While Dez Bryant could turn into the playmaking wide receiver that Dallas Cowboys’ fans hoped, the better player that came out of the 2010 NFL Draft is linebacker Sean Lee.

Taken in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Sean Lee was the 55th player taken and after an injury prone year, he came out in 2011 and became one of the Cowboys’ stars on defense. Along with DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, the Cowboys have three of the four pieces of the 3-4 linebacker puzzle and Lee might be the best all-around player of the group.

Lee went to college at Penn State, where he started for the Nittany Lions for two seasons. Lee was second team All-American in his junior season and was named defensive MVP in the team’s Alamo Bowl game that season. He missed the next season due to a torn ACL but remained with the team as an undergraduate assistant coach, proof of his dedication to his craft. By the end of his career in Penn State, he had 121 tackles and six interceptions.

Lee came into Cowboys’ training camp as a rookie and Dallas decided to move him from outside linebacker to inside, since Dallas played in the 3-4 and outside backers need to be able to rush the passer. Lee, a more accomplished tackler and ball hawk, fit better on the inside. Unfortunately, he played little in his rookie season, bothered by injuries the entire season. He did intercept Peyton Manning twice when the Cowboys played the Indianapolis Colts.

In 2011, Lee took over as starting inside linebacker for the Cowboys and finished the year leading Dallas in tackles with 105 tackles. The next closest Cowboys’ player, Gerald Sensabaugh, had 75. Lee accomplished this despite playing the second half of the season with a cast on his wrist. He also tied for the league lead for linebackers with four interceptions.

Dez Bryant might be one of the best receivers Dallas has seen in years, but based on their first two seasons, Sean Lee is the best player the Cowboys chose in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

One of the surprises for the Dallas Cowboys in 2011 was the play of linebacker Sean Lee. The young second year player dominated under Rob Ryan’s schemes and finished the year as one of the top defenders in the lineup.

Lee, even with a broken hand for much of the season, led the Cowboys with 105 tackles. Gerald Sensabaugh was second with 75, so no one came close to the stops that Lee made. Lee also tied with Terence Newman for the lead in interceptions with four, also tied among all NFL linebackers.

It was a nice improvement from Lee’s rookie season, where he played in 14 games and finished with 45 tackles. He also had two interceptions in his rookie year but the warning sign was that he was playing injured for much of that season as well. While he is proving to be tough, Lee can’t keep getting hurt.

In 2012, a familiar face is joining the Cowboys’ linebacker corps, joining Lee, DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. Dan Connor joins the Cowboys, and while some fans may not be familiar with him, Lee knows him very well. Connor has played for the last four seasons with the Carolina Panthers, but before that, he and Lee both played for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

At Penn State, Lee learned under Connor for two seasons and finished his career there with 324 tackles, 11 sacks and three interceptions. Connor was even better, setting the Penn State record with 419 career tackles and also added 14 sacks and four interceptions.

Seeing how great Lee was in Ryan’s offense, I can’t wait to see what Connor can do, especially seeing as how he was better than Lee in college. Connor didn’t do much at Carolina, finishing with 156 total tackles in four seasons. I have to look at the Panthers and realize they have not been very competitive over the last few years. Connor might be ready to break out this year, much like Lee did in 2011.

If Connor can prove to be a sleeper pickup, Dallas might have one of the best linebacker corps in the NFL in 2012.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys‘ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Dallas Morning News

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Leon Lett is coming back to the Dallas Cowboys. The former defensive lineman, who helped Dallas win three Super Bowls in the early ’90s, is coming back to the team as a new assistant defensive line coach. Lett, who helped the defensive linemen in the preseason of 2011, has now earned an actual paying position on the Cowboys‘ coaching staff.

Before taking this position, Lett served as the defensive tackle coach in the college ranks at Louisiana-Monroe. Dallas brought him in for the 2011 season as part of the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship Program and he impressed the team enough to earn the spot.

Lett was one of the best players on those Dallas Cowboys‘ defensive units under Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and finished his career with 22 sacks over 121 games played. He also recovered seven fumbles, but that is where his legacy becomes infamous.

