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Manning Out for the G-Men?

Well, just when you think luck isn’t on your side, turns out someone else has it a little worse than you.

The Giants may be without Eli Manning from anywhere as long as a week or a month, after it was reported by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that Manning’s right shoulder suffered a slight separation when he was driven into the ground on a hit by Anthony Spencer in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game.

But, there are conflicting reports and comments about just how serious the injury is, with Manning saying that it was just a little sore, and Giants coach Tom Coughlin questioning the validity of the report given to Mortensen.

If Manning does miss a month, he’ll miss games against the Packers, Redskins, Eagles, and Jets. Three of the four games are at home, with the Redskins game in two weeks being the only road game. It’s not as if they have to play New England or Indy or the Saints, but none of those teams will be a cakewalk, so even if Manning is less than 100 percent, that could kill the Giants’ NFC East and playoff hopes pretty quickly.

Running back Brandon Jacobs is week-to-week after his knee injury in Sunday night’s game, and, while he’s out, Derrick Ward, who ran for 89 yards, including a 44-yard run, will start in his place.

Cheater, Cheater

If you stick your hand in the cookie jar one time too many, you’re going to get caught.

The Patriots are one of the best teams in the league, so you would think that they wouldn’t have to resort to underhanded techniques to get an advantage over their opponents. But, for some reason, the boys in Foxboro think it’s okay to play ‘I Spy’ with their opponents. On Sunday, NFL security officials took a camera and videotape from a New England video assistant on their sideline, and the video evidence showed that he (Matt Estrella, the zoom is on you now!) was taping the Jets’ defensive signals.

Sneaky, sure. But, Roger Goodell certainly doesn’t approve, and New England may be getting punished very shortly, with the sanctions potentially including getting draft picks taken away from them.

A lot of people don’t like the Patriots because they’ve won so much, but now there’s an actual reason to dislike them. They may well not be the only team in the league who does this kind of thing, but this isn’t the first time the Patriots have gotten in the news for it, after a Patriots’ staff member was suspiciously carrying a camera around on the Packers’ sideline.

It may well not make that huge of a difference in the Patriots running over their opponents, but ethically and competitively, it’s a low move, and a slap in the face to the league, who’s been trying to crack down on anything negative, both competitively and conduct-wise.

Of course, the Pats will have their chance to explain themselves, but from the looks of it, the water’s juuuuuust a little bit on the hot side.

Hopes Now High for Injured Bills’ TE

A day after doctors said that Kevin Everett’s chances of walking again were very slim, the prognosis has drastically shifted in the positive.

On Monday, his doctor said that the injury that he had suffered was life-threatening and that it was very unlikely that he’d walk again. It appears that the Bills’ tight end must have heard what the doctor was saying, as today, he voluntarily moved his arms and legs, which has the doctor now very optimistic about Everett’s chances of walking again.

His hopes of returning to the football field might be pretty slim, but if he’s able to walk again, that will be a bigger victory than any that he’s experienced on the football field. I, along with everyone else, wish him all the best and a speedy recovery.

- Jason Ferguson is going to miss the rest of the season due to a right biceps tear in the first quarter of last night’s win. Ferguson had played in 81 straight games.

Jay Ratliff took over for Ferguson and played well, with three tackles and Dallas’ only sack, and he’ll likely be the starter from here, unless the Cowboys decide to make a move to pick someone up. If Gerard Warren was still available, he’d be a great option, but that’s not the case. Ratliff showed last night that he could be counted on, so that’s a little assurance.

But, behind Ratliff, there really aren’t any other options, in case something happens to him. Jason Hatcher can play tackle if needed, but it would be a good idea to check out the market and see if there’s at least someone who can provide quality depth.

- Things don’t sound very promising on the Terry Glenn front. Glenn reinjured his right knee in practice last week, and isn’t close to returning anytime soon. And, in fact, he may not play at all this season. If Glenn has arthriscopic surgery on the knee, it could keep him out for only three to five weeks, but the knee could still be a problem. What might be the better option for his body might be the option that no one would like to have to go to. If he has microfracture surgery, that could knock him out for the rest of the season, but at least we’d be able to count on him being healthy for next season.

Since we won’t be seeing him for a while either way, that means Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd are going to be of great importance. The two combined for four catches, 102 yards, and Hurd’s 51-yard touchdown, so if the old adage plays out true, and that two is indeed better than one, Tony Romo will be able to breathe easy when he’s in the pocket. And hey, with Glenn’s extended absence, that might mean we’ll start seeing more of Isaiah Stanback. Yay! (especially if you’re Mickey Spagnola)

- Terence Newman and Greg Ellis may be back in acton very soon. Newman’s foot has kept him out since before the second preseason game against the Broncos, while Ellis has been out since the second day of training camp, with nagging heel issues.

If Newman can be back for Sunday, that will definitely be a relief, if he’s at full strength. Ellis’ return could create a debate about who to start at strong side linebacker. Anthony Spencer has been steadily improving, and will likely continue to see the majority of the snaps there, at least while Ellis gets worked back into action. Can’t say it’s a bad problem to have, because no matter who starts, the Cowboys won’t have to worry about missing a beat when they rotate at the position. Of course, a lot depends on how effective Ellis is, and if the heel doesn’t start bothering him again. If he’s effective, then that will not only be a benefit to the team, but also for Spencer and his development, because it would allow him to continue his development gradually, instead of having to worry about having too, too much responsibility on him right off the bat.

QBs coach Wade Wilson is going to miss the first five games of the season due to a suspension related to his use of human growth hormone while he was an assistant coach with the Bears. WIlson has said it was to help improve his quality of life because of his diabetes, and not for any other reasons.

The same investigation by the NFL that ‘busted’ Wilson also got Patriots star safety Rodney Harrison, who was suspended for the first four games of the season, and resulted in the firing of a Steelers’ team doctor, Richard Rydze. And, it’s no doubt going to get a few more names as well, in the NFL and elsewhere.

