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With Anthony Henry slowed by a bruised thigh and possibly unavailable for Sunday's game at New York, the Cowboys will turn to a familiar face by bringing in Quincy Butler off of New Orleans' practice squad.

Butler was with the Cowboys in 2006-07 and was cut by the club on Aug. 25. He was hobbled for much of training camp with a hamstring injury.

Under league rules, Butler, who played at TCU, needs to be on the roster for the next three weeks because he came from the Saints' practice squad.

If Henry cannot play, then Orlando Scandrick would start opposite fellow rookie Mike Jenkins, and Alan Ball would work in the nickel package. Butler's familiarity with the defense should help him get up to speed quickly and possibly play against the Giants.

Several key members of the Dallas defense attributed their unit's outstanding performance against Tampa Bay to better energy and execution. Wade Phillips agreed.

They insisted that there was a good game plan, but they didn't do anything against the Bucs that was a drastic departure from what they'd been doing all season from a scheme standpoint.

"It's not any different than what we've been playing," Phillips said Monday. "We've been playing aggressive. That's our style."

In fact, a review of the tape reveals that the Cowboys were actually less aggressive against the Bucs than they were against the Cardinals in terms of bringing extra pass rushers. (Follow the jump for evidence.)

Fifth-round pick Orlando Scandrick might be pressed into starting duty by injuries, but he's earned the coaches' confidence.

So much so that the Cowboys are considering making Scandrick the nickel back even when Terence Newman returns. Scandrick has performed well in that role in Newman's place, and Wade Phillips said the rookie might be the Cowboys' slot corner on a permanent basis.

"He has played better than a rookie," Phillips said. "He anticipated things and made a lot of plays."

Scandrick's playing time won't come at the expense of the Cowboys' Pro Bowl cornerback. Newman would simply stay outside in the nickel and dime packages. If Scandrick plays the slot in those situations, it would provide flexibility for Anthony Henry to move inside to cover tight ends again, too.

Wade Phillips said there's a possibility that the Cowboys could sign a cornerback this week, depending on how whether it looks like Anthony Henry (deep thigh bruise) will be able to play against the Giants.

If Henry can't go, rookies Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick will be the starter with Alan Ball as the nickel back. Needless to say, depth at the position would be a major concern, at least for this weekend's game.

The Cowboys hope to get Terence Newman (sports hernia) back after the bye week. They're not counting on Adam "Pacman" Jones being reinstated from suspension.

Five-time Pro Bowler Ty Law, a 34-year-old who started for the Chiefs last season, is waiting by the phone.

This might have been the most impressive defensive performance of the Wade Phillips era.

The Cowboys managed to hold the Bucs to nine points despite Tampa Bay enjoying good field position for most of the game. They limited the Bucs to 48 rushing yards, less than a third of their average entering the game. Despite playing with three kids at cornerback, the Cowboys held Jeff Garcia to barely five yards per passing attempt, sacking him twice and beating the tar out of him for the final three quarters.

That's the sort of performance folks expected on a regular basis from a defense loaded with talent. And Jerry Jones is counting on the Cowboys' defense to play at that level on a weekly basis.

"When I see our defense do what they did today ... then I know we can do it again," Jerry said. "If we can do that and look ahead a little bit and get Tony back in our offense, we can have a team that deserves a look at."

Photo: Michael Mulvey/DMN Staff

A ugly win at Texas Stadium so we look at who played well and who need too.

Up

1. Wade Phillips. Anytime the owner gives you a game ball that's special.

2. Zach Thomas. Had 11 combine tackles.

3. Roy Williams. Had his first Cowboys' touchdown and it ended up being big.

4. Young cornerbacks. Mike Jenkins, Alan Ball, Orlando Scandrick all played well.

5. DeMarcus Ware. Was all over the place, though he didn't get a sack.

Photo: John F. Rhodes/DMN Staff

The Cowboys know that Terence Newman (sports hernia) and Adam "Pacman" Jones (suspension) won't be available next week against the Giants. Anthony Henry's status is in doubt because of a deep thigh bruise suffered early in the second half.

That's the bad news. The good news is that young cornerbacks Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick and Alan Ball had confidence-building performances in today's win over the Bucs.

"The guys stepped up," FS Ken Hamlin said. "They did exactly what we counted on them do. They went out there and played their butts off."

Hamlin singled out Ball, a second-year seventh-round pick who might have been the 53rd man on the roster after the Cowboys made their final cuts. The Bucs went after Ball with a deep ball off a double-move (trying to "punk him," as Hamlin said) right after he got in the game. He blanketed Antonio Bryant on the incompletion.

The pass rush clearly helped the young corners, but the rookies and Ball deserve some credit for holding Jeff Garcia to 51 yards on 9-of-18 passing in the fourth quarter.

"Man, those guys came through," LB Bradie James said. "They're playing like All-Pros right now. That's what we need them to do."

They can count on being tested by Eli Manning next week.

Photo: John F. Rhodes/DMN Staff
Photo: Louis DeLuca/DMN Staff

The NFL Network's Brian Baldinger, best known around these parts for being a bench-warming offensive lineman for some '80s Cowboys clubs, weighed in on what's wrong with the Dallas defense. He pointed the finger at the nose tackles.

"The Cowboys have two on the roster, but neither of them know how to play the position," Baldinger said. "You cannot play the position with your head down. You have to be able to beat the double-team. You have got to stay on your feet, nose tackles cannot play on the ground."

He might have a point when it comes to backup Tank Johnson, who hasn't done a whole lot other than force a fumble against the Bengals. But Jay Ratliff has been the Cowboys' best defensive player other than DeMarcus Ware this season.

Maybe Baldinger based his analysis on the Rams game. Pretty much every Dallas defensive starter other than Ware was awful in St. Louis. But Ratliff played at close to a Pro Bowl level through six games. It's ridiculous to pin the Cowboys' problems on him.

At least Baldinger did spread the bashing across the board a bit.

"Right now, the guys are like Velcro, just sticking to the opponent's blocks," Baldinger said. "What happened to the idea of running through ballcarriers, finishing the play? It seems to be lost with the Dallas defenders. What is it with leaving your feet, diving at the feet of running backs? The suffer from this throughout, in every phase of their defense."

The most comical part of defensive coordinator Brian Stewart's self-defense yesterday was when he mentioned that Carson Palmer hadn't played since facing the Cowboys.

Like the Cowboys had anything to do with that.

Palmer probably had no business playing in the winless Bengals' loss at Texas Stadium. He sat out the previous week with a sore elbow and might have to get Tommy John surgery on it. If he had been healthy, he probably would have hit a wide-open Chris Perry for a couple touchdowns, and we might be talking about a four-game losing streak for the Cowboys.

Anyway ...

Rams RB Steven Jackson will be a game-time decision Sunday against the Patriots. He strained his thigh while rushing for 160 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys, which could be considered proof that Dallas' defensive scheme was aggressive enough if you're really desperate.

The Cowboys are relying on a couple rookie cornerbacks, which is one of the reasons folks have pointed to when explaining why the secondary has made so few plays this season.

But Aqib Talib, a Richardson Berkner product drafted five picks before Mike Jenkins, has as many picks in the last couple games as the Cowboys have all season (two). Talib, who plays in the Bucs' nickel and dime packages, is tied for fifth in the league with three interceptions this season.

"He's come in and bought into our system, and that has allowed him to develop," LB Derrick Brooks said. "He's creating confidence every week, facing different types of receivers. I think the mental part of his game is now starting to kick in."

Don't blame Brian Stewart for the defense's problems. Jerry Jones holds Wade Phillips, aka Mr. Fix-It, responsible for every single defensive call.

"I'm hearing a lot about who calls what," Jerry said on The Ticket this morning. "That's so overrated. You really will never get real good answers in that area, if you really think about it. The facts are the one that makes the final decision, you ultimately say makes the call, whether he utters a word or not. He does it by acquiescence, he does it by a nod, he does it by having a suggestion and then saying, 'Go ahead.' ...

"In this particular case our head coach Wade Phillips does make, either by acquiescence or by direction, all decisions relative to what we're doing on the defensive side of the ball."

I couldn't agree more.

Marty Schottenheimer has unique insight about Wade Phillips and Brian Stewart. He was their boss in San Diego.

Schottenheimer's expertise on the coaches in charge of the Cowboys' defense made for an interesting conversation on Sirius NFL Radio today.

Schottenheimer: "I think Wade, right now, is the best choice to do it because he's been in this system for years and years. Brian got involved, to my knowledge, when he was with us in San Diego. It's difficult for a head coach, I think, to see things going on that you're really not comfortable with and I think that you, as the head man as it were, you need to step forward and go ahead and take control of that thing. The key here in this thing is the buck stops right there and from now on it isn't, 'Well, what's wrong with Brian?' You open yourself up as the head coach for criticism if it doesn't go well but, hey, by the way, isn't that what the business is all about for a head coach?"

If Wade Phillips has followed through on his vow to be "more active" with the defense, captain Ken Hamlin hasn't noticed.

"Nothing's changed," Hamlin said. "He's been active. He's been doing things with the defense. We're going to continue to have that going on."

Hamlin doesn't exactly have a reputation for revealing much info to the media, so he certainly didn't confirm that Phillips would be taking over most of the play-calling duties. Hamlin did say, "Nothing's changed," at least four times in a group interview that lasted a few minutes.

Hamlin also denied that the heat has been turned up on defensive coordinator Brian Stewart.

"No one is coming under fire," Hamlin said. "We continue to play. I don't see where the fire is coming from. Who is bringing the fire?"

