His poor impulse control and a seasonal bout with injuries  are the pair of reasons that he is not held in the same esteem as other young gunners such as the Atlanta Falcons Julio Jones and the Cincinnati Bengals A.J. Green.

Bryant told ESPN that he has undergone a growth process that will better him as a person and as a player.

“I found myself,” Bryant said Tuesday. “I’m comfortable with my life. I’m enjoying being in the NFL. I wish it could’ve been a couple years back, but I had to go through a couple of things to figure it out. I think I got it and I’m just more focused on my job and doing what I love to do and that’s playing football.”

Dez Bryant attributes his growth to various mentors that have shaped his outlook.

“Listening and looking at people who do it right,” said Bryant when asked what has helped him turn a corner in his life. “When I was younger it wasn’t like I was acquainted with all that stuff. I wasn’t used to it. I had to get around people who do it right and I feel like that’s been my stepping stone, these older guys.”

Bryant seems to understand that the NFL is a business and he must act like a professional.

“This is my job,” Bryant said. “This is something I love to do. I don’t worry too much about if I’m comfortable or not. I’m all in. I’m focused on other things, that’s just being right and helping out the younger guys.”

If Dez Bryant has sincerely arrived at this place, he has the potential to return the Cowboys to postseason success.

It is time to show and prove.

Video: Dez Bryant and his goal of 2,000 reception yards

The post Dez Bryant: I found myself appeared first on Players View.

The word surgery tends to freak people out.

Seeing that Romo just collected a fat $108 million contract extension from the club, its important to note that this procedure won’t impact his long term status.

That out of the way, the Dallas Morning News is reporting that in April, Romo had a cyst removed from his back.

He was experiencing a degree of pain and decided to get it taken care of.

Tony Romo discussed the situation.

“It was something I felt like was nagging me just enough,’’ Romo said. “I wanted to make sure to get it done now. I wanted to take care of it earlier rather than later.’’

“If this was the regular season and I had to play next week, I could,’’ Romo said. “This is just about being smart.

“That’s why I did it now. This will have no effect on training camp. No way will it have an impact. And I still think there’s a good chance I’m on the field for mini-camp.’’

Tony Romo played off the severity of the issue.

“It was not much of anything,’’ Romo said. “I just went in and had them look at it. It was more of an ache than anything. I just thought, ‘well, it’s something I’d rather not feel.’

“I’d rather be 100 percent, not 96 percent. It’s done and it’s made me feel better.’’

Romo is currently cleared to throw the football but is not cleared to work with the team during OTAs.

His current timetable for recovery is three weeks.

This should get him onboard for mini-camps which start on June 12.

“I’m excited,’’ Romo said. “Over the last month, I got my juices flowing even more.

“I’m amped up and ready to go.’

The post Tony Romo has surgery,out three weeks appeared first on Players View.

Jones has always used colorful terms to describe the state of his team.

When he spoke with the Star-Telegram at the NFL Scouting Combine he went as far as to say that the Cowboys are “in a rut that is akin to lying dead in a coffin.”

He won’t find a lot of people who will disagree with his assessment.

The logical thing is to take the head off the problem and fire his head coach Jason Garrett.

Jones has elected not to make that move but instead stated that he has given Garrett what amounts to one more chance.

“This thing has been a big disappointment the last couple of years. I’m not satisfied. We’ve got to start knocking on the door. So there is a lot of resolve and not a lot of patience, and Jason knows that.”

The Cowboys did make various coaching changes at other levels that Jones feels could solve the problem.

“I think we have changed,” Jones said. “I’m positive and I feel good we have changed. I feel good where this thing sits right now. I’m not in a good mood. I’m not in a bad mood, but I’m sure not up here celebrating.

The post Jerry Jones:Dallas Cowboys are in a rut that is akin to lying dead in a coffin. appeared first on Players View.

In a state-of-the-union video that is posted on the Cowboy’s website, Jones discussed many things.

The most telling of which is that after another mediocre season that was tainted with heartbreak for Jones and his fanbase, he still believes in his head coach Jason Garrett.

“I saw things in our head coach that really give me a lot of promise for not only 2013 but for years to come,” Jones said. “I’m excited about Jason Garrett.”

What did he see that was any different than any other year?

Did he see how his team won a few games here and there in spite of Garrett’s poor clock management and bumbling playcalling?

It’s not an accident that the Cowboys offense gained momentum when they went no huddle.

If there was ever a time for Jones to cut bait with Garrett and run towards another choice this was the year.

Jones also spoke on the various coaching changes that were made per Garrett.

“He did the evaluations,” Jones said. “He basically said, ‘Jerry here’s who I want to get.’”

“This was a change of commitment,” Jones said. “We had to honor the commitments we had in coaches, all of that ultimately ended up, frankly, being pretty expensive. But at the cost of, or the sacrifice of, not being able to improve, that was trite, in my mind.”

What’s really  pretty expensive is the wasted payroll spent on players that have yet to meet their maximum potential thanks to a lack of serious direction.

I am personally neither a Cowboys fan nor are they a rival of either of the teams that I root for.

The game itself is bigger than that anyway.

You hate to see a cornerstone franchise such as the Dallas Cowboys stumble along as something of a joke.

Jerry Jones is a loyal man.

His loyalty is ultimately not only going to cost him money.

It’s going to cost him a lot of pride.

At the turn of the off-season, there were rumors that Jones was trying to push Garrett out the door.

That does not seem to be the case and that is to bad.

Jones’ inability or unwillingness to do what must be done is why fans at large are suggesting that the Cowboys are no longer America’s team.

Sound off

The post Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones continues to stand by Jason Garrett appeared first on Players View.

If they can find an edge to help them achieve their goals, they will use it until somebody says that they can’t use it anymore.

Legendary Cowboy Tony Casillas went on the Elf& Slater radio show and was quoted in  the Dallas Morning News as stating that that the 90′s-era Dallas team took it to the horse stable when they went looking for some bounce back.

“When I heard about deer antler spray, when I heard that, I said, ‘That’s nothing,’” Casillas said. “We used to use this stuff called DMSO. That’s what veterinarians put on horses, on a muscle, so this is stuff that you can rub, and we used it in the locker room. We had a bottle and you’d take it. It goes straight to the bloodstream.

And I’m not sure about this deer antler stuff, but, I mean, it was prevalent in our locker room. It’s called DMSO. You get it from the veterinarian and it goes right to the bloodstream. It’s an ointment that’s like anti-inflammatory. You put it on your skin and you put it on a muscle, and I guarantee you, in about 30 minutes you’d feel it. It wasn’t on the list. If you’re going to talk about the deer antler stuff, we used DMSO and people knew it. Everyone knew about it.”

To this day DMSO is not listed on the banned substances list as listed by the NFL Players Association.

The so-called miracle drug must not be that serious as all of these years later, no one has thought to step up and do something about its use.

What is a little more suspect is that Casillas didn’t just deflect the question.

What is the point of  dropping dime now?

The post Tony Casillas claims 90′s era Dallas Cowboys used horse treatment appeared first on Players View.

On Monday,the team issued a statement by former Cowboys player Calvin Hill, who works as an consultant in the Cowboys’ player development program.

“Having recently experienced the most tragic of circumstances regarding this issue, we, as an organization, understand the ultimate consequences of driving while impaired.

We know that one incident is too many.

The critical goal is to effect the decision making process in the hours before the wrong decision is made.

Our player assistance programs in the areas of preventing incidents such as these are at the highest level in professional sports, but we are always looking to do better and for ways to improve.  We will continue to draw upon the best expertise and resources available, both internally and from outside the organization, to work toward being the best in the areas of education, prevention, and effecting the right decisions.

We have been in communication with Jay Ratliff regarding this incident, and we will monitor the legal process and work within the NFL guidelines for player behavior moving forward.”

Ratliff reportedly met with owner Jerry Jones after the Senior Bowl.

It’s no secret that the pair have had a very incendiary relationship.

Don’t be surprised if Ratliff’s name is now a part of those changes that Jones has promised to bring to the team this off-season.

Ratliff is still owed the bulk of the $48.625 million deal that he signed in 2011 that featured $18 million in guaranteed money.

Looking at the allegations against him, it will be hard for Jones to justify keeping him around.

The details on ESPN read like a dramatic scene from a public service announcement.

Ratliff was allegedly not the guy that gets pulled over and went quietly into the night.

At one point he was reportedly verbally abusive with the arresting officers after he sideswiped an 18-wheeler and slammed his truck into a median.

He was also not a little drunk.

Ratliff was reportedly twice the legal limit.

This from a 31-year-old man that had a front row seat to the worst case scenario from this type of behavior.

The post Jay Ratliff DUI details emerge; Dallas Cowboys issue statement appeared first on Players View.

The Dallas Cowboys have let their energetic defensive coordinator go after two seasons with the team.

Cowboys are parting ways with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. A big change they alluded to!

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 9, 2013

Rob Ryan in Turks & Caicos and was fired on cell phone by Jason Garrett. “They want uncomfortable,” Ryan said. “I’m comfortably numb.”

— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) January 9, 2013

Ryan also commented to ESPN.

“I inherited a team that was 31st in the league in defense and made them better,” Ryan said. “I (expletive) made them a hell of a lot better. I’ll be out of work for like five minutes.”

“I think I did a good job and I think our staff did a good job on defense trying to compete with what we had at the end of the year,” Ryan said. “But the best job we did was when we were able to coach our starters.”

Ryan is the last person that is to blame for the Cowboys’ hardships.

Owner Jerry Jones spent this season as he has many others frustrated at his team’s results.

Yet Jones often ignores the two elephants in the room.

Those being head coach Jason Garrett and his quarterback Tony Romo.

Garrett has failed to blossom into next gridiron genius that he was touted to be.

In fact his poor time management skills and cumbersome play-calling have cost the team as many as two games a year since he took over as Wade Phillips’ assistant head coach.

Garrett has plenty of fine ideas but he has yet to figure out how to turn them into gold.

Dez Bryant’s breakout came as more of a result of Bryant pushing the button on his raw physical gifts than a dream package that Garrett put together.

The tape does not lie.

As for Romo, how many passes will Jones grant him before he comes to the understanding that he is the second coming of Danny White?

Jones may want to win with Romo so bad that the fiber of his being hurts.

But he won’t and he will continue to buy tickets to the same movie until he makes a change at the quarterback position.

Ryan on the other hand held that defense together with duct tape and toothpicks due to injuries.

He lost his key linebackers and defensive lineman and his unit still managed to rank 19th overall in total defense.

That is not a jump-for-joy stat but out of 32 teams it’s nowhere near the bottom.

It looks like once again, Jones has bet on the wrong horses.

Thanks to Dallas Sports Rant.

The post Rob Ryan is out of Dallas appeared first on Players View.

Want More Video? Click Here To Watch PV-TV

The post PVTV: Cranky Cowboys Fan Blows Up His Tony Romo Jersey appeared first on Players View.

