mostly on grit and determination.  It’s very possible that he could play his way out of a superutility role and into a starting shortstop role.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A super utility player
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Duran entered the year as sort of a fringe prospect, but his dominance of Double A has elevated his stock.  It will be interesting to see what happens to him next year.

17 – Michael Schlact (RHP)

• DOB:  12/9/85
• Drafted: 3rd Round, 2004, Georgia High School
• 2007 Club:  Bakersfield (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-8/220
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny:  Selected in the 3rd round of the 2004 Draft along with Thomas Diamond and Eric Hurley, Schlact bears watching.  He was 10-7 with a 4.17 ERA at Clinton in 2005 and helped the Lumberkings, along with Hurley, to go into the playoffs.  Many expected that Schlact would be able to make a seamless transition to Advanced A ball like Hurley did, but instead, he was hammered throwing too many pitches and going 4-13 with a 5.99 ERA.  The opposition hit nearly .320 against him and he walked 61 in 138 innings.   so he'll be back in Bakersfield, at least at the outset.  However, this doesn’t mean he can’t rebound.  The California is very hitter friendly and Schlact is still only 20. 
• The Good:  Rangers Minor League Pitching Coordinator Rick Adair raves about how Schlact is now hitting 93-94, as a result of adding mass, and thinks that he can add a couple of more miles to his fastball.  John Lombardo, the Rangers’ director of Minor League Ops speaks highly of Schlact’s maturity and his makeup.  Schlact also has a great sinker to go along with the four seamer and he’s got a promising curveball & changeup, both of which could become plus pitches.  He’s also got a nice clean delivery as well.
• The Bad:  As with all large pitchers, Schlact needs to keep all of his moving parts in check in order to make sure he won’t break down.  He also needs to make sure the breaking balls solidify, though he may be able to succeed with just the four seamer and sinker, much like Brandon Webb.  Plus, he needs to maintain his command, so he won’t get hammered hard.
• Projection: Medium.  Schlact is still young and he could stand to add more weight to his frame.  He could wind up being, at the very least, a slightly shorter version of Chris Young.  He’s also grown an inch, as seen from his jump from 6-7 to 6-8.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A number two starter.
• 2007 Course Of Action:  The Rangers are hoping that it was only because he was playing above his age group that resulted in  Schlact’s horrid season.  So far, he's done pretty well for himself, but with the lack of rotation spots in Frisco, the Rnagers will probably leave him in the California

18 – Paul Kometani (RHP)

• DOB:  12/24/82
• Drafted:  15th Round, 2005, Pepperdine University
• 2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
• Height/Weight:  6-4/200
• Bats/Throws:  R/R
• The Skinny:  Drafted in the 15th round by Texas in 2005 draft, Kometani is overlooked most of the time whenever prospects are evaluated.  However, Kometani has had nothing but success every stop he’s made and may be one of those prospects that just happens to fly under the radar until he bursts on the scene.  If Kometani becomes an above average major leaguer, he’ll be one of the biggest steals in the draft.
• The Good:  When he was first drafted, Kometani was reported to top out at 86-87.  He’s now added at least four miles per hour as he’s filled out (he was rail thin when he came into the system) and is now sitting at 92.  Scouts and trainers thing that he may be able to get up to 94 in another year.  As for his other pitches, Kometani has an excellent splitter, a promising slider and he could benefit from being taught a sinker as well.  He induces a lot of groundballs, a plus in Arlington and he has also begun to overcome one of his biggest criticisms when he was drafted, his fastball. 
• The Bad:  The biggest criticism of Kometani is that he’s very hittable. However, his control is excellent and despite the hits, he doesn’t give up the long ball often and he works low in the zone. 
• Projection: Medium.  It will be interesting to see if Kometani gets any more velocity on his fastball to go with the splitter and sinker.  But aside from that, he seems to be progressing well and has just a bit of development left.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A Solid Starter
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Kometani is currently in the bullpen thanks to Doug Mathis and he's excelled in the role.  Nonetheless, I do expect the Rangers to move him back into the rotation once the promotions after the various Minor League All-Star games are done.

