A Hero Wednesday Night, Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Orie Lemon Could Be Forgotten By Tonight

 The Twitter universe erupted in universal approbation of Orie Lemon’s interception return for a touchdown in Wednesday night’s 30-13 preseason-ending victory for the Dallas Cowboys over the Miami Dolphins.  Not only did the runback provide the game with a much-needed spark of excitement, it offered a chance for many weary fans to take to their Blackberry’s and let team owner Jerry Jones know that Lemon had shown enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, which will be officially set on Friday night at 8 pm.

For one night, anyway, Lemon’s name was the sweetest sound around.  Forgotten was the missed assignment in coverage shortly after the touchdown by Lemon that allowed a Dolphins receiver to run uncovered across the middle for a big gain, and the fact that Lemon’s name had hardly even been mentioned before his trip to the end zone.  

It’s a good thing that the voices of Twitter aren’t calling the shots for America’s Team, because most of what comes over that engine is a contradictory noise of expressed excitement mixed by a blender of present-day influence.  Nothing really matters except the here and now.  Which is why Lemon was suddenly a hero.

This is a common occurrence amongst fans that are, sometimes unknowingly, overanxious for the conclusion of preseason play.

By the time the sun goes down on Friday evening, there’s a very good chance that Lemon will be one of twenty-two players calling themselves “former” Dallas Cowboys, relegating the zealous Twitter birds of this world to the role of tweeting about some other hero not named Lemon.

Dallas Cowboys Trade for Offensive Lineman from Miami Dolphins

According to NFL.com and Wikipedia, the Dallas Cowboys have traded for offensive lineman Ryan Cook from the Miami Dolphins (originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2006) reportedly giving up a 7th round draft pick in 2013. Complete details of the trade are unavailable at the moment, but are expected to be released by the end of the day which also happens to be the deadline for final cuts to trim to the 53 man roster.

Since the beginning of Training Camp, this group has been on a successful quest to keep everyone guessing about who will be injured next, signed next, released next, practicing next and whether they will be practicing / playing center or guard. It's enough to keep anyone dizzy just trying to keep up with it.

One thing is obvious, though. Jason Garrett is consistent in his goals to keep competition active at every position on the team at all times. They seem to be thoroughly scouring every possible location for potential players on this team. Jerry should be thankful for that.

Stephen McGee’s Unlikely Career As A Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Could End Tonight

 by Ryan Bush

Tonight’s game between the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys will be about more than just the end of the preseason for Cowboys quarterback Stephen McGee.  It could be the end of a tenure with the team that he grew up cheering for in south Texas.  The silver and blue… that famous star… all of that could come to an end for McGee in one short, three-hour span that few people will recall past tonight.

McGee is currently locked in a battle with Rudy Carpenter for a spot on the Cowboys opening day roster that he doesn’t even know exists.  Injuries at multiple positions, including tight end and nose tackle, could force head coach Jason Garrett to go long at those spots and enter the season with only two quarterbacks (Tony Romo and Kyle Orton) on the active roster.  Without an option to land on Dallas’ practice squad, McGee would then be cut loose to seek employment elsewhere.

McGee is no stranger to facing a stacked deck, having beaten the odds since his collegiate career began at Texas A&M.  The 26-year old native of Round Rock, McGee was a three-year starter at Burnett High School where he led his team to a 36-5 overall record.  In his junior and senior seasons, Burnett advanced to the 3A State Finals.  His 101 career touchdown passes is also a 3A State record.

 

From there, he enrolled with the Aggies of College Station and would start 31 games for the maroon, including two victories over arch rival Texas Longhorns.  Dennis Franchione’s option-offense and an injury during his senior season that ultimately cost him his job made for a somewhat frustrating time down in the Brazos Valley.

His time with a star on his helmet has been little different.  Though his college career ended up in smoke, the Cowboys thought enough of McGee’s size and strength to give him a chance, drafting him in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft. Team owner Jerry Jones then compared McGee to two-time Pro Bowler Tony Romo, alluding to certain “nine-ish qualities” in McGee.  Jones soon found out otherwise when the summer’s slate of games got underway.

McGee jumped for joy when he tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Hannah in the second preseason game against Tennessee on national television.  His landing, though, proved to be costly, as he tore his MCL and would sit out for a month.  

A year later, only a 304 yard effort against these same Dolphins in the preseason finale was enough to land him a spot on the roster.  Four months afterwards, he saw his first regular season action on Christmas night against Arizona.  A botched extra-point and a gutless defense combined to wipe out a 80-yard scoring drive that put the Cowboys ahead in the final minute, as Dallas dropped their tenth game of the season.

With Jon Kitna still ailing, McGee started the season finale in rainy Philadelphia and managed to beat an Eagles team that was resting most of its starters by a single point on the strength of another last-minute scoring march.

