Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Training Camp Begins Monday

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Jerry Jones Wants To 'Close The Window' Discussion About Cowboys Super Bowl Chances

The Dallas Cowboys begin training camp on Monday out in Oxnard, Calif., and owner Jerry Jones wants to put an end to the talk about the Cowboys chances of winning a Super Bowl are closing:

"I want to close the window to closing the window," Jones said in today's opening news conference of training camp. "That was off-season talk. We'll leave it right there."

Jones echoed coach Jason Garrett's mantra about believing the Cowboys are "building a championship team" based on off-season personnel moves. [...]

But Jones acknowledged the time to make a Super Bowl run is now, not later.

"I do feel a sense or urgency," Jones said. "But more in the framework that, when we open up against the Giants, we've got to do better. We've got to be tougher."

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Mike Jenkins Injury Update: Dr. James Andrews Expected To Examine Shoulder

Mike Jenkins is still healing from his shoulder surgery over the offseason, and it's just as unclear when he will be back with the Cowboys as it is whether or not he will be with the team at all. Jenkins is at risk of going on the reserve list when the Cowboys chop their roster down to 53 players, which would for him to miss at least six games this season.

In order to be cleared to practice for the Cowboys, Jenkins will have to pass a physical, so Dr. Andrew's evaluation will be interesting in that regard. The Cowboys declined Jenkins' trade request earlier this offseason, despite signing Brandon Carr and drafting Morris Claiborne over the offseason.

Jenkins had extensive surgery in January to repair his shoulder.

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Dallas Cowboys Training Camp: Alex Albright Says Everything Is Good With His Shoulder

Alex Albright said he felt no pain and had no problems with his shoulder when he returned to Cowboys practice this week. Albright, a second-year player who appeared in 16 games last season, missed some offseason team activities while recovering from surgery on his sore shoulder.

While Albright is getting some consideration for the inside linebacker position, his presence this season is likely to be most felt on special teams, as it was in his rookie campaign.

Check out these Albright quotes, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

"It's an opportunity for them to at least try me out somewhere else, just in case," Albright said of his inside work. "Picking it up quickly. Dan Connor is helping me out. Sean Lee is helping out a lot.

"The first practice was a little different," he added. "Not really used to things because I missed OTAs and everything. Took the wind out of me. But got back into it quickly, and I'm ready to go."

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Cowboys Training Camp: Dallas Signs Former TCU Running Back Ed Wesley

The Dallas Cowboys added depth to their running back position by signing former TCU running back Ed Wesley to the training camp roster, according to Aaron Wilson.

The Cowboys signed former TCU running back Ed Wesley

— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) July 27, 2012

Though he was not drafted this past April, there was a chance he may have been selected in the supplementary draft. In his time with the Horned Frogs, Wesley ran for 2,442 yards in three seasons. His best season was in 2010, where he ran for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns. Though his numbers decreased in 2011, he's still a back that can provide depth for the Cowboys.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news, notes and analysis around the NFL. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Cowboys Training Camp: Morris Claiborne Not Worried About Wrist

The brace on Morris Claiborne's left wrist was a topic of discussion at Cowboys training camp on Thursday.

The No. 6 pick in this year's draft had surgery on the wrist in April to repair a ligament. He continues to rehab when he's not on the field. As for the drills, Claiborne says it's not a problem. From the Dallas Morning News:

Asked to describe his left wrist brace after practice Thursday, Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne said it's "a little Megatron type thing." The extra protection was custom made specifically for Claiborne, preventing his surgically-repaired wrist from bending backward.

[…]

He added: "In college, I wore a little brace on it, so it's nothing new to me. I'm used to it. As long as I got my hand, I'm good."

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NFL Power Rankings 2012: Cowboys Ranked As 'Contenders' In NFL.com Rankings

The Dallas Cowboys rank as contenders, according to preseason power rankings from NFL.com:

The quarterbacks get the blame in Chicago and Dallas, but Tony Romo and Jay Cutler are good enough to win titles if the rest of the team steps up.

That ranking isn't far from where they were placed by SB Nation in their power rankings. SB Nation's Cowboys blog Blogging the Boys pointed a big question mark for the season:

The secondary has received a big upgrade in the 2012 offseason leaving the Cowboys with one major question - can the interior offensive line hold up?

Strong play at that position would certainly help Tony Romo perform to the best of his ability, which is obviously a key to the Cowboys success. After several years of being just on the bubble, a strong effort in Dallas could see them rise to the top.

Stick with this StoryStream for more on the Dallas Cowboys as they prepare for training camp. For all things Cowboys, Blogging the Boys has you covered.

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Cowboys Training Camp: Jason Garrett Stands Behind Dez Bryant

After Dez Bryant recently reportedly struck his mother and his subsequent arrest, his reputation and standing with the Dallas Cowboys have likely taken a hit. However, his head coach is still standing behind him publicly with comments and it's clear the Cowboys are staying the course in hoping to make a solid citizen out of their prized wideout.

"He has made a lot of progress since he has been here with the Cowboys both as a person and as a player," said Garrett. "He has long way to go just like we all do. We are going to try to help him do that. What he needs to know is we support him. We support his mom. We support his family in the situation he is in. We are going to try to help him in any way we can."

The Cowboys head coach is hoping that in-house options for helping players will help Bryant turn a personal corner as he moves forward both on the field and off of it.

"We believe we have as good of a players assistance program in all of professional sports," Garrett said. "We believe it's really, really important to help our players in every way that we can. We're well-staffed in that area. We believe in counseling for people who need it. we try to do that for all of our players. Dez will be a part of that and we just want to help him. We have great resources. We embrace the opportunity to help him. We've done that in the past with other players. With Dez, we'll continue to do that."

Bryant had 63 catches for 928 yards and 9 touchdowns last season.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Dallas Cowboys Place Mike Jenkins, Four Others On Active/PUP List

The Dallas Cowboys announced a few moves today by placing five players on the Active/Physically Unable to Play list including cornerback Mike Jenkins. The cornerback is coming off of shoulder surgery and has not yet been cleared to practice. It's a good sign that he is showing up training camp since he skipped the offseason workouts due to being unhappy with his contract and standing with the team.

Overall the Cowboys announced today a total of five players heading to Active/PUP.

#Cowboys announced they placed CB Mike Jenkins, G Mackenzy Bernadeau, WR Danny Coale, S Matt Johnson, and G/C Kevin Kowalski on active/PUP.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) July 25, 2012

Jenkins is expected to have a new role with the team after the Cowboys drafted Morris Claiborne and brought in Brandon Carr in the offseason from the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Both are assumed to be the starters at cornerback in the Cowboys base defense.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Cowboys Linebacker Sean Lee Comments On Penn State Scandal

Dallas Cowboys and former Penn State linebacker Sean Lee spoke to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com about the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the aftermath which led to the firing of Joe Paterno and major NCAA sanctions that were levied on the university on Monday.

Lee was blunt about who was to blame, being critical of the Penn State officials who covered up Sandusky's actions for years,

Obviously I don’t support the actions of how they handled that situation at all. The facts have shown they didn’t report Sandusky and what happened and because of it more kids got hurt. That’s what the facts show and I don’t agree with that at all. This should’ve been reported right away. There should’ve been procedures in place where this is what we do, investigation and go from there and more kids wouldn’t have been hurt.

Sean was also very supportive of the Freeh Report, which Lee said would help the school improve and make sure something like this never happens again,

I actually think the Freeh Report was a good thing because it shows where Penn State can go, how they can improve on some things so something as horrible as it did will never happen again.

And while the sanctions took away every win of his Penn State career, Lee knows his accomplishments at Happy Valley will always be a major part of his life,

There’s obviously the memories that you have, so that (removal) was done for whatever reason but as a teammate and former player you realize what you did as a team and what accomplished. Your memories will always be there so that’s not what bothers me.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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NFL Power Rankings: Dallas Cowboys Ranked No. 15 By SB Nation

Now that the NFL season is getting closer and closer, the power rankings are starting to come out. According to the average of all 32 NFL team blogs on the SB Nation network the Dallas Cowboys are ranked in No. 15 in the overall rankings published by SB Nation.

Blogging the Boys, the Dallas Cowboys blog on SB Nation states that while the defense has improved, the Cowboys have to hope now that their offensive line will holdup under the punishment of a full season. That could be the difference in the Cowboys possibly winning the the NFC East or missing the playoffs yet again.

The Cowboys suffered from a secondary that was shredded at critical points in games last season. Injuries and a skill-set that didn't match Rob Ryan's defensive scheme were definite problems. The secondary has received a big upgrade in the 2012 offseason leaving the Cowboys with one major question - can the interior offensive line hold up? At most other positions, they have the quality to compete with the rest of the league.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Dez Bryant And Mother Release Official Statement Regarding Arrest

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was arrested last week in connection with a domestic assault charge involving his mother, Angela. The Bryant family held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon during which an attorney read an official statement, according to the official Cowboys website.

Mr. Bryant and his mother, Angela are appearing here today because they feel it is important to address recent reports that Mr. Bryant committed family violence against his mother. Although Dez would like to speak to this matter, on the advice of counsel, he will not make any statements at this time.

Did a family disagreement occur? Yes. Did Dez Bryant commit family violence against his mother? No.

They are here together today to show they do love and support each other, just as much as they did before the incident a week ago. But like all families, the Bryants have disagreements.

Mr. Bryant and his family understand the serious nature of family violence. They believe when all the facts are reviewed, Mr. Bryant will be cleared of any allegations of family violence.

Angela Bryant does not want charges filed against her son. Ms. Bryant has had an opportunity to speak with other people who witnessed the incident and has filed an Affidavit of Non Prosecution with the DeSoto Police Department. She recognizes that under the law, filing of the affidavit may not impact the legal outcome of her complaint. She asks that her affidavit be taken into consideration in deciding whether it is in the best interest of her family for this to continue in the legal system or allow them to resolve the issue as a family.

