SPORTSDAY

You never know who you're going to run into when you're dropping your child off at school in the morning. On Tuesday, it was former Cowboy tight end Dan Campbell, who is on injured reserve in Detroit because fo a hamstring injury.

And it came only a few hours before Campbell's old team traded for a player on his current tream, Roy Williams.

"It's just another weapon that the Cowboys can use and exploit defenses with taking pressure off [Terrell Owens] and pressure off Witten," he said. "I think it's an added bonus because I know those guys. I know [Patrick] Crayton's good. He's a helluva receiver. The reason I think it's going to be good more than anything is because you're going to see Roy is a good player and he can do phenomenal things. But I think given this opportunity to be a winner and coming home on top of the talent he has, I think he's just going to explode, especially once he learns the offense."

Brad Johnson, a 40-year-old never known for arm strength or athleticism, certainly isn't the sexiest quarterback. (I mean that in a football sense. This post has nothing to do with him wearing tights to a recent practice.)

But you don't get a sense that the Cowboys are blowing smoke when they express confidence in Tony Romo's backup. The Cowboys expect Johnson to make good decisions, get the ball out quickly and give them a chance to win -- not win games with his arm or playmaking ability.

Here are some samples of the Johnson love in the Valley Ranch locker room.

Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett: "Brad is here for a reason. He's a smart guy. He's played a lot of games. He knows our offense and he understands what we are trying to do, and he's going to go in there and play. We feel comfortable about him going in there and doing that, and really proceeding as normal."

T.O.: "Brad's been in this position before. He's a veteran. He's not new to this situation. He's going to come out and run our offense. I think there is not anything that we're doing differently than with Tony in there."

QB coach Wade Wilson: "He is such a smart guy and he prepares every week just like he was going to play. He hasn't played at all this year, but his preparation is always the same. I'm very confident. He's been through the wars. He's been to a Super Bowl. Nothing is going to overwhelm him."

During his 17-season career, Brad Johnson has twice been summoned off the bench to replace a franchise quarterback for a significant stretch.

His first starting experience came in the final half of the 1996 season, when ankle problems sidelined Warren Moon. The Vikings went 5-3 down the stretch and lost in the first round of the playoffs. (You folks might recall that game as the last playoff win by the Cowboys.)

The Vikings were in disarray when Daunte Culpepper went down in 2005. Minnesota went 7-2 after Johnson took over to finish 9-7.

"There is a little bit of shock value that kind of goes into it," Johnson said of a starting quarterback going down. "But come Wednesday afternoon, come Thursday, it will be my huddle until Tony gets back...The shock value, that gets over pretty quick."

For the first time this season the Cowboys did not score on their first drive of the game when Jason Witten was stopped 4 yards short on a third-down play.

However, Witten's touchdown catch with 30 seconds left in the opening frame marked the 12th time in the seasons' first 13 quarters they have scored. The only time they didn't score came in the fourth quarter in the opener at Cleveland when they ran out the final 10 minutes of the game.

We've talked at length about the Cowboys' weapons. The truth of the matter is that no one in the locker room can say for sure who will have a big day until game time.

If the defense tries to take away Terrell Owens, you've got Miles Austin or Patrick Crayton. Stuff Marion Barber, and Felix Jones can get loose. Leave the middle open and Jason Witten will run wild.

"Guys make impacts in different ways," Austin said. "Last game, T.O. had the big blocks downfield. He caught two big passes, but it was his blocks that were making the difference. This week, you never know. If they try to do the same type of defense, we'll continue to do what we did last week. If they don't, he'll get off. One way or another, hopefully we can put some points on the board."

So who exactly will go off against the Redskins and why? My guess is that the running game has a big day since Washington will be without Jason Taylor.

During the first half, Miles Austin decided to ditch the brace he was wearing on his right knee.

"Cut the shackles off," Austin said. "Let's go."

Austin proceeded to show why coaches buzzed about him all spring, picking up where he left off before injuring his knee covering a kickoff after catching a TD pass in a preseason game.

Austin probably won't catch a lot of passes this season, but he might land a few knockout punches. His 52-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter certainly put the Packers down for the count. Austin's other reception, a 63-yarder that set up the Cowboys' previous score, was also a haymaker.

Not that this should be a surprise, but Miles Austin will be active for tonight's game against Philadelphia after missing the season opener with a knee injury.

It's the process of elimination here. Wade Phillips said the Cowboys will have four receivers active. They didn't call up Mike Jefferson from the practice squad over the weekend. And Austin had a good week of practice.

I'm not sure Austin will wear the brace on his knee, but it will be heavily taped. He suffered a Grade 3 tear of the MCL during the Denver preseason game and returned to practice last week.

Maybe he doesn't take all of the No. 3 receiver snaps that Isaiah Stanback took vs. the Browns, but he will get a lot.

The Cowboys didn't draft a wide receiver in April because they didn't think there was an impact player in this year's crop. The knee-jerk reaction after one week is that they were wrong.

Denver's Eddie Royal leads the league with 168 receiving yards after abusing DeAngelo Hall and the Raiders. Royal, who made Cowboys first-round CB Mike Jenkins look bad during a preseason game, had nine catches and a TD in Oakland while Brandon Marshall watched from home.

Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson, who the Cowboys will see Monday night, has Philly folks thinking the Eagles have finally hit on a high draft pick at receiver. The little fella displayed his big-play ability in a rout of the Rams, catching six passes for 106 yards (including a 47-yarder) and returning a punt 60 yards.

Jerry Jones considered trading up into the second round to get Indiana WR James Hardy, who went to Buffalo with the 41th overall pick. The Broncos took Royal with the next pick, and the Eagles snatched Jackson at No. 49.

In the Cowboys' defense, their passing game didn't appear to be a problem while Tony Romo was throwing for 320 yards in Cleveland.

The Cowboys are expected to sign Brooks Bollinger today to be the No. 3 QB.

WR Mike Jefferson, who was promoted from the practice squad for the season opener, will probably be the guy cut to make room on the 53-man roster. QB Richard Bartel will probably be released from the practice squad to make room for Jefferson.

If OL James Marten clears waivers, he'll go to the Cowboys' practice squad. Just a guess, but I think OLB Tearrius George will be the guy to go.

The Cowboys' Pro Bowl skill players performed like guys who will be headed back to Hawaii.

Tony Romo threw for 320 yards while completing 75 percent of his passes. Marion Barber rushed for 80 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. Terrell Owens had five catches for 87 yards and a TD (and thought he should have been credited for another score). Jason Witten caught six balls for 96 yards.

But Patrick Crayton's performance was pretty darn good, too. The goat of the playoff loss to the Giants caught six passes for 82 yards, including one spectacular catch on a ball behind him when he was tightly covered.

Crayton thought about his crucial drop against the Giants every time he caught passes during the off-season. It still weighs heavily on his mind.

"It doesn't wash it away," Crayton said of starting a new season with a good game. "It's a start, but it's still there."

The Dallas Cowboys open with a 28-10 win on the road. Plenty of numbers for Cowboys fans to enjoy. Tony Romo goes 24-for-32 for 320 yards. Marion Barber scores twice and Cleveland's Derek Anderson musters just 114 passing yards. Also, three Cowboys receivers had more than 80 yards receiving each. Next up, the Philadelphia Eagles, who had the other blowout win of the day.

(Photo by Michael Ainsworth/Dallas Morning News)

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.

Patrick Crayton made a big deal last season about the Cowboys breaking the NFL record for points in a season.

The Cowboys fell 101 points shy of the 1998 Vikings record, finishing second in the NFL with 455 points. And the Patriots shattered the record, putting up 589 points.

The record is no longer a concern for Crayton.

"Man, I don't know.," Crayton said when asked about the record. "New England set it up there high. What is it, 580-something? We'd have to average 30 something or 40 points per game. It'd be a hell of a year. If we can get wins and not a scoring record, I think will take that."

Crayton is setting goals on a much more short-term basis this season. His primary goal is to execute every play properly, which isn't quite as quotable as declaring in September that his team will break records.

There is no doubt that Isaiah Stanback, who is wearing a harness to protect a shoulder dislocated less than two weeks ago, will be able to play in Sunday's season opener. Judging by Stanback's performance in today's practice, he might make an impact against the Browns.

Wade Phillips reports that Stanback caught pretty much everything in his radius during the windy workout at Valley Ranch. That included some highlight type of catches, including at least one one-hander.

"We might ought to put a harness on him all the time," Phillips said.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi points out that, like the Browns, the Cowboys have a Pro Bowl quarterback who came out of nowhere, a big WR who puts up huge numbers and an awesome tight end.

And that's only the start of the similarities between the Browns' and Cowboys' offenses. It's almost eerie how similar the units are, right down to their injury concerns entering this weekend's season opener in Cleveland.

The Cowboys will not make a move at No. 3 quarterback until next week at the earliest but they had their leading candidate, Brooks Bollinger, in for a visit to Valley Ranch.

Bollinger, 28, is in his sixth season out of Wisconsin, spending his first three seasons with the New York Jets and the last two with Minnesota. He has completed 201-of-343 passes for 2,155 yards in 19 games with eight touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He started nine games for the Jets in 2005 and was 2-7.

In the preseason finale vs. the Cowboys last week he completed 6 of 18 passes for 62 yards without a touchdown or an interception and was sacked twice.

Just wanted to make that clear in case the Cowboys change their mind about Brooks Bollinger being the guy they want as the No. 3 QB.

Of course, it's understandable that the Cowboys aren't too interested in a guy who apparently finished third behind Todd Bouman and Joey Harrington in the Ravens' one-day QB competition.

The Cowboys will add a QB next week, so the salary won't be guaranteed for the whole season.

WR Isaiah Stanback is practicing today, 10 days after he dislocated his left shoulder on a kickoff return against Houston.

Stanback, who hopes to postpone surgery on the shoulder until after the season, looked fine while running routes and catching passes in warmups. He was able to get his hands above his head to catch a pass on a crossing route without any problems.

Of course, contact will be the real test for Stanback's shoulder, which is protected by a harness. But there is at least a possibility that he'll play in the season opener, which would give the Cowboys a third receiver.

