 |
June 11, 2008
Defensive end Chris Canty has finally signed his one-year contract of $2.017 million on Wednesday. However, the club remains in contract talks with Canty and his agent about a long-term deal. Canty is a restricted free agent and will be unrestricted at the end of the 2008 season without a long-term deal. Canty started every game last year and recorded a career-high 46 tackles and tied for third on the team with 3 ½ sacks.
|
|
December 28, 2007
Cowboys nose tackle Tank Johnson is expected to get his first start of the season this week in Washington. Jay Ratliff has missed all week of practice with a sprained knee he suffered last week at Carolina and will be held out against the Redskins. Johnson is coming off one of his best games of the season last week against the Panthers when he recorded a sack and another tackle for loss. With Ratliff set to be inactive, the Cowboys have worked starting defensive end Marcus Spears some inside this week, as a possible backup to Johnson.
|
|
December 20, 2007
Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty, who is from Charlotte, N.C., is expected to play this week in front of the hometown fans. Canty suffered a sprained knee in last week's game against the Eagles, but has practiced all week and should be ready to go against Carolina. Coach Wade Phillip said on Thursday that Canty has made big improvements all season long and is one of the reasons the Cowboys rank fourth against the rush this season.
|
|
December 16, 2007
Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff showed why he'll be sticking around for another five years, playing one of his best games Sunday, just two days after signing a five-year, $20.5 million contract. Ratliff had four tackles, a sack and a quarterback pressure in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. The Cowboys locked up Ratliff to avoid him becoming a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Ratliff, a seventh-round pick from Auburn in 2005, received an $8 million signing bonus.
|
|
November 11, 2007
Making his Cowboys debut, defensive tackle Tank Johnson recorded one of the team's five sacks when he dragged down Eli Manning in the fourth quarter. Johnson, playing behind starter Jay Ratliff at nose tackle, had three tackles and another hit on the quarterback. It was Johnson's first game played since Super Bowl XLI, when he played for the Bears. Johnson, cut by Chicago this summer, completed an eight-game suspension from the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
|
|
November 1, 2007
Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff won't be moving back to end despite next week's return of Tank Johnson, coach Wade Phillips said Thursday. He said Ratliff will still play and likely start at tackle, but will play more in the dime package with Johnson rotating into the mix. Ratliff spent his first two years at defensive end before making the full-time switch to tackle after Jason Ferguson was lost for the season with a torn biceps injury.
|
|
October 23, 2007
Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty received a game ball from coach Wade Phillips for his blocked field goal last Sunday against the Vikings that was returned for a key third-quarter touchdown by Pat Watkins. It was the Cowboys' first blocked field goal since Brandon Noble had one against the Giants in 2000. The last time the Cowboys scored off a blocked field goal return occurred in 1983 when Ed "Too Tall" Jones blocked a kick that Ron Fellows scooped up for a 62-yard touchdown against the Saints. It was Canty's first block of his NFL career after just getting one block in his collegiate career at Virginia.
|
|
October 14, 2007
Second-year defensive end Jason Hatcher scooped up a Tom Brady fumble and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown Sunday against the Patriots. Not only was it Hatcher's first career touchdown, but the first by a Cowboys defensive lineman since Greg Ellis had two touchdowns in the 1999 season. Ellis, who began his career at defensive end before switching to linebacker last year in the 3-4 scheme, forced the fumble Sunday by hitting Brady on a blitz.
|
|
October 11, 2007
Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff will make his fifth consecutive start in the middle of the defensive line Sunday against the Patriots. New England center Dan Koppen is considered one of the league's top run blockers. Ratliff received a game ball from head coach Wade Phillips last week for his hustle down the field to recover Terence Newman's fumble after a fourth-quarter interception.
|
|
September 21, 2007
Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff will make his second start at nose guard this week, but it should be a tougher task facing Chicago's Pro Bowler center Olin Kreutz. Ratliff, who replaced Jason Ferguson in the lineup last week, played most of the game, both on the standard defense and the dime package. He recorded two tackles with a fumble recovery and pass deflection. Kruetz has made the Pro Bowl each of the last six years.
|
|
September 11, 2007
The Cowboys have re-signed defensive tackle Remi Ayodele on Tuesday, in an attempt to replace veteran Jason Ferguson, who was placed on injured reserve with a torn bicep tendon in his right arm. Ferguson will undergo surgery on Friday and will be out for the entire season. Ayodele, the younger brother of linebacker Akin Ayodele, was with the Cowboys all off-season and made a strong push to make the 53-man roster. But the Cowboys decided to cut him on Sept. 2, with the hopes of bringing him back to the practice squad. However, the Falcons claimed him off waivers but then released him last Friday to make room for a quarterback. Ayodele was planning to rejoin the Cowboys on the practice squad until Ferguson's injury. In four preseason games with the Cowboys, Ayodele recorded 10 tackles, tying for the lead among defensive tackles with Jay Ratliff, who will assume the starting role at defensive tackle in place of Ferguson.
