Dallas Cowboys No. 3 WRs vs. Plaxico Burress/Chad Johnson

Some time during the third quarter of the Dallas Cowboys' first fake football game of the season tonight against the Oakland Raiders we may have a good idea if the team actually has any legit No. 3 wide receiver or merely people dressed as such.

And around that time we may be able to determine whether the Cowboys would be wise to bring in recently cut Dolphins WR Chad Johnson. Or possibly bring in veteran WR Plaxico Burress (right) for a look. Just a look.

What we know is with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant in the top two wide receiving spots for the Cowboys, the team's No. 3 receiver may get a lot of quality time during the season as the No. 2. This is what we call a "serious problem."

Right now the Cowboys list as the "top" WRs behind Dez & Austin:
Kevin Ogletree: 3 seasons, 25 rec., 294 yards
Danny Coale: Rookie from Va Tech
Tim Benford: Rookie from Tenn Tech
Donavon Kemp: Rookie from UTEP
Cole Beasley: Rookie from SMU
Dwayne Harris: 2 seasons, 7 games, 0 rec.
Raymond Radway: 1 season
Andre Holmes: 1 season
Saalim Hakim: Rookie, Tarleton State

Would you rather any combination of any of these players vs. possibly Johnson or Burress?

Y-E-S.

Burress is 35.
Johnson is 34.

Both of these two are considerably more accomplished than the collection of nameless nobodies who are trying to catch Tony Romo's eyes.
But considering the baggage of both Johnson & Burress, and their age, a collection of young nameless nobodies is the better alternative.

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Percy Harvin of the Vikings wants a trade, & he plays a position the Cowboys need help

Jerry Jones may be older and wiser, but the man loves him some names and wide receiver Percy Harvin of the Minnesota Vikings is a name.

According to, well, everyone, Harvin has asked the Vikings to trade him.

This sounds a little like Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins asking for a trade. The Cowboys want Jenkins, and say they aren't trading him.
The Vikings, who finished 3-13 last season, like Harvin and aren't apt to deal him.

(I am quite certain both situations could be rectified if each team just gave their respective disgruntled player a boatload of cash.)

The Vikings would be wise to keep Harvin, but for the sake of discussion the Cowboys would be wise to kick the tires on this one. Harvin is a serious talent.

He is only 24, and in his first three NFL seasons has proven to be a durable, versatile threat. He has 17 TDs receiving, and three rushing. He also has four touchdowns as a kick returner. Last season playing for a God awful Vikings team, he caught 87 passes for 967 yards.

Right now your Dallas Cowboys have no real third receiver. 

What they do have is an enormous talent in Dez Bryant, who is only 23 and should be at a point where he either gets it, or will simply remain a frustrating player.

The other receiver is Miles Austin, who is 27 and coming off an injury season where he was limited to 10 games. But in 2009 and 2010, he did have more than 1,000 yards receiving in each of those seasons and was one of the better receivers in the league.

With Laurent Robinson in Jacksonville, there is no remotely proven third receiver on the Cowboys' roster.

We won't know how serious Harvin is about this trade request until the start of training camp; if he reports, he is not serious and this is dead. If he stays home, the prudent thing to do is for Jerry to at least make the phone call.

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel 

Dallas Cowboys moves: The fine line between lipstick on an 8-8 pig, or the path to 11-5

Happy St. Patrick's Day ... Did you know the next Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) is actually Irish? Yeah, me neither. And I really don't care, either.

... ... ... ... ...

Brandon Carr vs. Terence Newman. PLUS
T-New was finished as a top corner. Carr has to be better than T-New, but at least Orlando Scandrick and he has to stay healthier than Mike Jenkins. This is an upgrade, but Brandon Carr is not Prime Time.

Kevin Ogletree/TBD vs. Laurent Robinson. MINUS
Robinson was the team's most reliable route runner and had quickly become a go-to for Tony Romo. He got stupid money from Jacksonville, and he had to take it but this is a loss. Unless Dez Braynt starts to developing into a reliable producer, Robinson's departure creates a serious void that no one on this roster can fill. 

Dan Connor/Bruce Carter vs. Bradie James/Keith Brooking. PLUS
Both James and Brooking had fallen off dramatically, and the Cowboys had to go younger here. Don't expect Connor to make plays. Expect him to just be there and not screw up.
This position is about Sean Lee and the development of second-year player Carter, who basically did nothing his rookie year because he was recovering from an injury.

Brodney Pool vs. Abe Elam. WASH
Elam was signed one season ago to a one-year deal to play safety, and really didn't produce much. Pool (left) was signed to a one-year deal, and his previous numbers suggests he will produce more than Elam. Either way, the safety spot for the Cowboys remains a serious issue.
 
TBD vs. Martellus Bennett. PLUS
Bennett is a nice, fun, jovial guy and someone whose physical skills suggests he could have been so, so much more. I don't expect him to do much with his new team, the New York Giants.

FB Lawrence Vickers vs. Tony Fiammetta MINUS
Fiametta had developed into a solid lead blocker, and was a nice receiver for Romo out of the backfield. Vickers is a good lead blocker, as Arian Foster knows from running behind him in Houston, but he's not as versatile as Fiammetta.

QB Kyle Orton vs. Jon Kitna WASH
Orton is a solid backup, as was Kitna, who retired. Both were able to make positive plays and win a game or two, but if you are counting on either to win a lot of games you're screwed.

OG Mackenzy Bernadeau vs. TBD  WASH
Depends on whom Bernadeau replaces. The interior of this offensive line is in a major need of an upgrade, and this has the look of trading this OK guy for that OK guy.

OVERALL IMPACT: There appear to upgrades in a lot of these moves, but there remain serious issues: The interior of the offensive line, the development of Dez Bryant, a defensive front seven that is overrated in terms of applying quality pressure, and a secondary that remains suspect.

Are these the types of moves that can make them 11-5, or leave them looking at 8-8 again?

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

This one hurts: Dallas Cowboys WR Laurent Robinson signs with Jacksonville Jaguars

Amid all of this celebration over signing cornerback Brandon Carr there is the issue of the Dallas Cowboys keeping the ones they needed to keep, chief amongst them wide receiver Laurent Robinson.

That's done. The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed the Cowboys' biggest surprise of 2011.

Robinson wrote on his Twitter account: “Its official everyone. Taking my talents to Jacksonville #Jags. I wanna say thank you to the Cowboys Organization and especially FANS 4 all your support last year. But it’s the beginning of a new chapter. And thank you to my agents @NFL_Bridge National Sports Agency and the Jaguars for making this deal possible.”

Robinson will now become the top target for quarterback Blaine Gabbert to miss. Robinson's deal is for five years and $32.5 million; $14 million is guaranteed.

This is a rather large loss for a receiving corps that should have been much better than it was last season. Robinson was signed off the street last year and became one of Tony Romo's most reliable receivers. Robinson's 54 receptions were the third-most on the team. His 11 touchdowns led the team.

This now leaves Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and ... uhhh ... cough-cough ... uhhh .... anyone? 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel