Dallas Morning News Cowboys beat writers Jean-Jacques Taylor and Todd Archer answer your questions from training camp. Submit a question here: cowboysplus@dallasnews.com
• • •
Q:
How can you play Rob Petitti for 16 weeks, talk him up in the
off-season and then cut him? I mean, I didn't think that he was good,
but didn't he earn one more year?
Derek Thomas
Jean-Jacques Taylor:
I understand your frustration, especially since coach Bill Parcells
spends so much time talking about not keeping "progress stoppers" on
your team. In the dictionary, there's a picture of Jason Fabini next to
the word "progress stopper" because he's an aging player with no upside.
Petitti led the NFL in sacks allowed (13 ½), so it's not like he was a
great player. Still, he had upside. Generally, you want players like
that on your team. But I do understand that Fabini might be a better fit
in December, if you have a big game against the Giants and Marc Colombo
can't play.
• • •
Q: Against the 49ers, the running game got contributions from Julius Jones, Marion Barber and Tyson Thompson. Is there a clear-cut favorite yet going into the regular season?
Brett James, Commack, N.Y.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: I don't think there's any question Jones is the starter, but there's also no doubt Barber, the third-down back, is going to be a significant contributor. Jones has the speed and quickness to dominate a game on a given Sunday. Barber is the more physical, punishing runner but lacks the home run speed Jones has. I'd say Julius will average 20-22 carries a game and Barber will get 10-12. Either way, it should make for a strong competition. Tyson Thompson might also get one series per game to show what he can do.
• • •
Q: If I were Jerry Jones, I would trade Terrell Owens for Deion Branch.
This assumes, of course, that the Patriots would take Terrell Owens,
which, to the Patriots credit, will never happen as long as Bill
Belichick is head coach, but one can hope.
David Reyes, Boston
Jean-Jacques Taylor: Deion Branch is under contract. He is holding out of training camp
because he wants more money. Is that any different from what Terrell
Owens did last year. Actually, it is a little different because Owens
showed up in training camp, although it's clear he was upset. The same
fans who don't like T.O. shouldn't like Branch, either.
• • •
Q: Did Bill Parcells say he had not seen Tony Romo throw a pass with a glove on before Romo did so in the Saints game on Monday night?
Steve Sledge, Rialto, Calif.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: You are correct. That's exactly what he said. Romo also said he's not sure Parcells had ever seen him throw with a glove on. Romo did say he had experimented with a glove during the off-season and also had
practiced with one on several times. Romo said he likes wearing a glove
in adverse conditions because he doesn't have to think about the
weather, allowing him to focus solely on his job as quarterback. He
fumbled wearing the glove, while scrambling. But he also fumbled two
snaps the week before, when he wasn't wearing a glove.
• • •
Q: In your opinion, who is the one player on the offensive side of
the ball (kicker not included) this team cannot afford to lose this
season?
Mike Tessicini, Milford, Mass.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: I would say it's left tackle Flozell Adams. The offense was lost season after he got hurt because it had to provide help to both tackles on virtually every passing play. If Adams were to get hurt again, the Cowboys would have the same type of problem and the offense would suffer
again.
• • •
Q: I have heard little to nothing about Bobby Carpenter. Has he met or
exceeded expectations? How much playing time do you think Carpenter will
be seeing?
Jay C. Fuchs
Jean-Jacques Taylor: It's actually a positive that you haven't heard much about Carpenter.
Greg Ellis has played so well at outside linebacker that Dallas has
moved Carpenter to inside linebacker, where he is competing with Akin
Ayodele for playing time. Dallas has invested a $5 million signing bonus
in Ayodele, so it's not an automatic that Carpenter will eventually beat
him out this year. But this is a physical game and injuries happen, so
at some point Carpenter is going to play. He's also going to be an
important part of the nickel defense.
• • •
Q: Is this really a surprise for a guy like Drew Henson, who was out of
football for three years? I believe in time he will be a starter in this
league, but in his situation the development time will be increased. The
league is a win-now atmosphere, and there is no time for player
development. What do you think?
