Phillips doesn’t look like he’ll survive in Big D

By Albert Breer
updated 1:56 p.m. CT, Thurs., March. 26, 2009

DANA POINT, Calif. – At one point during Wednesday’s NFC coaches breakfast, a Buffalo writer asked Wade Phillips if Terrell Owens is sometimes judged unfairly because of his reputation.

“Yup,” Phillips sniffed. “Kind of like being the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

Two years into the job, it’s hard to say Phillips has embraced all that his role entails.

Yes, Phillips is a native Texan who, like his father Bum, is getting a chance to coach an NFL team in his home state. Yes, he’s a defensive mastermind who couldn’t be more perfect a tactician for the Cowboys’ best player, DeMarcus Ware. And yes, he’s got every resource imaginable at his disposal.

But if you believe he really wants to swallow all his job takes, you’re probably swallowing something else that’s causing you to see things that way.

The Cowboys’ job isn’t like the coaching position he held in Denver, nor is it similar to the one he had in Buffalo.

You want a 22-10 record with an 0-1 playoff mark to be acceptable? Looking for breathing room in your press conferences or a media corps without a thirst for blood? (more…)

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Well, I may have jumped the gun a bit with that last post.   Apparently, Jerry isn’t the one that decided to let Wade talk.  It seems it’s a league rule that all NFC head coaches that attend the owners’ meeting speak to the media on Wednesday.  It’s really hard to fathom what goes through Jerry’s mind.  He is, as has been posted here before, essentially the head coach of this team, and Wade is nothing but a defensive coordinating lackey.   Below is a blog post from Todd Archer.  I have highlighted what I am referring to.

Checking in from NFL Owners’ Meetings
10:43 AM Mon, Mar 23, 2009
Todd Archer

And, yes, Wade Phillips will speak but it has nothing to do with Jerry Jones lifting the gag order. It is a league rule that coaches attending the meetings talk with the media. Phillips – and the rest of the NFC coaches – will speak Wednesday morning. AFC coaches talk Tuesday.

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Well, it seems head coach Jerry is allowing his assistants to speak.  For a day, at least, and then the muzzle will be re-applied to the assistants since only head coach Jones has the whole picture.   It’s sad that your actual head coach gets neutered like this, but it’s right on par with how Jerry operates “his” team.  Below is a report by Mike Florio.

WADE GETS TO TALK
Posted by Mike Florio on March 23, 2009, 12:00 a.m. EDT
The muzzle has been removed from Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.

Our guess is that the gag order was imposed for one reason only — to ensure that there would be no disclosure of the internal deliberations that culminated in Terrell Owens’ release on March 4.

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I’ve been in contact with Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, and he has a good point that has been posted here as well.   He writes, “Craig…keep me posted on how all that is going….one problem: if Jerry sells the remaining seats, then he won’t care”.

He’s right.  We have to be ever vigilant in the effort to keep those tickets unsold no matter how many times Jerry cuts the ticket price.  It’s the price cutting that keeps me going every day.   He’s having problems selling seats.  Let’s keep it that way.

We appreciate the reminder, RG.

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Let me use this article to explain and show why Jerry will never again allow a coach to run a team so long as he is so involved in the football side of this organization. It’s important that the owner hire the GM, the GM hire the coach, and then let the coach hire his assistants and then run the team.

That’s how it’s supposed to be. That’s not how things are run here, which is a key reason why we have gone 12 years without a playoff win. Now, on to the why Wade will never win anything, nor will this team so long as he is the coach and Jerry is the GM…err head coach.

* It all started off the wrong way with Wade’s tenure here. Jerry hired his (as self-appointed head coach) offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett in January 2007. In February 2007, Jerry hires Wade Phillips as head coach. He hired the head coach after he hired the offensive coordinator. This is unheard of in the NFL, and a precursor of things to come. He cut Wade’s legs out from under him before he signed his first paycheck.

* This last season after a loss to the St. Louis Rams, Jerry took it upon himself to go into his head coach’s locker room to address the team. The general manager of a team has no business in the locker room at all. It is not his business to meddle in how the head coach manages his team. If he doesn’t like what the HC does, he reprimands him behind closed doors. He doesn’t go into the locker room to address it in a public forum.

* Head coaches sometimes use fines to control players in matters of missing meetings, being late, etc. It was reported that after many attempts to get players to meetings on time, Wade went to Jerry to try to increase the fines given for such offenses up from the 100 bucks they were currently assessing. (that’s right, fining an NFL player a 100 bucks is like my boss making me ante up a dime for every time I’m late) Well, once again, Wade got shot down and had his legs removed at the knees by Jones. Jones decided that the fines in place were sufficient, and overruled Wade, yet again.

