See this post in stunning HD!

Introduction

While the Cowboys have been relatively quiet this off season the media channels make it seem like they are the most active team. Every day there is a new rumor or expansion of a rumor associated with them. It seems every NFL player that is unhappy where they are seems ready to jump to Dallas.

Even though they often name other teams Dallas is always focused on for three years. One, they are the Cowboys,  America’s Team. Everybody loves or hates them so they are sure to draw ratings just by virtue of who they are. Second, they are competitive. An impact player here or there could make them the Super Bowl favorites. Third, Jerry Jones is willing to take risks to get his team to the top.

So, I’ve been thinking about all these rumors and the upcoming draft and about what the Cowboys could feasibly do over the next couple months.

No McFadden

There’s been a lot of speculation about the Cowboys jumping up the draft to get Darren McFadden. Besides not needing a top-five back the money they would have to pay him is simply too great. The Cowboys will sit pat towards the tail end of the draft and, if anything, move out of the first round.

Unfortunately for those who love McFadden and the Cowboys he will not have a star on his helmet come next year.

Pacman Jones and Chad Johnson

These are the two prominent rumors regarding the Cowboys right now. “Pacman” Jones has made it clear that he wants to play for the Cowboys. If he’s willing to suck it up and take 90% of the risk then he will. He’s good enough for the Cowboys to take a little chance on but he won’t be commanding huge money or a high draft pick.

Chad Johnson has made it clear he wants to play anywhere but Cincinnati. He mentioned the Cowboys and suggested that with his addition the Super Bowl is guaranteed. While that’s certainly a stretch an throwing game combining the likes of Owens, Johnson, and Witten would be formidable to say the least.

While I originally thought the Adam Jones trade was much more likely I’m beginning to think there’s a real possibility with Chad Johnson. This is solely based on some comments by Jerry Jones. He stated that the Cowboys are assuming Terry Glenn won’t be back and their number one priority is getting some firepower opposite Terrell Owens. When pressed about whether he thought that firepower would come from the draft Jerry Jones said it wasn’t likely.

The Draft

Well, the Cowboys have two first round picks this year. That gives them an edge in this year’s draft. Combine that with the fact that they have no glaring needs and they have many options. They will not trade one of these picks to get Chad Johnson or Jones directly but could use them to maneuver.

For the purposes of this piece that’s what I will assume the thinking is. These first two choices will be looked at as pieces to build towards these trades.

Pick 22: From the Cleveland Browns for QB Brady Quinn

There is much speculation about what the Cowboys will do with this pick. In this scenario they are going to trade this bad boy to either the Falcons or the Dolphins (who ever offers more). I’m going to assume the Falcons will in order to #### up a QB the Dolphins otherwise would have. So…

***Dallas Cowboys trade pick 22 to Atlanta Falcons for 2009 First Round Pick and pick 34 (Second Round, pick 3)***

Atlanta Falcons select Quarterback Brian Brohm from Louisville.

This is a repeat of what happened last year when the Browns traded from early in the second round up into the first to insure they got Brady Quinn. Here, I’m betting the Falcons fear the Dolphins scooping up Brohm enough to want to jump up.

Pick 28: Antoine Cason CB/S (Arizona)

This is called hedging your bet. The Cowboys select a good young DB just in case “Pacman” doesn’t shake out. They also give themselves someone to groom behind Henry and Newman. If Newman’s price is too steep after next season then they will have his replacement waiting. Cason also gives them some depth at Safety and could be moved there if necessary.

This pick gives them lots of options moving forward. They have fulfilled a serious need and set themselves up for the future. They also protect themselves against Jones if they manage to get him and he tanks.

Pick 34: From the Atlanta Falcons for QB Brian Brohm

The Cowboys now have two picks in the second round. They also have two first round selections in 2009. One of which is from a team that seems destined to struggle for years to come (but isn’t that what they thought about Cleveland too?).

I think this is where they make their big move. ..

***Dallas Cowboys trade pick 34 (Second Round, pick 3), pick 61 (Second Round, pick 30), and LB Bobby Carpenter to Cincinnati for WR Chad Johnson***

This is about as close to market value as the Browns can hope to get for Chad Johnson. It gives them a lot of options are where to go. They will have three picks in the second round to help bolster their defense and add a talented receiver or whatever they want.

For the Cowboys, it removes a few things. First, Bobby Carpenter hasn’t really found a place in this defense. He’s out of favor with the coaching staff and seems to need a fresh start. He’s young and talented and with the right team could become a stud Line Backer.

Second, they don’t have to worry about busting on a WR selection. This will give them the ability to continue to wait on two promising young Wide Receivers (Sam Hurd and Isaiah Stanback) while assuring they are competitive on the field.

Third, they will have some leeway with Terry Glenn. He won’t be called on to step immediately back in and will be given some time to heal. If he’s anything like what he once was then a one-two-three punch of Owens-Johnson-Glenn will be nearly unstoppable (not to mention the continued presence of Barber, Romo, and Witten).