|
|
September 9, 2007
Cowboys nose tackle Jason Ferguson suffered a torn right biceps tendon early in the game and never returned to action. The club will re-evaluate the veteran on Monday, but the early prognosis is that Ferguson might be out for an extensive period of time. Nose tackle is one of the team's thinnest positions, as converted defensive end Jay Ratliff had to finish the game in Ferguson's place. |
|
August 20, 2007
Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher is expected to return to practice Tuesday after missing nearly three full weeks with a strained hamstring. Hatcher said he is excited about the chance to return to the field, but said he won't rush the injury if he's not 100 percent. Hatcher, a third-round pick last year from Grambling State, said his biggest concern is getting ready for the regular season. |
|
August 13, 2007
Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher missed yet another practice Monday, still bothered by a strained hamstring he suffered two weeks ago in San Antonio. Hatcher missed the preseason game against the Colts and will be hard-pressed to return to practice in time to play Saturday against Denver. The second-year end from Grambling is expected to be a big part of the Cowboys' nickel and dime packages as a situational pass-rusher.
|
|
August 2, 2007
The Cowboys are rather deep at defensive end and outside linebacker, that hasn't stopped them from exploring all option. The team will work out defensive end Khari Long (6-4, 257) here at the Alamodome. Long, a former Baylor standout, was a sixth-round pick of the Chiefs in 2005. He joined the Bears last season but was released in April. If signed, Long could be used as either a linebacker in this 3-4 scheme, or possibly a pass-rusher in the nickel and dime defenses.
|
|
March 6, 2007
Former Cowboys defensive end Kenyon Coleman, one of the team's seven unrestricted free agents, signed with the New York Jets late Tuesday night. Coleman spent the last four years with the Cowboys, contributing more in the last two seasons after the defense switched to a 3-4 scheme. The Jets also plan on using Coleman in their 3-4 defense next season. Coleman had four sacks and 31 tackles playing all 16 games last season. "I'm excited to be a part of the New York Jets organization," Coleman said on the Jets' official Web site. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to play for Coach Mangini and help the team in any way I can."
|
|
February 9, 2007
The Cowboys signed defensive tackle Remi Ayodele on Friday as a street free agent. Teams can sign players who were not on an NFL roster at the end of the season before March 2, the start of the free-agent signing period. Ayodele, the younger brother of Cowboys linebacker Akin Ayodele, spent 20 days with the team on the practice squad before getting released on Nov. 27. Ayodele, who played at the University of Oklahoma, was in the Patriots' training camp last year and spent some time on the Ravens' practice squad. |
|
December 28, 2006
Cowboys defensive end Jay Ratliff missed another practice Thursday with an injured shoulder. While he's listed as questionable on the injury report, he has missed the two key practices of the week and will likely be inactive for Sunday's season-finale against the Lions. Ratliff has been on the first-team nickel at defensive tackle, although Parcells said he has not decided how he will replace Ratliff if he can't go. |
|
November 30, 2006
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells said his defensive ends are playing more, but still wants to get more production from second-year end Chris Canty. Pareclls said he knows Canty is frustrated with the lack of attention that comes his way. "Chris basically plays on the weak side of the defense and a lot of plays go the other way," Parcells said. "So he's not in on the production as much so we get on him about producing and then he's trying to make plays outside the system." Parcells said he's told Canty to just play in the system and be patient for the plays to come back to him.
|
|
November 16, 2006
The Cowboys claimed defensive tackle Montavious Stanley off waivers Thursday, adding him to the 53-man roster. Stanley, who was released by the Jaguars earlier this week, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Cowboys this season and spent the entire training camp and preseason with the club before being released on Sept. 2 in the final cuts before the regular season. Stanley becomes the only backup nose tackle to starter Jason Ferguson. The team signed J'Vonne Parker back in September but released him last week.
|
|
November 1, 2006
After missing two straight games, rookie defensive end Jason Hatcher has at least returned to portions of practice. Head coach Bill Parcells said Hatcher "took some turns" on Wednesday. However, despite being listed as questionable all last week, Hatcher has been downgraded for this week. Hatcher had been a big part of the Cowboys' nickel defense before his injury.
|
|
October 28, 2006
Outside linebacker Greg Ellis recorded two more sacks Sunday night, forcing one fumble that led to Marion Barber's second touchdown run of the fourth quarter. Ellis now leads the team with 4 ½ sacks. The nine-year pro had led the team in sacks four straight years before tying with DeMarcus Ware last year with eight sacks each.
|
|
October 15, 2006
Cowboys rookie defensive end Jason Hatcher sprained his ankle in Sunday's 34-6 win over Houston and could be out "a little while," Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells said Monday. "Not sure how long, but I don't think he'll be able to work this week very much," Parcells said of Hatcher, whose X-rays were negative. Hatcher has been working mostly opposite defensive end Jay Ratliff in nickel situations. The Cowboys' third-round pick has recorded three tackles, a half-sack and three quarterback pressures in five games.
|
|
October 8, 2006
Cowboys defensive end Jay Ratliff only plays on the nickel defense and entered the game with no tackles on defense. However, he had a team-lead two sacks and added another Sunday, dropping Donovan McNabb in the first half.
|
|
September 18, 2006
Cowboys defensive end Jay Ratliff doesn't get many opportunities to make plays from his backup position, but the second-year veteran from Auburn is making the most of his chances. Ratliff, who plays on the nickel defense, already has two sacks, which ties him for sixth in the NFC with several players.