19 – Tim “Tug” Hulett Jr. (INF)

• DOB:  2/28/1983
• Drafted:  2004, 14th Round, Auburn
• 2007 Club: Oklahoma (Triple A)
• Height/Weight: 5-10/185
• Bats/Throws:  L/R
• The Skinny:  The son of former major leaguer Tim Hulett, who played for 12 seasons with the White Sox, Orioles and  Cardinals, Tug Jr. was drafted by the Rangers back in 2004 and since then he’s pretty much done nothing but succeed, rising through the ranks quickly enough that the Rangers felt no reservations about sending him to Triple A in essentially his third season of pro ball (we’ll see how that works out.)  Tug impressed the Rangers staff enough during Spring Training with his moxie and work ethic that he’s very highly regarded among the organization.
• The Good:  Hulett has the best plate discipline in the minors, simply put, and is extremely selective of his pitches and draws walks.  He’s immensely versatile and has played second, third, and shortstop in the minors.  The Rangers love his grit and determination and his work ethic is second to none.
• The Bad:  The same thing as German Duran.  Size.   Hulett Jr. isn’t the biggest player around and it’s likely that that could result in him being overlooked as anything but a utilityman.  However, Hulett’s determination and work ethic, plus luck, could have him become another David Eckstein type.  Hulett also has little power.
• Projection: Low.  There is little else that Hulett can develop in the minors. What you see is what you get with him.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: As much as I hate to say it, a scrappy, gritty David Eckstein type player.
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Hulett has booted Drew Meyer to the bench and is currently the Redhawks’ starting second baseman.  A good year will land him in the big leagues in September.

20 – Ben Harrison (LF)

• DOB:  9/18/81
• Drafted:  7th Round, 2004, Florida
• 2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
• Height/Weight:  6-4/200
• Bats/Throws:  R/R
• The Skinny:  A 7th Rounder back in 2004, Harrison has always had good tools to work with.  The main problem is that he’s never been able to stay on the field long enough to work with them.  Hamstring and vision problems limited him in 2005 and a broken hand cut his season short that same year.  Last year was his first full season and he showed some impressive numbers.  In a season spend with Frisco and Bakersfield, Harrison hit .289 with 26 home runs and 101 RBI’s, while boasting an OPS of .889.
• The Good:  Harrison’s best tool is power and he’s got enough of it be a decent threat in the majors in the future.  He’s got some speed and he crushes fastballs.  He’s also beginning to catch breaking balls more and more.  He’s also got a good arm in the outfield as well.  He plays the game hard and emerged as a clubhouse leader this past season.
• The Bad:  Harrison is limited in his range in the field, making him pretty much a fit in left.  He still has problems with the strike zone, as seen from his 117 strikeouts. 
• Projection: Low.  At Harrison’s age, there’s probably little chance of a breakthrough..  He’s as good as he’s going to get, though if he can serve as a power bat off the bench, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A Power Bat Off The Bench
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Harrison has done well so far until he was injured,

 Explaining To Jim Reeves Why The Rangers Didn't Draft Porcello

Jim Reeves took his shots at the the Rangers' draft on Sunday.  Oddly enough, he really liked the draft.

But there was one thing that he really ripped Texas on.

Passing up on Rick Porcello.  Here's the quote that bugged me:

For $7 million-$8 million, the Rangers might have had their ace of the future. Seems like a lot of money until you stop and think: Hmmmm, didn't the Rangers cough up their own No. 1 draft pick, 16th in the country, to Toronto to sign free agent Frank Catalanotto over the winter? And didn't they sign him to a $13.5 million contract over three years?

It wasn't the Signing Bonus that was the problem.  If it was just money, I think the Rangers would have gladly paid up to take him.  Tom Hicks has been a little more generous as the years have gone by with the draft.  It was the contract that Boras wanted for him.

Boras wanted Porcello to sign a major league contract, similar to what Josh Beckett signed when he was drafted a few years ago.  That is what turned off a lot of teams.

A major league contract starts a players options automatically and guarnatees them a spot on the 40 man roster.  As a result, you quickly burn through the options as the player develops and you lack any options to send the player down if he's struggling and if he's out of options.

Had Rick Porcello had been Rick Porcello, University of Conneticut, instead of Rick Porcello, Conneticuit High School, I think the Rangers would have gladly pulled the trigger.  But it was the major league contract that turned off every team except the Tigers, who now have the dubious task of trying to sign him while hoping that Boras backs off the major league contract.  

Oh, here's one other example that cracked me up:

Let me give you another example, though it's apples and oranges. The Cowboys just cut guard Marco Rivera after paying him an $8.5 million signing bonus for two injury-plagued seasons. That's a team that's doing whatever it takes to win.

