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^ I hope Crayton zips it during the season.
Cowboys' Crayton calls out Rodgers
6:54 PM Tue, Aug 05, 2008 | Permalink
Tim Cowlishaw E-mail News tips
Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton likes the fact that the team's camp has been virtually free of controversy. And then he couldn't help himself.
"Green Bay, that's a soap opera,'' he said, referring to the ongoing Brett Favre saga. "It's shaking Aaron Rodgers, I don't care what they're saying.''
Then Crayton went on to urge the Packers to start Rodgers, not Favre, against Dallas on Sept. 21. When he was reminded that Rodgers played fairly well against the Cowboys when Favre was injured, Crayton said, "Did anyone have any film on him?
"Their defense had film on him for last week's scrimmage. How'd that go?''
Rodgers was 7-for-20 and booed by Packers fans in last week's Family Night scrimmage
^ I hope Crayton zips it during the season.
I was hoping he would grow up and shut up.
Obviously, not the case.
ing Crayton
Yeah, me too.
The comment itself isn't bad unless you know its from him.
Im fine with Crayton as our 2nd guy(third really behind T.O. and Witten), but dude needs to back it up this year if he's going to continue to talk smack.
Rodgers should have answered with the Pedro Martinez line:
"Patrick Crayton? Who is deez Patrick Crayton? Who are you, Patrick Crayton?"
Felix Hits The Spot
Rookie Jones Shows Why Cowboys Drafted Him
Edward Lewis - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
August 10, 2008 4:51 PM
Jones cut, slashed and juked his way to a great night in Saturday's 31-17 loss to the San Diego.
SAN DIEGO - When the Cowboys sat at pick No. 22 in last April's NFL Draft, they were looking for a home run hitter.
They wanted someone with the ability to make something out of nothing using pure athleticism and talent.
And most importantly, they desperately wanted a player who could complement Pro Bowl running back Marion Barber.
If Saturday night's Felix Jones rushing clinic was any indication of what they got with that pick, then it's pretty safe to say the rookie running back will be what the Cowboys wanted . . . and more.
"It was real fun to go out there and show fans that Jerry Jones made some great picks," Felix Jones said of the team owner after the game. "It was exciting and I had a lot of fun."
Jones cut, slashed and juked his way to a great night in Saturday's 31-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. The rookie piled up 32 rushing yards on six carries and caught two more balls for 29 yards in just two quarters of play.
"I was very excited that I had an opportunity to go out there and play," Jones said of his NFL preseason debut. "It felt great. It was my first NFL game and I felt real good about it."
Jones was able to provide the offense with a dimension the team lacked last season. He broke several long runs, including a toss to the right on just his second ever NFL carry where he made a nice cutback, allowing him to burst through the defense for 19 yards.
Jones also showcased what he could do in the receiving game, taking a Brad Johnson swing pass in the right flat for a huge 28-yard gain that had the crowd on its feet.
"I see running lanes in different areas and I just try to make something happen," said Jones, who admitted it was fun to see those same cutbacks in the collegiate level were still there in the NFL. "When I see a running lane I try to get in there as fast as I can and try to create some space. It kind of worked out in my favor today."
Jones also showed he can be the change of pace running back the Cowboys were looking for when they selected him in the first round. Barber pounded between the tackles on his four carries for 24 yards in the first offensive series, and Jones followed Barber's performance with his display of running outside the tackles.
"It's going to give us a lot of options on offense," Jones said of the running back tandem. "In the future it will be real nice - I'm glad to be in this position."
While everything may have appeared to go according to plan in Jones' NFL debut, he said he had a bit of rookie jitters on his first carry - a handoff designed to run directly at three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman.
"I was actually kind of nervous about that (play)," Jones said. "It was my first time in the game and the first time that I got the ball. I was real nervous. I tried to make a cut on (Merriman) but he got me."
Jones would have the last laugh on the next play, though, taking his best run of the night, the 19-yard toss, right at Merriman's side.
"The offensive line created some great holes," Jones said. "It was a great experience for my first game out. It feels real good."
There was one notable thing missing from Jones' game on Saturday night, though - his kickoff return ability. Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips held the two time All-American kick returner on the sidelines on all six kickoff return opportunities, giving running back Alonzo Coleman, wide receiver Isaiah Stanback and cornerback Orlando Scandrick chances to show what they could do with the ball.
The trio of returners combined for just 17.5 yards per attempt, and had several miscues fielding the kicks, including a muffed kickoff by Coleman. While Phillips didn't give Jones a reason as to why he didn't return kicks, he said earlier in the week he wanted to get a look at what some of the younger guys could do. The Cowboys are pretty certain Felix Jones can handle the kick-off duties.