Ratliff has recorded one sack in each of the first two games this season, including dropping Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell Sunday night for a 13-yard loss. Ratfliff also was credited with two quarterback hurries.
|
|
September 6, 2006
The Cowboys initially released Thomas Johnson off the 53-man roster to make room for the 6-4, 324-pound J'Vonne Parker, claimed off waivers from Cleveland. But Parcells said Parker needs to get in better shape, and that didn't have as much to do with losing weight as it did his aerobic conditioning. Parker is expected to be one of the eight inactives on game day. |
|
September 4, 2006
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells had said throughout training camp that either Thomas Johnson or Montavious Stanley would need to rise to the occasion in order to backup starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson. Apparently, neither one did. The Cowboys claimed J'Vonne Parker off waivers from the Browns on Monday and released Johnson. The club also waived Stanley, a sixth-round pick on Saturday. Now Parker doesn't come to the Cowboys with much experience, having played just four games last season in Cleveland. Parker, who played college ball at Rutgers, spent the first 12 weeks of the season on the practice squad before getting called up to the active roster. At 6-4, 323, Parker does give the Cowboys more size in the middle. |
|
August 30, 2006
With the Cowboys having to trim the roster to 53 by Saturday, Bill Parcells said Wednesday he doesn't expect both of his backup defensive tackles - Thomas Johnson and Montavious Stanley to make the team. "It's a position that would be in question," Parcells said. "I doubt seriously we could keep both of those players." Johnson spent most of last season on the practice squad before getting called up to the roster at the end of the season. Stanley, a sixth-round pick from Louisville, played mostly in a 4-3 defense in college has been adjusting to playing a true nose tackle. Parcells said Johnson's experience gives him a slight advantage over Stanley, who is bigger, but not as quick. The Cowboys are counting on Jason Ferguson as the starting nose tackle. |
|
August 27, 2006
Not since the Bayou Classic in New Orleans has Jason Hatcher recorded two sacks in a game. But the rookie third-round pick said he felt like he was back at Grambling State again as he showed flashes Saturday night of being the disruptive pass rusher he was in college. Hatcher not only picked up a pair of sacks, but forced a fumble, playing mostly in the second half with the second-team defense. "It felt good to get out there and have a big game tonight," Hatcher said. "I felt like I needed to do something big. I played all right in the first two (games), but I just wanted to get something going. I feel good now." And he must be playing well, too, if Parcells has very little to say. "Yeah, that was good to see," the coach said of Hatcher. "Did he get two sacks? That's good." |
|
August 21, 2006
Defensive end Marcus Spears played in his first game since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery at the beginning of training camp this summer. Spears did not play during the first exhibition game in Seattle. Spears returned to camp practice this past week working with the third team, but by time the Cowboys broke camp, he was back working with the first team at left defensive tackle and started the game Monday night. "It's good to be back out there playing, but it was the first time. I've still got a ways to go," said Spears, who was credited with two tackles.
|
|
August 19, 2006
The Cowboys waived rookie nose tackle Samuel Taulealea on Friday, leaving just three players now at the position. Jason Ferguson is the starter, with Thomas Johnson and rookie Montavious Stanley battling for the backup spot.
|
|
August 14, 2006
Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears returned to practice Monday in full pads after missing most of the first two weeks of training camp practice with a knee injury. Spears had his knee scoped to repair a torn meniscus on July 30. While he didn't participate in many team drills Monday, the second-year end from LSU will be looking to return first-team status. Cowboys have started Jay Ratliff in practice at right end, but veteran Kenyon Coleman got the start Saturday in Seattle.
|
|
August 6, 2006
While Greg Ellis has voiced his concerns about making the position switch from defensive end to outside linebacker, the ninth-year veteran didn't look out of place during Saturday's scrimmage. Ellis worked with the first-team defense at left outside linebacker opposite DeMarcus Ware and wasted no time making a statement. Ellis recorded a sack on quarterback Drew Bledsoe on the second play of the scrimmage. Ellis was in on several other tackles, including a stop on Julius Jones behind the line of scrimmage on a second-and-goal from the 3-yard line. On the ensuing third down, Ellis batted down Bledsoe's pass, forcing a field-goal attempt.
|
|
August 2, 2006
The Cowboys waived defensive end Vontrell Jamison Wednesday morning, trimming the roster down to 82 players again.
The Cowboys signed Jamison (6-6, 295) to the practice squad last November. He was added to the active roster on Dec. 31.