Dez and his mother believe this is a family matter that can be worked out through counseling.

They ask there not be a rush to judgment concerning their family. They also ask for your continued prayers and support for their family as they work through this matter.

Angela Bryant has decided not to press charges against her son.

Meanwhile, Bryant's head coach while with the Oklahoma St. Cowboys, Mike Gundy, spoke to Jon Machota of the Dallas News on Tuesday about the situation.

"Dez, as we all know, is an unbelievable talent and is trying to make strides to do the right thing, and I'm not really informed on what happened just recently," Gundy said at Big 12 media days in Dallas. "I only know what I saw in the news. I've been out of town and haven't really paid much attention.

"But it saddens me to hear negative things come out about Dez, and hopefully he can get it together."

Bryant could still face misdemeanor charges and potential actions by the league and the Cowboys.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Morris Claiborne Contract Signing: Dallas Cowboys 1st Round Pick Inks 4-Year, $16.26 Million

Morris Claiborne seemed to be ready for training camp no matter what happened with his contract situation. Fortunately for him and the Cowboys alike, Claiborne has signed a 4-year, $16.26 million contract with the team. Reports earlier Monday indicated that Claiborne and the Cowboys were close to reaching a deal, and now the Boys can go into training camp with their new-look secondary led by Claiborne and free agent signing Brandon Carr.

Speaking of #Cowboys CB Mo Claiborne... @NFLNetwork reports he has signed. 4 years, $16.26 million guaranteed, no offset language

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2012

Claiborne was taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cowboys.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Morris Claiborne Close To Reaching A Deal

Morris Claiborne is close to signing a deal with the Dallas Cowboys, Clarence Hill Jr. reports via a team source. Claiborne is the player the Cowboys moved so much higher in the draft to select, making him the sixth overall selection this past April. Claiborne was a part of the national championship runner up LSU Tigers.

According to cowboys source a deal is close with rookie top pick Morris Claiborne. Possibly as soon as today but def before start of camp

— Clarence Hill (@clarencehilljr) July 23, 2012

Signing Claiborne would solidify at least part of the Boys' secondary, particularly the cornerback positions, since Brandon Carr was the major free agent signing this offseason.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news and analysis around the league. Also, be sure to subscribe to the SB Nation Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Dallas Cowboys 2012 Training Camp Schedule

We've finally made it. It seems like the draft was just yesterday... not. It seems like the draft was a decade ago, but we've finally reached the next milestone as we prepare for the 2012 season to kick off for your Dallas Cowboys on September 5th. As most are aware, the franchise has set their sights on Oxnard, CA for this years training camp; and the cool air off the Pacific Ocean should help keep the core temperatures low while the intensity heats up. Pads and contact will finally be allowed as we can begin to get a feel for which linemen are worth their weight in gold, and which ones have a feathery value.

Quarterbacks, rookies, and players that were injured and unable to participate in OTAs are allowed to report on Wednesday, July 25th, while the remaining players will report on Sunday, July 29th. The first full-on practice will be the following Monday. Here's a look at the schedule from that point forward, in case you happen to be in California and are looking for something to do.

Monday, July 30 – 2:30 p.m. practice
Tuesday, July 31 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Wednesday, Aug. 1 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Thursday, Aug. 2 — No practice
Friday, Aug. 3 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Saturday, Aug. 4 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Sunday, Aug. 5 – 2:30 p.m. Blue-White scrimmage
Monday, Aug. 6 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Tuesday, Aug. 7 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Wednesday, Aug. 8 – No practice
Thursday, Aug. 9 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Friday, Aug. 10 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Saturday, Aug. 11 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Sunday, Aug. 12 – Walkthrough TBA
Monday, Aug. 13 – Preseason game at Oakland
Tuesday, Aug. 14 – No practice
Wednesday, Aug. 15 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Thursday, Aug. 16 — 2:30 p.m. practice
Friday, Aug. 17 – Walkthrough TBA, break camp

(schedule per mysanantonio.com)

For continued training camp coverage, make sure to check out Blogging The Boys and the SB Nation Story Streams.

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Felix Jones Injury Update: Cowboys RB Medically Cleared For Training Camp

Felix Jones is going to make it to Dallas Cowboys training camp in enough time to try to win back his starting job, as ESPN Dallas' Calvin Watkins reports that Jones has been medically cleared to practice.

Jones underwent shoulder surgery shortly after the season and it forced him to miss all of the team's offseason workouts while he recovered. Watkins reports that Jones will be available to practice with the full squad July 30 in Oxnard, Calif. Jones has only played one full season (2010) since becoming a first-round pick int he 2008 draft.

It was supposed to be his breakout year in 2011, but the his lack of productivity and battle with the injured shoulder gave way for DeMarco Murray to emerge as the Cowboys' marquee running back.

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Head over to our NFL hub page for additional news and notes around the league.

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Dez Bryant Charged With Class A Misdemeanor

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NFL Rumors: Danny Coale Will Miss Start Of Training Camp

The Dallas Cowboys WR position continues to take hits. With Dez Bryant now operating under a cloud of off-field troubles, rookie fifth-round pick Danny Coale of Virginia Tech will reportedly miss the start of training camp due to a broken bone in his foot.

Archie Barberio wrote a scouting report on Coale right after the NFL Draft:

Three negatives, that's it and they are the few issues I have with his game at this point in time. Coale is a savvy route runner who has amazing hands. He may be one of the best route runners on the team right now, and he is a rookie. Coale just has a unique ability to get wide open during the course of a game. In a lot of his big plays, you notice that there is nobody near him and he is wide open. Chalk it up to his ability as a route runner, which is something that the Cowboys are going to need in a #3 wide receiver.

Unfortunately, this injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the rookie WR, as he's now behind the eight ball in terms of developing chemistry with Tony Romo as well as learning the intricacies of the pro game.

If it lingers too much in training camp, it may end up short-circuiting his rookie campaign, as the Cowboys coaching staff will have less time to walk the rookie through the process of transitioning to the NFL the closer the season gets.

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas.

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Dez Bryant Arrest Update: Cowboys Star Allegedly Shoved His Mother

The Dez Bryant arrest sounds a little bizarre, especially since details of the incident emerged on Tuesday morning. Apparently, Bryant is accused of shoving his mother during an altercation with his half brother. Earlier reports were conflicting as to whether Bryant was arrested on Saturday or Monday. But now reports are indicating the incident occurred on Saturday, but the Cowboys wide receiver wasn't actually arrested and charged with anything until Monday.

Bryant didn't make a big deal out of it when questioned, basically saying everything was fine.

Bryant comes from an interesting background to say the least, with his mother having spent 18 months behind bars during his childhood for selling crack cocaine. His father was supposedly a pimp, too. That's what led to one NFL executive asking him whether or not his mother was a prostitute.

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Check out our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news and analysis around the league. Also be sure to subscribe to this Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Dez Bryant Arrested On Domestic Violence Charge, According To Reports

After an offseason filled with off-the-field issues a year ago, Dez Bryant was laying low this offseason. But not anymore. According to multiple reports, Bryant was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence.

But there appear to be conflicting reports. WFAA.com reports that Bryant was arrested on Monday, while NFL.com says the arrest was on Saturday. Either way, it's not a good look for Bryant, who didn't seem too concerned.

The nature of the charge Bryant is facing was not immediately clear. City officials said records relating to the arrest would not be released until Tuesday.

When contacted by News 8 reporter Rebecca Lopez, Bryant downplayed the "incident," saying only, "I'm good, I'm good."

Bryant was a first-round pick by the Cowboys in 2010 and finished with 63 catches for 928 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

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Forbes Ranks Cowboys As World's Third Most Valuable Franchise

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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Anthony Spencer Will Have To Settle For Franchise Tag

Anthony Spencer seems to be the least likely to get a long term deal out of the 12 franchise tag players looking for a long term deal. At least that's the perspective taken at NFL.com, since the Cowboys have been clear about their intentions to keep Spencer franchised.

Really, the Boys were reluctant to guarantee Spencer the $8.8 million he'll get under the tag in 2012. So a long term deal was always unlikely considering this.

Spencer's agent Jordan Woy had this to say to ESPN's Todd Archer.

"We will start the season with his current contract. We will see what happens during the season. I'm sure we will have a discussion before the season ends."

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. Check out our dedicated NFL hub page for additional news and analysis around the league. Also be sure to subscribe to this Youtube Channel for video commentary.

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Amani Toomer Thinks Tony Romo Is Better Than Eli Manning

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Dallas Cowboys News: Anthony Spencer's Agent Confirms Spencer Will Not Receive Long-Term Deal

What was rumored earlier this week is now officially true: Anthony Spencer will not receive a long-term contract from the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, and will play out the 2012 season on his current franchise tender. Spencer's agent, Jordan Woy, confirmed this to ESPN Dallas.

The Cowboys had only brief talks with Spencer in the offseason about a long-term deal and have prepared for their 2007 first-round pick to count $8.8 million against the 2012 salary cap all along.

"We will start the season with his current contract," said Spencer's agent, Jordan Woy. "We will see what happens during the season. I'm sure we will have a discussion before the season ends."

The new collective bargaining agreement precludes the Cowboys from reaching a long-term agreement with Spencer until after the season ends. The new CBA, however, does not prevent the Cowboys from placing the franchise tag on Spencer again next year, if they so desire.

For the latest Cowboys news and analysis, check out Blogging the Boys.

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Cowboys Won't Lock Up Anthony Spencer Before Deadline

With the deadline approaching for teams to lock up franchised players for the long-term, it doesn't appear the Cowboys are going to secure Anthony Spencer's future in Dallas.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports took a look at each franchised player and laid out each situation with their respective teams. He doesn't see the Cowboys locking up Spencer.

Likewise, the Cowboys are content to let linebacker Anthony Spencer play it out another year to assess his overall worth.