The first play was one that was embarrassing for Lett but caused no damage to the Cowboys. In Super Bowl XXVII, Lett recovered a Buffalo Bills’ fumble and returned it 35 yards to the 10-yard line, when he held the ball out in celebration. What he didn’t realize was that one of the fastest players in the NFL, Don Beebe, was chasing him down. Beebe caught up and slapped the ball from Lett’s hand, costing the big man a touchdown.

Dallas led the game, 52-17, so it was no harm, no foul. However, on Thanksgiving Day, 1993, Lett made another horrible mistake. With 15 seconds remaining in the game, the Miami Dolphins lined up on the snowy field to try a field goal. Dallas was up 14-13 and this was for the win. The Cowboys blocked the field goal and looked like they won the game. However, Lett ran over and tried to grab the ball.

Lett slipped on the ice, slapped at the ball, and Miami recovered it on the one-yard line. Miami then got another chance at a field goal with three seconds left and won the game. Once again, looking back, it was no harm, no foul, as Dallas won the rest of the games that season and won the Super Bowl.

Now, Lett comes back to Dallas, older and wiser, and hopes to help the Cowboys’ defensive line work itself out for the 2012 season. I’m glad to have the Big Cat and I can’t wait to see what he can do for the team as a coach.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: ESPN

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

The term Monday morning quarterback refers to someone who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight. In football, it is when a person sits down on Monday and makes comments about something a player or coach should have done differently in the game, based on the results of their decision.

Randy Moss
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This happens all the time with the NFL Draft as well. With that in mind, and my playing Mr. Monday morning quarterback, here is a look at how different the Dallas Cowboys’ team might have looked if they had made different decisions in the NFL Draft.

1994 – In the 1994 NFL Draft, the Cowboys drafted Shante Carver in the first round. They did make up for that horrible choice by grabbing Larry Allen in the second round. However, instead of Carver, Dallas could have chosen wide receiver Isaac Bruce. That would have given Michael Irvin a perfect complimentary receiver and might have helped Dallas remain competitive throughout the decade.

1995 – In the 1995 NFL Draft, Dallas drafted Sherman Williams with their first pick, hoping to give Emmitt Smith a quality backup and eventual successor. The problem is that 2012 NFL Hall of Fame inductee Curtis Martin was still on the board at the time. Imagine if Martin was there to take Smith’s place at the end. However, that might have cut into Smith’s playing time and cost him the NFL rushing title.

1996 – Dallas drafted Kavika Pittman in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Brian Dawkins was still available at that point, a free safety who went on to appear in nine Pro Bowls over his career. Imagine Dawkins and Darren Woodson at the two safety positions.

1997 – Dallas wanted a replacement for Jay Novacek so they reached for David LaFleur in the first round of the NFL Draft. Could you imagine how different Dallas would have been in the early part of the next decade if they drafted Tiki Barber instead? Could you imagine a Smith-Barber one-two punch? It also could have kept Tiki Barber off the New York Giants team.

1998 – This is where everyone points when they talk about missed opportunities. The Cowboys drafted Greg Ellis in the 1998 NFL Draft instead of Randy Moss. There was no decent receiver outside of Michael Irvin in 1998 and they could have used that second weapon for Aikman to get the ball to. Ellis was good, but imagine Aikman throwing the ball to Moss and Irvin.

2001 – The Dallas Cowboys traded out of first round in 2001, despite needing to find a replacement for Troy Aikman, and drafted Quincy Carter in the second round. If they had of held their first round position, they could have drafted Drew Brees.

2004 – Once again, the Cowboys traded out of the first round in 2004, this time needing a running back. They ended up drafting Felix Jones, which turned out to be a short term patch at the position. If they had remained with their original first round position, they could have drafted Steven Jackson.

2006 – In 2006, Dallas had another of their Draft Day flops with Bobby Carpenter as a first round pick. Yes, Carpenter was a promising prospect but the very next pick went to the San Diego Chargers, who drafted Antonio Cromartie.