Jones said he could absolutely foresee himself as a future kick returner in the NFL after the game and added, "It's just another way I could contribute to the team."
__________________
Cowboys seriously need to play Sam Hurd in the #2 spot. That guy always makes a solid contribution when he gets the chance, I don't understand why they don't play him more. Crayton sucks balls.
All three backs looked solid to me.
MAtt Mosley: McNabb on T.O., NFC East, and Injuries
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- As players such as Jon Runyan, Correll Buckhalter and L.J. Smith saw me waiting at the back entrance of the Eagles' training camp locker room Monday, they all made the same comment: "Waiting on Donovan?"
It's a foregone conclusion that no training camp visit is complete without checking in with the man who's led this team for the past decade. And an hour after all the Escalades and jacked-up trucks had departed the players parking lot, Donovan McNabb finally emerged. He's been in the spotlight for so many years that he almost seems to be on auto-pilot.
He greeted me with a hearty "Welcome to town, man" and invited me to sit next to him. The first thing I noticed was the long scar on his right knee that serves as a constant reminder of his playing mortality. It happened during the 2006 season and held him hostage for a good portion of 2007.
Last year at this time, he wore a knee brace at all times. Now, he's practicing without one and says his last major knee injury is a distant memory. At this point, he understands and even embraces the fact that everyone thinks the 2008 season hinges on whether he can stay healthy. Despite his success with the team, his future is a constant source of debate with the local media.
McNabb has at times lashed out at the constant scrutiny and even questioned the one man -- coach Andy Reid -- who's always stood by his side because, like it or not, he knows his day is coming. He observed the Brett Favre saga through a different set of lenses than most of us because it drove home the fact that the Eagles will some day move on without him. On this day, he seems completely comfortable with that fact. He thinks his knee will allow him to be himself again.
"I've been through my share of controversy over the years," said the 31-year-old quarterback. "But the way I see it and understand it, is that all that negative stuff from last season could easily be changed. [Last year] was a grind, but the injury actually helped acclimate me to being the type of quarterback that I've wanted to be. It's helped me in certain areas."
McNabb thinks the fact he was limited taught him not to always rely on his athleticism. And when his mobility started to return last December, he said he was a much better quarterback.
"I scrambled for 25 yards against the Dolphins in November and I felt like I was back," McNabb said. "But then I twisted my ankle. It wasn't until the Dallas game in December that I felt like I could finally unleash everything."
McNabb caused a mild stir early in camp when he basically suggested that the Eagles shouldn't have lost a game to any of their NFC East opponents last season. In his mind, they were just a few plays away from being a playoff team. He doesn't feel like an 8-8 quarterback heading into 2008.
"I still put us at the top of the NFC," he said. "I feel confident in saying that because all the best teams are pretty much in our division. The Giants and Cowboys are coming off great seasons and the Redskins had a decent year."
McNabb went through last year's NFC East games one-by-one and explained where all of them went wrong. How does he justify the Giants' dominating 16-3 victory in September?
"We were missing our starting tackle," he quickly said. "If we eliminate the mistakes in the red zone and do some better things on defense, it's a different story."
With a healthy L.J. Smith and the addition of rookie DeSean Jackson, McNabb thinks he'll have more players he "can call on" at key moments in the game. He talked about how Dallas can game-plan around getting the ball to Terrell Owens, and he wants to do that with some of his teammates -- other than running back Brian Westbrook, who's a constant threat.
Since he brought up T.O., I felt like a follow-up question was necessary. Does he ever sit around and think about what the two of them could have accomplished together?
"You mean if he'd realized the situation he was in?" McNabb shot back. "In his situation, he's finally maturing at age 35 [actually 34]. Sometimes it's you, sometimes it's me. [T.O.] thought for so long it was someone else, but at some point, maybe it dawns on you that it's not everyone else's fault. I think once Bill [Parcells] left, T.O. realized that Jerry [Jones] truly loved him. And now he has a quarterback that he feels comfortable with. He's listening. Sometimes you have to understand the reality of the whole situation, and I think he did that."
McNabb stopped to think about it for a moment longer, not wanting to change a subject that will always follow him.
"It could've been great," he said. "What did we have, 30 TDs? You don't see that type of combination very often. That's like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. We would have been up there."
