Tag: Terrell Owens (Page 15 of 21)

Cowboys upset with Romo’s practice habits

The soap opera that is the Dallas Cowboys has a new episode today. Apparently the team is less than thrilled with quarterback Tony Romo’s practice habits and feel that his in-game struggles are an indication that he needs to focus more Monday through Friday at Valley Ranch.

Tony RomoAccording to five sources, several offensive players lost respect for Garrett for his failure to corral quarterback Tony Romo in practice. Romo, sources said, often forced throws in practice and often did not treat practice work consistently.

Sources said Owens was upset that Romo directed more passes at tight end and close friend Jason Witten as opposed to the other receivers who he deemed open. Owens has declined to discuss that issue.

The relationship between Garrett and his offensive players will be an important issue for the unit to work out. Garrett was unsuccessful in his bid to land recent head coaching jobs in Denver, Detroit and St. Louis.

Specifically, the relationship between the mercurial Owens and Garrett is in question. Other receivers respect Owens and often share his sentiments.

When asked about his relationship with Owens, Garrett said Monday, “I have a lot of respect for him, certainly as a player, we’ll just leave it at that, OK?”

Does anyone else feel like the Cowboys are the replica of the Raiders, only without all of the losses and lack of talent?

I started to write how Dallas needs a strong figure head at head coach to corral all of the egos and personalities in the locker room, but then what was Bill Parcells? If the Tuna couldn’t control that group, who can?

Keyshawn Johnson recently threw out Cardinals’ offensive coordinator (and former Dallas OC) Todd Haley’s name, but I highly doubt he would take the job knowing he would have to work with T.O. again. Still, he might be a good fit to grab hold of Romo and get him to realize that quarterbacks have to go that extra mile everyday if they want to win a Super Bowl.

T.O. fiasco just warming up in Dallas

It appears that Terrell Owens will be the front and center of news this NFL offseason. In Jennifer Floyd Engel’s latest column for the Dallas Star-Telegram, Keyshawn Johnson and Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Jason Garrett sound off on the “poison pill” that is T.O.

Johnson also noted that current Cardinals and former Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Todd Haley could turn the culture at Valley Ranch.

“You know, Jen, why aren’t you touting Todd Haley for the job?” he asked. “He was the only one with the [guts] to tell Jerry ‘I really want this job but I can’t coach this team with this guy on it. And I don’t think you are going to win anything of any consequence with this guy on it.’ ”

This guy, of course, was Terrell Owens. And he and Haley were not exactly BFFs in their one and only season together as Cowboys under Big Bill.

T.O. vowed to “find the rats” with Haley being his prime suspect and blamed him for failing to use his considerable talent. Haley, a Big Bill disciple in every way, refused to cower and snapped right back which only further enraged perpetually touchy T.O.

Owner Jones did interview Haley, along with almost everybody else, when Bill Parcells left. Of course, Haley did not have a chance, bucking convention and saying what Jerry did not want to hear which is T.O. is the rat.

Now, Haley is the offensive coordinator of a team going to the Super Bowl and T.O. is whining about locker room rats again and how the offensive coordinator is to blame. And a few misguided souls actually believe this self-plagiarized rant with Haley being replaced by Jason Witten and Jason Garrett.
“What is obvious is you can’t keep Jason Garrett, T.O. and the coach,” Johnson said.

And almost as an exclamation point, The Red-headed Genius chimed in from the Senior Bowl where he answered a question about T.O. with a very read-between-the-line-ish “I certainly have a lot of respect for him as a player. And we’ll just leave it at that.”

My guess is JG thinks T.O. is going to be waived. No way his normally cautious self says what he said otherwise. Or else he figured out what Haley did two years ago which is you are not going to win anything of any consequence with this guy on your team. So better to jump from that doomed-to-fail ship.

The key to this entire situation is Jerry Jones. If he feels T.O. really is the cog holding the Cowboys back, then Owens will be jettisoned before next season. But Jones can’t part with Owens’ talent and that’s why everyone around T.O. (Parcells, Haley, etc.) are now elsewhere (and winning might I add).

It seems that Jones takes pride in gathering all of these dysfunctional characters, putting them all under one roof and trying to make it work. But eventually he’s going to have to realize that chemistry trumps talent in most cases and he might have to go more conventional route to build a winner.

Rosenhaus shoots down idea of T.O. being released

Ed Werder of ESPN.com reported on Thursday that the Cowboys were entertaining the idea of releasing receiver Terrell Owens sometime this offseason. But T.O.’s agent Drew Rosenhaus thinks that idea is ridiculous.

Drew RosenhausAgent Drew Rosenhaus definitely isn’t sweating the speculation about the Cowboys cutting his most famous client. He completely dismissed the possibility that T.O. has cashed his final check from Jerry Jones.

“It’s not going to happen,” Rosenhaus said on WQAM Radio in Miami. “The reason why they got rid of Pacman is because Pacman has terrible off-the-field problems, and the guy just simply can’t play anymore. He’s just not that good.

“Terrell’s never had off-the-field problems, and he’s been one of the greatest players ever. And they just gave him a monster contract. I mean, they just gave him a huge extension before the season.

He’s not going anywhere.”

