Cowboys Corner

Stephen Jones says he remains pleased with career of Felix Jones in Dallas

Former Cowboys running Felix Jones, who signed with the Eagles on Tuesday, was a disappointment as a first-round pick based on starts, production and impact.

Yet Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones refuses to call him a bust and says he has no regrets about Felix Jones' time in Dallas.

“The guy played for us in a significant role,” Jones said. “The shelf life for a running back is not long. We are pleased with the career he had here with us.”

Jones said he remains fond of the running back picked 22nd overall in 2008 over such backs as Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, Baltimore’s Ray Rice, Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles and Chicago’s Matt Forte largely because Jones went to Arkansas, the alma mater of Stephen Jones and owner Jerry Jones.

“You know what we think of Felix,” Stephen Jones said. “He is a Razorback. We wish him good luck except when the Cowboys and Eagles play.”

Jones’ one-year contract with the Eagles came with a $32,000 signing bonus.

-- Clarence Hill

 

Romo's input into offense is 'similar to every quarterback situation in the league,' Garrett says

Much has been made of Tony Romo’s supposedly new Peyton Manning-like involvement in the offense, mandated by him and owner Jerry Jones when he signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension last month.

Coach Jason Garrett, however, has consistently downplayed any significant change in Romo’s role.

He said he has always tried to involve Romo in the offensive decision-making and game planning.

“It’s similar to every quarterback situation in the league,” Garrett said. “I have been a quarterback in this league. I have been around those dynamics. I have been quarterback coach. I have been the offensive coordinator. In every organization you are trying to get that rapport with the quarterback and the offensive coordinator.

He said it’s natural that when a quarterback gets older and matures that he will have a larger role in the process.

“I think certainly the more experienced the player is the more he understands the offense, the more opposing defenses he is going to see, the smarter the player he is,” Garrett said. “A lot of that has to do with the understanding of the game that comes through experience. They become more credible. Tony is a veteran quarterback. He has played a lot of snaps for us. He has been our quarterback for six years now. So his voice matters to us. It has mattered for a long time.”

Clarence Hill

 

QB Nick Stephens hoping to take advantage of a chance with the Cowboys

Former Tarleton State quarterback Nick Stephens didn't give up on his dream after failing to stick with the Tennessee Titans out of training camp last summer. He continued to work out on on his own, lifting at a Lifetime Fitness and throwing to some ex high school teammates.

He had a tryout with the Bucs last season, but it didn't turn into anything.

So he waited.

Finally, his second chance came when the Cowboys signed him immediately after the 2012 season ended.

"It was a pretty big advantage to have signed when I did and get a jump on things," Stephens said. "I feel like I've taken advantage of it up to this point. There is always so much more to learn, and it's not just learning it, but it's putting it together on the field. That's probably the most difficult part. You can sit down and draw them a million times, but until you get on the field and look everyone in the eyes and repeat this long play to them, that's when it gets ticked up a notch."

The Flower Mound product is one of three quarterbacks who threw at the s rookie minicamp last weekend, along with Dalton Williams and Aaron Corp. But Stephens is the only one who has been here long enough to get a star on his helmet.

"Nick's made a lot of progress, and he's a guy who physically has some tools," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "He's a big kid. He's athletic. He can throw the ball. We just want to see him keep growing in our offense, both understanding what we're trying to do, but also physically doing things the way we want them done. These days are very valuable for a lot of guys, probably as valuable for him as anybody. He gets the chance to essentially run the team as the quarterback. He gets most of the quarterback reps. You see him in the huddle. You see him at the line of scrimmage. You see him translate some of that stuff we're trying to emphasize to him and take it to the practice field. He's made progress. He's a better quarterback at 2 o'clock on Saturday than he was at 7:30 on Friday, and he's doing things the right way, and he's really making progress before our eyes. He, like all of them, has a long way to go, but he's making some strides."

Stephens started six games at the University of Tennessee in 2008, but he couldn't hold the job and transferred to Tarleton in 2010. He finished his career with the Vols with 982 passing yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. In 2011 at Tarleton, Stephens completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 3,005 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Stephens came for Dallas Day workouts at Valley Ranch in 2012, but with Stephen McGee as their third quarterback at the time, the Cowboys didn't sign Stephens as a rookie free agent.

