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May 23, 2008
Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas was the only veteran free agent on the field this week in the OTA practices at Valley Ranch. While he is a new face to the team, he's got a new look to his physique. Thomas, who usually plays around 220 to 225 pounds, has bulked up to 240 pounds. Thomas has reunited with Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek, who was at Texas Tech with Thomas back in the mid-1990's.
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April 25, 2008
The Cowboys have not drafted an offensive player in the first round since 1997. Of the last eight players drafted in the first round, five of them were defensive ends in college. Last year, the Cowboys picked Purdue's Anthony Spencer with the 26th overall pick. Spencer, like DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis were both moved to outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. Spencer started the first six games in place of Ellis and finished the season with 28 tackles and tied for fourth on the team lead with three sacks.
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April 16, 2008
Foundation56, the personal foundation of Dallas Cowboy and Former LSU All-American, Bradie James, will donate $60,000 to fund breast cancer programs and services aimed at early detection, screening and treatment. Foundation56, a donor advised fund of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, will award a $60,000 grant to fund a collaborative initiative of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Woman's Hospital, and the YWCA Encore Plus program designed to reach women most in need of these services.
Foundation56 provides funds and resources that are desperately needed to expand existing services and outreach efforts by partnering with established organizations and agencies in order to fill the gaps in services that currently exist.
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January 29, 2008
The season just keeps getting better for Greg Ellis. After returning from an Achilles injury, setting a career-high in sacks with 12 ½, then being named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year, Ellis is finally going to the Pro Bowl. He was added to the team as replacement for Chicago's Lance Briggs on Tuesday. Despite missing the first three games of the season, Ellis was able to form one of the NFL's top pass-rushing tandems, along with DeMarcus Ware, who had a career-high 14 sacks.
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January 8, 2008
Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis has led the team in sacks five different times in his career and tied for the team-lead another year. While he finished second this season to DeMarcus Ware, Ellis easily surpassed his personal career-high this year with 12 ½ sacks, besting his nine sacks he recorded in 2004. Behind Ware's 14 sacks, Ellis ranked second in the NFL among linebackers and tied for sixth overall among all defenders. Ellis has played in only two career playoff games, registering a sack in 2003 against Carolina.
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December 30, 2007
Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware had six tackles and two forced fumbles Sunday in Washington, and also recorded another sack, giving him a career-high 14 this season, the most by a linebacker in club history and the most overall in a season since Jim Jeffcoat had 14 in 1986. Ware was consistent throughout the season, recording at least one sack in 11 of 16 games this season.
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December 23, 2007
Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware regained the team lead in sacks with two on Saturday night, giving him 13 this season, just ahead of Greg Ellis, who also picked up a sack to get to 12 ½ this year. Ware's 13 sacks are the most by a Cowboys linebacker in club history, and the most by any Cowboys player since Ed Jones had 13 in 1986. Along with the two sacks, Ware was credited with three tackles and three quarterback pressures.
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November 29, 2007
Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis set a new career-high on Thursday, recording two sacks to give him 10 ½ on the season. He surpassed DeMarcus Ware, who also picked up his 10th sack this year. Ellis missed the first three games of the season still suffering from last year's Achilles injury.
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November 27, 2007
Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis is closing in on DeMarcus Ware for the team sack lead with five games to play. Despite missing the first three games, Ellis has 8 ½ sacks, just behind Ware (nine). Ellis needs just one sack to surpass his career-high of nine. The 10-year veteran recorded his 16th career multiple sack game last week with two against the Jets.
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November 15, 2007
Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett was fined $5,000 by the NFL for his taunting penalty in Sunday's game against the Giants. Not only did the penalty cost Burnett in the wallet, but allowed the Giants to get a game-tying field goal just before halftime. The Cowboys had three personal foul penalties in last week's win over the Giants.
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November 9, 2007
Something about playing the Giants seems to get LB Akin Ayodele fired up. In the last three games against New York, Ayodele has 29 tackles, including a team-high 10 in the season opener. As a member of the Jaguars in 2002, Ayodele once posted 15 tackles in a game over the Giants. Ayodele is currently fourth on the team this year with 52 stops.
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November 2, 2007
Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware has had some of his better games of his career against the Eagles. In four games, Ware has posted 15 tackles, three sacks, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery, which he returned 69 yards for a touchdown in last year's game in Philadelphia. Ware leads the Cowboys with 5 ½ sacks this season, including a four-game streak that ended with the last game against Minnesota, although Ware had two quarterback pressures, including forcing an intentional grounding penalty on Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.
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October 22, 2007
Despite missing the first three games of the season, Greg Ellis is still on pace to record the best single season sack total of his career. Through four games, Ellis has 4 ½ sacks, a pace that would easily surpass his career-high of nine sacks set in 2004. In his first start since recovering from last November's Achilles injury, Ellis had two sacks Sunday against the Vikings.
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October 9, 2007
Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Spencer is supposed to be just filling in as the starter until Greg Ellis fully returns from his Achilles, but it might be hard to replace Spencer from the lineup. The rookie from Purdue had what Wade Phillips described as an "outstanding game" against Buffalo, recording a career-high eight tackles, including one for loss. Spencer ranks seventh on the team with 18 tackles and has one quarterback sack.