2012 has seen him deal with both injuries and a recent case of fumblitis.

Despite both issues Murray has racked up 587 yards and four touchdowns in the 9 games that he’s been a part of.

He recently told ESPN Dallas that his turnovers are the furthest thing from his mind.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” said Murray, who has three total fumbles on the season. “Last week was last week, two weeks ago was two weeks ago. I don’t worry about mistakes. I don’t worry about good plays or if a bad plays happens, it’s erased, once a great play happens, it’s erased. I have a short term memory, good, bad, negative (and) positive. I just move on and try to make a play the next time.”

“For me, when you start ingraining into someone’s head thinking about it, talking about, ‘Hey you need ball security.’ That’s when you start thinking about it and that’s when fumbles tend to happen,” Murray said. “(Skip Peete) knows, he’s a great (position)coach and he knows how to get his guys ready and I know the ball is important. You got to keep it and keep it away from them, turnovers can hurt you. I just try to play hard and try to play fast.”

Murray will certainly figure in as a key piece of Dallas’ attempt to win Sunday’s winner take all contest.

Players View Prediction

Adrian Glover:  I am about to do something that I very rarely if ever do.

Wade Thompson: What’s that ? Pick the Cowboys?

Adrian Glover: Something like that. I am open to it. If you frame the entire game in the context of all four quarters, Dallas certainly has the logical advantage.

I rarely ride with the Cowboys because the average NFL game is pretty close.

The league has done a great job with parity in that regard.

Close games ensure putting Tony Romo in a situation where you are asking him to close out a game.

And in Tony I do not trust. There are mountains of evidence that support that argument.

However, looking at the whole pie, it  feels like Dallas has the opportunity to get up on the Redskins and stay up on them.

Wade: I feel what you are saying. When we start talking about playoff football and make no mistake about it, this is a playoff game, stats go out the window.

We like to get our numbers out to justify our opinions but now we are talking about what’s in a man’s heart.

I don’t see any player playing with more heart in the second half of the season than Dez Bryant.

Adrian: Ding! That is what I am saying. We will have to wait until the off-season to gauge how he behaves without team structure but as a player he is finally living up to the number on his chest.

Wade: We both watch all of the games after the week is over to go back and study what happened outside of the moment.

And what I noticed is that Dez is finishing his routes now.

That lack of effort that was there earlier on has been replaced with complete and total commitment.

Adrian: Agreed.  The smartest thing the Cowboys could have done was taking him off special teams full-time.

So you have Dez who can blow through anybody in the Redskins secondary.

DeMarco Murray is back in the fold and he will make a big difference.  He can help Dallas control the clock when they need to.

On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys obviously have the better secondary and for the plays that DeMarcus Ware does play, I expect that he will get after RG3.

Wade: You think he can factor into the mix?

Adrian: I am pretty sure that Rob Ryan is smart enough to limit him to just  passing downs. There’s nothing wrong with his feet, he can get to the quarterback and wreak havoc in that regard.

His shoulder becomes an issue if they deploy him to stop the run.

Expect to see him when they need big stops on third downs.

Wade: Washington, you have to give them credit. At one point, coach [Mike] Shanahan wrote them off for the year. They as a team got back into the mix.

Adrian: I could not agree with you more. At this point of the year the game becomes really, really real. Like grown man football.

Neither RG3, Kirk Cousins or their running back Alfred Morris have faced this situation before.

There is a lot of veteran help on that team but I see them getting completely swallowed by this moment.

RG3 is a special talent but let’s be real with ourselves.

Thus far he has shown that he’s pretty frail.

I need to see him get his tail kicked physically and make it out of that kind of game without a boo-boo.

I don’t feel comfortable saying that when the chips are down he can survive a rabid defense and win a game with his gut and not just his talent.

Dallas lost the Thanksgiving game, I just don’t see them dropping this one.

What concerns me the most about the Redskins is that they don’t really have that number one receiver.

Wade: Pierre Garcon is a great number two. He just has a few things that he can do really well. I agree with you there.

Adrian: The Redskins defense can be had man. I am telling you Dallas can come out and sprint to 21 points in the first half and if Washington fails to keep up, the Cowboys can play comfortable.

When they are comfortable they win.

Wade: You say that with so much regret in your voice. I know you hate to pick Dallas.

Adrian: It’s not that. My team’s not in that division. I have no skin in the game. What you are hearing is the sound of pure shock that I am picking Dallas to win a critical game.

Mutual Pick: Dallas to win the NFC East

The post Predicting Cowboys at Redskins;Demarco Murray talks fumbles appeared first on Players View.

Dallas Cowboys legend Drew Pearson has now become ” that guy.”

Pearson told radio station KESN/ESPN Dallas via the Dallas Morning News  that the Cowboys should do whatever it takes to lay waste to Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III on Sunday even if it costs the team penalties.

“We gave RGIII a lot of confidence playing against the Cowboys in our first game here in Cowboys Stadium so we need to take it to him,” Pearson said. “We need to let him know that it’s not going to be that easy or we’re not going to lay down for them and we’re not intimidated by him.

The way you do that is you go out on that field and you knock him around. Even if it costs you a 15-yard penalty, and I’m only saying this if it’s not a critical situation or anything. Sometimes you have to deliver that kind of blow and that kind of message to let him know it’s going to be like this all day and not a walk in the park. We need to establish this with RGIII and the Redskins as well.”

Pearson also talked about how exited he is for the game and the history behind it.

“I’m so fired up,” Pearson said.  ”This is the way it used to be back in the day. Most of the time, we were playing for the NFC title. It never really came down to where we played a game like this where if you win your in. These guys have to Google this or go back in time to understand the importance of this rivalry… The reason it was so intense back in the day was because it was always us or the Redskins vying for that NFC East title.”

Just about everything that Pearson said is cool except for the penalties rhetoric.

In a game of this magnitude a 15-yard penalty between two teams that have both lost games under dubious circumstances can easily swing the outcome.

Pearson pre-qualified by saying ‘ critical situation.’ But when it’s win or go home, the entire game is a critical situation.

Nobody loves ridiculously painful hits more than the guys at Players View but as Herman Edwards would say, ‘ you play to win the game.’

The post Drew Pearson says Dallas should punish RG3; even if it means 15-yard penailties appeared first on Players View.

On Monday owner Jerry Jones stated that the team supported and encouraged defensive tackle Josh Brent’s sideline appearance after he was charged with manslaughter by intoxication is the death of a teammate.

“Our team and our players wanted him today on the sideline,” Jones told the Star-Telegram. “Jerry’s mother asked us directly as a group. She said, ‘Support him. Help him. He needs your help. Jerry wants that. I want that.’ His teammates asked him to come and be down there with them.”

Note that Jones said team and players wanted Brent there.

On Tuesday, the Cowboys have stated to ESPN that they are in agreeance with the league that it was “inappropriate’ to have him there.

The Cowboys then took it a step further and painted a picture that Sunday’s real truth was that neither coach Jason Garrett nor owner Jerry Jones knew that Brent was in attendance on the team’s sideline until after the game had started.

To directly quote Ed Werder’s piece: “The game had already begun when Garrett realized Brent was on the sideline, and owner Jerry Jones didn’t know until he saw Brent on television.”

The controversy that the situation sparked was justified and to offer an opinion, I feel that Brent should not have a place on any NFL roster in any way, shape or form.

But to ride a wave of comments and intentions based on spinning the court of public opinion with something like this smacks of Dallas’ brass picking and choosing their spots to milk whatever they can out of this based on what option painted them in the best light.

The post Cowboys brass backtracks from initial comments on Josh Brent’s apperance appeared first on Players View.

Brent is currently charged with intoxication manslaughter as it pertains to the death of former teammate Jerry Brown.

Both Brown’s family and the Cowboys have been swift to embrace Brent and not isolate him from everyone’s grieving process.

Regardless of their personal choice there are those that feel as if allowing Brent to enjoy the benefit of public recognition on the Cowboys’ sideline is the wrong move to make.

Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones commented on the team’s decision to envelope Brent with positivity.

“Our team and our players wanted him today on the sideline,” Jones told the Star-Telegram. “Jerry’s mother asked us directly as a group. She said, ‘Support him. Help him. He needs your help. Jerry wants that. I want that.’ His teammates asked him to come and be down there with them.”

Brown’s mother Stacy Jackson urged the team to “give your brother love,” as he copes with the tragedy that he was involved with despite the gravity of the decision that he made on Dec. 8.

CBS analyst Boomer Esiason is particular expressed a special brand of disgust called the move “disgraceful.”

During pregame, Esiason said: “Football players are an example and Josh Brent is the worst of those examples.”

Jones also stated that he understands that “there’s the other side of the coin” as it relates to Brett.

Cowboys’ coach Jason Garrett provided further insight stating that everything was “initiated by our players” and assembled to oblige Jackson’s preferences.

“She considers Josh a son and she loves him very much,” Garrett said. “We’re going to try and support him every way that we can.”

What do you think? Should Josh Brent be allowed to participate in team activities?

The post Dallas Cowboy’s Jerry Jones explains Josh Brent’s sideline apperance appeared first on Players View.

Because the Dallas Cowboys are in the playoff hunt, Bryant told ESPN that he will risk permanent damage to his left index finger to help his team make the post-season.

“The position that we are in, that makes me want to be out there,” Bryant said. “If there was anything less than what we got a chance of, I would have went ahead and got surgery.”

“It is a mental thing,” Bryant said. “I felt like if I go out there and am worrying about my finger, about catching the football, there is no need for me to be out there. I went out today in practice as if there wasn’t anything wrong with my finger. I feel like that’s my mindset about it.”

“What we’ve got going on, in my eyes, it’s very special,” Bryant said. “I just want to see where we go. I’m not predicting anything. I feel like we’re doing what we do. We’re playing some really good football right now. Let’s see where this takes us.

“It was just all about, I feel like I need to be out there. I want to be a part of the team. I want to go through everything I possibly can to see if I’m OK to go out there and play. I feel like I’m good.”

Bryant has been on fire since the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving loss to the Washington Redskins.

Like the Skins quarterback RG3, Bryant’s talent will direct the trajectory of his team’s direction for the remainder of the 2012 season.

One man does not make a team. But one playmaker certainly might.

Tell us what you think below.

The post Dez Bryant is taking a risk for playoff run. appeared first on Players View.

Despite the Steelers ugly loss to the Chargers upon his return to the lineup, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took a dig at Dallas’ title when asked about Tony Romo.

“He plays for ‘America’s Team,’ right?”

Roethlisberger laughed as he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that, “I think the Steelers are the ‘World’s Team.’ ”

What do you think?

The post Ben Roethlisberger scoffs at Cowboys as America’s Team; calls Steelers World’s Team appeared first on Players View.

Bryant broke his left index finger during Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Reports surfaced just after the injury occurred that Bryant could be shut down for the year.