Chris Parker, Dallas
Jean-Jacques Taylor: I don't know if Henson will ever be an NFL success story or not, though
he's a quality person, so I wish him success. That said, you have to
remember that Tony Romo and Henson were at the same stage of development
two years ago. They alternated being Vinny Testaverde's backup, but Romo
started developing and improving at a faster rate than Henson. Now,
there's no comparison. Romo is the better player. But if Henson gets
with a coach who truly believes in him, he might be an NFL starter
someday.
• • •
Q: Since Dallas is looking into a possible trade for a wide receiver, would Greg Ellis and Patrick Crayton for Jerry Porter be a decent trade
for both teams?
Eddie Arnold
Jean-Jacques Taylor: I don't think so. Porter wants to start and be the man. That isn't going to happen in Dallas with T.O. and Terry Glenn as starters. He'd basically be in the same situation he is right now. Besides, Ellis and Crayton each have valuable roles in Dallas.
• • •
Q: I notice the Cowboys place colored beanies on the helmets of players
for certain drills. This doesn't make sense to me, because the offensive
and defensive players are already wearing different colored jerseys.
What purpose do the beanies serve?
David Reyes
Jean-Jacques Taylor: The beanies are used when the Cowboys are doing scout team drills.
Running backs wear green beanies, receivers wear orange and tight ends
wear yellow. This allows the defense to account for the players when it's
practicing against an opponent's offense. For example, it might affect
the defense's coverage if an opponent has a tight end in the slot as
opposed to a receiver. The beanies also help defenders practice among
themselves, if the offense is unavailable.
• • •
Q: Why won't the Cowboys just cut Stephen Peterman and sign the best
guard released by another team?
Korede Alabi, Portland, Ore.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: We haven't even finished the second week of training camp yet. Give them time. I'm sure they want to see Peterman play in a couple of games before they let him go. After all, they spent a third-round pick on him, and they would love for him to be some type of contributor. Besides, as soon as they cut him, Miami is going to sign him. Nick Saban coached him in college, and I'm sure he'd love to see if he could get the most from him. The knock on Peterman is that he's a strong run blocker but has never been better than an average pass blocker.
• • •
Q: How does the defensive line look so far in camp?
Wilson Whitelock, England
Jean-Jacques Taylor: Right now, I'd say the defensive line is in pretty good shape. The
primary issue is who will back up starter Jason Ferguson. Thomas Johnson
has had his moments in practice, but I'm not sure the coaches are ready
to concede the job to him. Montavious Stanley is still learning on the
job, and I'm not sure you can count on him just yet. That said, the ends
look good with Marcus Spears, Jay Ratliff and Kenyon Coleman on one side
and Chris Canty and Jason Hatcher on the other side. That's a lot of
good young players for Parcells to rotate and wear down the offense.
• • •
Q: I know it's very early, but what are your thoughts on the offensive
line? Are some of the young guys showing improvement?
Paul Ebersold, Greenacres, Fla.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: The line has not played well overall, though it seemed to have a few good moments in the scrimmage. For now, I would say the biggest concern is left tackle Flozell Adams. If he is not a good player, then this offense has virtually no chance. The Cowboys need him to be better than adequate. I think he'll get there, but he's struggling right now.
• • •
Q: Do you think that it would be a wise move for the Cowboys to send
next year's No. 2 draft pick to Atlanta for its backup quarterback, Matt
Schaub? The last time I heard, that was their asking price. I think the
Cowboys are asking a little too much to think that Bledsoe can stay
upright for a second year in a row.
Tony Baker, Hobbs, N.M.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: I wouldn't spend that much on Schaub unless I was going to make him the starter. Schaub has thrown 134 career passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Although his future is bright, I wouldn't pay a
king's ransom for him, because he's still an unproven player – just like Tony Romo. At least, Romo has been in the Cowboys' system. You might as well roll the dice with him.
• • •
Q: I was wondering if DeMarcus Ware has perfected a second move? Last
year, he seemed to use the speed rush around the outside most of the
time, and I was wondering if he was using a spin move or anything else
right now?
