The Dallas Cowboys released Terence Newman after a year of lackluster play, but based on his history in the league, it was clear that someone would take a chance on him. That team is the Cincinnati Bengals, which comes as no surprise at all.

Newman is the second former No. 1 draft pick that the Cowboys let go for declining performance that the Bengals picked up. The reason that former Cowboys find a home in the Bengals’ defense is because they are led by former Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

The last time that Zimmer grabbed up a Cowboys’ reject was when he took a chance on former Dallas safety Roy Williams. Williams was a big No. 1 pick for Dallas, a superstar in college for the Oklahoma Sooners. He never fit many fan’s idea of a strong safety because of his inability to defense passes well but his hard hits made him popular.

One of the moments that will follow Williams around the rest of his life is the picture of him leaping over the Texas Longhorns’ offensive line in college and smacking the ball out of quarterback Chris Sims hands, allowing the Sooners to beat the Longhorns in their annual rivalry game.

In the NFL, he was not as successful but still filled a solid role as a hard hitter, maybe one of the hardest since Ronnie Lott. He was exciting enough on the field to earn five Pro Bowl selections over his career as well as one All-Pro award. In Cincinnati, Williams added 85 tackles to his career numbers with three more fumble recoveries and an interception. In 2011, he was out of the NFL and served as the sideline reporter for Sooners’ games.

Terence Newman joined the Cowboys the year after Williams, with a first round pick as well. Newman was a solid cornerback out of Kansas State and translated that well into the NFL. Over his career in Dallas, Newman has been solid. He finished his run in Dallas with 32 interceptions, with a high of five in 2010. Newman also had 546 tackles over his career, with a high of 79 in 2010.

With him only one year removed from his best statistical season, there is no reason not to believe that he can rebound when given a fresh start and a clean slate. It also helps that Zimmer knows Newman and can put him in the best possible situation to succeed. I like Newman, and while I was one of the people that wanted him gone, I hope he can revive his career in Cincinnati.

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

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has found himself on the receiving end for a change in recent weeks.

Tony Romo and Candice Crawford announced the birth of Hawkins Crawford Romo.
(Michael Loccisano – GETTY IMAGES FOR TIME WARNER)
Late last month, Romo received high praise from Hall of Fame quarterback and Cowboys icon Troy Aikman, who called the team’s current signal caller, “already a better quarterback than I was.”

On Monday, Romo received another gift — this one in the form of his first child.

Romo and wife Candice Crawford announced the birth of their son, Hawkins Crawford Romo, through the Cowboys PR department.

“Hawkins Crawford Romo is now a part of the Dallas Cowboys family,” team spokesperson Rich Dalrymple said in a statement. “He came into this world on 4/9/12 at 5:30 p.m., 8 lbs. and 8 oz. All is well with his mom.”

No word yet on whether Romo — whose history of ball security issues is well-documented — was allowed to hold Hawkins without oversight.

Despite three Pro Bowl selections and a 96.9 career passer rating, the much-maligned quarterback has led Dallas to only a single playoff victory in six seasons as a starter. But postseason disappointment doesn’t overshadow his talent, as far as Aikman is concerned.

“I know how quarterbacks are judged but as far as his play-making ability and the things that he is capable of doing, he is a far more athletic quarterback, capable of making more plays than I ever was able to,” Aikman said in an interview with the Brownsville Herald. “He has a good team around him and hopefully, and I believe this will happen, I believe that he will win a Super Bowl before he is done playing.”

Sure, says the guy who has three rings to his name. But until Romo translates his regular season success into a Super Bowl trophy, few in Dallas will echo Aikman’s praise.

Follow us: @MattBrooksWP | @CindyBoren

DALLAS (AP)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has become a father for the first time.

According to the Cowboys’ website Tuesday, Romo’s wife, former Miss Missouri Candice Crawford Romo, delivered an 8-pound, 8-ounce son late Monday afternoon at a Dallas hospital. The website reports the child has been named Hawkins Crawford Romo.

The Cowboys begin official team activities and minicamps next month, with training camp beginning in Oxnard, Calif., in late July.

Ryan Leaf, the quarterback flop that finished his NFL career playing for the Dallas Cowboys, will end up in jail for a long time thanks to his recent actions, if found guilty.

The entire story started in 2008 for the former NFL quarterback, who was drafted in the 1998 NFL Draft, one spot after Peyton Manning. Leaf was arrested at that time for drug charges while coaching at Division II West Texas A&M. He got out of the case that time with ten years of probation.

At the time, Leaf admitted that he made mistakes and learned from them. He went on to write a book called “596 Switch” about his 1997 season with the Washington State Cougars.

You would figure that Leaf would be leading a straight and narrow life since he got off lucky with the probation from the 1998 charges. However, the Central Montana Drug Force recently set up an investigation because they believed that Leaf was breaking into houses to steal prescription medications.

That all came to a head on March 31 when Montana police arrested Leaf for allegedly breaking into a person’s home to steal prescription pain killers. He went to jail and released a statement that said he was not going to make excuses but use this experience to move forward in life.