2006 – In 2006, Dallas drafted Anthony Fasano in the second round, despite Jason Witten being a superstar. However, Dallas still had no real threat at running back and Maurice Jones-Drew was still on the board at the time, an obvious superior need.

2008 – I’ve pointed out a number of times the Dallas Cowboys missed out on stud running backs in the past but 2008 might take the cake. Dallas drafted Felix Jones over Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles. It makes me wonder if anyone in the front office knew what a great running back looks like.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: NFL.COM

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Jerry Jones takes a lot of slack for his running of the Dallas Cowboys, specifically his job of filling in positions of need in the NFL Draft and free agency. I disagree with that sentiment because he has drafted close to 30 good to great players since taking over the team in 1989 and helped bring three Super Bowl titles to Big D.

Jerry Jones
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While younger players can’t be properly judged by their draft positions until a passage of time, some of the players like DeMarco Murray, Sean Lee and Dez Bryant have shown the promise to be quality draft picks by Jones and company. Ignoring those last few draft classes, here is a look at the Top 10 players drafted by the Dallas Cowboys while Jerry Jones owned the team.

1. Troy Aikman (1989, r. 1) – Emmitt or Troy? It is a hard choice for the No. 1 person on this list but I err on the side of the quarterback in this situation. Look at all the teams around the league with great running backs that still can’t win because they don’t have the quarterback. Aikman led Dallas to three Super Bowl wins and they wouldn’t have made it without him.

2. Emmitt Smith (1990, r. 1) – With Aikman in the first spot, the NFL rushing leader gets the No. 2 spot. There are still too many people who seem to think Emmitt would not have broke the rushing record without the offensive line in front of him. The fact is that no one else could run like he could with the same line. Emmitt is still the man.

3. Darren Woodson (1992, r. 2) – If there was a face to the Dallas Cowboys’ defense in the Super Bowl years, it is Darren Woodson. Sure, Charles Haley is the Hall of Fame contender, but Woodson was the heart and soul of this defense. He finished with four All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl appearances and was on all three Super Bowl squads.

4. Larry Allen (1994, r. 2) – It is disappointing that Larry Allen came along just in time to only win one Super Bowl because he was one of the best defensive players the team had seen since the Doomsday Defense. He played in 11 Pro Bowls, a Dallas Cowboys’ record.

5. Jason Witten (2003, r. 3) – Jason Witten is the No. 1 tight end in Dallas Cowboys history, and by the time he retires, only Michael Irvin will rank ahead of him as a Cowboys’ receiver.

6. DeMarcus Ware (2005, r. 1) – DeMarcus Ware is still young but he will break the Dallas Cowboys’ all-time sack record within the next two years. He is the current star on the defensive team.

7. Daryl Johnston (1989, r. 2) – Daryl “Moose” Johnston didn’t have a great statistical career but is the best fullback to ever play for Dallas. He was as much a reason for Smith’s rushing title as the offensive line.

8. Leon Lett (1991, r. 7) – It is still hard to believe that the Dallas Cowboys found Leon Lett in the seventh round of the 1991 NFL Draft. By the end of his career, he played in 121 games, made it to two Pro Bowls, recorded 22 sacks and played on all three Super Bowl teams as an anchor of the defensive line.

9. Erik Williams (1991, r. 3) – With all the hoopla of the Dallas offensive line in the ’90s, Erik Williams was a monster that opened holes for Emmitt Smith and took out anyone trying to get to Troy Aikman. He was called dirty but he was simply dominating.

10. Jay Ratliff (2005, r. 7) – Much like Leon Lett, Jay Ratliff was also a seventh round draft pick that proved to be worth way more than that. He has been a rock on the Cowboys’ defensive line, with 212 tackles and 27 sacks as a nose tackle, while also getting into the Pro Bowl four times.

Others that almost made the Top 10: Mark Stepnowski, Tony Tolbert, Greg Ellis, Roy Williams, Terence Newman

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: NFL.COM

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

A lot of Dallas Cowboys’ fans have given up on quarterback Tony Romo. Despite the quarterback’s impressive 2011 campaign that ended, not due to his play, but due to defensive slipups and coaching mishaps, fans don’t want to give Romo the chance to lead the team to the Super Bowl. One fan who is giving Romo all his support is the Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones.

