A year ago, the Cowboys opened training camp feeling confident.
The talk surrounded Quincy Carter's second season under Bill Parcells,
the coach's knack for success in his second season with a team, the
acquisition of Keyshawn Johnson, the top-ranked defense in the NFL and
Eddie George's arrival from Tennessee.
MICHAEL MULVEY/DMN
Cornerback Aaron Glenn is No.3 on the depth chart but could be No. 1
in the Cowboys' hearts if he shores up the secondary.
About the only negative aspect was that Darren Woodson would miss at
least the first few weeks of training camp after back surgery.
A dose of reality accompanied the regular season. Except for the Pro
Bowl play of tight end Jason Witten and the emergence of rookie running
back Julius Jones, last season was a major disappointment.
But as the Cowboys start their second training camp in Oxnard, Calif.,
this week, the optimism has returned.
Owner Jerry Jones spent freely in free agency, bringing in five players
of starting caliber. The Cowboys appeared to draft wisely, using their
first two picks on defensive stalwarts Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears.
In between, they mixed in a re-vamped scouting department and several
new coaches.
The Cowboys' motive was to return to the playoffs – and avoid the
late-season throwaway games reserved for the NFL's also-rans.
The Cowboys' top 10 personnel moves in the off-season:
1. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe: It always comes back to the
quarterback. The last time Bledsoe and Bill Parcells were together, they
went to a Super Bowl. That game was in 1997. The quarterback and the
coach are hoping to pick up where they left off in New England. If
Bledsoe can stay healthy and the offensive line can protect him, then
Parcells says the 33-year-old can produce. This will be Bledsoe's third
team in five years, and he hasn't taken a team to the playoffs since
1998 – also New England.
2. Nose tackle Jason Ferguson: He is the reason the Cowboys can
switch to the 3-4 defense. He can plug holes and make plays. Stopping
the run is the difference between a good defense and a great one, and
Ferguson can stop the run. Having already received a $9 million signing
bonus, he has much to prove. Parcells will not take it easy on one of
his favorite players. It appears Ferguson will relegate La'Roi Glover to
a pass rusher instead of a full-time player.
IRWIN THOMPSON/DMN
First-round draft pick Demarcus Ware is making the transition to
outside linebacker after playing defensive end in college.
3. Cornerback Anthony Henry: If Henry does what he is supposed to
do, he could have a bigger impact than Ferguson. If Henry can shut down
receivers on the right side, Terence Newman would become better on the
left and Roy Williams would be the in-the-box impact player he was in
2003. The defense would also have a better ability to blitz. Henry had
10 interceptions as a rookie but has only seven in the three seasons
since.
4. Cornerback Aaron Glenn: Donald Mitchell was supposed to handle
the nickel spot last season, but he was cut. The secondary was in
disarray all season. Glenn is the Cowboys' best No. 3 cornerback in
quite some time. He will not be a starter, but he has a starter's
mentality. Newman and Henry can lean on his expertise. But Glenn isn't
with the Cowboys to be an assistant-coach-in-waiting. He has had five
interceptions in three of the last four seasons.
5. Vice president of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland: He
essentially replaced Larry Lacewell in the scouting department.
Ireland's first foray into free agency landed Marco Rivera, Henry,
Ferguson and Glenn. His first draft brought Ware, Spears, Kevin Burnett
and Chris Canty. He re-tooled the scouting department but will be under
Parcells' eye for the season. Parcells is demanding on his scouting
staff during the season, because he likes to churn the bottom of the
roster.
6. Tight ends coach Paul Pasqualoni: After spending 14 seasons as
Syracuse's coach, he is in the NFL for the first time. He will be in
charge of what is arguably the Cowboys' best position – with Witten and
Dan Campbell. Pasqualoni's predecessor, Tony Sparano, moved over to the
offensive line. Pasqualoni adds another set of head-coaching eyes for
Parcells.
7. Defensive backs coach Todd Bowles: Along with linebackers
coach Gary Gibbs, Bowles is the only assistant with experience running
the 3-4 – when he was with the New York Jets. Bowles was partially
responsible for the signing of Henry because of their ties with the
Cleveland Browns. He allows Mike Zimmer to concentrate solely on being a
coordinator. And he is demanding. During minicamp, Bowles had players do
pushups for dropped interceptions.
JOHN DAVID EMMETT/Special Contributor
Tight ends coach Paul Pasqualoni called on his experience as head
coach at Syracuse to call out rookies Tyson Thompson and Demarcus Ware
(94) during minicamp.
8. Outside linebacker Demarcus Ware: He was considered the best
pass-rushing threat in the draft, but he will be moving to outside
linebacker – a foreign position for him. He played defensive end at
Troy. Parcells compared him to Lawrence Taylor and Willie McGinest at
the draft, and Ware proved to be a quick learner during the minicamps.
Ware is a tremendous athlete, which should help him in pass coverage,
and he has good hand technique on the pass rush for such a young player.
9. Defensive end Marcus Spears: Spears was the best blend of a
3-4 end and 4-3 tackle, with the size and athleticism to handle both
spots. He has the power to take on guards, but he is also quick enough
to slip inside. Like Ware, there will be rookie growing pains. Spears
quickly learned of Parcells' bite, earning the nickname Fats Domino, but
he impressed the coach by returning for the camp in May in better shape.
10. Right guard Marco Rivera: Like Ferguson, Rivera was handed a
$9 million signing bonus in the off-season. He hurt his back while on a
treadmill, and the injury required surgery. The former Green Bay Packer
is healthy and should not be held back in camp. He is a leader, and he
should make whoever wins the right tackle spot – Kurt Vollers, Torrin
Tucker, Jacob Rogers, Ben Noll – better.
E-mail
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