As Leaf proved throughout his NFL career, he does not always make the smartest decisions. Two days after he bonded himself out of jail, Montana Drug Force Commander Chris Hickman said they had arrested Leaf again, for allegedly committing another burglary the day after he got out of jail.

While the charges are pending, and there is no telling what will happen to Leaf when this ends, there is a good chance he will end up in jail for a very long time if found guilty. Leaf already built a reputation as one of the biggest flops in NFL history, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys before leaving the game after five seasons.

This could end up having a tragic ending that will leave a worse stain on the former college sensation than failing on a football field ever could.

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

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

The Dallas Cowboys re-signed Orlando Scandrick to an extension before the 2011 NFL season. They signed Brandon Carr to a huge contract in this offseason, while releasing Terence Newman. They also have Mike Jenkins for one more year but this will be his last chance to prove he belongs on the team in the future. Finally, the Cowboys also brought in safety Brodney Poole for a one-year deal and added Dan Conner to the linebacker corps.

That makes the 2012 NFL Draft one that can’t ignore the defensive just because they are set for 2012. There also aren’t many college football teams better than the Alabama Crimson Tide when it comes to choosing a defender in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Dallas invited three of the Crimson Tide’s defenders to visit with the team this week as part of the “top 30″ personal visits leading into the draft. Those players included cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, safety Mark Barron and outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw.

Dre Kirkpatrick

Kirkpatrick is the second best cornerback coming into the NFL in 2012, following the LSU Tiger’s Morris Claiborne. He is powerful and physical, standing 6-3 and 192 pounds. Over his three year college career, Kirkpatrick had 65 tackles and three interceptions. The big problem he faces is his zone coverage, since he played man at Alabama. He also had a rough start in 2012 but picked it up through the rest of the year.

Mark Barron

While Brodney Poole has the chance to win the future safety position in 2012, he has to earn it. Mark Barron is a four-year safety for Alabama that finished his career with 235 tackles and 12 interceptions over his career. He is arguably the top safety coming out in the 2012 NFL Draft with strength, good instincts and great hands. His main downfall is that he is not a consistent tackler based on his problems changing directions.

Courtney Upshaw

Also a top rated prospect, Courtney Upshaw remains one of the top linebackers coming out in 2012. He finished his four-year career at Alabama with 134 tackles, 16.5 sacks and one interception. At 6-2, 273 pounds, he gets off low at the line and is a solid pass rusher, something Dallas needs. He played in the 3-4 at Alabama, which makes him valuable for a team like Dallas. While Kirkpatrick will probably be gone when Dallas comes up, Upshaw would be a perfect option.

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 Dallas Cowboys will be looking to revamp the offensive line by selecting a guard in the early rounds of the draft. The Cowboys have other critical needs as well, so the round we actually address the guard position is still up in the air. We all have our favorite players we’d like to see chosen. We all have different ideas on how to approach it.

Here are a couple options at each round that Dallas could be looking at in the 2012 NFL Draft:

First Round Possibilities (14th pick)

David DeCastro, Stanford (6’5″, 316) – He’s hands down the best guard in the draft. He has all the skills to be a future Pro-Bowler in this league. There are several teams who have their eye on DeCastro so he may not be available when Dallas picks at 14. Projected at 14.

Cordy Glenn, Georgia (6’6″, 345) – He’s a big boy. He has great athleticism for his size. Glenn would be a reach with our first pick, but if Dallas traded down, he could enter the equation. Projected at 22.

Second Round Possibilities (45th pick)

Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin (6’4″, 314) – His draft stock continues to rise. He would be a great value in the second round. If there is a good reason to pass on DeCastro in round one, it would be because of Zeitler. Projected at 37.

Amini Silatolu, Midwestern State (6’4″, 311) – His Division II status raises concerns about how he’ll transition to the NFL, but scouts are very impressed with him so far. The depth drops a bit after Silatolu, so this may be our last chance to get a quality guard in the draft. Projected at 39.

Third Round Possibilites (83rd pick)

Kelechi Osemela, Iowa State (6’6″, 333) – He is mean and aggressive. For a third-round pick, he has quite a bit of talent. Projected at 66.

James Brown, Troy (6’4″, 306) – He has long arms and good quickness. His raw ability and versatility can be helpful on the inside, but would probably be a work in progress. Projected at 94.

The guard draft class is rather deep this year and for that reason it seems practical that the Cowboys target a blue chip pass rusher in round one. That’s bad news for fans like me who want so badly to hear David DeCastro’s name with our 14th pick. I think DeCastro would give us an exceptional blocker for years to come, and that is very appealing to me. I do like our second round options so it won’t bring me to tears too badly if we passed on him. I’ve already started preparing myself for that.

Author Dan Rogers has been a Dallas Cowboys‘ fan since he was a child. He became interested in the Cowboys because their quarterback, Roger Staubach, had a cool sounding name. He loved the color blue and thought stars were pretty. It was really inevitable. Follow him on Twitter @DannyPhantom24 or on Facebook.