Tony Romo
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There have been lots of people down on Romo that believe he can’t win a Super Bowl. Just scroll through comments on any article about the quarterback and you will find people who guarantee that Romo is not good enough to lead Dallas to a Super Bowl. That is strange talk since Trent Dilfer and Kerry Collins led their teams to the Super Bowl.

Even former teammates like Deion Sanders said that Romo isn’t good enough to win the big one. However, in the 2011 season, he finished with the highest QB rating of his career (102.5), threw 31 touchdowns and only ten interceptions. Romo had one of the best years of any quarterback in 2011.

That is probably why Jerry Jones said he wouldn’t trade Romo for either Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. That’s pretty big support since the Indianapolis Colts plan to dump the best quarterback in the NFL for Luck this year. Tony Romo means more to the Cowboys than Peyton Manning does to the Indianapolis Colts. That is pretty big.

Romo is entering his eighth season as starter of the Cowboys in 2012 and has improved almost every season in his on-field play. He has been accused of making mental mistakes late in important games but limited that in 2011 and was more valuable than a hindrance in 2011. Romo is the reason Dallas won quite a few of their games, and if not for defensive mishaps and bad coaching, would have quarterbacked them into the playoffs.

Manning, one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history only had a QB rating higher than Romo’s 2011 numbers twice in his career. Manning also routinely throws more interceptions than Romo. Manning never won his first Super Bowl until his ninth season in the league. If the Colts gave up on Manning after seven seasons, they never would have won that Super Bowl.

Romo has what it takes to win the big one. Dallas just needs to give him the pieces necessary for it, preferably a competent offensive line and more defensive playmakers. Just stop blaming Romo.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: CBSSports.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

To understand how hated the Dallas Cowboys are in the city of Philadelphia, just listen to what Daryl Johnston said about the town. “They flip me the bird in Philly. It’s good,” Johnston told the Dallas Morning News recently. For one of the more popular NFL players during his playing days, that says a lot.

Veterans Stadium
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One strong memory I have of watching the Cowboys play during Johnston’s era was when Dallas would play teams like the Arizona Cardinals on the road and the fans would all vocally chant “Moose” whenever Johnston touched the ball. It happened almost everywhere the Cowboys played. Johnston was one of the real good guys in the sport and it seemed fans loved him everywhere he played.

However, playing the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, especially at the old Veterans Stadium, is a completely different kind of experience. This was where the fans booed Santa Claus in 1968. This is the stadium where fans threw snowballs with batteries in them at Troy Aikman in 1989. These are the fans who cheered when Michael Irvin suffered the spinal cord injury that ended his career and continue to jeer him today.

Philadelphia’s stadium was so dangerous to visit that the City of Philadelphia assigned a Municipal Court Judge to try lawbreaking fans at the stadium immediately after their infractions. Philadelphia Eagles’ fans have never been known for their class.

Luckily, Philadelphia is an anomaly. Johnston, who played for the Cowboys from 1989-1999, became known for his numerous charitable works. He has recently been working on helping NFL veterans get medical assistance, something the NFL has been balking at. According to Johnston, he normally gets accepted everywhere he goes.

“People recognize me as Moose. I think that’ll always be a part of who I am. It’s fun,” Johnston said. “When you talk about America’s Team, I think the moniker for the Dallas Cowboys really fits because we have a fan base that extends to every city.”

Dallas has fans everywhere, except for Philadelphia that is. Those fans even hate Santa Claus.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Dallas Morning News

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

With the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the New York Giants officially ending their season, there has to be a time to look back and see what went right with the franchise. One of the best stories of the season featured a wide receiver that had never reached his potential getting another chance and exploding in 2011.

