Dallas Cowboys News

Romo works to get better, but he needs a little help
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July 29
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Everybody stopped down for a little Rangers gazing Tuesday, even here at Camp Cowboy.Cliff Lee has a way of doing that, of altering plans.Nobody wants to miss a moment, in case Lee decides this is the night he is going to masterfully blow through the entire Oakland lineup for eight innings and tell his manager "I got this" when he comes to lift him in the ninth, like he did Tuesday. It was just another "oh my" on the brief yet impressive résumé of the Rangers ace.It was also another no-decision for Lee, and with it a teachable moment for Cowboy types.Because if Lee is unable to single-handedly win a game he dominates, in a sport where one player can truly determine the outcome, how can we"
Cowboys running back Jones a fast asset, if he stays healthy
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July 29
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 columnist Jan Hubbard
"With the embers of ShoulderPadGate flickering weakly, a new Dallas Cowboys fixation was desperately needed -- something to excite the masses and feed the media monster.Enter Felix Jones, who, you might have heard, went from Frail Felix to the Incredible Hulk in off-season workouts. Jones was surrounded by media after a recent practice and was pummeled with questions about his newfound bulk.He gained four pounds in the off-season.That's correct. Four pounds. He weighed 216 last season and now weighs 220. Judging by the interest, it's the most significant four pounds in NFL history.Jones was surrounded by cameras, notepads and voice recorders after a recent practice and asked question after"
Dallas Cowboys expect big returns from Dez Bryant
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July 29
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"The Dallas Cowboys want Dez Bryant to get as many touches as possible. That's why they plan to use him not only as a third receiver, but also as a returner."He's special with the ball in his hands," special teams coach Joe DeCamillis said.Bryant worked as a kickoff returner on the scout team Wednesday. He said he is comfortable returning kickoffs but more comfortable returning punts.Bryant had 22 punt returns for 431 yards and three touchdowns in his career at Oklahoma State. He returned six kickoffs for 143 yards, with a long return of 33 yards."Coach [Joe] DeForest put me back there [at OSU], and I fell in love with it," Bryant said. "I enjoyed it.... It's something I want to do here. I"
Cowboys welcome rare gift from Phillips
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July 29
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Coach Wade Phillips shocked the team's veterans by giving them Wednesday morning off. The camp schedule called for two practices, but it was only the younger players who had to work out in the morning. "A couple of guys had seizures when he announced it (Tuesday night)," receiver Patrick Crayton joked. Critics have accused Phillips of being soft on his players, but Crayton said the truth is Phillips is a demanding coach. "Bill Parcells was a drill sergeant, but he'd give you a day off," said Crayton, referring to Phillips' predecessor. "Wade has never given us a (full) day off." Several veterans said after returning to practice in the afternoon the rest resulted in fresher legs. The"
Cowboys' Spencer blossoming into a beast
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July 29
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Anthony Spencer's NFL initiation came quickly and violently, in the form of a manhandling he remembers to this day. "When I first came out here, my first day, the very first play, they ran a power (run), and I got put on my butt," said Spencer, hearkening back to the Dallas Cowboys' 2007 training camp at the Alamodome. "Two people hit me at the same time. That was my welcome to the NFL, right down there on the 30-yard line." And now, with three years of experience, including a breakthrough 2009 campaign that led Cowboys coach Wade Phillips to claim Spencer is as good as any strong-side linebacker he has ever coached? "I play the power really well," Spencer said with a smile. "My confidence"
Cowboys TE Phillips hunting down bigger role
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July 29
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Hailing from a small town deep in the woods of western Virginia, Dallas Cowboys tight end John Phillips predictably balks at all things flashy. His lunch-pail approach to football reflects as much, which made for an unsurprising reaction from Phillips following his spectacular, one-handed grab earlier this week at the Alamodome. Almost apologetic, Phillips noted a better route would have prevented the need for the showy display. "He hunts bobcats in the offseason, so I think that says enough about him," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said jokingly. Hunting is indeed a way of life for Phillips, who on the football field is chasing down something other than bobcats and white-tailed deer"
Dez Bryant impresses in first action as kick returner: 'Anything I can do to help, I'll do'
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July 29
Dallas Morning News
 
"Rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant had another eventful day at the Cowboys' training camp on Wednesday. Bryant appeared at kickoff returner as the Cowboys trotted out the unit for the first time during the afternoon practice at the Alamodome. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was immediately taken with the possibilities. "He's special with the ball in his hands, and we're going to try to help him as much as we can," DeCamillis said. "He's got a chance to be exceptional." Bryant returned kickoffs and punts at Oklahoma State. He was more effective on punts, averaging 19.6 yards with three touchdowns on 22 tries. He averaged 23.8 yards with no touchdowns on six kickoff returns. Despite the"
Jenkins and the Cowboys secondary have lofty goals for 2010
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July 29
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Gerry Fraley
"Cornerback Mike Jenkins, emboldened by his Pro Bowl status, set a lofty target for the Cowboys' pass defense. "We want to get about 22 this year," Jenkins said. That's 22 as in interceptions. That's 22 as in three more interceptions than the Cowboys produced in the last two seasons combined. Only worst-of-the-worst Detroit had fewer interceptions in that span. Is Jenkins indulging in wishful thinking? "It's manageable," insisted Jenkins, who had a team-high five interceptions last season. He might be right. If the Cowboys improve what were hands of stone, they could increase the interceptions total and reap benefits on offense and defense."
Jenkins and the Cowboys secondary have lofty goals for 2010
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July 29
Dallas Morning News
 
"Cornerback Mike Jenkins, emboldened by his Pro Bowl status, set a lofty target for the Cowboys' pass defense. "We want to get about 22 this year," Jenkins said. That's 22 as in interceptions. That's 22 as in three more interceptions than the Cowboys produced in the last two seasons combined. Only worst-of-the-worst Detroit had fewer interceptions in that span. Is Jenkins indulging in wishful thinking? "It's manageable," insisted Jenkins, who had a team-high five interceptions last season. He might be right. If the Cowboys improve what were hands of stone, they could increase the interceptions total and reap benefits on offense and defense."
Bryant blames media for controversy
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July 28
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Wide receiver Dez Bryant talked Tuesday for the first time since the mini-hazing controversy erupted on Sunday when he refused to carry veteran receiver Roy Williams' shoulder pads into the locker room.He expressed frustration over the media blowing something "that was nothing" out of proportion."It was never an issue," Bryant said. "Y'all made it an issue. It was never nothing. Y'all are trying to turn it into something."With the fans at the Alamodome coming to his defense with derisive chants to the media, Bryant continued to vent. It was especially alarming to him because of his concerted efforts to get off to a good start with the Dallas Cowboys after a controversy-filled final season"
Cowboys' Spencer tries to build on dominant finish to last season
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July 28
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Anthony Spencer is 10 pounds lighter and has an Abe Lincoln-like beard. But the Dallas Cowboys linebacker is easy to recognize. He still wears No. 93, and he's still getting after the quarterback."He came on really strong at the end of the season and was getting a lot of pressure," Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. "Now, he's starting right where he left off. He's getting a lot of pressure in practice. He's become an even smarter player at his position, and that's what we need."This time a year ago, Cowboy Nation was more than a little worried about Spencer. The Cowboys had cut Greg Ellis, who was coming off an eight-sack season in 2008, and Spencer had had only 4.5 sacks in his first"
DeMarcus Ware quietly builds a Hall of Fame career
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July 28
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"In a league littered with egomaniacs (looking at you, Brett Favre) and in a Cowboys training camp with a few fledgling prima donnas (talking to you, Marion Barber), DeMarcus Ware tends to go a little unnoticed at times, or at least unnoticed compared to his talent level.He certainly fails to generate 24-hour ESPN coverage like a few megalomaniacs -- talking to you, T.O. And good luck with that, Cincy, because that cast of clowns worked so well in Dallas' locker room.Buzz about Ware falls under quiet buzz, with offhanded mentions like "Probably best pass rusher playing at this moment." And even that seems infrequent, surprisingly so considering Ware has to be considered a defensive player"
Pass defense a pressing issue for Cowboys' Jenkins
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July 28
San Antonio Express-News
 