By doing all of these things, Jerry is not only taking away any chance of this team winning now, but more importantly, he is ruining any chance of getting a strong head coach to come here in the future. Why would they? Why would Mike Shanahan come into a situation where the head coach has been neutered as bad as they have here? Bill Parcells only made it 3 years before he had gotten his fill of Jerry. With no hope of a head coach working under Jerry leaves only one logical solution to this cyclical problem, and I think we all know what that is.

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By RANDY GALLOWAY

Just when we think Jerry Jones is hopelessly lost in his own football world, listening only to the voices in his head, along comes a jolt that suggests that change is slowly, real slowly, coming to Valley Ranch.

Last week’s “jolt” was the sudden departure of Eldorado Owens, something that shocked even Eldo.

But Jerry was “listening.”

Listening to 44-year-old Stephen Jones, who within the Dallas Cowboys’ organization carries the titles of chief operating officer, executive vice president and director of player personnel.

But don’t think nepotism.

“I said it when he was 25-26 years old, and nothing has changed,” noted former head coach Jimmy Johnson a couple of weeks ago. “Stephen is a good one. A real good one.”

Or as Larry Lacewell, the team’s former personnel director once told me, “Stephen Jones is brilliant.”

There will come a time when Stephen takes over the Cowboys. He will be the next Jerry. But for now, as Jerry seeks opinions from within the organization, and throughout the NFL (no matter what you think, Jerry does ample homework on all decisions), the common doubt is while he listens a lot, does he really hear what is being said?

In the case of Stephen, the answer is yes. Jerry hears Stephen. That doesn’t mean, of course, he always agrees, or follows up on what he hears.

All evidence suggests, however, that Stephen was the driving force in bringing his father around to the thought that it was time for the Cowboys to move on without the Owens’ locker room influence. (more…)

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12:59 PM CDT on Monday, March 9, 2009

By JOE TRAHAN / WFAA-TV

We recently sat down with cornerback Terence Newman to get his take on another season grounded too soon.

“I think that one guy bickering with another guy, it kind of divided the team a little bit,” Newman said. “I think that was one of the things that kind of separated the team and didn’t allow us to play as a team down the stretch.”

We talked with Newman before receiver Terrell Owens was released, so that may remedy some of those issues, but Newman was candid in his comments saying there are other team issues that need to be addressed.

Newman says quarterback Tony Romo needs to take on more of a leadership role.

“He should be the first person to say something,” Newman said. “And I think with all the criticism he’s gotten this off-season I think he’ll definitely be more vocal in this next season and understand what it takes to be a leader.”

Newman led the club with four interceptions despite only playing 10 games.

He struggled at times last season, as did his unit. Defensive coordinator Brian Stewart was fired. That job belongs to head coach Wade Phillips now. He has vowed he’ll be tougher on his players.

“We’re pretty simple on our defense, I think. We line up and teams are calling out what we’re doing,” Newman said. “In the middle of games they’re calling out ‘OK he’s coming, he’s coming’ and they’re right.

“I would like to see us get a little more moving parts, like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, those guys have fun. A 3-4 is supposed to be designed where you don’t know whose coming. You don’t know what coverage we’re gonna be in. I think at times we got a little plain and teams capitalized on that.”

After off-season ankle surgery, the Cowboys top pick in the 2003 draft is set to begin his seventh season. His No. 1 goal is ending the team’s 12-year playoff drought.

He says the team needs more accountability and better leadership and communication.

“If we’re a team, why can’t we communicate with each other? We’re the ones that are playing the game on Sundays,” he said. “We have to communicate on the field. We have to communicate in practice. So why not talk to the people you have to make adjustments with instead of wasting it all the time with the media? That’s what’s gonna be important for us in the future.”

Newman says he doesn’t think the amount of money players make has anything to do with team chemistry.

“I think it’s just the fact that some people think you’re attacking them personally,” Newman said. “Instead of trying to say hey ‘we need to pick it up, you got talent you need to bal’ some people take offense to that like you’re coming at them the wrong way. When in fact you’re just trying to help this person out”

So while Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is retooling the roster he’d better hope some leadership accompanies the changes.

“Until we get people that have the cojones to talk to a person that way and just say hey we need to step up,” Newman said, “we’re gonna struggle.”