Jamison, who originally joined the Rams as a rookie free agent last season, was playing on the third-team defense along with rookie Stephen Bowen, who was rather impressive Wednesday in one-on-one passing drills.
|
|
August 2, 2006
While the Cowboys never got to a workout with Lincoln Kennedy, they did conduct one earlier in the day with James Davis, eventually signing the defensive end Tuesday morning. Davis was already in uniform with the Cowboys for the afternoon practice. The 6-3, 290-pounder spent the last two years with the Houston Texans, both on the active roster and the practice squad. The Texans sent him to NFL Europe this year where he played for the Berlin Thunder, before being released this summer. Davis will likely play defensive end in the 3-4 scheme, but has some experience at tackle.
|
|
July 29, 2006
Second-year defensive end Marcus Spears, who suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during Saturday's opening practice of training camp, will have arthroscopic surgery on Sunday and likely will be out two to three weeks. The surgery will be performed back in Dallas. |
|
July 28, 2006
Disgruntled defensive end Greg Ellis is here, but he sure does not want to be here as the Cowboys arrived at their River Ridge training camp complex on Thursday. In fact, from the sound of things, Ellis would rather be anywhere else. Ellis, upset he is not projected to be a starter for the first time in his career and does not feel he fits into the Cowboys' 3-4 defense nor the specialty role head coach Bill Parcells is concocting for him, once again voiced his displeasure when peppered with questions upon the team's arrival on the tarmac of Point Mugu Naval Air Station. Ellis tried to deflect the questions the best he could, constantly repeating, "It is what it is," and "you do what you do, and that's pretty much it."
|
|
June 16, 2006
The Cowboys added a body to their interior offensive line with the signing of free-agent guard D'Anthony Batiste. A four-year letterman at Louisiana-Lafayette, Batiste finished his collegiate career in 2003, and spent the 2004 season playing for the Bossier City BattleWings of Arena Football 2. He signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League in May, 2006, but was released during training camp. |
|
June 12, 2006
After participating in the mandatory three-day mini-camp (June 2-4), Greg Ellis skipped the entire week of OTA (Organized Team Activity) practices at Valley Ranch. Ellis has spent his first eight seasons at defensive end, but the Cowboys are toying with the idea of moving him to a hybrid position that will have him play some outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. However, the Cowboys would still use Ellis, whom head coach Bill Parcells calls one of his two best pass-rushers, at defensive end in the nickel defense, which is a four-man front. And while Ellis told reporters on Sunday he is willing to accept a new role, he just wants the Cowboys to show him more of a commitment. He fears an unproductive season could not only lead to his release from the Cowboys, but make it difficult to land another big contract. Ellis, who turns 31 in August, has four years remaining on a contract he signed early in the 2003 season, that at the time, suggested the defensive end would finish his career with the Cowboys. But now things have changed and Ellis said if a new deal is not reached, he thinks the best solution would be for him to play elsewhere.
|
|
June 2, 2006
The Cowboys have added a body to the somewhat understaffed nose tackle position by signing 6-1, 340-pound Samuel Taulealea, an NFL Europe vet who recorded eight tackles with the Berlin Thunder this spring. The 25-year old Taulealea played at Concordia College after a stint at the University of Colorado where he was a two-time speed, strength and conditioning champion and holds the school weightlifting record with a 710-pound squat. One of just four players listed at the NT position, Taulealea will compete for a job with rookie Montavious Stanley and second-year tackle Thomas Johnson. |
|
May 3, 2006
The Cowboys drafted three defensive ends last year in an effort to facilitate their new 3-4 scheme. They also have Greg Ellis. But Ireland said this weekend teams "can't have enough good defensive ends." The Cowboys think Jason Hatcher can develop into a good a player, although he will need some work. At 6-6, 284 pounds, Hatcher said he could stand to put on about 10 to 15 pounds without losing much of his speed and quickness. Hatcher was reportedly clocked in the 4.8 range in the 40 at a pre-draft workout. Don't be surprised if the Cowboys find a pass-rush role for him inside on the nickel, as they did early last year with rookies Chris Canty and Marcus Spears. |
|
May 1, 2006
Dallas signed rookie free agent Stephen Bowen. The defensive end hopes to compete for a roster or practice squad spot in camp. At Hofstra, the 6-5, 271-pound Bowen had 168 tackles, 11.5 sacks and one interception returned for a touchdown during his career. |
|
April 30, 2006
Montavious Stanley became the second defensive lineman selected in as many days by Dallas. After selecting Jason Hatcher in the third round, the Cowboys made the 6-2, 314-pound Stanley their sixth-round pick. Stanley, a Louisville product, will start out at nose tackle for the Cowboys behind Jason Ferguson, and provide depth after the departure of veteran LaRoi Glover. |
|
April 29, 2006
Grambling State DE Jason Hatcher was the Cowboys' third round selection. At 6-6, 283-pounds, Hatcher fits the mold of a 3-4 defensive end, and while some have already labeled the small-school pass-rusher as a project pick, Hatcher seems to compare favorably to 2005's alleged project Chris Canty, who appears to be a fourth-round steal. Hatcher will likely find time in Dallas' defensive line rotation. |