Not the Cowboys' defense, that's for sure.

Daren Stone, the safety signed this week to replace Roy Williams on the roster, is best known as the dude who jumped over a car on YouTube.

What the heck is that all about? Stone explained that it was simply of matter of creating some entertainment while spending his college years in Orono, Maine.

"It was pretty boring," he said, "so you've got to find things to do to amuse yourself and other people."

In case you were wondering, Stone said his vertical was measured at 40 inches coming out of college and 43 inches in a recent workout for the Broncos.

Defensive coordinator Brian Stewart refused to discuss whether Wade Phillips would take over the bulk of play-calling duties, but Stewart stuck up for the job that he's been doing.

"I'm comfortable with what we've been doing and what we're going to do," Stewart said. "I'm excited about what we've done and what we're going to do."

He then pointed out that the Cowboys rank 11th in the league in defense, as if that was impressive. This coming from a guy who predicted during his first training camp as a defensive coordinator that the Cowboys would have the No. 1 defense.

"The season's not over," Stewart said. "You should get measured by what you do at the end of the day, right? Not at the beginning. Look at the full body of work. Don't judge me on not even half of the season."

Stewart also pointed out that the Cowboys have been counting on some guys who aren't available, presumably referring to suspended CB Adam "Pacman" Jones and injured CB Terence Newman. OK, but in hindsight, have you been as aggressive as you wanted?

"Yeah," he said. "Ask Kurt Warner how many times he got hit. Ask Donovan McNabb how many times he got hit. I'm just saying, a lot of times if it's a run, you can't really tell if it was a pressure. The thing is, ask the quarterback if he thought we were coming. Ask [Carson] Palmer if he thought we hit him a few times. If anybody knows, I don't think he's played since he played us. Watch the game."

A reader on Profootballtalk.com points out that Keith Davis returned to the game on Sunday after having blurred vision in his left eye. The web site implies that Davis returned to the field after suffering a concussion.

Not the case.

Davis had blurred vision because his eyelid flipped up and who can see clearly if ones eyelid flips up.

Returning to the game wasn't a health risk for Davis because once he flipped his eyelid back down he was fine.

On Monday, Davis said he had some slight swelling near his eyelid. He was scared some but figures to play on Sunday.

The only negative about this is that Davis could get fined for a helmet-to-helmet hit.

As of today, and I know it's early, the Cowboys have only two Pro Bowl players.

Jason Witten, the best tight end in the game and DeMarcus Ware, the best outside linebacker in the game, are headed to Hawaii.

Tony Romo has too many turnovers for my taste and Marion Barber is not having the impact he had last season. Terrell Owens is not even getting the ball. Nick Folk can't get a kickoff to the end zone. Felix Jones has been fantastic, yet he's hurt.

Patrick Crayton had the best line concerning the penalties on Sunday. The Cowboys committed eight for 56 yards. For the season, the Cowboys are second in the league behind Green Bay.

"It's kind of hard coming from stuff," Crayton said regarding penalties. "I don't know, man we get penalties called on us. I'm pretty sure some of them were maybe some true calls and then there was a lot, you like hate the refs being part of a freaking game. They're there to regulate and keep stuff from getting out of hand but don't keep wanting to be on TV all the freaking time."

Regardless, the Cowboys have to play better disciplined football in order for them to end this two-game losing streak.

We ask this question today because the Cowboys are in the middle of a two-game losing streak. But its not in Wade Phillips nature to yell and scream and that sort of thing. Phillips said yesterday his team knows he's upset.

And he's right. The problem is Phillips doesn't show the media how upset he is. Maybe he is upset, the players have backed him for the most part, but saying you support the coach and doing it on the field are two different things.

Wade Phillips indicated today that he'd take over the defensive play-calling duties. Whoopty-darn-do!

Brian Stewart has officially handled those duties this season, but it's always been Wade Phillips' defense. Phillips has his fingerprints all over the defensive game plan, including the calls the Cowboys can use for every down-and-distance situation. He wears a headset and has veto power over every call.

"We have a game plan every game and we get called what we want called," Phillips said.

Phillips also mentioned that the coaching staff is considering "streamlining" the defense, throwing a bunch of fancy stuff out of the game plan and focusing on what the Cowboys' defense does well.

OLBs Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware have publicly hinted they weren't happy with the defensive approach, so it's a safe bet that they've privately grumbled, too. It sounds like the pass-rushers could get what they want. Tank Johnson also offered his opinion that the Cowboys are doing too much on defense, but I doubt a backup nose tackle's thoughts get a whole lot of consideration by the coaches when it comes to game planning.

"Usually [to] simplify is better," Phillips said. "Offense, defense, special teams, whatever. Find out what you do well and do it well and challenge the players and the other team to beat you."

A bad loss in the Lou. Here's what we got.

Stock Report

Up

1. DeMarcus Ware. The man had three sacks and probably should have had four.

2. Patrick Crayton. Had a 33 yard punt return.

3. Bradie James. Came back after he busted his elbow and played pretty well.

4. Marion Barber. Yes, he had a costly fumble, but he did rush for 100 yards on 18 carries.

5. Jerry Jones. He called the team out and that was needed.

Outside the Edward Jones Dome there are plenty of Cowboys fans surrounding the place. There is one fan handing out yellow flyers that say "2008: the return of the Relentless Rams!"
The flyer is supposed to rile up the Rams fans for today's game.

Inside, Jerry Jones is signing autographs and there is a thong of reporters looking for Tony Romo. He will be the No. 2 QB today.

Kevin Burnett is running around. Burnett said if he was 85 percent he would play today and that seems to be the case. Also, Isaiah Stanback will get some time on kickoffs today. It's first time he's been active since the Packers game on Sept. 21.

Loud cheer for Romo, just now. A NFL films guy is following him around and he's about to throw some passes to his favorite target, Jason Witten. Two completions from Romo, one to Wit and another to Cricket Anderson. Now another to Marion Barber. Tight spirals.

Five-time Pro Bowler Ty Law, 34, would love to play for a Super Bowl contender that needs some veteran help at cornerback. The Cowboys happen to have only one healthy, non-suspended cornerback with any starting experience.

Law, who started every game for Kansas City last season, mentioned Dallas and Green Bay as potential good fits for him to NFL Network's Adam Schefter. He said he isn't looking for a lot of money, but just wants to "feel respected."

Asked about the idea of playing in Dallas, Law said: "That would be a great opportunity, to play for a contender. I just don't want to play for anybody. I want to play for a contender, where I have the chance to go to the Super Bowl. I can help Dallas. I have the experience, I have been there before and I can help get a team over the edge. I'm not going to be a weak link for anybody and I'd love to try to provide some leadership for Dallas."

Law has been working out in Florida and is reportedly in discussions with the Dolphins. He said he would be ready to play right away.

The Cowboys' depth at cornerback allowed them to move Anthony Henry inside on substitution packages, which put him on tight ends in obvious passing situations. We might not see that look again until Terence Newman returns, which will be next month at the earliest.

Wade Phillips declined to say whether Henry would still move inside in those situations. It comes down to whether the coaches have enough confidence in Alan Ball to put him at right cornerback in the nickel and dime packages.

That might not be a major concern about St. Louis TE Randy McMichael, Tampa Bay TE Alex Smith and Giants TE Kevin Boss the next few weeks. But it would be if Newman isn't back for the Nov. 16 game against the Redskins and Pro Bowl TE Chris Cooley.

Phillips did say that first-rounder Mike Jenkins and fifth-rounder Orlando Scandrick, who are suddenly the team's second and third corners, had good practices today. The rookies worked with the regular defense and against the starting offense with the scout team.

Wade Phillips didn't exactly express a ton of confidence when asked that question about first-round pick Mike Jenkins, who is the starting left cornerback because of Terence Newman's injury and Adam "Pacman" Jones' suspension.

"We're gonna find out," Phillips answered. "He's been playing obviously. Would I want him to start this game over Newman or somebody else? No."

Phillips had the scout-team offense throw Jenkins' way over and over again during today's practice. How'd the rookie handle that?

"OK," Phillips said, adding that Jenkins got better as the practice went along.

Phillips also mentioned that fifth-rounder Orlando Scandrick, the slot corner in the Cowboys' substitution packages, could see some playing time at left cornerback in the base defense Sunday in St. Louis.

A busy day is coming to an end, we think.

Let's recap the injuries.

Rookie running back Felix Jones is out two-to-four weeks with a left hamstring injury suffered in the third quarter of Sunday's loss at Arizona. It's a major blow to the Cowboys' struggling offense, even though Wade Phillips contends, Tony Romo did throw for 300 plus yards and the offense scored 24 points.

Phillips said Marion Barber would get an increased role, probably some of the snaps Jones was supposed to get, and rookie Tashard Choice will see some time, but very little.

Also, Sam Hurd will undergo surgery tomorrow on his left ankle. Hurd has ligament damage and it could cost him six-to-eight weeks. This might end Hurd's season and he could go on injured reserve.

Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer has a hamstring strain and Phillips said he's week-to-week. I doubt if he'll play on Sunday.

Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman had surgery today on his groin and will be out at least a month. Doctors thought Newman would be out six-to-eight weeks, but discovered his groin muscle wasn't as badly damaged.

Newman will come home at some point tomorrow.

The Cowboys made cornerback their top off-season priority. The upgrades they made -- trading for Adam "Pacman" Jones and drafting first-rounder Mike Jenkins and fifth-rounder Orlando Scandrick -- gave Dallas arguably the best CB crop in the league.

All of a sudden, Jacques Reeves would come in handy around these parts.