The deadline for franchise tagged players to sign multi-year deals is Sunday. Otherwise, the players become free agents and can test the market for 2013. Spencer was tagged by the Cowboys in March and will make $8.8 million for the 2012 season.

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Cowboys Test Clean For Supplements; Pass On Gordon, Others In Draft

Whew.

You just knew somebody was going to do something foolish today and had to pray that it wasn't Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. As much as you believe that Jason Garrett has changed the mindset of the front office; multiple reports that Dallas was strongly considering making a run at former Baylor WR Josh Gordon in today's NFL Supplemental Draft made you wonder.

The Cowboys avoided Gordon today, with the help of a mystifying second-round bid and award by the Cleveland Browns organization; and then decided to stand pat on the other seven candidates that were eligible for selection. Cleveland has been the butt of numerous twitter jokes today and NFL front office amazement that they would surrender a second round pick (in essence, No 34 overall) for a player that hasn't seen action in almost two years. They have done extensive research on the Baylor program over the last few years, but many wonder if this was a move of a desperate (disinterested long-term?) front office. However, there probably wasn't another team that put in a second round claim on Gordon, meaning Cleveland would have only had to beat out the Buffalo Bills to get him at a third-round cost.

The Cowboys were assigned the 20th pick in the draft order.

Gordon was suspended from Baylor in October 2010 for a marijuana arrest and reportedly failed several drug tests. The last player to be selected in the second round of the supplemental draft was Georgia Tech running back Tony Hollings; selected by the Texans in 2003. The Browns have now forfeited their second round pick of the full amateur draft in April 2013.

The remaining candidates are all now UDFA's and free to sign with any interested team. LB Teddy Lumpkin headlines that list of candidates as Dallas was reported to have interest there as well as with Gordon.

For more on the Cowboys, check out Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas.

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Cowboys Running Back DeMarco Murray Is Ready For 2012

The Cowboys running game presented us with numerous versions of itself in 2011. The year started without a fullback on the roster and Felix Jones as the starter. The team would soon sign free agent Tony Fiammetta and start to work towards the type of offense head coach Jason Garrett envisions as his winning formula. Fiammetta was out after Week 3 and wouldn't return until Felix was out with his injury in Week 7.

That's when rookie DeMarco Murray stepped in against St. Louis and rewrote the Cowboys record books. It's been well documented the success that Murray had in his initial stint of games. However, the sledding got much tougher once Fiammetta was again sidelined due to injury. Murray's per carry average and game totals plummetted. Outside evaluators will say that the league got tape on Murray, however it would be foolish to discount the effect of a quality lead blocker. Murray would later break his ankle in the first Giants game and Jones would regain the top spot on the depth chart. He filled in admirably enough (Top 25 in league in yards per carry, Top 10 in yards after contact average).

By all accounts, the Cowboys improved their lead blocking situation this offseason with the signing of Lawrence Vickers. There is hope that the two-headed running attack that Dallas hasn't enjoyed since 2006 is finally returning in 2012.

For his part, DeMarco Murray says he is ready to go. Murray sat down for a chat on ESPN.com .

Amongst other topics, he says that his ankle is doing great and "I’ll be able to do whatever the coaches want me to do."

Murray is ready to pick up where an exciting rookie season left off.

"I knew I would have some success, but I didn’t know it would go that well. But I was blessed to have good coaches and once I got the opportunity, I ran with it…literally."

This is good news for a team that still has several open-ended injury questions as camp opens up in less than three weeks. Felix missed the offseason work due to shoulder surgery and it will be interesting to see how quickly he rejoins the fold.

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas.

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SBNation's Mocking The Draft Scouts WR Josh Gordon Just In Time For The Supplemental Draft

There's been quite a lot of discussion around the web on the airwaves on whether or not the Dallas Cowboys should place a high bid on former Baylor WR Josh Gordon. Gordon was suspended from Baylor in October 2010 for a marijuana arrest and sat out 2011 due to NCAA rules after transferring to Utah. Due to financial considerations, Gordon decided to enter the supplemental draft.

Now, each individual makes up their own mind on whether a misdemeanor weed charge is worth avoiding a talent such as Gordon. Just as each team will; they'll also decide what price they would pay for someone that hasn't played competitive football in almost two years. In a normal April draft, that would probably send someone down to the fourth or fifth round. However, Gordon is being projected to be bid anywhere between a late second and fourth rounder.

Will Dallas get involved? We'll find out Thursday, but the reports are they've done plenty of homework on the guy. I think it's rather silly that some writers are considering him for the third wide receiver role in 2012; but stranger things have happened (even though not under Garrett's tenure).

SBNation's draft site, Mocking The Draft, released their scouting report on Gordon today. Click the link to see specific notes on his route running, hands, release, size and speed. Here's Dan Kadar's final word following Gordon's Pro Day performance on Tuesday.

6'3, 224 pounds | Wide receiver | Baylor/Utah

Final word: Comparisons for Gordon have gone from one extreme to another. To me, he has the potential to be a player like Malcolm Floyd of the San Diego Chargers. There is no area in which Gordon is elite. He projects as a solid wide receiver, though he will be coming in behind the curve.

His off-field issues also have to be in consideration. He played sparingly as a freshman before shining as a sophomore. He was suspended at Baylor for a failed marijuana test. Left Baylor to go to Utah and sat out a year. Participated in fall practice with Utah last year, but was off the team before spring practice. Reportedly entered the Supplemental Draft due to financial reasons. Told the Houston Chronicle that his marijuana use "is behind him." Reportedly admitted to smoking in May but passed a drug test on July 7.

To expect a lot from Gordon as a rookie would be absurd. If he can put his off-field concerns behind him, though, Gordon should develop into a solid outside receiver. Most expect a team to chance a third-round pick on Gordon. It will be a lot to give up on a player who hasn't played since 2010.

• 12 months ago
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Time Running Out For Cowboys To Commit Long-Term To Anthony Spencer

The deadline for NFL teams to secure long-term deals for franchised players is July 16th, otherwise those players will become free-agents and have an ability to test the open market in 2013. The Dallas Cowboys face this dilemma with linebacker Anthony Spencer.

Spencer was tagged this past March by the Cowboys and will make $8.8 million dollars for the 2012 season.

Jason La Canfora, CBS Sports NFL Insider, broke down every player in the NFL facing this dilemma and also gave odds on if their current team will lock them up under long-term contracts. He gave Spencer's odds at playing for the Cowboys beyond this season as "weak."

There is no rush to get something done for the linebacker, and many linebackers this past offseason ended up not getting close to the kind of deals they wanted in free agency. This one seems to have wait-and-see written all over it.

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas. For mor NFL news visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

• 12 months ago
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This Week's Cowboys Best, Courtesy Of Blogging The Boys

A feature we'll run from time to time here on the Cowboys StoryStream is a reviw of the week that was; through the eyes of the Blogging The Boys writers. We always try to keep an interesting perspective in which Cowboys topics make their way to the front page articles. We are also often times graced with some extremely potent FanPosts, which we'll bring to your attention as well. So, here's the rundown; check out what you might have missed.

OLB Anthony Specner Is a Tackling Machine | One.Cool.Customer

If you need to see more sacks out of Anthony Spencer than that is your perrogative and not much will change your mind. If you want him to act like a traditional strongside 3-4 outside linebacker on a team with a deficiency at inside backer, than these stats say Spencer is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Interactive: Make Your Own 53 Man Rosters | Coty Saxman

About as much fun as a Cowboys fan can have on a computer in July. Cut, IR, place on the PUP or Practice Squad any of the current 90 players with the Cowboys and trim the roster to a regular season limit of 53. Beware, the final three cuts are the hardest.

Cowboys Player Power Rankings | KD Drummond

Line 'em up, knock 'em down. Who are the best 53 players currently on the Cowboys roster? This pre-training camp assessment attempts to put them in their place; at least until they put the pads on.

Offseason Headscratcher: Interior Line Permutations | Rabblerousr

What will Dallas do with the interior of the line once camp opens up. Rabble begins the thought process on the 2011 holdovers and the free agent newcomers.

What Should The Cowboys Do With Tony Romo? | Archie Barberio

With only two years remaining on his contract, it's time to really look at the conversation about extending Tony Romo's contract. Is this in Dallas' plans, and if not, what are their contingencies?

Which Cowboys Rookies Could Start This Year? | Tom Ryle

The franchise has done a good job infusing the roster with talent over the last few draft classes. We look at which members of the 2012 class have a chance to earn some 'games started' recognition.

• 12 months ago
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Morris Claiborne May Not Have Contract Signed Prior To Training Camp

The Dallas Cowboys may not see their No. 6 overall pick on the field when training camp begins on July 25. According to Morris Claiborne's agent Bus Cook, he is not sure if a contract wil be signed by then:

• 12 months ago
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Are The Cowboys As Good A Sum Of Their Parts?

SBNation.com's Ryan van Bibber has been running a series over the last week where he has ranked individual defensive units for all 32 NFL teams. So far, he's checked in with Cornerbacks, Safeties and most recently, the Linebacking Corps. Depending on your point of view, the Cowboys have surprisingly, or deservingly, ranked very well in these rankings. For a defensive unit that didn't end the year on a great note (read: collapsed), it's interesting to see such accolades heaped on them from someone that doesn't follow or cover the team.

For years, it has been said that the Cowboys have been overrated by national media, that the sum of their parts has never equaled the hype that has been thrown upon them. I know from the comment section of several Blogging The Boys articles; a lot of our fans don't want this acknowledgement for fear that the team's players believe the press clippings and start thinking they are already capable of achieving greatness and don't work as hard for it.

Regardless, people aren't going to stop doing their rankings. It's a great passage of time during the NFL offseason (and during non press conference days of the regular season).

So, do you agree with van Bibber's take on the 2012 Cowboys? Take a look at the three groups he's evaluated so far.

