Gridiron Experts

The simple timing of an NFL contract signing can translate into a season’s worth of opportunity.

Dez Bryant was projected to be a top 10 draft pick. We had him high, as did many fantasy and NFL draft sites. After the Cowboys landed what many thought was one of the better steals of the first round, experts leaned in and were quick to point out that this could result in a “Michael Crabtree” type hold-out.

Instead, Dez Bryant was the first NFL 2010 1st round pick to sign.

When a young talented receiver slips in the draft, money becomes an issue. Agents and the media fill the skilled player’s head with large dollar signs that all of a sudden get slashed in half after a free-fall on draft day. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be happy with the worst NFL contract to play in the NFL, but we all know how wide-receivers can be.

On Thursday, Dez Bryant signed a five-year, $11.8 million dollar contact, with $8.3 million guaranteed (unconfirmed). Bryant can also look forward to possibly …Continue reading Cowboys Dez Bryant First To Sign

NFL Players Give Us Their Favorite Swear Words- Maxim.com

NFL Players are known as some of the nastiest dudes on the planet, and based on some of the lengths of the bleeps in this video, you can see why. Maxim recently had the chance to hang out with some of these….click on th Picture

Seattle’s deal for Whitehurst most intriguing QB move of free agency- SI.com

Intriguing as the roll of the dice Seattle took by boldly trading for San Diego’s Whitehurst in a deal that has boom/bust potential written all over it. Whitehurst was the little-known and even lesser thought of No. 3 quarterback in San Diego, behind starter……click on the Picture

Reid: Team evaluating trade offers- ESPN.com

Andy Reid has said Donovan McNabb is his starting quarterback heading into the 2010 season. But the trade rumors around the team’s quarterback situation have persisted. And now Reid says offers are being made for all three of the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks….click on th Picture

Bears-Cowboys Thanksgiving game gaining steam- Profootballtalk.com

With FOX televising the game, the opponent definitely will be one of the Cowboys’ six NFC opponents: the Redskins, Eagles, Cowboys, Lions, Bears, and Saints. As Williams points out, the Cowboys haven’t hosted an NFC East opponent on Thanksgiving since 2002. The Lions are otherwise unavailable that day, and Saints-Cowboys is…..click on the Picture

Florida wideout excited to play with a “real quarterback”- Yahoo Sports

Tim Tebow’s departure for the NFL hasn’t left everyone in Gainesville in mourning. Thompson isn’t losing any sleep over the loss of Tebow. AP. While most of Gator Nation is still trying….click on the Picture

Quick Preview: Cowboys at Eagles

It’s amazing how the NFL betting landscape changes in a matter of weeks. Remember when the Giants were dominating the NFC East at 5-0, and the Cowboys and Eagles were underachieving? Now the Giants are stuck in third place while the Cowboys and Eagles battle for first in Week 9’s Sunday nighter. Go figure.

Despite their recent success, both teams have demons to conquer this week. The Cowboys are finally stringing wins together but haven’t done so against elite defenses; can Tony Romo avoid one of his occasional mistake-prone efforts on the road? Meanwhile, the Eagles look explosive as ever of late but also have a knack for losing games they’re supposed to win, so they have something to prove too.

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

Sportsbook odds: Eagles -3

As any NFL fantasy picks expert will tell you, Tony Romo is on a hot streak. Roy Williams may have blown off Michael Irvin’s offseason advice but Miles Austin sure didn’t; he’s exploding off the line and erupting for big plays galore, giving Romo a legit No. 1 option he hasn’t had since early 2008. Austin has five scores in his last three games and the Cowboys need him to continue that success to keep pace with the high-octane Eagles.

The problem for Dallas: their last three victims – Kansas City, Seattle, and Denver – don’t exactly have scary pass defenses. The Eagles sure do, allowing less than 200 yards per game and ranking second in the NFL with 23 sacks. It’ll be interesting to see how Romo responds when hurried all day; the last time he visited Philadelphia was in Week 17 last season. He threw for 183 yards and turned the ball over three times as Philly romped 44-6. …Continue reading Quick Preview: Cowboys at Eagles

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Cool shots from inside the new Dallas Cowboys Billion Dollar Stadium. The stadium is the largest domed stadium in the world, has the world’s largest column-free interior, and the largest video screen hung from 20 yard line to 20 yard line. Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium’s current construction cost was $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. To aid Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones in paying the construction costs of the new stadium, Arlington voters approved the increase of the city’s sales tax by 0.5 percent, the hotel occupancy tax by 2 percent, and car rental tax by 5 percent. The City of Arlington provided over $325 million (including interest) in bonds as funding

Jerry Jones is so bored with his life that he had to build the biggest monstrosity in sports: the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. This stadium is the largest domed stadium in the world, has the world’s largest column-free interior, and the largest video screen hung from one 20 yard line to to the other 20 yard line. No owner could love his team more than a guy willing to spend 1 billion dollars to create such a monster palace for his team to play. So what’s Jerry’s reaction to an early Tony Romo interception for a touchdown? A nose pick on national television. Even Scrooge McDuck or Mr. Burns would give us an “Oh Shit” look on their face, but Jerry Jones is too busy picking another golden nugget out of his oil tycoon beak to even care.