No it's not.  It's called a bad free agent deal.  If that was the case, then wouldn't Chan #### Park's contract, Alex Rodriguez's contract, and the Phil Nevin debacle all be prime examples of a team doing whatever it takes to win?

507

Mark Teixeira went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps muscle Saturday afternoon, ending his consecutive games streak at 507, a club record.   Though it was thought that Teixeira may have been aiming to beat Cal Ripken Jr.'s consecutive game streak, Teixeira said he had no visions of beating it.  To help fill the void, Michael Young will now be batting third with Marlon Byrd hitting in Young's normal second spot.  Brad Wilkerson will now take over first base in the meantime, and Travis Metcalf will be recalled to fill Wilkerson's spot on the bench.

The Implications Of The Borbon Pick

The drafting of Borbon has one other important implication on the Rangers. 

It means that Torii Hunter will almost certainly not be coming to Texas.

Drafting Borbon that high means that the Rangers are pretty much signaling that Borbon will be their centerfielder of the future.  It would make no sense to roadblock him with a long term deal given to Hunter.  Instead, expect the Rangers to sign another player as a short term solution, either Eric Byrnes of Arizona or (maybe) Ichrio Suzuki from Seattle, though I doubt that the Mariners would allow him to walk.

Rangers Notes

• Congrats to Justin Verlander on the No-No.  Also, congrats to Ivan Rodriguez, who also caught Kenny Rogers' Perfect Game nearly 13 years ago.
• One other note about Blake Beavan: he's confident.   He also riled some feathers when he made some comments after being drafted that his slider was the "filthiest" he'd ever seen and he'd seen some pretty good pitchers.  Another one is that, given the state of the Rangers' current rotation that he could "do as bad" as some of them right now.  It didn't take long for those comments to make their way around the Rangers clubhouse and general offices.  Jon Daniels said that he felt Beavan used some bad judgement and Brandon McCarthy, said he understood Beavan's confidence, but he thinks the natural process of working through the minor leagues will help Beavan separate confidence from cockiness.   My take is this:  Beavan is going to be provide some entertainment while he's down in the minors.
• Immediately following their victory over the Giants on Saturday afternoon, the A's announced that they had traded backup catcher Adam Melhuse to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations.   Melhuse wasn't being played in Oakland, as he's appeared in only 12 games this year and has gotten just 26 at-bats.  Melhuse isn't being brought in because of his bat, as he was hitting .231 prior to the trade., but rather for his game calling skills, as there has been some question as to how starting catcher Gerald Laird has been calling games.
• To make room for Wilkerson, the Rangers optioned pitcher Kameron Loe to Triple-A Oklahoma.  Loe doesn't blame the team, but rather acknowledges that he's screwed things up for himself.  The Rangers are hoping that Loe would work on controlling his sinker, as well as to further develop his two secondary pitches, a changeup and a slider.  The only real question that I ask is that Loe has really had some awful outings the past couple of years as a starter and he gets hammered the second time through a lineup.  I'm wondering if maybe it's better to leave Loe in the bullpen.
• With Loe now in Oklahoma, Washington said starter Jamey Wright could come off the disabled list and start next Saturday at Cincinnati.  Wright is scheduled to start on a rehab assignment Sunday at Oklahoma.  This may be simply a way of putting warm bodies out there in order to allow the prospects to develop, but surely there are better options than Wright?  Like, ummm, Mark Redmond, and ummm, John Koronka, and ummm, John Rheinecker, and ummm.....oh screw it.
• Don’t be surprised to see not only Eric Gagne traded at the deadline, but also Akinori Otsuka, Willie Eyre and Joaquin Benoit traded as well.  There is a high demand on relief pitching and the Rangers have seemed to have identified a solid core of young relievers in C.J. Wilson, Frank Francisco, and Wes Littleton.  Eyre’s value appears to be peaking after a terrible year in Minnesota and Benoit is slowly developing into a lights out reliever, but his price tag is becoming expensive.  All four would be able to net some nice prospects if they are deal, with Atlanta, Detroit and Cleveland all looking to upgrade if any of them are made available. 

With the news that Vince Young is going to be the next cover athlete for this year's edition of Madden (L.T. probably got asked first and promptly said "Hell No!"), I predict that the Tennessee Titans will be getting a Top 5 Draft Pick after Vince Young is hurt in the pre-season and is out for the year, followed by injuries to LenDale White (runover by Saints Mascot), Pacman Jones (shot by stripper) and others.