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September 30, 2007
Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis, playing his first game since tearing his Achilles last November in Arizona, recorded 1.5 sacks, while playing mostly in the dime package. Ellis did not start ahead of rookie Anthony Spencer, provided a defensive lift in passing situations. Weak-side linebacker DeMarcus Ware added another sack, giving him three in the last two games.
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September 23, 2007
Cowboys rookie linebacker Anthony Spencer recorded his first career sack when he dumped Rex Grossman early in the fourth quarter Sunday night against the Bears. But the game of the night for the linebackers involved DeMarcus Ware, who not only had a team-high six tackles, but had two sacks, his third multiple-sack game of his career.
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September 14, 2007
Cowboys outside linebacker Greg Ellis will miss his second straight game as the club has ruled him out for Sunday's game in Miami. Ellis did return to practice this week, although he was limited in his participation. Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips simply said Ellis "is not ready" for game action. The veteran linebacker suffered a torn Achilles last November and has spent the entire off-season rehabbing the injury, practicing just one day in July before returning to the field this week. Rookie Anthony Spencer will start again at outside linebacker on the strong side.
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September 1, 2007
Although head coach Wade Phillips said on Saturday he is getting closer to ruling out Greg Ellis for next Sunday's season opener against the Giants, that wasn't a reflection of the roster moves made that day. Ellis is one of only three outside linebackers on the current roster, alongside DeMarcus Ware and rookie Anthony Spencer. But if Ellis indeed misses the game, look for Bobby Carpenter to get more looks on the outside.
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August 25, 2007
Cowboys inside linebacker Kevin Burnett had the team's only sack of the night, but his game was likely overshadowed by yet another injury. Burnett suffered an ankle injury late in the second quarter and did not return. Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said the team doctors gave Burnett an X-ray and the results didn't appear to show anything serious. But just staying healthy has been a problem for Burnett since he joined the Cowboys in 2005. As a rookie, he needed minor surgeries on his hip and knee before the start of the season, and then suffered a torn ACL in his knee during the last week of his rookie season. The Cowboys moved Burnett from outside to inside linebacker this summer but have been playing him with the first-team dime defense as an inside linebacker.
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August 21, 2007
With the Cowboys unsure when Greg Ellis will actually return to the practice field, they are covering all of their bases. That's why they worked Bobby Carpenter back at outside linebacker on Tuesday. Head coach Wade Phillips said Carpenter will also get some playing time at the position in Saturday's game in Houston. Carpenter spent his rookie season as a backup outside backer but started the last two games, including one in the playoffs. But with Ellis expected to return and the Cowboys drafting Anthony Spencer, the team moved Carpenter and Kevin Burnett to the inside spots during the off-season.
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August 16, 2007
Despite Greg Ellis not practicing since the first day of training camp, the Cowboys are not ready to rely on the contingency plan for the first regular-season game. Ellis is still sidelined with soreness in his heel, but head coach Wade Phillips said the training staff is telling him that Ellis is getting close to practicing again, possibly as soon as next week. Like he said with Terry Glenn, Phillips said he could expect Ellis to be ready to play against the Giants on Sept. 9, even if he missed most of preseason. But with Ellis out, the Cowboys will continue to groom rookie Anthony Spencer, the team's first-round draft pick.
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August 9, 2007
Alex Obomese, a rookie free agent from UTEP had quite a performance in his NFL debut, recording a sack, a forced fumble and even had a pass deflection that led to Keith Davis' 41-yard interception return for a touchdown. Obomese also finished the game with two tackles on defense.
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July 27, 2007
Just one day after showing up late to training camp because of a brief contract holdout, outside linebacker Anthony Spencer found himself working with the first-team defense. With Greg Ellis still sitting out to rest his sore Achilles, Spencer worked as a strong-side linebacker, opposite of Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware. Spencer said he was a little surprised to jump straight to the first team, but the Cowboys are rather thin at that position behind Ellis and Spencer. Rookie free agent Alex Obomese and Junior Glymph have split time with the first unit when Ellis and Spencer were both out. |
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June 8, 2007
Just three weeks after expressing his frustration with his lack of playing time, third-year linebacker Kevin Burnett said Friday he plans to make the most of his latest opportunity. Burnett is working with the first-team defense at inside linebacker in place of injured veteran Akin Ayodele, who had his knee scoped last week. Burnett knows he will likely enter training camp with the second-team defense, but hopes to make a splash on the nickel and dime defenses, along with special teams.
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May 30, 2007
Cowboys linebacker Akin Ayodele is rehabbing from minor shoulder surgery he underwent last week. Ayodele is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, which begins in San Antonio on July 24. Ayodele, a five-year veteran who joined the Cowboys last season, had 106 tackles in 2006, good for second on the team.