Here in 2012, McGee’s progression seems to have stalled out.  He tends to flush from the pocket.  He doesn’t look downfield as much as he should.  There was an interception against San Diego in the second preseason game, and a missed blitz-read that resulted in a fumble when he was blindsided.  Last week he didn’t even engineer a single scoring drive against a bad Rams team.

All of which leads to tonight’s game in Arlington, with his Cowboys career hanging in the balance.  McGee is well aware of the situation surrounding him, and is likely to perform at his best, just like he has always done with his back to the wall.

Only time will tell what such a performance will earn him.

Dez Bryant’s Loyalty To Dallas Cowboys Should Quiet Talk Of Dismissal

by Ryan Bush

 

And now we know the real truth about Dez Bryant.  The Dallas Cowboys oft-troubled wide receiver isn’t an out-of-control child wearing handcuffs like many have recently depicted him, but rather a recuperating talent on a tour of personal mending.   Bryant doesn’t want trouble.  He wants to avoid it, and is doing everything he knows of to ensure that.

According to his own personal adviser David Wells, the Cowboys did not impose restrictions on Bryant’s off-the-field activities, but was a direct result of the receiver’s request. “He wanted to make some changes himself,” Wells said.  “He wanted to put some people around him that also could be there in case something happened, that they would be able to attest to what’s going on with him.  He first of all said that he wanted to make sure his safety was good, because a lot of times athletes are vulnerable to things that go on out there in society. “But he also wanted to make sure, to the Dallas Cowboys fans, that he’s doing everything he can to make sure that he’s out there every day, not only practicing as hard as he can, but also on game day producing the product that the Dallas Cowboys want.  That’s what Dez is about… He came to me and said, ‘Hey man, can you help me?  I want help’”

By tossing beer and wild women to the side, Bryant has shoved all his chips in with head coach Jason Garrett and the 2012 Cowboys team in an effort to protect himself and his employer.  At the end of the day, a sign of loyalty is all anybody could ask of him.

Terrell Owens never stopped talking.  Pacman Jones couldn’t even abide his own bodyguard.  To them, rules often seemed to be things designed for hurdling, instead of following.

Maybe it’s about time a disgusted fanbase get off their high-and-mighty soap-box and throw some encouragement in Bryant’s corner.  Yes, he’s still Dez, and he’s still human.  But he’s also made some changes that will benefit himself and his team if adhered to.  That should be applauded, even if you were one of the overanxious crowd that was, just moments before, begging for Bryant’s dismissal.

Dallas Cowboys Recent Shortcomings Have Hurt Dez Bryant’s Current Standing

 by Ryan Bush

Let’s just take the bull by the horns and admit that America’s value system is completely out-of-whack.  No, this is not a reference to any recent proclamation from the campaign platform of President Barack Obama or Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.  It’s not even an acknowledgement that way too many fans are enjoying way too many games of this long, and somewhat tiresome, NFL preseason. Instead, let’s take a moment and revisit the recent unpleasantness surrounding the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.

Wide receiver Dez Bryant turned himself into authorities just prior to the beginning of training camp on a domestic disturbance charge that was eventually classified as an alleged assault on his mother.  Though details of the story have been sketchy and incomplete, Bryant admitted he was in the wrong and showed proper remorse at allowing an innocent argument to make the national news.

Dez Bryant & Mom at Press conference

The fact that it wasn’t his first run-in with the law has forced the Cowboys to impose a list of off-the-field guidelines that will supposedly keep Bryant away from any vile influences who habitually cause the kind of trouble that the third-year receiver has proved prone for falling into.  And so down came the gauntlet squarely on Bryant’s head Sunday morning in typical prohibitive fashion.  No alcohol.  No strip clubs.  And a bodyguard at all times.

According to the pulse of the ever fluctuating Cowboys poll, Bryant’s popularity has crashed through the cellar floor.  Fans are tired of his late night altercations, his debt, and his act of perceived carelessness on the field.  They are, to put it in a nutshell that everyone can understand, ashamed.  Thoroughly ashamed.  Even disgustedly ashamed.

Bryant is bordering on the status of an outcast, even more than he is to receiving a lengthy suspension from the NFL front-office.

Now, without condoning assaulting your mother, or developing a taste for over-exuberant spending, the reaction from Cowboys fans over this latest Bryant episode reeks of a Texas-sized portion of disingenuousness.  For out of the fog of year’s past, comes the memory of another wide receiver that wears No. 88 being caught in a hotel room by police with two “self-employed models” and a load of pot large enough that would result in anybody being thrown in the slammer and hauled up before the judge.

