Cowboys Corner

Terrell Owens has interest in Gainesville

The Gainesville Sun and Orlando Sentinel report that Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens has been spotted hanging out in Gainesville, Fla. The Sentinel surmises that maybe he is there to visit with former University of Florida volleyball player and model Kari Klinkenborg, and links to pictures from 2008 (profane language alert).

The Gainesville Sun report:

Yes, that was Terrell Owens eating dinner at Outback and Stonewood this week. And that was Terrell Owens playing basketball at the Gainesville Health and Fitness Center. And that was Terrell Owens eating lunch with former teammate Terry Jackson on Thursday.

“He’s visiting a friend here,” said Jackson. ...

You were the second most famous person in our town this week. The most famous, of course, ate at Outback the same night. Tim Tebow told Dooley Noted it was just a coincidence.

Another Former T.O. Coach Says Nice Things

Vikings coach Brad Childress, who worked with Terrell Owens when the two were in Philadelphia, had nice things to say about T.O.
By the time Owens was done in Philly he and Childress had an icy relationship, but obviously time heals wounds.
"You know what? I can't say anything bad about Terrell from the standpoint of being on the football field. He's a hard working guy," Childress said Friday morning. "He respects knowledge from coaches. He wants to do it right. He practices and plays a million miles an hour. Anybody that plays professional football that you can help keeping playing at a high level there is no downside. The key is being honest and direct and that's how I approached it."
In fairness, coaches or GMs in this atmosphere at the combine aren't going to publicly rip a guy, or any guy. On the record, every player in the league or at the combine here are great. They're families are great. They're all great players, etc.

- Mac Engel

Ray Lewis to Dallas? Not Looking Good

One of the hot rumors so far this offseason remains Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis to the Cowboys.
There is the idea that he would immediately fit into the Cowboys locker room, and provide the in-your-face leadership and accountability the team apparently needs.
That's all well and good, but there is a matter of money.
Lewis is going to want a big deal, because, well, he's Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis doesn't take discounts, even this bad economy. 
It looks as if the Cowboys, however, are probably going to be priced out of his market. The Cowboys are moving ahead as if they are going to re-sign linebacker DeMarcus Ware to a monster extension at some point this offseason, which will push them further and further towards the salary cap limit.
Because the team has been so aggressive in re-signing so many of their own players over the past two years - Marc Colombo, Andre Gurode, Flozell Adams, Marion Barber, Ken Hamlin, Terence Newman, Bradie James, Jason Witten, Tony Romo, Patrick Crayton, Terrell Owens, Jay Ratliff, etc. - they just don't have a ton of room this offseason with the salary cap.
The Cowboys may sign a guy here and there, perhaps even defensive end Chris Canty, but a big deal for a Ray Lewis-type doesn't appear to be a financial fit.

- Mac Engel

Another Change: Don't Talk to the Evil Media

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said after the season changes were coming, and apparently one of them includes to avoid talking to the evil media. Period.
According to a source, all Cowboys coaches have been directed by Jerry Jones not to talk to the media.
Myself and another reporter saw Phillips in a hotel lobby here in Indianapolis and asked if he had some time and he said, "No. I can't. Against the rules."
We asked, "Whose?"
He smiled and walked away.
According to a source, a memo was sent out to all coaches before the Senior Bowl last month stating that coaches were not to talk to the media. They've have followed suit.
Under former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, it was a common practice that assistants were allowed only to talk beginning after the draft until the first preseason game and then they shut up.
When Wade took over, assistants were allowed to talk.
Because there is a perception that there are "leaks" at Valley Ranch, the Cowboys are apparently trying to control any potential ones in assistant coaches.

- Mac Engel

No Pepper in Dallas

The odds of Julius Peppers being traded to Dallas went from awful to just about dead.
The Panthers put the franchise tag on the Pro Bowl defensive end, who gave the team a list of four teams he'd like to be traded to, one of which included the Cowboys.
Without a first round pick to deal, it was a long-shot the Cowboys would have been able to pull off such a deal, but now it's moot anyways.
Peppers is going to remain a Panther.
So dream on about another defensive end.

- Mac Engel

More T.O. Talk

Because it's Thursday and we can't go one day without talking about Terrell Owens, I asked/begged Tony Sparano to talk about T.O. and the time he spent with him with the Cowboys.
Sparano wasn't dying to talk about this subject, mostly because it's usually a no-win situation these days.
But Sparano was complimentary, if brief.
"The guy was a really good pro for me," Sparano said. "From my end, he was a good pro and did eveyrthing we asked him to do. We had a heckuva a year together. That's where I am with the guy - he was a good pro, had a heck of a year. That's all I can say. The rest of it isn't my business."
Like I said, Sparano wasn't long-winded, but he didn't kill the guy.

- Mac Engel

Sparano Defends Jason Garrett

Now that the Miami Dolphins posted a 1-15 to 11-5 season under former Cowboys assistant coach Tony Sparano it's become fashionable to say Sparano was the real reason behind the offensive success of the Cowboys in 2007. And that his departure is the reason Jason Garrett and the offense struggled in 2008.
Sparano isn't buying. He remains a staunch Garrett suporter.
"I love Jason Garrett. I think the guy has a brilliant mind," Sparano said. "I think he's one of the best coaches that I've been around as far as being able to utilize people and putting them in the right position to do the things they need to do. It's a tremendous strength of his - the way he communicates with the football team and the way he communicates with the players. I think he's a hell of a football coach." 

- Mac Engel

The Fish Liked the Trade

It's become mostly a footnote, but the Dolphins do consider one of their trades last season as a big win.
Before the 2008 draft, the Fish traded a fourth-round pick to the Cowboys for linebacker Anthony Fasano and Akin Ayodele.
"Last year we had a great situation with Anthony Fasano and Akin Ayodele that trade from Dallas for a fourth round pick," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said today. "That type of sitatuiuon. that helped us. we got two players we knew a lot about. we knew they were going to be starters for us. Those are the kinds of the things that are solid moves for us."
Who won the trade? It depends on what second round pick Martellus Bennett becomes. He has the talent to become much better than Fasano, but will he?
Fasano finished with 34 catches for 454 yards and seven touchdowns.
Ayodele had 75 tackles and two interceptions.

- Mac Engel

At the Combine ... D-Ware

Arrived here in Indianapolis and was greeted by 30 degree weather.
Yet another reason to hold this thing in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Perhaps the oddest sight was that of Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware standing in line waiting to rent a car. No limo. He drives himself.
I asked him if being here at combine time took him back to his days when he tested here as a prospective rookie from Troy.
"Nope," he said. "I killed it here and I was done."
His performance at the combine was a big reason why he was a first round pick.
No, he hasn't signed a new contract yet, but he said he hopes to before the start of the season.

- Mac Engel

 

Closeout sale at Texas Stadium

This is it, no more Delta.

The Dallas Cowboys have announced a final, final closeout sale on Texas Stadium. It comes roughly on the two-month anniversary when the Cowboys defense sold out twice against the Baltimore Ravens on short-yardage plays in the farewell game and, well, Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee are still running.

The "Farewell Fan Fest and Memorabilia Sale" is this weekend at Texas Stadium. Admission and parking is free.

Friday (3-9 p.m.) is restricted to Fan Club members, season ticket holders, Dallas Cowboys and City of Irving employees, according to dallascowboys.com.

Regular people are welcome Saturday (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.).

All sorts of memorabilia will be for sale. Former and current Cowboys players and current cheerleaders will be there. Go here if you don't believe us.

If someone tries to sell you the Hole in the Roof, it's probably a scam, or a representative of Jerry Jones.

— Vince Langford