Some people are standing behind Wilson, and some are a little surprised by the events, while others are a little skeptical about his explanaton for using ‘the stuff,’ but no matter how you shake it, it doesn’t look particularly good for him.

Nor does it for Harrison, who’s made his living as one of the NFL’s biggest hitters. He maintains that he never used HGH for competitive use, but to hasten the healing process after injury, and also that he never used steroids.

The problem is that we’ve heard some form of the same explanation so many times recently that it’s no longer easy to differentiate between who’s telling the truth and who’s trying to spin the fact that they got busted. It’s easier to indict some people (i.e. Barry Bonds), but even the guys you wouldn’t imagine ever doing anything are just as susceptible now. No one’s off limits.

This isn’t directly towards Wade Wilson, if he’s being completely honest. There isn’t any reason to think he’d be dishonest, but as I said above, taking someone’s word isn’t the easiest thing to do these days.

But, there are just some things that you don’t mess with. You get only one body, and if you mess it up, or even risk it, you can’t go online and get another one like you can get another shipment of ‘roids. Of course, not everyone who takes HGH or anabolic steroids is a rampant user, but each time you inject yourself, you’re taking a risk. You’re taking a risk on getting hooked, on endangering your body, on hurting your quality of life down the line. It may make you better for a little while, but just like with any other illegal drug, the good effects are only temporary. The negative effects may take a while to set in, but they can be anything but fleeting.

There’s nothing wrong with sculpting your body the right way. It’s guilt-free, and it’s au naturale.

There’s nothing wrong with sitting out an extra week or two to let yourself heal. You get the paid vacation, and your team will live without you.

In the end, it’s much better for you. And, in the end, it is your choice, and solely your responsibility. We can only hope that people make the right decision, whether or not they’re someone like Barry Bonds, Bill Romanowski, Rodney Harrison, or the guy at the local gym that’s trying to make himself look buffer for the ladies.

But, it’d be a little foolish, to say the least, to think that everyone’s going to listen, even with all the warnings, the examples, and the growing cloud that envelopes steroids.

And above all else, that’s the saddest thing, that some people won’t ever learn, or even try to.

I was in Houston this weekend for work, so I didn’t get a chance to do any blog updates until now.

Cuts were made on Saturday, and there were a couple of surprises, at least in my eyes. Dallas cut both Aaron Glenn and Joey Thomas, who both looked as if they’d be backing up Terence Newman. They instead opted to keep two younger players instead of the veterans, as they held on to Nate Jones and Alan Ball (more on him later). Jacques Reeves stays, so the onus is on him to get it done if Newman isn’t able to go at full speed on Sunday.

WR Jerheme Urban was also cut in favor of keeping Miles Austin. Also, rookie QB Matt Moore was cut, as the Cowboys decided to stick with just the two QBs, and so were LB Junior Glymph and DT Remi Ayodele.

I would have liked Moore to stay, but he was picked up off of waivers by Carolina, while Ayodele was picked up by the Falcons, and Urban by the Cardinals.

Martin Gramatica was put on injured reserve, and will get an injury settlement from the Cowboys. So, Nick Folk, it’s officially all yours now. Don’t do any high kicks or anything too wild to celebrate.

On Sunday, rookie corner Ball was released, along with safety Abram Elam, which allowed the Cowboys to pick up linebacker Justin Rogers from the Patriots and defensive back Evan Oglesby from the Ravens off of the waiver wire. Rogers had eleven tackles and two sacks in the preseason for New England, while Oglesby played in all 16 games last season for Baltimore and recorded 16 tackles, and in the preseason, made 10 tackles.

Seven cut players were added to the practice squad: QB Richard Bartel, RB Alonzo Coleman, WR Mike Jefferson, TE Rodney Hannah, DE Marcus Smith, LB Khari Long, and CB Quincy Butler. If Ball clears waivers, he’ll likely be added to that list as well.

Now that the roster has been trimmed to 53, I’ll be taking a look at how the team that Wade Phillips has put together shapes up for the season, which will be here in just a few short days.

Snipped

Nine players, six of them rookies, were released on Monday as the staff gets the roster closer to the 53-man mark.

RB Jackie Battle, WRs Jerard Rabb, Jamaica Rector, and Jamel Richardson, OT Jason Hilliard, DTs Ola Dagunduro and Montavious Stanley, and LBs Dedrick Harrington and Alex Obomese were all let go yesterday.

The team reached an injury settlement with Battle, and Rector was the other player whose status was affected by injury. The Cowboys are in the process of trimming the depth chart at receiver, and Rabb, Rector, and Richardson were the unfortunate trio to not make the next round. And with the backup DT situation seemingly being resolved, with Jay Ratliff now looking like the favorite to be Jason Ferguson’s backup, the two DLs had to go, and with linebacker depth not really an issue, that meant Obomese and Harrington were the odd men out.

They had to cut one more player today to reach 75, and that guy was offensive tackle Pete Lougheed.

Worse Than We Thought?

Terence Newman wants to play. The Cowboys need him to play. But will he play against the Giants in the season opener?

That’s the $64,000 question right now, as Newman remains on the sidelines due to plantar fascitis in his foot. Wade Phillips has said that he expects Newman to be ready for the opener, and Newman has said he doesn’t plan on missing out, but he’s also said that he can’t plant on his foot, and that isn’t good news.
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So, what to do? Considering what went on Saturday night against the Texans, it might be that a 75% Newman is better than no Newman at all, and if the foot is still bothering him more than he’d like when the 9th gets closer, pain-killing injections could be a possibility.

Take that as a note, guys who are battling for roster spots at corner. If he’s got no qualms about playing through the pain for the sake of the team, you better put it in high gear this week in practice and against Minnesota, because you should make sure that you’ve got his and the team’s back if he can’t go, or is limited.