…and the Rest

The rest of the draft is relatively uneventful (though I’m not sure anything could compete with what they did above). The Cowboys use the later rounds to shore up their Defensive and Offensive lines. With the final few picks they may pick up a DB or two just to keep the churning going on there.

The real story of the rest of the Cowboys draft is this…

***Dallas Cowboys trade pick 157 (Round Five, pick 30) to the Tennessee Titans for Adam “Pacman” Jones***

Jones and the Titans get their wishes. Those are, respectively, to play for the Cowboys and to be rid of Jones.

As the Cowboys demonstrated by using their first round pick on Cason they are not playing games with Jones. He will either come in to compete for a job and stay on the straight and narrow or will be dismissed without hesitation.

With this scenario the Cowboys would be stupid not to at least pick him up. He’s a proven talent and a dynamic return man. If he really has learned then the Cowboys have their DB’s for the future in Cason and Jones. Henry would be moved to Free Safety and Hamlin to Strong Safety (if the Cowboys so desired) and Williams released after the conclusion of the 2008-2009 season.

Summary

Cowboys acquire WR Chad Johnson from the Bengals, draft CB/S Antoine Cason with the 28th overall pick, and acquire Adam “Pacman” Jones from the Tennessee Titans

WR’s: Terrell Owens (81), Chad Johnson (85), Terry Glenn (83), Patrick Crayton (84),Sam Hurd (17),  Isaiah Stanback (86)

CB’s: Terrance Newman (41), Anthony Henry (42), Antoine Cason (43), Adam “Pacman” Jones (32), Alan Ball (20)

Conclusion

So after being fairly quiet the Cowboys absolutely take over the hype of the offseason. Their two trades dominate headlines and promise to make them better on both sides of the ball.

By being crafty the Cowboys assure they have two picks in 2009 and many more options then and shore up their Defensive Backfield. The only obvious missed opportunity was a RB but the Cowboys have one more trick up their sleeve when they trade for Ricky Williams…

…just kidding. The Cowboys use a later pick (or two) on a Running Back their willing to take a chance on. It could be a committee of three to at least begin the season but Marion Barber is clearly the starter.

Keep in mind this is a hypothetically and purely for fun. There’s no way this would go down but it would be a lot of fun if it did. It would also significantly improve the Cowboys on both sides of the ball and give them plenty of options for the future.

See this post in HD! 

The Good: Michael Vick sued for 63 billion and outed as Al-Qaeda

Michael Vick has been through a lot. After denying he knew the house he purchased in Virginia (his home state) was being used for dog fighting he has now opted to plead guilty and face anywhere from 12-months to five years in prison.

One place he will not spend that time, however, is in Williamsburg Federal Correctional Facility which is located in South Carolina. That is because an inmate there is suing him and calling for a temporary restraining order.

The plaintiff, Jonathan Lee Riches, claims that Mike Vick stole his copyrighted name and his pit bulls. His name was used to open up credit cards and accounts at pet food marts while his dogs were used for, you guessed it, dog fighting. They were then sold on eBay and the cash Vick got he used to buy missiles for Iran.

That's because, according to the lawsuit, Mike Vick joined Al-Qaeda. I assume, the theory goes he will use those missiles to attack the United States in an act of Jihad.

If you don't believe this is real, the hand written claim is right here in pdf format.

The man also is seeking 63 million dollars to recover from the damages Mike Vick has done to him and wants Vick to "stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes." He wants the money to be delivered to the gates of the prison through UPS, which he incorrectly identifies as the United States Parcel Service, in gold and silver.

What's truly great about this is that the court accepted this. That means, a judge will actually have to look at this document. Mike Vick will also have to hire a lawyer to draft a response. Then the court will have to take the time and resources necessary to throw the case out.

But, this could answer several questions some people have had. Some have questioned the involvement of the Feds in this case and the use of resources. Perhaps they weren't digging for dogs on that property after all. Maybe they were looking for those missiles. Maybe the NSA picked up a phone call between Vick and some Al-Qaeda operatives or maybe they observed the him transporting the missiles.

Regardless, this is awesome and I love the fact that Vick's going to have to deal with it. This is far more interesting than the ongoing Vick saga and brings some brevity to this sad situation.

The Bad: JaMarcus Russel is Still Holding Out

So the number one overall pick is still holding out. This makes a strong case for the Texans move last year of working out a deal before the draft. The Raiders scooped up Russel from the NCAA championship game and have yet to see if he'll shine like he did at the Sugar Bowl.

With Russel still holding out the Raiders went ahead and signed Daunte Culpepper. This gives them some leverage against Russel but it's still a bad situation. According to reports, even after missing all of the training camp, the Raiders and Russel are still far apart on terms.