Other 2012 Free Agency Articles by Dan Rogers on Yahoo! Contributor Network:

The Real “America’s Team”

Why Tony Romo Will Lead the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl

Is Jerry Jones Good for the Dallas Cowboys?

SOURCES:

Cbssports.com

Bloggingtheboys.com

Former vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys Gil Brandt has high praise for former BYU receiver McKay Jacobson. Jacobson was one of 10 former Cougars who worked out on Pro Day last week in Provo.

“The former highly touted high school player projects as a slot receiver,” Brandt writes. “I think he’ll be drafted in the seventh round or so. Jacobson has the chance to be a very good pro player.”

Brandt, who has spent the last eight years as NFL.com’s main personnel guru, also breaks down the Pro Day performance of other Cougar players.

Watch a video on WSUCougars.com of an interview with first-year Washington State coach Mike Leach after his team’s first spring scrimmage. BYU and WSU will meet in the season-opener on Sept. 1.

Is the BYU football team going to use new, black uniforms next season? CBSsports.com investigates the possibility.

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:

As a Dallas Cowboys’ fan, I can only look at the $2 billion that Magic Johnson and company spent on the Los Angeles Dodgers and shake my head. That amount is the most ever spent on a sports franchise, and according to Forbes last listing in 2011 of the most valuable sports franchises, the Dodgers only ranked No. 38 in the world, at $800 million. Meanwhile, ranking No. 2 in the world is the Dallas Cowboys at $1.81 billion.

Here is a look at the Top 5 most valuable franchises according to Forbes.

1. Manchester United

When the Glazer family purchased Manchester United for almost £800 million, the soccer team was debt free. The purchase was a wise one at the time because Manchester United has a large worldwide fan base, keeping them the richest club in the world. They are worth, as of 2011, $1.86 billion and count 333 million fans in support of the team. The team, founded in 1878, has won a record 19 league titles.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million. Since the purchase, the Cowboys have grown into one of the most successful teams in the NFL financially. They were worth $1.81 billion in 2011, and in 2009, Jones opened Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a building that cost $1.3 billion to construct. Since owning the Cowboys, Jones has watched his team win three Super Bowls in three appearances, while the team has five overall wins in the big game.

3. New York Yankees

If the Dodgers sold for $2 billion, I can’t even imagine what the New York Yankees would sell for. The Yankees were worth $1.7 billion in 2011, $900 million more than the Dodgers. At the time, the Boston Red Sox ranked second in the MLB for value and was worth 86-percent less than the Yankees. As a franchise, the Yankees have won 27 World Series titles. George Steinbrenner purchased the New York Yankees in 1972 for $8.8 million.

4. Washington Redskins

Ranking fourth, at $1.55 billion, is the Washington Redskins. The Redskins have a long history, starting play in 1932, and have three Super Bowl wins during their existence as well as two NFL championships before the Super Bowl started. Daniel Snyder bought the Redskins in 1999 for $800 million but they have never made it back to the Super Bowl for the owner.

5. Real Madrid

The fifth team is another soccer franchise, Real Madrid, at $1.45 billion. According to Forbes, Real Madrid makes $537 million a year in gross revenue, second to only the New York Yankees. An interesting fact is that the members of Real Madrid have owned and operated the club since its inception in 1902.

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: Forbes

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

The one area of the Dallas Cowboys’ free agent needs that people seem to be ignoring is the backup quarterback position. While this may not seem like a big deal to many people, look at Tony Romo the last two years. He broke his ribs this past season and missed most the year two seasons ago. That makes the Dallas backup quarterback a very important position to fill.

Chad Henne
Wikimedia Commons

Here is a look at the Cowboys’ choices for the backup quarterback position in 2012.

Stephen McGee

Stephen McGee came to Dallas in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. He played mostly in an option offense until Mike Sherman showed up and transformed the Aggies into a pro styled offense. He has been nothing more than a third string emergency quarterback since arriving and has only played in three NFL games. His stats are decent, with 420 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Drew Stanton

One player that Dallas might look at bringing in via free agency is Drew Stanton. The Cowboys originally wanted Stanton when he was in the 2007 NFL Draft but the Detroit Lions grabbed him in the second round. This caused Dallas to go with McGee two years later. Stanton has worked as a backup in Detroit for the last four years but might be a nice, young quarterback that can compete with McGee in the preseason. He has played in 12 games, throwing for 1,158 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Chad Henne

If the Dallas Cowboys want to find a more experienced backup quarterback, they can look to former Miami Dolphins starter Chad Henne. In Miami, Henne underwent shoulder surgery and lost his job due to the injury. With Miami wooing Peyton Manning, Henne is available and Dallas might look into bringing him into Big D to backup Romo. He started for two years in Miami and compiled a 31-37 record with 7,114 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and 37 interceptions.

Jason Campbell

Jason Campbell was a great starter for the Washington Redskins, playing well despite having no real weapons in the passing game. He then went on to Oakland, where he played well when he was not injured. However, I don’t think he will find a new team to start for and will have to settle for a backup position. With an 84.2 career QB rating, Dallas could do worse than giving him a chance.

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.

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
Wikimedia Commons

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.