Newman, the group's resident Pro Bowler, might be out until November with a sports hernia. Pacman, perhaps the most talented player of the bunch, made it five whole weeks before getting in hot water with the commish again. Even if Sheriff Goodell doesn't consider the late-night/early-morning hotel scrap an NFL parole violation, can the Cowboys have an ounce of confidence that they can count on Pacman?

If Goodell decides Pacman needs to sit out for an extended period of time, a secondary that has been inconsistent has major problems.

Jenkins hasn't done anything to show that he's ready to start opposite Anthony Henry, but the Cowboys will have little choice. Scandrick has actually played pretty well as Newman's nickel replacement, but it's pretty scary to rely on two rookies every time you go to three corners. Is anybody comfortable with Alan Ball playing in the dime package? He'd have to, unless the coaches decide they'd rather scrap the successful experiment of moving Henry inside to cover tight ends.

Jerry Jones called this CB crop the Cowboys' strongest since he bought the franchise. Now, it's become their biggest positional concern.

The league told me this morning it still has no comment regarding the Adam Jones incident on Wednesday morning.

However, this is not the first time Jones has been at this hotel.

He attended the grand opening of the hotel and hosted a private birthday party there almost two weeks ago that was attended by several of his teammates.

The fact that Jones is out late at night is a concern. Can he go out at night? Yeah, of course he can. But he can't go out at night and get into it with his own people.

Here's a quote from Jerry Jones prior to the start of the season opener at Cleveland regarding Adam Jones.

"He can't be in a car and get shot," Jerry Jones said of the player he traded for on draft day. "In my mind, the perception keeps him from playing in the NFL. He can't be someplace where somebody spills some coffee on him. He can't be someplace at night. That's in the future, but he can't be there."

Dallas Morning News columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor says Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff is having a better season than Greg Ellis. Even better than DeMarcus Ware. And it's not even close.

Cowboys interception leader Greg Ellis joked on his way out of Texas Stadium the other night that the coaches might ask him to lose 20 more pounds during the off-season and move to safety. (Insert snide Roy Williams comment here.)

Ellis, who wasn't fond of moving from DE to OLB but has flourished since doing so, makes no secret that he'd much rather rush the passer than drop back into coverage. DeMarcus Ware is the same way, although he's interviewed less often.

But the Cowboys had significantly more success against Carson Palmer's Bengals when they rushed four men instead of five. Here's the pass-rush breakdown vs. Cincy:

3-man rush (1): 1-of-1, 15 yards
4-man rush (24): 11-of-21, 95 yards, 1 INT, two sacks, one pass interference
5-man rush (16): 10-of-16, 98 yards, 2 TD
6-man rush (1): 1-of-1, 9 yards

Ok, time to let everybody know who played well and who didn't.

Stock up

1. Marion Barber. They discovered that Barber can run the ball a little bit. He rushed 23 times for 84 yards.

2. Adam Jones. Seems to be the only corner getting his hands on some balls. He was credited with two pass defensed.

3. DeMarcus Ware. Played well again and picked up another sack.

4. Jay Ratliff. The Cowboys are glad they took care of Ratliff last season by giving him a long-term contract.

5. Kevin Burnett. A strong performance on special teams.

(Photo: G.J. McCarthy/DMN)

Terence Newman is a pregame scratch with a groin injury he suffered in Friday's practice.
Expect Adam Jones and Anthony Henry to start at cornerback for the Cowboys.

Just saw Chad Johnson hug Adam Jones and Terrell Owens down on the field a few moments ago. Owens is wearing all black and Johnson is wearing all white.

There was a report that Adam Jones wants to leave his home in Prosper and move closer to the city life.

While Jones wants to get out more, who doesn't in their mid-20s, the Cowboys cornerback is staying in Prosper and not moving closer to Dallas from what I've been told today.

Jones lives about a half-mile from Deion Sanders' house in Prosper and has a security crew that travels with him to most places.

Last week, Jones attended a Nelly concert in downtown Dallas then attended a private birthday bash at a new hotel. Security crew was there and no problems were reported.

Is Jones frustrated by the security team, I'm sure he is, and that would be natural. But Jones understands the situation and is staying put in Prosper and not moving closer to Dallas.

For now.

By the way, Jones left the Valley Ranch complex to get a double-cheese burger meal. He drove himself.

No big deal.

He had a full security team with him. No problems.

The most exciting thing that happened during today's media access period was Ken Hamlin slamming a domino down on a table in the players' cafeteria and celebrating his win with a funky dance.

Steve Dennis was doing a survey for T.O.'s Inside the Huddle Show on whether T.O. or Hamlin is a better domino player. Hamlin won that vote in a landslide and then provided some evidence.

There were a lot more players in the cafeteria, where the media isn't allowed, than the locker room, where we are. That's why backup safeties Courtney Brown and Keith Davis got full-fledged media hordes around them when they stood in front of their lockers.

Speaking of the safeties, expect Davis to play on first and second downs and Brown to come in with the substitution packages with Pat Watkins out this week.

After all the talk about the Cowboys' phenomenal depth and talent at cornerback, we're still waiting on one of them to pick off a pass this season. We're actually still waiting on any Cowboy to get an interception.

The Cowboys and the Lions are the only team in the league without a pick this season. Not exactly the kind of company you want to keep.

How the heck can a team with so much talent in the secondary and a pair of Pro Bowl pass rushers go four games without a pick?

"That's a good question," Adam "Pacman" Jones said. "I've had my hand on the ball a couple of times and actually dropped one pick. We gotta get around the ball a little bit more. That's what we have to do."

The Cowboys ought to have plenty of opportunities to end their pick drought Sunday. Carson Palmer plans on playing, but his throwing arm certainly won't be full strength. Plus, he tied for the lead league with 20 interceptions last season. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted three times in last week's loss to the Browns.

Linebacker Bobby Carpenter was on the ESPN show First Take this morning. No, he didn't cut the pony tail.

Carpenter was asked what did his teammates think about Terrell Owens' comments regarding needing the ball more following the Cowboys' loss to the Redskins.

"Everybody is upset and frustrated about it," Carpenter said. "I think he said it and guys view it and say, 'maybe that was a little bit out of line.' But at the same time everybody [knows] he's out there practicing everyday. Not many guys, 13 years in this league are putting the effort on the field every day in practice and that's something everyone in that locker room respects."

Carson Palmer said he'll be ready for the Cowboys game on Sunday.

Palmer missed the Bengals loss to the Browns yesterday due to an elbow injury.

The return of Palmer should be looked at as a positive for the Bengals because backup Ryan Fitzpatrick was 21-35 for 156 yards with three picks and one touchdown.

With a secondary that features Terence Newman, Anthony Henry and Adam Jones, you would think the Cowboys would have one interception after four games.

At least one.

But they don't.

Care to guess the only other team in the NFL without an interception in the first month of the season? Detroit. That's winless Detroit.

Entering Sunday the Cowboys were one of five teams to not have at least one pick in the first three weeks. Care to guess those? And we know one is Detroit.
(Dallas Morning News photo by Vernon Bryant)

The first loss of the season and there is plenty of finger pointing. We look at who's up and who's down.

Stock Up

Patrick Crayton. Had a nice game, seven catches for 87 yards.

Zach Thomas. Was very active on defense and had 12 total tackles.

Bradie James. Best game of the season, with 10 tackles.

Jay Ratliff. Had one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.

Mat McBriar. Busy day with six punts for a 39 net average.

DeMarcus Ware. Good performance. Had another sack.
(Dallas Morning News photo by Vernon Bryant)

And I'm not talking about Clinton Portis as a running back. I'm talking Portis the pass protector. Seriously.

We'll let Greg Ellis explain.

"Chip blocks," Ellis said. "He lays all he has to get in there and block."

Some running backs will simple give a little shove to help their linemen out with a pass rusher. Portis is looking for blood. In preparing for Sunday's game, Ellis saw Portis knock Giants defensive end/linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka off his feet.

"De-cleated him," Ellis said. "It was bad. I'm trying to avoid that one."

Sorry that we're late on this.

But, Deon Anderson (knee), Roy Williams (forearm) and Kyle Kosier (foot) are not at practice today due to health issues. Anderson said he's not sure when he'll get his staples removed from his knee and Kosier was seen going to a meeting with a walking boot.

We have not seen Williams since his injury.

Tank Johnson didn't practice and had his right ankle taped. Johnson was talking to Wade Phillips and Britt Brown before team drills.

The players are in shoulder pads and helmets, which is custom for this time of the week.

Wade Phillips said during training camp that he'd find ways to get guys on the field if he thought they deserved playing time. He's done so with a couple guys at the bottom of the defensive depth chart.

LB Bobby Carpenter was the guy Phillips was being asked about when he declared that he'd get deserving guys on the field. Carpenter had a heck of a training camp, but he's not good enough to bump starting ILBs Zach Thomas and Bradie James or passing-down LB Kevin Burnett from their roles. But the Cowboys are occasionally using a dime package that includes two LBs (three, in a couple instances against Green Bay), giving Carpenter a role in the defense.

NT Jay Ratliff has quietly developed into one of the NFC's elite interior defensive linemen.

According to the stats compiled by the Cowboys coaches after watching film, he's tied for fourth on the team with 18 tackles and leads Dallas with eight QB pressures to go along with two sacks. That's extremely active for a nose tackle and awfully impressive for a seventh-round pick whose name won't ring a bell to casual NFL fans.

Ratliff's name was one of the first mentioned by Redskins QB Jason Campbell, who played with Ratliff at Auburn, while he was discussing the Dallas defense on a conference call with the Valley Ranch media.

