Yardbarker: Dallas Cowboys

Top 10 High Risk and High Reward Players

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:50:34 -0500

The top 10 of high risk and high reward players looks at players who have great potential this season but who have either had injury problems in the past or whose role could be reduced this year. Find out who made our list.

Fantasy Football - Committing to a Running Back By Committee

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:40:00 -0500

So how do we beat the RBBC conundrum? Knowledge! I know, I sound like a bad public service announcement but in fantasy football, knowledge really is power. And there's just not enough info out there on all the various committees. I applaud the few sites out there that have attacked the RBBC analysis...though I can't say I really blame the experts out there for not wanting to talk about them. But now it's time we face committees head on and do our best to take a gamble and figure out which guys might pull to the front of the committee battles. Trust me, some of those guys might even be a top 10 back by the time the season is over. With that being said, let's take a look at 3 under-discussed teams and their backfield situation heading into 2008:

9 > 81

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:03:06 -0500

I enjoy watching Jeffri Chadiha verbally battle Skip Bayless on ESPN's 1st and 10. I especially give credence to anyone that can hand Bayless his hat in those contrived arguments. However, Chadiha's latest bit of information does not sit so well with me, and it may be the same for other Cowboy fans. Jeffri, a Senior NFL writer for ESPN, gave his list of the 10 most indispensable players in the league. Just as every other top 10 list this off-season, the Cowboys have a contribution. The oft misunderstood but never undervalued Terrell Owens comes in at number three, behind Fly-Guy Tom Brady and the heir to Brett Favre's throne (in the record books), Peyton Manning. Though I am not disagreeing that TO is a commodity that Phillips can ill afford to be without, I would argue that Tony Romo is way more indispensable to the team than "The Receiver." Value cannot solely be measured in touchdowns, but it's a good start. The Real 81 found the endzone 15 times. That accounts for about 42% of the receiving touchdowns and more than a quarter of the total TDs. Those are big numbers, but Tony Romo was responsible for 100% of Owens' scores. He was also responsible for 100% of the team's 36 passing touchdowns. Lest we not forget he ran for two scores and set up countless field goals. Not to say that Brad Johnson couldn't throw the ball deep for Terrell to go up and get it, but think about how many plays The Talented Mr. Romo made with his legs. If Owens goes down (knock on wood) I am supremely confident that our quarterback will be able to manufacture victories. Conversely, If BJ is forced to take the helm we will quickly find out why Mike Morgan thinks we need a "younger backup." It's a great thing to have so much knowledge and experience backing up your budding QB (ahem Favre), but I think Max is the only person that wants to see Brad get more playing time. Out of 16 games, Mr. Owens failed to score in 5 of them. Romo was held to zero touchdowns in only 2 games, and one was the final game of the season where he played about two quarters. 81 is a boisterous leader on the sideline, but Tony can put the team on his back and carry them to the promise land (see the agonizing Buffalo Bills game last year). The Cowboys' number 1 receiver is arguably number 1 in the league, but Tony Romo means more to Dallas right now, and for the future, than the 34 year old Owens. Let's just hope to see much more from the Romo-Owens connection this year. Thank you, Jeffri Chadiha for acknowledging that the Cowboys have one of the most indispensable players in the league, but I beseech you to reconsider whom it is.

Five Runing Backs To Avoid On Draft Day

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:04:48 -0500

The "running back by committee" strategy employed by numerous NFL teams will decrease the value of many prominent running backs. Ahman Green of the Texans is one example given here by The Scores Report

NFL Live Is Going On The Road

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:21:21 -0500

I know some people think of NFL Live as overkill, but during the offseason (and this Summer which has dragged on forever) it's one of the best shows ESPN has going. Wingo and the gang talk current events (unlike every other ESPN show during the day) and they actually report on things as they happen. Sure a lot of it is Favre and Spygate, but again (see Summer comment above)...what else are they going to talk about?

Anyway, NFL Live is taking to the streets over the next month or so. They'll be on site at a few training camps and if they're in your neighborhood be sure to stop by and heckle, er...say hi.

Here's the schedule....

Fri., July 25- New York Giants (Albany, N.Y.)
Trey Wingo, Cris Carter
Reporter: Rachel Nichols

Mon., July 28- Indianapolis Colts (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Trey Wingo, Cris Carter

Tues., July 29- Dallas Cowboys (Oxnard, Calif.)
Sal Paolantonio, Mark Schlereth
Reporter: Ed Werder

Wed., July 30- Green Bay Packers (De Pere, Wisc.)
Trey Wingo, Cris Carter

Thurs., July 31- San Diego Chargers (San Diego)
Sal Paolantonio, Mark Schlereth

Fri., Aug. 1- Pittsburgh Steelers (Latrobe, Pa.)
Trey Wingo, Merril Hoge

Sat., Aug. 2 & Sun., Aug. 3- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, Ohio)
Reporter: Bob Holtzman

I am shocked....shocked I tell you....that they aren't going to Patriots Training Camp. Good times though and like I said go say hi. Wingo will probably be nice, but beware of Cris Carter. We know how he feels about bloggers.