As expected, Tampa Bay cut QB Chris Simms, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Jerry Jones said on draft day that the Cowboys would be interested in a young, experienced QB to groom behind Tony Romo. A story in the St. Petersburg Times mentioned that Simms hoped to hear from the Cowboys and Packers after getting cut.

The Cowboys are confident in soon-to-be-40 Brad Johnson as Romo's backup, but a third QB would definitely seem to have more value than, say, an 11th offensive lineman.

Reports out of Arizona have WRs Jamaica Rector and Jerheme Urban as bubble guys on the Cardinals' roster. If the Cardinals cut one of those guys, don't be surprised if they end up in Dallas.

Jerry Jones made it clear last night that the Cowboys won't sign a receiver who has never worked with Tony Romo. Rector and Urban have experience with Romo and the current coaching staff, as the Cowboys cut both last August.

The 5-10, 183-pound Rector, a Celeste, Texas, product, caught a ton of Romo's passes when they were both scout-team guys in 2005. Rector spent that season on the Cowboys' practice squad and started the '06 season on the 53-man roster after leading the team in preseason yards and catches. He was cut in October '06, signed to the practice squad and let go again after being hampered with injuries during last season's training camp.

Urban (6-3, 207) was one of the Cowboys' last cuts last season after spending the last couple months of the '06 season on the practice squad. He caught 22 passes for 329 yards and two TDs last season with the Cardinals.

Wade Phillips didn't exactly gush with praise about Danny Amendola or Mike Jefferson today. Rector or Urban might be upgrades as fill-ins for Sam Hurd and Miles Austin.

Richard Bartel is expected to play the entire preseason finale for two reasons: 1) No sense in risking an injury to Tony Romo or Brad Johnson; 2) the Cowboys want a long look at Bartel before determining whether his time at Valley Ranch is done.

Even if Bartel has a spectacular performance, it'd be tough to see a scenario where the Cowboys keep him on the 53-man roster. He has a strong arm, but he simply hasn't shown enough progress to merit a roster spot, especially with the Cowboys needing to carry several injured players on the 53 to start the season.

The Grapevine product, who was out of the Cowboys' plans after final cuts last season until Carolina picked up Matt Moore off waivers, is probably playing to stick on the practice squad for the second consecutive season. He's the only in-house candidate to be scout-team QB, but he's competing against every other QB around the league who will be cut this week.

Matter of fact, SI.com's Don Banks considers Johnson an above-average backup QB. He ranks Johnson 11th among the NFL's 32 backups.

11. Dallas: Brad Johnson -- Johnson is the only quarterback on the list who won a Super Bowl as a starter. The Cowboys offense wouldn't be as potent vertically if he were to take over for Tony Romo, but few passers have been more accurate or adept at knowing where to go with the football.

The biggest knock on Johnson is that he lacks arm strength. But he threw catchable deep balls in the last two games, completing a 37-yarder to Miles Austin and throwing a pretty pass that Mike Jefferson couldn't find on a corner route.

Johnson's career stats compare favorably with Troy Aikman -- not saying Johnson is a Hall of Famer, just he's had a pretty darn good career. He certainly can't be expected to perform like a Pro Bowler as a 40-year-old, but the Cowboys are confident that he wouldn't lose games if pressed into duty with all this talent around him.

Of course, the Cowboys could use a young QB to develop as Tony Romo's long-term backup and/or future trade fodder. Matt Moore, No. 15 on Banks' list, would have been a perfect fit.

WR/KR Isaiah Stanback is able to lift his arms to shoulder level, a good sign of progress after dislocating his left shoulder Friday night. His plan is to try to rehab the shoulder and play this season wearing a harness.

Stanback will still have to get a second operation on the shoulder, but he wants to wait until after the season, as he did last year.

"Everybody on this team plays with pain," Stanback said. "If that's what it's gotta come down to, that's what I gotta do."

Stanback said it took him about 10 days to return to practice after suffering the same injury last season, so there's a chance he could be ready for the season opener in Cleveland.

Miles Austin is expected to miss four to six weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee. That means the best-case scenario is that he returns for the second regular season game.

"I don't really want to deal with timelines," said Austin, who is concerned about aggravating the injury if he tries to come back before he's completely healthy. "When it's ready, I'll be ready to go."

Austin appeared to be establishing himself as a key component of the Cowboys' passing game before getting injured. He followed up an impressive performance in the preseason opener vs. San Diego (five catches, 64 yards) by making two great catches (37-yarder followed by skying for a TD on a fade route) in Denver.

And then he got hurt on the kickoff after his touchdown grab. Talk about frustrating.

Jerry Jones said the Cowboys aren't interested in signing Joe Horn. If that's a surprise to you, perhaps you missed it when Jerry shot down Horn rumors in June.

Miles Austin's stellar training camp and preseason has come to an end because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee suffered Saturday, and it's unlikely he will be able to play in the regular-season opener Sept. 7 at Cleveland.

Generally speaking, MCL tears (anytime you hear a sprain that means something is torn, by the way) take 4-6 weeks to heal depending on the severity.

So what happens now?

Sam Hurd had been the No. 3 receiver anyway, although Austin had been on the rise since camp started. But now guys like Isaiah Stanback, Mark Bradford, Danny Amendola, Daniel Polk, Mike Jefferson and Todd Lowber move up a step.

It also affects the special teams units because Austin covered kickoffs and punts too. He's also proven he can return kickoffs too, so now you see the domino effect of losing one player.

As for the final 53-man roster, it almost has to mean the Cowboys keep six wide receivers if Austin is out. I was thinking the Cowboys would go with five receivers - Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Hurd, Austin and probably Stanback - before the injury. Now it's six, which takes away a spot from somewhere else - maybe tailback, maybe a No. 3 quarterback, maybe an O-lineman.

Jerry Jones downplayed the possibility of the Cowboys finding a QB to bump Brad Johnson down the depth chart.

"We really are moving along here real good," Jerry said when asked about acquiring a QB via trade or the waiver wire. "I can't give that a high likelihood."

Jerry added that the Cowboys' priority regarding the backup QB was giving Brad Johnson more time with the starters. If Johnson plays during the regular season, it'll be behind an offensive line featuring three Pro Bowlers, so the plan is to get him more reps with that group protecting him. Wade Phillips mentioned the same thing during his press conference.

"As I'm standing here right now, I think he can be the answer," Jerry said of Johnson.

OK, here's my educated guess about what will happen at the quarterback position. The Cowboys will grab a guy off the waiver wire, but Johnson will be the backup. The new QB will have a chance to move up the depth chart during the offseason, if not earlier.

The St. Petersburg Times story about Chris Simms' solid performance in Tampa Bay's preseason opener mentioned that the Cowboys had a scout in the press box for the game.

The Bucs are still holding on to hope that they'll be able to get a draft pick for Simms. The Cowboys have made it clear that they don't plan to give up a pick.

Could things change? Perhaps. Simms looked pretty good (8-10, 60 yards) against a bunch of guys that will be unemployed in a few weeks. Brad Johnson didn't look good against the Chargers.

But it should also be noted that the Bucs' opponent that night was the Dolphins, who are expected to release either veteran Josh McCown or 2007 second-rounder John Beck. Odds are the Cowboys will still find a QB off the waiver wire instead of trading for one.

The Cowboys are confident that speedy Miles Austin can be a deep threat. They're curious to see if the third-year WR can contribute in other facets of the passing game.

That's why Austin's performance was one of the bright spots in the butt-kicking the Chargers gave the Cowboys in the preseason opener.

Austin led the Cowboys with five catches for 64 yards. Three of his catches were in tight coverage, including a 21-yard gain on an out route in which he outfought CB Cletis Gordon for the ball.

"I like his authority - the way he grabbed the ball, the way he caught the ball," Jerry Jones said. "I thought he competed. I thought he did some of the things that we might have thought he didn't do his few [chances] last year."

Columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor says the Cowboys already have a No. 2 receiver on his blog.

Our Cowboys insider, Kevin Burnett, who has had some computer woes lately blogged yesterday about what he has seen from the rookies on offense.

My good pal Matt Mosley has a post up on ESPN.com's NFC East blog floating the possibility of the Cowboys trading for Carolina WR Steve Smith.

The line of thinking is that the Panthers are sick of Smith's antics, which most recently included a punch that broke Carolina DB Ken Lucas' nose, and the Cowboys have made it very, very clear that they'd love to have an elite receiver opposite T.O.

OK, so a deal would make sense, right? So what should Jerry give up to get Smith? Start with next year's first-round pick and add at least a piece or two if you want to be realistic.

UPDATE: ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas, who has covered the Panthers for years, totally shot this speculation down ... unless Smith screws up again.

T.O. has taken off the last couple practices to rest his 34-year-old legs. Getting Miles Austin work with the starting offense is a nice side benefit.

Austin took advantage of the extra reps yesterday afternoon by making a pretty catch on a deep ball that required him to adjust with a couple DBs closing on him. It was a glimpse of the playmaking ability the Cowboys are counting on from Austin, an undrafted guy who didn't catch a pass in his first two seasons.

"Miles has a lot of potential," T.O. said. "He has speed. There are times when he has a few inconsistencies, as far as things that we do in practice, but he's aware of those. It's all a part of us getting better. Everybody messes up, and he knows what's expected of him."

You folks seem particularly concerned with rookie TE Martellus Bennett.

Maybe it's because he's a Texas A&M product, so locals are familiar with him. Perhaps it's because the Cowboys surprised some people by dealing No. 2 TE Anthony Fasano to the Dolphins and spending a second-round pick on Bennett. And I know Peter King's take on Bennett worried some Cowboys fans.

Calvin "Lucky" Watkins is working on a story about Bennett for tomorrow's paper. I know you folks want some answers right now, though, so I chatted with TE coach John Garrett. Follow the jump to see what he had to say about the rookie.

Interesting theory that I heard: Jerry Jones might distance from the decision to spend a 2007 fourth-round pick on Isaiah Stanback, since Jeff Ireland is now working in Miami.

Consider that theory shot down. Jerry gushed about Stanback when I asked about him during the owner/GM's informal chit-chat with reporters following practice.