"He has the right attitude," Campbell said when asked why Ratliff has enjoyed NFL success. "Jay was always a hard worker when we were at Auburn. What he's doing right now is not a surprise, because I know how hard he worked when he was in college. He was one of the leaders on that side of the ball. Everything that's happening for him is happening for good reason."

The Packers gained 334 total yards Sunday night, only three fewer than the Cowboys allowed against the Eagles the previous week. But ILB Bradie James, one of the Cowboys' defensive captains, is much prouder of the performance in Green Bay.

The Packers never got a chance to do the Lambeau Leap, since their only touchdown came during garbage time when it would have looked silly to celebrate. That's because the Cowboys' defense accomplished its goal of improving in the red zone.

Philadelphia, which put up 30 points against the Cowboys' defense, got into the end zone three of the five times the Eagles got inside the Dallas 20. The Packers only had one TD (which came with 2:11 to go) in three red-zone possessions.

The Packers got inside the 20 twice when the game was still competitive. They moved back seven yards on the ensuing set of downs both times, settling for field goals.

"We just buckled down," James said. "We just took it upon ourselves not to let those guys score. That's really what it was."

CB Anthony Henry went 104 games in the NFL without a sack. Terence Newman doesn't think it'll take nearly that long for Henry to get to the quarterback again.

Henry had two sacks tonight -- both coming on third downs in the red zone -- prompting Newman to playfully taunt OLB DeMarcus Ware. Newman pointed out that Henry had as many sacks this season as Ware, which was true until Ware got to Aaron Rodgers late in the game.

I wouldn't bet on Henry keeping pace with Ware, but you can count on the Cowboys continuing to use him as a blitzer.

"He was excited about blitzing, and he was good at it," Newman said. "You'd have to expect us to let him keep doing that and let him use his talent that way."

It makes sense that Henry would be used as a blitzer much more than other cornerbacks, since he moves inside to play over tight ends in the nickel and dime defenses. He established that he can cover elite TEs during the season-opening win against Kellen Winslow and the Browns. Now foes know they have to beware of Henry coming off the edge, too.

The accusation isn't coming from an opponent. It's from the keyboard of Washington Times columnist Dan Daly, who is all worked up after watching the Cowboys yank Eagles RB Brian Westbrook's facemask a few times Monday night.

And make no mistake, there was nothing inadvertent about any of the episodes, nothing incidental; if there had been, the defenders (Jason Hatcher, Pat Watkins, Jay Ratliff) would have released the mask sooner. No, this was just good, old fashioned Street Ball - Oakland Raiders, circa 1976.

My initial reaction is that if the Eagles thought the plays were intentional, they would have done something about it during the game and said something about it afterwards.

And to say call Ratliff's facemask penalty intentional is absolutely ridiculous. Consider the circumstances. It came on a third-and-1 run just before the two-minute warning, when the Eagles were trailing by four. There's no way the Cowboys would be willing to give up 15 yards at that point of the game.

Deon Anderson (knee surgery) and Roy Williams (forearm) missed the walkthrough today. Sam Hurd (ankle) and Kyle Kosier (foot) were limited in the practice.

But Miles Austin, Terence Newman, Anthony Spencer, Isaiah Stanback and Jason Witten practiced with no problems.

The Packers report says safety Atari Bigby (hamstring), running back Korey Hall (knee), tight end Tory Humphrey (knee) and cornerback Charles Woodson (toe) missed practice.

There was limited participation in practice by tackle Chad Clifton, running back Ryan Grant, guard Josh Sitton and center Scott Wells.

The knee problem of defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila didn't hamper him or wide receiver Ruvell Martin (finger) from fully participating from practice.

Now that Roy Williams is out with a broken arm, it's up to third-year man Patrick Watkins to step up at strong safety. He started nine games as a rookie in 2006 and three interceptions. He also had three tackles in the playoff loss to Seattle.

Watkins played free safety his first two seasons. When the Cowboys started training camp in July, the coaches had Watkins working at both free and strong safety. It's quite a difference. At free safety, you're able to roam deep, almost like a center fielder. At strong safety, you're closer to the line of scrimmage and must provide run-stopping support.

Looks like that crossover practice time will come in handy Sunday night against the Packers.

"I look at it as an opportunity," Watkins said. "I get the chance to start at strong [safety.] I've never shied away from contact; I'm not scared to be down in the box."

Here, according to my unofficial count (which includes plays that were penalties), is the Cowboys pass-rush breakdown by half against the Eagles.

FIRST HALF
3-man rush -- 1
4-man rush -- 13
5-man rush -- 11
6-man rush -- 0

SECOND HALF
3-man rush -- 2
4-man rush -- 14
5-man rush -- 4
6-man rush -- 1

The Cowboys got more creative in the second half -- sending inside linebackers several times and Anthony Henry once or twice -- but they didn't get more aggressive. Coverage was the key to cooling off Donovan McNabb, who completed 14-of-19 passes for 181 yards before halftime and 11-of-19 for 100 after the break.

After a 41-37 win, the offensive stars are going to get the glory. But NT Jay Ratliff deserves some props, too.

Ratliff's fumble recovery was the final turning point of a game that had several of them. It was also the highlight of an outstanding performance by him. He finished with four tackles (two TFL), a sack and the fumble recovery while helping hold Brian Westbrook to 3.2 yards per carry.

Ratliff made it clear that the Cowboys' defense wasn't just going to roll over and play dead after an awful half by tackling Westbrook in the backfield on the Eagles' first snap of the third quarter.

I assure you that Wade Phillips appreciates Ratliff's effort. After Phillips had showered and dressed, he made sure to stop by Ratliff's locker to shake his hand.

From what I'm told, cornerback Terence Newman and linebacker Anthony Spencer will be active tonight.

Newman (groin) will not start - Adam Jones gets that duty again - but he will be available for the nickel and dime packages, which means a lot against the Eagles. And Spencer, who is coming off knee surgery, brings another pass rusher to the field, which means a lot going vs. Donovan McNabb.

Adam "Pacman" Jones ruffled some feathers in Philly by pointing out that the Eagles played the Rams, dude.

He might be right that the Eagles' passing game didn't prove anything by lighting up St. Louis' sorry secondary. The same logic might apply to the Cowboys' secondary.

Cleveland's passing game was pretty darn good last season, and the Browns managed to complete only 11 of 24 passes for 114 yards Sunday. But the Browns had plenty of excuses for their poor performance in the passing game.

Wade Phillips and Co. have let the defensive linemen know that there will be a lot of rotating with those front three spots this season. As far as specifics to that approach, the defensive linemen are kind of in the dark.

"I think it's going to be a week to week deal," said Jay Ratliff, who starts at nose tackle and plays some left defensive end. "I don't know. We'll just play it by ear. Whatever happens, just make sure you're ready for it."

Added DE Marcus Spears: "I don't know what the method was to it [against Cleveland]."

Here's how the rotation breakdown went in Week 1 when the Cowboys were in their base front (snaps include penalties):

Marcus Spears/Jay Ratliff/Chris Canty -- 16
Jay Ratliff/Tank Johnson/Chris Canty -- 6
Marcus Spears/Tank Johnson/Stephen Bowen -- 6
Marcus Spears/Jay Ratliff/Stephen Bowen -- 1
Jason Hatcher/Tank Johnson/Stephen Bowen -- 4
Jason Hatcher/Jay Ratliff/Chris Canty -- 5

One big benefit of using all six D-linemen is that it keeps your starters fresh for the fourth quarter. Hard to tell how well that worked Sunday, since the defense watched the final 10 minutes from the sideline.

As part of the two-year deal Tank Johnson signed last season, the nose tackle is due $21,875 for every game he is on the 45-man gameday roster.

That's an extra $350,000 Johnson can earn on top of his $605,000 base salary this year. Not bad.

Here are two matchups worth noting.

DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis vs. Joe Thomas and Kevin Shaffer

Everyone talks about Ware taking on Thomas. Both Ware and Ellis will matchup against Thomas, considered one of the best young tackles in the game, after only one season. The Cowboys will flip both Ellis, the strong side backer, and Ware, the weakside one, today. Ellis and Ware like to use their hands a lot when they rush.

Ellis said Thomas and Shaffer do a fine job in knocking hands away when pass rushers attack. Thomas will see either Ware or Ellis in one-on-one matchups. It will be interesting to see if Shaffer gets some help, when Ware moves to his side.

The Cowboys open the season with some of their highest expectations in a long, long, long time. Maybe since the mid-1990s. We look at a few players how have to play well today.

Offense

Tony Romo. In reality, he's a big winner in the regular season, beating both Mannings, Favre, McNabb and a few others, but he will be judged on his postseason performance. Needs to get off to a strong start.

Marion Barber. Ok, it's Barber's job now and he will get about 20 carries today. He doesn't have to worry about a rotation, he never did. Barber has to prove he can take control of the running game. The Cowboys' offensive coaches believe he can.

Cory Procter. Gets the call at left guard with Kyle Kosier out for a month. Procter had a good week of practice, but against this improved Cleveland defensive front, he doesn't have to be great, just efficient.

One last thing about Keith Davis. He gets his old number back. He will wear 29 and Tashard Choice, the rookie from Georgia Tech, will go 23.

Cowboys officially announced the Keith Davis signing today. Davis, who played five years with Dallas before leaving for Miami, signed a one-year contract.

Davis brings a swagger to special teams and could play in the season opener at Cleveland on Sunday.

In preparation for Keith Davis' arrival on the Cowboys' 53-man roster, cornerback Evan Oglesby was released Tuesday.