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March 8, 2007
Backup linebacker and special teams ace Ryan Fowler, a restricted free agent, has taken visits with Tennessee and Philadelphia. The Cowboys secured a right of first refusal if a team signs Fowler to an offer sheet by tendering him at $850,000 minimum. But since Fowler was not drafted into the league, the Cowboys would not receive original draft-choice compensation if they chose not to match an offer. Fowler led the Cowboys in 2006 with 24 special teams tackles. |
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January 24, 2007
Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware led the team in sacks with 11 ½, the most by a linebacker in club history and the most by any Cowboys defensive player since Tony Tolbert recorded 12 in the 1996 season. Ware is one of five Cowboys headed to the Pro Bowl next month, but is the only position player selected to start for the NFC squad.
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January 15, 2007
Cowboys backup linebacker Ryan Fowler underwent shoulder surgery last week, but should be available by the summer mini-camps, usually set for June. The third-year pro led the Cowboys in special teams tackles this season with 24. Fowler is one of the team's seven restricted free agents this off-season. Fowler had just three tackles on defense this season.
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January 9, 2007
Cowboys inside linebacker Bradie James said he wasn't sure just how the coaching staff would look next season, starting at the top with head coach Bill Parcells. But even with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer leaving for the Falcons on Tuesday, James said he expects the Cowboys to run a 3-4 scheme, as long as Parcells remains head coach. "There's no telling what's going to happen," James said. "I guess it all depends on what happens with Bill. But really, it's still Bill's defense. If he's here, I don't see us changing schemes (back to 4-3)."
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December 29, 2006
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells made it sound as if the Cowboys might start relying even more on rookie linebacker Bobby Carpenter, who has begun playing a bigger role the last few weeks. Carpenter has been sharing series with veteran Al Singleton the past month, and even played a spy role against Atlanta's Michael Vick, actually lining up in place of a defensive tackle. There is a chance Carpenter will take on an even bigger role Sunday against the Lions in the team's base defense. Carpenter gives the Cowboys more pass-rush skills than Singleton in the base defense.
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December 16, 2006
Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware scored his second touchdown of the season Saturday night when he picked off Michael Vick's second-quarter pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. Ware caught a fumble in midair against Philadelphia earlier this year and scored on a 69-yard return. Ware, who recorded his first career interception, wasn't alone in the play. Chris Canty applied the pressure to Vick, who had to get the ball over the defensive end's 6-8 frame. Canty actually said he might have partially tipped the ball, which Ware snagged cleanly before outrunning Vick to the end zone.
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December 4, 2006
Cowboys linebacker Akin Ayodele is playing his best football of the season, according to head coach Bill Parcells. Ayodele led the Cowboys with a season-high 12 tackles, including one for loss against the Giants Sunday. Ayodele stopped Giants RB Tiki Barber behind the line of scrimmage on a key second-and-goal from the Cowboys' 4. The Giants eventually settled for a game-tying field goal in the third quarter. Ayodele currently ranks second on the team with 78 tackles, behind only fellow starting inside linebacker Bradie James (96 tackles).
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November 14, 2006
The Cowboys linebackers lead the team in three separate categories, and inside backer Bradie James has a team-best 67 tackles in the first nine games. James also led the Cowboys in tackles last season with 109 . . . Third-year pro Ryan Fowler took over the lead in special teams tackles, now with 14, surpassing safety Keith Davis (12) . . . And DeMarcus Ware recorded his team-leading fifth sack on Sunday, dropping Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart.
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November 12, 2006
Veteran pass-rusher Greg Ellis will miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles in the third quarter Sunday in Arizona. Ellis, who entered the game as the team's leader in sacks with 4.5, is expected to undergo the season-ending surgery this week. Ellis, considered by head coach Bill Parcells as one of the Cowboys' top two pass rushers along with DeMarcus Ware, had made a successful switch from defensive end to outside linebacker during the off-season. After leading the team in sacks for four straight years and then tying Ware for the team lead last season with eight each, Ellis' sack streak will now come to an end . . . Ware took over the team lead Sunday by recording his fifth sack of the season. |
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November 8, 2006
Ryan Fowler has been a bright spot for the Cowboys this season, especially the last few weeks. The third-year linebacker from Duke is tied with Keith Davis for the team lead with 11 special teams tackles. Fowler has also been a regular on the Cowboys' goal-line defense. He came up with a big stop during the team's goal-line stand Sunday in Washington.
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October 29, 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. |
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October 24, 2006
Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware had his best game of the season Monday night, recording his third sack of the year, along with forcing a fumble on Giants running back Tiki Barber in the second quarter. Ware finished the game with eight tackles, a sack, two quarterback hurries and the forced fumble. Ware is now tied with defensive tackle Jay Ratliff for a team-high three sacks this season.
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October 23, 2006
Cowboys first-round draft pick Bobby Carpenter was active Monday night for only the third time in six games, but this time he was used in a different role. Not only was the linebacker being used on special teams, but at least one time he put his hand on the ground as a pass-rushing defensive end in the Cowboys' four-man line on the nickel defense, giving Ware a break.
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October 18, 2006
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells said he has worked linebacker Akin Ayodele at defensive end on the nickel defense. Ayodele played end in spurts with Jacksonville before signing with the Cowboys. Ayodele said he also did that in college, putting his hand on the ground as a defensive end in pass-rush situations. The Cowboys are looking to bolster their pass rush with rookie defensive end Jason Hatcher possibly to miss Monday's game with an ankle injury.