Linebackers

5. Dallas Cowboys

Anthony Spencer has been an effective all-around outside linebacker. DeMarcus Ware is their top defender. Sean Lee emerged as a very good inside linebacker last season, and the addition of free agent Dan Connor rounds out a fearsome bunch.

(Writers note: I personally believe uber-athletic Bruce Carter gets more snaps than Dan Connor)

Safeties

12. Dallas Cowboys

Gerald Sensabaugh may not be among the superstar safeties in the league, but he is an essential part of Dallas' defense. Free agent addition Brodney Pool knows Rob Ryan from their Cleveland days. The more physical Barry Church could still beat him out for the starting job.

(Writers note: My early money is on Barry Church winning the free safety job and expect rookie Matt Johnson to take Church's 2011 blitzer role)

Cornerbacks

4. Dallas Cowboys

Best Player: Brandon Carr

Visions of Eli Manning throwing practice reps against the secondary no doubt influenced Dallas' offseason plans. Not only did the Cowboys sign a legitimate No. 1 corner in free agency in Carr, they drafted one as well, trading up to the sixth pick for Morris Claiborne. Orlando Scandrick looks like a lock in the slot role. Disgruntled Mike Jenkins could be dealt during training camp. If they can find a path to appeasement, keeping Jenkins gives them even more depth.

• 12 months ago
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Should Cowboys Integrate Rookie CB Morris Claiborne Slowly?

Try as they may, the Dallas Cowboys are going to enter the 2012 regular season with some questions about their cornerback situation. Sure, they gave free agent Brandon Carr a $50 million contract to play the left side and they gave Orlando Scandrick a 2010 extension to man the slot for the next few years. Sure they are paying lip service to wanting Mike Jenkins to stay in Dallas and, most importantly, they spent their first two draft picks on Morris Claiborne.

The biggest question will be, how does Dallas approach integrating Claiborne into the defense. The majority of first round cornerbacks, even those that eventually end up being Pro Bowl and elite level players, all struggled their first year.

The one exception? Joe Haden, 2010 draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. Haden was drafted and initially coached up by none other than Rob Ryan and Jerome Henderson; the defensive coordinator and secondary coach for the Cowboys.

Haden was allowed to learn in a limited environment instead of being thrown into the fire. He played very limited snaps through the first eight games of the season as the left corner before being moved into the starter's role for the second half of the season. Haden flourished, with 11 passes defensed, six interceptions and a 50.1 QB Rating against.

On the flip side would be Claiborne's former teammate Patrick Peterson. Last year's top drafted corner was thrown to the wolves and struggled mightily from the jump. His struggled continued throughout the entire 2011 campaign.

Obviously, each of the three recent rookies, Claiborne included, are individuals and Haden's and Peterson's handling or performance does not necessarily indicate how Morris should be dealt with. It does, however, give some food for thought.

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas

• 12 months ago
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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: DeMarcus Ware Sides With Jerry Jones On Closing Window

Jerry Jones isn't the only critical part of the Dallas Cowboys that says the team's window for winning is closing. DeMarcus Ware sided with Boys' owner in an interview with the Dallas Morning News. He believes the team's chance to do something special is now.

"I feel like from my standpoint, we're a better team than we were last year, and it's going to show on the field," Ware said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. "Jerry saying that the window's closing, I'm with Jerry. The window can be closing. It closes every year.

"It just depends on if you're going to walk through that door or not. I'm with Jerry on that."

The Cowboys made moves to improve on the defensive side of the ball by signing Brandon Carr in free agency and drafting Morris Claiborne with the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, moving up to do so.

Read more on the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys and SB Nation Dallas.

• 12 months ago
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Ranting Romo: Cowboys Fans That Want A New Signal Caller Need To Form Better Arguments

Ever get into an argument about your favorite team and feel like your spinning wheels in Alabama mud, like Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny?

I took to the airwaves last week to go on a bit of a rant against the anti-Romo crowd that seem to make arguments that crumble under scrutiny; yet persist year-in and year-out. It's a frustrating exercise for those that support Romo as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. While there are certainly arguments to be made on either side of the fence for believing in or wanting to move on from Romo; they at least need to make some sense when broken down.

Have a listen to the most recent edition of the Cowboys Crunchtime Podcast.

Also included in this week's edition is an introduction to the advanced stats that you should be familiar with as an NFL fan. Often times, the stats that we are spoonfed by announcers and newspapers (they still exist, trust me) are pure volume stats, which don't take into account the opponent or the game situation. If you want a true representation of which players and teams are doing the best jobs given the circumstances, efficiency stats may be what you need to look at.

Learn where to find them and what to do with the newfound knowledge as I'm joined by BTB's resident stat guru, One.Cool.Customer.

Take some time out from your Mundane Monday and enjoy some good ol' fashioned Cowboys and NFL discussion.

Click here to listen ==> Cowboys Crunchtime Episode 1.7 <== Click here to listen

• 12 months ago
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This Week's Cowboys Best, Via Blogging The Boys

A feature we'll run from time to time here on the Cowboys StoryStream is a reviw of the week that was; through the eyes of the Blogging The Boys writers. We always try to keep an interesting perspective in which Cowboys topics make their way to the front page articles. We are also often times graced with some extremely potent FanPosts, which we'll bring to your attention as well. So, here's the rundown; check out what you might have missed.

Dan Connor is a Huge Upgrade At ILB | Archie Barberio

What can an oft-injured, occasional starter add to a Dallas defense? A lot, it seems.

What's Your Cowboys Game-Day Ritual? | One.Cool.Customer

Everyone has a favorite spot on the coach, a jersey they wear inside out or a rally-cap. What's yours?

Who's The Cowboys Quickest Defensive Back | CotySaxman

To understand the value of quickness, you first have to be able to define it. Coty breaks down how to achieve a true metric, than sees which of the Cowboys DBs tops the measurables listing.

Dueling 53's | KD Drummond

Tom Ryle and I put our way-too-early roster projections to a public vote to see who has a better pulse on what the fans would like to see come September 5th.

NFL Execs: Rob Ryans' D Will Be Better Than Rex's | One.Cool.Customer

Could Rob finally emerge from his brother's shadow in 2012? So says the men who are paid to know such things.

What Will The Offense Look Like With Phillips As #2 TE? | rabblerousr

John Phillips blew out his ACL when he was about to pass Martellus Bennett on the depth chart in 2010. He should be fully healed now.

The Evolution of Jerry Jones Part I & Part II | Tom Ryle

Is Jerry really all to blame here? If any articles can sway your opinion; well, there problem isn't one but these will come close.

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Former Cowboy Chris Canty Says Romo's "Lack Of Clutch" Keeps Dallas From Winning

NFC East Offseason Battle: Shot Number Three Fired.

The evening that a Dallas media guy decided to throw a backhanded Happy Birthday to Eagle's quarterback Michael Vick; the franchise we know and love was slapped across the jaw by a player that used to call Valley Ranch home. Chris Canty, a former fourth-round pick of Dallas who moved on a few years ago to sign a contract with the rival Giants that Dallas never came close to matching, has made his declarative statement about what is holding back his former employers.

Tony Romo's clutch gene, or lack thereof, is the problem.

Speaking on ESPN's SportsNation, Canty informed viewers that Romo's inability to close games out is the main reason that the team hasn't kept up with the Giants recent run of season-ending victories.

"Romo’s a tremendous quarterback, statistically he’s a top five quarterback, that’s undeniable," Canty said Tuesday on ESPN’s SportsNation. "At the end of the day, in the clutch situations, he hasn’t performed as well as you would like him to. I think ultimately, that’s been the difference between their franchise and the Giants ability to be successful."

The 29-year-old, who was proudly sporting his recent Super Bowl ring, was then asked if he feels as if he can force Romo into mistakes when the Giants face the Cowboys.

"Absolutely. Absolutely," Canty responded. "Obviously, when you put pressure on any quarterback you can cause mistakes. I think Romo has been prone to make mistakes in the clutch situations and his team has not been able to be successful because of it."

-- DMN

Of course, newly acquired CB Brandon Carr started the NFC East trash talking session when he declared that Victor Cruz wouldn't be revving up his salsa machine on Dallas in 2012. Unfortunately for Dallas, trash talking from the other two competitive division teams always seems to end with "scoreboard". The season can't get here quick enough.

• 12 months ago
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Cowboys Up The Ante; Talk A Little Trash To Vick, Eagles (In June)

Raise your hand if you left the two 2011 match-ups with the Philadelphia Eagles all warm and fuzzy inside?

Noone? No takers? Hmmm...

Well, someone on the Cowboys PR staff either has a short memory, a great sense of humor, or both. Today, mixed in amongst the usual offseason twitter scroll, appeared this shot across the bow that some might find hilarious.

Happy Birthday Michael Vick from #CowboysNation we can't wait til November, can you?!? twitter.com/dallascowboys/…

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 26, 2012

Earlier this offseason, our freshly acquired cornerback Brandon Carr alerted the rival New York Giants that Victor Cruz would not be performing any salsa dances against the Cowboys in 2012. Now, the PR staff is getting in on the trash-talking act.

Apparently, they didn't get Jay Ratliff's memo about "Shut up and do your job." Now, I'm lukewarm about a player talking trash when the team hasn't made the post season in two years; even less enthusiastic about it being done in April.

But the PR/Marketing team? Yikes. No one on this keyboard is scared of the Eagles; but some guy behind their keyboard can't cash any checks on the field. Cough, PR guy, cough.

I guess they subscribe to Mark Cuban's theory that all professional athletes want to win equally; so something like this could never be used as extra motivation.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

• 12 months ago
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Cowboys Not Interested In Colt McCoy, According To Report

It appears that the Dallas Cowboys are well-stocked for quarterbacks heading into the 2012 NFL season. Starting quarterback Tony Romo will be returning, of course. The Cowboys have also signed Kyle Orton to a three-year deal to be a strong backup QB with the departure of former backup John Kitna.