After that tidal wave of ifs and maybes subsided, definitive answers are coming forth.

The NFL is stating that Bryant will try to play with a splint on his finger and that he is awaiting medical clearance to do so.

The primary concern is that continued play without surgery could inflict permanent damage upon Bryant’s finger.

Either way Bryant will require surgery at some point.

In this day and age we have rightfully become more in tune with the injuries that players sustain.

Their future merit is considered to be the long game.

What is the short game for Dez Bryant?

The only way that the Cowboys can get into the playoffs is if they win their division.

To win their division, the Cowboys must win each contest and pray for slide by both the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins.

Sucking it up and showing up as a big time football player will repair a public perception that Bryant is selfish, immature and very much a thug.

That is the short game for Dez Bryant.

NFL lore is loaded with tales of guys like safety Ronnie Lott who will be forever immortalized for his ability to ignore a gruesome injury that involved his finger.

No one is suggesting that Bryant should sever a portion of his finger to keep playing.

It’s just being put out there that Bryant has a career-defining moment ahead of him.

If the docs turn him loose, he can step up, take his career to another level and leave the past behind.

The post Report: Dez Bryant will try to play through difficult injury appeared first on Players View.

Wideout Dez Bryant could be done for the remainder of the season.

The team’s website is reporting that Bryant may have a torn ligament in his left index finger that may require surgery.

Bryant injured the finger in the fourth quarter of the team’s dramatic win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

After the game Bryant indicated to the press that he would be OK.

That apparently may not be the case and it would not be the first time that Bryant has been placed on injured reserve since turning pro.

Bryant could not finish the 2010 season due to an ankle injury.

If this is worst case scenario, Bryant would join a now lengthy list of starters that includes middle linebacker Sean Lee on the shelf.

The post Dez Bryant may be done for 2012 appeared first on Players View.

Brent was charged after a car crash early Saturday that killed Brown, a linebacker on the Cowboys’ practice squad, who was a passenger in Brent’s vehicle.

Local police said Brent was taken into custody after the incident, in which a car he was driving hit a curb at a high rate of speed and flipped at least one time before landing on a service road at approximately 2:30 a.m.

Brown, a 25-year-old Illinois teammate of Brent’s, was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Police said Brent was booked into the Irving City Jail on a count of intoxication manslaughter after undergoing field sobriety tests at the scene of the accident.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry’s family and all of those who knew him and loved him.”

This is not Brent’s first DUI-related offense. According to ESPN, he spent time in jail while playing for Illinois.

Brent was due to play extensively against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

The post Dallas Cowboy charged in death of teammate appeared first on Players View.

He was the kid that wasted his elite talent.

He was the kid got into legal trouble.

He became the man that wasted his money making-it-rain in the club.

He’s been the free agent that nobody ever wanted because of his bad attitude.

We can go on and on and on.

Yet somehow life as a Cincinnati Bengal has been a good and most importantly…quiet fit for him.

Both his head coach Marvin Lewis and his defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has more or less pulled off a miracle working with him.

“We reinforce the positives, and we get the things we need to get out of their game out of their game so that we have an opportunity to be successful and win,” Lewis said. “Adam has benefited a great deal from that, but he was longing for that, he needed that. That’s a good thing. We’re really getting into the inner guy that’s got so much ability and talent.”

“He kind of had to prove that he wanted to fit in a little bit to me,” Zimmer said. “Honestly he’s been good. I haven’t had one issue. He cares about playing good and trying to be a better teammate. He cares about winning and I think he cares about what I think.

“This is probably the best year he’s had since he’s been here. He’s tackling well, disciplined in the things he needs to. He can still jump off the reservation sometimes but for the most part he’s been good.”

This weekend the Bengals will play another team that took a chance on him in the Dallas Cowboys.

It was in Dallas that Jones assaulted his own security personnel after having too much to drink at a hotel party.

During the media sessions leading up to the conflict that can deep-six both teams’ playoff dreams, Jones has been remorseful in his reflections of his time with the Cowboys.

Yet he is one of many that have joined the chorus that has gone after their coaching staff according to the Bengals website.

“I was horrible in Dallas and the coaching was horrible, too; from the top down,” Jones said. “Zim is a demanding guy. He’s a technique guy and with me being a raw athlete, that’s the type of guy I need around me. The Zimmers, the Marvin Lewises, the guys that keep you grounded, that keep you in shape. Some guys get comfortable and let your technique lapse. These guys stay on you.”

When it came to discussing the probability of another Pacman freak-out, Jones stated that those days are behind him.

“That’s life. You go through things and if you don’t learn anything, you’re going to end up in the same situation. I won’t let that get in the way again. I’m just doing my job and let my play speak for itself. These guys have done a great job tuning me in to be the player I am now.”

The post Adam Pacman Jones rips Cowboys coaches as he talks redemption appeared first on Players View.

This one seems to qualify as the later for a variety of reasons until you stop to think about it.

According to the Dallas Morning News, a Georgia man has started a petition to present to the President of the United States to forcibly remove Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from his post.

“We, the Citizens of the Great State of Texas, and Dallas Cowboys fans worldwide, have been oppressed by an over controlling, delusional, oppressive dictator for way too long. Request the Executive Branch’s immediate assistance in removal of owner and GM, Jerry Jones. His incompetence and ego have not only been an extreme disappointment for way too long, but moreover, it has caused extreme mental and emotional duress.”

It should be pointed out that while the creator Steven M is credited for living in the state of Georgia, the city listed is Fort Benning which is a military base.

It stands to reason that he is serving our country on behalf of the state of Texas.

Obviously, this can’t and won’t happen.

Club Jerry will not be the site of a forcible military takedown.

What’s interesting is that at post time the petition already has 487 signatures.

It needs 25,000 to get an “official response” from the White House so perhaps this one that is listed under “Human Rights” is simply trying to be sensationalistic enough to send Jerry a message that he might want to think about hiring a GM.

The more steam this one gathers, the bigger this story will grow.

That momentum will only be fueled by each Dallas loss.

Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and DeMarcus Ware, its time to stand up for your boss.

Players View does not endorse any political action but…

Click Here To View It.

The post Cowboys fan petitions Obama to remove Jerry Jones from Cowboys appeared first on Players View.

Carter had taken over Sean Lee’s role as the on-field general that communicates the coverages to his teammates after Lee was lost earlier in the year.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Carter is due to get an MRI on Friday.

He will not be alone as cornerback Orlando Scandrick was also injured.

“We know what’s wrong with my hand, but we won’t know [about my wrist] until I get in surgery,” Scandrick said. “I am having some pain in my wrist. I don’t know what that is. As of now, hopefully I will be back before the year is over. If there is any way I can play, I will be back.”

With the way that Dallas is playing, there is not much of a year to come back to.

The post Cowboys linebacker Bruce Carter may be done for 2012 appeared first on Players View.

On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys will take part in their annual Thanksgiving show-of-strength.

This year they have a tall order to fill as their defense has to  stop the fleet-footed Heisman Trophy winner that has a cannon of an arm named Robert Griffin III who leads the Washington Redskins.

RG3 is coming off of a career day against another division rival in the Philadelphia Eagles and no stage seems to be too big for him.

This is where Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan comes in.

As he told the Dallas Morning News, he has every intention of stopping the rookie dead in his tracks.

“He is a special player,”  Ryan said. “That’s why they traded half a team to get him. Obviously, he’s a tremendous athlete and they say he is a hell of a kid. I don’t like him, but I know he is very talented. This game looks like it’s in slow-motion for him already and hopefully we speed it up a whole lot this week.”

“It’s hard to blitz a guy when you got to keep your option responsibility,” Ryan said. “When you start going off on it like that, it’s a great thing to do when it’s pass and when they don’t block it. But you have to be smart. You have got to pick your spots or those go for 76 yards like they did against Minnesota. We don’t like to play that way. We like to limit the big plays, get after them. The big thing is we have to hit these guys hard. That’s the big thing. We have big football players out there on defense and we plan on hitting them hard. And that’s what is going to happen.

“Hopefully he will have a bad Thanksgiving.”

Ryan may not “like” him but he obviously knows that he has to respect him.

The post Cowboys Rob Ryan on RG3: “I don’t like him.” appeared first on Players View.

Owner Jerry Jones who is fighting off his own poison darts defending his dual status as the team’s general manager told the Dallas Morning News that he at least understands where Bryant is coming from.

“What I see from Dez Bryant is an evolving.  And he is getting better.  He’s– better as a player.  He’s– has– certainly continues to make some mistakes, make some bad judgments out there, but he’s doing better.  He’s worth it.  He’s worth it.  Let me be real clear about that.

He can help this team win.  The same thing is true off the field.  I do see that he’s evolving.  He’s more aware.  He’s doing the kinds of things that you’d expect somebody 24 to– think about at the time, but now think about what I just said.  You’d expect somebody 24 to think about at the time.  Had a few slips when I was in that age range myself.

Jones most likely was indeed something of a problem child given his nature today. But it’s hard to envision that he would have gone so far as to threaten and possibly put his hands on his mother.

Regardless, Jones seems committed to both Bryant and Romo so fans that are expecting sweeping changes may have to consider buying some Texans gear for a little while.

The post Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Dez Bryant: He’s worth it appeared first on Players View.

#10 The Cowboys Collapse Continues

Everything about the Dallas Cowboys is in disarray as yet another season sits at the brink of disaster. They are 3-5 with allegedly enough talent to fill a Pro Bowl roster yet they consistently under perform.

The only thing about Dallas that is consistent is that they are inconsistent.

Whether it’s the erratic offensive play calling or the mood/tempo of this team, this all lands squarely in the lap of head coach Jason Garrett.

As with many tragedies there comes a little comedy such as the report that owner Jerry Jones was “locked out” of the team’s locker room after their defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.

#9 Redskins Look Ahead To 2013.

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has said some stupid things before but I can’t think of much that tops what he said Sunday after his group lost to the Carolina Panthers.

Shanahan’s post-game comments ran in the Washington Post and they reeked of defeat.

“A must-win game is to give you a chance to play for a playoff spot. At the midway point when you’re 3-5, it’s got to be a must-win, obviously, to get in the hunt. When you lose a game like that, now you’re playing to see who, obviously, is going to be on your football team for years to come. Now we get a chance to evaluate players and see where we’re at.

“Obviously we’re not out of it statistically,” he said. “But now we find out what type of character we’ve got and how guys keep on fighting through the rest of the season.”

There is a shred of optimism hiding in there but you hate to see a coach use a term like “evaluate players” at this stage of the game.

Shanahan’s biggest mistake here can be denying his rookie quarterback the opportunity to mentally believe that all things are possible.

If you are not out of it statistically, then refrain from using the e word until you are.

#8 Chicago Bears Hang 51 On The Titans

The Bears/Titans game looked like a real-time simulation of a Madden video  game. The only problems is that the personnel controlling the outcome were not evenly matched and you have to be embarrassed for Tennessee.