I cheered when the Giants hit the late last second field goal to win. To me, football is not about getting the biggest stadium, the highest contract players, or the hottest cheerleaders (although they’re so smoking hot) it’s about moving chains, making the big tackles and most importantly winning games. Take that, money bags!

Tony Romo’s New Girlfriend, Candice Crawford- Rumors and Rants

As everyone is now reporting, Tony Romo has apparently snared yet another hot, famous 20-something blonde. Well, sort of famous. After forays into the nether regions of both Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson, Romo is rumored to…click on the picture.


Fantasy football sleepers for point-per-reception drafts-KKFL 

Looking for late-round sleepers? These sneaky options boast improved value for point-per-reception drafters. RB Jerome Harrison, Browns – While rook James Davis fits the handcuff mold for the aging Jamal Lewis, Harrison (foot, leg) presents a better opportunity to contribute each week if Lewis remains on the field. Despite battling …click on the picture


Someone worth reaching for: Dallas Cowboys RB Felix Jones- KFFL

I can’t stand the Dallas Cowboys. I dislike them almost as much as the Minnesota Vikings. My Vikings’ hatred should be fairly easy to understand; my Cowboys’ hostility stems mainly from the fact they seem to blow GB out every time they play (at least in recent years).Yet, that hasn’t moved me to avoid taking any ‘Boys this year in my fantasy drafts. There’s one in particular I’ve tried to grab…click on the picture

Dallas Cowboys 2009  Preview-  Written By BetOnline.com

The NFL odds makers aren’t quite sure what to make of the Dallas Cowboys. Their Super Bowl odds don’t payout so much since the Cowboys are a public team and everyone likes to bet them, but they haven’t lived up to expectations in the previous few seasons.With Terrell Owens out of town, the outlook has been tempered and with less pressure to perform, the Cowboys could be in line for a surprise Super Bowl run.

Offseason Transactions

The Cowboys had a busy offseason but most of it was cycling out distractions and bringing in good quality leaders. Gone are Owens, Pacman Jones, Roy Williams (the safety), Greg Ellis and Tank Johnson, in are Keith Brooking, Igor Olshansky and Jon Kitna. There is still plenty of talent on this squad and this unit should be tighter knit. The disruptive players are gone.

Offense

While most people will point out that Owens is gone, the truth is that he was more trouble than he was worth. He was a distraction off the field, creating chemistry issues, and on it he distracted the offense from pounding the football on the ground

The Cowboys have a big, road-grading offensive line and two complementary running backs. They also have Jason Witten, a Pro Bowl tight end and Roy Williams, a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout.

Williams has grown significantly in the offseason, hitting the gym and adding bulk – for the first time in his career, allegedly – and has also been working to build chemistry with Romo since February. This offense might have one less weapon but if they are more focused than they were last year, they will be better overall.

Defense

The sportsbetting crowd knows that the Cowboys defense has plenty of talent and a shrewd defensive coach in Wade Phillips, but similarly, they have been underachieving.

The Cowboys added Igor Olshansky and Keith Brooking and Gerald Sensabaugh in the offseason, which adds plenty of experience, toughness and versatility to this unit. Factor in the growth of youngsters like Mike Jenkins and Anthony Spencer, and this defense is now deeper and faster than before. Again, the key on defense will be the lack of pressure to perform this year versus the enormous pressure they faced last year.

Outlook

The Cowboys faced enormous pressure to succeed last year and fell flat on their face. The expectations were high to begin with, then when the Cowboys traded for Roy Williams, the Cowboys were supposed to run away with the NFC.

This year, it’s a completely different story. After missing the playoffs, then losing Owens, there aren’t many people that are picking this team to win the NFC- let alone the division.

But with less weight on their shoulders, the NFL wagering community should look for the Cowboys to have much more fun playing on a weekly basis. This team is still the most talented in the NFC and could very well do it now that they are not the talk of the town

Storm Rips Cowboys Practice Field Apart- DC

12 people were injured when winds ripped through the roof of the team’s indoor practice facility during a rookie minicamp Saturday. “I saw it coming down and didn’t have time to react,” secondary coach Dave Campo said. “I hit the ground and was able to get back up.” Read more here at CBS Sports

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