Laurent Robinson
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Laurent Robinson joined the Cowboys to help out the team when Miles Austin went down with a hamstring injury. After integrating himself into the offense in Week 3, with three receptions for 49 yards, he exploded against the Detroit Lions in Week 4. While Dallas might have lost the game at the end, they found a new star for the wide receiver corps. Robinson caught seven balls for 116 yards.

Austin returned in the next game, after the bye week, but by Week 8, Robinson made his name with the Cowboys. Against Philadelphia, in that game, Robinson caught five balls for 103 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Over a five game stretch, Robinson caught at least one touchdown pass in each game, with two against Buffalo and Miami. He broke 100 yards again in Week 14, against the New York Giants, and then finished the season, against the Giants once again, with two more touchdowns.

By the end of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2011 NFL season, Laurent Robinson finished with season high in receptions (54), yards (858) and touchdowns (11).

Robinson started his career in Atlanta and then moved on to the St. Louis Rams. At both stops, he was supposed to be a star but failed to hold onto a job at either location. With this fresh chance in Dallas, and a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback throwing him the ball, Robinson finally showed what he is capable of.

If anything, Robinson has shown that he has a chance to be a solid starter for a team in 2012. It would be nice to see him return to Dallas, but does he really want to play secondary roles behind Dez Bryant and Miles Austin? He said he loves it in Dallas and would love to return, though. Fans of the Cowboys will have to wait and see, but if Robinson comes back in 2012, Dallas should have one of the top receiver corps in the NFL once again.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

It seems like as the 2011 NFL regular season rolls to a conclusion, the person we hear from the most with Dallas Cowboys’ related news is Jerry Jones. He is the owner and general manager, but it almost seems lately he is their chief PR man as well.

Jerry Jones
Wikimedia Commons

This week, Jones has even more news about his team to deliver to the press and the public in general.

The first thing that Jones wanted to make clear is that Jason Garrett will be his head coach in 2012. Jones said that, even if Dallas loses to the New York Giants on Sunday night and misses the playoffs, there is zero-percent chance he fired Garrett.

I agree with this stance. Jason Garrett has been head coach for just over one year. If a team drops a coach without giving them a fair chance, and one full season is not a fair chance, they will end up like the Oakland Raiders.

Garrett, in his head coaching career is 13-9. A lot of people talk about his play calling, but in his first year in Dallas calling the plays, the Cowboys went 13-3, the best record in the NFC. That was four years ago. Now that he is the head coach, a lot more is expected of him.

However, in the 2011 season, his first full season as the head man, he has had to deal with a starting quarterback breaking his ribs, his starting wide receiver missing half the year with a bad hamstring and his explosive new rookie starting running back going down with a season ending injury. That is a lot to deal with. Add in the fact that their leading tackler has been playing with a cast on his hand and the best player on the entire team, DeMarcus Ware, has been playing hurt as well.

It sounds like I am making excuses for the Cowboys’ record but I’m not. I am just stating the facts. Dallas proved this season they can beat any team they play, and all but one loss was due to mental lapses at the end. That is on Garrett but it is something he will grow with as his career wears on.

Jerry Jones says he is not going to fire Garrett if Dallas loses. In my opinion, that is a good thing because it means he is going to let his coach actually try to build something here. Playing hot potato at head coach is no way to develop a franchise.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: CBSSports.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Dallas Cowboys will not see many players on this year’s Pro Bowl squad. As a matter of fact, they were shut out completely on the offensive side of the ball. However, they will send two defensive players to the Pro Bowl, so Dallas fans have something to look forward to in the season ending exhibition game.

Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys
Wikimedia Commons

It should come as no shock to anybody that DeMarcus Ware is the highest vote getter on the Dallas Cowboys’ squad. Ware is tied for second in 2011 for sacks at 18 and is widely considered not only one of the best linebackers in the game but one of the best overall defensive stars in the NFL.

Over his seven year career in Dallas, Ware has averaged 14 sacks a season and needs only two more in the final game with the New York Giants to match his season high over his career. He also has 53 tackles on the year for Dallas.