And, speaking of the secondary, I will have the secondary storylines/preview up sometime later on today. And, I’ll round it out tomorrow with a look at the kicking competition and the rest of the special teams. After the preseason is over, I’ll have a condensed preview/analysis/prediction, which will go along with the NFC East and NFL previews I will be doing in the week leading up to the season opener.

It wasn’t a particularly good week for the NFC East, as the division compiled a 1-3 record, or for the NFC overall, as NFC teams have gone 3-8 vs. the AFC in Week 3 (Atlanta hosts Cincinnati tonight on MNF).

Here’s a look at the results to this point.

Thursday

Jacksonville overcame a 10-0 halftime deficit to knock off Green Bay 21-13 at Lambeau Field. Jaguars starting QB Byron Leftwich was pretty ineffective in two-plus quarters of play, going 6 of 16 for 67 yards. But, backup QB David Garrard ignited the comeback, leading Jacksonville on two touchdown drives in the third quarter. Brett Favre was 14 of 20 for 130 yards in the first half for the Packers, and rookie receiver James Jones kept us his good play in the preseason, with six catches for 80 yards in the loss.

In Kansas City, the New Orleans Saints were absolutely dominant in their 30-7 win over the Chiefs. Drew Brees was 17 of 19 for 182 yards and a touchdown, while rookie RB Pierre Thomas ran for 92 yards and two touchdowns. New Orleans outgained K.C. 479-153 for the game.

Friday

It was the Vince Young show in Buffalo, as the Titans’ QB passed for 162 yards and a touchdown, and ran for another touchdown as Tennessee knocked off Buffalo 28-17. Young did his damage in the first half to give the Titans a 14-10 lead going into the locker room, and then Kerry Collins threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to put the game away. J.P. Losman threw for 180 yards and a 64-yard touchdown to Lee Evans. Both teams accounted for nearly 400 yards each.

New daddy Tom Brady was in midseason form as New England picked up their first preseason win in a Super Bowl rematch at Carolina. Brady threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns in two-plus quarters of action, and left after his touchdown pass to Heath Evans gave the Patriots a 17-7 lead early in the third. Evans added a TD run late in the quarter to finish off the scoring. Jake Delhomme threw for 162 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers, who lost third-string QB Brett Basanez to a serious injury.

The starting QB battle is still ongoing in Oakland, where the Raiders picked up a 20-10 win over the former L.A. rivals, the St. Louis Rams. Josh McCown was 6 of 9 for 138 yards, while Daunte Culpepper was 4 of 8 for 47 yards and a touchdown. Marc Bulger threw for 108 yards, and Gus Frerotte threw for 109 yards and a touchdown. A touchdown pass from Culpepper to Ronald Curry and a Lamont Jordan touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Raiders a 17-3 lead, as the Raiders continue to be productive under the former Vikings QB, who looks to be the leader in the battle for the starting job while JaMarcus Russell continus to (stupidly) holdout.

Saturday

There were nine games on Saturday, including that one in Houston that I won’t say much more about.

The Colts put on a passing clinic against the Lions in a 37-10 rout. After torching the Lions for six touchdowns the last time he faced them (Thanksgiving Day 2004), Peyton Manning did it again, going 23 of 27 for 233 yards and three touchdowns - all in the first half. In the second half, backup Jim Sorgi kept it going, going 16 of 23 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. For the Lions, J.T. O’Sullivan started in place of starting QB Jon Kitna and went 24 of 34 for 232 yards with one touchdown and two INTs.

In Miami, Bruce Gradkowski threw two fourth-quarter TD passes to lead Tampa Bay to a 31-28 win over the Dolphins. The starting QBs weren’t bad, but they weren’t great, as Jeff Garcia went 4 of 10 for 54 yards with a touchdown and a pick for the Bucs, while Trent Green was 7 of 11 for 42 yards with a touchdown and a pick. It was the backups that did the job for each team, as Gradkowski was 10 of 16 for 104 yards and the two TDs, including a 1-yarder to Paris Warren wth 4:51 left that proved to be the winner. John Beck was 11 of 22 for 162 yards and two TDs for the Dolphins, who had made late comebacks to win their first two preseason games, but couldn’t do it this time around.

In Washington, bad weather caused a premature end to the Ravens-Redskins matchup. Lightning delayed the start of the game, and then, with more bad weather looming, officials decided to call the game with 11:38 left in the third. As a result, Washington picked up a 13-7 win over Baltimore. Rookie linebacker Dallas Sartz’s 3-yard INT return for a touchdown a minute into the quarter proved to be the difference. Jason Campbell didn’t start for the Redskins, so Todd Collins started and went 8 of 15 for 88 yards. For the Ravens, Steve McNair was 14 of 19 for 98 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

In Chicago, the Bears dominated the first half, and weathered a furious fourth-quarter comeback to beat San Francisco 31-28 and remain the only unbeaten team in the preseason. Rex Grossman threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, as the Bears did all of their scoring n the first two stanzas to take a commanding 31-13 lead. Trent Dilfer threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes for the 49ers to make the game close, but it was all Bears, as both of the defending conference champions had impressive performances.

Eli Manning had a solid first half, throwing for 146 yards and a touchdown, and left with a lead, but the Jets got two TD runs in the third and went on to a 20-12 win in the matchup at the Meadowlands. The Giants held a 12-6 halftime lead, due to a safety, a field goal, and Manning’s touchdown to Anthony Mix just before halftime. But, Danny Ware and backup QB Kellen Clemens ran for touchdowns in the third to give the Jets a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Chad Pennington was only 5 of 11 for 89 yards, but he did hook up with Leon Washington on a 79-yard touchdown to open the scoring in the first.

In Seattle, the Seahawks rolled to a 30-13 victory over the Vikings. Josh Brown kicked three field goals for Seattle, and Shaun Alexander ran for a touchdown in the first half. Seneca Wallace hooked up with Ben Obomanu for a 57-yard touchdown, and Kevin Hobbs returned a Brooks Bollinger for a touchdown in the fourth.