"There's no denying Pacman Jones was a bust during his brief tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. But the star-crossed player, now with Cincinnati, did make one crucial behind-the-scenes contribution that apparently aided greatly in the development of cornerback Mike Jenkins. "Before he left, he told me I was really gifted, and I should just go out and just play and not think," Jenkins said. "I did that last year and had a great season." Emboldened by Jones' advice to trust his instincts and prodigious athletic ability, Jenkins emerged as a Pro Bowl player in just his second season. "He had to learn pro football," coach Wade Phillips said. "But once he did, he realized he had the ability to make"
Cowboys' Bryant wants to leave flap in past
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July 28
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Aggravated and all too eager to move on Tuesday, Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant reluctantly spoke for the first time since refusing to carry teammate Roy Williams' shoulder pads. Bryant said he was unaware of the tradition of rookies carrying veterans' equipment off the field after practice, adding he and Williams are "fine" and "it's not even an issue." "I told Roy this," Bryant said. "I said if that situation was going to turn out that big, he could have walked in with his tights on. I would have took his shoulder pads, his pants, his helmet, his socks, his shoes — I would have took everything." Bryant, who ran off without talking to reporters Monday, blamed the media for"
If Dez Bryant delivers on the field, all the drama will be an afterthought
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July 28
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor
"Conventional wisdom says Bryant would've saved himself a lot of drama and unnecessary attention if he had simply grabbed the veteran's pads and walked off the field with them. Sometimes, the road of least resistance is the best choice. Of course, that would've been the easy route. But I don't mind a player who thinks for himself and bucks an old-school tradition. It shows Bryant has a little moxie. And it showed, as Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said, that Bryant refuses to be intimidated, a trait that will bode well for him in the future."
Cowboys K David Buehler fueled by doubters, but still a large question mark
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July 28
Dallas Morning News
 columnist David Moore
"Other than the thirst for all things Dez, other than wondering what player will next make his naked debut on the Internet, it's the most persistent question of this training camp. How can a team with Super Bowl aspirations, how can a team so strong in so many areas, settle for an unproven field goal kicker? How can the Cowboys cast their lot with David Buehler? "You guys don't have confidence in me?" Buehler asked. "Is that what you're saying? You have confidence in everybody else but not me? "All right. That's OK. That just gives me more drive." The position for now belongs to Buehler. Delbert Alvarado isn't going to beat him out. But the kicker knows he has yet to earn the opening day"
Green safety corps could be concern for Cowboys
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July 28
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Tim Cowlishaw
"I guess it comes as no real surprise that tears have not been shed and special newspaper sections are not being produced for a last look back at The Ken Hamlin Era. Hamlin was not a great player for Dallas but he was, at times, a solid one. Secondary coach Dave Campo called upon him to be a leader and director of traffic, especially when injuries had forced inexperienced backs into the fire. But Hamlin was not a big playmaker. He was famous for playing about 20 yards off the line of scrimmage ... or so it seemed. Releasing Hamlin this off-season (he signed with Baltimore), the Cowboys are left with a last line of defense that is mostly unknown and largely inexperienced. Gerald Sensabaugh"
Cowboys' Bryant was not aware of rookie ritual
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July 28
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Wide receiver Dez Bryant talked Tuesday for the first time since the mini-hazing controversy erupted on Sunday when he refused to carry veteran receiver Roy Williams' shoulder pads into the locker room. He expressed frustration over the media blowing something "that was nothing" out of proportion. "It was never an issue," Bryant said. "Y'all made it an issue. It was never nothing. Y'all are trying to turn it into something." With the fans at the Alamodome coming to his defense with derisive chants to the media, Bryant continued to vent. It was especially alarming to him because of his efforts to get off to a good start with the Dallas Cowboys after a controversy-filled final season at"
Dez Bryant didn't know rookie traditions
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July 27
Dallas Morning News
 