“In my 50 years of owning an NFL franchise, I am at a loss to recall a regular-season home game that was such a disappointment for myself and fans of the Titans,” owner Bud Adams told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “We were grossly outcoached and outplayed from start to finish today.

“At this time, all aspects of the organization will be closely evaluated, including front office, coaches and players over the next seven games. If performance and competitiveness does not improve, I will look at all alternatives to get back to having the Titans become a playoff and championship football team.”

There goes that evaluation word again. It hits a little harder when it comes from the guy that writes the checks huh?

#7 Baltimore Bounces Back

They may have shut down the lowly Cleveland Browns but after the world was predicting that the sky was falling, the Baltimore Ravens showed up and got a victory.

How they won was just as important as they got running back Ray Rice involved early and often.   Defensively they held the Browns to 15 points that were all scored by kicker Phil Dawson.

A Ravens defense that allows no touchdowns is waving from familiar ground.

#6 Christian Ponder Is In A Slump

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder’s stats from Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks are 63 yards, 1 interception, 0 touchdowns and a 37.3 quarterback rating.

This is the second time within the past three games that Ponder has failed to break the 100 yard mark in-the-air.

Receiver Percy Harvin has now passed into the ranks of the veterans. He needs to stop antagonizing his coach on broadcast TV and uplift his boy.

#5 Atlanta Can Win In A Lot Of Ways

PV has noted that at times Falcons running back Michael Turner appears to have lost more than a couple of steps.

But as shown against the Cowboys, he can still get to where he needs to go when teams are forced to blanket his team’s arsenal of weapons that can catch the ball.

Turner’s second half touchdown and 102 rushing yards put Atlanta in the win column for the 8^th time this season.

“It’s ‘football tough’” Turner told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “It’s going to be like that sometimes. We have just got to figure out ways to get better and finish and score touchdowns.”

He and his fellow backs in Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling may no longer be the team’s crutches but when all else fails, the can still set the pyrotechnics off in the Georgia Dome.

#4 Doug Martin Stomps All Over The Raiders

Tampa Bay’s rookie running back Doug Martin rushed for a franchise-record 251 yards and four touchdowns to lead his team to a 42-32 over the Raiders on Sunday.

Martin who was born in Oakland, assisted the Buccaneers (4-4) in their fight for a wildcard playoff berth as his record-shattering day breathed life into their season

Out of Martin’s four touchdowns, three were over 40 yards, two were over 65 and one of which was a 70-yard push.

Incredible.

#3 Aaron Rodgers Makes Something Out Of Nothing

Once again Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers uplifted he and his team out of dire circumstances and rolled right over the competition.

Rodgers’ favorite target in Greg Jennings was out and will be for some time, his other primary guy Jordy Nelson excited early with an ankle issue as he battles a hamstring problem.

None of that was an issue as Rodgers dialed up Randall Cobb’s number and proved that he can make anybody a star.

Cobb’s two touchdowns in the Packers’ 31-17 victory over the Cardinals proved that his desire, speed and ability are the perfect complement to Rodgers’ ability to find anyone, anywhere on the field.

Once Cobb can improve his conversion ratio of targets to actual catches, he will be yet another lethal option for Green Bay.

#2 Peyton Manning Is Peyton Manning

There is only so many times, we can use the what if’s as they pertain to Peyton Manning’s current stint as the Denver Broncos quarterback.

The fact is that Manning played four solid quarters of football against the Cincinnati Bengals despite turning the ball over.

When the Broncos fell behind late in the game, Manning came through and drove a ruthless dagger in the hearts of a good Bengals team coming directly off a bye.

For two straight games, Manning has played four quarters of football that is typically associated with his last name.

Now that the wins are coming, the sky might be the limit in the AFC.

#1 The Colts Keep On Keeping On

After defeating a surging Dolphins team to go 5-3, the Colts welcomed their Leukemia-stricken head coach Chuck Pagano into their locker room for perhaps the most emotional moment you could ever see in pro sports.

Pagano’s spirit, faith and determination obviously is pumping adrenaline through this team and they are closer than they think to being a legitimate playoff contender.

Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck may not have the headlines that RG3 is grabbing but he has a much more valuable asset in his pocket.

Andrew Luck has the wins.

The post 10 NFL Observations From Week 9 appeared first on Players View.

The story became that the rules were in fact put in place by Bryant and his team to keep things on track.

One of the most infamous demands was that Bryant could not hit the nightclubs or strip clubs.

I guess the rules may have a provision for them that states that in the case of a mid-season semi-injury that Bryant can bend them at will.

The wide receiver with the injured hip, was allegedly at Dallas hot spot Privae on Friday night getting his boogie on as witnessed by a series of tweets by the club’s visiting DJ, DJ Klassick.

Personally, I think that the entire experiment was a joke to begin with. A grown man should be able to come and go as he pleases.

That same grown man however, should also understand the value of curfews, conditioning and preparing one’s body to face an undefeated team.

Regardless as seen below, Klassick may have been forced to take down the cover-busting tweets.

Oh what a tangled web we weave.

UPDATED: Bryant’s adviser Davis Wells told ESPN that Bryant was authorized by the team to be at the club.

“He had a security person there with him and some of his teammates were there too,” Wells said.

The post UPDATED:Dez Bryant authorized to break Dez rules at club. appeared first on Players View.

Lee injured his right big toe against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and the damage will require surgery that will strike him down for the rest of the year.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Lee had multiple MRIs to confirm the extent of his ligament damage.

DeMarcus Ware may grab the headlines for the team’s defense being the monster that he is, but Lee is the team’s most productive player on that side of the ball.

He leads the team in tackles with 77 and has multiple pass defections, hits on the quarterback and generated both a fumble and an interception.

With an offense that struggles to stay on track, it’s hard to envision how the team can lose such an important cog of their machine to become a consistent winner.

With their arch-rivals the New York Giants coming to town this weekend, this certainly could not have come at a more inopportune time.

The post Cowboys LB Sean Lee is done for 2012 appeared first on Players View.

#10 The Atlanta Falcons Need To Step Up

You can only dodge bullets for so long and for the third week straight, Atlanta almost gift wrapped a victory for a team that they should have defeated.  The old football proverb about good teams finding a way to win only goes so far.

#9 The Dallas Cowboys Are The Unluckiest Team In Sports

The evidence that the Cowboys are cursed is so convincing it’s ridiculous.

But wait a minute.

Do they just find a way to collapse in crucial moments?

I’ll take curtain number two for $500.

How could coach Jason Garrett and his quarterback Tony Romo BOTH mismanage the closing seconds of their game against the Ravens is beyond me.

There is no reason why they did not run at least one more play to edge their kicker closer for the game winner.

It was sloppy, it was clumsy and it was something that even a high school group could have pulled off.

#8 The Jets (Sorta) Got Their Swagger Back

They were not crushed by the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football as predicted, they were just defeated.

They used that minimal slice of self-esteem and went back to the ground-and-pound formula that works for them and stuck it to the Colts.

The Jets may not even make the playoffs but they can at salvage some sort of dignity in this a year where they have lost a lot.

If they can pull off a Week 7 victory over the Patriots, seriously all bets are off.

#7 The Packers Showed Up For Work

Aaron Rodgers dismantled the Texans defense in the offensive display of strength that we have grown accustomed to.

They did it with an injured and disgruntled Jermichael Finley, a patchwork running game and without their number one receiver Greg Jennings.

J.J. Watt had a few moments to shine but as a whole his now mortal Texans team got it handed to them. Speaking of which…

#6 The Texans DO Need Brian Cushing

When linebacker Brian Cushing was lost for the year on Monday night, the Texans and even Cushing himself issued propaganda that stated that with or without Cushing they were as good as ever.

The Packers dismantled that theory as they tore up the second level of the Texans defense on Sunday night.

You don’t replace a guy like Cushing but they are certainly second-guessing trading ILB Demeco Ryans to the Eagles for almost nothing in the off-season.

#5 The Eagles Are Almost Down For The Count

Unless their fans, their local media and their team unites and learns to look at the bright side of things, the finger pointing is going to break the will of this team.

Yes they have not generated sacks, yes Michael Vick needs to protect the football and yes the offensive line has some work to do.

These things are the self-evident.

But with the Cowboys slipping on banana peels, the Redskins only winning every couple of games or so and a win over the Giants, the Eagles can still easily take the NFC East.

Like the song says, “Don’t Worry Be Happy.”

The post Top 10 NFL moments of week six appeared first on Players View.

The big story coming out of that game is the injuries to first-round draft cornerback Morris Claiborne and his parallel for the Ravens Lardarius Webb

Claiborne was assisted off the field late in the second quarter after he drew a pass interference call defending a touchdown.

If he does not reenter the game, it will be extremely hard for the Cowboys to stop the Ravens aerial attack led by Joe Flacco.

In the other secondary Ravens’ cornerback Webb also left the game in the first half with what appears to be a pretty severe leg injury.

As we post it’s a four-point game in favor of the Ravens.

Either the Cowboys’ Tony Romo or Flacco will take advantage of a depleted secondary to take this game over.

Players View will update these and other NFL stories as Week 6 continues to play itself out.

The post Lardarius Webb and Morris Claiborne exit the Ravens vs Cowboys game with injuries appeared first on Players View.

Lewis has recently sold a few wolf tickets in regards to shutting down the Cowboys running game and Vickers did not take too kindly to that according to the Star Telegram.

“That’s just the way he feels,” Vickers said. “I don’t remember him being Whodini or anything like that. He is entitled to his own opinion and if that is how he feels, that’s cool too. Kudos to him.”

“You see me I stay ready for whoever,” Vickers said. “Names don’t scare me man. Teams don’t scare me. I’m a man before anything. So I let other men just talk. See me in between those lines. That’s how I get it down. Like that.”

“He is Ray Lewis that’s all I know,” Vickers said. “That’s all I know. I don’t judge players by other people. I judge them how they react toward me. You can feel in a blank on that one. I played against them my whole career.

“I’m still here, standing tall, still mean, still stiff. They are going to have to jump me. You feel me. They are going to have to jump me man. That’s what it’s going to be. I’m coming with it. They know I’m coming with it. I know they’re coming with it. Let’s meet in the lines. That’s just how it goes.”

Vickers is accustomed to playing the Ravens twice a year as an AFC North veteran. He may not be physically intimidated but he should be smart enough to know that it’s not a good idea to give Lewis a reason to play inspired.

Sometimes, it’s better to simply say ‘we’ll see on Sunday’ and leave it at that.

The video below that we found from 2010 demonstrates that Vickers and Lewis have had a problem with each other for a long, long time. The ” Ray slap him” comment does not belong to PV.

The post Cowboys fullback Lawrence Vickers trades verbal jabs with Ray Lewis appeared first on Players View.

