Matt Mosley: Expect Parcells to face Allen issue on draft day
06:31 PM CDT on Thursday, April 22, 2004
Editor's note: Matt Mosley is a DallasNews.com staff writer.
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells has made good on his promise to stay out of
sight throughout the off-season. But he is scheduled to address the
media Saturday following the first three rounds of the NFL draft.
Parcells will probably stick to the topic at hand, but he's guaranteed
to get a question about left guard Larry Allen, who has been mentioned
in recent trade talks.
Parcells and Allen clashed during last season's training camp, and
there's no evidence that they are even on speaking terms. Owner and
general manager Jerry Jones recently said that Allen had permission to
miss Parcells' "voluntary" workout program and that he wouldn't be
surprised to see him back in a Cowboys uniform this season.
Rumors have circulated suggesting that Parcells and Jones may not be on
the same page regarding the Allen situation. But Jones said Tuesday that
he and Parcells have a very solid working relationship and never "walk
on eggshells" around each other.
Appearing on the Texas Cable News Network on Tuesday, Jones said that
Parcells recently reminded a roomful of scouts that he wasn't going to
retire anytime soon.
Jones jokingly scrawled out a five-year extension and passed it to
Parcells.
"He started to sign it right there," Jones said. "But I don't think it
had enough zeroes out there."
Cowboys punting unit lean and green
The Cowboys are still in search of a starting running back, cornerback
and several offensive linemen. But another glaring hole is at punter.
Toby Gowin, who was inconsistent last season with a 39 yard-per-punt
average and a 34.9 net, is now with the Jets. The Cowboys currently have
three punters on the roster.
Josh Boies (6-4) and rookie Ryan Flinn (6-5) fit the league's trend
toward big, strong punters. At 5-8, Gowin had only his leg to rely upon.
And when he suffered ankle problems, he lost all his power.
The other punter is an Australian named Mat McBriar, who has a year in
the CFL under his belt. McBriar, who played at Hawaii, is the most
intriguing punter in camp. He was on the Denver roster before being
traded to Seattle before last season's training camp. At 6-1, he's not
as big as the other kickers, but he appears to have a bigger leg.
Both Boies and McBriar have participated in NFL training camps, but
neither has punted in a regular-season NFL game.
In the past, the Cowboys have taken no more than two punters to training
camp. But with the situation up in the air, it wouldn't be surprising
for them to open camp with all three players. Parcells places a lot of
emphasis on field position, which makes it hard to understand why the
Cowboys haven't been more aggressive in finding a punter. Former San
Diego punter Darren Bennett was available through free agency, but the
Cowboys remained on the sideline.
The Cowboys have always relied on kicking coach Steve Hoffman to find
relatively unknown (cheap) players. Parcells kept giving Gowin chances
throughout the season because he was a veteran. He won't be as patient
this season.
Randal Williams may get chance to prove himself
The Cowboys have signed several restricted free agents the past two
weeks, but the most noteworthy was receiver Randal Williams. So far,
he’s the only unrestricted free agent to be offered a two-year deal.
Williams has won Parcells’ respect because of his special teams play.
But as long as the Cowboys don’t draft a receiver, Williams will
probably get a chance to prove himself as a receiver. He’s long been
considered a guy with rare speed and suspect hands. Now, Williams is
beginning to show a lot of improvement catching the ball.
Shanks...
The Cowboys also signed restricted free-agent tight end James Whalen
, who was hampered by hamstring injuries in 2003. Whalen has excellent hands,
but he’s too small to play every down at tight end. If he makes the team
this season, it will be because of his special teams play…Offensive
tackle Javiar Collins will get one more chance this season. He
started four games in 2002, but he never played a down of offense in
2003. He’s had a difficult time making the transition after playing
defensive tackle in college.