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October 1, 2006
Inside linebacker Bradie James put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter with a 15-yard interception return for a touchdown, the first of his career, Sunday against the Titans. James' return made the score 38-14 with 8:23 left. |
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September 19, 2006
Cowboys linebacker Bradie James isn't going anywhere for a while. The club signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $20 million, including an $8 million signing bonus. James, 25, becomes the fourth player to sign an extension in the last two months, following tight end Jason Witten, safety Roy Williams and quarterback Tony Romo. After spending his first two years as a backup and special teams player, James came into his own last year, starting at inside linebacker in the new 3-4 defense. James not only led the team with 109 stops, but accepted more of a leadership role after linebacker Dat Nguyen suffered a neck injury that ultimately led to his retirement this off-season. So far this year, James ranks third on the defense with 12 tackles, recording six in each of the first two games.
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September 17, 2006
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells made a switch with his extra linebacker, this time activating first-round draft choice Bobby Carpenter for the first time instead of rookie free-agent linebacker Oliver Hoyte, who played at Jacksonville last week. Carpenter, who played on various special teams cover units, also played in one of the Cowboys' nickel defenses against the Redskins. |
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September 13, 2006
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells said he hasn't decided whether first-round draft pick Bobby Carpenter will play Sunday against Washington. Carpenter, a rookie from Ohio State, was inactive last week in Jacksonville in favor of rookie Oliver Hoyte, an undrafted linebacker from North Carolina State who has played better than Carpenter on special teams.
Parcells said if Carpenter does play this week, he will be a big part of special teams, having to play on four different units.
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September 11, 2006
Rookie linebacker Bobby Carpenter was inactive for Sunday's game with the Jaguars. The first-round pick from Ohio State (18th overall) made the trip to Jacksonville, but spent the game in street clothes. The Cowboys dressed rookie Oliver Hoyte, an undrafted free agent from North Carolina State, who had impressive on special teams.
Other than the four starters, the Cowboys also made backups Ryan Fowler and Kevin Burnett active for the game.
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September 7, 2006
When Parcells decided to move Greg Ellis from defensive end to outside linebacker, he knew of the potential drawbacks. While Ellis should have no problems rushing the quarterback, there has been obvious concern about his ability to cover backs and tight ends, along with re-routing wide receivers in the slot. Parcells said he expects teams to spread out the defense to try and exploit that match-up. "We have a couple of things that we can do," Parcells said. "There are two sides to that pancake. They spread out, they make themselves more vulnerable. But most offenses are going to have the capability of spreading you. Now we're hopeful we have some things ready to deal with that." |
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September 5, 2006
Cowboys linebacker Akin Ayodele returns to Jacksonville this weekend where he played his first four seasons in the NFL. Ayodele became the first player in Jaguars history to begin a career with four consecutive 100-tackles seasons. Ayodele, a native of Irving, Texas, said he has talked with several former teammates this week, but said he will put "friendships aside" when the two teams square off Sunday to kick off the 2006 regular season.
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September 3, 2006
The Cowboys are heavy at this spot, and that is after releasing veteran Rocky Boiman, who was supposed to provide some depth at inside and outside spots, along with his special teams play. But Oliver Hoyte performed well covering kickoffs and just continue to progress at linebacker throughout camp. Also, the successful transition Greg Ellis made from defensive end to linebacker was not only a pleasant surprise, but kept players such as Al Singleton and Bobby Carpenter on the second-team unit.
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August 23, 2006
The Cowboys reduced their roster total by five players Wednesday, releasing four and trading inside linebacker Scott Shanle to New Orleans for a seventh-round pick in 2007.
Shanle, who started nine games last season at inside linebacker, evidently got caught in a numbers game with the off-season additions of Akin Ayodele and Bobby Carpenter, but he'll reunite with former Cowboys assistants Sean Payton and Gary Gibbs in New Orleans. Payton, the Saints' new head coach, hired Gibbs as defensive coordinator.
The Cowboys also released rookie linebacker John Saldi, a rookie free agent from Texas Tech.
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August 8, 2006
Cowboys linebacker Rocky Boiman suffered a broken right thumb during Monday's practice. Parcells said he is hoping the veteran will miss about 10 days. He did say he expected Boiman to wear a protective cast for most of training camp. Boiman had been working with the third-team defense at outside linebacker. However, the Cowboys signed him in the off-season to bolster their special teams. Boiman recorded 59 tackles on special teams in the last four years with the Titans, including a franchise-record 28 in his rookie season of 2002.
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July 29, 2006
Greg Ellis, who started 13 games at right defensive end last year, worked as a stand-up outside linebacker in practice. Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells wants to use Ellis in a hybrid linebacker-defensive end spot. Ellis has voiced frustration over his new role, and has wanted more of a financial commitment from the club if he's going to change positions. |
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July 11, 2006
The Cowboys are taking Swedish linebacker Carl-Johan Bjork to training camp this summer in Oxnard, Calif. Bjork has played two seasons in NFL Europe and is taking part in the NFL International Developmental Squad. The league allows teams to take an international player to camp without it counting against the 80-man roster limit.