The Madden Curse is probably one of the most horrid curses in sports.  Look at the list of victims to be claimed by the afformentioned EA Product:

• Madden 1999 - Garrison Hearst.  The first player to ever be featured on a Madden cover, Hearst would break his ankle on the first play of the game versus the Atlanta Falcons.  He disapperared from the league until 2001.
• Madden 2000 - Barry Sanders and Dorsey Levens.  Sanders shared the cover with Madden, but before trainign camp began, he retired.  Levens was featured on another cover, and only rushed for 224 yards and was ultimately cut by the Packers in 2001.
• Madden 2001 - Eddie George.  George rushed for career lows of 939 yards and 5 touchdowns, and wasn't the same player, though he did rush for over 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in 2002.
• Madden 2002 - Daunte Culpepper.  Culpepper appeared on the Madden 2002 cover, and the Vikings struggled to a 6-10 reccord.
• Madden 2003 - Marshall Faulk.  Faulk would suffer an ankle injury, missing five games and never again rushed for 1,000 yards for the rest of his career.
• Madden 2004 - Michael Vick.  Shortly after Madden 04 was released, Vick suffered a severely injury during a pre-season game against the Ravens, fracturing his fibula, and only was able to play in the last 5 games of the season.
• Madden 2005 - Ray Lewis.  Ray Lewis wold become the first defensive player ever to appear on the cover, possibly thanks to EA hoping that a defensive player would be able to beat the curse.  Unfortuantely, Lewis would break his wrist, missing the last game of the regular season, but would also fail to get a single interception and the Ravens failed to make the palyoffs.
• Madden 2006 - Donovan McNabb.  Where to start?  Aside from T.O., McNabb suffered a sports hernia in the first game of the seasonm tried to play through, injured his groin against the Cowboys, and called it a season shortly afterward.
• Madden 2007 - Shaun Alexander.  The Reigning MVP suffered a fracture in his left foot which he received during the first game of the season against the Lionsm missed 6 games, and failed to rush for over 100 yeards, plus saw his record of most touchdowns per year get broken by LaDainian Tomlinson.

Is there something to the Madden Curse?

I think there is.

Godspeed Vince.

You'll need it.

With Ron Mexico, I mean Michael Vick, taking a page out of Ricky Williams' book and being under the su####ion of possible marijuna possesion, I gotta wonder if Matt Shaub is starting to look pretty good now in Atlanta.

Shaub is a good little QB prospect ready to start on most teams.  Many teams have tried to trade for Shaubby to give him a shot at starting, but the Falcons have been reluctant to trade him.

But why?

It's possible that Vick's time in Atlanta is growing short.

Vick hasn't made any great strides in his development as a quarterback.  He's still depending on his legs too much to make plays.  And despite the attempts to design a system to allow him to succeed, he hasn't taken to any of them.  While part of this has been lackluster wide reciever play, Vick is the one common denominator in all of this.  Plus, as the years are passing by, it's clear that Vick isn't progressing.  Combined with the whole "Ron Mexico" adventure and the "Twin FIngered Salute" to the fans in New Orleans, and this latest allegation, and it's becoming clear that Vick isn't exactly what you would want as the "face of the franchise."

Even more telling is owner Arthur Blank pretty much telling new coach Bobby Petrino that Michael Vick isn't as untouchable as he may think he is. 

The truth is, were I the Falcons, I'd start covertly shopping Vick right now.

Shaub is a better fit in terms of Patrino's systems and has a sold head on his shoulders.  He doesn't have Vick's phyiscal tools, but he's a better fit at QB then Vick is at this point.  The core of the offense is still there and with some solid picks this year, the Falcons could be back to playoff contention within the year.

VIck would almost surely net a Number One pick, as someone will see him and think that they would be able to change him.  Probably the Raiders, who seem desperate to make a splash and desperate to rid themselves of the Aaron Brooks experience.

Or the Falcons can stick with Vick, coninue to dwell in the cellar, and watch Shaub walk off to another team and lead them to glory.

On a personal note, in my Madden game, my Tony Romo led Cowboys face off this week against the Shaub led Dolphins in the Super Bowl. 

Just thought I'd toss that in there.