That event is the day that wide receiver Dez Bryant lives up to his hype. Bryant has shown flashes of his potential with a nice game here and there.

What the world is waiting on is for the day that the light bulb completely switches on and Dez dominates game after game after game.

Against the Chicago Bears on Monday, Bryant looked lost as he stumbled through routes on the Cowboys route tree that he should have down cold by now.

In the process he made his quarterback Tony Romo look bad and now a legend is speaking out to get the troubled young man’s attention.

Drew Pearson also wore the number 88 for the Cowboys and told the Midland Telegram that Bryant is embarrassing the number that was also worn by the infamous Michael Irvin.

“He’s not living up to the expectations that were placed on him by wearing that number,” Pearson said. “Drew Pearson took it to the Ring of Honor level and Michael Irvin took it way beyond that to the Hall of Fame level.

“When Michael and I had a chance to talk to Dez when he came in his rookie year we told him, ‘Don’t do what Drew Pearson did in it. Don’t do what Michael did in it. Do more than that.’ I know that’s a lot to live up to, but what else is there? You live up to those expectations and people will cherish you for the rest of your life.”

Pearson went onto discuss the team’s woes as a whole.

We were never this stagnant,” Pearson said. “Throughout my career we averaged at least 28 points per game and there were seasons we averaged more than 30 points per game.

“The difference is you had the same players, the same system. Coach (Tom) Landry coached me all 11 years and we always had the same playbook and same system. … Now in the NFL with the salary cap, free agency, you’re changing parts all the time. The continuity of doing the same things over and over again with the same guys led to our success. They don’t get that now.”

I usually respect my elders and never disagree with them publicly but it should be noted that there is a reasonable amount of stability in Dallas.

Now it’s time for guys like Bryant to do something with it.

The post Cowboys legend Drew Pearson: Dez Bryant is not living up to expectations appeared first on Players View.

#1) Hire A General Manager

If this were a list of the top five owners in regards to any sport, Jerry Jones is there front and center. What Jones has brought to the city of Dallas, his team and the NFL as a whole has been beyond outstanding.

But he needs to bring another voice in to serve as a go between the players, the coaches and their agents.

This point has been made before and it will be made again.

It is a crucial part of why the Cowboys despite all of their talent consistently performs at a mediocre level.

Jones can take the good cop role while his GM takes the bad cop role and brings a new layer of accountability a franchise that is dying for some.

#2 Jason Garrett Needs To Go

Garrett as a coach and a coordinator has maxed out. He has had a cache of weapons that he can’t do anything with.

Tony Romo’s disasters are not always his fault. Against the Chicago Bears, his target-of-choice Dez Bryant did not have it together.

Bryant ran ugly routes, dropped multiple balls and hung his quarterback out to dry.

Who is responsible for getting him together?

On paper the Cowboys have the talent to be a juggernaut yet they often lack focus form week-to-week.

They start the season by beating the world champs and then go to travel to Seattle to get stomped out by the Seahawks.

Garrett has his hands in the outcome of this team more than most head coaches do and yet he still hasn’t quite figured out how to get it right.

When the Cowboys lose they lose in style and Garrett’s horribly called games have a tendency to be a part of the puzzle.

#3 A Disciplinarian Needs To Take Charge

The Cowboys need a kick in the behind to be all that they can be.

In previous championship runs for whatever reason the talent could flourish and rise to the occasion without the type of coach that has a steel will and an iron jaw.

The first name that comes to mind is Bill Cowher but that probably will not happen.

Jones needs to dig deep and find a guy that has no problem with changing the culture of a team that needs discipline.

#4 Dallas Needs To Play Better On Big Stages

If never fails that the Cowboys lose at home when they are playing in a nationally televised game.

There is something about the emotional makeup of this team that lets them down when it is time to assert their dominance for the world to see.

Their catalog of greatest misses is legendary and the current and future administrations must find a way to make sure that this group’s legacy is not of a team that always folded under close-ups and bright lights.

#5 Dallas Needs To Continue To Upgrade key Areas

Jones got it right when he addressed his porous secondary this off-season. While that group is still learning how to play together they will have nights like they did against Chicago.

It would behoove the Cowboys to move to other side of the ball during their next overhaul and upgrade their offensive line to get the best out of both running back DeMarco Murray and Tony Romo.

It would not be a bad idea if they added another pass-rusher to help out DeMarcus Ware either.

#6 The Media’s Love/Hate Relationship With Tony Romo Needs To Stop

Speaking of Tony, those that cover the Cowboys need to decide whether or not he’s a bad quarterback that plays the occasional good game or a great quarterback that has the occasional bad game.

The players act like the atmosphere within the media does not matter to them but it impacts them in a big way.

If Romo has two solid games in a row, he suddenly gets boosted onto a platinum plated pedestal. The moment he has a bad game, the world is ready to lynch him.

Pick a side and let the guy play either the underdog role or as a veteran that is going to bounce back next week.

If anyone has played with his psyche it’s the world-at-large.

#7 Dallas Needs To Be Stripped Of Their Title As America’s Team

The Cowboys have been complacent. Perhaps if they lost the mystique of being America’s Team that would instill some much needed hunger into that locker room.

Look at where consistently living in underdog status got the New York Giants.

Each year at the start of the season so much time and energy is devoted into the team’s high expectations yet nothing really happens.

A 2-2 record is not a death sentence but a consistent lack of achievement is.

#8 Change The Stadium’s Atmosphere

The Cowboys ‘ new stadium is a beautiful piece of work but more than one person has stated that the vibe that it puts forth is that it functions like the world’s largest nightclub.

It would not hurt the team if the players can run out of the tunnel onto a football field instead of interacting with the patrons of Club Jerry.

#9 Score More Points Than The Other Team

Not to overstate the obvious but the Cowboys should have no problem putting up at least 28 points a game.

If that is not the case then maybe their skill players are overrated and incapable of doing what everyone says that they can do.

#10 Lockout The Outside World

Dallas is one of the most media-friendly teams in the NFL. Perhaps it’s time to limit the media’s access to the team to the bare minimum and let these guys focus on the task at hand.

The post 10 Things The Dallas Cowboys Must Do To Reach The Promised Land appeared first on Players View.

He and his organization have recently attempted to work on quarterback Tony Romo’s contract extension and those talks have been tabled.

Jones told the Dallas News that he is not concerned about losing his star quarterback.

“We talked. We thought he had an interest, and he knows we have an interest,” Jones said. “But he wants to just concentrate on the season.”

“We’re not doing anything on the contract right now,” Jones said. “We just haven’t done anything on it. He’s just concentrating on right now, this year, what he’s doing on the field.

“We’re fine with that, too. He’s not going anywhere.”

Romo is one of the few players in the league that you can envision playing in another uniform.

That said, the Cowboys not only want to get him extended to keep his potential in-house. His 2013 cap number is $16.8 million and it would behoove them greatly to get his price-tag down to the more reasonable seven figure range.

This could all change if Romo proceeds to be a part of tanking another Dallas season that was double-dipped in potential yet sank in tradgedy.

The post Tony Romo tables contract talks with Cowboys appeared first on Players View.

The post Video: Tony Romo is destroyed during a sack appeared first on Players View.

Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka stated that he feels that the current roster of replacements referees let the Cowboys get away with murder.

“I haven’t been held this much since I was a baby,” Kiwanuka told the Star Ledger.

While there were a lot of holds that took place that were not called, Kiwanuka did his best to make the best of the situation.

“You’ve got to understand that these refs have been put in a tough situation, without having weeks, months, years to prepare like the other refs had,” he said. “It’s definitely tough to come in and pick up the nuances of the NFL. I tip my hats to them, but you notice when the real refs aren’t out there.”

On the other side of the ball wide receiver Victor Cruz looked at himself and took responsibility for his less-than-stellar showing that saw him drop three critical footballs.

“They were just drops,” Cruz said. “I just lacked concentration. A couple of them were just me leaving too early before I caught the ball. It is what it is.”

His coach Tom Coughlin feels the same way.

“Victor has on occasion had some concentration drops where he tries to run before he catches the ball,” Coughlin said. “That’s something he has to continually work on and he’ll work on it again.”

Another member of the Giants’ defense crush unit perhaps put the perfect stamp on the teams’ disappointing outing.

“We’ve got some work to do,” defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said. “We’ve definitely got some work to do.”

In addition to the Cowboys’ fans, coaches and players know that owner/general manager Jerry Jones also woke up this morning grinning as he delivered the “ass” whooping that he promised that he would.

The post New York Giants know why they lost to the Dallas Cowboys appeared first on Players View.

One of which is the Giants/Cowboys throw down which has featured a lot of wolf tickets being sold from both sides for quite some time now.

Almost as soon as he walked in the door free agent cornerback Brandon Carr stuck his chest out and proclaimed that Giants receiver Victor Cruz would not do his triumphant salsa dance on his watch.

That was followed by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones jumping up to state that the Cowboys were going to kick the Giants “ass.”

Jones was recently answered by Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka on WFAN-AM who stated that Jerry “should” feel like he wants to beat down the Giants.

“(Jones) should. The Giants have been whupping his ass for a long time,” he said. “It’s gotta be tough on the outside looking in on all these championships lately.”

Tough talk aside, the Giants do host a slight edge coming into this matchup from a chemistry perspective.

Tony Romo most likely will be without tight end Jason Witten who is trying to fight his way back from a spleen injury.

Witten has reportedly offered to sign a medical waiver just to get into the game.

Romo has also missed chucks of time with both of his prime wideouts in the troubled Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.

All of this could lead to a case of the opening day blues offensively and with Romo that has never traditionally been a good thing.

Defensively the Giants have taken some hits on their defensive line and within their secondary thanks to cornerback Prince Amakumura’s high ankle sprain.

Offensively, though the Giants looked an apathetic in their final preseason game against New England, they are setup to win in both phases of their game plan.

If Dallas is to win it will most likely be in a blowout that takes everyone by surprise as pulling out close ones has not been this regime’s speciality.

A strong showing form running back DeMarco Murray would go a long way to punching the Giants pass rush in the mouth to set up the play action pass.

If that is the case, Bryant will have a chance to show the world just how much heart he has after he has spent this like last offseason under fire.

This one will be a tempo-setter for both groups.

The post NFL Preview: Breaking down the Giants vs Cowboys appeared first on Players View.

So much so that Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones has stepped up to somewhat directly address the reports during a radio interview.

Jones was very careful in regards to how he spoke on the situation to KRLD-FM, 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday.

“I’m not so sure where the media has come up with detail of this nature,” Jones said. “Fundamentally, Dez does _ and I’m convinced _ want to do many things that give him the opportunity to get on track the way he needs to, both on and off the field.”

“I think any of this talk or any of these references to what he’s going to be doing or what he is not going to be doing, in general, it’s one that would say just let’s conform to good behavior, the kind of behavior that the commissioner expects, that society expects and that anybody expects if you’re going to get the opportunities you are. He does believe he has a great opportunity.”