The Cowboys also have five other roster exemptions from NFL Europe, allowing them to take 85 players to camp, but not including Bjork.
The linebacker has played the two NFL Europe seasons with the Amsterdam Admirals. In his first professional game, Bjork was named the league's National Player of the Week in 2005.
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May 8, 2006
After participating in the Cowboys' rookie camp over the weekend, Pitt linebacker J.J. Horne has signed with the club as an undrafted rookie-free agent. Horne, a 6-2, 240-pounder fits the mold of a large 3-4 linebacker, and will compete for a roster or practice squad job as one of five rookies in the linebacking corps. |
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May 8, 2006
The Cowboys have released outside linebacker Kalen Thornton. Thornton, who was signed by the Cowboys in 2004, had eight tackles and 13 special teams stops during his rookie year. He spent the 2005 season on injured reserve after fracturing his left knee during training camp. |
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May 2, 2006
Like most first-round picks, the Cowboys are expecting Bobby Carpenter to contribute right away. He'll likely compete with veteran Al Singleton for the starting job at left outside linebacker, opposite DeMarcus Ware. Carpenter has played in a 3-4 scheme at Ohio State and has experience rushing the passer, leaving the school with the 10th most sacks (14 ½) in school history. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he would be disappointed if Carpenter did not become a rookie starter, maybe not day one, but certainly by early in the season. |
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May 1, 2006
John Saldi, the son of former Cowboy tight end Jay Saldi, was one of three rookie-free agent linebackers signed by Dallas on Monday. Virginia's Kai Parham and NC State's Oliver Hoyte also came to terms. Saldi was a four-year letterman at Texas Tech while Parham and Hoyte each fit the mold of big linebackers for the 3-4 defense. Each has to show promise and special teams skills to make the Cowboys crowded linebacking corps. |
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April 29, 2006
With the 18th pick in the first round the Cowboys selected Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter. He'll likely compete with veteran Al Singleton for the starting job at left outside linebacker, opposite DeMarcus Ware. Carpenter has played in a 3-4 scheme at Ohio State and has experience rushing the passer, leaving the school with the 10th most sacks (14 ½) in school history. His father, running back Rob Carpenter, played under Bill Parcells for the New York Giants. |
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April 28, 2006
Cowboys linebacker Scott Shanle signed his one-year tender of $721,600 on Friday, becoming the last of the club's free agents - both restricted and exclusive rights - to sign this off-season. The deadline to sign restricted free agents to an offer sheet passed last Friday without another team making a bid for Shanle. So after his exclusive rights reverted back to the Cowboys, he signed the one-year deal and will likely compete for one of the backup inside positions. The Cowboys signed Akin Ayodele to play alongside Bradie James in the middle of the defense. Shanle did start seven games last season, playing for an injured Dat Nguyen. The inside linebacker finished the season with 50 tackles, 1½ sacks and four quarterback pressures. |
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March 13, 2006
The Cowboys signed free agent linebacker Akin Ayodele to a five-year contract worth $17.5 million, including a $5 million signing bonus. The Jaguars credit Ayodele with four consecutive 100-tackle seasons, which will be an added bonus for the Cowboys' thin linebacker corps. Despite playing at outside linebacker for the duration of his four-year career in Jacksonville, Ayodele will likely be expected to move inside and play next to Bradie James in the Cowboys' 3-4 defense. |
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March 2, 2006
Following a season in which he sustained a nagging neck injury, career Cowboys linebacker Dat Nguyen announced his retirement. Nguyen managed only four starts in 2005 before the injury forced him into diminished playing time, and he was out altogether by Thanksgiving. Nguyen was drafted by the Cowboys in 1999 and played in 90 games as a member of the team during his career. |
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January 25, 2006
As expected, Cowboys owners Jerry Jones recently confirmed linebacker Dat Nguyen is planning to retire after finishing his seventh season in the NFL on injured reserve with a neck injury. Nguyen, who missed eight games this year because of the neck injury, likely will make the announcement official in early February, likely after the Feb. 5 Super Bowl.Nguyen sustained a "stinger" in third game of the season, forcing him to miss three games. But despite returning for four more games, Nguyen never made it back to the starting lineup. After the Thanksgiving loss to Denver, Nguyen met with head coach Bill Parcells and the two came to a decision to place the linebacker on injured reserve. It was then Parcells first mentioned Nguyen was contemplating retiring. Nguyen, a third-round draft pick out of Texas A&M in 1999, led the Cowboys in tackles three of the last four years entering the 2005 season. His 172 tackles in 2001 is the third-highest single-season total in club history. |
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January 6, 2006
Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware is one of five finalists for the Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year Award. Ware ranked second among NFL rookies with eight sacks this season. His 58 tackles in 2005 were fifth-most on the Cowboys' defense. Ware recorded a sack in four consecutive games from Week 3 to Week 6, with the Cowboys winning three of the four contests. He also finished the season strong, registering nine tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles in a Week 16 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Ware, who attended Troy University, was nominated for three Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards, winning one . . . Along with Ware, the other nominees include San Diego's Shawne Merriman, New England's Lofa Tatupu, Cincinnati's Odell Thurman and Tampa Bay's Carnell Williams, the offensive player among the finalists.