As a fan of the Dallas Cowboys (I seem to be a fan of all the teams in Dallas, with the exception of the Mavericks.  I’m a Spurs fan all the way.)  And, as expected, I’ve seen quite a lot of terrible seasons and inconsistency under center since the last stable Cowboy Quarterback, Troy Aikman, retired.

I’ve checked for some information on this, as I was curious on how many players actually started for the Cowboys since Aikman retired.  To say the least, I’m shocked.  I’ve counted eight (coincidentally, Aikman’s number) nine quarterbacks that have started under center since Number 8 retired.  If there are more, please let me know and I’ll update the list.  This list (not the comments) is largely from memory, so I’ve probably missed a few.

·          Randall Cunningham (2000) – Oddly enough, I do remember the quarterback controversy when some fans wanted Dallas to start Cunningham instead of Aikman.  Nonetheless, Cunningham was a decent backup and took over for Aikman after the Lavar Arrington concussion that ended his career.  Despite Cunningham’s name value, he was also one year away from retirement and was not brought back the next season when Aikman would retire.

·          Quincy Carter (2001-2003) – The longest lasting of the Non-Aikman’s, Carter was drafted in the second round in the 2001 draft, to possibly replace the icon.  It was hoped that Carter would be able to re-discover the talent that made him one of the best NCAA quarterbacks in his freshman year before inconsistencies seemed to cause him to slide.  Those inconsistencies followed him to the NFL, and Carter would briefly lose his job to Chad Hutchison quarterback in 2002 before he seemed to have turned a corner in 2003, where he was serviceable, with the Cowboys went 10-6 and to the playoffs.  Carter would become incensed when Dallas signed Vinny Testaverde and after an average pre-season, a supposed failed drug test, and Bill Parcells feeling that Carter had neither the drive nor the leadership skills needed from a starting quarterback, the Cowboys cut Carter loose.

·          Clint Stoerner  (2001) – Special Thanks To Shooter For The Heads Up.  Started a couple of times, but was pulled in favor of starting...

·          Ryan #### Leaf (2001) – What the #### Hell Is Ryan Leaf doing here?  Leaf was just as bad in Dallas as he was in San Diego, and didn't start long before Carter won the job back on the basis of "least shittiest quarterback on the roster.".

·          Chad Hutchinson (2002-2003).  After a brief stint with the St. Louis Cardinals, Hutchinson would unseat Carter for the final nine games of the season as the starter, where he was largely average.  Hutchinson would lose the job in the pre-season and in the Cowboys’ pre-2003 quarterback cuts, Hutchinson and Carter would both be cut together in favor of another former baseball player, Drew Henson, and Tony Romo.

·          Vinny Testaverde (2004) – Brought in as a starting quarterback candidate, Testaverde’s signing angered Quincy Carter, who felt that he should enter the pre-season as the starter.  Testaverde wound up surviving the 2004 Pre-Season cuts and was installed as the starter.  While it was hoped that Testaverde would be able to hold the reigns long enough for Henson to start, Testaverde’s performances ranged for bad to mediocre at best.  Testaverde would start all but one game in the 2004 season before being cut loose for another Bill Parcells favorite, Drew Bledsoe.

·          Drew Henson (2004, technically 2004-2005).  After flaming out with the Yankees, Henson returned to football and was traded for by the Cowboys and given a large contract.  Henson only started one game and didn’t impress enough for Bill Parcells to leave him in the game, and would be replaced by Testaverde in the second half.  Henson remained a lame duck on the roster for another year, falling on the depth chart to third behind Tony Romo, and would finally be released before the 2006 season.

·          Drew Bledsoe (2005-2006).  Probably the best of the bunch, Bledsoe gave the Cowboys a needed presence at quarterback and for the first time, the Cowboys had a legitimate starter behind center.  Bledsoe would lead Dallas to a 9-7 start, but after a shaky start to the season, thanks largely to a suspect front line than his own short comings, Bledsoe was benched in favor of Romo and is reported contemplating retirement, not wanting to be a backup.

·          Tony Romo (2006) – Romo, an undrafted quarterback from Eastern Illinois, outlasted Carter, Hutchinson, Testaverde, Henson, and Bledsoe and has impressed Parcells with his talent, quick release, mobility, and moxie.  Romo is off to a solid start, winning his first career start.  Now the Cowboys wait to see if they’ve finally found their franchise quarterback or if Romo is only the latest to disappoint.