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The NFL’s offseason Super Bowl is in the bag, and now comes the undrafted free agent signings. We should know who else we’re bringing in by the end of the night. For now, let’s look at the NFC East draft picks. All teams in the East have just stacked up talent with this draft. Its going to be another challenging year.

 Dallas Cowboys:

#22: Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
#25: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
#61: Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M
#122: Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
#143: Orlando Scandrick, CB, Boise State
#167: Erik Walden, DE, Middle Tennessee State

New York Giants:

#31: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
#63: Terrell Thomas, CB, USC
#95: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
#123: Bryan Kehl, OLB, BYU
#198: Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky
#199: Robert Henderson, DE, Southern Miss

Washington Redskins:

#34: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
#48: Fred Davis, TE, USC
#51: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
#96: Chad Rinehart, OT, Northern Iowa
#124: Justin Tryon, CB, Arizona State
#168: Durant Brooks, P, Georgia Tech
#180: Kareem Moore, CB, Nicholls State
#186: Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii
#242: Rob Jackson, DE, Kansas State
#249: Chris Horton, FS, UCLA

Philadelphia Eagles:

#47: Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame
#49: DeSean Jackson, WR, California
#80: Bryan Smith, OLB, McNeese State
#109: Mike McGlynn, OT, Pittsburgh
#117: Quintin Demps, FS, Texas-El Paso
#131: Jack Ikegwuonu, CB, Wisconsin
#184: Mike Gibson, OT, California
#200: Joe Mays, ILB, N. Dokata State
#203: Andy Studebaker, OLB, Wheaton
#230: King Dunlap, OT, Auburn

The NFL Draft for day one is in the bag. I liked the new streamlined format, made for more excitement and sped up the draft. Here’s what the NFC East did today:

Dallas Cowboys

#22: Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
#25: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
#61: Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M

New York Giants:

#31: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
#63: Terrell Thomas, CB, USC

Washington Redskins

#34: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
#48: Fred Davis, TE, USC
#51: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma

Philadelphia Eagles

#47: Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame
#49: DeSean Jackson, WR, California

All around, the NFC East did not get any easier by any means. The NFC East as a whole had a great draft filled with immediate impact players. This is why this is the toughest division in the NFL. Tomorrow we’ll see the 3rd-7th rounds. The Cowboys currently have the #92, #100, and #167

I know we haven’t played the most explosive football in recent weeks, but we have been winning games. We still need to come out as the aggressor, the homefield needs to be rocking, none of that wimpy non-existent cheering we’ve seen in other “big” games this year. You guys better show up for our boys.

One thing that I keep coming back to in this game is that we own Eli Manning, we have his number. We know it, and he knows it. He will come in the clutch and choke it up. I envision a return of our offense from the middle of the season; that of, pure explosion in the 2nd half. T.O. will play, Crayton is pumped, Witten is ready to take his All-pro game to the next level, and Romo wants this game more than anyone.

Romo has set goals to make up for the big let down last post-season, and he’s come full circle to this first game. The job is incomplete and he’s going to take us to the big game.

Get pumped! Go Cowboys!

We already knew the Cowboys would win this game, but penalties made this game closer than what it should have been. Penalties have been our crux ALL year long, and against better teams we won’t have a chance. So, fix the penalties or call it in. 8-1 or not, penalties like the ones we had last night will not hold up against real teams like the Colts, Patriots, Steelers or Packers.

I like the win last night, but man, we have alot of concentration issues, and I’m not sure these will get resolved. We’re past the half way mark and the same story over and over again, stupid penalties. There’s not a team out there that has been us this year, we are the real deal, the Patriots did not beat us either, we beat ourselves into the ground with poor decisions and horrible penalties. There isn’t a team out there that we cant beat, we have to overcome the penalties

BOXSCORE 

Thank God for the Boston Red Sox and their sweep of the Colorado Rockies. The quick end to the World Series brings an end to the long drawn out baseball season. Here’s to you Beantown! Congrats.

Now, its time for Football coverage 24/7 fullspeed ahead.