Mike Gray, Apopka Fla.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: Funny you should mention that. Coach Bill Parcells said recently that Ware was starting to get pretty comfortable using a second pass-rush move. Ware has improved in every facet of his game, and now he's also bigger and stronger than he was last year. He should be a terrific player – and that's just what the Cowboys need because his position is probably the most important on the defense. If your outside linebacker can't rush the passer and get double-digit sacks, then it's probably going to be a struggle for the defense.
• • •
Q: I'm hoping no news is good news, but how has Kyle Kosier looked so
far in camp?
Kyle Lang, Crown Point, N.Y.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: You're right – it is too early, but we'll address it now and come back to it later. It's hard to tell how any of the linemen look out here because they have only limited opportunities to hit 100 percent. Coach Bill Parcells seems happy with him. He's a solid but unspectacular pass-blocker. But he should be a little better run-blocker than Larry Allen because he can consistently get to linebackers, and Allen lost that part of his game the last couple of seasons.
• • •
Q: With all the speculation about T.O.'s personality, no one seems concerned with the amount of time he has missed with injuries two of the last three seasons. Can he play 16 games this season?
Elenita Ravicz, San Antonio
Jean-Jacques Taylor: That's a good question, because older players tend to get hurt and take longer to recover than younger players. T.O. is in fantastic shape, but he has so many muscles that it makes him a little more susceptible to certain types of strains and pulls. He does a good job of stretching and putting himself in the best possible situation to maintain his health. That said, this is a physical game, and injuries are part of the game.
• • •
Q: It's pathetic to see the media ask so many questions about Terrell Owens every day when there's nothing really to talk about. Why do you do it?
Greg Meadows, Washington, D.C.
Jean-Jacques Taylor: The reality, Greg, is that everything T.O. does is big news. That's why there were a record number of fans (5,500) at practice Saturday, and that's why 17 members of the national media have already visited training camp. The Cowboys didn't have that much visiting media all of last training camp. And it's all because they have acquired the NFL's most notorious receiver, who also happens to be one of the game's best players. Get used to it: It's all T.O. all the time.
• • •
Q: I'm very happy the Cowboys signed Jason Witten to a contract extension, but tight end isn't on the list (quarterback, receiver, running back, left tackle, defensive end and cornerback) of what you must have to be able to compete in today's NFL. How will Witten help?
Earl Robertson, Dalhart, Texas
Jean-Jacques Taylor: You're right, when you say tight end isn't one of the six key positions on a football team. The reality, however, is that no team will pass on a star, and Witten qualifies as a star. Owner Jerry Jones said he's never felt better about giving a player a huge sum of money – six years and $28 million – because he's young, talented, hard-working and should continue to improve. Witten is too big for safeties, too fast for linebackers and has excellent hands. He's a matchup nightmare for the opposition.
• • •
Q: How long do you think it will be before we have the first Parcells-T.O. blowup?
Miami Frank
Todd Archer: I'm going out on a limb: We won't see a blowup between the two this year. Parcells is good at stopping these things before they become public, and Owens has been shown the money. I think for this year, everything will work out fine. Now, if T.O. is as sensitive as he was to some things Andy Reid said to him in Philly, then that might be different. But it's easier to be chided when you've been given $10 million.
• • •
Q: When do you expect Roy Williams to sign his extension?
Al, Dallas
Todd Archer: I just have a funny feeling this one will take longer than the Jason Witten deal. The Cowboys had a baseline with the Witten deal thanks to the deals done by Jeremy Shockey and Antonio Gates. It was easy to figure out where Witten belonged. As for Williams, the Ed Reed deal is out there ($15 million guaranteed) and anytime you're talking that kind of money things tend to take some time. I'd be surprised if something happened during camp. Maybe later in the season.
• • •
Q: How much playing time will Tony Romo get this season?
Jacob
Todd Archer: If all goes well for the Cowboys, Romo will see only a little bit more action than he did a year ago. Bill Parcells has said Romo will see plenty of playing time in the preseason, but I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to the regular season.