The 6-2, 208-pound Stanback, who has a T.O.-type physique, walked by while Jerry was talking. Jerry stopped to let Stanback know he was the subject of conversation and congratulate him on a good day of work.

"Look at him," Jerry said, turning his head to address us again. "That's a big guy."

And Jerry believes that Stanback has big potential that will be worth the wait.

I'm not comfortable with the Danny Amendola/Wes Welker comparison. It's unfair to compare an undrafted kid to a Pro Bowler, even though there are some similarities between the short, quick Texas Tech products.

However, it's a comparison you keep hearing. T.O., who might not even be aware that Amendola and Welker share an alma mater, said yesterday that Amendola was a "waterbug" who reminded him of Welker.

"He's definitely shown that he can play at this level," T.O. said.

Wade Phillips raved about Amendola's ability to make cuts without slowing down, which the old coach called a "special trait."

"I think he'll be competitive to make the team," Phillips said. "You can see that right now."

I'd be willing to bet that Amendola will be on an NFL roster this season. It remains to be seen whether it'll be the Cowboys'.

Not everyone gets to sit down with a Hall of Fame receiver in their daily job, but Calvin Watkins gets to. And he gets to do it in California. Must be nice.

Check out the video of Calvin's discussion with Michael Irvin, and read Todd Archer's impressions of Irvin's day at camp.

We've got a pretty good competition between third-year guys Sam Hurd and Miles Austin. And it won't be decided in Oxnard.

The 6-2, 205-pound Hurd runs good routes and has outstanding hands, the result of thousands and thousands of post-practice passes from the JUGGS machines. The 6-3, 216-pound Austin has shown the potential to be a big-play threat who takes advantage of the attention foes pay T.O. and Jason Witten.

"Actually, those two guys have looked real good," Wade Phillips said. "They're probably even now. Practice is one thing, and they've both looked good. But we want to get them into games and see if they can be productive against other teams."

You keep hearing all this talk about how the Cowboys need an established speed threat to complement T.O.

We've been over this time and time and time again on this here blog. An elite No. 2 receiver is a luxury, not a need.

Doubters might have to check the stats from last season for proof. Tony Romo rewrote the franchise season passing record book. And the Cowboys averaged 8.1 yards per attempt, which was more than any team but the Patriots, who had the best passing attack in NFL history.

Would it be nice to get a blazer to start opposite T.O.? Sure, but don't count on that happening over the next month. And the Cowboys' passing attack will be just fine without that guy.

"Until we get somebody to do that," T.O. said, "I'll be that stretch-the-field guy."

Ask Adam "Pacman" Jones about T.O.'s ability to get behind cornerbacks. Or check out the tape of one of his 10 TDs longer than 20 yards last season, six of which were of the 40-plus variety.

The young receivers on the roster didn't want to see Terry Glenn go. They like and respect the veteran receiver.

But they also recognize the opportunity in front of them.

Jerry Jones mentioned the possibility of impeding the progress of young receivers such as Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback as one reason the Cowboys decided to waive Glenn. Pro Bowl TE Jason Witten pointed out that it's up to those guys to take advantage of the practice reps they'll get without Glenn on the roster.

You can practically hear Hurd's stomach growling.

"Let's eat, baby," Hurd said on his way to catch passes from a machine after practice. "All we do is talk about Terrell [Owens] carrying around a fork and I carry around a knife, talking about how we're going to eat all day. I've got to be sharp.

"Terrell is just eating, eating, eating, because he's been here and done his work and put his time in. He's going to keep eating with that fork. I've got to be sharp. That's what the knife is for. Just keep eating, man. ... When they call upon Sam, I'm going to be ready."

A couple months ago, Jerry Jones mentioned the possibility of the cornerback formerly known as Pacman playing a little offense. WR coach Ray Sherman, who crossed paths with Adam Jones in Tennessee, is on board with the idea.

What does Wade Phillips think about it? Well, he didn't rule it out on the day the Cowboys parted ways with Terry Glenn.

Wade said it was a possibility, then added that Mr. Jones mentioned he scored touchdowns on all three of his offensive touches for the Titans. Too bad that's not true. His offensive stats: two carries for eight yards, two catches for 31 yards, no TDs.

But there's no question that Mr. Jones is mighty dangerous with the ball in his hands. Wade wants Mr. Jones to get comfortable in the Cowboys' defensive scheme before any experiments with him on offense, but he might let Jason Garrett borrow No. 21 from time to time.

"I think you have to look at people that can run with the football as an offensive threat also," Wade said after comparing Mr. Jones to Chicago's Devin Hester. "We may look at him there."

The stats from last season indicate that they don't. Tony Romo managed to rewrite the franchise's season passing record book with Glenn playing a grand total of four regular-season plays (at $1.25 million per, as Jerry has noted repeatedly).

Can Glenn help the Cowboys? Sure. If he's healthy, as Wade Phillips said in May, he'd be a "giant plus."

Superstar columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor debates in this week's newsletter that the Cowboys need Glenn because he's capable of being a No. 1 receiver in case T.O. goes down. I'd argue that the Cowboys are in big trouble if T.O. misses significant time, whether or not Glenn is on the roster.

You can't count on an old receiver who has career-threatening knee problems to be a go-to guy. You can hope that he can be a deep threat as a No. 3 receiver.

Oh, by the way, let's all wish Glenn a happy birthday. He turns 34 today.

With that, I'm off to Cali.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is in hot water with some fans.
"I don't feel I need to sell myself to the fans," Rodgers said to a reporter of Sports Illustrated. "They need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut."

Strong comments coming from a man replacing a legend like Brett Favre.
But Rodgers isn't the first player to get on the fans. Many players, including Roy Williams of the Cowboys, criticized the fans for being too negative.

Here's a quote from Williams back in May:
"I'm tired about worrying about the fans," he said. "The fans are only around when things are good. I want supporters. At the end of the day, we're human beings, too. Everything can't be perfect, and you can't let your emotions rule over you being a human being. It gets to a point where you are abusing who you really are as a fan."

Williams, and I'm sure Rodgers, would like the fans to be supportive.
For the most part, fans are. But when things don't go so well, then the fans turn on you.

Jerry pulled out his pistol Friday night and shot down reports that Cowboys had some interest in Joe Horn. Just in case you didn't believe him, check out what Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"I've made no contact with Dallas or they with me," Dimitroff said in a text message.

Jerry Jones told the Valley Ranch media horde during draft weekend that the Cowboys weren't interested in adding a receiver unless that player could step in as a starter. The Cowboys didn't think there was a WR of that caliber in the draft.

Cross your fingers that Jerry doesn't convince himself that Joe Horn can be the answer.

It'd be silly to believe that Horn, a 36-year-old who was a nonfactor for the Falcons last season, would be an upgrade over Patrick Crayton. Don't be blinded by Crayton's poor performance in the playoff loss. He's a better player than Horn at this point in their careers.

Crayton caught 50 passes for 697 yards and seven TDs last season, his first as a starter. Those are better numbers than Horn has had in any of the last three seasons. Horn bottomed out with a 27-catch, 243-yard, 1-TD campaign last season. Only a fool would bet on a receiver that age rebounding.

As we've argued before on this here blog, the Cowboys don't need to upgrade the No. 2 WR. It'd be a luxury, and it makes sense to keep irons in the fire in case Detroit's Roy Williams, Cincinnati's Chad Johnson or Arizona's Anquan Boldin become available. But an over-the-hill guy like Horn wouldn't do much more than take reps away from the developing receivers on the roster.

I was joking when I suggested that Joe Horn could be a great fit for the Cowboys. I assume that the NFL Network's Adam Schefter wrote the following with a straight face.

Atlanta doesn't want to pay Joe Horn's $2.5 million base salary, which has a skill/injury guarantee. But Dallas might. In the event that it cannot reach a compromise deal with wide receiver Terry Glenn, Dallas already is eyeing Horn. He now has become Plan 1A. Should Dallas trade a late-round pick for Horn, he would be the latest big-name acquisition for a Cowboys team that this offseason already has acquired linebacker Zach Thomas, cornerback Adam Jones, running back Felix Jones and cornerback Mike Jenkins. Horn could help the Cowboys on and off the field. On the field, Horn is not the receiver he once was, but he still could contribute to Dallas' high-powered attack. Off it, he could provide an example for the way professionals are supposed to act. Horn is one of the league's more respected players and the Cowboys locker room would be better with him in it. Dallas is debating the merits of trading for Horn; those efforts could be, and will be, ramped up depending on what happens with Glenn.

Jerry talked all off-season about adding a "wow" player to complement T.O. Horn would have fit the bill four years ago, when he had his last 1,000-yard season. Now, the 36-year-old is just a run-of-the-mill receiver who would probably provide some great soundbites for the Hard Knocks crew.

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?

Linebacker Kevin Burnett, the voice behind our Cowboys Insider blog, weighs in on the receivers in line to take the No. 3 spot if Terry Glenn is not around. He starts off with Sam Hurd.

We continue our offseason series on ranking the Cowboys against the rest of the NFL. (I think this is the title of our series. I need to ask Timmy).
So, today we look at the running backs.

Beat writers note: It's the offseason and yes, we're trying to find some stuff to make you look.

The top running attacks in the NFL:

1. Jacksonville. What can we say? We love the Jags running attack of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. The run game averaged 149.4 yards per game, second in the league. It's a great 1-2 punch and takes pressure off quarterback David Garrard.

2. Minnesota. The best running game in the league last season, 164.6 per game, is next. The Vikes have Mr. Adrian Peterson, yeah, it's like that. He gets a Mr. next to his name because he's that good. Chester Taylor is a strong third-down back but could be on the downside.

3. Pittsburgh. The Steelers live on the run game. Ever since Chuck Noll was running things. Willie Parker returns from his broken leg and if rookie Rashard Mendenhall becomes a complementary back, the Steelers might average more than 135.5 per game.

4. San Diego. When you have LT. That's enough said.

5. New England. The Patriots throw so much we sometimes forget they have a strong run attack with Laurence Maroney. Teams might try to shutdown the passing attack this season and if that happens, look out for Maroney.