The Cowboys go back to work, and will be looking at taking out the Eagles on the road. The Eagles have been having a rollercoaster season, but when the Eagles play the Cowboys all season records go out the window. This is a bitter rivalry, and this will be a close game. With McNabb and Westbrook in the game its never a guaranteed win. The Eagles still have a decent defense, and the offense is led by Westbrook. The Eagles resemble the Vikings in my opinion. They have a better QB, but they also have a solid dual threat with Westbrook as a RB or WR. Their receivers are horrible, same as the Vikings, so this game will come down to the Cowboys slowing down Westbrook and over coming drive killing penalties.

The Redskins got obliterated by the Patriots, it wasn’t even close, this somewhat gives us a guage how we stack up the the Redskins. At least we made the game competitive and had a lead in the game. We lost that game because of our own mistakes, the Redskins just got whipped all game long.

The Giants had some problems against the lowly Dolphins, but a win is a win. I expect another battle when we face the G-men in NY.

Its a boring week with the Cowboys on their Bye Week. Thankfully though, we have some bye week news to keep our minds busy. The latest rumor hitting the net is Chad Johnson. Its believed Chad Johnson will NOT be with the Bengals next season. The Bengals will probably move the receiver in a trade or release him. There will be a market for Chad’s services, and look no further than Dallas for a potential landing ground.

Jerry Jones is seeing what the Patriots are doing on offense, and you can bet that Jerry wants the same, and adding Johnson would make our offense even more devastating than the Cheatriots. The thing about this scenario is money and the cap. We have ALOT of contracts that need to be attending to this offseason, core players like, Marion Barber and Tony Romo to name a few. Then you have players like Patrick Crayton and Keith Davis that play important roles, but could be seeking greener pastures. There’s going to be alot of money being spent this offseason.

The Greg Ellis Effect

The DMN Blog has this to say about the re-emergence of DeMarcus Ware:

Another pressure player emerging — The concern was whether another pass-rusher would emerge to take pressure off DeMarcus Ware. Rookie Anthony Spencer was solid, and Greg Ellis looks almost as good as ever. Ware was quiet the first two weeks, but he’s been a beast since then.

Anthony Spencer will develop this season, he’s shown flashes and still brings the pressure, but its clear that Greg Ellis is a boss at OLB, he’s back, he’s the real deal and has always been solid with the pass rush. DeMarcus Ware can thank his latest successes on the return of dominance, Greg Ellis. We saw it last year, and this year just proves that with Ellis in the lineup, Ware gets more pressure. Ellis is a great asset.

Start Hatcher

That’s all that needs to be said. How much longer is Phillips going to keep Jason Hatcher from starting? Hatcher is clearly the player we need at DE. We need to stop teams on their opening drives, we need more pressure, and that means Hatcher. Hatcher is a playmaker on defense, he brings the heat, and has a high motor. Seriously, start Hatcher already. I’m gonna take a twist from T.O.’s “Getcha popcorn ready” and give Hatcher his one liner he can use in locker room interviews: Getcha gurnies ready

The Rest of the East

While the Cowboys are off this weekend, the rest of the East will be on the road and they will have their hands full. I look forward to watching these losers lose in their games this weekend.

Giants @ Dolphins: The Giants should win this game, but the Dolphins will play them hard, and they will not let them win easily. Should be a decent game. Go ‘Fins!

Eagles @ Vikings: The Eagles have fallen on hard times this year, and will probably play spoiler towards the end of the season, as they are on pace to having a losing season, they could knock out someone in the NFC East race down the line. The Vikings probably win this game at home. They have a good defense, and Peterson should be able to run over the Eagles. After another Eagle’s loss the “start Kevin Kolb” drums will beat louder. I love it.

Redskins @ Patriots: The Patriots are going to destroy the Redskins, we’ll be taking notes, and when we play the Redskins we will destroy them as well. The Redskins don’t have a chance in this game. I hoping both teams get beat up though. I can’t stand the Patriots and Belicheat, and I really hate the Redskins even more.

The Cowboys season starts today. The Cowboys hobble into the 1st game battered and beat up at key positions, but are still expected to win this game. There are no excuses come kickoff time. On paper, the Cowboys still have the better roster. The key will be which teams wants this win more, the Dallas Cowboys or the NY Giants.