“We’re fully supportive of him, his family, his mother. We want to do anything in that direction that we can. As far as specifics of rules, I think just rules that let him concentrate on what he’s doing on the field and let him do his work and not have the distractions of not doing it right off the field.”

“I’m not going to discuss any of the rules because that implies that there are a certain set of rules and I don’t know that that’s correct, either,” Jones said. “So, really, just by the nature of it, it’s not one you would really discuss. We have rules of behavior in the NFL. We have rules of behavior with the Cowboys as well. I’m not so sure there’s been any new rule created here.”

“Well, I think it’s pretty clear. We’ve got behavior rules in the NFL that have been made very clear by the commissioner’s office. And I think it’s real clear that if you don’t abide by the rules of society what happens. All of those are answers that any adult deals with every day.”

Jones did within this conversation state that the rules that Bryant is reportedly sticking to which includes no strip clubs or alcohol consumption were not created by the team as was reported by various sources.

He also stated that none of the drama associated with any part of this situation is shocking to the team.

“There have been absolutely no surprises for us with Dez,” Jones said. “There are no surprises here.”

So will anybody be surprised if he breaks the rules that were (wink, wink) put together by somebody other than the team who can’t potentially enforce certain aspects of them because they could potentially violate the current CBA?

Just saying…

The post Jerry Jones denies that he created the Dez rules appeared first on Players View.

The troubled wide receiver has been involved in too many incidents that have caught the eye of the public in a negative fashion and the team has stood up and provided him with a set of rules that he must abide by.

The guidelines have been in place since August 13^th according to ESPN. They are as follows.

• A midnight curfew. If he’s going to miss curfew, team officials must know in advance;

• No drinking alcohol.

• He can’t attend any strip clubs and can only attend nightclubs if they are approved by the team and he has a security team with him.

• He must attend counseling sessions twice a week.

• A rotating three-man security team will leave one man with Bryant at all times.

• Members of the security team will drive Bryant to practices, games and team functions.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones set the tempo for Dez who Jones says will help himself stay out of trouble.

“Oh yeah, very much willing to do anything he can to help himself and help the team,” Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said of Bryant. “He’s very open-minded and cooperative. He’s doing the right things by his teammates and everybody is counting on him.”

These steps were taken after Bryant’s mom called 911 and then claimed that he allegedly assaulted her.

But that incident was truly the straw that broke the camels back.  Bryant has had negative light shed on him after problems in a Miami night club, a shopping mall and other public places.

The post The Dallas Cowboys set social rules for Dez Bryant appeared first on Players View.

Had things not taken this course, Witten most likely would have had to have undergone season-ending surgery to take care of the injury suffered against the Raiders.

ESPN is stating that Witten is due back in time for the Cowboys’ Sept. 5 regular-season opener against the New York Giants, but that seems a bit like wishful thinking based on the severity of the injury.

Then again, this is the same guy who infamously bulled his way down the field without a helmet after absorbing a pretty big hit.

He’s also played through numerous injuries which included a painful broken rib scenario.

With so little on the line at the start of the year, it would be foolish for the Cowboys to deploy him early and risk aggravating the situation before he’s 100-percent.

Tony Romo must be heartsick with his skill players looking like a triage unit as wideouts Dez Bryant and Miles Austin are also on the mend form various ailments.

The post Cowboys TE Jason Witten will not need spleen surgery appeared first on Players View.

Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood: Of all the NFL’s problem children, former Detroit Lions wideout Charles Rodgers is amongst the most perplexing.

A little while back, we explored his situation that has now blown up in his face. The Michigan penal system is currently working out a variety of charges against him that include making a malicious phone call and conspiring to commit that crime March 5 and March 6 and possessing marijuana, possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle on a suspended or revoked license.

It turns out that he didn’t show up for the hearing yesterday after calling the court to say that he did not have a ride there.

Long story simple, Rodgers now has a warrant out for his arrest.  It takes a lot of tragedy for some people to “get it,” and then you have those people that just don’t taake the time to “get it.”

Ocho No-Go?: The rumors are flying out of New England that Chad Johnson is on his way out of the door.  It’s ok to call him that now that he’s getting married and he won’t require his reality show bride to carry the Ochocinco moniker.

Anywhoo, there were a lot of stop-and-gos on Chad’s status today only for Adam Schefter to step up and sort it out.

The Patriots tried to trade him, it didn’t work out, they picked up a few other receivers that know the system and now Chad needs to find both a place that will host his wedding and a team that will help him pay for it.

Unlike his buddy Terrell Owens, Chad maintains a certain measure of goodwill amongst league circles so he probably will get a shot somewhere.

Tony Watch Your Back: Kyle Orton has always been a “solid” QB that dances on the cusp of greatness.  When he decided to head southwest to Dallas to backup Tony Romo, more than a couple of people thought ‘there is no way this can work out.’

The words that fell out of his mouth today justify every bit of that skepticism.

“I feel like I’ve played good ball in this league, I feel I’ve got a lot of good ball left in me. I don’t see this as committing myself to be the backup. I’m just committing myself to be a part of the team.”

“Tony’s the man, you know? There ain’t no doubt about it,” Orton said. “He’s played great football. He’s a great quarterback. So I’m excited. It’s really the first time I’ve been around another veteran in my career. I’ve done a lot of learning with young guys in the room. I can still learn a lot about football, and hopefully I can help him out in any way I can.”

Translation: I wake up every day praying for Tony to trip over his golf clubs.

Yeah And…?: The Wade Davis is gay story would carry more weight if he actually had some stats that were worth talking about. There is no doubt that it’s hard to be an open homosexual man in any sporting environment, but Davis can’t really say that he didn’t prosper because of that culture. He just wasn’t very good.

A lot of people need to change their thinking about this topic but Davis is doing an awful lot of interviews right now. If he follows this up with a release date for a book or a DVD, this was not about awareness.

Good Luck: The Jaguars released DE Aaron Kampman today after he battled with injury-related problems. He was due to get $5 million in base salary and they opted out based on his knee issues.  I don’t think I’ve ever talked this much about the Jaguars in a single month.

The post Kyle Orton admits he wants to start and more in NFL Daily Digest appeared first on Players View.

Thus when I saw his recent quote in about “being somewhat of a leader,” I had to shake my head. His talent and ability didn’t give cause for the moment, it was the nightclub brawls with rappers, mall cop rendezvous’ and alleged jewelry boosts.

Here’s the entire set of quotes from The Star Telegram.

“I feel like I’m leading by doing my work, playing hard, trying to take every rep, doing every rep at full speed, 100 percent of the time,” he said. “I feel like by me doing that, the younger guys are seeing it.”

“I just feel like I’m stepping up, doing my job, being accountable, making sure that I’m doing the right things so the people that are under me can do the right things,” he said. “So you can say, somewhat of a leader.”

Bryant has always been a hard worker when he’s been surrounded by football. So as a third year guy quite frankly, I expect the statements about working harder than ever and getting better at his craft.

Now what happens after practice or after games? What happens when football shuts down for a couple of games?

Is he going to lead rookies like Andre Holmes then? Is he talking about passing life knowledge along on how to make in the league by skipping his mistakes?

Or is that where the “somewhat” part comes in?

The post Dez Bryant says that he is a “leader” for the young Cowboys recievers. appeared first on Players View.

Going into the 2012 season, some coaches are in must-win situations to keep their jobs. Some are in must win situations as the window closes on their current group. Others have to get it done because their fan base simply needs to have their faith justified after decades of desire.

Each situation is different but they all have one thing in common: winning is the only cure.

#1 Mike Smith-Atlanta Falcons

“Smitty” has lifted the Falcons to heights that they have never seen before. On the surface he’s loved by the players but he doesn’t enable them like Jim Mora Jr. did.  He’s passionate on the sidelines but he’s not a freak like Jerry Glanville was.He keeps his composure but he’s not out-of-touch like Dan Reeves came to be.

The one thing that these coaches have that he doesn’t is a playoff win.  All of the back-to-back-to-back winning seasons don’t mean anything if the Falcons don’t advance in the playoffs.

In the off-season after another one-and-done playoff loss to the Giants, the team parted ways with both their offensive and defensive coordinators.

For the foreseeable future, owner Arthur Blank has no plans to make any further changes as he told CBS News’ Pete Prisco. “He will be fine. He will be here for a very long time.”

Blank is and always has been about bringing a Super Bowl to the city. He’s also pitching a new stadium to a town that has never hoisted a world championship banner into it’s rafters. The Falcons are stacked offensively and are strong enough defensively to make a deep playoff run. If that doesn’t happen in 2012 after embarrassing outs in 2011 and 2010, the push for a new stadium gets even harder.

The post 5 NFL Coaches That Must Win In The Playoffs appeared first on Players View.

Since the second that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called Claiborne’s name, there has been rampant speculation that Jenkins should pack his bags.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones has stepped up and made it very clear that he still sees Jenkins wearing Cowboy blue.

On the team’s website, Jones called Jenkins “a vital part of our plan . . . a very critical role in what we want to be defensively.”

“Jenkins is not only this year, but a long-term player here as far as I’m concerned,” Jones said Wednesday at the annual Cowboys Golf Classic in nearby Grapevine.

“I think we’ve got the resources to have three top corners, and (Orlando) Scandrick, which in my mind would be a fourth corner,” Jones said. “That area of your money allocation just happens to be an area where if you plan right to get strong at corner and strong with the pass rush, you’re going to spend some money out there.”

Jenkins is only due one million dollars this season so in NFL terms he’s not very expensive at all to keep.

If newcomers Brandon Carr and Claiborne do get their expected starts, they are still two guys that are getting to know DC Rob Ryan’s schemes and tendencies.

Ryan’s packages are often odd with the way he does things, so Jenkins may prove himself to be vital just because he’s spent a season under Ryan and can jump into either the number one or number two spot at a moment’s notice.

It’s extremely doubtful that will happen but depth for depth’s sake is never bad in these injury-plagued times.

The post Cowboys owner Jerry Jones call CB Mike Jenkins “critical” to the team appeared first on Players View.

Each of these teams have needs to fill and in most cases less that two million dollars left to spend to fill them.

Let’s take a look.

Team: Atlanta Falcons

Cap room: $1,166,000

The Deal: When reports surfaced just before the start of free agency that the Falcons were going to enter the Mario Williams sweepstakes, the front office rolled their eyes and said ‘yeah right.’

Williams was the right guy available for the team at simply the wrong time.

Money or lack thereof is most likely the primary reason why MLB Curtis Lofton was allowed to slide to their bitter division rivals the New Orleans Saints.

This year the Falcons are shelling out big bucks to guys like Matt Ryan ($11.5 million), the franchised Brent Grimes ($10.43 million) and Roddy White ($5.5 million).

In those three players the birds have 27.43 million dollars invested out of the $120.6 million dollar salary cap allotment for 2012.