|
March 2, 2006
On the first day players could be released, the Cowboys parted ways with veteran defensive tackle Willie Blade. This was Blade's latest of three stints with the Cowboys. Blade played in all 16 games for the Cowboys in the 2003 season, and after playing in five contests with the Jaguars in 2004, he has not seen the playing field since. Willie Blade spent the spring of 2005 relegated to NFL Europe by the Cowboys. |
|
March 2, 2006
The Cowboys released 11-year veteran La'Roi Glover on the first day players could be cut. Glover's diminishing role in the new 3-4 defense might have been a contributing factor, but he also was owed a $4.5 million base salary and a $1.5 million roster bonus in 2006. Glover will leave the Cowboys after four seasons and four consecutive Pro Bowl bids. |
|
January 10, 2006
The Cowboys have signed free-agent tackle Cliff Washburn to a one-year deal. Washburn, a 6'5, 293-pound tackle from the Citadel, spent the last three seasons bouncing between the Giants' and Bears' practice squads. |
|
December 29, 2005
Rookie linebacker DeMarcus Ware already is the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week, and on Thursday he was named the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week after recording three sacks, three fumbles and a career-high eight tackles against Carolina. He will be challenged again Sunday by Orlando Pace, the Rams' 325-pound left tackle.
|
|
December 22, 2005
The Cowboys' defense ranks 13th in the league with 32 sacks, but 26 of them came in the first nine games. In the last five contests, it has registered only six sacks. "As the season wears on, some people kind of get in tune to some of the things that you do and you have to be ready to counteract some of those things," defensive end Chris Canty said. "I just don't think that we've done a good job of counteracting those things as players."
|
|
December 19, 2005
Cowboys rookie defensive tackle Thomas "Pepper" Johnson, who had been inactive for the first 13 games, not only made his first road trip, but made his NFL debut. Johnson played several snaps at nose guard. The Cowboys used Johnson in the middle of the 3-4 defense while playing Glover a bunch at defensive end, a position he's rarely played much this season in the 3-4 scheme. Rookie Chris Canty, who missed two days of practice this week because of an ankle injury, did not start for the first time in three games and struggled most of the day. |
|
December 14, 2005
Rookie defensive end Chris Canty (ankle) is the only player on the Cowboys' injury report. He missed team practice but is listed as probable. The Cowboys signed defensive end Junior Glympth off Atlanta's practice squad Tuesday, but head coach Bill Parcells said they didn't make the move because of Canty's injury.
|
|
November 21, 2005
Cowboys head coach Parcells said mistakes by Pierce and goal-line fullback Marcus Spears, a defensive end by trade, were the reasons why Julius Jones got stuffed on three straight runs from the Lions' 1-yard line. Parcells said Spears missed a block on the first two runs. "He's in the hole and a guy kind of submarined him," Parcells said. "Then the last one, Pierce got beat and that guy hit Spears in the backfield."
|
|
November 20, 2005
Greg Ellis just keeps getting sacks. Ellis only just four tackles Sunday but recorded the Cowboys' only sack of the game, his seventh of the season. Ellis leads the team with seven sacks and has one in the last three games.
|
|
October 14, 2005
One of the most surprising moves by the Cowboys last Sunday was moving defensive end Kenyon Coleman to inactive status after the fourth-year lineman had started in the previous four games. Rookie Jay Ratliff took Coleman's roster spot and played well, recording a sack while working with the nickel defense and the second defensive line. But Parcells said there's a chance Coleman will be back on the game-day roster against the Giants. "There's a chance he will," Parcells said. "It's not that, just the way you view the match-up. That's why I didn't play him last week. I thought Ratliff might be a little more active in the nickel and mobility and getting around against McNabb. That's what it was. We'll see."
|
|
October 3, 2005
The Cowboys activated rookie defensive end Jay Ratliff for the first time this season. The seventh-round pick from Auburn recorded a split-sack with linebacker Scott Shanle, both dropping Kerry Collins for a loss in the second quarter. Ratliff rotated on the second defensive line unit.
|
|
September 26, 2005
Rookie defensive end Marcus Spears is starting to flourish at his natural position, but also helped out the offense for the first time Sunday. Spears lined up at fullback for a goal-line play in the fourth quarter, leading the way for Julius Jones' second rushing touchdown. The Cowboys had worked other linemen on offense in training camp, but Spears missed three weeks with a knee and ankle injury. On defense, Spears recorded two tackles against the 49ers.
|
|
September 7, 2005
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells said he plans to use a six-man rotation on the defensive line in Sunday's regular-season opener at San Diego. That rotation likely includes La'Roi Glover, Greg Ellis, defensive tackle Jason Ferguson and defensive ends Kenyon Coleman, Marcus Spears and Chris Canty. Glover and Ellis might get some extra snaps when the Cowboys go to their nickel defense, but Parcells wants everyone to get equal playing time.