"Dez Bryant has no problem with Roy Williams. He has no problem with the fans at the Alamodome who chant his name after every practice. But when it comes to the media, he's not feeling the love. The Cowboys No. 1 pick spoke about his refusal to carry Williams shoulder pads while he signed autographs and chastised the media. "We are fine,'' Bryant said. "In fact, it's not even a situation. Me and Roy are great. Not only me and Roy, but the whole team. "You're trying to turn us against each but it's not going to happen.'' As the crowd chanted, "leave him alone'' to the reporters who surrounded him, Bryant continued to sign autographs and talk about how much the fan support means to him. He"
Cowboys kicking job is David Buehler's to lose
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July 27
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"With apologies to rookie free agent Delbert Alvarado, the Dallas Cowboys have only one kicker in training camp that matters. It's David Buehler's job to lose. He has made a lot of progress since last season in his quest to go from a rookie known mostly for booming kickoffs and running down to make tackles to being a bona fide place-kicker. But the only thing guaranteed for now is that he will be the kickoff specialist again in 2010. While the Cowboys have shown support for Buehler, he has never attempted a kick in the NFL, and too much is on the line this season to just give him the job. He will need a near flawless performance in training camp and preseason to be the team's primary kicker"
Shoulder pad incident no big deal, Williams says
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July 27
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Three minutes and 20 seconds into his afternoon news briefing, coach Wade Phillips said the Dez Bryant-Roy Williams-shoulder pad drama was "a non-issue." Phillips talked for 101/2 minutes Monday. He spent almost six of those addressing the "non-issue," which was blown up so badly that Phillips said it was on every media outlet in the country and, "Some guy was telling me he was in Toronto and it was the lead story in Toronto." After the last Bryant-Williams question, there was no letup for Phillips. The next question from a reporter was: "On another issue, does it bother you that your tight end is naked on the Internet." The sports world seems to obsess on the Cowboys. Phillips was pleased"
Bryant, Bennett making things 'uncomfortable'
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July 27
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Monday qualified as bizarre, even by Cowboys standards. Dez Bryant refused to schlep Roy E. Williams' pads in a typical training-camp hazing ritual, and mass media chaos ensued. And MartyB found himself exposed on the interwebs. Talk about your uncomfortable Cowboys news conferences. Can you imagine Jimmy Johnson's response to, "What will happen to Emmitt Smith for not carrying Tommie Agee's pads and, oh by the way, have you had a chance to see the naked pictures of Jay Novacek yet?" There was really no good way to handle this, yet Coach Wade managed to find the absolute worst. In trying to explain why Dez did not have to be hazed, he said what we all feared. "Any time you make someone"
Wait on Dez — he'll carry more
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July 27
San Antonio Express-News
 