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December 30, 2005
Linebacker
December 30, 2005
Rookie Kevin Burnett suffered a torn ACL in Thursday's practice and will not only miss Sunday's game against the Rams, but anything after that if the Cowboys advance to the playoffs. In search of insurance for Burnett, who was placed on injured reserve, the Cowboys on Friday worked out former fourth-round pick Markus Steele, who spent three years with the club from 2001-03. |
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December 21, 2005
Injuries have kept veteran linebacker Mike Barrow out of action for much of the past two seasons. And once again, it's that nagging quad injury that has ended his season as the Cowboys placed Barrow on injured reserve Tuesday. Barrow is expected to have surgery on his partially-torn quad tendon in his left knee. Barrow, who signed with the Cowboys on Nov. 28, played the last two games for the Cowboys, including his most extensive action at linebacker during Sunday's loss to the Redskins. But after playing just two series for Scott Shanle at inside linebacker, Barrow re-injured the quad that kept him out of football all last season. Barrow, a 12-year veteran who has played for the Oilers, Panthers, Giants and briefly with the Redskins although he never suited up in a game, might be at the end of the road. He's played in just two games since the 2003 season.
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December 15, 2005
Linebacker Mike Barrow isn't sure how much he'll play Sunday, of if he will play, but he would love a chance to compete against the Redskins, who released him July 30 after he refused to take a pay cut. Barrow missed all of last season with a quad tendon injury. "Last year even though I didn't play, I developed some good relationships with players on that team," Barrow said. . . . "That's one thing about coming here. I looked on the schedule and saw that we played three of the four of my former teams, so that's definitely added incentive."
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December 11, 2005
Scott Fujita, the former Chiefs linebacker made a huge play against his old team Sunday, forcing a fumble on Kansas City quarterback Trent Green in the second quarter that was recovered by Marcus Spears. The rookie end returned the ball 59 yards, leading to a go-ahead touchdown before the half. Fujita nailed Green on a blitz, jarring the ball loose, in one of his six tackles for the game.
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December 1, 2005
The Cowboys practiced in shells Thursday, but newly-signed linebacker Mike Barrow said he did some extra work with his regular pads on after practice. Barrow, who has been working at "jack" linebacker, said he hasn't been told whether he will be active against the Giants. "The biggest thing is just learning terminology, and then also adjusting myself to the technique," he said. "In other defenses I've been in, it's been more like 'get to the ball.' Here it's more like 'be patient, then get to the ball.'"
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November 28, 2005
The Cowboys placed inside linebacker Dat Nguyen on injured reserve. Head coach Bill Parcells said he expects Nguyen to consider retirement. With Nguyen out for the season, the Cowboys signed 12-year veteran Mike Barrow.
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November 16, 2005
Cowboys head coach Parcells has wanted more production from rookie outside linebacker Kevin Burnett, and he saw improvement from the second-round pick against the Eagles. Burnett said he hadn't played more than nine plays in a game this season, but he benefited from more playing time Monday night, recording two tackles.
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October 31, 2005
Linebacker Dat Nguyen played his first game in four weeks against Arizona, mostly in the Cowboys nickel and dime packages as he registered one tackle. "Dat played in the 20s, number of plays in the game, and he did OK," Parcells said. "I talked to him after the game, and he said he felt pretty good." Nguyen's confidence following the neck injury had been the primary concern the past few weeks. The veteran didn't have any structural damage to his neck, but Parcells had said he didn't feel Nguyen felt he was ready to return to the field.
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October 24, 2005
Playing their third straight game without inside linebacker and defensive captain Dat Nguyen (neck injury), the Cowboys got another solid effort from Bradie James, who has taken over calling the defensive plays. James also took over the team-lead in tackles, picking up five more on Sunday. James and Nguyen both had 31 stops heading into the game . . . Also, James became the 12th different player to record a sack for the Cowboys this season. He dropped Matt Hasselbeck for a seven-yard loss in the second quarter.
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October 6, 2005
Cowboys linebacker Dat Nguyen, who has been bothered by neck pain the past couple of weeks, did not practice Thursday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Philadelphia. "He's been having a little stinger problem," head coach Bill Parcells said. "We just do some tests on him and make sure we know what's going on."
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September 21, 2005
Second-year linebacker Ryan Fowler missed practice Wednesday with a strained calf and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against San Francisco . . . Scott Fujita, who was acquired in a trade Sept. 3 and played strictly special teams against San Diego, got his first playing time at left outside linebacker behind Al Singleton against the Redskins. Head coach Bill Parcells said he plans to give Fujita more playing time.
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September 14, 2005
Second-year linebacker Kalen Thornton and sixth-round pick Justin Beriault each underwent microfracture knee surgery on Tuesday. Both players were placed on injured reserve on Sept. 3. The loss of Thornton caused Bill Parcells to move rookie Kevin Burnett from the left side to the right, behind starter DeMarcus Ware. And when Burnett injured his knee, that caused Parcells to sign recently-released veteran Eric Ogbogu and release second-year corner Bruce Thornton, who has since been signed to the san Francisco practice squad.