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Some of you may be thinking how in the world a boycott could ever work against a man as wealthy as Jerry Jones.  Well, let me present you with a few facts and numbers to show you why right now is the perfect time to boycott, and be effective doing it. (outside of the fact that we’re in a recession)

The cost of the new stadium broken down:

•    The full cost of the stadium is $1.1 billion.  The original plan was for the end cost to be $650 million, but with some additions in later planning stages, it ended over 1 billion.
•    The city of Arlington agreed to have the stadium built there; also agreeing to increase the city’s sales tax by one-half percent to pay $325 million of the stadium’s cost.
•    The NFL, per their policy, pitched in $150 million.

This leaves Jerry on the hook for $625 million of the overall cost.  How is Jerry planning on coming up with that kind of coin?  Selling seats in the new stadium is one means, and the continued effort to sell merchandise is another.  Boycott, anyone?  Another means to lessen the impact of such cost is the naming rights for the stadium.  Oh yeah, he doesn’t have anyone clamoring to buy the rights.  Ouch.

So, Jerry just ante ups and pays it out of pocket?  No way.  He would bankrupt himself if he did.  He will take out loans and hope to be able to pay them back by revenue that is sure to come when he sells it out.  IF he sells it out.  He’s having issues in this regard.  Hell, he’s been dropping the cost of season tickets just trying to get them sold.  This tells anyone paying attention that he is nervous about how he is going to be able to pay for everything.  Apparently, he thought that the fans would buy the tickets just because it is the Dallas Cowboys.  Well, we aren’t going to let him off the hook that easily.  Don’t buy tickets.  Don’t buy jerseys.  Don’t buy hats.  Don’t buy mugs.  You get the idea.

Jerry is squirming at the thought of not being able to pay what he owes.  This boycott will hit him while he is down.  The time could not be any better.

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By CALVIN WATKINS and TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING – Wide receiver Terrell Owens, whose future with the Dallas Cowboys has been in question since the off-season began, was cut late Wednesday night, according to a source.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones hinted at Owens’ return at a news conference two weeks ago but never definitively said Owens would be back for the 2009 season. Last week at the NFL scouting combine, Jones said the media caught his “drift” about Owens’ return but did not elaborate.

Efforts to reach the Cowboys for comment were unsuccessful late Wednesday night. Owens was unable to be reached, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not return phone calls or e-mail.

A spokesman for Owens told The Associated Press said he hadn’t heard the news, originally reported by ESPN.

The Cowboys signed Owens to a $34 million extension last June that included a $12.9 million signing bonus, but they have decided to move on.

Originally signed by the Cowboys in 2006 after a much-publicized release from Philadelphia, Owens caught 235 passes for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns in three seasons with the Cowboys.

In 2007, Owens set the franchise record with 15 touchdown catches. Since 2006, no wide receiver and quarterback have connected for more touchdowns than Owens and Tony Romo (34)

But in 2008, Owens was limited to 69 catches for 1,052 yards, his lowest total in a full season since 1999.

Owens, 35, had eight games with fewer than 40 yards receiving and had six games with three or fewer catches. His brightest spot was a seven-catch, 213-yard outing against San Francisco in which he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass.

A lightning rod for his entire career from San Francisco to Philadelphia to Dallas, Owens caused a stir last season when he questioned offensive coordinator Jason Garrett’s playcalling. Owens and receivers Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams had a meeting with Garrett later in the season reportedly because Owens was jealous of the relationship between Romo and tight end Jason Witten.

Ever since, however, Owens was at the center of a debate involving team chemistry. Romo and Witten remained largely silent on the subject during the season and early into this off-season. Jones has repeatedly said this off-season he does not believe a lack of chemistry played a part in the team’s disappointing 9-7 finish that left them as playoff spectators.

Owens, originally scheduled to count $8.995 million against the 2009 salary cap, instead will cost the Cowboys $9.67 million in 2009.

The Cowboys traded for Williams last season, but he finished with only 19 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown in 10 games after arriving from Detroit. Williams has been working out at Valley Ranch this week, well in advance of the official beginning of the off-season conditioning program on March 30.

The Cowboys also have receivers Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Isaiah Stanback on the roster but could look for more help in free agency and the draft.

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One of the most important positions on the football field is the Quarterback and it’s the General Manager’s responsibility to find our Field General.

With this in mind, Jerry Jones has a failed approach towards developing the QB position and it has lead to the Cowboys on-field failures.

Jerry has failed the Cowboys in two main ways:
1. Failing for years at lucking his way into a Franchise QB
2. Failing to use the NFL Draft to acquire/develop QB prospects.

These two reasons have directly lead to the Cowboys on-field failures while Aikman was in obvious decline and after Aikman was cut.
- This is one of several reasons how Jerry Jones’ incompetence as GM has lead to the Cowboys’ 12-year playoff drought. (more…)

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