Here are the Keys to Victory:

Turnovers are atop the list. Which ever teams has the most turnovers will lose this game. This means, Patrick Crayton better not muff any punts, and better secure the ball after the catch. Crayton has been known to fumble after he trys to gain those extra yards, scary. The receivers better know their routes, so that Romo does not throw an INT where a WR was suppose to be. Romo better not fumble around with the snaps.

Penalties will happen in every game, but you want to keep them to a minimum.

Fast start, Strong finish are important. In the past, the Cowboys have come out and immediately sent out consecutive 3 and outs. We CANNOT have that. The first drive needs to be definitive and needs to end with a touchdown. Establish the run, but keep the aerial attack on pace. If we lead the game, we need to finish strong and put the Giants away. Too many times in the past we just let teams hang around, and in some cases, these teams pulled out the win. Play to finish, crush the opponent, suffocate them until the game is over, don’t be finesse out there.

Get pressure on Eli Manning and we will have the Giants reeling as they return to NY. Ware will bring the pressure, but I want to see Hatcher in the game with great frequency. I don’t want to see Ware as the only guy out there and Spears out there wasting his pass rush. Get Hatcher out there and make something happen.

Giants @ Cowboys
NBC 7:15 PM CST
Texas Stadium
NFL.com Gamecenter

The Rest of the NFC East:
Dolphins @ Redskins 12:00 CST
Eagles @ Packers 12:00 CST

Join us for LIVE GAMEDAY discussion on the message boards!

There’s no denying that this has been one of the most brutal preseason injury riddled seasons the Cowboys have had in years, and Terry Glenn is the latest to be injured, possibly the most worst off from the bunch. Key positions lack depth,lack quality and fans remain worried. Still though, Wade Phillips is having none of it and has relayed the message to his players:

“As far as our team is concerned, it’s a blow certainly not to have him this ballgame,” coach Wade Phillips said. “We expected to have him. I’ve told them all along there are no excuses and we’re not cry babies. … There’s no crying in football.”

Terry Glenn has a career threatening decision to make soon:

According to sources, if Glenn has an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, he could miss a few weeks, but if he has a micro-fracture surgery, then he will not play in 2007 and his career could be in jeopardy. There is no guarantee the arthroscopic surgery will fix the cartilage problem. (DMN)

I’ve been saying all along that between Glenn and Owens, Glenn has the most wear and tear and he’ll be the first of the two to call it a career. Unfortunately, Glenn’s run may come soon than we or he had hoped.

The Cowboys have promoted Crayton to the #2 WR, and Hurd will be the #3WR. Both Crayton and Hurd have looked good in the preseason. Crayton has the best hands on the team, so he’ll make those tough catches that Glenn has made all his career; however, Crayton and Hurd lack Glenn’s gamebreaking deep threat speed. Its a luxury, but not a requirement in Garrett’s offensive scheme. Austin and Stanback round out the backups, I doubt they see any significant playing time. Austin made this team because of his special teams specialty, his skills at WR are suspect. We don’t want our receivers running wrong routes and causing Romo to throw an INT. Stanback is a project, and the jury is still out on him.

With all this being said, the Cowboys could still be in the market for some more experience, and former Patriots starting WR Reche Caldwell could be an option:

The agent for Reche Caldwell, who caught 61 passes for 760 yards and four touchdowns last year in New England before being cut by the Patriots this summer, said he spoke with the Cowboys on Thursday. Phillips is also familiar with Caldwell, who played for the Chargers from 2002-05.(DMN)

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs is talking mad smack, and he’s in for a rude awakening. Jacobs said the Giants were going “whip their (butts).”

Giants fans are going to know how bad their season is going to be once we shut him down. Jacobs is a goal line, short down back. Like I said in earlier in the week, Jacobs is what Hambrick was to us a few years ago. These guys are short yardage guys.

Several Cowboys defensive players commented on Jacob’s stupidity;

Chris Canty: “To come out and say that, that’s pretty bold,” defensive end Chris Canty said. “He’s in the NFL. He’s a good football player. But there are certain things you just don’t say. You can feel that way, but you don’t put it out there in the media.”

