Cowboys Corner

2004 Draft Gone Bust

With cornerback Nate Jones visiting the Vikings today, lets look back at the 2004 draft class.

It will only take a quick look because receiver Patrick Crayton is the only one left.

Julius Jones, Jacob Rogers, Stephen Peterman, Bruce Thornton, Sean Ryan and Jacques Reeves are no longer with the team. Jones is still keeping the Cowboys in the loop but he is drawing interest from the Dolphins as well as the Vikings. And lets be real, the Cowboys are making no huge effort to keep him.

So that leaves Crayton, a seventh round pick from Northwest Oklahoma State who has developed into a starter opposite Terrell Owens.

Remind me again why Bill Parcells is considered such a good drafter. His history with the Cowboys suggests otherwise.

--Clarence E. Hill Jr.

Nate Jones looking at Vikings, Dolphins

Cornerback Nate Jones could be the next Cowboy leaving the team. Jones, an unrestricted free agent, visited Minnesota on Wednesday and left without signing. Now, he will meet with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday.

Jones' agent said there are a couple of other teams they are considering. Jones is trying to make sure from teams exactly what his role would be. He was the fourth corner in Dallas this year and there remains a possibility he could return. Jones showed some value as a playmaker on blitzes, which included a knockout hit on Brett Favre at Texas Stadium.

Jones might also be the next Cowboy bound for South Beach. Bill Parcells always loved his smarts and special teams value.

_ Rick Herrin

Irvin at Hall of Fame

Former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin was one of eight athletic greats inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday night. Irvin made the ceremony despite suffering from flu-like symptoms that forced him to miss his radio show on ESPN radio earlier Tuesday morning.

The selfproclaimed Florida boy said he was proud to be a Texas hero because this is where he had his greatest success. He said is a full blooded Texan now. He said this is his family's home and he will  never leave.

Irvin sat next to Stars star Mike Modano and former Aggie and Houston Oilers defensive tackle Ray Childress at the banquet.

Crayton talks drops and reading

Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton has been to Puerto Rico on his honey moon.
He has vacationed in Atlanta.
But there is nothing he can do to get away from the horrors of the Cowboys 21-17 NFC divisional playoff loss to the Giants.
Not at home, where his eight year old brother Bryson was the first one to ask him
about the critical dropped pass that could have potentially given the
Cowboys some momentum.
And not Tuesday at the Boys and Girls Club East Dallas Branchs where Crayton was on hand to
support the club and Pizza Hut, which made a made a $30,000 donation to the Greater
Dallas' Boys & Girls Clubs Learning Makes Cents program.
"I can handle it when adults give me grief but when kids do it its different,"
Crayton said.
"My eight-year old brother [Bryson] was the first one to ask, 'Man what
happened? Why you dropped that ball?''' Crayton said. "You go wow.
That's when it hits home."
Of course Crayton was reminded again at the Boys and Girls club when a little boy
asked him the same question while he was signing autographs.
"It's a motivating thing to myself," he said. "It's one of
those things to never let it happen again that's why I started early to get
ready. It will be a motivation factor."
Watching the Giants win the Super Bowl will also be a motivating factor for Crayton,
who got into several verbal jousts with the bitter NFC East Rivals during the season.
"They got the last laugh," Crayton said with a smile.
Regarding the Learning Makes Cents program, Crayton said he was happy to join Pizza
Hut in supporting the Boys and Girls club.
The program is designed to give kids an incentive to read books. Kids in the program
receive one dollar for every book they read.
“As someone who is from this area and has seen firsthand the impact that the Boys
& Girls Club makes on children, I’m so glad to be a part of this program,” Crayton
said during the conference.  “During college I worked in this very building and
I’ve seen some of the brightest kids I know in these halls.  I would like to thank
Pizza Hut for this valuable contribution.  It will go a long way in the lives of
these kids.”

Five Frogs headed to Valley Ranch

Over the last few years the Cowboys have discovered some talented and productive players in their own backyard. It's been on Dallas Day, a workout for draft prospects with ties to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This year five TCU Horned Frogs are scheduled to visit Valley Ranch on April 11.

TCU defensive end Chase Ortiz (right, top), safeties Brian Bonner (right) and David Roach, linebacker David Hawthorne and guard Marty Lindner will try to impress the Cowboys scouts. Right now it is uncertain if defensive end Tommy Blake will attend. It will depend on his workout schedule with other teams.

Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton (DeSoto), former cornerback Jacques Reeves (Lancaster) and running back Tyson Thompson (Irving) have been local players that grabbed Dallas' attention from the workouts. Dallas drafted Crayton and Reeves and signed Thompson as a free agent.

_ Rick Herrin

Keith Davis is a Miami Cowboy

  The exodus to Miami continued on Tuesday when safety Keith Davis agreed to terms with the Dolphins, his agent Curtis Stephens said. Terms of the deal are unknown. Davis, the Cowboys special teams teams captain last year, went in search of a new home and a chance to compete for a starting job.
He found both in Miami where he will be reunited with former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells who is the Dolphins vice president of football operations.