This time, he might have a better shot at making at least the practice squad. The Cowboys kept only two quarterbacks on their 53-player roster last season, and, with the need for arms in training camp, Stephens is the team's third quarterback at the moment.

"I don't think anyone would go into a situation thinking it wasn't a good opportunity," Stephens said. "But at this point, all I'm doing is I'm just trying to be the best I can be. I'm trying to learn from Tony [Romo] and Kyle [Orton] and Coach [Wade] Wilson and Coach Garrett. They're doing a phenomenal job teaching all of us. I'm just trying to put it all together."

-- Charean Williams

Former TCU WR Antoine Hicks gets only a short time to impress the Cowboys, but it is a chance

Antoine Hicks never expected his NFL chance to take so long. After finishing his college career in 2011, the former TCU receiver attended Dallas Day at Valley Ranch, and he got a shot at a Redskins' rookie minicamp. But that was it. No one called to take him to training camp.

He did have two tryouts with CFL teams, but that didn't lead to anything either.

"I never gave up on it," Hicks said. "Seeing the people I actually played ball with in Little League and high school go up and make it, it made me realize if they can make, I know for sure I can make it, too. I'm around the same level as them and worked just as hard as they did. It's about getting an opportunity."

Hicks might not have a great shot at being signed by the Cowboys, but he has a better chance than he had last week. He was a last-minute work out addition for the team's rookie minicamp, called to come to the final two days (three practices).

"It's a great opportunity," said Hicks, a Mansfield Timberview product. "I haven't been in minicamp since last year when I was with the Redskins. In that time, I was working out all the time and having a part-time job."

Hicks has been working valet jobs around DFW, parking cars for tip money. It's not what he envisioned doing after making 76 receptions 1,069 yards and nine touchdowns in four seasons at TCU, including 33 for 347 and a touchdown as a senior.

"It's real special to get this opportunity with the Cowboys," Hicks said. "I grew up a Cowboys fan. It would be an honor to get a an opportunity to make the team I grew up rooting for."

-- Charean Williams

 

 

Fifth-round pick Joseph Randle signs four-year deal; gets signing bonus of $188,500

Rookie running back Joseph Randle won't be able to practice with until training camp because of continued rehab on his surgically repaired thumb.

But there was no delay in his contract talks with the Cowboys. The fifth-round pick, who is expected to be DeMarco Murray's primary backup, signed a four-year, $2.5 million deal with the Cowboys on Monday.

Randle got a $188,500 signing bonus as well as minimum salaries in each of the next four years of $405,000, $555,000, $630,000 and $715,000 in 2013-2016, respectively.

He joins linebacker Devonte Holloman, the team's sixth round pick, as the rookie draft picks to come to come to terms with the Cowboys. Holloman got a $104,000 signing bonus with the same  base salaries.

Clarence Hill

Brandon Magee hoping to follow in the draft-snubbed footsteps of Bengals standout Vontaze Burfict

Much has been made about the Cowboys liking linebacker Brandon Magee so much that they guaranteed $70,000 of his salary for him to sign with them as an undrafted rookie free agent.

But while the former Arizona State star Magee is happy to be with the Cowboys, he is still miffed about being snubbed by every team in the league on draft _ even the Cowboys. He was rated on some teams boards as high as the fourth round. The Cowboys even had him rated higher than linebacker Devonte Holloman, whom they selected in the sixth round.

Magee hasn't forgotten any of it.

"It's there," Magee said of the chip. "It's not going anywhere. I got to make this team."

Magee is drawing inspiration and guidance from former Arizona State teammate Vontage Burfict who found himself in a similar situation last year. Burfict, who at one time was ranked a first-round prospect,  went undrafted because of a bad workout and supposed attitude issues. He signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent and went on to earn a starting spot and lead the team in tackles as a rookie.

 "I talk to him every day," Magee said. "Everybody was all over him. He proved everybody wrong. I'm on that same step."

Clarence Hillb

Cowboys roster moves following rookie camp: release three, sign three

The Dallas announced the signing of three players who came to the rookie minicamp over the weekend as tryout guys: tackle Edwawn Coughman, guard D.J. Hall and receiver Anthony Amos. 

The Cowboys released guard Charlie Bryant, receiver Greg Herd and tackle Aderious Simmons.