Davis is expected to practice with the Cowboys on Wednesday and take his normal spot on special teams.

Cutting Oglesby was a difficult move. Picked up last year after he was waived by Baltimore, he played in eight games for the Cowboys and had two tackles and three special teams' stops.

He had a fast start to training camp, making more plays than any cornerback in camp, but he did not have the same success during preseason games. The Cowboys will have six corners on the active roster in Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick and Alan Ball.

Tank Johnson never really liked No. 66, so the nose tackle has switched to No. 95. He wore No. 99 when he was with the Bears. Marcus Dixon, who had No. 95 during the preseason, will wear No. 92 now that he is on the practice squad.

Newly-acquired guard Montrae Holland will wear No. 64.

It will be interesting to see what happens when Keith Davis officially joins the roster. He wore No. 29 during his second tour with the Cowboys, but rookie running back Tashard Choice has it now. Will he ask for No. 29 or go with No. 40, which is what he wore for the Cowboys in 2002?

We're just hours away from the Cowboys' releasing the final cuts.

So let's vote on who we think has a shot at the final 53.

1. Danny Amendola. Yes or No?
2. Mike Jefferson. Yes or No?
3. James Marten. Yes or No? Or Heck no?
4. Alonzo Coleman. Yes or No?
5. Keon Lattimore. Yes or No? Or you better keep him before Ray Lewis gets ya.

When Wade Phillips talked about improved special teams play today, the first name he mentioned was sixth-round OLB Erik Walden. That's a pretty good sign that Walden will make the team.

OLB Tearrius George played great last night, racking up two sacks and four QB hurries. I believe that will fall under the category of Going Out with a Bang. A good half against fourth-string tackles doesn't mean more than an entire training camp in which George did not impress the coaches.

Plus, the Cowboys don't need a pass rusher. They have a pair of Pro Bowlers, and Anthony Spencer won't be out long. They do need all the solid special teams players they can get.

Bobby Carpenter could not shake a poor performance in last year's preseason finale vs. Minnesota for a long time in Wade Phillips' mind.

"That won't be the case this year," Carpenter said. "I made sure of that."

Carpenter played the entire game Thursday and finished as the team leader with five tackles and a pass deflection.

"We didn't have any backups and I went in with the mindset that I was going to play the whole time and I thought I got better and I think it helped me tonight playing the whole game."

There was a silver lining to Terence Newman's groin injury. The Pro Bowler's absence gave fifth-round CB Orlando Scandrick the chance to prove he's ready to contribute on defense right away.

Scandrick played the slot with the first-team substitution packages against the Texans and performed well. He said the experience of going through a game plan -- the Cowboys treated the Governor's Cup game as a dress rehearsal -- was extremely valuable.

"Obviously, it's Newman's job," Scandrick said of the slot position in the nickel and dime. "It looks like I'm going to be his backup there. It was a chance for me to show that I could go out there and keep my composure and play."

The loss of Kyle Kosier for maybe the first month of the season hurts badly. I do have some confidence in Joe Berger to hold it down until Kosier gets back.

But the loss of Isaiah Stanback interests me as well. As of today, right now, today. The Cowboys have three proven wide receivers on the squad in Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd.

Miles Austin is out at least two-to-three more weeks. Stanback isn't proven, yet had the inside track for the No. 5 wide receiver spot.

DE/NT Marcus Spears might be playing the best football of his NFL career. He claims that it's just a coincidence that he's battling to keep a starting job.

He sure looked like a motivated man against the Texans. He was only credited with two tackles, but he disrupted several plays in the backfield.

"If it looks like that, it's because I've been real focused on getting off the ball fast," Spears said of possibly being motivated by the threat of reduced playing time. "I think I've put a lot of emphasis on playing technique and being in the right places all the time since I got here. My mentality is to stay within the defense but try to get in the way and create a mess in the backfield more than usual."

Spears, a solid player who hasn't lived up to his first-round billing, has accepted that Jay Ratliff will be added to the DE rotation with Tank Johnson's playing time increasing at nose tackle. That's OK by him.

"There's definitely an advantage to fresh legs," he said.

There's an advantage to a little fire under a former first-rounder's butt, too.

I'm guessing there were a few guffaws at Valley Ranch when the Houston Texans gave Jacques Reeves a five-year, $20 million contract.

The Cowboys made upgrading the cornerback position their top off-season priority. They traded for Adam "Pacman" Jones, spent a first-round pick on Mike Jenkins and a fifth-round pick on Orlando Scandrick. They made no effort to re-sign Reeves, who started 13 games last season because of injuries to Terence Newman and Anthony Henry.

If Reeves returned to Dallas, he'd be fighting for a roster spot. And the odds would be against him.

There is no question that Pacman and Jenkins are major upgrades over Reeves and Nate Jones. The Cowboys believe that the same goes for Scandrick. And some folks here regret not giving Evan Oglesby a chance to crack the CB rotation last season.

But the Texans made Reeves rich.

Not sure if Archer said this, but it was a little warmer this afternoon. Probably in the low 90s. I'm sure it's nothing compared to the weather back home, but we're not home right now, are we?

I kept an eye on the defense most of the afternoon, but I had a great view of the special teams, too.

A lot of you folks want to read about the coverage units. It's hard to tell who was doing well since they weren't tackling people to the ground. Three players really stood out to me on punt coverage: Patrick Watkins, Dowayne Davis and Alan Ball.

Ball should get a gold star for his effort on one punt. Why? Glad you asked. Click and read on.

Anthony Spencer didn't mention anything about his knee hurting after Saturday's game in San Diego. But he said something after it swelled up once the team returned to Oxnard.

The preliminary diagnosis, per the owner/GM, is a bone bruise. Spencer is getting an MRI to make sure it's not more severe.

"They didn't think it was a big deal," Wade Phillips said, "but they just wanted to make sure."

Tank Johnson managed to be a disappointment last season despite steering clear from trouble after arriving at Valley Ranch.

The Cowboys took the risk of signing Tank while he was serving an NFL suspension because they thought he could be an impact player. He was J.A.G. as Jay Ratliff's backup after being cleared to play in the middle of the season.

We've seen the player this summer that Jerry Jones wanted. Tank has been consistently active in training camp and continued that during the preseason opener, getting a sack on his first snap.

"I wanted to see if Tank carried through the intensity that he's had in our training camp and the offseason," Jerry said Saturday night. "He did. It looked to me that he was every bit what he's been at our practices."

Tank is comfortable in a scheme he had to learn on the go last year, and his hand technique has improved significantly. But the biggest difference in this Tank and last year's edition is that he spent the offseason working with strength coach Joe Juraszek instead of hogging honey buns in the Cook County Jail.

"I'm just a better conditioned athlete," he said. "I've got some practices under my belt, and I'm excited about being in shape."

Now that Tank has slimmed down a bit, we'll see more of him, whether he's starting with Ratliff to his left or not.

LB/blogger Kevin Burnett posted his thoughts on the Cowboys' defensive rookies, and he's awfully high on first-round CB Mike Jenkins.

Burnett predicts Jenkins will be in the running for the Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. Jenkins, who will take Terence Newman's place in the starting lineup in the preseason opener against San Diego, has a slightly more modest goal.

"I just want to go out there and show everybody that I am the best cornerback that came out in 2008," he said.

Don't ask secondary coach Dave Campo.

"I don't know how many we're going to keep - that's not my job anymore," Campo said, making a playful reference to his tenure as the Cowboys' head coach. "But I guarantee you we're not going to keep eight. I'm lobbying for as many as I can keep, because they're all good players."

The educated guess here is that six corners will stick on the roster. The first five are easy: Pro Bowler Terence Newman, '07 team picks leader Anthony Henry, megatalent Adam "Pacman" Jones, first-round pick Mike Jenkins and fifth-round pick Orlando Scandrick.

That leaves Alan Ball, Quincy Butler and Evan Oglesby fighting for one spot. Butler has fallen behind while nursing a sore hamstring. Oglesby had several good practices while Ball was sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Ball returned to practice yesterday and worked as the slot corner with the first-team substitution packages. But Campo said not to read anything into that.

Expect Ball vs. Oglesby to be a battle that goes down to the final cut, assuming the Cowboys keep six corners.

Wade Phillips danced around that question in the walk-off from his afternoon press conference.

"We're trying to get them all ready to play," Wade said. "You're not looking at starting people or anything like that right now. I think we're in good shape where we are, and I want to see all of them improve. I think Tank's coming along, but Ratliff is a heck of a player."

Yes, Ratliff is a heck of a player. That's why he's a lock to start, whether he lines up at left end or nose tackle.

The question is whether the Cowboys are better off with Tank starting at NT instead of Marcus Spears at DE. Tank has gotten rave reviews from the coaches for his work in Oxnard, but he hasn't been getting many reps with the starters.

However, the Cowboys didn't take a risk on Tank last year thinking that he'd be a backup. And word is that they're very interested in keeping Tank, who is entering a contract season.

Spears vs. Tank might be the only competition the Cowboys have for a starting job this summer.

Bobby Carpenter just wants an opportunity to play. A quick glance at the depth chart indicates that probably won't happen this season.

Carpenter, who was outstanding in yesterday morning's practice, has had a pretty good training camp. But he's a distant fourth in the group of inside linebackers.

Wade Phillips said Carpenter, who has been practicing at both inside spots, has primarily been working in the first- and second-down packages. Bradie James and Zach Thomas will get all those snaps if they stay healthy. Kevin Burnett gets all the LB snaps in the substitution packages. He's also Thomas' primary backup, as Phillips has made clear by saying that Burnett might have bumped Akin Ayodele from the starting lineup last season if he didn't get banged up.