Does all that sound patronizing? Absolutely. But there's probably some truth to what McNabb's saying. What amazes me is that T.O. has been gone since midway through the 2005 season and his former teammates still bring him up on a regular basis. Tight end L.J. Smith called him a "different kind of guy," but he said he never thought he was a poor teammate.
"If you think about it, that locker room fight he got into here was with a non-player," Smith said Sunday.
In other news, McNabb said he no longer worries about the fact that quarterback Kevin Kolb is waiting in the wings. He let it bother him when the team first selected Kolb in the second round, but it's not something he thinks about anymore.
"We needed to draft another quarterback," he said with no trace of sarcasm. "That's the way the organization's going. I understand that."
As he climbed into his black Escalade truck, McNabb said he wanted to finish his career in Philadelphia. But he said the Favre story reminded him that the Eagles might be ready to move on at any minute.
"I might end up somewhere else," McNabb said. "And I'm prepared for that."
Jerry: Adding QB isn't a priority
7:35 PM Mon, Aug 11, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
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.
^ lol, I kind of like the way Crayton runs his mouth.
How are you Cowboy fans liking Felix after one game? The plays ran for him were almost the exact ones at Arkansas. Quick as lightening huh..
I think Felix showed us fans something. It was great to see him productive not only rushing, but receiving aswell. But in all of those runs he had he never hit his high gear which is impressive. He was trying to be quick and avoid being tackled. Never had an opportunity to hit his 4.3 speed.
So far he looks like he is going to be a great compliment to Barber, but I need to see him do it in the regular season to really get excited. But so far I am excited about what Im seeing from him in pre-season.
That's cool.
I think Dallas needs to flirt with him on kick returns as well. He took several to the house at Arkansas. You want to see that 4.3 speed then let him get some KR's.
Also he has great hands, he rarely drops passes. It's no secret if he had McFadden's size and power, that he would have been bigger than DMac and Bush was combined.
Tale Of The Tape
Broncos WR, Pacman Jones Trade Jibes
Josh Ellis - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
August 13, 2008 7:42 PM
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones might have known what his comments would stir up after Wednesday morning's practice, but he took the bait anyway.
When asked how Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall, nicknamed "Baby T.O.," compares to the Cowboys' Owens, Pacman didn't mince words, saying "Nah, he's nowhere near T.O. . . . T.O. is 10 times faster than Brandon Marshall. He's 10 times stronger than Brandon Marshall."
Just as he tried to cover Owens each chance he had in Oxnard, Calif., Jones made sure to line up on Marshall Wednesday. Maybe his "10 times" comment is an overstatement, but Jones is right, Marshall is not Owens. Marshall's response was dead-on as well. For the afternoon practice, the back of his jersey featured a piece of tape that read "21's no Champ" - referring to the Broncos all-world cornerback Champ Bailey.
"I don't take it personally," Marshall said. "I'm actually reading this book called 'The Four Agreements' and chapter two talks about not taking things personally. If you take it personally, then it's true."
Marshall revealed he and Jones are actually friends, having hung out together in Atlanta, the cornerback's hometown. He said the talk was all fun and games, though both players were being truthful in their statements. And, it's not over.
"I believe he was serious, and I was serious in what I said too," Marshall said. "Football to me is just like Pop Warner - halftime, Pop Tarts and Kool-Aid. That's all I'm doing is out here having fun. I've got a good one for him tomorrow - a nice little saying."
The Broncos receiver wore one of Owens' "iScore" shirts during practice. Owens also gave his trademark t-shirts to the Broncos corners, Bailey and Dre' Bly.
Pacman Also Writes
With his reinstatement still up in the air, the suspended cornerback Jones wrote and mailed a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to personally ask to be allowed to play.
"I'm feeling pretty good about it," Jones said. "It's just a letter why I feel I should be reinstated. It's my chance to respond, and we'll see how it goes."
Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season after a string of arrests. While Jones has kept his name out of the police blotter for more than a year, there is still the specter of the trial of Arvin Kenti Edwards, the man accused of the Las Vegas strip club shooting that ultimately led to Jones' suspension. Jones' story led to Edwards' arrest, although Edwards' attorney has said Jones' story is "completely fabricated." Goodell may be considering the possibility of information damaging to Jones and the league being revealed in the Edwards' trial.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he wasn't aware of Pacman's letter. He wasn't completely sure when Goodell would make his decision, though the commissioner had promised the Cowboys he will let them know before the final roster cuts, Aug. 30. v "I don't know that will be the case, but it should be." Jones said. "But all along here, it's been what Roger decides."
Healthy Advice
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler found someone he could lean on this morning in an unlikely place - the opposing sideline. Cutler said he spoke to Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson about playing with Type I Diabetes.