There were recent rumblings that the Cowboys would look into acquiring Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy as a third-stringer. The writing appears to be on the wall in Cleveland concerning McCoy, who may find a new home by the time the season kicks off in the fall.

According to Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas, the Cowboys officially have no interest in McCoy and will be sticking with Stephen McGee as the No. 3 quarterback in 2012. McGee has made some spot starts for the Cowboys since his 2010 NFL debut with the team and has thrown three touchdowns and no interceptions in his career.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

• 12 months ago
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Cowboys Offseason Wrap-Up [Audio] With Blogging The Boys RabbleRousr

T minus 40 days until training camp. No more basketball. The IOC showed impeccably bad timing by waiting until late July to kick things off. I refuse to act as if the X-Games are a legitimate sporting event. What is there for a true sports fan to do?

Reflect and look forward.

That's exactly what BTB's Rabblerousr and I did on the latest edition of "Cowboys Crunchtime with KD". We talked about the overview of the offseason; everything from free agency to the draft and whether or not Jason Garrett will have the time to fully implement his mentality and methodolgy.

If you have some time to spare, take a listen. Hope you enjoy it and if you do; don't forget you can subscribe via iTunes simply by searching in the iTunes store for 'Cowboys Crunchtime' or 'KD Drummond'.

Cheers.

Click here to listen ==> Cowboys Crunchtime Episode 1.6 <== Click here to listen

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Injured Cowboys Rookies Playing Catch Up

Due to the NFL lockout last year, the Dallas Cowboys incoming rookie class of 2011 didn't have an organized workout until training camp officially opened once the labor strike was resolved.

This year, regularly scheduled OTA's and minicamps have taken place and the 2012 rookie class will get extra time to work with coaches as part of a new provision in the most recent collective bargaining agreement.

Unfortunately for Dallas, most of their draftees were unable to participate in OTA's. Three were injured (Morris Claiborne, Tyrone Crawford, Kyle Wilbur, Danny Coale) and one was still in school (Matt Johnson). Only James Hanna and Caleb McSurdy had full participation.

According to Josh Ellis of DallasCowboys.com, some rookies -- like first round selection Morris Claiborne who is recovering from a wrist injury -- are frustrated with not being able to participate:

"It's very, very tough," Claiborne said. "Anytime you're a competitor and you're always used to being in that fire, and then you're not there, and you've just got to stand on the sideline and watch all your teammates work, it's hard."

You can read more Cowboys rookie quotes here.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

• 12 months ago
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Cowboys 53 Man Roster Projection... Yes, It's Still June

With everyone and their mommas releasing their version of the Cowboys projected roster come September 5th, I figured I might as well throw my hat in the ring. I'll probably provide a couple different versions of this; especially once we get into training camp and actually have something more substantial than accolades heaped on players wearing shorts and shirts or based off of collegiate highlight videos.

I might even build some projections based on a specific mindset about what positions the team is prioritizing. For now though, we'll just simply project the best men equipped to help in 2012.

QB (3) Tony Romo, Kyle Orton, Rudy Carpenter

I strongly dislike Stephen McGee's game.

RB (3) DeMarco Murray, Felix Jones, Phillip Tanner

No surprise here, Lance Dunbar to the Practice Squad where he'll probably be pached by the Patriots or Redksins

FB (1) Lawrence Vickers

WR (6) Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Kevin Ogletree, Andre Holmes, Danny Coale, Cole Beasley

As a fan, I pray there is a veteran addition to knock Ogletree off the roster. Either that or a body snatching event that happened over the offseason. can't risk Beasley going to PS.

TE (3) Jason Witten, John Phillips, James Hanna

Hanna drops passes when wide open, but his physical skills means he'll get the chance with the big club.

OL (9) Tyron Smith, Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Ron Leary, Doug Free, Jermey Parnell, Bill Nagy, Kevin Kowalski, Phil Costa

I think this number grows to 10 when the Cowboys sign a veteran backup tackle not named Pat McQuistan.

DL (6) Jay Ratliff, Sean Lissemore, Jason Hatcher, Marcus Spears, Tyrone Crawford, Josh Brent

LB (9) DeMarcus Ware, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Anthony Spencer, Victor Butler, Dan Connor, Kyle Wilber, Adrian Hamilton, Alex Albright

CB (6) Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, Mario Butler, Justin Taplin-Ross

Mike Jenkins stays on the roster for this projection, although I would say it's 60-40 he get's traded before the season kicks off.

S (4) Gerald Sensabaugh, Barry Church, Matt Johnson, Danny McCray

I have a strange feeling Church and Johnson will make Brodney Pool expendable.

ST (3) Dan Bailey, Mat McBriar, LP Ladoucer

McBriar's coming back, book it!

• about 1 year ago
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Cowboys Offseason Concludes And The Path To NFL All-22 Film [Video]

Another tumultuous offseason for the Dallas Cowboys came to an end last week with the final day of the veteran minicamp. This was the final organized team activity allowed at the team facilities until the franchise gets packed up for training camp and the official start of the 2012 league year.

Everything up until this point has been, well, practice.

I took to the camera to summarize the main points I think everyone should take away from all of the news reports and articles that we've been bombarded with as media outlets search for worthwhile stories and angles to keep readers entertained.

To put a ribbon on the offseason, the NFL announced on Friday that they finally relented and will provide access to the All-22 film, a.k.a., Coaches Tape, to the general public. At a price of course. Simply subscribe to the NFL's Game Rewind service and you'll be able to view each play from a bird's eye angle, seeing all 11 offensive and defensive players on the field together.

For the casual fan, this might not mean much; but check out the video to see how we bloggers and the advanced statisticians will utilize it to better provide you with outstanding coverage.

For more Cowboys news and coverage, head on over to Blogging The Boys, SB Nation's dedicated Dallas Cowboys site.

• about 1 year ago
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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Wide Receivers Are Battling For No. 3 Spot

Training camp for the Dallas Cowboys will likely decide who fills in the No. 3 wide receiver spot behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. There's Kevin Ogletree, Andre Holmes, Raymond Radway, Danny Coale and Dwayne Harris are all vying for the remaining wide receiver roles.

Three undrafted rookies will also further the competition in training camp; Donavon Kemp, Tim Benford and Saalim Hakim. Last week during the Boys' final minicamp practice session, Harris seemed to be embracing the challenge:

"It's going to be tough," he said. "Everybody wants a roster spot. Everybody wants to show the coaches what they can do. I wouldn't expect anybody to come out here and not give their all. It's going to be tough. It's going to be fun."

Harris didn't catch a single pass last season, but he says he's gained a much better knowledge of the playbook. So he's hoping to contribute more than 15 punt returns and eight kickoff returns in 2012.

Read more about the Dallas Cowboys at Blogging The Boys.

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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Fourth Round Pick Kyle Wilber Signs

According to ESPN Dallas reporter, Calvin Watkins, the Coyboys have come to terms with outside linebacker Kyle Wilber from Wake Forest.

Cowboys agree to terms with Kyle Wilber: ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms on a four-y... es.pn/NnAQrA

— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) June 14, 2012

According to Watkins, Wilber will reportedly receive a signing bonus of $439, 200. This leaves Morris Claiborne, Dallas' first round pick in the NFL Draft as their only unsigned player.

Watkins has more on the Wilber signing and how the Cowboys hope he'll be able to contribute:

Wilber had 13.5 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss in 43 games (36 starts) at Wake Forest. The Cowboys are hoping he can contribute in pass rushing and special teams' situations with a larger role in the future with Anthony Spencer and Victor Butler entering the final years' of their contracts in 2012.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

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Cowboys HC Jason Garrett Talks About His Revamped Secondary After MiniCamp Practice

During this time of year, you'd be hard-pressed to get Jason Garrett to speak negatively about any player; it's just not his steelo. However, Garrett is the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and ever since the days of Bill Parcells, the press conferences held by the head hauncho have held a considerable weight with fans and the local media. Today, Garrett held court after the second day of minicamp and we'll take a look at his quotes directly related to his revamped secondary; the largest target area of the Cowboys offseason marksmanship.

On Brandon Carr's performance in practice vs what was seen on tape:

"It's probably similar to what you see on tape. He's a big, long guy. He's got very long arms, he's a good athlete that can run, and he's not afraid to be physical. I think you see that in the games, and we've seen that in practices over the course of the offseason. And it's great work for him to be up their pressing alot, but it's great work for our receivers cause every time you come off the line of scrimmage you have to deal with that guy. It's great practice for him, because that's how he'll play and that's how he's played for most of his career, but it's also making us better on the offensive side"

On Claiborne making progress despite being sidelined with injury:

"He's done a really good job, and we've talked about the injured player staying engaged with our team. I think he's a great example of that. Really getting locked in in meetings, taking advantage of the walkthroughs, you see him in practice in the walkthroughs, shadowing the corner who's in; just trying to simulate that work as much as he can. Something we talk about as coaches all the time is; 'I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.' So you want to get the players doing as much as they can. For him, and the other injured guys that don't have that opportunity, but whatever you can do to simulate the art of doing is going to help those guys."

Garrett also spoke of Orlando Scandrick being very competitive in playing the inside corner, "star" position.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

• about 1 year ago
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Dallas Cowboys 2012 Minicamp: Undrafted SMU Receiver Cole Beasley Shines

Dallas Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus is keeping a minicamp blog over at the team's official site, and is impressed by the early play of undrafted wide receiver Cole Beasley out of nearby SMU. Beasley's tiny size - 5-foot-9, 175 lbs. - was a setback for the receiver even at the collegiate level, so it's newsworthy that scouts are high on the diminutive slot receiver early in camp:

Where Beasley's smarts are going to serve him well is when he has to learn both the inside and outside positions at receiver in this offense. I really believed that his height would limit how much you would see him on the outside when you have guys like Holmes, Ogletree and Radway on the outside but today Beasley took some reps on the outside with Austin inside in the slot.

