Enough of the Revisionist History

The Patrick Crayton comments last week have stirred up a lot of bad feelings about some of the offseason moves the Cowboys made last season. Crayton's ability to run his mouth has obviously not changed since he was shipped to San Diego before the start of the season. He has made comments about the Cowboys a few times in the media and it is pretty apparent that he is holding a grudge for the way things ended for him. His animosity is pretty ridiculous when you go back and look at how his departure actually played out. And most of his comments since he left have been completely off base and vindictive.

Crayton believes the Cowboys don't care about winning because they got rid of him, Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin last offseason. Hamlin and Adams were cut for salary cap reasons as well as performance issues. Crayton was shipped out primarily because they Cowboys were afraid he was going to be a locker room problem. And let's not forget that Crayton actually requested a trade after it became apparent that he was going to be relegated to the #4 slot in the receiver depth chart.

What bothers me more than Crayton's comments are some of the fans who are actually agreeing with his comments. I can understand that Patrick is upset about how his time in Dallas came to an end. And I would probably be just as mad as he is with the Cowboys if I were in his shoes. But I think it is pretty obvious that his public opinions about the Cowboys are being influenced by his anger towards the team management and Jason Garrett.

I want to take a look at Crayton's comments that so many fans seem to be agreeing with one at a time. Let's start with Crayton's exit from Dallas. Patrick Crayton for some reason always had a mouth that was much bigger than his game. I don't want to minimize Crayton's value in Dallas because he was a big part of the offense and he was always a reliable punt returner. But he was never a top tier receiver and he was never going to be. When the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant the writing was on the wall. Dez Bryant is not only a freakish wide receiver, he also returns punts.

So obviously Crayton was going to get shuffled down in the depth chart. He might be able to make an argument that he was more valuable than Roy Williams in the offense, but you know that Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are clearly superior to Crayton. Now throw in the fact that Patrick Crayton began to complain publicly early in training camp that he wasn't getting a fair shot at moving up in the depth chart. As much as Patrick didn't want to hear it, a supremely talented first round pick is always going to get a shot to play. And if Crayton couldn't even help on special teams it was hard to justify keeping him around. We're talking about a guy who asked to be traded, publicly complained about his spot in the depth chart, and wouldn't have contributed on game day unless there was an injury. You can't justify keeping a guy who could cause distractions in the locker room if he isn't even expected to be a significant part of the team.

Crayton's comments about Jason Garrett since he has been shipped out prove that he wasn't exactly on the Garrett bandwagon. In the end, I think it is pretty clear that Crayton needed to go since he apparently was at odds with his offensive coordinator or at least didn't care to play for Garrett. I shutter to think how Crayton may have responded when Garrett was named head coach.

Let's move on to Flozell Adams. He is clearly a player on the decline. Sure, it is great that he is going to start at right tackle for the Steelers in the Super Bowl. But let's not pretend that he was going to come back to Dallas to back up Doug Free at left tackle or move to the right side to replace Colombo. Flozell was overpaid and on the decline. I have serious doubts that he would have been willing to restructure his salary and take a demotion to back up tackle to stay with Dallas. And he was so bad early on with the Steelers that he was a back up player for them until injuries forced the Steelers to put him on the field. You could argue that he played better at right tackle than Marc Colombo and you would probably be right. But I don't think the Cowboys expected Colombo to play so poorly this season or they might have considered moving Flozell to the right side. The reality is that there wasn't really a way to keep Flozell Adams on the team once the decision was made to make Doug Free the starter. It sure would have been nice to have him but the reality is that keeping him just wasn't a real option.

That brings us to Ken Hamlin. The Cowboys screwed up when they signed Hamlin to a big money, long term contract after the 2007 season. They realized that mistake in 2008 and the problem became even more apparent in 2009. Hamlin fooled the Cowboys by having the best season of his career in 2007. The Cowboys had an opportunity to dump his salary during last year's offseason without any salary cap ramifications and they took advantage. Unfortunately the Cowboys failed to adequately address the position in free agency or in the draft. Was Hamlin better than Alan Ball? Definitely. But let's not pretend he was a great player for the Cowboys for more than one season. And he was so bad this year for the Ravens that he was cut midseason and finished the season at home on his couch just like you or me. But I do believe the defense took a hit by downgrading from Hamlin to Ball. Just remember that the Cowboys cut him for a reason.