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September 13, 2005
Cowboys rookie linebacker Kevin Burnett, fresh off minor knee surgery last week, is jogging again and will likely be listed as "questionable" for Monday's game with the Redskins. Burnett had some loose cartilage in his left knee that needed to be cleaned up. The rookie linebacker was missed on special teams, particularly covering kickoffs, where the Cowboys allowed Chargers return specialist Darren Sproles to rack up 146 yards on four returns.
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September 8, 2005
Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells said Thursday that second-round pick Kevin Burnett will miss 1-3 weeks to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee. The Cowboys also brought back veteran Eric Ogbogu, who was released by the club on Monday. To make room for Ogbobu, the Cowboys released second-year cornerback Bruce Thornton, who played in just one game last year. The fourth-round pick in 2004 spent most of the season on injured reserve with a torn ACL injury in his knee.
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September 5, 2005
Parcells was already worried about outside linebacker and that was before he knew Kalen Thornton (knee) would be placed on injured reserve and miss the entire season. So acquiring Scott Fujita in a trade from Kansas City has to put him somewhat at ease. Fujita is currently backing up Al Singleton at the left outside linebacker position. That moves second-round pick Kevin Burnett to the right side, where he is backing up Ware. The Cowboys will begin the season with Dat Nguyen and Bradie James as the starting middle linebackers, with Scott Shanle and Ryan Fowler, who edged out Keith O'Neil for the final linebacker spot, to back up inside.
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August 23, 2005
While staring outside linebacker certainly had a game to remember, his backup wasn't too bad himself. Second-year pro Kalen Thonrton had his best performance this summer. His stat line read only two tackles and a pass deflection, but the former University of Texas linebacker applied lots of pressure on the Seattle quarterbacks. Thornton just missed getting a pair of sacks, but still hurried the passer into a couple of incomplete throws . . . Also, rookie Kevin Burnett had a big night, getting two tackles on defense, another special teams, and creating some havoc in the Seahawks' backfield.
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August 15, 2005
Ryan Fowler has put together a terrific training camp, head coach Bill Parcells praising the second-year linebacker on Monday. "I've always liked the kid since we got him here last year," Parcells said. "I think he's doing a good job. He made some plays the other night, he really did. He's active. And he's the biggest of the group inside." Fowler, who also has impressed Parcells with his play on special teams, has been practicing with the third team at the "Jack" linebacker position, behind starter Dat Nguyen and Scott Shanle. Fowler had three solo tackles against Arizona on Saturday.
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August 5, 2005
Bill Parcells said he is impressed with linebacker Scott Shanle, who started the final three games of 2004 at strong-side linebacker in place of Al Singleton (abdominal/groin) and currently is playing behind Dat Nguyen on the Jack linebacker spot inside. Parcells said Shanle is better in pass coverage than Bradie James, who is working with the first team at the other linebacker spot . . . Parcells added he has seen improvement from Ryan Fowler the past few days.
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August 3, 2005
Head coach Bill Parcells decided right before training camp he would play Dat Nguyen at weak inside linebacker, where he will be used less in blitz packages, instead of the strong inside position. Nguyen should benefit from the switch because of his range and sound tackling ability, as the weak inside position has historically recorded the highest amount of tackles. Bigger players like Bradie James and Scott Shanle can use their size to more effectively blitz from the strong side, Parcells said.
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May 17, 2005
Cowboys rookie linebacker Kevin Burnett showed up for the first day of the rookie conditioning program on crutches. The second round draft pick from Tennessee underwent surgery on his right hip and should miss all three practices here in the next two weeks. Burnett is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in late July. |
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May 3, 2005
After losing Dexter Coakley (St. Louis) in free agency, the Cowboys will look to replace him with youth. They drafted Kevin Burnett in the second round (42nd overall) out of Tennessee and the Cowboys will also look to third-year pro Bradie James. Of course, the big question surrounding the linebackers isn't exactly "who" but "how many?" With the continued talk of moving to a 3-4 defense, the type of linebackers the Cowboys are looking for is still in question.
And remember, during the last mini-camp here at Valley Ranch, the Cowboys had first-round pick Demarcus Ware working with the linebackers, likely in an outside pass-rushing role.
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January 19, 2005
Linebacker Kevin DeRonde is hoping his third stint with the Cowboys will indeed be the charm as he signed with the club again Wednesday.
DeRonde, who spent training camp with the Cowboys in 2002 and 2003, was released at the end of camp both seasons. Last year, he signed with the Houston Texans but was released in June.
He came to the Cowboys in 2002 as a defensive end, but head coach Bill Parcells used him as a pass-rushing linebacker the following year and he played that role briefly with the Texans, who use a 3-4 defensive scheme.
Just as DeRonde (6-5, 259) should be familiar with Valley Ranch, he is also a veteran of NFL Europe, where is expected to go once again this summer. The Cowboys will likely send DeRonde overseas for his third stint in NFLE, along with a handful of other players who will be announced at the end of the week.