The second player to make the Pro Bowl is nose tackle Jay Ratliff. Even as a Dallas fan, this is a little strange to me. Ratliff has 35 tackles on the season, 26 solo, and two sacks. It’s not bad but is it a Pro Bowl year? Cullen Jenkins of Philadelphia had 37 tackles, 29 solo, and 5.5 sacks.

But at least Ratliff was the second Cowboys’ player to make the lineup.

Now, let’s talk about who got shafted.

Inside linebacker Sean Lee has been hurt a couple of times this season but it didn’t matter. He kept playing. The second year player out of Penn State has 94 total tackles on the season with two fumble recoveries and four interceptions, tied for the most of any linebacker for picks in the NFL alongside New York Jets linebacker David Harris. Something else the two have in common is that neither made their respective Pro Bowl teams.

Starting linebacker Patrick Willis is a monster. He has also been injured since Week 14. He has 93 tackles on the season, one interception and four forced fumbles. Willis and Lee are very similar when it comes to stats. Brian Urlacher is the other man headed to the Pro Bowl. He has 92 tackles on the year with two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. I argue that all three men deserved to make it to the Pro Bowl.

Only two made it and that means that, despite his amazing year, Sean Lee was snubbed in the NFL Pro Bowl. In any other year, he could have been the starter. Luckily, he is young and his opportunity will come.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

IRVING, Texas (AP)

The Dallas Cowboys are running out of running backs.

Felix Jones missed practice Tuesday because of hamstring tightness, leaving the NFC East-leading Cowboys (8-6) with Sammy Morris and Chauncey Washington. Neither was even with an NFL team at Thanksgiving.

Coach Jason Garrett hopes that Jones will be able to practice this week and play in Saturday’s regular-season home finale against Philadelphia.

If not, Morris would be the likely starter a week after the 12-year NFL veteran was signed and made his season debut behind Jones with 12 carries for 53 yards against Tampa Bay.

”Sammy is the most logical choice, so he got a lot of the work (Tuesday), and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance to do some of that too,” Garrett said. ”That’s kind of the plan right now, but we’re hopeful that Felix will be able to practice as the week goes on.”

Garrett didn’t say which hamstring was bothering Jones, who wasn’t in the locker room when it was open to reporters. Jones matched his career high Saturday night with 22 carries against Tampa Bay for 108 yards, giving him consecutive 100-yard rushing games for the first time in his four NFL seasons.

”He feels good,” Garrett said. ”He just had this little tightness in his hamstring, so we didn’t think it was a good idea to have him practice.”

Linebacker DeMarcus Ware (stinger) and nose tackle Jay Ratliff (rib muscle) also missed practice Tuesday, though both starters could practice Wednesday and are likely to be ready to play against the Eagles (6-8).

Ware, whose 16 sacks are third-most in the NFL, didn’t play the second half Saturday at Tampa Bay. Ratliff has been bothered by his injury the last two games.

But Jones being out of practice was a reminder of just how thin the playoff-chasing Cowboys have become at running back.

Rookie DeMarco Murray, the team’s leading rusher with 897 yards, went on season-ending injured reserve last week after he broke his right ankle against the New York Giants. That came after Phillip Tanner, another rookie running back, had been put on injured reserve a week earlier with a hamstring injury.

Washington, whose only four NFL carries came as a rookie for Jacksonville in 2008, was signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad Nov. 30. He had been out of football since being cut by St. Louis during training camp on Aug. 4.

Morris was home in New England when he got a call last week from the Cowboys and Garrett, his former teammate and coach in Miami. Morris had been working out, but hadn’t played since being cut by the Patriots at the end of training camp after playing there the last four seasons.

”Everything is kind of getting reintroduced, first day out here at practice was just getting used to running around and cutting, I guess as far as like reacting to somebody to cut, then it was on game day actually putting on pads,” Morris said Tuesday. ”The soreness was next, so I’ve got to work my way through it and get back out there.”

Asked what he expected his role to be if Jones isn’t able to go, Morris insisted it will be the same as last week in Tampa Bay.

”Help the team win. It’s not really complicated,” Morris said. ”Whether it’s five carries, or 25, it’s help the team win.”