What to do with the No. 7 pick in fantasy drafts

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:05:31 -0500

Earlier this week, I posted the results of the first round of our July fantasy mock draft. If you missed it, 11 bloggers joined me to mock out the first round for a hypothetical redraft league. The results of the second round of the July fantasy mock draft are forthcoming, but the mock got me thinking: What, exactly, should be done with the No. 7 pick in this year's draft? Why No. 7? Well, because that is where I landed in this month's mock. I opted for upside at the seven spot by taking Dallas' runningback Marion Barber. To me, it seems like he has the most potential to break into the top-5 of all runningbacks this season, like Frank Gore a couple years ago. Barber's main competitor for playing time — Julius Jones — now is out of the picture and in Seattle, so Barber should see the bulk of the workload. The Cowboys did draft Felix Jones in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, but I could not see Jones being more than a complement to Barber this season. When it comes to crunch time and goal line situations, Barber should be the go-to back. However, some have called the pick a reach. Barber's average draft position (ADP), according to Fantasy Football Calculator, is 1.08. Based on this, I reached on Barber by one spot. ... more ...

Bill Parcells Blames Tony Romo For His Departure In Dallas

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:11:14 -0500

I missed the HBO special yesterday (and I just bought the channel, too), but apparently former Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells says Tony Romo is the reason he left the organization. His comments are probably going to make some fans livid, and others may sympathize with what he has to say, but I have my own [...]

is Roy Williams comming to philly?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:37:13 -0500

Hey yard, ive been looking through different sports sites and theres rumors about roy williams getting released...no not the star detroit WR but the dallas cowboy SS...yeah i know its a long shot and dont shoot me down for putting this up here, but it all makes sense...dallas is moving anthony henry to roys postion and well its safe to say quintin mikell isnt a star player..plus we could deffintly use roy williams hurting t.o every game they played...t.o vs asante and roy...that means t.o would stand for too old..wat is he like 34? well tell me wat u think

Fantasy Football RB Preview

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:56:50 -0500

Running back has been labeled the most important position in the history of fantasy football, and quite frankly, it is. Never have you seen a fantasy football squad with the likes of Travis Minor and J.J. Arrington manning the backfield. This year's running back class is stacked with both familiar and fresh talent. Here are the Top 25 Running Backs for the upcoming fantasy football season: 1. LaDainian Tomlinson SD 2. Adrian Peterson MIN 3. Brian Westbrook PHI 4. Joseph Addai IND 5. Steven Jackson STL 6. Marshawn Lynch BUF 7. Marion Barber III DAL 8. Frank Gore SF 9. Ryan Grant GB 10. Ronnie Brown MIA 11. Clinton Portis WSH 12. Larry Johnson KC 13. Maurice Jones-Drew JAX 14. Brandon Jacobs NYG 15. Willis Mcgahee BAL 16. Reggie Bush NO 17. Jamal Lewis CLE 18. Laurence Maroney NE 19. Michael Turner ATL 20. Thomas Jones NYJ 21. Willie Parker PIT 22. Earnest Graham TB 23. Darren Mcfadden OAK 24. Matt Forte CHI 25. Fred Taylor JAX Well now you know my answer to the biggest debate in fantasy football this season, LT or AP? I go with LT because of what he has done over the past few seasons and the certainty his name brings to your team. Tomlinson is probably the 2nd best receiving running back behind Westbrook, and finds the end zone more than anyone else. Heck, LT will even throw you a TD this season. AP is a great running back and if i have the number 2 pick on my fantasy draft I know that he is going to be mine. But he hasn't earned the right to take over that number 1 spot from Tomlinson, even if Peterson thinks he already has. At the end of the top 10 I have Ryan Grant and Ronnie Brown. WIth Brett Favre out of Lambeau, Aaron Rodgers will be leaning on Grant all season long, whether it be running the ball or dumping it off to him. Expect Grant to see a lot more touches near the red zone because of the lack of trust in Rodgers not to turn the ball over on that part of the field. Ronnie Brown was one of the best running backs before he got hurt last year. In fact, Brown was the number 1 ranked RB on Yahoo! for quite some time. This season, Brown says he feels healthy and he's running behind a better offensive line with 1st overall NFL Draft pick Jake Long leading the way. And if Bill Parcells has any say in it, Brown will be getting a lot of red zone carries, so that comeback story Ricky WIlliams can focus on beating down the clock late in games. (Also, can we really expect Ricky Williams to not have some sort of relapse at some point. You know, wake up late for practice once or twice, forget his helmet when going into a game, one of those could happen). At number 16 i put Saints RB Reggie Bush. This is a bit of a reach because of how loaded the Saints ground-game is this year with Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas. I have some Reggie Bush bias in me because of his jaw-dropping ability he displayed in college and somewhat in the pros, but i wouldn't be shocked to see Bush either have a breakout year, or be relegated to mop up duty. This may be the year Bush needs to step up on New Orleans, especially if Pierre Thomas has a solid season. Try and get your hands on 2 of these 3 running backs if you are going to take any of them. Two more players I want to talk about are Willie Parker and rookie Matt Forte. Parker has put up solid numbers throughout his career and in The Steel City, there should be more handoffs than Home Runs over at PNC Ballpark. Though Parker may be sharing with rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall has really impressed Steeler coaches with his ability and combination of speed and power, perfect for the Steelers offense. Expect a dip in touches for Parker and take Mendenhall late in your draft. Matt Forte has been put into a solid situation in Chicago. The Bears have no real answer at QB and we could see another season of the Rex Grossman Show. Forte will get the touches, it's just a matter of what he can do with them. The O-Line in Chicago is solid, but aging, but an inspired Forte can rejuvenate some magic in The Windy City. Here are 3 players who may surprise you: Jonathan Stewart CAR- Carolina Panther running backs have always disappointed their fantasy owners in the past couple of years. Stewart, rated by some as the 2nd best running back of this year's draft class, brings versatilely to John Fox's offense. Stewart is a very good receiving back and can burst through a hole better than any of his predecessors in Carolina. I wouldn't be too surprised to see him finish the season as a top 20 running back on a Panthers team contending for a division title. Julius Jones SEA- Written off by many in Dallas, Jones (who was replaced by Felix Jones, who should be owned by Marion Barber owners across the world) brings very good speed as a replacement to former MVP and Madden cover model Shaun Alexander. Jones can handle a lot of carries and is playing for an offense that better suits his running style. Jones likes to run downhill and sneak through the O-linemen, unlike in Dallas where they pound the ball inside behind the guards. Jones has been complaining for the last few years that he hasn't been able to run like he wants to, and this year he will get his chance to show us what he means exactly. Kevin Smith DET- The pride of the University of Central Florida, Smith is one of the best running backs in the history of college football, statistically. He takes over in Detroit, where they have vowed to start having a more balanced offensive attack. Smith almost broke the total yards record in college with Central Florida and wowed scouts with his speed and ability to break tackles. Smith is surrounded by a lot of talent in Detroit and has been given a great chance to succeed and show his skills to the stubborn Lion's fans. Let's just hope they treat Smith better than they treat their owner.