|
|
September 5, 2005
More big decisions were made at defensive line, and as Parcells revealed Monday, he made some rather tough calls, personally, in letting go Eric Ogbogu and then defensive tackle Leo Carson. Parcells said he was fond of both players, especially Carson, whom he is hoping will land with another team. But ultimately, youth caught up to both of them as the Cowboys decided to go with Thomas "Pepper" Johnson at nose tackle and seventh-round pick Jay Ratliff on the 53-man roster, not to mention higher-drafted rookies Demarcus Ware, Marcus Spears and Chris Canty.
|
|
August 29, 2005
The defensive line had a strong performance against the Texans Saturday night, holding the Houston offense to 236 total yards and no offensive touchdowns. Tackle La'Roi Glover and end Kenyon Coleman were tied for second on the team with four combined tackles each while end Greg Ellis picked up half a sack. First-round pick Marcus Spears has also returned to practice and should play in his first preseason game Thursday night. Parcells said "there's more than a chance" Spears will make his Cowboys debut against the Jaguars.
|
|
August 19, 2005
Parcells said rookie defensive end Marcus Spears, who suffered multiple injuries during a morning practice on Aug. 5, could return as early as next week. Spears, who was expected to miss up to four weeks, has noticeably been moving better on the sideline during practice. "You see him out here moving around," Parcells said. "If he keeps improving, there's a chance he'd be doing something (next week)."
|
|
August 17, 2005
The Cowboys on Wednesday released defensive tackle Jermaine Brooks, who spent last season on the team's practice squad after originally being signed to the practice squad in 2003. The emergence of three rookies on the defensive line ultimately pushed Brooks out the door. Fourth-round pick Chris Canty returned from his eye and knee injuries on Aug. 8 and immediately replaced Brooks on the second team. Also, seventh-round pick Jay Ratliff and rookie free agent Thomas "Pepper" Johnson have caught head coach Bill Parcells' eye here in the first three weeks of camp and expect to play even more in the upcoming preseason games. Brooks was one of six players in uniform not to play in last Saturday's preseason opener against the Cardinals.
|
|
August 5, 2005
First-round pick Marcus Spears was carted off the field during Friday morning's practice after suffering knee, ankle and calf injuries while trying to make a tackle during team drills. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Spears suffered a second-degree sprain of the MCL in his right knee, and is expected to be out two to four weeks. Spears also suffered a high ankle sprained and strained groin. Spears, who signed a five-year, $9.35 million deal with $6.7 million guaranteed last Saturday, got tangled up in a pile during a run by Anthony Thomas in team drills. He tried to get up on his own but couldn't put any weight on his right leg, and two teammates eventually helped him to the sideline.
|
|
August 3, 2005
Negativity has run rampant this off-season about the Cowboys' new 3-4 defense not fitting some players, but head coach Bill Parcells has discussed the positive impact it has had on several young players. Jermaine Brooks and Kenyon Coleman have both shown significant improvement in the 3-4. Coleman is a "slugger," Parcells said, who is best at taking on double-team blocks because of his size and strength. |
|
July 28, 2005
When the Cowboys open training camp practice Saturday morning in Oxnard, Calif., the only player not expected to practice is rookie defensive end Chris Canty. As of Thursday morning, the fourth-round pick from Virginia was one of five draft picks still unsigned. But while all of them will likely sign before Saturday, Canty is expected miss the entire first week of training camp, still recovering from three off-season surgeries. Canty underwent reconstructive knee surgery last October to repair three torn ligaments, a rehab that suffered some setbacks because of two eye surgeries. Canty, who was struck by an errant glass bottle in late January, had a pair of surgeries to repair a detached retina. While Canty is progressing even faster than expected, he likely won't be ready for action until Aug. 8, a target date the Cowboys set for a possible return.
|
|
June 16, 2005
Greg Ellis has led the Cowboys in sacks four consecutive seasons, only one season short of Jethro Pugh's mark for most consecutive years leading the Cowboys in sacks (1968-72). Ellis is tied with George Andrie (1964-67) and Harvey Martin (1974-77). Martin's streak might have extended to seven consecutive years if some guy named Randy White had not notched 16 sacks in 1978, two more than Martin. |
|
April 18, 2005
The Cowboys signed rookie free agent Marlon Tickles on Monday. Tickles, a 6-2, 288-pound defensive tackle/deep snapper from Tulane, was on the practice squad of the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League in 2004. Tickles was a four-year letterman at Tulane from 1999-02, where he played on the defensive line and handled the Green Wave's deep snapping duties. |
|
November 29, 2004
The Cowboys' defensive line turned in its best performance of the season last Thursday against the Chicago Bears, totaling six sacks and two forced fumbles. Defensive end Eric Ogbogu led the defense with 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Marcellus Wiley, who has been criticized for his lack of production, recorded his first sack of the season along with a forced fumble. |
|
November 3, 2004
The Cowboys keep moving parts at the defensive tackle position, releasing Chris Cooper Tuesday to make room for DeVone Claybrooks, who was elevated from the practice squad. The Cowboys acquired Cooper through a trade with Oakland, involving a conditional seventh-round draft pick, which they won't have to give up, considering Cooper played in only two games. Claybrooks has bounced around on several practice squads, most recently with Tampa Bay . . .This past weekend, the Cowboys released Chad Eaton to make room for signing a rookie wide receiver from the practice squad. While Eaton did clear waivers and could return to the Cowboys this season, it's expected the eight-year veteran who had four knee surgeries in the last two years, will likely retire. Since he was on the roster in Week 1, actually starting the opener against the Vikings, Eaton, a vested veteran (five years) will be paid his full $660,000 base salary for the remainder of the season.