This is ridiculous bordering on idiotic. First of all, Russel has done absolutely nothing in the NFL (obviously). For all we know, he will be a complete failure as a QB in the NFL, another Tim Couch or Ryan Leaf. Plenty of people will say he's no Ryan Leaf but I'll believe in him when I see him in the NFL.

While I'm all for trying to get as much money as you can, you shouldn't ruin your shot by being a complete ####. Take the ten or twenty or whatever million dollar signing bonus and the five year deal. Maybe workout a way to become a restricted free agent after three or four years. If you're really that great then work your contract out to get a lot of money now and have options fairly quickly.

JaMarcus Russel really needs to get on the field. His value will never be higher than it is right now (especially since I expect him to flame out) and he should cash in while he can. If the worst case scenario plays out no one will sign him after this season (at least for anything near what he's looking at now). Russel should just come to terms with the Raiders and seeing if he can beat out Daunte for the starting job, if he wants to be a franchise QB he'll have to get to work fast.

The Ugly: Battle of the Giants

So Eli Manning doesn't like the fact that Tiki Barber questioned his leadership skills. This little tiff erupted after Tiki made some less than flattering remarks about Eli's leadership abilities, something I'm sure every NFL fan is guilty of doing. 

Apparently Tiki really upset the young Manning by saying things like his attempts to lead team meetings were comical. While I feel that could easily apply to his attempts to lead the team on the field, Eli got upset.

Eli responded by saying he could've called out Barber when he questioned Tom Coughlin's coaching ability. Ouch.

Eli may finally be standing up and showing us he can put the "man" in Manning. But probably not.  I mean, Tiki Barber is only saying what we all believe, Giants fans included. He's just confirming that Eli's more of a follower than a leader like we suspected.

Yet, the New York media, notorious for how hard they are on athletes, have given Eli a free pass. Some have questioned Eli but not like they have A-Rod who has done much more for the Yankees than Manning has for the Giants. Hell, Chad Pennington has done more for the Jets than Manning ever has for the Giants and the media's much harder on Chad than they ever have been been on Eli. 

Now, they're flaming Barber like he was blaspheming by suggestion Eli Manning is not the leader the Giant's were hoping for. Tiki Barber was 100% accurate in his comments on the awkward Eli and his inability to handle his responsibility and the new York media should be in his corner instead of stabbing him in the back.

Eli Manning's half the man Tiki Barber is and everybody knows it.

See this post in HD!

Dat Nguyen, Wes Phillips Hired to Cowboys' Staff
According to Dallas Cowboys.com, which I hold as fairly credible, former Line Backer Dat Nguyen and Wade Phillips son Wesley Phillips have been hired to Wade Phillips staff.

In case you don't know who Dat Nguyen is, and that's too bad because he's a great player, he was only in the league for a short time. He was drafted by the Cowboys in 1999 and the proceeded to become their starting middle linebacker in his second season (they were still running a 4-3 at the time). He lead the team in tackles several times and, I believe, was the heart of the Dallas defense.

In Bill Parcells first year, 2003, the Cowboys defense was rated number one and that was in large part due to Dat Nguyen. Then Bill Parcells decided to change the Cowboys defense to a 3-4 and openly wondered if Dat Nguyen would "fit" that defense. At 5' 11" and about 230 lbs. he was considered undersized for an NFL linebacker anyway, let alone one that would be asked to go one-on-one with linemen.

Nguyen proved that his size wouldn't hold him back and he continued to excell in Parcells new 3-4 defense. In that season he had *88 solo tackles (119 total), 2 sacks, and 11 passes defended. In 2005 Nguyen suffered a career ending injury.

Now he's back as an assitant linebackers and defensive quality control coach. Meanwhile, Wesley Phillips, who was Quarterback's coach at Baylor last year, was hired as an offensive assitant and offensive quality control coach.

Personally, I'm psyched about Nguyen returning as I said his intensity is what I believed was the x-factor a few years ago. After he left this defense just hasn't had that same drive. Nguyen was the heart of this defense and maybe he can inject some of that heart into the defense next season.

DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears to Thrive in "Phillips 34"
DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears were the Cowboys first round picks in 2005 (number 11 and number 20 respectively). Neither has been quite what was advertised. Ware has been good but there's a lingering feeling that he could be better. His play has been fine, good enough to make the Pro Bowl this year, but Marcus Spears has been a different story.

Touted as one of the best ends in the draft he has done very little. He's had a total of 2.5 sacks in two seasons. The line has been solid against the run but is very poor at generating pressure on the Quarterback. Meanwhile, Luis Castillo who was drafted the same year has excelled in San Diego. In two season Castillo has tallied 10.5 sacks.

Just like Wade should help Ware elevate his game there is hope that he can do the same of Marcus Spears. If that happens then the Dallas Defense could change from one that got very little pressure on the QB to one of the most sack happy in the league.




*Stats courtesy CBS Sports