In Denver, Brady Quinn backed up his impressive debut to lead the Browns to a 17-16 win over the Broncos. Quinn didn’t start, as Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson both played well in splitting time in the first half. But, it was his 20-yard TD pass to Joshua Cribbs late in the third that gave the Browns a 17-10 lead. Denver’s Selvin Young ran for a TD with three minutes left, but instead of going for the tie, the Broncos went for the win, and Young’s run for a two-point conversion came up short. It was an efficient night for the QBs, as Frye (5 of 7, 68 yards), Derek Anderson (7 of 9, 74 yards), and Quinn (7 of 11, 81 yards) all played well for Cleveland, and Jay Cutler (9 of 16, 115 yards, one TD) and Patrick Ramsey (9 of 15, 99 yards) put in good performances in the loss.

In Arizona, San Diego racked up over 500 yards in total offense, and the Chargers got four field goals from Nate Kaeding, including the winner with two seconds left to beat the Cardinals 33-31. Philip Rivers threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns for San Diego, and Vincent Jackson caught four passes for 92 yards and both touchdowns. The Chargers held a 24-17 lead when Rivers left in the third, and expanded it to 27-17, but the Cardinals came back to take the lead with just over a minute left on a 5-yard TD pass from Shane Boyd to rookie receiver Matt Trannon. But, Billy Volek drove the Chargers 53 yards in seven plays, and Kaeding booted it through from 37 yards to give San Diego their second win of the preseason. Matt Leinart continued his impressive preseason, as he went 10 of 16 for 196 yards and an 80-yard scoring pass to Anquan Boldin, who made five catches for 143 yards. But, the Cardinals’ defense continued to struggle to make stops, as Arizona has now given up 93 points (79 offensively) in three preseason games, all losses.

Sunday

In Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 247 yards in his half of action, and the Steelers held off rookie QB Kevin Kolb’s attempts to bring the Eagles back, in picking up a 27-13 win. A touchdown run by Willie Parker and two field goals by Jeff Reed gave the Steelers a 13-3 halftime lead. Led by Kolb, the Eagles tried to make a comeback in the second half, pulling within 13-6 in the third, then after Kevan Barlow’s run gave the Steelers a 20-6 lead after three, Philly scored late in the fourth to pull within 20-13. They got the ball back with plenty of time left on the clock, and looked like they were headed for the end zone, as the rookie signal-caller drove them inside the 30, but a 78-yard scoop and score put the game away for Pittsburgh. Kolb was 26 of 37 for 242 yards and a touchdown, while Donovan McNabb was 5 of 11 for 60 yards.

Tonight it’s the Falcons hosting the Bengals, as Atlanta will play the same day as their fallen star plead guilty to dogfighting charges. It’s all on you now, Joey Harrington, to make the team and the fans put Vick behind them, or at least in the back of their minds.

The action is heating up, and we’re less than two weeks away from the start of the season. It’ll be a short week from here, as the teams will get just a few days to prepare for their final tuneups before the regular season openers.

Week 3 of the preseason gets underway tonight with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road at the Green Bay Packers, and the New Orleans Saints on the road at the Kansas City Chiefs.

We’re just two weeks away from the start of the regular season, and it can’t get here fast enough. We’re going to start seeing more of the starters in the last two preseason games, but that means we’ll be seeing more caution, because no one wants to get their starters hurt this close to the start of the season.

This week features several matchups between in-state foes. There’s the Cowboys-Texans matchup at Reliant Stadium on Saturday, which I’ll be covering as usual, from start to finish. Along with those matchups, the Giants take on the Jets at the Meadowlands, the Ravens take on the Redskins at Fedex Field (I was tempted to call it RFK Stadium for a second), and the Eagles go to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on Sunday night.

Outside of the NFC East, the Bucs take on the Dolphins in Miami. Monday Night Football will see the Falcons on national television on the same day of Michael Vick’s plea hearing, taking on the Bengals at the Georgia Dome. I’ll take a wild guess and say that the announcers might spend more time talking about something Vick-related than talking about the action on the field.

Here’s the complete Week 3 schedule.

Thursday

Jacksonville at Green Bay
New Orleans at Kansas City

Friday

Tennessee at Buffalo
New England at Carolina
St. Louis at Oakland

Saturday

Detroit at Indianapolis
Tampa Bay at Miami
Baltimore at Washington
San Francisco at Chicago
New York Jets vs. New York Giants
Dallas at Houston
Cleveland at Denver
Minnesota at Seattle
San Diego at Arizona

Sunday

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh

Monday

Cincinnati at Atlanta

Dallas, Detroit, Green Bay, and Miami will all be putting 2-0 starts on the line this weekend, and the Patriots, Colts, Bengals, Chiefs, and Cardinals will be looking to get their first wins of the preseason. Somehow, I don’t think the Colts, Patriots, and Bengals are too worried about going 0-2 their preseason starts, because they’ll likely be getting the wins when they really count. And, for the Lions, Packers, and Dolphins, we’ll know before long if the preseason is their high point of the year.

And, an injury note that won’t wait for today’s news roundup - CB Terence Newman likely won’t play in the last two preseason games because of a strained heel. The injury kept him out of the Broncos game, and I figured he’d be back for this weekend, but since it’s a strain, Wade Phillips is going to give Newman a couple of weeks to rest and recover so that he’ll be in tip-top shape for the season opener vs. the Giants. Aaron Glenn is the probable starter in his place.

I’ll have more Dallas and NFL news later on, and tomorrow,I’ll preview the Texans game and have the weekly ‘Hub Headliner’ feature. It’s a little late this week, since I’ve been running around like a headless chicken trying to take care of a lot (including a new site that will be launching in the next couple of days), and some things have had to be pushed back. But, I’m catching up now, and I’ll most certainly be here this weekend.