Where does that leave Carpenter? Working as hard as he can while wondering whether the Cowboys brass and coaches want him.

"I felt coming into this camp I had to make my presence felt," he said yesterday. "If I'm going to have the opportunity to play, I have to go above and beyond everyone else's expectations because I don't know necessarily if anyone here is really pulling for me to get me on the field anymore. So I feel like I have to get out there and prove to everyone that I belong. And you know what? If they don't think that and don't think I am good enough, I'll be able to live with that."

Jay Ratliff played only nose tackle this morning, and he'd prefer for it to stay that way. But that's not the coaching staff's plan, and Ratliff sees no point in complaining about it.

Ratliff said after practice that his desire to focus on one position might have been "kind of selfish." He's accepted that he'll bounce back and forth from nose tackle to left end.

"Wherever they need me, wherever I'm at, I'm just going to suck it up and play," Ratliff said. "I'm just going to make the best of it."

This was the third straight day that Marcus Spears played solely nose tackle with Jay Ratliff sliding over to defensive end.

However, if you take the coaching staff's word, those changes aren't permanent. They're sticking to their story that they're simply trying to create some position flexibility on the D-line.

"What you're doing is creating depth," DL coach Todd Grantham. "That's all you're doing."

Wade Phillips said Spears and Ratliff asked for the extra work on their secondary spots today. That's rather interesting, considering Ratliff's take on the situation yesterday.

"We want to be versatile," Phillips said. "We want to have good matchups. I think [working at both positions] gives them a chance to do it."

Grantham does like what he's seen from Ratliff and Spears over the last few days. Follow the jump for his take on Spears at NT and Ratliff at DE.

Don't be too hard on Jay Ratliff, the Cowboys' starting nose guard. Ratliff is being moved to defensive end, for now, to give the defensive line some different looks.

Marcus Spears has practiced some as the nose guard and Tank Johnson's emergence has been a real positive to the defensive line.

Ratliff is concerned about the move because he's switched positions for a long time. In his sophomore year at Auburn, Ratliff moved from tight end to defensive end.

Then his senior season he moved from end to tackle.

We caught up with secondary coach Dave Campo and asked him to asset some of the young cornerbacks.

On Alan Ball: "Long, fast." Ball is still getting work on the second team, though his ankle sprain might slow his progress.

On Mike Jenkins: "Athletic, learning the game, instinctive."

Does he need work on the jam? "Yeah, footwork is not great but he's coming along. Good quickness. He's a young player."

Jenkins is working with the first team with Terence Newman out.

On Orlando Scandrick: "Smart guy. Great burst and speed. Can play outside on the nickel."

Scandrick has improved the last two days of practice.

Starting nose tackle Jay Ratliff is concerned about his role with the defense.

The Cowboys' coaches love Ratliff. Wade Phillips thinks he's the fastest lineman on the squad. However, the Cowboys want to move Ratliff to end, at least for now and give Marcus Spears and Tank Johnson more reps at nose tackle.

Ratliff wants to remain at nose guard because he's developed a comfort level there.

Do you want to do this? "This is kinda of a a shock to me. I play nose. Pretty much all my game film has been nose or inside. I really don't have any game film outside. I'll get used to it."

What are you're strengths to the position? "I bring speed, physical, I kinda know what's going on out there. I'm rusty, but I think it will be good. I feel more comfortable at nose, all my game film, since my rookie year has been inside. This is just a wrinkle. I just got to get used to it and get over it."

Anthony Henry is at least a season away from becoming a full-time safety, but he'll spend a lot of time in the middle of the field this season.

The Cowboys, with their sudden glut of quality cornerbacks, experimented this off-season with replacing Roy Williams in some substitution packages by shifting Henry inside. They liked what they saw, so Henry's gameday duties will include covering tight ends on third downs.

Henry, who basically lines up as a nickel linebacker in one package, has been getting tips from Dat Nguyen on certain zone drops. Henry feels comfortable covering tight ends, figuring that if he holds his own against Jason Witten, he'll be fine against anybody else.

Henry's biggest concern about his new roles is playing the run. He knows that teams will scheme to test him by running draws and such at him.

"I've got to get used to being run blocked," Henry said. "I know that if I'm in there, I'll be game-planned to run block, so I've got to be able to outquick those guys with certain gap moves. It'll be a transition for me, but I feel like I do a decent job back there."

The coaching staff intends to get OLB Anthony Spencer on the field more often this season. That plan has the full backing of DeMarcus Ware, who happens to be the league's best player at that position.

"Our group is all about sacrifices," Ware said this afternoon. "If somebody can cover better than another guy, we're going to do that. If somebody can pass rush better than another guy, we're going to put him in that situation.

"Greg knows the situation, and I know the situation. Whatever we need to do to get to the Super Bowl, that's what we're going to do."

Of course, Ware won't come off the field very often. He seems to be sending a pretty strong message to his Pro Bowl partner that complaining about reps/snaps won't be tolerated anymore.

Spencer had a solid rookie season, starting for the first month while Ellis sat out with an injury/contract dispute. Ware, who made the same college DE/pro OLB after becoming a Cowboys first-round pick, sees tremendous progress.

"I think it's like night or day," Ware said. "Spencer was a great raw player, but now he's figuring out what the offense is doing and figured out exactly where he fits in the defense. He's making a lot of plays now."

Calvin "Lucky" Watkins took his turn today praising the unsung guys in the Phillips 3-4, aka the defensive line. As I wrote the other day, the D-line has more than held its own out here against one of the league's elite offensive lines.

Tank Johnson is the only Cowboys DL that casual NFL fans could probably name, and that's because of his off-field issues prior to arriving at Valley Ranch. This is a unit that doesn't have big names, but it's a bunch of young players who have been effective and are still developing.

And this group has a nice combination of competitiveness and camaraderie.

The six D-linemen often hang out together, especially on road trips. Chris Canty and Jay Ratliff have been practically inseparable since they were roommates during rookie minicamp. Marcus Spears and Jason Hatcher, a couple of Louisiana natives, are the same way. Tank and Stephen Bowen are jolly guys who get along with everybody.

On the field, Hatcher is pushing for Spears' starting job, and Ratliff might end up in the mix at DE, too. Ratliff's motor doesn't need any more revving, but he can't help but notice that Tank has followed through on his vow to be a "beast". Canty's starting job is secure, but he's trying to land a long term deal.

"When you look across the whole board, everybody in that whole room has something they want to get better at," Ratliff said. "Naturally, there's some competition there. We're going to compete, and it's going to be good for us."

Folks asked for more coverage on the rookie cornerbacks, so I went straight to the best source on that subject. Follow the jump for secondary coach Dave Campo's thoughts on first-rounder Mike Jenkins, whose first full practice was yesterday, and fifth-round pick Orlando Scandrick.

The Cowboys sent 13 players to the Pro Bowl last season. None of them were defensive linemen, the only position group not represented in Hawaii.

Don't be fooled by that, though. The average NFL fan might not be able to name a Cowboys' defensive linemen, but this unit is far from a weak link on this team.

That's obvious after four practices here in sunny Oxnard. Starting NT/occasional DE Jay Ratliff has been a monster. NT Tank Johnson and DEs Chris Canty, Marcus Spears and Jason Hatcher have all had their disruptive moments.

A D-line that was pretty good last season appears to be progressing into an outstanding group. Remember, this is a young bunch, with Ratliff (27 on August 29) the oldest of the group.

But don't take my word about how good these guys are. Follow the jump and check out what the three Pro Bowl offensive linemen on the premises say about the guys they practice against on a daily basis.

Fellow Buckeye/superstar columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor ponders the question on his blog.

Of the projected 2008 starting defense, the Cowboys have doled out more than $80 million in signing bonus or guaranteed money as part of rookie deals since Sept. 2003.

The breakdown: (player, year signed, total bonus/guarantee)
CB Terence Newman - 2008 - $12 million
S Roy Williams - 2006 - $11.1 million
CB Anthony Henry - 2005 - $10 million
LB DeMarcus Ware - 2005 - $10 million - *
S Ken Hamlin - 2008 - $9 million
LB Bradie James - 2006 - $8 million
DL Jay Ratliff - 2008 - $8 million
DE Marcus Spears - 2005 - $6.7 million - *
LB Greg Ellis - 2003 - $4.2 million
LB Zach Thomas - 2008 - $1 million
DE Chris Canty - 2005 - $310,000 - **

* - Ware and Spears did not receive a signing bonus, but this is their guarantee money as part of their rookie deals

** - This is Canty's signing bonus as a rookie. He is signed to a $2 million deal as a restricted free agent this year without a signing bonus.

Remember, this does not include the signing bonus/guaranteed money paid out to Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Spencer, Akin Ayodele, Aaron Glenn and others. This is just this year's projected starting lineup.

The Cowboys and the agent for Pro Bowl safety Ken Hamlin are working through contract talks today and could reach a deal soon.

Three safeties of note signed big deals this off-season. The Jets retained Kerry Rhodes with a year left on his rookie deal. Oakland signed Gibril Wilson away from the Giants. Madieu Williams left Cincinnati for Minnesota.

Bobby Carpenter ended up as a guest Friday on ESPN, just before the Brett Favre story overwhelmed everything else.

A little news in the interview: Carpenter talked about everything from the mix of personalities in the locker room to competing with Zach Thomas to having Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson as guests at his wedding. Simpson even danced with Carpenter's 10-year-old cousin at the reception. (Insert punchline here).