Other Falcons that are getting large chunks are CB Duanta Robinson ($5 million) and RB Michael Turner ($5 million).

It’s not a help either the team is coming off the hip for guys like DE bust Jamal Anderson ($990,625.00) that are not even in the roster anymore.

With no room to breathe and a couple of other roster spots to fill, the Falcons will buy low and make very few waves going into next season.

The post The Five NFL Teams With The Least Amount of Cap Space. appeared first on Players View.

The report states that he got exactly $100,000 more than what Courtland Finnegan got from St. Louis yesterday.

Carr has spent four seasons in the league playing at a high level for the Kansas City Chiefs. In all he has 211 solo tackles, eight interceptions, one forced fumble and four fumble recoveries.

His anointment in Dallas brings a quick end to the quest for a young yet seasoned player to take the place of the departed Terrance Newman.

Carr’s attitude should be perfect for what the Cowboys want out of all of their players. He steps on the field with an in-your-face style of play that intimidates other teams.

So far, this is the pick-up that can immediately impact how the Cowboys can win games.

The post CB Brandon Carr’s signs with Dallas Cowboys. appeared first on Players View.

Orton is not Jon Kitna. Kitna has always pretty much been one of the best back-ups in the NFL and he was ok with that.

Yes he had his moments in the sun but for the most part down the last stretch of dirt before he retired, he firmly knew what the deal was and he accepted it.

Orton on the other hand has started for three different teams in recent memory and I doubt that he is cool with this situation.

He might “say” he is but he’s not.  He can’t be, because he’s recently been a leader of men who is a competitor.

Like Jason Campbell going to Chicago, Orton and his people most likely feel as if Tony will miss some time due to injury and Orton will have a chance to ride in on his white horse and save the day.

And again if I was Tony Romo, I don’t know how I would feel about all of this.

Let’s be frank about all of this and talk as friends. Tony Romo only has a limited amount of time left to even make the team look like serious contenders in the playoffs, let alone getting in the big show.

The ghost of former Cowboys’s QB Danny White is tapping him on the shoulder. Cowboys great Roger Staubach has already waived off any chance that his throne is in danger.

The Cowboys beat the Eagles in the 2009/2010season but as soon as they got to Minnesota, they took a beating of epic proportions.

Since then, it’s been either a comedy or a nightmare depending on what your affiliations are.

And a lot of that is directly attributable to the play of Tony Romo. I personally think the guy can get it done but he has to forget that the fourth quarter is the fourth quarter and play like he does in the first quarter.

If not, the fans, the media and the outsiders are going to eat him for lunch again demanding that Orton get a look.

Orton is no slouch either. But thankfully for Romo he has a problem closing out games too. The advantage that Orton has is hunger.

He’s staring down the barrel of a new draft class of QBs coming into the league. He’s staring down a new generation of QBs that have already staked their claim to their franchises.

The options are almost slim-to-none for him right now, so this is it. If he has a chance to put that big arm on display and he wins games, crucial games with fourth quarter comebacks…it’s going to be a situation down there in Big D.

You can call me crazy or whatever you like. But if Tony Romo misses games due to injury or fails to get it done and continues to throw wins right out the window instead of putting teams away, Orton will be amped up to try his hand.

And right now as it stands Orton has the most to lose.

<iframe width=”400″ height=”301″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/RrAJNQ_e8Jk?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

The post How the Tony Romo/Kyle Orton scenario will play itself out. appeared first on Players View.

The exact term used was it is “an effort to gain salary cap relief and likely attempt to upgrade the cornerback position in free agency.”

Newman, 33, was rumored to be gone long before this week’s shocker of a ruling that the Cowboys are getting a total of $10 million dollars knocked off their cap limit by the league.

Today is a glorious day for some and a rude awakening for others as Father Time catches up to everybody.

Last season, the game film showcases that Newman in many cases was more of a liability to the Cowboys than an asset.

The elite receivers in this league can out maneuver him with ease at this stage of the game.

Newman has a future somewhere especially if he is willing to take on a role as nickel and dime package only guy.

In fact, if he can get that situation on a team like the New York Jets he can still play at a high level and play for a contender.  Pairing him up against most of the tight ends and slot receivers in this league could still yield desirable results.

As for the Cowboys, releasing Newman will save them $6 million dollars in cap space for 2012. BUT,  their search for cap space continues as its 3:00 EST and they have 60 more minutes to make another move to have disposable income to chase down the free agents they allegedly covet.

The post Terence Newman Out Of Dallas appeared first on Players View.

March 12- As the day comes to a close a variety of name players are already on the move as teams struggle to clear cap space by tomorrow at 4 p.m. CST when the new league year starts.

Philadelphia wideout/kick returner DeSean Jackson is reportedly set to sign his franchise tender. It’s good that he’s going to go ahead and put any extra dram,a to bed.

The Texans are waving goodbye to their back-up signal collar Matt Leinart after he reinjured his collarbone last season after lasting less than one game.

Leinart was due to make three million dollars this season. With T.J. Yates playing so well in the latter half of the season in 2011, Leinart became expendable.

Houston also let go of long-time offensive tackle Eric Winston in what has been called a salary-cap move.  Winston will pick-up fast by teams such as Chicago and Atlanta that are desperately in need of help on their respective lines.

“I was surprised,” Winston told the Houston Chronicle. “They told me they were up against it [salary cap], and they didn’t want to insult me by asking me to take a pay cut. They said they hated to do it, and maybe we could work something out, but, well, I’m just stunned. I didn’t want to leave. This just sucks.”

Both the Cowboys and the Redskins will have less money to spend than they thought they would have. The NFL released a statement today that described why.

“The Management Council Executive Committee determined that the contract practices of a small number of clubs during the 2010 league year created an unacceptable risk to future competitive balance, particularly in light of the relatively modest salary cap growth projected for the new agreement’s early years.”

“To remedy these effects and preserve competitive balance throughout the league, the parties to the CBA agreed to adjustments to team salary for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. These agreed-upon adjustments were structured in a manner that will not affect the salary cap or player spending on a league-wide basis.”

In layman’s terms they are both screwed. The Redskins will lose $30 million and the Cowboys will lose $10 million.

Both teams are allowed to structure and defer these monies however they see fit over the next two seasons.

This especially crushes the Redskins who just put together that “all-in” trade package with the Rams that includes three first round draft picks and their number two pick this year.

They were depending on free agency to lure in a number one receiver such as Vincent Jackson to complement their presumed  new QB Robert Griffin III.

It looks like quarterback Alex Smith will secure a three year deal with the 49ers who just did a one year deal with  “the freak” WR Randy Moss.

I just said it in the Moss article, the 49ers look like “ that” team in 2012.

The New York Jets have secured the services of another one of their own. DT Sione Pouha will be a part of Gang Green for three more years.

Oh and just because I miss talking about the guy, if you followed Brett Favre on Twitter you were duped, sorta, maybe and well probably.  I personally think it’s one of Favre’s classic practical jokes, but what do I know?

There other rumors bubbling such as the release of Cardinals stalwart Levi Brown but we’ll update you as we get more information.

Until tomorrow…

The post NFL Free Agency Report: Desean Jackson, Matt Leinart, Eric Winston, Alex Smith and why the Cowboys & Redskins just got pinched. appeared first on Players View.

Now comes word that as the team struggles to create cap space, the team has handed the franchise tag to LB Anthony Spencer.  His 2012 salary will amount for $8.8 million bucks.

Pause and let that dollar amount soak in for a second. You done? Ok now, think about the idea of paying a solid LB top tier money as your team struggles to find a way to make championship moves both in free agency and the upcoming draft.

I just don’t understand it but there’s not a whole lot of football moves that owner Jerry Jones is prone to make that I do understand.

The Cowboys are sitting on perhaps the best pass rushing linebacker in the league with DeMarcus Ware. They also have rising star Sean Lee who is excellent in pass coverage and plays the run well.

When they have such major issues in other zones of their roster such as their secondary why would you franchise a solid guy at a position where you already have depth?

Let’s be clear, Spencer makes that defense better. His instincts for the playing the run are well honed but are they worth $8.8 million for one season?

That’s not my question to answer but I will state that before we get to rooted in our opinion one way or the other, I would suspect that the Cowboys are trying to get a better deal done before March 13.

They may have franchised Spencer, but the business of football sometimes means that the tag is just a placeholder.

If not, man I just don’t get it.  And if this tag sticks and they Cowboys somehow misfire and don’t get certain personnel matters handled, best believe this will be viewed as step one to a fatal miscue.

It has nothing to do with Spencer as a player, his talent or his desire for this game. The question has everything to do with how the mathematics of this thing don’t look to make much sense.

Jerry Jones Speaks on Spencer

Spencer Makes The Big Play

The post Cowboys drop the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer. appeared first on Players View.

For now, let’s look at which linebackers are available that are set to bring the rain for their 2011 team or another lucky situation.

#10 Kirk Morrison

Solid is the best route to go when describing Morrison.  His play recognition is strong and his instincts usually serve him well. I look for him to stay in Buffalo and execute very well as the strong side starter in their revamped 4-3 package.  If not, somebody is about to get a steal.

#9 Bradie James

His best years are clearly behind him at 31 years old.  He will leave Dallas and walk on somewhere else as the NFL’s best rotation LB.  He may have lost every-down status, but James will still make big plays in crucial situations when he punches the clock.

#8 Channing Crowder

Crowder has always been something of a wild-card and that has held him back from making the most of his obvious talent.

The word is buzzing that he will follow former Dolphins defensive mastermind Mike Nolan to Atlanta.  If so, he will most likely rotate with Curtis Lofton (you will see him later) on the inside.  If not, who knows what other plans Crowder may have? He could retire, unretired and retire again all before you finish reading this.

#7 Geno Hayes

If Geno Hayes leaves Tampa Bay, he has the most upside available in this year’s FA group to help another team long term.

He’s only 24, has a knack for making big hits and clearly enjoys playing the game. If Hayes can get together with a system that will help him curb his habit of hot and cold streaks, he can be one of this game’s great defenders.  If he hits the street, it will be interesting to see how his situation pans out.

#6 David Hawthorne

Hawthorne, like Hayes, is another example of a young guy that most likely has his best football ahead of him. He is a run killer. Repeat, he is a run killer. Seattle wants him back albeit for rock bottom money as they feel that he is limited outside of stopping the run.  He’s 26, so the kid can still progress his coverage skills and if so, he will be a special talent.  Another name to watch if he takes a pass out of the Northwest.

#5 Anthony Spencer

He will probably see the franchise mark from Dallas.  It’s a smart move for Dallas as it’s good time to measure what he can still do as he nears 30. Spencer has earned the right to be deemed amongst the league’s best at this position with an arsenal of footage that proves that he’s strong in all areas of his game.