I'm not trying to pretend that the Cowboys didn't make a lot of mistakes in their approach to the roster last offseason. They didn't adequately address safety, kicker or offensive line. But pointing at the decisions to get rid of Adams, Hamlin or Crayton is not getting to the root of the problem. All three of those players were replaceable. The problem is that the Cowboys thought that some of the younger players could step up and contribute and they were obviously wrong about that. They should have been more aggressive in free agency. Crayton's departure wouldn't even have registered on the radar if it hadn't been for a run of injuries at wide receiver. Last year's offseason was terrible for the Cowboys but not because of these three roster moves.

Thoughts on Recent News

The fallout from the Flozell Adams release is big news even though it has been completely overshadowed by the Donovan McNabb trade. I'm still not happy about the timing of the release, but I do understand the theory behind the move. It is better these days to release a guy one year too early than one year too late. I have to believe the coaches saw something in Flozell that led them to believe that his best days are behind him.

The McNabb trade was shocking. It wasn't so much that McNabb got traded...that move was talked about for weeks leading up to the trade. It is the fact that he was traded to the Redskins that made the trade surprising. I was hoping he would end up with the Raiders so we wouldn't have to see him anymore. I've never thought McNabb was a player to be feared, but he is going to be an upgrade for the Redskins which makes the NFC East even tougher.

Roy Williams made some comments last week and owned up to the fact that he was terrible last season. He noted that he was among the league leaders in dropped passes and seems to realize that he better play at a much higher level or his stay in Dallas is going to be over soon. I hope it isn't just lip service. I still think he is a talented receiver but I think he has lost his mojo. He needs to find it or the trade for him will go down as one of the worst in NFL history.

Miles Austin is working out on his own with a personal trainer in Dallas instead of attending the voluntary workouts with the rest of the team. I can't say I blame him considering that he has millions of dollars at stake. I really hope the team and Austin can find a way to get him to Valley Ranch to work out with his teammates. He is just a one season wonder at this point and he needs to be working with Romo and the rest of the receivers to improve his game.

Apparently Keith Brooking has made some of the Philadelphia Eagles mad by claiming that the Eagles' offense was predictable late in the season. I wish that Brooking would realize that there is nothing to gain by talking about those games at this point. Last season is over and it is time to focus on the upcoming season. I like Brookings intensity, but sometimes it is better to say nothing.

The Cowboys have about a week to go before all of the restricted free agents will officially be back with the team next season. So far there hasn't been much interest in the RFA's but I'll breathe a little easier when I know Miles has no choice but to return to Dallas next season. Marcus Spears has signed his tender offer and several of the other players have done the same. I'll be glad when we are sure that Sensabaugh and Austin will be back next season.

The Cowboys passed on an opportunity to pick up Neil Rackers. I guess they feel good about David Beuhler working with Chris Boniol to improve his field goal kicking. I hope adding a coach can improve the field goal accuracy. Just about anything will be better than the second half of last season.

It is going to be sad to see Texas Stadium implode this weekend. I have a lot of great memories of games I watched in the stadium. Nearly the entire history of the team has taken place there. I know it was becoming a dump, but I'm still sad to see it go.

Goodbye Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin

There has been speculation for months about the future of Ken Hamlin and Flozell Adams with the Dallas Cowboys. That all ended this morning. The Cowboys have officially released both players. While I am not at all shocked by the move I am scratching my head at the timing.

The Cowboys are going younger at left tackle with Doug Free and/or possibly an early draft pick. The Cowboys have seen enough of Ken Hamlin to realize that they can get a suitable replacement if his primary duty will be lining up 20 yards off the ball and keeping everyone in front of him while never making a play on the ball. I see the logic in both moves. I really do.

