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February 2008
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Movers and Shakers Texas Stadium dallasnews.com
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The 10th installment in an 11-part series assessing each position on the Cowboys roster (Be sure to follow the jump for analysis) ... PLAYERS SIGNED THROUGH 2008: Roy Williams, Pat Watkins, Courtney Brown UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Ken Hamlin, Keith Davis RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None TOP FREE AGENT NAMES: Hamlin, FS Gibril Wilson (Giants), *FS O.J. Atogwe (Rams), SS Sammy Knight (Jacksonville), FS Deke Cooper (Panthers) TOP DRAFT NAMES: FS Kenny Phillips (Miami, Fla.), FS Marcus Griffin (Texas), FS Quentin Demps (UTEP), SS DaJuan Morgan (NC State), SS Craig Steltz (LSU) HEALTH OF THE POSITION: For better or for worse, Williams will almost certainly return as the Cowboys’ starting strong safety. Wade Phillips and Co. will continue to try to mask Williams’ coverage weaknesses by playing him close to the line of scrimmage or putting him on the sideline in obvious passing situations. The Cowboys hope that Dave Campo can help Williams become a game-changing playmaker again, as he was early in his career. Count on Williams being a Cowboy, at least for one more season. The question: Will his Pro Bowl partner be back? The Cowboys have every intention of keeping Hamlin, who established himself as a savvy leader and picked off a career-high five passes after signing a one-year deal with Dallas. Hamlin has indicated that he’s interested in getting a long-term deal to remain at Valley Ranch. But he will have plenty of other suitors. If the Cowboys don’t apply the franchise tag to Hamlin, Miami might be the biggest threat to sign him. Hamlin never played for Bill Parcells, but he has an outstanding relationship with Dolphins assistant head coach/secondary Todd Bowles after working with him last season. More importantly, Miami has a major need at free safety and a ton of room under the salary cap. Don’t expect the Cowboys to get a hometown discount after Hamlin played at a bargain rate last season. Plan B might be to re-sign Davis, who will seek a job as more than a special teams ace, and have him compete with Watkins for the starting job. Brown, a seventh-round pick last year, could be a difference-maker on special teams but probably won’t be ready for regular action on defense. There are a handful of starting free safeties available in free agency, so the Cowboys could go that route to replace Hamlin. If need be, they could draft a player to compete with Watkins, in addition to a strong safety to groom behind Williams. There has been discussion in the past of moving Anthony Henry to free safety, but cornerback is a need area already. |
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Comments
Posted by Keyser Söze @ 6:35 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
R_R,
What gave me away? Was it my limp?
*handshake*
I'll make a deal with you. You keep this between us....I promise no 1k word posts & no threats directed at your person. Live & let live, I say. Amazing what a week in Nevis will do for your perspective.
Posted by William @ 6:59 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
Didn't coaches have Roy Williams alter his style of play in order to extend his career by limiting concussions? It would seem to me that this is the main reason he has been relegated to "tweener" status -- a player too big to play safety and too small to play linebacker. So, if such play is threatening his career, what does he have to lose by opening back up his play to when he used to follow through on his devestating tackles -- as were often choreographed in games by an amazed John Madden.
I am a firm believer in spreading talent to all positions of the team. Considering that 3 defensive backs went to the pro-bowl, nothing is needed here.
Strengthening nose tackle would further shrink the field for opposing offenses in that, like the game of chess, the game is won and loss up the middle.
Posted by ron mexico @ 7:54 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
Courtney Brown was a seventh round pick in 07, not a second.
Posted by Bill jr in DC @ 8:40 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
Roy Williams is not overrated. He is a great defensive back, just one look at his Utube's and you see what he got to the pro bowl on. This guy is so good the NFL is naming different styles of tackling after him. Yes, Tres Oucho will be his new number and name... next year, you'll see more of Roy's "NFL-highlight-reel-tackles". Utube will be so busy with Roy, they won't have time left over to doctor up any more fake Arkansas film of MacFadden.
So we're all good here with Roy. The Cowboys however, do need to bring in Pacman Jones at the CBSS position (CBSS-cover backside of SS). No, this won't cause a problem with the pass rush, the Patriots and Tom Brady have gotten to NFL higher ups, and there shall be no more blitzing allowed, just like the Pro Bowl.
At least, that's what my dad says.
Just one more thing, Redskins Rule and Rams Fan et al, lighten up on my Dad, you two are starting to get under his skin.
Posted by Duane @ 8:48 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
Roy Williams is a MAJOR liability against the run and pass...
Posted by tucker @ 9:05 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
re roy williams.....cut your long term losses and cut this fool now.....he is certain to contribute substantially to 2 or 3 losses
Posted by Scott @ 9:11 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
Not the biggest need area on the team but still a need area. I don't think either Williams or Hamlin is truly a Pro Bowl caliber player; if Dallas was really deserving of having three Pro-Bowlers from the secondary, then we wouldn't have beaten up so much by other teams passing games. Try to re-sign Hamlin at a reasonable price and look for some help in FA and the middle rounds of the draft.