“Just go ahead and put some gas on the fire,” Canty said. “If that’s what you really want to do.”

Jason Ferguson said the Cowboys would “do their talking on the field” and linebacker Bobby Carpenter responded with a “We’ll see.” (DC.com)

Jacobs is going to get lit up every time he gets the ball, I can’t wait to see that.

Madden NFL 08 Forecast is back, and has predicted a Cowboys victory 34-17.

I’m going to break down who has the stronger starting rosters in this upcoming game. The player in bold is the better player, and bold italics means even, at their respective positions.

OFFENSE 

QB: Romo vs. Manning

RB: Jones & Barber vs. Jacobs & Droughns

WR: Owens vs. Burress

WR(2): Glenn vs. Toomer

WR(3): Crayton vs. Smith

TE: Witten vs. Shockey

FB: Hoyte vs. Douglas

LT: Adams vs. Diehl

LG: Kosier vs. Seubert

C: Gurode vs. O’Hara

RG: Davis vs. Snee

RT: Colombo vs. McKenzie

DEFENSE

DE: Spears vs. Strahan

DE: Canty vs. Umenyiora

NT: Ferguson vs. Cofield/Robbins/Joseph

LB: Ware vs. Kiwanuka

LB: James vs. Pierce

LB: Ayodele vs. Blackburn

LB: Spencer vs. Mitchell

CB: Newman vs. McQuarters

CB: Henry vs. Madison

FS: Hamlin vs. Wilson

SS: Williams vs. Butler

K: Folk vs. Tynes

P: McBriar vs. Feagles

KR: Thompson & Austin vs. Moss & McQuarters

PR: Crayton vs. McQuarters

On offense, we clearly have the better offensive line, and our WR/TEs are superior to the Giants as well

On defense, the Giants clearly have the better DEs, Ferguson is the better player at the NT/DT spot, After DeMarcus Ware, the LBs corps of the Cowboys and Giants are close, I think we split at CB; however, we clearly have the better safties. I think our kick returners are better, but we’re even at punt return.

Field position is key in this game, and actually an area of concern for me. Our special teams coverage has looked worse this preseason than in previous seasons. I’m not sold on Bruce Read as our ST coach. He put together some solid units at the collegiate level, so hopefully this will get fixed for us. Game 1 will reveal alot.

Yes, Newman is banged up, but he’s determined to play against the Giants. Tomorrow Newman, will get the injection to numb up the inflammed area at the bottom of his foot, he will test out planting, bump and go, his speed, and man-to-man. Once its shown that he can play through the pain, he will play.

In my eyes, Newman is old school. He’s a Parcells guy through and through, no disrespect to the current regime, but Newman was Parcells first draft pick in the first round in Parcells first year in Dallas. Parcells coached players on all levels, and very hands-on, and I’m positive he enstilled the tough as nails attitude into his players. Newman has the “play through the pain - tough guy attitude” for the field of play, in the same veign of Jason Witten. These guys step up and play even if they are banged up.

Newman will be there on Sunday Night, so get ready. Having Newman really bolsters the defensive secondary, and will let the defensive schemes be alot more aggressive. Reeves will be the starting Nickel back when Newman is on the field, so that’s good as well. Reeves is a solid #3 CB for us.

If, for whatever reason Newman does not play, this bumps Reeves to #2CB, and allevates Nate Jones as the starting Nickel back, and that means, uh-oh time, seriously. You can’t even sugar coat the implications of that.

Jerry Jones commented on Newman’s progressions:

“I really liked his response today,” Jones said Wednesday of Newman. “We’ll see how he feels in the morning. Those things are sore in the morning. I know he’s going to do everything he can to play. We’re hoping we can get him out in the actual team (practice on Thursday).

“He was pushing off and then would push off and then come back a little while later and push off again. He did some things today that when he pushed off a little yesterday were a little more sensitive yesterday than today. So it was an improvement from yesterday.” (DC.com)

In the end though, if Newman does not play, I still have my money on Jason Garrett’s offensive schemes to do more than Kevin Gilbride’s, hence the “W” will go to Big D.