Serious fantasy football players should be well aware that wide receivers tend to break out in their third season. The Cowboys are banking on that happening with Sam Hurd and/or Miles Austin.

Todd Archer will have much, much more on the young receivers in tomorrow's paper. Hurd and Austin, in particular, have an intriguing blend of experience, opportunity and hunger. Whether or not Terry Glenn is on the team, Hurd and Austin have the chance to seize significant roles and establish themselves as part of the Cowboys' core for years to come.

Judging by their actions this off-season, they're ready. And their words certainly back that up.

"Whether he's here or not, I'm relishing a bigger role," Hurd said.

"I have a lot of confidence in myself, so I feel like I can [provide a speed threat opposite T.O.]," said Austin, who has slimmed down 12 pounds since running a pre-draft 4.47 40. "But it's up to the coaches. I have to show them."

Mike Lombardi, who spent the last 20 years as an NFL executive and worked for Denver last year, got a good look at the Cowboys' personnel when the Broncos were at Valley Ranch in August. Lombardi, who has joined the liberal media, gushed about Isaiah Stanback on his blog.

One player that caught my eye was Isaiah Stanback, the former quarterback/wide receiver from Washington. Stanback was trying to overcome his foot injury and make the transition from quarterback to wide receiver. He started practicing the first day we arrived and he showed very good size, power and explosion. He may not know what to do, but once he gets comfortable with the offense and the routes, he looks like a player that will be good with the ball in his hands and gain yards after the catch. He has athletic skills and excellent eye hand coordination. The Cowboys have wide outs that contribute to the kicking game they all show toughness and can run with the ball after the catch--which is critical. I hear everyone complaining about their wide receivers, but based on my evaluation, they have a very good blend of youth and age. If Stanback shows the skills this pre-season that I noticed on the field last summer, he will contribute to the team in 08.

I won't rule out Stanback contributing to the Cowboys this season, but he has a lot of work to do before that happens. He's a tier below third-year receivers Sam Hurd and Miles Austin on the depth chart.

Wade Phillips said the other day that Stanback is where Hurd and Austin were last year in terms of development.

"He shows flashes," Phillips said. "He makes some plays and you say, 'Wow.' Then every once in awhile, he doesn't run a route exactly the way you want it. But he's coming along well."

Maybe Jason Garrett just wanted to spice up the afternoon practice with all the big-money sponsors watching again. Or maybe the Cowboys plan on using Patrick Crayton's cannon of an arm at some point.

The starting offense ran a reverse pass, with Crayton lining up on the left and taking a handoff from the back before setting up to throw a bit to the right of where the pocket would be. Sam Hurd got behind the secondary on a post route, but Crayton overthrew him by about a yard.

I couldn't see the exact yard line from my vantage point behind the end zone, but I'd estimate that Crayton's pass sailed 65 yards. I've seen the former college QB heave the rock 70 yards several times.

Crayton has only attempted one pass in his NFL career, a pick his rookie year. I've got a feeling he'll get another chance this season.

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.

Terry Glenn, who wanted to be released yesterday, has apparently changed his mind.

"I want Jerry to understand that I know he has the ultimate power in everything that goes on with the Cowboys, and I'm not trying to challenge him in any way, shape or form," Glenn said. "He can -- and will -- determine the outcome of this because it's ultimately his decision. But what I want is to remain a Cowboy. I've been here for five years and I've made Dallas my home, and I would love nothing more than to be a Dallas Cowboy."

The solution is real simple: Sign the injury waiver on the table.

TE Martellus Bennett, the Cowboys' second-round pick, acknowledges that he's having a hard time with making the mental adjustment from college to the NFL.

"College football is a whole lot easier," Bennett said. Less thinking, less knowledge of the game - you just really just go out there and play every weekend. Now, you've got to go out there and read everything. Man, this is like college times 20."

It'd be easy to make an Aggie joke here, but I don't want to perturb the fine folks in College Station. Plus, I like Bennett and hope that he fulfills his potential.

He confirmed that he's basically thinking his way through every step at this point, and the result is that he's not moving as fast as he needs to and is making uncharacteristic mistakes. He had one ball clank off his hands -- resulting in a pick by DB Jerron Wishom -- in the morning practice. Bennett also got stripped by LB Bradie James after catching a ball over the middle.

Bennett, who is behind Touchdown Tony Curtis in the competition to be the No. 2 TE, understands that he needs to arrive at training camp with a firm grasp on the Cowboys playbook (an estimated "1,000 pages" thicker than Coach Fran's). His plan is to hunker down at Valley Ranch every day between now and when the Cowboys leave for Oxnard.

Terry Glenn wants his release. The Cowboys aren't prepared to give it to him - yet. Maybe they let him squirm and release him late when teams set their rosters before the regular season. It's hard to believe Glenn could go somewhere else and make more than the $1.7 million he's due this year provided his right knee holds up.

So what would it cost the Cowboys to cut Glenn? Actually, nothing this year. It would save them money.

Glenn is scheduled to count $3.190 million against the cap this year. Because it's June, the Cowboys can spread out the proration of his bonus money this year and next, so that's $1.4 million. There's a savings of $1.7 million.

Next year, however, he would count $2.8 million against the cap, the result of the last two years of proration on his contract.

With $8 million or so in room this year, could the Cowboys consider taking the whole proration against the cap this year, which would cost them around $900,000? I don't know. I'm still waiting to get an answer on that one.

Calvin "Lucky" Watkins took a break from vacation to track down Terry Glenn and get his side of the story.

"I was told that I would be released if I didn't sign [the split salary agreement]," Glenn said. "So I said that I wasn't signing, I think we should get on with it, I don't see what the problem is. If I can't participate in team activities, then what's the use? I'm frustrated as hell. I thought it was unfair in the first place."

Glenn was offered $345,000 before the NFL draft as a split salary offer by the team and said if he didn't sign it he would be released. The team upped it to $500,000 about three weeks ago and Glenn told them he wouldn't sign it. Glenn said he likes Jerry Jones a lot but feels it's unfair to sign the split salary agreement. Glenn said if the Cowboys believe in his health they should let him just play without the split salary agreement. Five weeks ago, Glenn said the team told him to visit his doctor in Ohio to get his knee checked out. Glenn said an MRI showed his knee was fine.

"That's all I needed to know and if they want to play that card, then so be it," Glenn said. "There's nothing they're going to be able to do. It doesn't bother me, even if they pull and twist on it, it wouldn't hurt. They just have to go off on what they think."

Terry Glenn told ESPN's Ed Werder that he will not sign the injury waiver and wants to be released if the Cowboys continue to bar him from practicing until he agrees to the split contract.

Jerry Jones declared that he wouldn't negotiate through the media, but he sure didn't sound like a guy who planned on budging while chatting during the Cowboys' afternoon workout.

"I'd like for him to come back, but the nature of his injury is one that it can go in the next step," Jerry said. "So that's two big of a risk for our team to take, and I don't think any team will take that risk."

Jerry said that Glenn has not directly informed him of his desire to be released, and he doesn't have a sense of urgency on the issue.

"We'll just see what happens between now and training camp," Jerry said. When asked when this situation needs to be resolved, he said, "Day after Labor Day, as far as I'm concerned."

T.O. is out because of a personal matter. Terry Glenn won't participate in minicamp because of contract issues.

That means the Cowboys' young wide receivers -- specifically Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Isaiah Stanback -- have a major opportunity this week.

Stanback, who basically redshirted after the Cowboys spent a fourth-round pick last year on the college QB, has to play catch-up to crack the receiver rotation. Hurd was the No. 3 with Glenn injured last season. Austin, the best size/speed combo of the bunch, has had an outstanding offseason.

"I have a lot of confidence in them," QB Tony Romo said of Hurd and Austin. "They've been out there and they've done it. It's not like they're coming into uncharted territories. They've been in games, they've played.

"Obviously, you always want to see a high level of production each time they step on the field, but they're young. Until they fully get thrown to the wolves every game, from a coaching standpoint and from the fans and media perspective, it's always up in the air. But I've seen them. They've produced when they had the opportunity, and I think they'll be fine."

Practice didn't last long before the nasty weather hit Valley Ranch (not sure why we didn't go in the indoor facility), but Sam Hurd took advantage of the limited time this morning.

Hurd, who will get reps with the starters with T.O. tending to a personal matter, was outstanding during 1-on-1 drills against defensive backs. He got great separation on a pair of out routes against Pacman Jones. He also burned Anthony Henry on a post route, blowing by the veteran cornerback after a quick double-move.

It should be noted that the 1-on-1 drills strongly favor the receivers, since the QB doesn't have to worry about a pass rush and the CB obviously has to play man coverage. But it was still a heck of a showing by Hurd.

Proud ex-Arkansas lineman Jerry Jones got himself one Hog already this offseason, taking tailback Felix Jones in the draft.

Could another Razorback with that shares Jerry's surname be in the offing?

ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas speculated earlier today that the acquisitions of Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson could spell the end for Matt Jones in Jacksonville, which has been a pretty common recent thought in Northern Florida. Jones, you'll remember, was a quarterback in college, whose 4.3 speed prompted the Jags to spend a first-round pick on a player who would undergo a switch to receiver.

Three years later, he has 101 catches for 1,392 yards (13.8 avg.) and 13 touchdowns. Here's some perspective for that -- Reggie Wayne had 104 catches for 1,510 yards (14.5 avg.) and 10 touchdowns last season alone.

Suffice it to say, Jones has been a major disappointment and his troubles are a big reason why the Jags had to break out the checkbook and address the position this offseason. Could Jerry try and revive an old Hog's career? Maybe. But if what Yasinkas says is true -- that Matt Jones has "other priorities" that trump football -- I would tread carefully.

Coach Albert "Einstein" Breer expressed the proper outrage at Mat McBriar not being included among the NFL's top five punters, per a Pro Football Weekly poll of scouts, coaches and executives across the league. But Breer fell short by simply telling you folks to feel free to argue Jason Witten being ranked No. 4 among tight ends.

There is not a better all-around tight end in football. None of the other elite receiving tight ends are in Witten's class as a blocker. And there are precious few tight ends in his class as a receiver.