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December 13, 2004
Linebacker Al Singleton, who left the game with an abdominal strain, will undergo an MRI exam this week to determine the extent of the injury. Scott Shanle replaced Singleton at strong-side linebacker for most of the second half, recording three solo tackles and one assisted. Shanle, an undrafted free agent signed by Dallas in 2003, also got extended playing time against Seattle. . ."Not too bad, considering he you know he kind of got thrown in and was having to play special teams as well," Parcells said of Shanle's performance. "Not too bad. A couple things that he could have done better, but overall, it wasn't just terrible." |
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November 9, 2004
While the Cowboys starting linebackers rank atop the team stats in tackles, there haven't been many big plays from those three this year. Dat Nguyen leads the team with 70 tackles and Al Singleton is third with 40 tackles. Dexter Coakley is tied for fourth with 39. However, none of the three have recorded a sack, and only Nguyen has forced a turnover among the three, recording an interception and forcing a fumble. |
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September 30, 2004
After three games, the Cowboys are getting solid production from the linebacker position, especially in the tackle department. Starting middle linebacker Dat Nguyen, who led the team last year with 140 stops, is again leading the team with 23 tackles . . . Second-year pro Bradie James, who is splitting reps with Dexter Coakley on the weak side, has 13 tackles, while Coakley has 12. |
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September 8, 2004
Parcells said Dexter Coakley will start at weak side linebacker Sunday, although Bradie James, Coakley's competition throughout training camp, will get ample playing time. James, a second-year pro from LSU, will likely play in the nickel defense, as well as special teams. Coakley is coming off his third Pro Bowl appearance last year, and has been a starter since his rookie season in 1997. |
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August 22, 2004
Second-year pro Bradie James started in place of Dexter Coakley and for the second straight game, led the team with six tackles . . . Second-year backup Keith O'Neil made a big step towards making the team once again, recording four more tackles and nearly forcing a fumble, which was reviewed by instant replay and the officals reversed what had originally been called a fumble . . . Backups Markus Steele, Jamal Brooks and Ryan Fowler did not play against the Raiders.
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August 15, 2004
The talk all summer and into training camp has been this competition between Bradie James and Dexter Coakley for the starting spot on the weak side. And in the first preseason game, both players performed well, including James who recorded a team-high six tackles, while playing with the second-team. Coakley, however, did have four stops in just three defensive possessions . . . Rookie Ryan Fowler played well in the second, recording three tackles. |
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August 7, 2004
The Cowboys conducted a stand-up scrimmage on Saturday and last year's three starters all took the field with the first-team defense once again. Middle linebacker Dat Nguyen, along with outside linebackers Dexter Coakley and Al Singleton remained the starters on this day. But it's no secret Coakley and second-year pro Bradie James have been competing for the starting spot at weakside linebacker. Expect both players to play, with one starter and the other possibly having an expanded role in the nickel defense . . . Second-year pro Keith O'Neil, who made the team last year as a rookie free agent, had one of the top defensive plays of the scrimmage, snagging a Vinny Testaverde bullet pass over the middle for an interception. |
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July 31, 2004
The big news at linebacker this summer involves seven-year pro Dexter Coakley, who while coming off his third Pro Bowl season, is splitting reps daily with Bradie James. Coakley, the second-leading tackler for the Cowboys last season, has been a starter since his rookie season in 1997. But the Cowboys are intrigued by James, a fourth-round pick out of LSU last season.
The competition runs fierce for the backup spots. Players such as Markus Steele, Jamal Brooks, Scott Shanle and Keith O'Neil are all candidates to make the team and will likely come down to special teams performance.
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June 16, 2004
Since the 1997 season, there has been one fixture that hasn't changed at the linebacker position - Dexter Coakley. The veteran has been a starter since the day he arrived in Dallas seven years ago. But his job has been a hot topic this off-season, with second-year pro Bradie James providing strong competition.
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| Linebacker |
| 51 |
Brooking, Keith |
6-2 |
242 |
12 |
| 57 |
Butler, Victor |
6-2 |
246 |
R |
| 54 |
Carpenter, Bobby |
6-2 |
249 |
4 |
| 55 |
Hodge, Stephen |
6-0 |
238 |
R |
| 56 |
James, Bradie |
6-2 |
247 |
7 |
| 98 |
Johnson, Curtis |
6-3 |
237 |
2 |
| 53 |
Octavien, Steve |
6-0 |
246 |
1 |
| 93 |
Spencer, Anthony |
6-3 |
256 |
3 |
| 94 |
Ware, DeMarcus |
6-4 |
262 |
5 |
| 59 |
Williams, Brandon |
6-3 |
248 |
R |
| 58 |
Williams, Jason |
6-1 |
246 |
R |
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| Recent Reports |
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Offensive Line: June 25, 2008 |
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Offensive Line: June 19, 2008 |
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Defensive Line: June 17, 2008 |
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Defensive Line: June 11, 2008 |
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Quarterbacks: June 5, 2008 |
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Linebackers: June 4, 2008 |
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Defensive Backs: May 27, 2008 |
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Linebackers: May 23, 2008 |
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Offensive Line: May 14, 2008 |
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Defensive Backs: May 4, 2008 |
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