"A previous No. 88 had to stand up and sing. "Same as every other rookie," Michael Irvin said. The next year, it was his turn to laugh at others. Then, in the summer of 1989, a rookie named Troy Aikman grabbed a ketchup bottle, held it as if it were a microphone and tried to be Hank Williams Jr. Was he any good? "Man, how do I know?" Irvin said at the time. "It was country western!" Some like to think these are bonding moments. Irvin and Aikman became a duet, after all, often on third down. Surely getting along mattered, didn't it? But it's more complicated than that. There are also other stories involving NFL hazing, and they suggest Dez Bryant didn't reveal a character flaw when he passed"
Phillips hopeful Cowboys rookie returns to field soon
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July 27
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Coach Wade Phillips said fourth-round safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is probably a week away from practicing. Owusu-Ansah was held out of offseason workouts because of shoulder surgery, but Phillips said it is a slight hamstring pull that has prevented the former Indiana (Pa.) standout from working out at training camp. "We want to make sure he's OK conditioning- and strength-wise," Phillips said. "It's not as much his shoulder as it is a slight pull he suffered during the last workout the rookies had before camp. We're being cautious there.""
Cowboys deal quickly with distractions
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July 27
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Determined to remain focused on their goal of building a Super Bowl contender, the Dallas Cowboys moved quickly Monday to quash a pair of distractions that disrupted what had been a tranquil training camp. One day after a hazing incident involving seventh-year pro Roy Williams and first-round draft pick Dez Bryant created drama at the Alamodome, coach Wade Phillips informed the team he had no problem with rookies refusing to subject themselves to harassment from veterans. "I don't believe you need to initiate anybody," Phillips said. "(Rookies) need to come out and play football and be part of a team." Having dealt with the time-honored NFL tradition of hazing, the Cowboys turned their"
Conditioning won't be a problem for Cowboys
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July 27
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Conditioning isn't a problem for the Dallas Cowboys. Not with Wade Phillips in charge. Once derided as soft for his reluctance to bark at players a la Bill Parcells, Phillips is viewed in a somewhat different light after formulating a training camp schedule that includes 12 days with two practices, the first of which was Sunday. "Say what you want to say. You can't call Wade soft anymore," linebacker Bradie James said after Sunday morning's workout, the team's first with pads. "You can't be soft in this league to be as good as he's been. If I can get the media to say Wade is tough, we might get a break one day. We might get off one day. So write about that." With players training and"
Dez Bryant threatens to be Cowboys' Chan Ho Park
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July 27
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Gerry Fraley
"By defying the NFL's time-honored tradition of rookies serving veterans during training camp, wide receiver Dez Bryant threatens to become the Dallas Cowboys' version of Chan Ho Park. Bryant on Sunday refused to carry the shoulder pads of veteran wide receiver Roy Williams as the team left the Alamodome field following practice. Park did something similar as a rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1996, refusing to wear a garish disco-era outfit for a plane flight. All baseball teams have an annual "rookie trip" in which the young players are forced to wear outlandish clothes. Park refused to go along with the plan and emphasized his point by throwing a fit in the visitors' clubhouse at"
Dez Bryant wrong to give Roy Williams the cold shoulder pad
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July 27
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Todd Archer
"Dez Bryant is wrong. You can like what he says - that he's here to win championships - but feel he is wrong about not carrying Roy Williams' pads or Patrick Crayton's pads or Miles Austin's pads or any veteran's pads. It is a minor way to force the No. 1 pick into some humility, and Bryant missed a chance to do what is right and what has been expected of first rounders probably forever. Since getting drafted by the Cowboys, Bryant has largely done everything right. He was at training camp on time. He's made plays since the first rookie mini-camp through the first three practices of training camp. He has a lot of people salivating about his abilities and what he can mean to the Cowboys'"
Dez Bryant ignores issue on Monday, but he'll eventually have to deal with it
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July 27
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Gerry Fraley
"That did not take long. On their fourth day of Camp Tranquility, the Cowboys ran straight into a storm. It was not a Terrell Owens-class natural disaster, but it was enough of a whirlwind that news of a revealing picture of tight end Martellus Bennett surfacing on the Internet was not the lead story. One of those days, which is a loaded phrase around the Cowboys. "Evidently it is," said coach Wade Phillips, looking frazzled by the end. Bennett in the buff took second billing to the continuing saga of wide receiver Dez Bryant refusing to be a rookie. Phillips tried to spin the issue as "not a big deal," but it was a futile effort. "We'll take care of that in house, that's for sure," tight"