Matter of fact, according to footballoutsiders.com's Defense-adjusted Points Above Replacement statistical formula, Witten and San Diego's Antonio Gates are in a class of their own. Gates led TEs with a DPAR of 33.7 last season. Witten was second at 31.7. And there's a big drop-off after that.

Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez was third at 23.9. Cleveland's Kellen Winslow Jr., the other TE considered better than Witten by the PFW poll participants, was fifth at 19.9. Winslow's catch percentage (55 percent) was the lowest of any TE who had at least 50 balls thrown his way.

You can debate whether Gates is such a versatile threat as a receiver that he helps the Chargers' running game as much as Witten does the Cowboys'. But the NFL's top tier of tight ends consists of those two guys.

Tony Romo might be the biggest Terry Glenn fan at Valley Ranch. Romo raved last month about the impact he thinks Glenn will make after pretty much missing all of last season with knee problems.

Glenn still hasn't stepped on the field, and he might never put on a Cowboys uniform again. There hasn't been any report of progress in his contractual battle with the Cowboys, who want Glenn to agree to accept a $500,000 settlement if he suffers another season-ending knee injury.

Romo, who talked to Glenn last week, apparently isn't worried about all that.

"I'm still thinking Terry is going to be a part of it and he's going to be here," Romo said today. "Until that doesn't happen, I'm still going to think that way."

Jerry Jones mentioned a few weeks ago the possibility of Pacman Jones playing some offense this season. At least one member of the Cowboys' coaching staff is on board with the idea.

Ray Sherman was the Titans' receivers coach during Pacman's time in Tennessee, so he knows better than anyone around these parts what kind of potential Pacman has with the ball in his hands.

"He was a guy that we put in and spot played," Sherman said. "He did some reverses and did some things out of the backfield. He's very explosive. When he gets his hands on the ball, he's a guy that can make people miss. He's a very explosive player.

"Some of the things we practiced with him we didn't use in ballgames. He's a very talented one man. People will see once he returns a punt or a kickoff, he's one of the most explosive guys I've ever been around."

Pacman hasn't played any offense in the OTA workouts we've seen, and Sherman said it'd be up to Wade Phillips whether No. 21 sees any time on that side of the ball. Not sure how well Sherman knows Jerry.

Jerry Jones picked Felix Jones (no relation) over Rashard Mendenhall in large part because they thought the Razorback back was a better complement for Marion "The Barbarian" Barber.

Felix's primary offensive role as a rookie will be a change-of-pace back. But the Cowboys also plan to put him on the field with Barber on occasion.

Barber and Felix lined up in the backfield together several times during today's workout. Barber lined up in front of the offset I with Felix starting at tailback and motioning out wide.

"I'm very comfortable with it," said Felix, who played some slot receiver at Arkansas. "Right now, they're just getting me introduced to it. They're just showing me some of the things that I can do in the future."

Felix didn't put up big receiving numbers at Arkansas, which had a poor passing games. But the Cowboys' scouts and coaches saw a back with good hands and route-running ability who could blossom as a receiver in the pros.

There's been a ton of talk this off-season about the Cowboys wanting to find a wide receiver other than T.O. who can stretch the field.

Jerry tried like heck to trade for a big name, but Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin and Roy Williams weren't available. Jerry has publicly pumped up Terry Glenn's ability to fill that role again, but the fact that Glenn and the Cowboys are at odds over a proposed injury settlement arrangement speaks loudly about the team's lack of confidence in the aging receiver with career-threatening knee problems.

Todd Archer has tried to tell us to watch out for Miles Austin. We saw a glimpse of the third-year receiver's potential today when he got a step on Pacman Jones and made a leaping grab on a deep ball in the end zone.

The 6-3, 216-pound Austin's biggest contribution on offense in his first two seasons came when he drew two long pass interference penalties in the win over the Packers. He had a couple drops on potential touchdowns in the regular-season finale against the Redskins, but he's shown enough progress to make the Cowboys' coaches believe he could make an impact this season.

"There's no question," WR coach Ray Sherman said after today's practice. "I think Miles Austin has tremendous speed. He's got size, he's strong, he's very athletic. With Miles, he was young, and he's starting to come around. He's made great strides from last year, from last camp. I really like what I'm seeing from him right now, and I expect him to get better."

QB Chris Simms believes his days with the Bucs are done. He hopes that becomes official pronto.

"I feel like I'm being held hostage," Simms told the St. Petersburg Times. "I hate that all this has happened. I love Tampa. My family loves it here. But I've been quiet long enough. I feel like it's time to let everybody know why I'm not out there."

If you want to read Simms ripping Jon Gruden, click the link above. I'll get right to the point about why this matters to the Cowboys.

Jerry Jones hinted on draft weekend that the Cowboys would like to add a veteran QB to the mix behind Tony Romo. The 27-year-old Simms, who wasn't bad as a starter before suffering a spleen injury, would certainly be an intriguing option, especially if he arrived before training camp. He could be a solid backup who still has the potential to develop, which means the Cowboys could flip him for a draft pick or two down the road.

FB Lorenzo Neal has paved the way for several 1,000-yard backs, and he wouldn't mind adding Marion "The Barbarian" Barber to the list.

From Michael Silver's yahoo.com column:

Released in February by the San Diego Chargers, for whom the bruising fullback spent the previous five seasons clearing holes for record-setting halfback LaDainian Tomlinson, Neal, 37, isn't ready to call it a career. Made expendable in San Diego because of coach Norv Turner's preference for H-backs and blocking tight ends, as well as the organization's regard for fifth-year fullback Andrew Pinnock, Neal is hoping to hook on with a team that values a traditional power running attack. He lists the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers among his desired destinations.

"I don't know how that guy can still be on the street," says a high-ranking front-office executive for an NFC team. "If you want someone who can light up a defender on an 'iso' block, that's your guy."

Echoed another NFC team's general manager, which is not in the market for a fullback: "I know one thing - the guy can still block."

Neal ranks right up there with Moose Johnston among the best blocking fullbacks of all-time, but I refuse to lobby for a roster addition that would take playing time away from Deon "Cricket" Anderson.

As the offseason enters its middle stages we ask: What were the Cowboys' best offseason decisions?

Trading for Pacman Jones. The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick and no guaranteed money for the top-flight cornerback.

Re-signing Flozell Adams. Flo Adams is considered one of the top left tackles in the game and the Cowboys kept him from the open market with a long-term deal.

Signing Zach Thomas. The veteran inside linebacker is a heavy tackler who's impressed his teammates with speed and smarts.

Did some research for the paper this morning, and I came up with some interesting numbers.

There are plenty of you out there that have thirsted for an Anquan Boldin or Chad Johnson or Roy Williams to pair with Terrell Owens. Obviously, that'd be nice. But as I've argued, and Timmy Tabloid has argued, it's probably not really necessary.

So where do the numbers here fall? Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton combined for 131 catches in 2007. That ranked 15th among wide-receiving pairs in the NFL. And that figure was ahead of two of the four conference finalists, including the Super Bowl champion Giants (Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer had 129 catches).

But there probably isn't a better team to illustrate my point here -- that you have to consider the five skill-position players as a whole, rather than just the two wideouts -- than the other conference finalist, San Diego. The Chargers' top two receivers were a tight end (Antonio Gates) and a tailback (LaDainian Tomlinson).

They had a combined 135 catches. And those two have been 1-2 in catches for the Chargers in three of the last four years. The one year they weren't, the Chargers missed the playoffs. The other three years, they won 12, 14 and 11 games.

Jerry Jones has talked up Terry Glenn like he expects the guy to get right back to being a 1,000-yard receiver. Jerry's actions, however, indicate that he isn't very confident that Glenn's right knee will allow him to return to pre-injury form.

Calvin "Lucky" Watkins reports that the Cowboys want Glenn to accept a $500,000 settlement if he suffers another season-ending injury to the knee. Glenn isn't budging, wanting his $1.74 million salary no matter what.

Jerry has pumped sunshine about Glenn publicly. Wade Phillips had a much more realistic response when asked about Glenn while chatting with a couple intrepid bloggers.

"He'd be a plus," Phillips said. "I think you look at him, because you have him, as a health issue. If he's healthy, he's going to be a giant plus. That's the way we look at him."

DMN FILE

Jerry and Co. won't let Terry Glenn participate in OTAs. They don't want him pushing it on his twice surgically repaired right knee in May.

But the Cowboys are counting on big things from Glenn starting in September. Tony Romo and Jerry make it sound as if Glenn can get right back to being a 1,000-yard receiver.

Those expectations sound awfully high for a soon-to-be 34-year-old who is putting off probable career-ending microfracture surgery as long as possible. However, the Cowboys are relying on Glenn's return to upgrade the receivers corps.

Will Glenn be an everydown player? Probably not. The Cowboys are exercising extreme caution with his off-season schedule, so you'd think they'd carefully pick and choose when to put him on the field.

Can Glenn provide a speed element in multi-receiver sets? We'll find out in September. If Glenn can, Romo ought to break all the records he set last season.

I came to that conclusion, which hurts my feelings, after reading John Clayton's ESPN.com column headlined, "Seven non-moves that may be costly."

6. Cowboys' inability to land quality receiver

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spent the offseason trying to find a new, exciting addition to an aging receiving corps. Striking out completely in efforts to acquire Roy Williams of the Lions, Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals and Chad Johnson of the Bengals, Jones is talking about using Pacman Jones a little at wide receiver. Don't bet that'll work out.

To be fair, the Cowboys' owner had no hopes of landing any of those receivers. Their teams weren't trading them. Plus, Jones and other teams felt no receiver was good enough to go in the first round. Still, the Cowboys' receiver issues remain. Terry Glenn needs microfracture knee surgery, but he's staying away from the knife to salvage one more season. If Glenn doesn't play this season, the Cowboys will be thin at receiver.

Clayton clearly didn't read my post from Friday stating that the Cowboys don't need an elite No. 2 receiver or Albert "Einstein" Breer's post hammering home that point.

Repeat after me: The Cowboys, who set franchise records in passing yards and TDs with Terry Glenn sidelined last season, will be just fine at receiver as long as T.O. stays healthy.