Credit interviewer Jay Crawford for not asking the obvious question: "So, Bobby, what have you been doing since Ohio State?"

Beat writers note: We conclude our offseason rankings with the safeties. Some of you ripped our cornerback ratings, displayed last night, and that's fine because we know it's nothing personal, just business.

Now we get to the safeties.

1.Indianapolis. Bob Sanders, the Defensive Player of the Year, and Antoine Bethea, the Pro Bowler, is the best combo in the game. Sanders is a hard hitter and unstoppable at times. This duo makes plays in the run and passing games. Sanders excelled to another level last season.

2.Baltimore. Ed Reed had an off-year last year, but we expect him to be better this season. And, his off-year is better than some players' elite seasons. Depth is an issue here, but we still like Dawan Landry at strong safety and team drafted two safeties.

3.Pittsburgh. Troy Polamalu is a Pro Bowler. No question. But injuries and inconsistent play hurt this unit. If Ryan Clark (spleen removed) returns and Anthony Smith matures, things should be much, much better.

4. Dallas. We debated about this because the Cowboys have two Pro Bowlers here in Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin. But we believe if Adrian Wilson (Arizona) hadn't gotten hurt in the middle of the season, Williams is watching the Pro Bowl on his flat screen. Still, Hamlin plays like a strong safety and Williams is still a force at times.

5.Washington. Ask Terry Glenn what he thinks of LaRon Landry. Glenn got his legs taken out from him by a Landry hit in last year's finale in Landover. TG was done for the day. Landry is a bidding star in the league. Watch.

Others of note: Arizona should be better with Antrel Rolle moving to safety. Oakland has Michael Huff, Chicago has Mike Brown and of course, Denver and New England have quality vets.

Watchout for Buffalo, Donte Whitner is strong in run support. Philly, Minnesota and Carolina also have good safeties.

Beat writers note: You should have gotten this earlier in the day but I was at an Advance Sports Retreat, led by Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. I'll tell you more about it later on.

Now, back to the offseason series.

There are so many good cornerbacks in this league. The Cowboys have the best trio of corners around in Pacman, Newman and Henry. Yes, we know Pacman wants to be called Adam and we'll do that. But when he plays at a high level on the field, we have to call him Pacman. Don't we? Denver and San Diego have the best corners in the game, though Champ Bailey didn't look as good last season. We might have ranked the Eagles a little high, but that's only due to Asante Samuel joining the group.

Here's the rankings:

1. San Diego. The Chargers have the best 1-2 punch in the game with Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer. Cromartie led the NFL with 10 picks last season and Jammer is solid. Rookie Antoine Cason will see plenty of action in pass situation.

2 .Denver. Terence Newman said Champ Bailey sets the standard for corners. Bailey had an off year last year with only three picks, but we expect a better season from him. Dre' Bly is an excellent corner on the other side and in case of injury Domonique Foxworth can start.

3. Philadelphia. The Eagles improved their team by getting Asante Samuel (16 INTs last two seasons). Samuel will be a force in division games this season, especially against the Cowboys. Sheldon Brown has always been solid. But losing Lito Sheppard will hurt somewhere down the line.

4. Dallas.The Cowboys should be higher, but we can't until Adam Jones gets full reinstatement. Anthony Henry and Terence Newman are underrated for their skill level. Rookie Mike Jenkins adds speed to the cornerback position.

5. Green Bay. Al Harris and Charles Woodson are some man-to-man playing fools. Each is in their 30s and that might slow them down. Second-year man Will Blackmon from Boston College and Jarrett Bush from Utah State provide good depth.

Also receiving votes: Ravens, Colts, Raiders, Seahawks, Bucs, Bears.
Surprises. Bills and the Saints.

BLOGGER'S NOTE: In an attempt to fill the deadest time of offseason with something resembling meaningful football conversation, we'll run a series debating where each Cowboys positional unit ranks among their league peers.

DeMarcus Ware is a definite Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Perhaps even the favorite. His presence alone makes the Cowboys' corps one of the league's elite.

Greg Ellis is coming off his first Pro Bowl berth. Ware was the league's only linebacker with more sacks last season despite Ellis sitting out the first month. Add in Anthony Spencer, and the Cowboys have the NFL's top OLB trio.

Bradie James considers himself Pro Bowl material, but the reality is he's an above-average but not elite ILB.

If Zach Thomas stays healthy, this unit belongs in the conversation about the league's best linebacking corps. He's not worried about the concussion problems that caused him to miss the Dolphins' last 11 games, and there are no signs that he's slowing down in his mid-30s. According to stats available in the Pro Football Prospectus, Thomas was in on 21.7 percent of the defensive plays last season when he was active. That's the highest percentage of any LB in the league.

But what if Thomas is wrong about his head injuries? Uh-oh. The Cowboys will have to count on first-round bust Bobby Carpenter and undersized Kevin Burnett, who has had injury issues, to fill the void.

Follow the jump for the top five, assuming No. 55 stays healthy.

BLOGGER'S NOTE: In an attempt to fill the deadest time of offseason with something resembling meaningful football conversation, we'll run a series debating where each Cowboys positional unit ranks among their league peers.

The Cowboys defensive line lacks star power but is solid. And it should be improved this season.

Odds are DE Chris Canty, who emerged as a disruptive force in Wade Phillips' one-gap scheme last season, will be playing on a one-year deal. That means he ought to be an awfully motivated 6-7, 300-pound man.

Jay Ratliff got his long-term deal last year after proving that he was a legitimate starting nose tackle. His versatility will be of tremendous value this season, as the coaching staff can move him around to create favorable matchups and open up playing time for Tank Johnson.

Johnson wasn't much of a factor after his suspension ended in the middle of the season. He's expected to make a much bigger impact in 2008 after spending the off-season at Valley Ranch instead of in an Illinois jail. He's much more comfortable with the scheme and has been boasting about being a "beast," thanks in large part to strength coach Joe Juraszek's progam.

DE Marcus Spears, to borrow a term from the coach who drafted him in the first round, is what he is. That's a solid two-down DE who led the D-line in tackles for losses last season. DE Jason Hatcher has shown flashes, particularly as a pass rusher.

This unit enters the season as a slightly above-average group. Probably in the 10-12 range among the league's defensive lines. Follow the jump for the top five.

As Sunday comes to a close, we looked at two players, Terrell Owens and Adam Jones, who might hit some record marks this season.

Cris Carter and Owens are tied for fifth all-time in touchdown catches with 131. We wonder if Owens will move up the ranks. He needs 14 touchdowns to tie former Raiders and Chiefs running back Marcus Allen for third all-time.

T.O. had 15 touchdowns last season, breaking a team-record for touchdowns in a season.

It seems possible, that Owens can get at least 10 touchdowns this season.

D. Rather, on a previous post, asked: "Why don't you do blogs on past Dallas Cowboys players?"

Well, Randy White, was at Desperados practice on Wednesday. White looks like he can still play. White was showing the Desperados' players how to get it done on the field. He owns a barbecue pit in Frisco and is one of the nicest guys you will meet.

Scouts, Inc., over at ESPN.com, has an NFC East preview that asked each of the experts which team had the best offense and which had the best defense in the division.

The Cowboys took a unanimous 4-0 decision on the offensive side, while getting edged 3-2 by the Giants on defense. Here's one particularly gushing assessment of the Cowboys offensive talent:

Keith Kidd: Outside of the Patriots, the Cowboys have the best offense in the NFL. Garrett has a tremendous supporting cast to put around Romo, who has a strong arm and quick release which allow the Cowboys to strike from anywhere on the field. Owens and TE Jason Witten are a dangerous combination, while Barber will be the feature back this season running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The addition of Jones should make this offense even more dangerous in 2008.

On defense, the majority of these guys -- rightly -- cited the Giants' defensive line, even with Michael Strahan, as a reason to put New York on top. Jeremy Green, the son of former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green, saw it a bit differently ...

Green: Even though it was a little inconsistent at times when the team needed it to step up, the Cowboys' defense is one of the most versatile in the NFL. Dallas' defense will not only be the best in the NFC East, but among the best in the NFL. Head coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart use an aggressive 3-4 scheme to create pressure up front. That pressure should allow a much-improved Dallas secondary with the additions of Adam Jones (provided he is fully reinstated) and rookie Michael Jenkins to be ball hawks along with veteran CB Terence Newman. However, the biggest change will occur when CB Anthony Henry moves to safety, putting Roy Williams on the bench and eliminating the Cowboys' weakest link versus the pass in the back end.

Two key points there -- Henry to safety and no sign of a certain nickname that's been trashed recently. So what do you guys think?

A couple minutes after declaring that he didn't want to be known as Pacman anymore, Adam Jones gave the right answer to a question about whether he'll be a starter this season.

"I got a lot of work to go," he said. "When I get there, we'll see. But I got a lot of work to go to get back to where I want to be. I'm just gonna keep working hard and see where it plays out after camp."

Anthony Henry, however, wasn't too happy about No. 21 getting first-team reps during last week's minicamp. Henry sees it as a sign of things to come.

"I knew what time it was when the transaction happened at the draft," Henry told the Cowboys' Web site. "I already knew what time it was. It's just a matter of when. And maybe when is now."

Coach Wade Phillips often comes to this here blog for advice, so feel free to weigh in on this issue. Follow the jump to read the cases for and against Mr. Jones replacing Henry in the starting lineup (and, yes, I'm assuming he stays out of trouble and gets fully reinstated).

Dedicated reader of this here blog Wade Phillips has more than his fair share of critics around these parts (and in Denver and Buffalo), but you'd have to be a fool not to recognize that the man is one of the sharpest defensive minds of our time.