The 34-year-old Morris played in all 16 games for New England last season, but hasn’t started a game since 2009. He was primarily a backup at running back and fullback who contributed on special teams for the Patriots, like he has most of his career.

Morris discounted the thought of being fresh just because he wasn’t playing the first 13 games.

”Nah, the fresh legs went out the window like five years ago,” Morris said. ”I’m really just trying to just make the most and do whatever I can to stay on top of the soreness, or tiredness, whatever it may be. … But there was just a general sense of something being new again.”

Especially considering that before the Cowboys called he was resigning himself to the thought that he had maybe played his last NFL game.

”It just shows you how fast things can change,” he said. ”I thought my life was going in this direction and it ends up going in the other direction.”

Garrett and the Cowboys have certainly found out how quickly things can change.

With Murray’s emergence, the Cowboys were working to develop quite a 1-2 combo with the rookie and Jones.

They may play their next game with Morris and Washington.

”It’s part of the game, why there are so many running backs in this league,” said Washington, who shared time with Morris in practice Tuesday. ”It’s a good opportunity, to get a rhythm with the first team. … It feels good, the coaches are putting back there just to step in, give Sammy some rest.”

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are running out of running backs.

Felix Jones missed practice Tuesday because of hamstring tightness, leaving the NFC East-leading Cowboys with Sammy Morris and Chauncey Washington. Neither was even with an NFL team at Thanksgiving.

Coach Jason Garrett is hopeful that Jones will be able to practice this week and play in Saturday’s regular-season home finale against Philadelphia (7-7).

If not, Morris would be the likely starter a week after the 12-year NFL veteran was signed and made his season debut behind Jones with 12 carries for 53 yards against Tampa Bay.

“Sammy is the most logical choice, so he got a lot of the work (Tuesday), and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance to do some of that too,” Garrett said. “That’s kind of the plan right now, but we’re hopeful that Felix will be able to practice as the week goes on.”

Garrett didn’t say which hamstring was bothering Jones, who wasn’t in the locker room when it was open to reporters.

“He feels good,” Garrett said. “He just had this little tightness in his hamstring, so we didn’t think it was a good idea to have him practice.”

But Jones being out of practice was a reminder of just how thin the playoff-chasing Cowboys (8-6) have become at running back.

Rookie DeMarco Murray, the team’s leading rusher with 897 yards, went on season-ending injured reserve last week after he broke his right ankle against the New York Giants. That came after Phillip Tanner, another rookie running back, had been put on injured reserve a week earlier with a hamstring injury.

Washington, whose only four NFL carries came as a rookie for Jacksonville in 2008, was signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad Nov. 30. He had been out of football since being cut by St. Louis during training camp on Aug. 4.

Morris was home in New England when he got a call last week from the Cowboys and Garrett, his former teammate and coach in Miami. Morris had been working out, but hadn’t played since being cut by the Patriots at the end of training camp after playing there the last four seasons.

“Everything is kind of getting reintroduced, first day out here at practice was just getting used to running around and cutting, I guess as far as like reacting to somebody to cut, then it was on game day actually putting on pads,” Morris said Tuesday. “The soreness was next, so I’ve got to work my way through it and get back out there.”

Asked what he expected his role to be if Jones isn’t able to go, Morris insisted it will be the same as last week in Tampa Bay.

“Help the team win. It’s not really complicated,” Morris said. “Whether it’s five carries, or 25, it’s help the team win.”

The 34-year-old Morris played in all 16 games for New England last season, but hasn’t started a game since 2009. He was primarily a backup at running back and fullback who contributed on special teams for the Patriots, like he has most of his career.

Morris discounted the thought of being fresh just because he wasn’t playing the first 13 games.

“Nah, the fresh legs went out the window like five years ago,” Morris said. “I’m really just trying to just make the most and do whatever I can to stay on top of the soreness, or tiredness, whatever it may be. … But there was just a general sense of something being new again.”

Especially considering that before the Cowboys called he was resigning himself to the thought that he had maybe played his last NFL game.