Beasely had 79 catches for 954 yards and a league-high 7.2 receptions per game in 2011 for the Mustangs, which led Conference USA.

For more on the 2012 Dallas Cowboys offseason, check out Blogging Big D and SB Nation's NFL page.

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Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Dabs Some Snake Oil On Mike Jenkins Return To Valley Ranch

Unless you've been living under the proverbial Dallas Cowboys fandom rock, you are well aware that today, the first day of mandatory mini-camp, saw the return of supposedly disgruntled cornerback Mike Jenkins. Jenkins was supposedly upset over the team's offseason maneuvers of signing free agent Brandon Carr and drafting first-rounder Morris Claiborne; who both happen to line up at the position he thought he was topping the depth chart of.

Supposedly Jenkins, on the last year of his rookie contract, requested to be traded soon after the draft (and after Dallas was reportedly shopping him to no offers up to their satisfaction) and he supposedly reiterated that request a few weeks ago during team OTAs.

I keep saying supposedly because according to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, he's never heard that request.

Asked if Jenkins ever requested a trade, Jones responded: "I don't really know that. I didn't hear that. I didn't talk to his agent about that. There's no need to talk about that." - SportsDayDFW

Whoa now, Jerry. Unless we are to believe that the Dallas media has now resorted to simply making up unfounded storylines; we'd have to believe that those trade requests actually happened. Although, with Jenkins freezing out the media it's not as if we'll glean any insight from him.

So that leaves the option that Jones, in typical Jerry speak, is dancing around the truth a bit.

One possibility? Stephen Jones, who is slowly moving into the power position at The Ranch, was the one that talked to Jenkins agent, giving Jerry plausible deniability (thanks eighth-grade civics teacher!). Another possiblity? Jones simply hung up the phone after the trade was requested; therefore qualifying him as 'not talking to his agent about that'. I'd wager on either of these two options over Jenkins never asking to be dealt.

Now Jenkins isn't ready to practice, as he is still rehabbing his shoulder after surgery; something he has been doing without Cowboys team doctors up until this point. Head Coach Jason Garrett announced today that the team wouldn't discuss the status of the rehab ,which could be looked at as positioning if the team believes Jenkins is slow to recover because of his contract situation.

Hey, if Jerry can say the trade request never happened, we're allowed to speculate outloud a bit.

• about 1 year ago
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Dallas Cowboys Minicamp 2012: Injuries Plague Opening Day

ESPN's Adam Schefter said recently that he believed the Dallas Cowboys could make it to the Super Bowl if they stayed healthy. Of course the operative phrase there is "if they stay healthy" which the Boys are not at the moment.

They entered the first day of the mandatory three-day offseason minicamp without a handful of players, including backup quarterback Kyle Orton (hamstring), first round and No. 6 overall draft pick Morris Claiborne (wrist) and running back Felix Jones (shoulder).

There were some of the other players missing due to injury:

Gerald Sensabaugh (knee), Dan Connor (shoulder), Alex Albright (shoulder), Kevin Kowalski (foot), Tyrone Crawford (calf), Mackenzy Bernadeau (hip), Danny Coale (foot), Jay Ratliff (foot) and Sean Lissemore (rib)

And of course cornerback Mike Jenkins didn't participate in practice, sense he's still recovering from offseason surgery, as well as the fact that he's likely been replaced.

Dallas is used to being plagued by injuries, but in this case (especially if Schefter is correct), it's better to get the injury bug out of the way before the season begins rather than later down the road.

Read more about the Dallas Cowboys at Blogging The Boys.

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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Minicamp Begins Tuesday

The Dallas Cowboys make the transition from organized team activities to mandatory offseason minicamp Tuesday. Most of the Cowboys players made it to Valley Ranch Monday to take physicals and pictures and videos for the media guide and video board at Cowboys Stadium.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins showed up to Valley Ranch, despite not being at organized team activities and attempting to rehab from shoulder surgery. Jenkins has spent most of his offseason rehabbing the shoulder in Florida, while the Cowboys have seemingly been busy replacing him.

Of course there was the signing of Brandon Carr earlier in the offseason to a five-year, $50.1 million deal and the selection of Morris Claiborne with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 draft.

It will be interesting to see how all of this works out as the season approaches, but Jenkins will not be practicing in minicamp. Jones and Garrett have said there are no plans to trade Jenkins and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said last week Jenkins will likely compete with Orlando Scandrick for reps as the slot corner in the nickel defense, according to Cowboys beat writer Nick Eatman.

Read more about the Dallas Cowboys at Blogging The Boys.

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Cowboys Begin Signing 2012 Rookie Class

Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys signed the tail end of their draft haul to four-year contracts. WR Danny Coale, TE James Hanna and LB Caleb McSurdy all inked similar deals that will pay them base salaries of $390,000, $480,000, $570,000 and $660,000. The higher draft picks that command considerably more, including first-rounder Morris Claiborne, should be getting inked in the days ahead.

In year's past, the Dallas Cowboys were always one of the last teams to start to sign their drafted rookie class. They would wait until the final week before training camp to open negotiations with player agents, probably for a variety of reasons. For one, the delay allowed other teams to set the market around them; with virtually all other draft picks signed, there was an market set for draft positioning and player position. Also, the immediacy of camp placed pressure on the agents not to let their clients fall too far behind and risk burying themselves on the depth chart.

This season, the new rules changed many things. The NFL allowed their teams to take 90 players through the first two weeks of the preseason as opposed to the 80 man limit. It's quite possible that Dallas didn't sign their draft picks so they had additional slots on their 80 for all of the UDFAs that they've made a habit of finding gems within the ranks. With roster limits pushed up to 90 and draft picks counting to that limit regardless of being signed or not, that advantage (or need) is now gone.

So with all that said, why is Dallas still one of the last team's to start signing their picks, even if they are 45 days ahead of normal schedule? Well, they didn't have the cap space until recently. Remember, Dallas was docked $5 million in salary cap space for violating the "spirit" of the 2010 cap, even though there was no salary cap; because that would be collusion (cough, cough).

Also, the release of Terence Newman earlier this offseason was designated as a June 1st cut so that his remaining prorated signing bonus could be split over two seasons. It freed up over $6 million in 2012 space, but not until the actual date of June 1st, regardless of when the release happened.

Be on the lookout over the next few days for announcements of the rest of the class coming into the fold.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

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Adam Schefter Says Dallas Cowboys Could Go To Super Bowl

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Cowboys Sign Pat McQuistan, Waive Rookie Taylor Dever

The Dallas Cowboys made a minor roster signing on Saturday as they signed offensive lineman Pat McQuistan. McQuistan worked out for the Cowboys on Friday, and to make room for the signing the Cowboys had to part ways with undrafted rookie Taylor Dever.

McQuistan was originally drafted by the Cowboys back in 2006 as a seventh round pick and spent three seasons in Dallas. The past two seasons, McQuistan has been with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints.

The Cowboys brought him in since he can provide depth at the offensive line position as he play both guard and center. With projected starter Mackenzy Bernadeau coming back from hip surgery the Cowboys will need some extra depth in case there are any delays with Bernadeau's recovery.

McQuistan's contract is a one-year deal.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

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Rob Ryan Says Cowboys Defense 'Beaten Down' When He Arrived

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan certainly isn't afraid of giving a colorful quote, and he gave ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon a whopper on Wednesday, when he said that the defense he inherited needed a boost of confidence:

"[The defense] had been beaten down so much that, in my opinion, I don't think they had the confidence to go forward," Ryan said.

While Ryan's bravado was entertaining, it didn't amount to much by the end of the year, as the Cowboys secondary was repeatedly gutted during the team's late-season collapse.

As a result, the team has spent most of the off-season trying to improve on that side of the ball, dropping big money for free agent CB Brandon Carr while moving up in the draft to select LSU CB Morris Claiborne.

The media and the TV cameras may continue to focus on Dallas' out-sized defensive coordinator, but it's the players themselves who will ultimately determine the team's fate in 2012.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

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Cowboys Crunchtime Podcast With Special Guest, Dave Halprin, Editor of Blogging The Boys

Late last week, I had a sit down with the esteemed Dave Halprin, founder and editor of BloggingTheBoys.com, SB Nation's Dallas Cowboys blog. Dave and I continued to discuss topics from the first have of the podcast, namely Mike Jenkins "trade demands", Jason Garrett's tenure as Dallas Cowboys head coach and a few other memes of the offseason.

As always, Dave delivered top notch evaluation and honest opinion about where he believes this team is on the variety of discussion points. Now, our conversation took place a few hours prior to the breaking news that Indianapolis (or Dallas) leaked the fact that a trade offer for Jenkins was on the table and being turned down; but as we sit here on Tuesday morning and Jenkins is still under contract with Dallas, the podcast is no worse the wear.

Take a listen to Episode 1.5 of Cowboys Crunchtime as you cruise through your workday after a great Memorial Day weekend. You know you don't want to open all of those pending emails anyway.

Click here to listen ==> Cowboys Crunchtime Episode 1.5 <== Click here to listen

Don't forget, Cowboys Crunchtime is available for download and subscription via podcast services such as the iTunes Store. Just search "Cowboys Crunchtime" or "KD Drummond" and you'll be good to go.

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Colts Showing An Interest In The Disgruntled Mike Jenkins

Disgruntled Dallas Cowboys cornerback Michael Jenkins, who refuses to participate in OTA's and reportedly has asked for a trade, is currently being pursued by the Indianapolis Colts.

Dallas has staunchly refused to trade Jenkins, but according to an ESPN.com report, that hasn't stopped the Colts from aggressively pursuing Jenkins:

A Colts official declined comment, yet a person connected to the team said Indianapolis has been trying to pry loose Jenkins with an offer that one source said "many teams would think is compelling."