Coach Wade's creativity with the Cowboys' personnel should be an awfully fun combination to watch this season.

Even Albert "Einstein" Breer can figure out that the Cowboys were handcuffed by sorry depth at cornerback last season. Suddenly, you can make the argument that they have more talent and depth at that position than any other team in the league. That alone will allow Wade a whole bunch of freedom to call blitzes that would have resulted in toasted Jacques Reeves or Nate Jones last season.

I'm especially interested to see how Phillips uses his two most versatile defensive players: DB Anthony Henry and DL Jay Ratliff.

We got an idea during the offseason, with Henry moving inside in substitution packages to cover tight ends and Ratliff getting reps at NT and DE. How much value will their versatility bring to the week-to-week chess matches?

CBS Sports' Clark Judge penned this story on Oakland's duo of Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall, basically questioning the notion that they form the top corner pair in the league.

Judge says that as many as five teams -- San Diego, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Denver and, yes, Dallas -- might be better. Here's what he's got on the Cowboys ...

With the addition of Pacman Jones, the Cowboys have the "wow factor" owner Jerry Jones craves. Only -- who knows? -- it might be, "Wow, I can't believe he got arrested again."

That is one reason experts hedge on the Cowboys. With Jones and Terence Newman in the same secondary, Dallas seems to be equipped to defend itself against Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, who shredded the Cowboys for seven TDs (including the playoffs) last season.

"Newman is a good, solid corner," said an AFC player personnel director, "but I don't consider him special. Pacman has special qualities, but he's a ding-a-ling. He's a better player than Bly, but he will take the same chances. Yes, he makes spectacular plays, but he also gives up big plays."

It's a question of when, not if. Henry wasn't particularly pleased that Pacman Jones got some reps at right corner with the first-team defense yesterday, but that's not necessarily a sign that Henry's shift to safety will come this summer.

Henry's only work at safety during the offseason came in substitution packages. You can count on seeing Henry covering tight ends -- and there are a lot of good ones on the schedule (Kellen Winslow Jr., Chris Cooley, Jeremy Shockey, Heath Miller, Todd Heap, etc.) -- in obvious passing situations.

But Wade Phillips said that he doesn't see Henry becoming a full-time safety in the immediate future despite having the size (6-1, 210) to make the switch.

"He just plays corner so well," Phillips said. "He was leading the league [in interceptions] when he got hurt last year. He's tremendous. He's played really well at corner, so we're going to keep him at corner as long as we can. Later on, we'll look and see. I think he could go back there, but then you've got Ken Hamlin who can play free safety pretty well."

The Cowboys could cut Roy Williams if he had a really poor training camp, move Hamlin to strong safety and Henry to free safety. But, as we've discussed before, they'd be dangerously thin behind Hamlin if that happened.

Hamlin is part of the Cowboys' long-term plans despite his current contract issues, so a Henry-Williams safety combo isn't in the cards.

Henry's shift to free safety isn't likely to happen this season, but the possibility is a nice insurance policy for the Cowboys to have.

Terence Newman considers mentoring the young cornerbacks part of his job. He's also a huge help to the young receivers on the roster.

Third-year WR Miles Austin gives Newman credit for helping him learn how to get off press and jam coverage.

"That's the main thing I feel like I got better at since my rookie year," Austin said. "That's a tough thing to do, especially coming from a small school like me."

Austin said he rarely saw press coverage while playing at Monmouth, and he could overpower small cornerbacks who did try to play up on him. But he couldn't beat NFL press coverage without completely overhauling his technique.

Newman occasionally works with the young receivers after practices. He's often in their ears during practice, telling them what works against cornerbacks and what doesn't.

Austin seems to have learned well. Matter of fact, he got inside Newman on a slant for a TD in goal-to-go work during the afternoon workout.

Franchise-tagged FS Ken Hamlin hasn't stayed away from Valley Ranch while negotiating a long-term deal this offseason, but that's not a big concern for the Cowboys' brass.

Wade Phillips said Hamlin has kept in touch with defensive coordinator Brian Stewart throughout the offseason, making sure he stays in the loop as far as tweaks to the Cowboys' defensive scheme.

"He is not behind mentally," Phillips said after mentioning that Hamlin "knows what to do better than anyone else back there."

Jerry hoped to get Hamlin signed on the day that Terence Newman and Marion Barber got their deals done. But that didn't happen, with Hamlin wanting more than Gibril Wilson got from the Raiders (six years, $39 million, $16 million guaranteed).

But Jerry did his best Alfred E. Neuman impersonation when asked whether he was worried about Hamlin's contract situation.

"I'm not at all," Jerry said. "That's a lot of money. And he'll play."

Jay Ratliff earned a multimillion-dollar contract after proving that he was a solid starting nose tackle, moving inside from defensive end when Jason Ferguson went down in last season's opener. Ratliff might play both positions this season.

Ratliff said he has been getting some reps at defensive end during the Cowboys' off-season workouts, though he's still spending most of his time at nose tackle. The coaches have not informed him of a plan regarding how he might split time between the positions.

Using Ratliff at defensive end would open up more playing time for Tank Johnson, who didn't make much impact after joining the Cowboys in midseason.

"We'll just see what happens," Ratliff said.

Ratliff considers himself a "team guy" who will do whatever is asked of him. His versatility adds to his value, and he's a rare player that can play every position in a 3-4 line.

"Nose is a lot more physical," Ratliff said. "Everything happens a lot faster in there. If you go from nose to end, you've got so much more space. But I think I've gotten used to working in tight quarters."

UPDATE: Wade Phjllips was asked whether Ratliff could become a full-time DE.

"I don't think full-time right now just because he's played so well at nose guard," Phillips said. "We used different techniques with he and Tank, but the way he plays nose guard is really effective, really helped us play well. We don't want to lose that, but I think it will be an addition to when some of the ends are out for him to be in there and be such a strong player."

Linebacker Kevin Burnett discusses the Cowboys nose tackles on our Cowboys Insider blog.

While still hoping for a long-term deal, defensive end Chris Canty signed his one-year tender offer worth $2.017 million as a restricted free agent on Wednesday.

The Cowboys would have received a first-round pick as compensation had they not chosen to match an offer made to Canty by another team during the signing period. Despite not having signed the tender, Canty has worked out with the Cowboys the entire off-season. (UPDATE: Fixed to say Canty was given a first-round tender)

Canty had a career-high 3.5 sacks last year and 46 tackles, which were the most by a defensive linemen on the team, to go with five quarterback pressures and a pass deflection. He was fourth on the team with four tackles for loss.

Hey, it makes sense from Cleveland's perspective.

The Cowboys, after trading for Pacman Jones and drafting Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, have remarkable depth at cornerback. The Browns have a desperate need at the position. And Anthony Henry began his career in Cleveland.

Add it all up, and Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Tony Grossi decided to play let's make a deal. But Grossi did his homework and realized that Henry is still very much a part of the Cowboys' plans.

The Cowboys found out the hard way last season that not having enough depth at cornerback can kill Super Bowl dreams. They made that position their top off-season priority and would be happy to have the problem of having too many corners.

Henry is staying in Dallas. The only question is whether he'll move to safety.

Todd had a great blog item about Anthony Henry playing in the Dime packages and moving to safety.

We assume Pacman Jones will start along with Terence Newman at corner this season. Right?

If not, having Henry starting at corner isn't a bad thing. The man led the NFL in picks last season before he got hurt. And when the season was over he was tied with Newman for passes defended with 15 and led the team in interceptions with six.

Moving Henry to free safety, something that he's open too, is a good thing. Henry played safety in college and his strong coverage skills don't make him a liability there. The question today is how does Roy Williams take it?

Over the last two years, Anthony Henry has heard talk about him moving to safety. He said that talk has died down some this year, but he that doesn't mean he's playing only outside at cornerback.

He has spent the last few days working inside in the dime package, defending Jason Witten.

With NFC East rivals New York (Jeremy Shockey), Washington (Chris Cooley) and Philadelphia (L.J. Smith) having productive tight ends, the Cowboys want to bolster their coverage.

"They said what they want me to do is when we play like Washington or the Giants to go against their Pro Bowl tight ends," Henry said "I can do a better job covering those guys. It's like a package."

Henry said he would be OK with a move to safety, but hopes a decision can be made sooner rather than later so he can spend time learning the spot before getting to Oxnard, Calif., for training camp.

Greg Ellis missed Tuesday's OTA session at Valley Ranch. But he could show up today, when the media has access. Ellis missed several sessions last week because h was upset at reduced practice time.

His practice time was given to second-year outside linebacker, Anthony Spencer. But Ellis spoke to Wade Phillips on Monday and the two, according to Ellis' agent, James Williams, are on the same page.

Ellis seems receptive to return to practices at Valley Ranch and could do so today.

Well, we think Greg Ellis will return to practice this week. Ellis' agent, James Williams, said the veteran outside linebacker had a meeting with Wade Phillips on Monday morning. Williams said the meeting was productive.

The thing the prompted Ellis to meet with Phillips is the coach's open door policy. Phillips allows his players to not only speak with their position coaches, or even their coordinators, Jason Garrett and Brian Stewart, but to him as well.

Ellis took advantage of this and according to Williams is now on the same page with Phillips.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett talks about the keys to a 4-3 defense and wonders a little about how the 3-3-5 might evolve on our Cowboys Insider blog.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett offers readers a look at the 3-4 scheme on his Cowboys Insider blog. Burnett focuses on the importance of effective play from the nose guard and safeties and offers up the fastest and strongest Cowboys players.