Parcells' 3-4, he was asking his front three guys to be two-gap players, meaning muscling up with the guy in front of them to remain responsible for the gap on either side. That means those guards got free releases the majority of the time.
There is only so much of a beating a guy can take.
So me, if I'm going to spend a little cash in free agency on a backup type, that guy would be a nose tackle, if there are any legitimate ones left. And I won't dismiss using a first-day draft choice on some 330-pound dude either.
More beef the better.
Sure doesn't seem likely the Cowboys will match the restricted free-agency offer sheet Ryan Fowler signed with Tennessee, and they officially have until Monday to decide. But what's to decide, because basically guaranteeing $5 million cash this year to a backup linebacker/special teams player seems a tad extravagant for a guy who, yes, led the club with 24 special teams tackles, but had only three defensive tackles all year . . . . Received tons of e-mails claiming the Cowboys pulled the trigger too quickly on Drew Henson, releasing him this past summer after only two seasons. Well, Henson, who could do no better than sign onto the Minnesota practice squad last year for six weeks, was re-signed by the Vikings - for one year, at the third-year minimum of $435,000. Sounds to me more like a third-round shot and a miss . . . . Speaking of former Cowboys quarterbacks, Quincy Carter began training camp on Tuesday with the Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings of the af2, and that's the Arena Football League's minor league. Now chances are he'll stick here since his only competition is rookie quarterback Gary Cooper from Grambling State. Plus, the head coach, Jon Norris, spent time in Dallas as a Desperados assistant. Season opens April 7 . . . .
Oh my, bad timing for Richie Anderson, getting stung in a police prostitution sting in Phoenix, Ariz., where he was just hired as the Cards' wide receivers coach. New head coach Ken Whisenhunt had little choice but to fire Anderson for evidently soliciting what turned out to be an undercover police agent at a swanky resort hotel for sexual favors . . . . More former Cowboys news: Darian Barnes just signed with the New York Jets after spending last year with Miami, and guard Matt Lehr, who signed with Atlanta last year before serving a four-game suspension for violation the league's steroid and banned substance policy, is drawing interest from Miami and the Giants . . . . Saw where quarterback JaMarcus Russell put on quite a passing display Wednesday at LSU's pro day workout, completing, by rough estimates, at least 70 of the 75 passes he was asked to throw in front of some 200 NFL personnel guys. He had even dropped nine pounds from the combine, checking in at 256 . . . .
And finally, it seems Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is spending a lot of time defending Terrell Owens, reiterating for the umpteenth time he plans to fund the $3 million roster bonus come June 1 to retain his rights. And when asked about participating in the team's off-season workouts, Jones said basically that will depend on where he is "in his recouping" - meaning how far along he is rehabbing. But when that was taken out of context, and it was suggested that he was saying there is a chance Owens wouldn't be around, Jones said succinctly, "No I didn't say that. I didn't say that at all. This is like I read he didn't know his plays. It's crazy. We ought to look at the coaching if he didn't know his plays. That's who I'd blame for that. And I don't blame the coaches. He knew his plays." . . .
If it's not one thing, it's another.
Parcells had this one right: Less said about the guy, the better.