Jenkins is in the last year of his contract and Indianapolis is looking to bolster its secondary after acquiring another cornerback in Cassius Vaughn from the Denver Broncos in a trade for fullback Chris Gronkowski on Wednesday.

For a more in-depth look at news, notes and analysis on the Cowboys, check out Blogging The Boys. Head over to the SB Nation NFL hub page for a closer look at news around the league.

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NFLPA Says It Was 'Strong-Armed' Into Taking Cowboys, Redskins Deal, According To A Report

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins appealed the decision by the NFL which was that the two clubs were penalized for overspending in the 2010 uncapped year. The appeal was rejected and the Cowboys had to accept the penalties which resulted in losing $10 million of salary cap funds which was not that bad compared to the Redskins who lost $36 million.

Now there is new coming out the NFLPA was "strong-armed" into accepting the deal for the Redskins and Cowboys, this according to Yahoo's Jason Cole:

...the NFL was essentially able to strong-arm the NFLPA into accepting collusion in exchange for concessions on the salary cap.

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Cowboys Not Interested In Trading Mike Jenkins

Dallas Cowboys defensive back Mike Jenkins has decided to sit out OTA's and has reportedly asked for the Cowboys to trade him. Jenkins wants out due to the Cowboys signing Brandon Carr and acquired Maurice Claiborne in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Head coach Jason Garrett has come out to say that the Cowboys are not attempting to trade Jenkins:

"He's making a business decision not to be here. But we're not going to trade him. We like Mike Jenkins. We feel like he can be a part of our team. We've got to get him healthy. We've got to get him back on the field."

With the Cowboys secondary lacking this past season it does not seem to be in the best interest of the Cowboys to trade Jenkins who started last season.

For a more in-depth look at news, notes and analysis on the Dallas Cowboys, check out Blogging The Boys. Head over to the SB Nation NFL hub page for a closer look at news around the league.

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NFLPA Files Collusion Claim Over Salary Cap Penalties

While both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins appear ready to accept the salary cap penalties handed down to them after their appeals failed, the NFLPA isn't quite done with this story yet.

On Wednesday, the players union filed a collusion claim with the NFL about the penalties:

Just filed to SI.com: NFLPA has filed a collusion claim against the NFL for trying to suppress earnings in uncapped year.

— Jim Trotter (@SI_JimTrotter) May 23, 2012

The union feels that the Cowboys and Redskins are being punished by the other owners for increasing salaries, while the owners have argued that the two teams were violating the spirit of the CBA by attempting to gain a competitive advantage with their salary cap machinations.

The crux of the dispute may come down to whether last year's CBA released the league from liability from any pending claims, as the NFLPA is saying that the settlement reached with Dallas and Washington unearthed new information about the league's attempt to institute an informal salary cap in 2010.

For all the latest on the Cowboys offseason, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

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Report: Receiver Danny Coale Breaks Left Foot, Will Undergo Surgery

Recently drafted wide receiver Danny Coale will undergo surgery later this week to repair a broken left foot suffered Tuesday, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Coale was a fifth-round pick in 2012 NFL Draft, but suffered the broken foot on the first day of OTAs. From the Dallas Morning News:

Coale, who was selectted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft last month, was checked out by the team's trainers and underwent an MRI exam.

At this point, it is uncertain when he will return to action.

Coale was considered a candidate for the third wide receiver position, left open by Laurent Robinson's signing with Jacksonville. It also hurts the Cowboys special teams, where Coale was expected to contribute.

For a more in-depth look at news, notes and analysis on the Dallas Cowboys, check out Blogging The Boys. Head over to the SB Nation NFL hub page for a closer look at news around the league.

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Cowboys, Redskins To Accept Salary Cap Penalty, According To Report

The news came out on Tuesday that the appeal made by the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins regarding the NFL's salary cap penalties had been denied by an arbitrator. Now it appears as though the whole fiasco may finally be coming to an end.

Andrew Brandt of the National Football Post reported the following on Tuesday:

Am told by league source that Cowboys and Redskins are issuing a joint statement saying they accept the decision. Case closed.

— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) May 22, 2012

Now the Cowboys and Redskins will be accepting the full penalties levied on them by the league. For the Cowboys, this will not be too big of an imposition, as they were hit with a total penalty of $10 million, $5 million of which must be in effect for the 2012 season. Wrapping this up early just eliminates one more offseason headache for the team.

For a more in-depth look at news, notes and analysis on the Dallas Cowboys, check out Blogging The Boys. Head over to the SB Nation NFL hub page for a closer look at news around the league.

• about 1 year ago
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Dallas Cowboys Salary Cap Penalty: Appeal Rejected By Arbitrators, According To Report

NFL counsel Jeff Pash spoke at an owner's meeting Monday and said the salary cap penalties forced on the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins were going to stand. Apparently, the attempts to appeal by both teams failed.

Pash says Cowboys and redskins appeal of salary cap issue has been rejected by arbitrator.

— daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) May 22, 2012

The Cowboys and Redskins were penalized millions of dollars for over-spending in the uncapped year. While the Redskins suffered the most from the punishment, losing $36 million in salary cap space, the Cowboys lost $10 million in salary funds.

The league penalized this year for creating what was considered an unfair competitive advantage going forward, dumping large base salary numbers into 2010 on contracts for wide receiver Miles Austin in Dallas' case, and cornerback DeAngelo Hall and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in Washington's case

For a more in-depth look at news, notes and analysis on the Dallas Cowboys, check out Blogging The Boys. Head over to the SB Nation NFL hub page for a closer look at news around the league.

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Dallas Cowboys News: Mike Jenkins Interested In Trade, Will Not Attend OTAs

Jason Garrett, Rob Ryan and Jerry Jones have spent much of the 2012 offseason beefing up one of the weakest secondaries in the league. The Dallas Cowboys signed Brandon Carr and traded up in the 2012 NFL Draft to select Maurice Claiborne, the top rated cornerback in the draft. This has left cornerback Mike Jenkins disgruntled -- and he's disgruntled enough to skip OTAs and possibly mandatory minicamp.

Per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport:

#Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins won't be at OTAs for foreseable future, I'm told. He is interested in being traded. Was rehabbing shoulder anyway

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 21, 2012

Will #Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins be at mandatory mini-camp? It's not yet clear. But not at OTAs. Sounds like he wants to know about his future

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 21, 2012

Jenkins doesn't exactly have a lot of trade value, and Jerry Jones has said that he has no plans to deal Jenkins, despite him falling on the depth chart.

Hopefully for the Cowboys, this situation resolves itself amicably one way or another before training camp gets underway later this summer.

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Dallas Cowboys News: Mackenzy Bernadeau Has Hip Surgery

Earlier on Wednesday at SB Nation Dallas, Jonathan Tjarks talked about the offensive line for the Dallas Cowboys, and how big questions marks still remain. Dallas' offensive line took a hit on Wednesday, as free agent addition Mackenzy Bernadeau underwent hip surgery over this past weekend, and will be sidelined for 10-12 weeks while he recovers.

According to multiple sources, Bernadeau, who signed a four-year, $11 million deal as a free agent in March, had surgery over the weekend to repair a tear in his right hip and the hope is he could be back in 10-12 weeks.

Bernadeau's agent declined comment.

Well, that's certainly not good news. As Todd Archer over at ESPN Dallas pointed out, Bernadeau was signed to be a starter, after leaving Carolina for Dallas this past offseason.

If Bernadeau is out closer to 12 weeks, then he'll be likely to return sometime in mid-August from his injury. Consequently, Bernadeau is likely to miss a fair amount of training camp as he recovers from his injury.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys, head over to Blogging the Boys and join the discussion.

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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Big Question Marks On Offensive Line

While the Dallas Cowboys draft class has gotten rave reviews, one area they didn't address was the interior of the offensive line, which Football Outsiders has pegged as the team's biggest question mark headed into off-season workouts:

In a nutshell, the Cowboys have three starting spots open, and the four players fighting for them include two former seventh-rounders (Bill Nagy and Mackenzy Bernadeau) and two players who weren't drafted (Nate Livings and Phil Costa). The Cowboys cut Kyle Kosier and opted not to re-sign Montrae Holland, which meant neither starting guard from last year would return. They also chose not to re-sign Derrick Dockery, a key backup who saw action in eight games. The Cowboys did very well in most of our offensive line metrics, but in Power Situations (third and fourth down with two or fewer yards to go, or goal-to-go situations with two or fewer yards to go) they ranked just 23rd in the NFL.

While they may be the most anonymous starters on the entire roster, the interior of the offensive line is crucial in terms of protecting Tony Romo and opening up holes for the Dallas running backs.

New offensive line coach Bill Callahan has a reputation for working wonders with "the Big Uglies" and he'll certainly have his work cut out for him to get them ready for the 2012 season.

For more coverage of the Cowboys off-season, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

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Dallas Cowboys Salary-Cap Penalty Update: NFL Argues Right To Ensure Competitive Balance

The Dallas Cowboys grievances were heard against the NFL after being penalized $10 million in salary-cap space for the 2012 season due to the league determining that the Cowboys exploited the uncapped year in 2011, along with the Washington Redskins, who were penalized even more ($36 million).

The NFL is arguing that the grievance is invalid because the player's union agreed to the cap penalties. Another argument the league is using, which is far more reaching and far more alarming for every team around the NFL, is that the Commissioner has the "full and complete" ability to to adopt any measures that ensure competitive balance.

That's probably a good thing for team executives and general managers to know, while they're out there wasting time trying to make sure a respective team is competitive.

Little did any of us know, Roger Goodell has the power to do all of that. Great.

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys.

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Dallas Cowboys News: Jerry Jones Confident Headed Into Thursday's Salary Cap Hearing

File this under not-shocking news: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is confident. Not about his team this time, but about his chances in Thursday's appearance before a mediator, who will decide whether or not the Cowboys and Washington Redskins can continue with an appeal in their case against the league for levying severe cap penalties against the two teams.