#4 Stephen Tulloch

If both sides can agree on a deal that makes sense, Tulloch will remain in Detroit. If not, look for Tulloch’s sneaky athleticism to get him work elsewhere and fast.  At 5’11 he has a tendency to greet running backs inside smaller gaps that some of the bigger LBs can’t get into. It’s an unsung trait but it’s one that a team such as the Eagles could really use. Be excited if he comes your way regardless of who is already on your roster.

#3 D’Qwell Jackson

There’s two things that are keeping Jackson from headlining this list. The first one are the injuries that have dogged him throughout his career and the second one is how those injuries will follow him through the rest of his career as he nears 30.

You can’t argue with his 2011 production though as he lead the AFC in tackles.  The Browns may have offense on the mind, but he is the rock of their defense.

Mike Holmgren can’t afford to let him go. If so, I could only imagine what he could do for someone such as the New England Patriots that need defensive playmakers in the worst way.

#2 Curtis Lofton

We talked about him earlier in the Channing Crowder bit. The Atlanta Falcons must re-sign him long term if they are serious about making a Super Bowl run.

Lofton has been considered by many to be the best LB in the league to be consistently snubbed of the big time accolades.

Word is that new DC Mike Nolan has walked in the door and is talking about removing Lofton from nickel packages.

Coaching changes always shake things up but if for whatever reason Lofton leaves Atlanta, it will clearly place the weight on the world on their all-star OLB Sean Weatherspoon.

#1 London Fletcher

He tops this list out of pure respect for who he is, what he has done and how he plays the game. But there is no way he leaves Washington. He will retire as a Redskin and that is that.

The post NFL Free Agency: 10 Best Linebackers On The Market. appeared first on Players View.

INT. EXTRAVAGANT SOUTHWESTERN OFFICE-DAY 

Football team owner JERRY JONES, an older distinguished southern gentleman with an icy glare is sitting behind a large marble desk. The wall behind him doubles as a fish tank that contains two hammer head sharks.

Across the desk sits TONY ROMO, his 31 year-old quarterback with the boyish charm. They are meeting about the future of Jerry’s team the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry is obviously not happy with Tony.

Jerry takes a sip of bourbon as he speaks.

                                   JERRY

                         Tony, we need to sit down today and

                         have a talk.

Tony takes a deep breath.

                                   TONY

                         I know Jerry. And before you say

                         anything I just wanted to say

                         things are going to be different

                         around here from now on. I’m going

                         to be the leader you need me to be;

                         the man you need me to be.

                                   JERRY

                         Tony, I’ve heard all this before.

                         I’m gonna make a change.

Tony is shocked.

                                   TONY

                         Just like that? You gonna just

                         throw me out like old cattle?

                                   JERRY

                         Tony, we need new leadership here

                         in Dallas. But I’m not just gonna

                         toss you out. I’m going to bring

                         you in a mentor. Somebody that can

                         really show you the ropes.

Tony is suddenly excited.

                                   TONY

                         Mike Martz? I knew he didn’t retire

                         for real!

                                   JERRY

                         No Tony. I’m not bringing in

                         another offensive coordinator.

                         I’m bringing a real good old

                         fashioned gunslinger to town.

PEYTON MANNING, the future-Hall-of-Fame quarterback appears from the shadows and joins Jerry behind the desk. He opts to stand not sit as he looks a frightened Tony in the eye.

                                   JERRY (CONT’D)

                         I present to you Peyton Manning.

                                   PEYTON

                         Afternoon, Tony.

                                   JERRY

                         Rule the NFC we will! Get you over

                         that hump he can Tony. Champion you

                         will be!

                                   TONY

                         Why are you talking like Yoda?

There is an awkward pause in the room as Jerry pours another glass of bourbon.

                                   TONY (CONT’D)

                         Jerry, we don’t need him. I can do

                         it!

Jerry stands his ground.

                                   JERRY

                         P.M.’s a closer. He’s done it all.

                         He might even be the greatest ever.

                         You’re just pretty “ok.” 

                                   PEYTON

                         Tony, you’re young, sorta. Swallow

                         your pride. Watch how I do things.

                         You’ll be a better number two than

                         even Kitna was.

Tony begins to panic.

                                   TONY

                         I can’t. I won’t.

                                   JERRY

                         Tony, don’t fight this. You’ll make

                         me do something like ship you off

                         to Arizona for a couple of late

                         round draft picks.

Tony is suddenly firm. 

                                   TONY

                         Well then send me to Miami.

                                   JERRY

                         No boy. If I get rid of you, I

                         gotta make it hurt. You ever been

                         to Buffalo? You can back-up that

                         Harvard boy.

Peyton finds light in the situation. 

                                   PEYTON

                         There’s good eating in Buffalo

                         Tony. Their wings will make you

                         want to slap your mama!

Peyton makes a back-handed slapping motion with his good arm. Tony naively grins as if he has the answer to a hard question.

                                   TONY

                         Jerry, you are just testing me to

                         see how I will react. P.M. won’t

                         come to Dallas! Right? P.M., your

                         brother works this same territory.

CLOSE-UP ON PEYTON MANNING’S EVIL GRIN.

                                   PEYTON

                         EXACTLY…

                                                         FADE TO BLACK.

The post A few pages from the script of Dallas if Peyton Manning joins the cast. appeared first on Players View.

- Lorenzo, A Bronx Tale

Dez Bryant

 The aforementioned statement can be referring to anything, but for the sake of this piece, let’s focus on Cowboys Wide Receiver Dez Bryant.

Pretty much anything the guy has done off the field has turned to shit. Starting with the debacle with his then mentor Deion Sanders (who has since distanced himself) that marred his final season at Oklahoma State to the infamous Jeff Ireland/Miami Dolphins interview when they asked him about his mother’s ‘profession,’ it seems like this guy can’t escape trouble.

Right or wrong, Bryant has become a symbol for the modern, clueless spoiled athlete. Back in March, the Cowboys’ number 88 was sued by A+A Diamonds, Ltd for $246,000 that he never paid for jewelry purchased from the retailer in 2010. His tab includes the following from the following dates: January 22, 2010: $75,000, February 8, 2010, $144,000 purchase, including a $60,000 custom charm, February 16, 2010, $25,000 more, and lastly May 24 Bryant purchased a $23,000 diamond bracelet. That’s a whole lot of dough to be spending before signing your first NFL contract.

Oh and on top of his bling, he also owes about $900,000 in loans to various persons and companies in two states.

And it sure was. You would have thought that the Receiver learned his lesson, but no. In March of 2011, he got kicked out of a Dallas-area mall for sagging pants otherwise known as wearing your pants too low that either your underwear or ass crack hangs out. If he were 15, then fine, it would be somewhat excusable. But the idiot proceeded to curse off the Paul Blarts at the mall before leaving.

With the news of Bryant’s most recent misadventure, an alleged fight at a Miami Beach nightclub, one can only wonder whether or not the mercurial athlete will ever be able to sync his on field talent with off the field stupidity.

Growing up, I believe the phrase that was used to describe someone like Bryant was he has million dollar hands, but a 10-cent brain. His handlers can keep making all the excuses for him and can keep being enablers but when push comes to shove, Bryant is the epitome of why people can’t stand the modern athlete. Regardless of his background, he’s been in the NFL for two full seasons and still hasn’t gotten his shit together.

If Jerry Jones is serious about making a statement, then he’ll sit this guy down and read him the riot act since Bryant could be the key to the Cowboys returning to the playoffs next season. However, it’s more likely that he will continue to be coddled and told how great he is and can’t do any wrong, which will lead to yet another incident without him taking responsibility for his actions.

Sometimes when the physical talent is there, the mental capacity isn’t. So does that make Dez Bryant a physical beast with amazing ability or a moron who got lucky with his body and doesn’t know how to use it? Only time will tell.

-Daniel Kohn

Dez Bryant On The Field

The post After A Miami Misadventure, the Question is: Will Dez Bryant Ever “Get It?” appeared first on Players View.

Thought: Now that fantasy football is for all intensive purposes over, will you donate that extra time to your wife and kids or will you just crossover to the more time consuming fantasy basketball?

Thought: Should Sunday’s Giants vs. Cowboy’s game be titled “The December Curse Bowl?”

Thought: A-Rod is having some mysterious surgery across the pond. Hmmm…. Yeah…hmmm

Thought: One more time: R.I.P. Johnny Wilson. He was hockey’s true living legend.

Thought: Will Mark Sanchez jerseys be available for clearance sale prices at the start of next season?

Thought: Should the Atlanta Falcons sit RB Michael Turner in their season finale against the Buccaneers? The Burner’s jets seem to be missing a bit of their usual power.

Thought: Should we be minding our own business when it comes to Kobe Bryant’s alleged affairs?  Going a step further, do you think somewhere Shaq is posted up with his new girl “Hoops” enjoying a good belly laugh?

The post Thoughts For The Day 12-28-2011 appeared first on Players View.

Tim Tebow, Jerry Jones and Lamar Odom lead our new daily column Thoughts For The Day.

1) This Tim Tebow thing has gotten out of control. Those that believe in God, base that belief on God loves everybody….not just Tim Tebow. This would include Chicago Bears RB Marion Barber right?

2) After yet another Cowboys December meltdown, I am starting to feel sorry for Dallas owner Jerry Jones. This would be the first time that one has felt sorry for a person who can buy small countries and still have money to spare.

3) Losing Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks apparently feels like kidney punch to the allegedly despondent Kobe Bryant.  I guess this especially feels bad in light of the whole Chris Paul thing.

4) The Kansas City Chiefs fired head coach Todd Haley today. The Miami Dolphins fired Tony Sporano today.  Both of these men are very temperamental characters who have provided us with hours of weekly entertainment via their various rants and press conferences.  If former Ravens coach Brian Billick can get a commentator’s gig on NFL Network, these two deserve their own show in the 2011-2012 season.

5) Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is out for the time being with what “appears” to be a concussion. This sucks on so many levels, not just for Penguins fans but for  the entire NHL.

6) National League MVP Ryan Braun tested positive for a PED violation.  I hate to say it but MLB must either find a way to clean this thing up for real or do a better job of enforcing violations without making such a circus out of it.  The flock are losing faith in the sport.

The post Thoughts For The Day 12-12-2011 appeared first on Players View.

1) Was it a malicious attack  or was it a mistake in the heat of the moment? Lions DT Ndamukong Suh tries to explain himself after the Lions Thanksgiving Day defeat.

2) Led by OLB Terrell “ T-Sizzle” Suggs , the Baltimore Ravens stomped a nine-sack mud hole in the San Fransico 49ers as both teams fought in the “Harbaugh Bowl.”
3) Dallas finds a way to “barely” squeak by Miami in a one point last second contest. 4) Andre Deveuax suspended 3 games! Watch the play that has the hockey world in flames! 5) Is The NBA lockout coming to an end? The video explains why Black Friday may not be so black for basketball fans.

The post Sports Log November 24th: The Day In Video appeared first on Players View.