Cowboys football blog

Heat is on Carpenter

When the Cowboys drafted Jason Williams in the third round Sunday, they saw the Western Illinois linebacker as another Kevin Burnett. Williams is athletic, fast and can play on special teams.

"He can really run and he will really hit you," coach Wade Phillips said.

Burnett was a staple on the substitute defensive packages, but he signed with San Diego as a free agent this off-season. For Williams to take over that role, he will have to beat out Bobby Carpenter, the Cowboys' No. 1 pick in 2006.

"Bobby is a guy we expect to come through and play for us, especially in our sub packages where he can cover the backs man to man and he can blitz," Phillips said. "He's been working at it. This is time for him to step up."

Carpenter has been waiting.

Cowboys with little ammo on 1st day of draft

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said all the right things in the days leading up the 2009 NFL Draft.

Even though the Cowboys are slated to be nothing more than innocent bystanders for the majority of the first day of the draft, which begins with two rounds today and finishes with five rounds Sunday, Jones not only understands but relishes the position his team is in.

The Cowboys don’t have a first-round pick and won’t get a turn at the podium until the second round, 51st overall. But they have 10 picks Sunday in rounds three through seven. While Jones acknowledges the Cowboys are likely to have a slow day today, he believes he will be in position to control the draft Sunday with a veritable war chest of picks from which to choose or make trades. Continue

Cowboys receive two compensatory draft picks

Dallas earned an extra fifth-rounder (172nd overall) and an extra sixth-rounder (208th overall). Although the Cowboys don’t have a first-round selection, they do have 11 total picks in the 2009 Draft, which will be held April 25-26.

A total of 32 compensatory picks were awarded to 16 teams. The Patriots, Bengals, Bears and Giants all received one extra third-round choice. (Star-Telegram)

Jones seeking best available in draft

The Cowboys didn’t make any splash additions during the first two weeks of free agency.

But they filled needs and built their roster for next season with four free-agent signings and a trade.

Owner Jerry Jones is pleased enough with the progress that he said the Cowboys can go into next month’s NFL draft with the emphasis of taking the best available player.

Jones said the Cowboys don’t have any pressing needs and that includes the receiver position — even after Terrell Owens’ release last week. Jones said he is satisfied with Roy Williams taking over as the No. 1 receiver and he’s excited about the development of the team’s young receivers. Continue

Will Cowboys miss 1st and 3rd round picks?

Let the second-guessing begin.

Jerry Jones thought he was housing a Super Bowl team at Valley Ranch last October. To increase his odds of capturing a sixth Lombardi Trophy for the franchise, Jones acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions at the NFL trade deadline.

The cost was steep. The Lions received the first- and third-round picks of the Cowboys in the 2009 draft in the swap. But it was a price Jones was willing to pay if it meant a trip to his first Super Bowl since the 1995 season. Continue

Dallas Cowboys need to get defensive in draft

With nine draft picks – and possibly two more because of compensatory selections that are announced later – the Dallas Cowboys will have plenty of chances to do what they want in April even without the first-rounder they gave up to Detroit for wide receiver Roy Williams.

But as of today, it looks like the draft could have a decided defensive bent.

Even with all of the problems that afflicted the offense down the stretch in 2008, the more pressing need is on the side of the ball Wade Phillips was hired to fix. Continue