Wouldn't you just die if he turned into Wes Welker? . . . And this rookie free agent Daniel Polk, listed as a wide receiver from Midwestern State. He was the quarterback up there at the former Cowboys training camp site, another guy trying to make the conversion to receiver . . . . And did you know Maryland running back Keon Lattimore, coming here as a rookie free agent, is the half brother of Ray Lewis, and evidently having a little too much linebacker speed prevented him from being drafted? . . .
You guys keep asking who is going to take over for former head of scouting Jeff Ireland since he's been gone a good couple of months, leaving to join Bill Parcells in Miami. Well the answer still is assistant director of college scouting Tom Ciskowski. Said Jerry Jones after the draft about Tom, who already has taken over many of Ireland's duties, "I really do give him a good grade" for his work during the draft, and would go on to say, "We're lucky to have him." So how about a logical promotion then Jerry so you can keep him? "It's coming," he said . . . . Jerry Jones, and even Wade Phillips, seem to be taking exception to people calling Felix Jones a part-time back, seemingly all ready to invoke the Eric Metcalf label on him as some sort of specialty back. "He's not a scat-back," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said, and Jerry Jones would remind you Felix is 5-10, 207. Not built totally the same, but recall Emmitt Smith came into the league at 5-9, 199 . . . . Maybe things will be different with Adam Jones, but it seems guys who were headaches elsewhere, no matter how much they might turn themselves around, still can produce another migraine or two. See Terrell Owens, figuring he had washed his hands of the Eagles. Not so much. The Eagles are suing him now for $770,000 in bonus money they insist he never repaid after his 2005 suspension . . . .
The Cowboys were all ears over the weekend on a deal for a veteran wide receiver, you know, the Roy Williams and Chad Johnson stuff. Even Anquan Boldin. But nothing ever materialized, or at least, nothing serious from the Cowboys' point of view. So no matter what you might have heard or hear, says Stephen Jones when asked about if he saw any serious chances to deal for one of those veteran types, "Did not see a serious one. Might have been serious in their minds, but B.S. in mine." . . . And as long as we're on the subject of B.S., when asked about working on potential long-term deals for Terence Newman, Ken Hamlin and Marion Barber, Stephen said the club certainly would like to get those done when the timing is right, but that "It takes two to tango. But when they're way up here," holding an open hand above his head, "we can't tango", if you know what he means . . . . Oh, and about finding a receiver to pair opposite of Owens, be it in next year's draft or free agency or whenever, Phillips quipped, "We are working on cloning." Hey coach, might be easier . . . .
And speaking of Chad Johnson, who is saying trade me or I'll sit, see what happens when one guy gets that bright idea? Now Cincinnati's starting offensive tackle Levi Brown, the former first-round pick, wants out, evidently not on board with the coaching going on out there and figuring if it's right for the goose then it's right for the gander, too, and might as well throw his hat in the ring. The Bengals must draw a deep line in the sand or next T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be next in line and then . . . . And evidently the Bengals are serious about not giving in, since they selected wide receiver Jerome Simpson out of Coastal Carolina in the second round and receiver Andre Caldwell out of Florida in the third, knowing they already had cut Chris Henry and are calling out Johnson on his threat . . . . And while we're looking around the league, I'd say Atlanta has permanently washed its hands of the imprisoned Michael Vick after using the draft's third pick on quarterback Matt Ryan.
Think about the issues brought up before the draft that were dead wrong. Remember what I tell you about being the first to throw mashed potatoes against the wall hoping something sticks? The Cowboys were going to trade up with Miami for the first pick in the draft so they could select Darren McFadden. Not. The Cowboys were going to trade up with Oakland to the