NFL Power Rankings; Patriots no. 1, Colts no. 2

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:32:57 -0500

The 2008 pre-season power rankings have the New England Patriots in the lead. The Colts are no. 2, and the Cowboys are no. 3.

Parcells Blames Romo for Retirement

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:22:43 -0500

USA Today has stated in an article that was based off of Parcells HBO "RealSports" interview that Tony Romo is to blame for his retirement from coaching. In Parcell's interview he makes comments about the simplicity of kicking a field goal and it was the inability of the Cowboys to make that last field goal after going so far as a team that lead to his retirement. However, he never directly says that Tony Romo is the reason he quit. The reporter for USA Today came up with the conclusion all by himself. Tony Romo isn't to blame, it was the disappointment of not being able to put the icing on the cake when it was obvious the cake was theirs to be eaten. You have a great team and you don't take that team the distance, it hurts, it takes a toll on you mentally. That was Parcells breaking point, not when Romo dropped the snap.

Top 10 Reasons To Like The NFC East

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:24:24 -0500

There are a lot of top 10 lists out there, everything from actresses to models, to NFL power rankings, but this one is a little different. The top 10 reasons to like the NFC East. Believe it or not, there are reasons to like the sister division in the NFC, even for Dolphins fans. Number 10: [...]

Who Buys This Sh*t? NFL Edition

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:40:17 -0500

The NFL season is underway with fans across the nation frothing at the mouth for every last bit of news about their favorite teams, heading out to training camps in the July heat and stocking up on stupid, insane memorabilia that they think proves their loyalty to a team and league which cares only about the money they give them. Which brings me to this...there are some NFL products out there that I know the vast majority of people out there would never buy...ever. I make no apologies for my love (hate) of the Washington Redskins, but that doesn't mean I would buy anything with a logo slapped on it. I have a couple t-shirts, a coffee mug and a jersey for the late Sean Taylor...thats it. Does anyone need more? There is a whole lot of crap out there and we're gonna show you the worst of the NFL merchandise that you can purchase for this upcoming football season:

Bruno Boys Q & A - Draft Day Advice (Pt. 1)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:31:11 -0500

This Bruno Boys Q & A segment will focus on one thing and one thing only; and that is to get you as prepared as possible for your league 's draft. If you use this Q & A along with the Bruno Boys 2008 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets, message boards and everything else that the Bruno Boys have to offer, we have no doubt that your draft will be a winner. To read more, click below...

Not Ready For Prime Time

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:03:54 -0500

Deion Sanders was an amazing talent on the grid iron and to a lesser extent on the diamond. He doesn't seem to have that magic touch elsewhere in his life. Tonight, I caught the very end of his family losing to the Ed McMahon family on Celebrity Family Feud. I remembered another time when Neon failed to sparkle. Someone thought it would be a good idea to have him host the 2002 Miss USA pageant. Please note the poor, poor attempt at dialogue, rivaling only his attempts at making a tackle on the corner during his playing career in therms of ugliness. The fake inflection. The downright awkwardness. The shear beauty of it all. Here's to you, Prime Time. VIDEO AT HHR.