Rosenhaus might be right about T.O. returning to Valley Ranch. But T.O. and Pacman have more in common than Rosenhaus wants to admit, although you don’t have to worry about T.O. getting arrested.

Like Pacman, T.O.’s performance might not justify the distractions he creates anymore. That’s what the Cowboys front office needs to determine.

Rosenhaus makes good points but what else is an agent going to say? That there’s a major possibility one his clients isn’t wanted anymore? Not a chance.

In the end, I don’t think Jerry Jones would ever go through with releasing T.O. Jones has a new stadium ready to open and he needs players like Owens on the field to put butts in the seats. Plus Jones likes to take on semi-dysfunctional (or fully dysfunctional in the case of Pacman Jones) players and make them into winners. So Rosenhaus is probably right – Owens will be in a Cowboy uniform again next season.

Cowboys to release Terrell Owens?

According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com – who must have a little cot set up at Valley Ranch – the Cowboys are considering releasing receiver Terrell Owens so that the team will have better chemistry in the locker room next season.

Terrell Owens“I think we all know that chemistry is the problem with this team more than the schemes or anything else,” a Cowboys source said. “Are we going to continue to allow talent to outweigh everything else in the decisions we make with players and putting the roster together? We’re like the Redskins used to be when they signed every player they wanted. There’s more to it than talent. It has to be more about the team.

“The big one [Owens] didn’t get discussed yet, but I’m sure it will and real hard.”

The Cowboys released twice-suspended cornerback Pacman Jones last week and Tank Johnson is expected to depart through free agency. Both decisions are at least partly related to the renewed emphasis on creating a different atmosphere in the locker room. The Cowboys began their ill-fated 2008 season with three players on the roster who had been suspended by the league or their previous teams — Jones, Johnson and Owens.

At least two sources believe that vice president Stephen Jones will attempt to convince his father that Owens should be finished with the Cowboys. But Jerry Jones just last year invested a $12 million signing bonus in Owens, which means there would be salary-cap fallout. In fact, Jerry Jones has suggested that there might be enough damage that the team would find it difficult to sign NFL sack leader DeMarcus Ware to a new contract.

“I think some of people want to just cut our losses and get rid of all those guys … T.O., Tank, Pacman,” another Cowboys source said. “But I really think Jerry likes the thrill of trying to make it all work.”

After what happened at the end of the season with the Tony Romo/Jason Witten/Terrell Owens saga, some people (mainly Owens) will read this and say, “There’s that Ed Werder again – making sh*t up.”

But think about it, Werder is in Dallas 24/7 reporting on the Cowboys for ESPN. I swear the guy is required to sleep on site just in case any story breaks and it’s not like he can go around stirring the pot with fictional stories because then nobody would talk to him. So anyone that thinks this is just Werder trying to get a quick headline needs to get a grip.

The possibility of Jerry Jones wanting to change the culture in the locker room is very real. He has a new stadium ready to open and despite having some of the best talent in the league every year, the Cowboys never win. If Jones really wants to make a change, parting with Owens might be the first step. It’ll be interesting to see how this story develops this offseason.

Will off-field distractions eventually sink Cowboys?

Terrell OwensAt some point it has to happen, right? At some point all of this nonsense that was created by Terrell Owens a week ago has to catch up with the Dallas Cowboys, right?

As Dallas gets set to take on the Baltimore Ravens tonight, there seems to be a cloud hanging over Valley Ranch just ready to unleash a bolt of lighting and destroy the Cowboys’ season in a moments notice. And while everything looked just peachy in a 20-8 victory over the Giants last week, I’m not buying that things have completely smoothed out for Owens, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Wade Phillips and everyone else that dons a big star logo on their clothing appeal these days.

First and foremost, everything is always great among teammates when they win. So it was no surprise to see Owens, Romo and Witten all smiles at the end of the Cowboys-Giants game last week, because Dallas won. Problems seem to get pushed off to the side rather quickly when everything is copasetic on the field.

But what has to worry Cowboy fans is that eventually, off-field issues rise to the surface at some point. And one has to wonder if some point is tonight.

The Ravens have a nasty taste in their mouths after losing at home to the Steelers last week when they essentially had a victory locked up. Ben Rothlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense had done virtually nothing until their final drive of the game, yet they made plays when it mattered most and pulled victory out of the jaws of defeat. Now Baltimore’s playoff hopes remain in flux, but a win over Dallas would go a long way in solving that issue.

If things start going array for the ‘Boys tonight, can they hold everything together? Or will Owens start complaining that he’s not getting the ball enough? And will Romo start turning the ball over again like he has a penchant for doing when the Cowboys are losing? Or will Jason Garrett have an answer for the Ravens’ stout defense if his offense isn’t clicking? (Especially if Marion Barber doesn’t play or cannot be effective with an injured toe and calf.)

Many purists think the Cowboys are back on track after their impressive victory over the Giants last week. They can’t stop writing about how Phillips has fixed the defense and how the trio of Owens, Romo and Witten are all best friends now. Hey, maybe they’re right. Or maybe the win over New York just kept the issues at bay for a week. Either way, we’ll find out very soon what kind of team Dallas is made out of because a win would go a long way in proving that this team is what many people thought they would be at the start of the year: A Super Bowl contender.

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