ERICH SCHLEGEL / DMN

I wrote on the eve of last season that a star No. 2 receiver was a luxury, not a necessity, for the Cowboys. Tony Romo made me look smart by setting a whole bunch of franchise records, including passing yards (4,211) and TDs (36) in a season.

I understand why Jerry wanted another stud to pair with T.O. But it's not like the Cowboys are in big trouble at receiver, even if Terry Glenn can't come back from knee problems. (Let's not even mention Jerry's wild plans for Pacman Jones.)

The Cowboys put up huge numbers with Patrick Crayton lined up opposite T.O. Pro Bowl TE Jason Witten is the second option in the passing game, which means the Cowboys can get by with a marginal No. 2 WR.

This isn't anything new around these parts. Just look at the Jerry-era Super Bowl champions, which used basically the same passing scheme that Jason Garrett installed before last season. (Matter of fact, follow the jump for a comparison of Crayton's stats to the No. 2 WRs on those squads.)

It would have been nice to upgrade the WR corps this offseason, but the Cowboys should be able to approach 500 points with the current cast. Then Jerry can find a receiver who can eventually take the No. 1 baton from T.O. next offseason.

We knew that FS Ken Hamlin (contract situation) and SS Roy Williams (family vacation) wouldn't be on the field today. WR Terry Glenn was the only other veteran who didn't participate in today's OTA workout.

Glenn was at Valley Ranch for meetings yesterday, according to Terrell Owens. He plans to continue to rehabilitate his knee and play next season, but the Cowboys don't have a timetable for when Glenn will be back on the field.

You might think that the Cowboys would plan not to have Glenn, who was a nonfactor in the regular-season finale and playoff game after sitting most of the season. But Tony Romo expects Glenn, who will turn 34 this summer, to be an impact player in 2008.

"He's very much in mind," said Romo, who raved about Glenn's ability. "I think Terry Glenn is going to surprise a lot of you guys."

The Cowboys' futile search for an upgrade at the WR opposite T.O. was news to Patrick Crayton, the man who currently fills that role.

"Did the Joneses say that?" Crayton asked reporters during a chit-chat behind the Cowboys Golf Club clubhouse.

Yep, they sure did. Crayton took a moment to gather his thoughts after getting that answer.

"In a way, I guess it's a motivation kind of a thing," Crayton said. "That's how I'm going to take it."

For the record, Tony Romo isn't sweating the fact that the Cowboys didn't address the WR corps during the off-season.

"I feel very strong about the receiver corps." Romo said. "We've got a lot of young guys that are working hard, and they've got a little bit of ability. I think we're just fine at that position."

The Cowboys have made no secret of the fact that they're in the market for a playmaking WR to put opposite T.O. Joe Horn has made no secret of the fact that he wants the heck out of Atlanta.

Do we have a match or what?

If the Cowboys add Horn to the Valley Ranch Circus, they would probably have the most quotable receiver corps in NFL history. Horn could definitely help T.O. come up with a few more creative end zone dances, and he'd be pure gold on Hard Knocks.

Pretty much the only negative I can come up with is the strong possibility that Horn, a former Pro Bowler, is washed up (27 catches, 243 yards, 1 TD last season).

The Cowboys failed to accomplish Jerry's highly optimistic goal of adding a "wow" receiver, so they're counting on the young players at the position to develop into legit threats.

We'll certainly flood this here blog with reports about the receivers' progress during OTAs, minicamp and training camp. Todd Archer took a break from offering Tony Romo golf tips to write a column about the young WRs on the roster.

Sam Hurd is the most established WR among the young bucks. Isaiah Stanback, a fourth-rounder last season, is the only one the the Cowboys drafted. Wes Welker wannabe Danny Amendola was the media darling of rookie minicamp. But Archer believes Miles Austin might be the best of the bunch.

He caught five passes for 76 yards last season and drew some big pass interference penalties against Green Bay. Next to cornerback Terence Newman, he may be the fastest player on the team. Former coach Bill Parcells swore the kid had big-time ability but needed time to learn after playing at tiny Monmouth University.

Going by the three-year rule, it's time for Austin. Quarterback Tony Romo has confidence in him and Garrett's confidence grew in him as last season went on. Austin needs to display consistency through the organized team activities, minicamp and training camp. If he can, he might be a decent threat opposite Owens. He's big (6-3, 216), fast and has shown he can do some damage with the ball in his hands thanks to his kick return work.

Of the on-hand candidates, he has the most potential.

Wade Phillips thinks the Cowboys' receiving corps is just fine, even though Jerry made it clear that he hoped to land a "wow" player to complement T.O. But the Cowboys didn't think there were any "wow" WRs in the draft, and they couldn't get any teams with elite receivers to bite on a deal.

NFL.com's Pat Kirwan took a look at the "pressure points" of each team, which he considered WR for the Cowboys.

Lots of people predicted the Cowboys would select a receiver early in the draft, but they never took one even though they had many opportunities to do so. The pressure point(s) in this decision fall in three places: 1. Can Terry Glenn stay healthy? 2. Can Patrick Crayton continue to grow? 3. Will Jerry Jones continue to look for a trade for a marquee player? Wideouts Early Doucet, Earl Bennett and Mario Manningham were still on the board when the Cowboys took tight end Martellus Bennett at the No. 61 spot. One of those players might have been able to help but maybe not enough to skip a player like Bennett, who will play in the Cowboys' two tight end sets. The best thing Dallas can do to relieve the pressure on the receivers is to find a way to make a trade before the season.

I'm sure Jerry will keep the phone lines open and monitor the June 1 cuts closely, but he's on record saying that the Cowboys aren't interested in adding a receiver unless that guy will be an upgrade over Patrick Crayton.

The most likely scenario is that the Cowboys play this season with the current cast (and pray that T.O. stays healthy) then try to move up to get an elite WR (Michael Crabtree?!?) in next year's draft.

Fullback Deon "Cricket" Anderson isn't participating in the rookie minicamp, but he attended the workout. He sported a red Stewie T-shirt and looked a lot like the Kool-Aid Man.

You see, Cricket has swelled up to 260 pounds, 20 more than he weighed as a rookie. He plans to slim back down to 240 by September. What the heck has he been eating to get so big?

"Children, cattle, crickets," he deadpanned.

Cricket reports that his surgically repaired rotator cuff is just fine. He's been lifting a lot at the dinner table and in the weight room.

"I had 405 on the bench the other day," Cricket said, flexing just in case I didn't believe him.

MICHAEL AINSWORTH / DMN

There's no need to get your feathers ruffled over the news that Drew Rosenhaus opened negotiations for Marion "The Barbarian" Barber's next contract by asking for a deal in the Larry Johnson/Clinton Portis/LaDainian Tomlinson range.

It's ridiculous to call Barber, a restricted free agent who will start for the Cowboys next season, greedy for asking for a big deal. He's a fourth-round pick who has developed into a Pro Bowler and is beginning negotiations for what will probably be the only megacontract of his career. With his running style, it's pretty much a certainty that Barber will have post-career health problems. He's well within his rights to want to make as much money as possible.

Plus, the NFL creates a gotta-get-mine environment with its non-guaranteed contracts. Owners and GMs have no problem making business decisions to cut players, so why shouldn't the players drive a hard bargain when they have leverage?

And it's not like Barber is pouting or threatening to not report to training camp or anything along those lines. His agent, who might not be likeable but is extremely good at his job, simply started negotations with what he perceived to be a fair offer.

Rosenhaus' proposal isn't as ridiculous as it seems, either. You can't dismiss it by comparing Barber to the backs getting paid that much. Consider the NFL inflation that happens with the salary cap soaring.

I'm not saying Barber will get that kind of contract, but he'd be crazy not to try.

Restricted free agent Marion "The Barbarian" Barber isn't going anywhere next season, since the Cowboys put the highest tender on him. The Cowboys hope to keep the Pro Bowl back at Valley Ranch for a long time.

However, Calvin "Lucky" Watkins reports that the two sides had very different perceptions of Barber's value during preliminary contract talks.

Barber's asking price is comparable to deals given to Kansas City running back Larry Johnson (five years, $43.2 million), Washington's Clinton Portis (eight years, $50.5 million) and San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson (six years, $60 million).

The Cowboys, according to the sources, believe the deal that free agent running back Michael Turner signed with Atlanta in March (six years, $34.5 million with $15 million in guarantees) is close to what Barber is worth.

Dallas is also willing to give Barber a contract close to what Baltimore gave Willis McGahee last year, a seven-year deal worth as much as $40.12 million, if the last two years of it are picked up.

Chad Johnson wants to make something real clear: He doesn't plan to put on that orange-and-black striped helmet again.

"I want to be traded before the draft, and if that doesn't happen, I want to be traded as soon as possible,'' Johnson told ESPN's John Clayton. "I don't intend on reporting to anything.''

Hey, Bengals, how would you like the 28th overall pick?

AP

Jerry has let it be known that he's willing to swap one of the Cowboys' first-round picks for a premier receiver to pair with T.O.

Hall of Fame scribe Rick "Goose" Gosselin identified Arizona's Anquan Boldin, Cincinnati's Chad Johnson and Detroit's Roy Williams as guys the Cowboys might be able to get. Jerry probably won't get picky and would just pull the trigger as soon as one of those teams is willing to do the deal.

But, for the sake of argument, I figured it'd be great fun to rank the three WRs, from best to worst fit for the Cowboys.

Roy Williams: Is this a Big 12/Texas homer pick? Perhaps. But Williams, 26, is the youngest of the bunch. He's also the best combination of size (6-2, 212) and speed (4.4 40). The fourth overall pick in the 2004 draft hasn't reached his potential in Detroit, but who does? His big-play ability would shine with defenses worried about T.O. and Jason Witten.

Anquan Boldin: He's a low-key guy, only 27 years old and one of the best run-after-catch receivers in the league. But he's not necessarily a guy that stretches the field, which is what the Cowboys want to give T.O. more room to work, Nevertheless, he'd be a huge upgrade over Patrick Crayton.