Fans were outraged during the court proceedings, and then came completely unhinged when the NFL suspended him for the first four games of the 1996 season.  This was three-time Super Bowl-winning receiver Michael Irvin under the knife, so many found it expedient to overlook the fact that he was involved in trafficking dope and an active life of infidelity.  Big deal, fans cried!  The Cowboys were looking to make it four championships in a five-year span, and would need their top wide receiver on the field for every game, prompting the throngs into a united cry for leniency.

It has long been acknowledged within the sporting world that there are no sinners in a crowd of winners.  A Super Bowl makes model citizens out of every dark-hooded knight, three Super Bowls untouchable legends.

Dez isn’t anywhere close to receiving that kind of treatment.  Yes, he’s wearing the right jersey number, but has yet to develop a knack for purchasing the right kind of jewelry.

Will Dallas Cowboys' Jay Ratliff Miss Opener Against Giants?

 Having nose tackle Jay Ratliff on crutches cannot be a comforting site for any Cowboys fan. The four time Pro Bowler suffered a high ankle sprain Saturday night in the Cowboys preseason game against the St Lious Rams. The Cowboys have not issued an official statement on the injury. Lets hope for the best.

Return to Glory for Dallas Cowboys? The Giant Task starts Soon!

 

 With the impressive showing of the defense during this preseason, as well as the offense even with a lack of starting wide receivers, many fans are anticipating a return to glory for America's Team.

Without denigrating any aspect of this current squad, one thing must be remembered. This is only the preseason. Reality lies only a few days in the future in the form of the New York Giants.

 

 It would be wise to wait for the results of that game. Then, maybe, a better feel for this team can be had. After all, both sides of the ball are not going against any other teams' best game plan. And lately, the Giants seem to have had good ones for the Cowboys. Let's hope that doesn't continue!

Two Touchdown Night Against Rams Has Dallas Cowboys' Dwayne Harris Staring At Roster Spot

  by Ryan Bush

Dwayne Harris & Teammates celebrate after one of two touchdowns against the Rams

 

To say that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dwayne Harris had a breakout game Saturday night against the Rams might be considered a gross understatement.  For the second year player out of East Carolina, his two touchdown performance in the Cowboys’ 20-19 victory can safely be said to be his only NFL game of statistical significance to date

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And it couldn’t have come at a better time for him either.  Tony Romo was without his top two wideouts for the game, and needed a go-to guy to emerge.  Lo and behold, the long-haired speed-demon Harris became just that guy, finishing with 118 yards receiving on three catches.  

Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are the only two receivers with a firm grip on a roster spot, yet each were sidelined with minor ailments.  Any one of three wide receiver slots behind them are open for the taking, and Harris threw his hat into the ring with a monster first-quarter performance that included scoring grabs of 61 and 38 yards, staking the Cowboys to a 20-6 halftime lead.   The fact that he did this against the first-team Rams defense only adds more icing onto his already decorative cake.

“Dwayne did a good job,” Romo said.  “It’s never been about the big things for Dwayne.  It’s just about the little things.  If he gets the little things down, he’s got a chance to really help our football team.”

Last season, Harris waited until the third week of the preseason to show up on the radar, turning a short pass reception into a 76-yard scoring jaunt against the second-unit of a spineless Vikings defense, yet only made the 53-man roster when fellow receiver Ramon Radway broke his leg on the final play of the exhibition finale in rainy Miami five days later.  This year Radway is nowhere to be found, buried amongst a group of roster hopefuls desperate for a break of positive implications to fall their way, while Harris has quickly become a leading candidate for a role in September and beyond.

What’s A Plaxico?

 by Ryan Bush

                   

 

Here’s some comforting news for Dallas Cowboys wide receivers Kevin Ogletree, Cole Beasley and Dwayne Harris.  These three are clearly the leaders of a jumbled pack of wideouts vying for three regular season roster positions heading into Wednesday night’s preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins, and by this time likely need a sedative to calm their overwrought nerves.

Every indication suggests that, despite the overwhelmingly negative vote of public opinion, head coach Jason Garrett actually likes what he has at receiver behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.

How can I say this?

Well, because the names of Plaxico Burress and Antonio Bryant have yet to bounce off the walls of Valley Ranch during the past two weeks as serious considerations.

Dallas Cowboys Defense’s Shutout Streak Tempered By Reality Of Preseason

by Ryan Bush

It has not escaped the attention of fans that the Dallas Cowboys first-team defense has yet to allow a single point during this preseason.  Noteworthy this is in remembrance of last year’s defense that allowed offenses to march up and down the field at random during the December home stretch that saw the Cowboys go from 7-4 division leaders to an 8-8 group that missed out on the postseason altogether.