Clarence Hill

With Gavin Escobar, the Cowboys should be in a two tight end offense more than last season

Gavin Escobar, one of the best receiving tight ends in college football the past two seasons, joins Jason Witten and James Hanna in the tight ends room. All Witten did was set the single-season record for receptions by a tight end in league history.

So are there enough balls to go around?

“I’m just ready to have them in the game if they call their number,” said Wes Phillips, in his first season as the team’s tight ends coach. “I would imagine taking a young guy who is talented [like Escobar] and having James Hanna along to complement Witten, we can get into some different packages in 12 [one running back, two tight ends]. Each of those guys can play to their strengths.”

The Cowboys could use two tight ends more this season. Dallas didn’t use much last season with John Phillips as its second tight end, running only 195 plays with its 12 personnel. The Cowboys threw 74 times with two tight ends in the game, took one sack and rushed the ball 120 times.

In 2011, with Martellus Bennett as their second tight end, the Cowboys used two tight ends for 320 plays, rushing 225 times, taking six sacks and throwing 89 times.

The Cowboys believe Escobar is a better offensive weapon than Bennett or Phillips, who left for San Diego in March as a free agent. Escobar caught 122 passes for 1,646 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons at San Diego State.

“We used some resources to draft him,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “We used a second-round pick, so we think a lot of him, and we want to give him every opportunity to acclimate him to our offensive system.

“What we have to do as coaches is decide who our best 11 guys are, what our best personnel groups are and try to shape our offense accordingly. You know we’ve used a lot of two tight end offense in the past. …So we want to keep attacking defenses a lot of different ways. We’ll do it with different personnel groups and with different guys within those personnel groups.”

Dallas drafted James Hanna in the sixth round last year, and Hanna played in 107 plays to 333 for Phillips. But in the final four games, Hanna's playing time increased. He played 52 plays in the last four games, while Phillips played 55.

Witten, who played 1,112 plays last season, caught a tight ends record 110 passes for 1,039 yards and three touchdowns. Hanna had eight catches for 86 yards, and Phillips caught eight passes for 55 yards and a score.

-- Charean Williams

Twitter: @NFLCharean

 

Jerry Jones, Cowboys focused on keeping rookies healthy so they can make instant impact

Despite undergoing surgery to repair a damaged left retina on Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a point to keep a watchful eye on rookie minicamp Friday and Saturday from his luxury box overlooking the practice field at the team’s Valley Ranch headquarters.

Jones is especially interested in seeing the progress of a rookie draft class that the Cowboys expect to get significant playing time.

Jones is not just talking about center Travis Frederick, the first-round pick from Wisconsin. He is looking for big contributions from the first six picks: tight end Gavin Escobar (second round), receiver Terrance Williams and safety J.J. Wilcox (third round), cornerback B.W. Webb (fourth round) and running back Joseph Randle (fifth round).

“This is where it starts,” Jones said. “Hopefully we will be able to have more of these rookies on the field for us than we had last year. I think we have made a pretty big commitment in this draft to get these guys on the field.”

Five of the seven picks last year missed time from minicamp through the regular season because of injuries.

First-round pick Morris Claiborne was sidelined until training camp with a wrist injury. Fourth-round pick Kyle Wilber suffered a fractured finger in minicamp.

Fourth-round pick pick Matt Johnson missed minicamp because of school and most of training camp and the regular season because of hamstring injuries.

Fifth-round pick Danny Coale suffered a fractured foot in organized team activities, and seventh-round pick Caleb McSurdy suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in training camp.

Jones said the Cowboys have made a point to monitor the rookies’ activities, contact and stretching in an attempt to avoid some of the setbacks this year.

"We have tried to keep that in mind as we take these guys through practice," Jones said. "We are trying to make sure we are doing the things as best we can to not have some of the pulls we had last year."

Clarence Hill

B. W. Webb excused from final day of mini camp to attend graduation

Rookie cornerback B.W. Webb has been one of the more impressive players in the Cowboys’ rookie minicamp so far. But the fourth-round pick, who is expected to compete with Orlando Scandrick for the starting spot at nickel cornerback, will miss the final day of camp on Sunday to return to William and Mary for graduation.

Webb counts his family as his biggest motivation for wanting to succeed in the NFL. They are also the reason why he had to go back to attend graduation.

“If it was up to my parents, it’s graduation before football,” Webb said. “They are more happy about that than [me] being in the NFL.”

 

Clarence Hill