Posted by Cowboys80 @ 9:23 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
I think they are fine they just need to resign hamlin. i also think watkins is starting to get better and the rotation with him and roy works well enough that they shouldn't change it. really the only thing the team needs is a third corner.
Posted by C.V. @ 10:09 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
This position is a potential disaster for us. Hamlin will get much more money elsewhere. Roy is not a good tackler anymore and has never been able to cover. The fact that he has made it to Pro Bowls only shows what a sham that process has become. GM Jerry won't admit he made a mistake in giving him a huge, undeserved extension and do the correct thing and get rid of this guy. It does not appear that Roy has the interest in improving his game. He is over-sensitive to reporters' questions about plays he messed up. I would love to know what really happened to this guy. Was he permanently messed up by that chick from Destiny's Child dumping him?
Posted by RAMS FAN @ 10:12 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
ALL YU COWPATTYS, BESTER YET COW-PATS [DOUBLE ENTENDRE]
"ROY TRES OCHO"?... PLAYED BACKSWARD IS TEXMEX OF
"ATE THREE BISCUITS"... AND WITH BOATLOAD OF GRAVY.
ILL RAISE YU TWO CROMARTES ANDA PACMAN,
BUTTNOT MACFAGDUM, WHOS JERRYS GONNA TAKE KNOWMATTER ELSE
WHATS THIS MEAN? IL TEL YOO WHATS THIS MEANS AGAIN
COTTON EARZ JERRY DONT LIZTEN TO FANZ PETISHONS OAR BLOGS
MACFAGDUM WONT BLOCK AN WIL FAL DOWN LIK JULIA JONES.
WON MOOR THING MOOR,
"ET ALI"?... WASNOT HE A BOXER? WHYDO YOO BLAME HIM BILL???
WHYNOT "ET ALIA OR ET ALIAE"? WHO IS ET_AL_IN_DC?
WON MOOR THING,
HAIL TO THE RAMS FAN©®™
RAMS FAN IS IMORETAL
SCOREBOARD RAMS FAN
GUD POSTINGS REDSKUNKS PHOOL. YUSEA I GOT MY OWN TRADEMARK?
NOBODY ELSER KANT FAKE RAMS FAN NOW
Posted by dave in austin @ 10:41 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
I say keep him on the roster this year, but don't guarentee his starting job. Make him earn it. Maybe pick up a FA to compete with him, and let the best man win. Most likely, it will be Roy - but maybe having him compete for his job will light a fire under his arse.
Maybe have him play some special teams as well. He can run down and give the ole-roy hits we got used to seeing, before he started to tail off.
He was a good player. Hopefully the coaching staff can get him back to where he was a few years ago. Every year, he is handed the starting job, so maybe having him compete for it and have to earn it, he'll play better.
Posted by Meredith1966 @ 10:53 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
I'll give Roy a year under new management (Campo and Maxie) to straighten himself out and if there's no improvement or he continues to slide then it will be time to cut our losses and take the cap hit. Hamlin needs to stay so he can take over at SS in 2009. I like Watkins and something about Brown makes me think he'll be a good player in the next year or so. Let Davis go; he's a special teamer and you can find another guy like him in the draft or as a rookie FA.
Posted by Tim MacMahon @ 10:57 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
Mr. Mexico,
Thanks for the correction on Brown. I promise I wouldn't make that mistake before midnight.
Posted by Christopher Vaeth @ 11:12 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
HOW BOUT THOSE COWBOYS!!! oH I MEAN HOW BOUT THOSE GIANTS!!!!!!!!
Posted by necro @ 11:20 AM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
I was hoping so badly the Cowboys would get Hamlin last year and to my amazement they did. Now it looks like an even better move after the great season he had. It will not do us any good overall to upgrade our cornerbacks or other saftey postion only to lose Hamlin in free agency, so PLEASE go ahead and resign him and get that over with. Perhaps this process of resigning him should have taken place after the first 8-10 games of the season.
But we are in a real Catch 22 position with Williams. Very hard to believe the rookie season he had has only been downhill since then. I remember when Dallas was going through an ugly season that year I would tell myself, " I'll watch my Cowboys play and lose just to watch Roy Willimas play." What happened?? One of the biggest mysteries I've ever seen in all my years of being a torried Cowboys Fan since 1965. Hollwood Henderson faded in the same manner but there was a wreckless and unresponsible drug induced lifestyle that caused that. That is not the case with Roy. The only thing I can come up with is overrated lack of talent that just wasn't exposed his rookie year. It is the conclusion that I have avoided for the past three years but I can no longer do that and continue to call Roy an assett to our team.
Posted by Bob @ 1:00 PM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
I would cut him and hope that another NFC East team picks him up if salary cap $ can be saved by doing it.
Posted by anthony @ 5:15 PM Thu, Feb 14, 2008
Ken Hamlin, being the top FS in FA, is going to demand a lot of money on the market. Keith Davis is probably as good as gone. I feel Jerry will get the Hamlin deal done; which, should alter our ability to sign Drayton Florence whose value on the market is rising, leaving us with the draft to upgrade the CB and maybe even prompting the re-signing of Jacques Reeves. Regardless, the secondary is getting too expensive, for any further underacheiving.