“It just shows you how fast things can change,” he said. “I thought my life was going in this direction and it ends up going in the other direction.”

Garrett and the Cowboys have certainly found out how quickly things can change.

With Murray’s emergence, the Cowboys were working to develop quite a 1-2 combo with the rookie and Jones.

They may play their next game with Morris and Washington.

“It’s part of the game, why there are so many running backs in this league,” said Washington, who shared time with Morris in practice Tuesday. “It’s a good opportunity, to get a rhythm with the first team. … It feels good, the coaches are putting back there just to step in, give Sammy some rest.”

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IRVING, TEXAS The Dallas Cowboys are running out of running backs.

Felix Jones missed practice Tuesday because of hamstring tightness, leaving the NFC East-leading Cowboys with Sammy Morris and Chauncey Washington. Neither was even with an NFL team at Thanksgiving.

Coach Jason Garrett is hopeful Jones will be able to practise this week and play in Saturday’s regular-season home finale against Philadelphia (7-7).

If not, Morris would be the likely starter a week after the 12-year NFL veteran was signed and made his season debut behind Jones with 12 carries for 53 yards against Tampa Bay.

“Sammy is the most logical choice, so he got a lot of the work (Tuesday), and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance to do some of that, too,” Garrett said. “That’s kind of the plan right now, but we’re hopeful that Felix will be able to practise as the week goes on.”

Garrett didn’t say which hamstring was bothering Jones, who wasn’t in the locker-room when it was open to reporters.

“He feels good,” Garrett said. “He just had this little tightness in his hamstring, so we didn’t think it was a good idea to have him practise.”

But Jones being out of practice was a reminder of just how thin the playoff-chasing Cowboys (8-6) have become at running back.

Rookie DeMarco Murray, the team’s leading rusher with 897 yards, went on season-ending injured reserve last week after he broke his right ankle against the New York Giants. That came after Phillip Tanner, another rookie running back, had been put on injured reserve a week earlier with a hamstring injury.

Washington, whose only four NFL carries came as a rookie for Jacksonville in 2008, was signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad Nov. 30. He had been out of football since being cut by St. Louis during training camp Aug. 4.

Morris was home in New England when he got a call last week from the Cowboys and Garrett, his former teammate and coach in Miami. Morris had been working out, but hadn’t played since being cut by the Patriots at the end of training camp after playing there the past four seasons.

“Everything is kind of getting reintroduced, first day out here at practice was just getting used to running around and cutting, I guess as far as like reacting to somebody to cut, then it was on game day actually putting on pads,” Morris said Tuesday. “The soreness was next, so I’ve got to work my way through it and get back out there.”

Asked what he expected his role to be if Jones isn’t able to go, Morris insisted it will be the same as last week in Tampa Bay.

“Help the team win. It’s not really complicated,” Morris said. “Whether it’s five carries, or 25, it’s help the team win.”

The 34-year-old Morris played in all 16 games for New England last season, but hasn’t started a game since 2009. He was primarily a backup at running back and fullback who contributed on special teams for the Patriots, like he has most of his career.

Morris discounted the thought of being fresh just because he wasn’t playing the first 13 games.

“Nah, the fresh legs went out the window like five years ago,” Morris said. “I’m really just trying to just make the most and do whatever I can to stay on top of the soreness, or tiredness, whatever it may be. … But there was just a general sense of something being new again.”

Especially considering that before the Cowboys called he was resigning himself to the thought he had maybe played his last NFL game.

“It just shows you how fast things can change,” he said. “I thought my life was going in this direction and it ends up going in the other direction.”

Garrett and the Cowboys have certainly found out how quickly things can change.

With Murray’s emergence, the Cowboys were working to develop quite a 1-2 combo with the rookie and Jones.

They may play their next game with Morris and Washington.

“It’s part of the game, why there are so many running backs in this league,” said Washington, who shared time with Morris in practice Tuesday. “It’s a good opportunity, to get a rhythm with the first team. … It feels good, the coaches are putting back there just to step in, give Sammy some rest.”

The Associated Press