Dez Bryant could and should have ended this mess
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July 27
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Tim Cowlishaw
"As controversies go, this is not much of one. This isn't secret meetings in which the wide receiver accuses the quarterback of favoring the tight end. And as wide receivers go, for those historically inclined, this isn't Tony and Butch fighting to win favor with Drew. But it's the Cowboys and, as coach Wade Phillips pointed out, "It's not just because we're the Dallas Cowboys. We're the only training camp going on." And so a story of national significance continued to unfold here in the Alamodome where rookie Dez Bryant, who had refused to carry Roy Williams' pads Sunday, ran off the field without doing interviews Monday. After the first three practices, Bryant had been the most"
Cowboys assistant Garrett is genius enough to work harder
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July 26
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"The shelf life on up-and-coming is not what it used to be, say a decade or so ago when reputations were not so fluid. It used to be a couple of really terrifically bad seasons were required for "can't coach" rules to apply, and even "cc" coaches usually were recycled in the NFL. Not nowadays, not for play callers, certainly not for Cowboy play callers. Jason Garrett was the iPhone4 of NFL assistant coaches two off-seasons ago, a must have. Everybody wanted to hire him. Two teams tried. He stayed, and things have steadily gone downhill since. If you define downhill as building and sustaining a period of the most prolific offensive production in Cowboys history, which apparently many do. His"
Bryant refuses to carry Williams' pads as part of rookie hazing
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July 26
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Dez Bryant isn't buying into the rookie hazing so far, and that could be costly for him. Veteran Roy Williams ordered the rookie to carry his shoulder pads after practice. Bryant is refusing. "I'm not doing it, because I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player's pads," Bryant said. "If I was a free agent, I'd still say the same thing. I just feel like I'm here to play football. I'm here to try to help win a championship, not carry another man's pads. I'm not saying that out of disrespect." Williams said Bryant would pay for his refusal to carry on a rookie tradition at Cowboys camp. "He's kind of ornery right now," Williams said. "He doesn't want to carry the"
Hurd's first day back with Cowboys marred by drops
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July 26
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Brackenridge alum Sam Hurd arrived at camp Sunday showing rust. The receiver dropped what should have been an easy catch during 11-on-11 work in the morning. The team gave Hurd permission to miss Saturday's opening practice to attend to matters pertaining to the birth of his first child. Hurd's wife, Stacee, gave birth to a girl, Kailey Skye, last week. "It isn't tough to focus. I'm just rusty," Hurd said. "I was in the hospital this past week and unable to work out. That dropped ball felt like the worst thing in life." Unfortunately for Hurd, he also dropped one in the afternoon. With second-year player Kevin Ogletree progressing nicely, Hurd is on the bubble."
Cowboys' Austin managing newfound fame
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July 26
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The cameras were flashing, just as they always do around Miles Austin these days, as hordes of reporters and photographers engulfed the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver inside the Alamodome on Sunday. It's a scene the undrafted free agent-turned-Pro Bowler has grown accustomed to in recent months, only this time came with a twist. For once, he wasn't getting out of a car with starlet girlfriend Kim Kardashian by his side. "Miles is the American Idol," linebacker Bradie James said. "It's like taking somebody that worked at Container Store in the closet, and now he's the American Idol." Suddenly, Austin's image is everywhere, from the cover of this week's "Sports Illustrated" to the pages of"
Cowboys' Bryant balks at rookie hazing
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July 26
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Dallas Cowboys first-round draft pick Dez Bryant made it clear Sunday that the team's veteran wide receivers will have to find another rookie to haze. Roy Williams wanted Bryant to carry his pads after Sunday's morning practice, but Bryant declined. "I'm not doing it," Bryant later told reporters. "I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player's pads. "If I was a free agent, it would still be the same thing. I just feel like I'm here to play football. I'm here to try to help win a championship, not carry someone's pads. I'm saying that out of no disrespect." Hazing is an age-old NFL ritual. Each year, the Cowboys' rookie offensive linemen receive hideous haircuts"
Dez Bryant not interested in carrying pads
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July 26
Dallas Morning News
 
