Silver and BlueBlood

Give Yourself a Hand

This space has often been used to take Jerry Jones to task for his meddling ways. The Cowboys’ lightening rod owner does and says more than enough to earn it. However, not every move the hands-on owner/general manager of America’s team is bad.

In, fact, this past off-season is proving to be one of his better ones. While a couple of key injuries mandate that we table any real analysis of the Cowboys’ ‘09 draft (besides, you never really know about drafts until two to four years later), the free agent signings are looking like strokes of pure football genius.

For me, it begins with Keith Brooking. Jerry and so-called head coach Wade Phillips were right in their belief that the veteran linebacker has more than a little gas in his tank. He has turned in close to Pro Bowl caliber play through the first seven games of the season.

But Brooking is even more important to the team because he is a leader. He is passionate, committed, and team oriented. He has a vibrant personality, and it is infectious. He has already asserted himself as a team leader.

Brooking is just the beginning. Gerald Sensabaugh, wounded hand and all, is helping to turn a suspect secondary into a stellar one. He can cover. He delivers big hits. He plays smart. And he takes pressure off the cornerbacks, enabling them to play their positions with more confidence and daring.

Then there is Igor the Terrible. Olshansky, the choice to replace the departed Chris Canty is a run-stopping, gap-filling, brute on the defensive line. He has surpassed the “serviceable” tag some wanted to place on him.

Finally, we have to mention the trade that brought Jon Kitna to the Cowboys. No intelligent fan of the team wants to find out just how much of an addition Kitna is to the team, since that would mean Romo is somehow incapacitated, but last year taught Mr. Jones the value of having a quality player holding that clipboard.

With these key additions and Wade’s attention to the defense (no one ever accused the man of not being a great defensive coordinator), and with time to gel, the defensive unit is looking like one of the team’s greatest strengths.

So, Mr. Jones, you may be your own worst enemy when it comes to building and sustaining a championship caliber team, but you are not as inept a “football” man as your harshest critics would like to make us all believe. You do get it right at least as often as you get it wrong.

Locking up Demarcus Ware. Backing Tony Romo when he was under intense fire. Building the great Football Cathedral. Cutting Terrell Owens. Getting way more than a little bang for your bucks this off-season. Good moves, all of them.

Good job, Jerry.

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POW!

Orlando Scandrick recorded the play of the day at Cowboys training camp when he slobber-knocked Roy Williams, separating the big, strong receiver from both the ball and his helmet. He and the rest of the defensive secondary continue to turn heads and raise eyebrows. Considering the burnt toast the Cowboys have all too often been left smelling in recent years, any good news coming from the last line of defense is REALLY good news.

As for Scandrick, he seems to be following a strong rookie season with a promising camp. You may remember that it was reported that June Jones told Wade Phillips, after he had drafted the cornerback in the 5th round, that Scandrick was the best cornerback his Hawaii team had ever faced. Coach Jones apparently felt that Scandrick was the steal of the draft. With Scandrick competing for the second cornerback spot, and almost certain to be no worse than the third cornerback on the team, he will get ample opportunity to live up to those lofty expectations in 2009.

With the subtractions of safety Roy Williams and cornerback Anthony Henry, the secondary will certainly need the likes of Scandrick, Mike Jenkins, and newly-added safety Gerald Sensabaugh to be stand-up, if not standout, players. Jerry Jones has said that Wade Phillips’ defensive scheme relies on speed in the defensive backfield, and this year’s edition certainly has plenty of that.

All of this leads me to pose this question, sports fans:

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