The Cowboys enter training camp with a projected $7 million salary cap room even after the NFL slapped them with a $10 million cap penalty. The NFL Management Council penalized Dallas to reverse the effect of its treatment of Miles Austin’s contract extension during the 2010 no cap year in the old Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Cowboys had to apply half the penalty this season. When he is signed, first-round draft pick Morris Claiborne should count $3 million against the remaining cap.
Fans take the notion of “quarterback-driven” the wrong way. There has always been a premium on quarterback passing skills, but the real effect of quarterback-driven is the impact on other parts of a team. Pro offensive sets now involve as many as five receivers. That elevates tight ends as prime targets. The Cowboys think they have a good one in John Phillips according to a story on ESPN.com.
Says tight ends coach John Garrett, “He’s just reliable, dependable John Phillips. You throw him the ball, he catches it. He blocks the right guy. John can go play [fullback, on the line or in the slot]. He knows the offense. He knows all of the positions. He’s a guy you can really trust.”
Interesting comment given that a guy named Jason Witten is on the roster.
Cowboy legend Roger Staubach does not understand the disrespect for Tony Romo.
Says Staubach, “It’s really a mystery to me why people don’t understand how really good (Romo) is. The things he can do and the plays he can make, I’m sure Troy (Aikman) would say the same. I think this team is building to support a great quarterback like Romo. If your defense is doing a great job, you can do a lot of things on offense.”
Staubach and Aikman led the Cowboys to multiple Super Bowl wins while Romo has yet to do so. Staubach’s point is well taken. Super Bowls are team accomplishments. The Cowboys have not been good enough to get back since The Triplets retired. Romo finished the 2011 campaign with a passer rating of 102.5, but fans soured on him when he could not overcome deficiencies … of a defense that choked several four-quarter leads.