Parcells always thought Davis was difference maker on special teams. Two years ago he blocked a potential move by Davis to New Orleans when he matched a free agent offer to keep him in Dallas. Now Parcells has landed Davis in Miami to join the other South Florida Cowboys, including general manager Jeff Ireland, pro personnel director Brian Gaine, head coach Tony Sparano, secondary coach Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and quarterbacks coach David Lee.
--Clarence Hill

Cowboys standing pat in free agency

Sometimes the best move to make is none at all, at least that is the perspective of Cowboys vice-president Stephen Jones regarding the Cowboys inactivity so far in free agency. Jones said the Cowboys have simply played it smart rather than throwing big money at marginal free agents, as several teams have done.
   Jones acknowledges that the Cowboys strategy probably cost them a chance to add a "wow" player in free agency as owner Jerry Jones promised last month. He indicated receiver Javon Walker might have fit that description but said the Cowboys weren't prepared to pay the bounty he got from the Raiders _ six years, $55 million, including $16 million guaranteed money.
   Besides, he said the Cowboys scored more than a few points last season with their current crop of receivers and expects them to be better in 2008 because the young receivers will make improvements. Jones, however, didn't deny that receiver would be a focal point in the draft and the Cowboys, armed with two first round picks,  can still add in a wow player on the first day of the draft. In addition to receiver, Jones allowed that running back and cornerback are need positions for the Cowboys going into the draft.

   Jones said the Cowboys will almost certainly address the running back position _ considering that Julius Jones signed a free agent contract with the Seahawks and starter Marion Barber has yet to sign his restricted free agent tender.

   Jones said the Cowboys are not worried about losing Barber, who was given a $2.56 million one year tender offer. He said they are still in discussions with his agent Drew Rosenhaus about a long term deal. But he said they could conceivably find Barber's backup in a draft that is loaded with running backs. He said the Cowboys are not pressed to sign a veteran running back in free agency because they can get a quality running back in the draft.

_ Clarence E. Hill

Keith Davis in Miami

IRVING -- Cowboys safety Keith Davis flew to Miami for a free agent visit with the Miami Dolphins Monday.

Davis, a backup safety and special teams captain with the Cowboys, is an unrestricted free agent who is looking for an opportunity to compete for a starting job.

The talks are ongoing and will continue later tonight.

Davis said he has drawn interest from several teams, including the Baltimore Ravens. But the trip to Miami is his first visit since the start of free agency.

And its no surprise considering the number of former Cowboys staffers in Miami -- namely former head coach Bill Parcells is the Dolphins vice president of football operations and secondary coach Todd Bowles.

Parcells has always viewed Davis as a difference maker on special teams. If he signs with the Dolphins, he will compete with Jason Allen, Yeremiah Bell, Courtney Bryan, Tuff Harris and Travis Daniels for one of the two starting jobs at safety.

-- Clarence E. Hill, Jr.

Keith Davis talking to teams

Cowboys free agent safety Keith Davis is talking with multiple teams right now looking for what could be a new home. The special teams captain from Italy, Texas does not have any visits set up but hopes to have some real soon. Davis would like more playing time in the secondary and a couple of possible destinations could be New Orleans or Miami.

_ Rick Herrin

Julius is a new Seahawk

Cowboys free agent running back Julius Jones is Seattle bound hoping to once again become a featured back. Jones reached a contract agreement with the Seahawks on Friday for four years and $12 million.

Jones visited Seattle on Thursday and Friday. He visited Detroit and Tennessee earlier this week.

It brings an end to Jones' four-year run in Dallas that started with high hopes for the second-round pick out of Notre Dame. Jones had flashes of greatness but was eventually unseated at starter by Marion Barber during the playoffs this season. Jones rushed for 1,084 yards in 2006 and became the first back since Emmitt Smith to break 1,000.

Jones heads to Seattle with what, for now, is a crowded backfield. He is expected to compete for the starting job. The move signals a possible change in status for former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander as the team could opt to release him. Rumors have swirled that his future in Seattle is shaky. The Seahawks also signed T.J. Duckett earlier this week and they also have Maurice Morris.

Jones believed he was bound for a bigger year in 2007 after the departure of Bill Parcells. Jones felt he was running like a ''robot'' under Parcells' reign and without him in Dallas he would break loose in a contract year. It didn't unfold. He finished with 588 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and two touchdowns and dealt with fans long begging to have him benched in favor of Barber. Jones eventually lost his starting job in the playoffs as Wade Phillips opted to start the sparkplug Barber against the Giants.

The Cowboys were willing to let Jones hit free agency as they became commited to Barber as the featured back. Barber, a restricted free agent, received the highest offer possible for one year worth $2.56 million from the club. He could still sign an offer sheet with another team but the Cowboys would have seven days to match. If they don't match, the Cowboys would receive a first- and third-round draft pick.

Seattle has been home to some of Jones' biggest NFL moments. He rushed for a career-high 198 yards and three touchdowns in a Monday night victory his rookie year in 2004. In the 2006 playoff loss at Seattle, Jones rushed for 112 yards and he always felt he ran extremely fast on Qwest Field.

_ Rick Herrin