|
|
October 20, 2004
Through five games, Cowboys defensive end Marcellus Wiley hasn't surpassed former starter Ebenezer Ekuban's sack production. In fact, he hasn't recorded a sack yet, while Ekuban has three for the Browns this season. Bill Parcells said he needs more production from backup ends Kenyon Coleman and Eric Ogbogu, although he doesn't expect either player to challenge Wiley for the starting job. Coleman has totaled seven tackles so far this season while Ogbogu has two. Wiley had a career-high 13 sacks for San Diego in 2001, but he has recorded only nine since . . . Speaking of defensive ends, Greg Ellis fully participated in practice on Wednesday despite nursing a sprained foot. Ellis has been listed as probable for Sunday's game. The seventh-year veteran ranks third in the NFC with six sacks. |
|
October 10, 2004
Cowboys defensive tackle Greg Ellis is on pace for a career season after Sunday's game against the Giants. A quarter of the way through the season, Ellis has collected four sacks - halfway to his career high of eight - including two on Giants quarterback Kurt Warner. Ellis also completed his third consecutive game with a sack, one game shy of his career high. However, one of those two sacks came with a 15-yard penalty on Ellis for grabbing Warner's facemask. |
|
October 1, 2004
Cowboys defensive end Greg Ellis has led the team in sacks four of the last five years, including the last three. And if the first three games are any indication, he should be headed that way once again. Ellis has three sacks so far, including two in Monday's win over the Redskins. Ellis is currently tied with safety Tony Dixon for the team-lead in sacks, but is looking to improve on last year's career-high of eight sacks. |
|
September 22, 2004
Vinny Testaverde is leading the NFL in passing yards after just two games this season . . . The 40-year-old has thrown for 677 yards, becoming the oldest quarterback to pass for consecutive 300-yard games in league history and the first Cowboys quarterback to do so since Don Meredith in 1963 . . . But Testaverde's interceptions are a concern, including three picks in Sunday's win over Cleveland . . . Backup quarterback Tony Romo replaced punter Mat McBriar as the holder last week and had no problems with the holds on two extra-point attempts and two field-goal tries. |
|
September 15, 2004
When asked about Tuesday's release of Daleroy Stewart, the defensive tackle Parcells raved about in training camp, the coach's explanation was simple: Stewart lacked intensity despite several private conversations about his on-field demeanor . . . "I told him he needed to pick it up, told him I needed him to be a force and he just was passive," Parcells said. "He never took a step forward from the day training camp started until now." . . . The Cowboys released Stewart on Tuesday to make roster room for defensive tackle Leo Carson, who returned to the 53-man roster after serving a one-game suspension for violating the NFL's Personal Conduct Code. The Cowboys added more defensive line depth last weekend by trading a conditional draft pick in 2006 to Oakland for veteran tackle Chris Cooper. |
|
September 14, 2004
Leo Carson is back with the team after being suspended for one game by the NFL for violating the leagues Personal Conduct Policy. Carson should provide added depth to a Cowboys roster that carried only three defensive linemen (LaRoi Glover, Chad Eaton and Kenyon Coleman) Sunday and struggled in pressuring Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper . . . The Cowboys also acquired four-year veteran Chris Cooper through a trade with the Raiders. The Cowboys sent a conditional seventh-round pick in 2006 to Oakland in exchange for the defensive tackle, who started the last nine games for the Raiders in 2003, recording 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He missed part of training camp with a strained calf, however.
|
|
September 1, 2004
The Cowboys released nine players Tuesday, four of which from the defensive line . . . At defensive tackle, the Cowboys cut Shaun Smith, who spent all of last year on the practice squad, and Dave Volk, who had been to NFL Europe this past summer and on the practice squad the last two years as a guard . . . At defensive end, the Cowboys cut Johnathan Taylor and Darrell Lee, a rookie free agent from Florida . . . After Monday's game, head coach Bill Parcells praised defensive tackle Leo Carson for improved play in the starting lineup. |
|
August 26, 2004
With the Cowboys trying to shore up a run defense that has looked less than impressive in the first two preseason games, they signed eight-year veteran Chad Eaton to a one-year contract, and are hoping he has fully recovered from having four surgeries on his right knee in the last year. Eaton, who spent the last three years in Seattle, spent the entire 2003 season on injured reserve. The Seahawks released him in late February, with one year remaining on his original four-year, $10.7 million contract that would have paid him $2.4 million. Eaton played in New England for the first five years of his career, including his rookie season (1996) under Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells. He also played college at Washington State, when current Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was an assistant coach.
|
|
August 24, 2004
Last year, Parcells said he thought defensive tackle Daleroy Stewart was a solid player, while a part of a three-man rotation in the middle.