But why release both guys before the draft when it wasn't necessary? I think the Cowboys have put themselves at a disadvantage on several fronts. Teams now now without a doubt that the Cowboys will be targeting offensive tackles and free safeties early in the draft. The flexibility that we all thought the Cowboys had entering the draft is not what it was before the day began.

And what about the contract negotiations with Gerald Sensabaugh? You know his agent was thrilled at the news of Ken Hamlin's release. The Cowboys can't afford to let Sensabaugh go anywhere now. The RFA tender they placed on him will probably bring him back next year, but the Cowboys would be wise to get him under contract. They can't afford to go into the season with new starters at both safety positions.

We all saw what Doug Free did in his time filling in for Marc Columbo. He was excellent. But we haven't seen much from him on the left side. And the small sample we got in the Minnesota game didn't exactly make any of us feel warm and fuzzy. Now getting thrown into the situation unexpectedly like Free did in Minnesota was no easy task, but I would have expected a little more. Clearly the coaches and management of the Cowboys feel like Free can do the job either permanently or until a high draft pick is ready to take over.

Flozell is clearly on the decline as a player. His tripping penalties came last season due to his loss of mobility and quickness. He was holding and tripping to make up for the fact that he was getting beaten off the ball by his man. But I really thought the Cowboys would try to milk one more season out of Flozell unless they found a young stud in the draft.

I don't mind cutting either guy. I really don't. There is nothing wrong with getting rid of an overpaid, aging veteran like Flozell Adams. And the fact that the salary cap is gone temporarily opened the window for the perfect moment to unload the ridiculous Ken Hamlin contract. I just do not understand the timing.

I'll bet Doug Free and Alan Ball are going to have a new attitude when they show up to work on Monday. Both guys have a golden opportunity to get on the field regardless of what happens in the draft. Let's hope the moves to unload veterans this offseason pay off like they did last season.

Flozell and Hamlin Look Safe...For Now

It is becoming apparent as the Cowboys stand pat during the early stages of free agency that they are going to wait until the draft is completed to make any big roster decisions. As frustrating as it can seem that the Cowboys aren't making any moves it also makes some sense.

It isn't like there are any great players left in free agency at this point. The Cowboys chose not to overpay for good but not great free agents early in free agency. So now there really aren't many players who merit real consideration. There are a few restricted free agents available but teams don't seem willing to trade for anything less than what the tender offers guarantee up to this point.

So it looks like the Cowboys will decide on Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin after the draft is over. If they can score a talented future starter at either position then they will probably cut one or both players. The good news is that the Cowboys have players at tackle and safety who could temporarily fill in as starters while a rookie develops.

Doug Free could man the left tackle job if the Cowboys pick a tackle they view as a potential starter. That insurance would make Flozell Adams expendable. And in the same way Alan Ball can fill in at safety while a talented rookie safety gets some time to learn the defense and get comfortable with the complexity and speed of the pro game.

We know what the Cowboys have in Hamlin and Flozell so holding on to them for now is the right move. It would make the team desperate if either player were released prior to the draft. The quickest way to make a big mistake in the draft is to go in feeling like you have to land a player at a specific position in the early rounds. So keeping Hamlin and Flozell as insurance allows the Cowboys to remain flexible during the draft.

Once the draft is completed all bets are off for both players. Especially if the Cowboys manage to pull in a highly touted safety or tackle.

Time for a New Fullback

Deon Anderson has likely played his last down of football as a Dallas Cowboy. After his recent incident outside an Addison restaurant he will be facing criminal charges. The offenses appear to be misdemeanors but the big problem is that there were guns involved. Deon isn't nearly good enough to justify dealing with the mess that he has created for himself and the embarrassment he has brought to the franchise.

Deon has one year left on his current four year deal with the Cowboys but the Cowboys aren't on the hook for any money if they choose to release him. And his play on the field has been less than stellar. He is a below average fullback with a chronically bad knee. There was a good chance that Deon would be cut loose prior to next season anyway based on his play. So the arrest is probably going to be the nail in the coffin for his time in Dallas.