Chad Johnson: He's the most productive of the bunch, but you have to wonder whether he could share the ball and spotlight with T.O. They're friends who chat on the phone about touchdown celebrations, but the relationship could take a turn for the worse if they're competing for catches. And Johnson is 30. The Cowboys desperately want to win now, but Tony Romo needs a go-to receiver for the rest of his prime.

AP

Jerry has been consistent with his claim that the Cowboys aren't interested in trading up into the top five to land Darren McFadden. He reiterated that when he chatted with Hall of Fame scribe Rick "Goose" Gosselin today at the owners' meetings in Florida.

Jerry's primary personnel goal is to give Tony Romo another elite target to complement T.O. and Jason Witten. And that doesn't necessarily mean relying on a rookie.

"There might be great value for our team with some of that collateral we have with those [first-round] picks," Jones said. "What if someone wants to give us a hell of a player that really fit and improved our offense? That's the kind of universe I can conjure up.

"We could set up here and get a premium receiver on the other side of Terrell and have a tandem."

How would Chad Johnson look on the other side of Owens? Or Anquan Boldin? Or Roy Williams? All are Pro Bowl wide receivers. Johnson is 30, Boldin 27 and Williams 26. All might be available when the Cowboys go on the clock at 28.

A first-round draft pick straight up for a Williams or a Boldin might look far more attractive to the Bengals or Lions when they're on the clock than it does today.

Add Cincinnati's Chad Johnson to the growing list of players wanting to play for the Cowboys. They all want to play for the Cowboys.

Anyway, the chance of Johnson coming to the Cowboys is remote. The Bengals are the only team not to have made a trade with the Cowboys since Jerry Jones has been the owner and general manager. The clubs did have talks involving T.J. Houshmanzadeh before he became the receiver he is today, but it never got that far.

But there is a first time for everything.

We haven't seen much of Patrick Crayton since his out-of-character bad game against the Giants in the playoffs, but he'll be with me at Ten Sports Grill, 1302 Main St., in downtown Dallas tonight at 7:30 p.m. to talk about everything and anything Cowboys, including whether T.O. should get an extension, Terry Glenn's future, what he's learned about himself this off-season and why he's going to have an even better season in 2008. Afterward he'll sign autographs and pose for pictures. If you can't make it, add a question to the comments and I'll answer it and give you a report tomorrow.

Albert "Einstein" Breer mentioned yesterday that Larry Fitzgerald might be the "wow" guy Jerry wants to add to the Cowboys' offense.

If you take the Cardinals for their word, forget about figuring out ways for Jerry and Co. to clear out salary cap room for Fitzgerald. The Arizona Republic reports that Fitzgerald's agent has been informed by the Cardinals that they have no intention of trading him despite rumors swirling around the league.

"They have been pretty consistent," Eugene Parker told the paper, "and at the same time, Larry has been pretty consistent that he wants to come back. There has been no inkling of trade talks, and we're not initiating any trade talks, nor do we want to."

If the Cowboys are interested, then they could have a potential closer on their side.

Walker holds receivers coach Ray Sherman in the highest regard. Sherman coached Walker in Green Bay and helped him become a Pro Bowler. He was also instrumental in Walker dealing with the death of Darrent Williams last off-season.

Again, if the Cowboys are interested, money will play a part - and they don't have a lot of it at the moment - but Sherman can give the Cowboys a big advantage.

FoxSports.com's John Czarnecki writes that he heard a rumor at the combine about Randy Moss joining the Valley Ranch circus.

The Patriots and Randy Moss really aren't close to a new contract, although the Pats believe Moss will give them the option to match whatever deal he does receive on the open market. That makes sense because the clubs pursuing Moss will be limited because he wants to play for a contender. The most interesting rumor is Moss joining the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys can pay up, and wouldn't T.O. and Moss be interesting to watch, not to mention impossible to defend?

Not to mention a total disaster in the locker room. T.O. managed to go a whole season without being a headache, but the Original 81's ego cannot handle sharing a huddle with the Other (Better) 81.

I know a lot of you fine folks have your fingers crossed that WR Roy Williams will come home to Texas via a trade. Don't count on it, according to Detroit coach Rod Marinelli.

From the Detroit News:

Marinelli was forceful in answering when asked if Williams will be traded.

"No," Marinelli said. "I know the rumors that are out. Those two guys together, I want to see those guys where they can really impact a game. They are special.

"They've got to have, and they will have, great years for us. We have to ensure they have great years. Those are explosive weapons.

"Not many people have two guys like that on a team. We've got to do everything we can do to protect our quarterback -- get the ball to those two big guys. I'm very confident he's (Williams) here. Very confident."

Of course, Marinell might just be doing his part to make sure the Lions get good value for Williams, who sure would be a fine fit opposite T.O.

And so begins a series of Jerry Jones' thoughts we'll be posting here, so you guys can see how the whole thing went. We'll start with his thoughts on the offense.

He was asked, to begin with, if running back and receiver are primary needs heading into free agency and the draft.

"Without Julius signed, it's obvious we need to look at running back. How we get there, might surprise you," Jones said. "So that's No. 1 - how we get there might surprise you. It can be, but it's not necessarily drafting one. We're pretty pleased with our young receivers.

"We have a couple young ones that really didn't do a thing as receivers in ballgames that have a chance to make us better. We're not without some real potential with some young receivers we've got on the team. And that will have a big bearing on my decisions. We have potential on the team to do what we could do in some degree in the draft, from the standpoint of young receivers.

"So it could easily be addressed that way. We see that one way or the other, along with (Jason) Witten and Terrell (Owens), that it would be good to have, whether it's from within or not, whether it's a veteran or a rookie, we see the need to get another dimension - and I emphasize development - from another consideration for defenses to have deal with, other than Terrell Owens and Witten.

"Plus, we need it for insurance, because as we saw, Terrell can get nicked. So there's two really big-time reasons why we will be doing some things at the receiver positions, but not necessarily dismissed what we've got from within in (Sam) Hurd and I'll put (Patrick) Crayton with Hurd, and (Miles) Austin and (Mike) Jefferson and (Isaiah) Stanback."

Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones hasn't closed the door on anything. But it sure sounded today like the team and Flozell Adams aren't approaching a contract extension, with Flo due to hit the market on Thursday at 11 p.m.

Complicating matters is the fact that Flo fired his agent, Roosevelt Barnes, last week and replaced him with Jordan Woy.

"We're listening to Flozell and his new agent. That's where we are," Jones said. "It wouldn't be fair for any of us to speculate on what our feelings are."

Feelings are funny thing, though. And Jerry's would be hurt just a little bit if Adams were to bolt.

"Careers change, they evolve and they change," Adams said. "This is one of the toughest things I've dealt with, in general, in 19 years. You get attached, I do, I feel that way. I get personal. Candidly, these are guys that have made quite a contribution and so when you look at them, you see the player they were 10 years ago, and it's hard to be objective like you need to be.

Cowboys RT Marc Colombo's never been known for making outlandish statements. In fact, he doesn't say a lot publicly at all.

So when he says something, you listen. And his words were particularly strong this morning at the Michael Johnson Performance Center, when he was questioned on the importance of keeping prospective free agent and his bookend Flozell Adams on board.

"Show me a better tackle," Colombo said. "I think he’s the best pass blocking left tackle in all of football. I’m hoping they do (re-sign him), because he’s a good friend of mine and it keeps the offensive line together. He’s the only one now that’s free. If they can sign him, it’s huge."

There remains the option of slapping the franchise tag on him. The deadline for that is a week from today. The cost would be a one-year, $9 million tender.

"He’s an unbelievable left tackle and I think he had one of the best years he’s ever had here last year," Colombo added. "He has plenty of years left, and he goes out every week and shuts down unbelievable defensive ends. That’s all you can ask for in a left tackle."

The fourth 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: T Marc Colombo, G Leonard Davis, T Doug Free, C Andre Gurode, G Kyle Kosier, T James Marten, T Pat McQuistan

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: T Flozell Adams

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: C/G Joe Berger

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: C/G Cory Procter

TOP NAMES ON FREE AGENT MARKET: Adams, G Ruben Brown (Bears), G Alan Faneca (Steelers), T Jordan Gross (Panthers), T Max Starks (Steelers)
* — Restricted FA

TOP DRAFT NAMES: T Sam Baker (Southern Cal), T Ryan Clady (Boise State), T Jake Long (Michigan), T Jeffrey Otah (Pitt), T Chris Williams (Vanderbilt)

The second in an 11-part series assessing each position on the Cowboys roster (Be sure to follow the jump for analysis) ...

PLAYERS SIGNED THROUGH 2008: FB Oliver Hoyte, FB Deon "Cricket" Anderson

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: RB Julius Jones

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: RB Marion "The Barbarian" Barber, RB Tyson Thompson

TOP NAMES ON FREE AGENT MARKET: Michael Turner (Chargers), Jamal Lewis (Browns), Justin Fargas (Raiders), Derrick Ward (Giants), Chris Brown (Titans), T.J. Duckett (Lions)

TOP DRAFT NAMES: Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Jonathan Stewart (Oregon), Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois), Felix Jones (Arkansas), Kevin Smith (Central Florida), Chris Johnson (East Carolina), Jamaal Charles (Texas), Steve Slaton (West Virginia), Ray Rice (Rutgers), Mike Hart (Michigan)

A diehard Cowboy fan started an online petition to prevent Marion "The Barbarian" Barber from being traded. I'm sure this will strongly influence Jerry's decision, so please sign your name.

Barber really won the fans over while running to the Pro Bowl this season. A hot debate topic last off-season on this here blog was whether Barber was a better back than Julius Jones.

I tried and tried to talk sense into folks, even breaking down Barber's carries to prove he wasn't just padding stats on third-and-long draw plays. Read the comments in the post linked in the previous sentence, and you'll see a fella who goes by DC Fanatic really ripping me for being so dumb to suggest that Barber should cut into Jones' carries.

DC Fanatic is the same dude who started the online petition, which he e-mailed to several media members. I figured it'd be great fun to give him a chance to officially reverse ground when I linked to his petition, so I replied to his e-mail. He replied with a heartfelt pat on my back that he posted on numerous online forums.

Appreciate it, pal. Let me know when that Keep Julius Jones petition gets online, and I'll be sure to link to it, too.