"It is a rite of training camp to see rookies from any position carry the pads of veteran players after practice. It is a minor bit of hazing that goes on everywhere but Bryant wants nothing to do with it. Seems as if Roy Williams asked Bryant to do it Sunday without success."
Dez Bryant refuses to carry Ro Williams' pads
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July 26
ESPN.com
 
"Receiver Dez Bryant has done everything right on the field during the first two days of Dallas Cowboys training camp, but he refuses to participate in an NFL rite of passage. According to the rookie first-round pick, Roy Williams and the other veteran receivers can carry their own shoulder pads after practice. Williams gave his pads to Bryant after Sunday's morning practice, but Bryant declined to carry them. Williams threatened to go to "step two" when talking to reporters."
Jimmy Johnson will need clever game plan to thrive on 'Survivor'
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July 25
The Deseret News
 
""Survivor" is one of my favorite television shows. And now comes word that Jimmy Johnson — he of Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys glory, but Miami Dolphins not so much — is a cast member in the wilds of Nicaragua? That's too delicious to contemplate. No, delicious is the wrong word, because an occasional element of "Survivor" is a disgusting contest during which contestants are required to eat nasty things. Wonder what the veined tree frog tastes like? Or how iguana stew goes down? Johnson used to be plenty good at devouring anybody or anything standing in his way as a football coach, so maybe that part of the gig will work out for him. The game is as much a psychological and emotional"
Cowboys' Spears pleased to remain with team
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July 25
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips preached to his players Saturday the importance of "being in the moment," imploring them to ignore all the Super Bowl talk and instead focus only on the here and now. It's a motto defensive end Marcus Spears has lived by all offseason. Paid less than his two backups, Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher, Spears has been the subject of much trade speculation throughout the summer. Through it all, Spears said he managed to "go with the flow," refusing to complain about his situation or use the media as a means to leverage more money from the team — even as the trade buzz picked up steam Friday. A day before the Cowboys kicked off training camp with their annual"
Bryant dazzles in debut
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July 25
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Nearly 20,000 fans attended the opening practice of the Dallas Cowboys' training camp Saturday at the Alamodome, and it seemed like rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant made spectacular plays for each of them. When he wasn't making acrobatic one-handed grabs, he was dipping low to snag passes below his knees. When he wasn't making grabs in traffic over the middle, he was tiptoeing along the sideline after snagging footballs thrown behind him. Afterward, he further endeared himself to the fans by signing everything thrust in front of him — including a baby. Suffice it to say, Dez dazzled in his debut, albeit one without pads. "This was one of the best days of my life," said Bryant, 21. "I felt"
Dez Bryant makes good first impression at Cowboys' camp
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July 25
Dallas Morning News
 
"The way Dez Bryant burst onto the field 45 minutes before practice was scheduled to start was the first sign to how much this day meant to the Cowboys' first-round pick. The way he lingered long after most of his teammates had returned to the locker room, signing autographs, chatting with fans and pointing to those among the 19,437 who chanted his name, let you know how much he relished the moment. If you need still more proof to the emotional significance the day carried, it came earlier in a San Antonio hotel room. Bryant was thinking football when he went to sleep a little after 1 a.m. Football was on his mind when he woke up at 5 a.m. It took three months, but it finally sank in. This"
Tony Romo: No prediction, but Super Bowl is goal
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July 25
Dallas Morning News
 
"Joe Namath became famous for delivering on a victory guarantee in Super Bowl III for the New York Jets. On Friday night's Kickoff Spectacular at the Alamodome, Tony Romo told the assembled crowd that, "We'll see you at the Super Bowl in Dallas." The Cowboys quarterback swears it was not a prediction. "I told all the people there that if we're at the Super Bowl I'd like to see them there to hang out with because they're so nice and genuine," Romo joked Saturday. But he did not backtrack. He acknowledged that the Super Bowl is the goal every year. "I think everybody who lines up and plays this game envisions every season that they play where they'd like to be at the end of the year," Romo"
Cowboys' Spears pleased to remain with team
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July 25
Houston Chronicle
 
"Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips preached to his players Saturday the importance of "being in the moment," imploring them to ignore all the Super Bowl talk and instead focus only on the here and now. It's a motto defensive end Marcus Spears has lived by all offseason. Paid less than his two backups, Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher, Spears has been the subject of much trade speculation throughout the summer. Through it all, Spears said he managed to "go with the flow," refusing to complain about his situation or use the media as a means to leverage more money from the team — even as the trade buzz picked up steam Friday. A day before the Cowboys' kicked off training camp with their annual"
Cowboys top Jets in battle of Super Bowl picks
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July 25
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Tim Cowlishaw
"Picking Super Bowl winners in July has never been easy. Too much parity, too many teams separated by nothing more than a key injury or a crucial interception. Spotting the trendy picks for Super Bowls in July has never been simpler. From one publication to another, one talk show to the next, the Cowboys and Jets are the media's darlings and the people's choices for Super Bowl XLV. While some prefer flying under the radar, that's seldom an option for the Cowboys. When everything a team does is magnified, a long-awaited playoff win one year is sure to turn into expectations of parade routes the next. Coach Wade Phillips doesn't mind the role, even if he's not your basic seize-the-spotlight"
Dez Bryant makes good first impression at Cowboys' camp
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July 25
Dallas Morning News
 