Jerry Jones added these comments in advance of Thursday's hearing:

"I wouldn't dare try to predict what the resolution will be," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "But I'm glad we've got an opportunity to present it, under the labor agreement, to a mediator, and that's what tomorrow's all about, whether or not we do have the opportunity to be before him. It won't resolve the issue, but it will help decide whether or not we can go before a mediator."

"I know we followed the rules," Jones said. "The league has not said that we did not follow the rules, and those were approved contracts. This is complicated issue."

Dan Snyder and the Redskins certainly have more at stake than Dallas, as Washington was hit with $36 million in cap adjustment, compared to Dallas' $10 million.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys, be sure to check out Blogging the Boys and join the discussion.

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Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins To Argue Salary Cap Penalties At Hearing Thursday

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, unlikely allies in a battle against league sanctions for overspending during an uncapped, pre-lockout period before the 2011 NFL season, will argue their case at a hearing on Thursday on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania's law school.

Due to the expiration of the agreement between the league and the player's union, the 2010 season was an uncapped year. After a new agreement was settled in 2011, the league reduced the salary cap of the Redskins and Cowboys by $32 and $10 million over the next two years, respectively, as punishment for the way those clubs structured contracts in 2010.

According to sources that spoke to the Washington Post, the issue isn't retroactive punishment, but that the two clubs sought to gain an advantage by clearing room for when the new salary cap came into play:

According to several people familiar with the case, the league found that the Redskins and Cowboys technically violated no salary cap rules but sought to gain an unfair competitive advantage when the salary cap went back into effect. The two teams, according to those people familiar with the case, paid money to players during the uncapped year that otherwise would have been paid in subsequent years with the salary cap back in place. That way, the money never counted against the cap and the teams cleared salary cap space in future seasons.

The Post also reports that an immediate decision is not expected from the arbitrator.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys check out Blogging The Boys. Washington Redskins info can be found at Hogs Haven, and all your NFL news is available at SB Nation's NFL page.

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2012 Cowboys Offseason: Jay Ratliff To Stay At Nose Tackle

Part of what has made Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff a productive player over his career has been his versatility and his ability to generate pressure from the interior of the defensive line.

His skill set suggests that he could also be used effectively from the defensive end spot in the Cowboys' 3-4 front, although recent remarks from his position coach (as relayed by Dan Graziano via Calvin Watkins of ESPN), Brian Baker, lead us to believe he isn't going anywhere.

Baker says that the team might explore the possibility of resting Ratliff on first and second down in order to preserve his energy, but he'll continue to take every third down repetition because of his ability to rush the passer from that spot, "He will take all the third downs unless somebody proves they're a better pass rusher inside. Until that happens, if he's getting a little worn we'll save him for third down."

For all the latest news and notes about the Cowboys off-season, check out the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.

• about 1 year ago
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NFL Requests Dismissal Of Cowboys Salary Cap Grievance

Early in the offseason, the NFL levied penalties against the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, claiming that the two teams violated the spirit of the "uncapped salary" year. The Cowboys had $10 million in salary cap space stripped from them. The Redksins, significantly more. The two teams have filed grievance with the league, but it looks like that grievance may be in danger.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, the NFL has submitted a request to dismiss the grievance.

The NFL contends that, because the NFL Players Association consented to the imposition of cap penalties, the Cowboys and Redskins have no grounds to attack the agreement under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which governs the relationship between the league and the players.

This is certainly not the last that we will be hearing about this situation. If the ruling stands, the Cowboys will have to impose at least $5 million of the penalty this coming season.

For all news and information regarding the Dallas Cowboys, please visit Blogging the Boys. For updates on the Cowboys offseason wheelings and dealings, stay tuned to this StoryStream.

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Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2012: Anthony Spencer Signs Franchise Deal

Anthony Spencer signed his franchise tender on Monday, which means the Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker is going to rake in $8.8 million in 2012, that is, unless a long term deal is worked out this season, which appears unlikely.

Cowboys announce LB Anthony Spencer signs his franchise tender

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) April 23, 2012

Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com said that Spencer's agent, Jordan Woy, met with Cowboys officials late last week about a possible new deal, but nothing was finalized.

Spencer, by no means, is considered to be a marquee linebacker worth paying either $8.8 million in the short term, or even committing to for less in the long run. As Watkins pointed out, the Cowboys franchised Spencer because they lacked other options at outside linebacker.

Read more news and notes about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys. For more on the Cowboys offseason moves, stay up with our StoryStream here.

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Marc Columbo Signs One-Year Deal To Retire As A Cowboy

Marc Columbo is going to retire as a member of the Dallas Cowboys after signing a ceremonial deal that would end his career with the franchise.

Columbo was the Cowboys' starting right tackle from 2006-10 before being released at the end of the lockout in 2011 for rookie prospect Tyron Smith. He's probably better known for owning several Smashburger franchises in the Dallas area with his former teammate Leonard Davis.

Still, Columbo says there's nothing like being a Cowboy.

"I feel like this place made me the football player I always wanted to be. It's just an amazing place with an unbelievable owner. To be able to play at other places you realie there's nothing like being a Cowboy ...

" ... I just think being able to retire as a Dallas Cowboy is something I always envisioned after I'd been here for a few years. We're living here now. The fan support has been great and I'd just like to thank everybody."

Read more about the Cowboys at Blogging the Boys.

• about 1 year ago
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Miles Austin Wasn't Prepared Before The 2011 Season

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2012 NFL Schedule To Be Released This Week

On Tuesday night, ESPN has blocked out a few hours of programming for what many believe will be the official release of the 2012 NFL schedule, although the network is still denying they have any inside information.

The schedule will likely be released before the NFL Draft on April 26, which would put this Tuesday night firmly in that window.

While the Dallas Cowboys' list of opponents has already been announced, the timing of when they are facing an opponent can be crucial, as Dallas has had a long history of flopping in December. The Cowboys are already scheduled to face the defending champion New York Giants as a part of the NFL's opening week kickoff on Wednesday, Sept. 5.

This season, the NFC East will face the AFC North and the NFC South, two of the more NFL's competitive divisions, which is why Dallas has the 11th toughest schedule (in terms of opponent's 2011 winning percentage) in the league.

For all the latest news, rumors and analysis on the Cowboys off-season, stay tuned to SB Nation Dallas' exclusive storystream and head over to Blogging The Boys.

• about 1 year ago
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Unhappy With Franchise Tag, Anthony Spencer Switches Agents

The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer in March, but he has been reluctant to sign the $8.8 million tender in hopes of agreeing to a long-term deal. In effort to get that done before the July 16 deadline, Spencer switched agents over the weekend, according to ESPN Dallas.

Spencer was formerly represented by Roosevelt Barnes and will now sign with Jordan Woy.

The outside linebacker was not in attendance at voluntary workouts, which began today for Dallas. At this point, he has no plans to sign the tender that was offered to him by receiving the franchise tag from the Cowboys.

A season ago, Spencer racked up 66 tackles and six sacks for the Cowboys. He also forced four fumbles in 2011.

For all the latest news, rumors and analysis on the Cowboys off-season, stay tuned to SB Nation Dallas' exclusive storystream and head over to Blogging The Boys.

• about 1 year ago
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Felix Jones Trade Rumors: Cowboys Strongly Deny Interest In Dealing RB

After reports that the Dallas Cowboys were exploring the possibility of dealing RB Felix Jones came out yesterday, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reached out to the Cowboys front office about the rumors:

From the scouting department to the front office, the texts came back "no", "not at all" to "Hell No! Totally Inaccurate."

Of course, there's no way to really know how truthful an anonymous sources is being, especially when it comes to something being considered, and not even actually done.

Did the Cowboys explore the possibility of dealing Jones? With the Arkansas RB entering the final deal of his rookie contract and DeMarco Murray's emergence as a star last season, it would have been crazy not to at least consider the idea.

However, with Murray returning from a gruesome leg injury and no other RB with any experience on the roster, keeping Jones is probably the best move for the team.

For all the latest news, rumors and analysis on the Cowboys off-season, stay tuned to SB Nation Dallas' exclusive storystream and head over to Blogging The Boys.

• about 1 year ago
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Dallas Cowboys Trade Rumors: Cowboys Considering Trading Felix Jones

Talk about a fall from grace for Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones. After training camp ended, many experts, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, believed that 2011 would be a breakout year for the former Arkansas running back. Unfortunately for Jones, he was mired by injury once again, which allowed for DeMarco Murray to emerge as the team's primary running back.

Now it appears that Jason Garrett and the Cowboys brass have considered trading Jones, at least according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas. Watkins lists Jones as one of five Cowboys on the bubble as we approach the NFL Draft.

The Cowboys were interested in Boise State running back Doug Martin, but he wasn't able to visit Valley Ranch for a pre-draft visit because of last week's storms. Jones isn't a feature back -- in fact, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett continues to call him a complementary running back -- and the team had internal discussions about trading him. If the Cowboys find a younger version, it wouldn't surprise anyone if he's let go. DeMarco Murray, Phillip Tanner and quite possibly a draft pick doesn't make the Cowboys significantly younger, but it does give them some fresh legs. Jones, like Marion Barber and Julius Jones before him, might need a fresh start somewhere else.

It seems like it's unlikely that the team would flat out cut Jones -- at least not currently. Still, it's certainly something to keep an eye on as we approach the draft. If the Cowboys can get a respectable draft pick in return for Jones, the Cowboys may very well pull the trigger.

For more on the Cowboys, be sure to check out Blogging the Boys.

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Dallas Cowboys Uniform Not Changing; Much

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New Nike NFL Uniforms: Cowboys Unveil 2012 Unis

Nike unveiled their 2012 NFL uniforms on Tuesday. Here is the first look at the Cowboys uniforms.