This time around, things appear to be much different for Rob Ryan’s unit.  They have gotten off the field quickly, forced turnovers (three, to be exact), and have looked stout in run support.  Accomplishing this while several starters, of which include nose tackle Jay Ratliff, outside linebacker Demarcus Ware and cornerback Mike Jenkins, have been inactive only adds to the intrigue surrounding the defense’s “overnight” turnaround.

But as is always the case in August, we must err on the side of caution before allowing any Doomsday III imaginings to skewer the reality of the situation.  And the reality is that the preseason is only two games old, and the first unit has yet to play a combined two quarters of football.

Holding an offensively-challenged Rams team tonight without a point will only be as noteworthy as the difficulty of the challenge, and the pressure of the moment.  Which, this being only the third week of the NFL preseason, wouldn’t qualify as an outstanding accomplishment at all. 

Dallas Cowboys' Injuries Might Force Jason Garrett To Limit Starters Playing Time Against Rams

by Ryan Bush

Let’s hope that Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett wasn’t planning on using Saturday night’s preseason game at Cowboys Stadium against St. Louis as a tune-up for his regular twenty-two starters.  Because circumstances won’t allow him to.

The injury-bug seems to have set-up permanent shop at Camp Cowboy, as players have been dropping to the ground like flies during much of training camp and preseason.  Now only twelve days from the start of the regular season, his lineup versus the Rams promises to look very much different from what he envisioned three weeks before.

Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are out, as is tight end Jason Witten.  The offensive line is a mess in constant flux, and the defensive line isn’t any better.  Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer just returned to the practice field after a lengthy bout with a hamstring pull, but isn’t certain if he will suit up either.  Oh, and Mike Jenkins is still nursing his wounds in the training room, leaving Rob Ryan’s defense without yet another vital piece to their new-look unit.

All of which shapes a very important question for Garrett to answer.  Most head coaches will play their starters into the third quarter this weekend.  Will he do the same?  Or, better yet, should he do the same?

Of all the injuries that have occurred during this slate of summer practices – and there have been quite a number of them – none (excepting, possibly Witten) will keep a projected starter from missing their season-opening game against the New York Giants on Sep. 5.

Is it worth the risk of injury to let Tony Romo stay on the field into the second half and play catch with Ramon Radway and Kevin Ogletree?  And what about Demarco Murray running behind what is still a makeshift offensive line?  Sure, getting him in tip-top game-shape is important during the preseason, but isn’t his health and durability just as, if not more so?  Will cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne actually benefit from squaring off for a half or more against a Rams team without a marquee wide receiver?

For a team that appears to be bitten by the injury-bug, Garrett might be forced to play it safe and turn Saturday night at the Arlington Mosque into a glorified tryout for a backseat roster spot on America’s Team.

Dallas Cowboys' Felix Jones’ Uninspiring Play Gives Additional Meaning To Remainder Of Preseason on the Long Road to the Super Bowl

 By Ryan Bush

As late August threatens to give way to September, head coaches and general managers have begun to anticipate the first of two roster cut downs in order to reach the NFL-mandated 53-man roster.  Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has been pelted with questions from the media this preseason surrounding the team’s wide-open battle at three of the five receiver positions, leaving little room for other discussion.  Cole Beasley’s seven-catch performance in San Diego on Saturday night has only intensified the ongoing debate among coaches, players, and fans alike.

Meanwhile, a developing story at the running back position has to have Garrett and general manager Jerry Jones a bit concerned as well.  Three weeks of training camp and two exhibition contests into the season and what once was thought to be a roster position set in stone has turned into a host of veritable question marks that is nothing but disconcerting.

Entering his fifth season in the league, Felix Jones traveled to California for training camp with a firm grip on the No. 2 halfback position behind last year’s rookie phenom Demarco Murray.  But one uninspiring practice after another, coupled with two sub-par performances against Oakland and San Diego, has left Jones’ role with the team very much in doubt. The speed that convinced the Cowboys to draft him twenty-second overall in the 2008 draft out of Arkansas seems to have disappeared, and his impressive agility right along with it.  And all this developing around two running backs, Murray and Olawale, that have made the most out of every carry.  Without a doubt, this could spell trouble for the Cowboys and Jones.

In a league that has adopted a dual-running back fold as the norm, the Cowboys were counting on Jones to be Murray’s sidekick in the backfield, spelling him intermittently throughout the course of each game.  Jones’ game-breaking abilities in the passing department made him a valuable asset as a third-down back in Jason Garrett’s offense as well.

The tone from the front-office suggests the Cowboys are prepared to be patient with Jones, who is coming off off-season shoulder surgery, and aren’t watching the waiver wire for any possible replacement.  

But how long their patience will last is the question?

Because,  it’s no secret that Garrett needs production from his No. 2 back and might be hesitant to expect Olawale to fill that role as a raw rookie in the case that Jones continues to flounder, making the final two exhibition games versus St. Louis and Miami, oh, so very important.