Ready to Roll?

WR Terry Glenn has missed three weeks of practice, and the first two preseason games, after a right knee scope. It doesn’t appear as if he’ll play at all in the preseason, but the reports are that he’ll be back in action immediately afterwards, according to both SI.com and the Cowboys’ official site.

The latter article also mentions that Bobby Carpenter saw some time at outside linebacker today in practice and will play there some on Saturday at Houston. Given Greg Ellis’ extended absence, it’s the right move, says the head man.

“We have to be realistic, too, and so we worked Bobby a little bit outside and we’ll play him some in this game outside for that very reason,” Phillips said. “We still need three outside ‘backers that can play. I think with Bobby there, we’d have three for sure.”

Carpenter has been making the transition to inside linebacker after playing outside linebacker in both the 4-3 (in college) and 3-4 (his rookie year as a Cowboy), so it doesn’t hurt to have him back at his old position at least until Ellis returns. And, speaking of Ellis’ return, it’s still not known when he’ll be back, but when he does come back, Wade Phillips has confidence that he’ll be just fine.

“He knows what to do. He hasn’t been in this defense but he’s a football player and he’s played outside backer. We tell him to ‘go get’em’ and I know he’s going to do that. He knows what to do.”

Big Money Barber?

Looks like someone has been getting career advice from T.O. Barber’s new agent is none other than Mr. ‘Next Question,’ Drew Rosenhaus.

Considering how big of a year this is for him, I suppose it’s the right move for MB3. If he wants to get paid, he’s picked the right agent. And, there’s a good chance to make that happen after this season. If Rosenhaus thinks his guy should get paid, he’s going to try to get his guy paid, whether it’s in Dallas or somewhere else. Barber’s going to be a restricted free agent (I tink I missed the boat on remembering that fact when talking about Jones and his contract year), so there’s the chance he could attract some nice offers. The season and the progression of contract negotiations (which are sure to be interesting) will determine a lot about whether or not the Cowboys are going to be in a position to re-sign him, or if they’ll be letting him (or Jones for that matter as well) go. The timing is right as well, since the odd man out and San Diego’s Michael Turner should be the top free agent backs (and maybe top free agents overall) come signing time. Given you have two backs capable of getting big money, it’s panning out to be an either/or situation.

Oddly enough though, Rosenhaus also represents Julius’ brother Thomas, who made an offseason move to the Jets, who gave him a four-year, $20 million extension after they picked him up in a trade with the Bears. Now wouldn’t it really be something if the younger Jones added his name to Rosenhaus’ client list? Anything could happen…

Are You Serious, or Just Bored?

Tim McMahon over at the Dallas Morning News must have a lot of time on his hands right now. He’s offering up many a tidbit, including his opinions on who the Cowboys 53-man roster will be (here), and on Michael Vick’s future, offering up the bold prediction that Vick will not only return, but he will return as a wide receiver…for the Cowboys.

It’s not that off-the-wall, given the history of characters that have come through Dallas. And hey, maybe he’ll have made wise use of his time in prison, and come out a better, smarter Vick. And, if/when he does return to the field, anything could happen. But, whether or not the Joneses would want to take a chance on him would depend not only on the position he’ll be playing and their needs there, but also on if he does indeed wisen up behind bars.

Now, as far as the 53-man roster goes, I’d like to see them keep Matt Moore and the loser of the Gramatica/Folk battle on the roster, replacing offensive lineman Joe Berger and WR Miles Austin. Cory Proctor looks like the backup center, so Berger might be the odd man out. And, Austin hasn’t exactly shined in the preseason, and with all that the team is investing in Isaiah Stanback’s development and potential, that could make for a really tough decision to put Austin on the practice squad in favor of keeping someone else at another position. But, given how important receiver depth is, keeping at least six receivers might be the way the staff chooses to go. Austin survived the final cut last season, and it looks like it’ll come down to that again to see if he keeps his spot on the roster.

Warren Off the Market

The Broncos traded defensive tackle Gerard Warren to the Raiders yesterday. Warren was a starter both years for the Broncos, but with them changing to a two-gap system, Warren was the odd man out. Denver had been shopping him around, and was going to release him had a deal not been made.

The pick in the deal is a fifth-rounder, and is contingent on whether Warren actually makes the team. And, considering Oakland’s depth at DT, that’s not a certainty, and even if he does, he may be buried on the depth chart unless he can really impress.

Warren would have been a nice option to help fill the Cowboys’ depth needs at DT, because he’s a tackle that likes to penetrate and get to the ball. But, a trade would have been a hard sell, given both the Broncos’ needs and what Dallas would likely want to hold on to. If he’d been released, then there’s a good chance Dallas would have pursued him, though Washington and Indianapolis were mentioned as the teams that were definitely interested in signing him.

But, there’s no telling how his mindset is after the way things ended with the Broncos, so it may well have worked out for the best.

Crybaby?

Following some comments by Broncos safety John Lynch that the Cowboys supposedly broke the preseason code of ethics by playing too aggressively, there’s been a response from a fellow safety, as reported here.

“”He has his thoughts on things, but it’s football and that’s how it’s played: at full speed,” Cowboys free safety Ken Hamlin said. “We’re going out to get ourselves and this defense better. We’re going out like it’s the real deal.”

And, Jason Ferguson echoed his teammate’s sentiments.

“Sometimes you have to see how those blitzes look,” Ferguson said. “[Lynch] saw a lot of guys flying around blitzing, but all you have to do is look at Wade Phillips’ defense — period.”

You could understand Lynch’s comments, to a point, but only a small one. But, come on John, you can’t get mad just because your opponent’s just trying to run their scheme and do what they have to do to get ready for the season, just like your team is (or at least should be). I’d expect the same from Denver. There are, of course, certain things that you shouldn’t do in a preseason game that could potentially hurt someone, but the Cowboys didn’t cross the line in that respect.

Besides, coming from a guy who’s made his living playing without limits (and has gotten in trouble for it on more than a couple of occasions), it seems pretty silly to even say anything.

RB Controversy?

Based on Marion Barber III’s impressive performances in the first two preseason games, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is running a poll today on whether Barber or current starter Julius Jones should start, or if it should be a combination of the two. Right now, the voters seem to think that it should continue to be a steady diet of both, with that accounting for nearly half of the votes. It is worth mentioning though, that of those who have voted for one of the two, Barber has more votes.

More on Vick

Opinions are differing on Michael Vick’s post-prison situation. Some, like MSNBC.com’s Michael Ventre, say that Vick deserves a lifetime ban. Others, like the DMN’s Jean Jacques Taylor, say that Vick deserves another shot at the NFL once he gets out of the pen.

I said yesterday that there’s a pretty good chance Vick will return to the NFL, given how forgiving it has been in the past. But, in the end, it’s up to commish Roger Goodell to make that decision. At this point, we don’t really know how forgiving of a person Goodell is, or what the initial punishment from the NFL will be. It could be that Goodell will have his suspension run along with his prison sentence, or he may hold off on starting his suspension until after he’s out. And, while that suspension, whatever, and whenever it is, won’t be any less than a year or more, and there’s the chance that Vick could be banned for life. It might sound excessive and unforgiving, but it’s not out of the question.

We’ll know more after Vick’s plea hearing and sentencing, which will take place next Monday in Richmond, VA.

Also, the Chiefs and RB Larry Johnson have finally ended their stalemate by agreeing on a five-year extension. Johnson will now be paid $45 million over six years, including a guaranteed $19 million. I’ll take a few mil of that, thank you very much, Larry.

And, the Eagles have cut LB Jeremiah Trotter. He’ll find a home before long, I’m sure. He’s only 30, and is still racking up tackles like he has been all of his career, so some team with a need is going to pick him up.

Well, Michael Vick’s going to the slammer.

With the evidence mounting against him, and his cohorts turning on him, trying to stand firm and go to trial was looking like less and less of an option. But, as CBS Sportsline’s Mike Freeman says here, you don’t just plead to crime you didn’t actually commit.

And, in the statement released today, there was some semblance of a confession to the crime. So, that takes care of the guilt part.

Sentencing is next week, and then we’ll find out just how stiff of a punishment he’ll be facing. One thing’s for certain though is that we won’t be seeing him for a little while, maybe for the next year, or at worst, the next five years or so.

But, does this spell the end of his NFL career? Freeman certainly doesn’t think so, and I agree. Talent can override many things, including a criminal record, as long as you’re not Rae Carruth or Art Schlichter (some people never learn, do they?). Despite all of his shortcomings, Lawrence Taylor is still glorified as one of the league’s most respected and loved players. The NFL has had a tendency to be the most forgiving of the major sports leagues, because we’ve seen guys like Lawrence Phillips get far more chances than they may well have merited.

Whether or not Vick will be effective, or even a quarterback when he returns, is up for debate. The person Freeman spoke to said that Vick would be back, but instead of making handoffs, he’d be taking handoffs, as a running back. That doesn’t seem like too outlandish of an idea, considering his skills as a runner could potentially make the transition to running back easier than it would be for him to get acclimated to a new offense (when, well, he never really seemed to get a full grasp of the offenses he’s been a part of in Atlanta).

It’s almost a given, though, that his Falcons career is all but over. Falcons owner Arthur Blank didn’t sound too hopeful when discussing Vick over the weekend, and you can’t really blame him. He’s put up with a lot from Vick in the past year, and when the quarterback prospects for next year are plentiful, it’s time to start fresh. Besides, when there’s a chance when Bobby Petrino could be reunited with his former QB at Louisville, Brian Brohm, that makes it all the easier. Or, there’s Kentucky’s Andre Woodson, or Hawaii’s Colt Brennan, or Michigan’s Chad Henne, or USC’s John David Booty, or Boston College’s Matt Ryan, who are all among the nation’s most talented quarterbacks.

And, you can bet if Joey Harrington finally proves himself to be a consistent, winning quarterback, there’ll be at least one care package addressed to Vick at his new home.

But, as many jokes as you could make about the situation, it’s really a sad story. This guy has all the talent in the world, and has needlessly squandered it, just because he couldn’t keep his competitive juices confined to the field, or within the bounds of the law. And, you know, for the longest time, we thought Michael was the good one, the one that tried to keep Marcus on the straight and narrow while he was going and wielding guns and stomping on defenseless players.

Guess we were wrong about him, or maybe he just did a pretty good job of hiding until it caught up with him. You know what they say, and it’s certainly true in this case - You can run, but you certainly can’t hide.

After going 2-2 in the first real week of the preseason, the NFC East went 3-1 this week.

The Eagles beat the Panthers 27-10 on Friday, and on Sunday, the Giants beat the Ravens 13-12 in Baltimore. It was mostly a battle of field goals, as the Josh Huston kicked two for the Giants and Matt Stover and Rhys Lloyd accounted for all of the Ravens’ points. Eli Manning was 10 of 13 for 114 yards and the game’s only touchdown, a 10-yarder to rookie Steve Smith. Another rookieAhmad Bradshaw, led the Giants in rushing with 70 yards on seven carries.

The only loss of the weekend was the Redskins’ 12-10 home loss to the Steelers. Washington led all game long, but Pittsburgh kicked themselves into the lead with 1:31 left. The ‘Skins mounted a potential game-winning rally, and got to the Steelers’ 26, but an interception in the final seconds put an end to their hopes to stay unbeaten on the preseason. There were some worrying moments for the Redskins, as QB Jason Campbell limped off after taking a hit to the left knee in the first quarter. Fortunately, it was revealed to only be a bruise. He was lucky, but two others weren’t. LB Marcus Washington dislocated his right elbow, and WR Mike Espy suffered a ruptured kneecap. Washington could be ready for the season opener, so it’s not a huge blow. However, Espy is out for the season with his injury.