But that's not good enough this year. Stewart is rotating again with starters La'Roi Glover and Leonardo Carson, and could get playing time behind both of them. Stewart had been working behind Glover, but with Carson being slowed with a knee injury, Parcells said Stewart is versatile enough to play both positions.
|
|
August 22, 2004
The Cowboys had a good pass rush against Oakland, but still couldn't record a sack for the second straight game . . .Kenyon Coleman, who had played defensive end, worked some at tackle for the first time during the preseason . . .Leonardo Carson returned to the starting lineup after missing last week's game (knee swelling).
|
|
August 17, 2004
Although Bill Parcells said this week he has "too many players" to evaluate everyone, the Cowboys added another Tuesday, signing defensive end John Taylor, giving the club 82 players on the roster. Taylor (6-3, 260) was a fourth-round draft pick of the Lions in 2002, but spent his rookie year on Detroit's practice squad and then last year with the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League. Taylor virtually replaces the spot of Kevin Emanuel, the rookie free agent from Florida State who was released by the Cowboys Monday, after not playing in Saturday's preseason loss in Houston. |
|
August 15, 2004
The Cowboys didn't get much pass rush on the Texans Saturday night, especially from the first-team unit early on. La'Roi Glover led all linemen with three tackles and was credited with a pass deflection . . . Second-year tackle Jermaine Brooks started in place of an injured Leonardo Carson (sprained knee) and had two tackles in the first half . . . Converted offensive lineman Dave Volk, who switched to defensive tackle just before training camp, had two tackles in the fourth quarter . . . And rookie defensive end Darrell Lee recovered a Texans fumble near their own goal line late in the fourth quarter. |
|
August 10, 2004
The Cowboys might have several big-named linemen and plenty of experience across the board, but that hasn't stopped them from allowing many young players the opportunity to compete. Third-year end Kenyon Coleman has been rotating with Marcellus Wiley at left end in team drills. Wiley is still expected to start, Coleman is trying to get into the four-man rotation . . . And defensive tackle is the same way, with four-time Pro Bowler La'Roi Glover expected to be a fixture in the middle again, but he's splitting time as well. Both Leo Carson and Daleroy Stewart worked with the first-team defense during the scrimmage and will be vying for extensive playing time, as will first-year tackle Jermaine Brooks. |
|
August 5, 2004
The Cowboys are counting on the defensive line to become one of the deepest positions on the field this season, using a strong rotation at both end and tackle.
At end, Marcellus Wiley and Greg Ellis should have no problems handling the starting duties, while veterans Kenyon Coleman and Eric Ogbogu are both experienced . . . Inside, the Cowboys are very high on Daleroy Stewart and Leonardo Carson, who will both compete for playing time with Pro Bowler La'Roi Glover. Also, keep an eye on second-year pro Jermaine Brooks, who came on strong last season and could be ready to blossom this year.
|
|
August 1, 2004
The Cowboys worked in some 3-4 packages during the end of Sunday's afternoon practice. Bill Parcells said earlier this summer the club would use a few packages that involved four linebackers . . . There was more rotating going on at defensive tackle, where four-time Pro Bowler La'Roi Glover worked with the second-team defense, allowing the Cowboys to get a better look at Daleroy Stewart. Now Glover's job is not in jeopardy. Parcells said he is high on Stewart right now and wants to see him playing both tackle positions.
|
|
July 26, 2004
The Cowboys released DT Willie Blade. The move is somewhat surprising after Blade started 15 games last season at defensive tackle alongside La'Roi Glover. Apparently, though, Blade fell into some poor habits again, having problems with his weight and conditioning. |
|
June 16, 2004
If there is a position Parcells seems to be the most excited about, it's the defensive line. From the end of training camp last year, the Cowboys have added lots of depth at both end and tackle, and expect plenty of rotation this year, especially early in the season.
|
|
|
|
|
| Recent Reports |
 |
Offensive Line: June 25, 2008 |
|
Offensive Line: June 19, 2008 |
|
Defensive Line: June 17, 2008 |
|
Defensive Line: June 11, 2008 |
|
Quarterbacks: June 5, 2008 |
|
Linebackers: June 4, 2008 |
|
Defensive Backs: May 27, 2008 |
|
Linebackers: May 23, 2008 |
|
Offensive Line: May 14, 2008 |
|
Defensive Backs: May 4, 2008 |
|
|