"The way Dez Bryant burst onto the field 45 minutes before practice was scheduled to start was the first sign to how much this day meant to the Cowboys' first-round pick. The way he lingered long after most of his teammates had returned to the locker room, signing autographs, chatting with fans and pointing to those among the 19,437 who chanted his name, let you know how much he relished the moment. If you need still more proof to the emotional significance the day carried, it came earlier in a San Antonio hotel room. Bryant was thinking football when he went to sleep a little after 1 a.m. Football was on his mind when he woke up at 5 a.m. It took three months, but it finally sank in. This"
S.A., Cowboys to discuss Alamodome extension
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July 24
San Antonio Express-News
 
"City officials will meet next week with Cowboys marketing executive John Hickman to discuss extending the Alamodome lease, a city official said. The five-year deal expires after the 2011 camp. Michael Sawaya, director of convention, sports and entertainment facilities for the city, described the upcoming meeting as a "brainstorming" session designed to establish the framework for an extension. "They want to be here, and we want them here," Sawaya said. "We are going to look at the agreement and see if there is anything we can do to make it better. We'll ask them, 'What did you like? How can the city enhance that?' It will be a real open discussion." The Cowboys' decision to split camp"
Jerry's time:The season with a script
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July 24
San Antonio Express-News
 columnist Buck Harvey
"Jerry Jones walks across the tarmac toward his Cowboys private jet. He's on his cell phone. "You may be the man!" Jones says. "How would you like to own an NFL team, Mr. Gold?" That's Mr. Gold, as in Ari Gold. As in the arrogant, cursing, fictional agent in the HBO series, "Entourage." Jones' part is minimal. But the show's creator wanted him, and not another NFL figure, because he thinks Jones is the face of the league (truth is, Wade Phillips and Turtle would have also been a good fit). All of which is telling about what is possible now. Everything Jones has done — from building a team to building a stadium — has a chance to intersect. It's a rare moment, when even an iconic figure can"
Cowboys not buying their own hype
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July 24
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Entering training camp as a trendy Super Bowl pick, as they did Friday, is nothing new for the Dallas Cowboys. Why just two short years ago they arrived at camp seemingly primed for a deep playoff run after going an NFC-best 13-3 the season before. What's different this time is that the Cowboys realize plenty of bad things can happen between now and January. "We saw (in 2008) that you can feel good about what's on paper, you can even feel good about the results of the year before, but you can really have misjudged things about that season," owner Jerry Jones said. "It showed me the foibles, the fallacies of thinking you can just go through the motions and be there for the playoffs.""
If David Buehler struggles in preseason, then the Cowboys will look at kicker
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July 24
Dallas Morning News
 
"For some reason people have not been able to understand the Cowboys' stance on taking one kicker to training camp in David Buehler, who has never attempted a field goal in an NFL game. With a team viewed as a Super Bowl threat, why would they take such a stance? It's easy: because they can right now. Jerry Jones is aware of some of the angst regarding the team's kicking situation, but here's his explanation: "I've seen them missed real good by guys that have made kicks in the league before," Jones said. "I'm being cute, but Buehler is capable. Unlike the $2 million kicker [Mike Vanderjagt] I paid that came in and didn't hit anything but squib kicks for field goals, but we still went with"
Cowboys have a new grandfather, new father
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July 24
Dallas Morning News
 
"Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips lost about 40 pounds and gained a granddaughter in the off-season. Phillips' son Wes, an offensive assistant coach with the club, and his wife Anna became the parents of a girl, Ivy, last week. Grandpa Wade said would not rule out coaching in her future. Wade Phillips has dropped about 40 pounds since the end of last season. Phillips said he accomplished the weight loss through exercise and diet change and did it as a matter of personal pride. "When you're young and lose weight, they say you look great," Phillips said. "When you're old and lose weight, they ask 'Are you sick?' ""