After two weeks, the Cowboys are the only team in the East that’s 2-0, with the others all at 1-1.

There were seven other games on Saturday. The Cowboys’ next opponent, the Texans, won 33-20 at Arizona. It was an offensive affair, as the Cardinals outgained the Texans 436-391. Both teams’ starting quarterbackers performed very well. Matt Schaub rebounded from a subpar preseason debut and went 9 for 12 for 108 yards, while Matt Leinart was perfect in his stint for Arizona, going 7 for 7 for 70 yards.

The rest of the scores:

Detroit 23, Cleveland 20 - Jon Kitna was 12 of 16 for 137 yards and a touchdown for the Lions, who improved to 2-0. Brady Quinn went 13 of 20 for 155 yards and two touchdowns in his preseason debut. You’re welcome, Cleveland, and please don’t forget the nice return gift. Don’t crown him as the savior just yet though; he’s only played one preseason game.

Jacksonville 31, Tampa Bay 19 - The Jaguars scored 24 points in the second quarter to propel themselves to their first victory of the preseason.

New Orleans 27, Cincinnati 19 - The Saints picked up their first preseason victory with a road win over the Bengals. Drew Brees was 6 of 6 for 55 yards, and the duo of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush both scored touchdowns in the first half for the Saints.

San Diego 30, St. Louis 13 - Philip Rivers was 9 of 13 for 82 yards and a TD for the Chargers, who picked up the road win in the Gateway City. Marc Bulger was 8 of 12 for 79 yards and was intercepted once in his stint for the Rams. LB Stephen Cooper was a tackling monster, as he racked up 12 tackles in the win.

Green Bay 48, Seattle 13 - The Packers stayed unbeaten with an absolutely dominant home win over the Seahawks. Green Bay scored 28 points in the second quarter to break open a 10-3 game to lead 38-13 at the half. The Packers had two defensive touchdowns in the second quarter, both on fumble returns. Brett Favre was 7 of 12 for 74 yards and a TD, and backup Aaron Rodgers threw two TD passes. Rookie receiver James Jones had two second-quarter TD catches. Shaun Alexander had only three carries for three yards, and Matt Hasselbeck didn’t play.

San Francisco 26, Oakland 21 - Thomas Clayton scored on a 1-yard run with 47 seconds left to give the 49ers the win at home in the Bay Area battle. 49ers starting QB Alex Smith was 8 of 12 for 106 yards and a touchdown. Daunte Culpepper had a strong performance and helped himself in his hopes to be the starter while JaMarcus Russell’s contract negotiations continue to drag on, going 6 of 8 for 75 yards and two TDs.

The last game of the week takes place tonight, as the Bears and Colts tangle in Indy in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI. Yay?

Two close games, two routs in last night’s preseason action.

In Philly, the Eagles lit up Carolina for 24 first-half points en route to a 27-10 win. Donovan McNabb was 6 of 9 for 138 yards for the Eagles, whose three quarterbacks accounted for nearly 300 yards passing. Tony Hunt ran for two touchdowns in the first half, which was a show in dominance by the Eagles’ offense and defense. Lito Sheppard also had an INT return for a TD in the first half, off of Jake Delhomme. David Carr was 7 of 13 for 111 yards and ran for the only Panthers touchdown.

In New England, Tennessee came back from a 17-7 halftime deficit to win 27-24. John Vaughn’s 22-yard field goal with 1:45 was the winning score for the Titans. It was a mistake-filled game for New England, as the Patriots threw four INTs and fumbled three times (but recovered them all). Tom Brady was 10 of 19 for 145 yards and a touchdown, but threw two of the picks. Vince Young, in his preseason debut, was a woeful 5 of 17 for 102 yards.

At the Meadowlands, the Vikings scored three defensive touchdowns in a 37-20 beating of the Jets. Darren Sharper and Chad Greenway had first-half interception returns for TDs, and Brian Robison had a fumble return for a TD in the third quarter for Minnesota. Former Cowboys QB Drew Henson was 4 of 9 for 33 yards for the Vikings, and Adrian Peterson ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Jets had more yards (315-230) and first downs (22-14), but four turnovers cost them mightily.

In the lowest-scoring game of the night, Atlanta picked a up 13-10 road win at Buffalo. George Cooper’s one-yard TD catch from Chris Redman with 2:38 left was the winning score for the Falcons. Joey Harrington was 4 of 7 for 31 yards and an INT. Former Cowboys kicker Billy Cundiff kicked two field goals for Atlanta.

Nine games are on the slate tonight, highlighted of course by the Broncos-Cowboys matchup tonight at Texas Stadium. The game starts at 7 p.m. CT.

If the Dolphins keep this up, they might not need a kicker.

Miami picked up their second straight one-point win, improving to 2-0 with an 11-10 win over the Chiefs tonight in K.C. (no, I did not get a Royals boxscore mixed up with this one…the Royals would take at least a couple of games to score that many runs).

And, for the second straight game, a late touchdown and two-point conversion won it for Cam Cameron’s crew. Also, for the second straight game, RB Patrick Cobbs and QB John Beck had something to do with it. Against the Jaguars last week, the former UNT back scored the touchdown and the two-point conversion with under four minutes to play for the decisive scores. The late drive was led by the rookie second-round pick Beck.

This week, Cobbs scored on a 7-yard run with a little over four minutes to play, and Beck scored the two-point conversion.