I won't be crying any tears if the Cowboys decide to cut Deon loose. He has never been very impressive as a player and there have been whispers about his attitude for a couple of years. After the embarrassing season ending 44-6 blowout at the end of the 2008 season Flozell Adams had all he could take of Deon's attitude and took matters into his own hands. The story is that Deon was having too much fun on the flight home after the loss and Flozell took offense and a fight ensued. And one of the Cowboys in house writers, Nick Eatman, has mentioned on the Lunch Break on more than one occasion that Deon doesn't seem to care much when the Cowboys lose. Deon may be a fun-loving guy but it seems like he cares more about having fun than he cares about winning.

It boggles my mind that a player in Deon's position would risk it all over a petty argument. I'm sure the story is being blown out of proportion but the last thing he needed to do was give the Cowboys any excuse to run him out of town. Between his subpar play, his chronic injuries, and now his off the field problems it has become apparent that the Cowboys will be in the market for a new fullback this offseason. I think Deon Anderson will be easily replaced.

Training Camp Preview - Part 5 - Offensive Line

This is the biggest area of concern on offense and maybe the entire team going into this season in my mind. While a lot of blame was placed on Romo and the defense, the offensive line may have underachieved more than anyone last season. As with nearly every other position last season, injuries or really one injury may have been the main reason for the struggles of the line. When Kyle Kosier went down with a foot injury early in the season Cory Proctor took over at left guard. His play was terrible and had an impact on the play of the entire line because they were forced to give Proctor extra help. I'm going to look at what I expect at training camp from the offensive line position by position but there really is only one spot yet to be determined, left guard.

Left Tackle - Flozell Adams is the unquestioned starter here. Last season was definitely below average for Flozell, but part of his struggles were injury related and part, I believe, were due to the poor play of the left guard next to him. Flozell is getting up in age but needs to play for a few more years due to his salary and the fact that the Cowboys have essentially no depth behind him. It is hard to judge the offensive line in training camp, but the preseason games should show us if he is ready. I think he'll be better this season, but I think we'll continue to see a false start from him in nearly every game.

Left Guard - This is the one position where there will be a fight in camp. Kyle Kosier and Montrae Holland will be vying for the starting spot. There are several factors at play here including salary and age. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kosier cut or traded if Holland beats him for the job. Supposedly Kosier helps out Flozell during the game by serving as an on-field coach, but Holland sure looked good in his short time on the field last season. I could see either guy winning the job, but I am giving Holland the edge due to injury concerns with Kosier. Whoever wins the job will undoubtedly be an upgrade from the left guard play we saw last season out of Proctor.

Center - Andre Gurode is considered to be one of the best at his position in the NFL. My only concern about him continues to be the shotgun snap. I don't know why he has such a hard time with it, but I really hope he has improved his snaps over the offseason. That is really the only thing I'll be hoping to see in camp out of Gurode. Depth here is somewhat of a concern since Proctor is probably the backup, but I think Proctor's lack of size and strength would be less of a concern at center.

Right Guard - Leonard Davis is an absolute beast when he is playing at the top of his game. The problem is that he is inconsistent with his run blocking. I can't remember his man getting to the quarterback last season, but he didn't move his man back on running plays as much as he should with his size. I'll be watching to see if he is moving his man backward on runs during camp but we won't really be able to judge how he looks until the real games start.

Right Tackle - Marc Columbo is just a solid player. He isn't dominant or flashy, but he usually gets the job done and does it with a nasty attitude. He seems to be one of the emotional leaders on the offense. I'd like to see him settle into the role of being a more vocal leader for the offensive line. He was one of the main reasons that the Cowboys were able to beat Tampa Bay last season without Tony Romo. Depth is a concern here too since there is no one behind Columbo with any significant experience. Robert Brewster was drafted for depth so he'll be someone to watch develop during training camp and preseason.

The offensive line is my may determine more than anyone else how the Cowboys peform in 2009. The Cowboys have huge guys with household names manning several positions but they need to play up to their reputations this year. If they can get a better push on run plays and do a better job protecting Romo we will probably see a much more consistent performance from the entire offense this year. If they play like they did last season then it is going to be difficult for the Cowboys to make much noise in 2009.