Cutler was diagnosed with the disease in April. Like one million other Americans, he now tests his blood sugar daily and relies on insulin. Last season, the effects of the disease led to a decrease in strength and weight. After weighing in at 235 pounds at the start of the season, he was down to 202 pounds by week 17. He had spells with dry mouth, fatigue, frequent urination and hunger.
In Wilson, the Broncos passer found a fellow quarterback who played his entire career with the disease - reason for inspiration.
"I talked with him before practice," Cutler said. "He said it was manageable, just like I have been doing for the last four or five months. He went through his career with it, and I don't see any reason why I can't.
"There have been a lot of people that have played with diabetes. Even now, athletes have diabetes, especially Type I, and they are playing. There are people that play with pumps on, so it definitely can be done. I am managing it right now and it is going well."
Last season Wilson became the NFL's first coach suspended for violating the league's performance enhancing drug policy. He was given a five-game suspension for purchasing Human Growth Hormone (HGH), attempting to improve his quality of life in treatment of the disease.
Cowboys, Broncos Shorthanded
Though Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens had his pads and helmet on ready for Wednesday's second session, coaches forced him to take the afternoon off.
"T.O. wanted to practice," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "I told him, 'I wouldn't like you as much if you weren't mad about it.'"
Owens spent the afternoon encouraging his fellow Cowboys receivers and offering them technique advice. But he wasn't the only Pro-Bowler out of action. v Denver's Champ Bailey is out with a hamstring injury. The Broncos sat out eight players Wednesday, including former Cowboys defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban (Achilles) and lauded veteran center Tom Nalen (knee).
The Cowboys were missing linebacker Kevin Burnett in the afternoon session. He underwent an MRI on his knee. They were also without outside linebacker Anthony Spencer (bone bruise), though Phillips said Wednesday morning he thought Spencer would be returning soon, possibly tomorrow. The Cowboys gave cornerback Quincy Butler the afternoon off as well. Butler practiced with the team Wednesday morning for the first time since July 27.
Also out for the Cowboys were cornerback Terence Newman (groin) and defensive end Marcus Dixon (back).
Short Shots
The Denver media took the opportunity to relive Tony Romo's decision to sign with the Cowboys over the Broncos back in 2003, immediately following the draft. Romo, who went undrafted out of Eastern Illinois, said he nearly signed with the Broncos to join coach Mike Shanahan, an EIU alum. Instead, he went to Dallas, joining then-quarterbacks coach Sean Payton, also a former EIU quarterback . . . During the afternoon practice, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones raved about second-round pick Martellus Bennett, particularly pointing out his blocking. On the next two plays, Bennett sealed off the left side with a clearing block on a defensive end and then caught a pass over the middle for a 15-yard gain in team drills . . . Rookie running back Felix Jones certainly has the speed and quickness, but his upper-body strength isn't too bad either. Ask Broncos cornerback Dre' Bly, who was sent to the ground by a Jones' stiff-arm to the chest during an outside sweep in a team drill . . . Wade Phillips was a guest on two Denver radio shows, back in the town where he had his first head-coaching job . . . Broncos defensive end John Engelberger blew up a reverse to Patrick Crayton on the first play of the afternoon's 11-on-11 drills, stopping the receiver for a loss of eight.
Felix Jones will be returning kicks this season. Wade was just looking at unusual combinations in the 1st preseason game, but after the horrible special teams play I'm expecting to see Wade get a of a lot more serious about getting the guys reps who will have the best chance to be doing it in the regular season. Right now the offense looks solid. Defense looks studly. Special teams is the big time weakness in an otherwise near juggernaut.
Im really excited about Felix Jones. Can't wait to see what he does against Denver
Horn Wants To Join Eagles Or Cowboys
14th August, 2008 - 5:12 pm
Pro Football Talk - Falcons' wide receiver Joe Horn wants to play for either the Eagles or Cowboys, according to Pro Football Talk.
He claims that his primary goal is to play for a Super Bowl contender and hinted that he would "not be accepted" in New Orleans again by Coach Sean Payton
http://football.realgm.com/src_wiret...es_or_cowboys/
What Horn wants, and what the Cowboys want are two different things.
Not sure why we would bring him here...people always say the Cowboys bring in the bad boys but we only have a few and they are all low risk extremely high payoff risks. This guy seems like a nightmare to deal with for 3rd string WR type results.
meh
Maybe if we pick him off the waiver or if TO, Witten or Patrick get hurt.
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