Beck is #3 on the depth chart, and Cobbs is trying to avoid being on someone’s practice squad. But, what they’ve done in the last two weeks might give Cameron some extra options when the Dolphins are in late-game situations. Don’t go and pick them up for your fantasy team yet though. While Beck is more than likely going to be Miami’s #1 within the next few years, the rookie from BYU is going to spend some time developing behind Trent Green before he gets his shot. And, right now, he’s still trying to beat Cleo Lemon out for the backup spot. As far as Cobbs goes, unless a rash of injuries (or a rash of rashes) happens ahead of him, he likely won’t see the field much, if at all, in 2007, unless it’s in practice. Now, if each keeps coming up big, that might change, so we’ll see.

I don’t know if we’ll see Miami even attempt two 2-point conversions during the regular season, since it’s being used as a way to avoid overtime in the preseason more than anything, but hey, if they try one against the Cowboys in Week 2, we know who they might turn to if they do.

Well, that’s it for the preseason action from tonight, and from me as well. I’m pushing the resumption of the defensive preview back until the morning or the afternoon. I’ll also be doing some pre-game notes for the weekend, and maybe, just maybe, a little something else. Buuuuuut, we’ll see what the day brings, and what the news offers up for me to ramble about.

It’s a packed weekend of preseasion action, and even though it is still just the preseason, there are some pretty intriguing matchups.

Tonight the Dolphins take on the Chiefs in Kansas City. New Dolphins QB Trent Green makes a quick return to the city that he left just a couple of months ago after a long, drawn-out trade saga. And, we may finally see the return of Priest Holmes, who was one of the best running backs in the league just a few seasons ago, but has missed most of the last couple of seasons with serious head and neck problems that looked as if they’d end his career. He may not be able to displace Larry Johnson to get his old job back, but if he can at least show some of the pre-injury Priest Holmes, the Chiefs will have a formidable rushing attack.

The matchup of the week, however, is the rematch of Super Bowl XLI, between the Bears and the Colts in Indy on Monday night. There won’t be any trophies handed out for winning this one, and we won’t see much of the starters after a little while, but we don’t have to worry about rain dampening the excitement this time around.

The rest of the week 2 schedule:

Friday

Minnesota at New York Jets
Tennessee at New England
Carolina at Philadelphia
Atlanta at Buffalo

Saturday

Detroit at Cleveland
Oakland at San Francisco
Seattle at Green Bay
Pittsburgh at Washington
San Diego at St. Louis
Houston at Arizona
New Orleans at Cincinnati
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville

Sunday

New York Giants at Baltimore

There are some interesting regional matchups, with the Raiders and 49ers and Bucs and Jaguars. There’s also the Mike Holmgren return to Green Bay matchup as well.

And, last but first, the Cowboys take on the Broncos on Saturday in their second and last home game of the preseason. I’ll have a more in-depth look at the matchup as we get closer to the game.

Thus far, the NFC East is 2-1 in the first official week of preseason games.

On Saturday night, the Redskins scored 14 points in the final 1:14 to knock off the Vince Young-less Titans 14-6 in Nashville. The Titans led 6-0 in the fourth after Rob Bironas and John Vaughn had kicked field goals in the first and fourth. But, with four minutes left, third-string quarterback Todd Collins (he’s still playing, believe it or not) led the ‘Skins on a seven-play, 75-yard drive by going 5 for 5 for 61 yards, and Marcus Mason scored from a yard out to give Washington a 7-6 lead. Less than half a minute after the Titans got it back, the Redskins wrapped it up on a miscue by Tennessee. Center Lenny Harris couldn’t hold on to a bad snap, and Bryan Westbrook recovered the ball in the end zone. Jason Campbell was 6 of 14 for 104 yards for the Redskins, and backup QB Tim Rattay was 13 of 21 for 123 yards in place of Young, who was benched by coach Jeff Fisher for a violation of a team rule (apparently he didn’t quite feel like staying with the team at the hotel, and spent the night before the game at home instead).

Also on Saturday night, the Panthers defeated the Giants 24-21 at the Meadowlands. All of the scoring took place in the first three quarters, and a second-quarter field goal by John Kasay ultimately proved to be the difference. Taye Biddle was the real difference maker, with both of his catches going for touchdowns of 23 and 85 yards. His 85-yard TD catch from third-string QB Brett Basanez put Carolina up 24-14 in the third, and that deficit would be a bit too much for New York. Eli Manning was 3 of 5 for 27 yards and a first-quarter touchdown to Jeremy Shockey.

The action so far has been pretty tight. Ten of the first fourteen games of Week 1 were decided by four points or less, with three being decided by one point.

The performance and game of the week (thus far) has to go to the Detroit Lions and their trio of quarterbacks, who accounted for 497 passing yards in their 27-26 win over the Bengals. Even with second-round pick and likely future starter Drew Stanton shelved for the season due to injury, J.T. O’Sullivan and Dan Orlovsky showed that they aren’t to be forgotten. O’Sullivan threw for 225 yards and a touchdown, and Orlovsky, threw for 220 and two touchdowns, and led the Lions on a huge comeback. Shaun McDonald had 146 yards receiving and an 83-yard TD catch. Detroit was down 26-10 with 10 minutes left, but scored 17 unaswered points in a wild finish to win.

The game appeared over when an Orlovsky pass was picked off and returned 81 yards for a TD, but the third-year QB from Connecticut would redeem himself in a big way. Orlovsky immediately led the Lions down the field and threw his first touchdown with seven minutes left, and then, after a defensive stop, Kyle Larsen’s punt was blocked with four and a half minutes remaining. Orlovsky drove the Lions from the Bengals’ 48 to the 7, for a 24-yard field goal with 2:48 left. Then, after recovering the onside kick, the Lions were in the end zone in only two plays. Orlovsky connected with Kevin Kasper for 30 yards, then again with Kasper for a seven-yard touchdown. The Bengals proceeded to drive down the field, and had a chance to win it, but Shayne Graham’s 48-yard field goal attempt with no time left saild wide left, and that was that.

A lot of people may think the preseason is boring, and they have a point, since it’s mostly backups playing, but there’s still plenty of action and excitement to get us all revved up for when the real action begins.