Let me preface this post by saying there have been absolutely no rumblings about the trade I'm about to propose, other than my buddy bringing it up as an interesting hypothetical.

The deal: Send the rumored package the Dolphins want for the No. 1 pick (Marion "The Barbarian" Barber and the Cowboys' two first-rounders) to Minnesota for Adrian Peterson.

Wouldya?

I'm dead set against giving up that much to take Arkansas RB Darren McFadden. Just not sure McFadden will be a special NFL back, so there's no sense giving up a proven commodity and two high picks.

Peterson, on the other hand, has proven himself as a dude with Hall of Fame potential. He had more 200-yard games in the first half of his rookie season than Emmitt Smith had in his career. He's a guy who could be one of the best to ever play the game.

A.D. is the rare talent that would be worth giving up so much to get. But Mike Lynn isn't running the show in Minnesota, so I somehow doubt this deal will ever be anything but blog fodder on a slow day.

The sixth of a seven-part series:

WR TERRELL OWENS

How do you decide between an All-Pro receiver, an All-Pro tight end and a quarterback who had the best statistical season in franchise history? Put three names in a hat and pull one out.

That's not really how we picked T.O., but this was without a doubt the toughest decision. Hate to ruin the grand finale, but part of our thinking was that we didn't want the same guy to be Offensive Player of the Year and MVP.

T.O., who arguably had the best season by a receiver in franchise history at the ripe old age of 34, gave the Cowboys a gamebreaker. He averaged 16.7 yards per catch and scored on 15 of his 81 receptions. His presence played a large role in the career years of TE Jason Witten, WR Patrick Crayton, RB Marion "The Barbarian" Barber and QB Tony Romo. If you didn't double-team T.O., he made you pay.

The Original 81's A in citizenship this season was a big bonus. He proved to Bill Parcells and everybody else that a healthy, happy T.O. is still one of the league's premier weapons.

That was one of several Cowboys questions Hall of Fame scribe Rick "Goose" Gosselin answered during today's chat.

Rick Gosselin: The Cowboys would be doing their due diligence if they call the Lions. If Detroit wants to give away this gifted receiver, I'd be willing to listen. But the Cowboys have already been down this road with Joey Galloway. I'd keep my top picks intact and use one on a wideout in this draft. I'm still of the belief the Cowboys should have held onto that 22nd pick last April and taken Dwayne Bowe. Then a young wideout would already be in place for Romo in 2008.

I'll respectfully disagree with the great Goose here. The trade with Cleveland looked like a genius move by Jerry at the time.

The return is less than expected because the Browns were one of the league's most surprising teams. But the Cowboys still got the player they were targeting in OLB Anthony Spencer, and there will be quality wide receivers on the board at No. 22 (the pick from the Browns) again this spring.

I'm referring to the Roy Williams who plays receiver in Detroit. As noted by some of you folks in the comments, word out of Motown is that the Texas-ex might be on the trading block.

I believe Williams is going to be used as trade bait leading up to the draft because he'll likely bolt when he becomes a free agent in 2009.

Williams sure would be a great fit at Valley Ranch, considering the Cowboys are in the market for a big-play receiver to complement (and eventually replace) T.O. In fact, odds are the Cowboys will try to find one in the first round.

I'd have no problem with the Cowboys shipping one of their first-round picks to Detroit for Williams. Of course, since Matt Millen is running the show up there, I'd advise Jerry to start with a ridiculous low-ball offer and work his way up only if necessary.

Tom Brady knows better. He forced a pass into the end zone and Antonio Cromartie was right there in the middle of the field to pick it off.

Now San Diego has to take advantage and score a touchdown. The game is still within reach.

How long before we see Chargers QB Billy Volek? LT is out and you have to wonder if Norv Turner will move Volek in.

Two nice throws from Rivers to Jackson right there for first downs.

I think Volek will come in by the end of the third.

When Jason Garrett came to Dallas as offensive coordinator last year, he and Tony Sparano created a merger in their offensive philosophies, and the result was the league's third-ranked attack.

It doesn't seem like any such melding will need to take place this time around, with new offensive line coach Hudson Houck and Garrett having a strong understanding of one another. Houck was line coach in Dallas for Garrett's seven years as a player here (1993-99) and the two served together under Nick Saban in Miami in 2006.

"I don’t think there’s any question (it helps)," Houck said. "Even when he was a player here, he was kind of a player/coach, quite honestly. Not only was he a player, but he knew the game so well that he was kind of coaching as he was going.

"And the system that we used as he was here as a player is very similar to what we did in Miami, and there’s a lot of similarity to what we’re doing here."

The Cowboys have called a press conference for 2:30 p.m. out at Valley Ranch. The purpose? To announce the hire of "an assistant coach".

I wonder who that could be?

Keep it here to find out.

As Calvin had it earlier, the well-respected Hudson Houck is ready to replace Tony Sparano as offensive line coach, ending a retirement that lasted all of a couple weeks.

Maybe it was returning to the place of Houck's greatest glory that has the former USC Trojan center back in the fray. You could say all he had to do was steer the Ferrari, and avoid driving it into a wall, with one of the greatest collections of offensive line talent of all-time calling Texas Stadium home.

But even if that's the case, it's hard to ignore the fact that he helped six different players make it to a total of 22 Pro Bowls in nine years in Dallas (1993-2001). Nor is it easy to avoid the fact that LaDainian Tomlinson's first three 1,300-yard seasons came with Houck pulling the strings on his blockers, including a season (2004) in which he was breaking in five (not a misprint) new starters. And that was after he was responsible for setting up blocking for the record-setting Eric Dickerson with the Rams, which was after he coached Anthony Munoz and Bruce Matthews, among others, at SC.

Now, imagine this: Houck arrived in Miami, leaving the Chargers (he and Wade spent a year together there), because Nick Saban got Wayne Huizenga to pony up a three-year, $2.5 million deal to get him. That's for a position coach! I'll maintain that Tony Sparano's a huge loss here. But I'll also give the Cowboys credit for replacing him swiftly with a quality guy.

Wade Phillips, who briefly chatted with a handful of reporters after Jason Garrett's press conference, mentioned that the Cowboys should be hiring an offensive line coach "pretty quickly."

Will it be Hudson Houck?

"I don't want to spill the beans," Phillips said, retreating into the coaches' offices.

Houck, who is available after spending the last three seasons with the Dolphins, sure would make a lot of sense. He has a reputation as one of the best OL coaches in the business, in large part because of his work with the Cowboys from 1993-2001. He also worked on the San Diego staff with Wade Phillips for a couple years.

Wade Phillips usually goes out of his way to defend his players. That wasn't the case with Patrick Crayton yesterday.

"If Patrick wouldn't have slowed down, it would have been a touchdown," Phillips said, referring to throw to Crayton in end zone in the final minute of the loss to the Giants.

Crayton acknowledged yesterday that his hesitation could have been the difference between playoff failure and preparing for the NFC championship game. He elaborated on the play during an appearance on Michael Irvin's ESPN 103.3 show today.

Crayton said his route was supposed to be a 16-yard out, but he was surprised that he was able to blow by the cornerback so easily. He hesitated while deciding whether to adjust his route to continue running vertical, which is obviously what Tony Romo expected.

"I got on top of him [and] I was like, 'Should I break out and let him sit underneath, or should I just go ahead and go?'" Crayton said. "That slight hesitation cost me that extra yard I probably needed."

As far as Jason Witten is concerned, you can take the All-Pro spot, the regular season wins, all the records he broke ... and he deal them right away to still be playing right now.

Witten was tearful leaving the field yesterday, and remain distraught leaving the locker room without speaking. Today, he explained his emotions.

"Being a prideful person, it’s an emotional game, you know how much work goes into that situation, and how much it takes to get back in there," Witten said. "It’s tough."

He classified the loss as the toughest one he's ever had to take, and was still looking for answers today.

"It's just not that easy -- let’s go win. I wish it was," Witten said. "I can’t answer that. I really think that this team understands the challenge and I think we understand we had a lot of momentum. They had some leaders on their team. They come on the road and they’ve been playing good on the road. But I think we understood the challenge we had and we were up for that. It wasn’t our best game."

For the second straight year, the Cowboys failed to exploit an injury-depleted secondary in the playoffs. And you can't blame Bill Parcells' conservative game plan this time.

The Seahawks had so many injuries that they were forced to pull Pete Hunter out of a loan office to play in nickel and dime packages last season. Romo threw for only 189 yards (6.5 per attempt) and a TD.

The Giants had so many injuries that they were forced to pull rookie Geoffrey Pope off the practice squad and use him in nickel and dime packages in the second half. Romo threw for only 201 yards (5.6 per attempt) and a TD.

MICHAEL AINSWORTH / DMN

Patrick Crayton didn't comment after the playoff loss other than to wish the Giants good luck, but he faced the media like a man today.

Crayton said he didn't regret providing the Giants with bulletin-board material. And he didn't have a problem with the Giants calling him out after the game, either.

"They got the last word," Crayton said. "I wish them the best, because I think if we were in that situation, we would probably take some shots at them as well."

Julius Jones rushed for a whopping eight yards on three carries on what is almost certainly his final game as a Cowboy. Talk about going into free agency with a whimper.

Brad Johnson's one-year deal with the Cowboys expires in March, and he'll hit the free agent market again, but he doesn't plan on retiring.

Walking from the stadium tonight, he passed along word that his plan is to return for a 17th season, and he'd like to do it in Dallas. That's obviously up to the team, but the reason he wants to come back again was clear.

"I'm just having too much fun to give it up," he said.

Patrick Crayton had a big week. He made his back-page debut in Gotham, and was center stage with T.O.'s status up in the air.

As would be the case with 84, he used speaking about a teammate as a vehicle to talk junk to the opponent.

"Even if he’s was 85, 90 (percent), his 85 or 90 is better than a lot of receivers in this league," Crayton said of Owens. "Just because of his explosiveness and what he brings, he’s always a threat to run by you. Ask Sam Madison."

We still could. It's just that he'll be in street clothes if we do it. He's inactive, meaning that Corey Webster and Aaron Ross will be the starters at corner for the Giants, just as they were last week.