Let’s suspend reality for a second and pretend that the Cowboys will actually have a chance to sign some big name free agents.  There are a lot of guys out there that can really help this team, but there are some that they would be better off to avoid.  Here are my top three free agents that the Cowboys should stay away from: (more…)

1. Special Teams: At the beginning of every season there are at least 2 games that are determined by special teams. The explanation given by commentators is that there isn’t enough time spent on special teams in practice and you have more defensive starters assuming roles they did not have to perform when the rosters were larger. Personally, I believe the game speed increases and some players are unprepared.

In what could be a close game against Washington, a punt return, kick return, or blocked kick could shift momentum and consequently the outcome of the game.

Post game analysis:  Special teams for both teams were weak.  The Redskins holder dropped a gimmie field goal and the Cowboys kick off squad allowed big returns by the Redskins.  Buehler made both tackles, but missed a field goal.  It is an absolute priority that Joe DeCamillis return the squad to the level of play of 2009.

2. Pass v. Run Ratio: The Cowboys will suit up three different starting offensive lineman versus 2009 (Free, Barron, and Holland). Their pre-season performance was lackluster and you cannot attribute false starts and sloppy play to a vanilla offensive gameplan.

If the Cowboys are able to run effectively, 4 to 5 yards per carry, will Jason Garrett lean on the run? Garrett has been known to fall in love with the pass and ignore his running game regardless of how ineffective the passing game is.

Post game analysis:  The Cowboys ran the ball well in the first half… and of course in the second half Garrett forgot about the run.  He did call some outside runs that were highly ineffective, but he all but abandoned running up the gut.

3. Albert Haynesworth: It isn’t uncommon for a new head coach to impose his will. It is uncommon for the head coach to be perceived as childish in the process.  Incredulity doesn’t begin to describe the fact that Haynesworth played in the entire 4th pre-season game or played on the scout team during the pre-season. The Cowboys would love for this contest of wills to last for one more week.  I wouldn’t mind watching Gurode dominate Haynesworth once again, though Gurode needs to super glue his chinstrap to his helmet to prevent a re-creation of one of the most gutless actions I have ever seen on the playing field.

Post game analysis:  Haynesworth was a side note in the game.  Give credit to Gurode and Shanahan for neutralizing him.

4. Dez Bryant: Set the over/under for catches at 3.5. If he is over, I guarantee you will hear the words, “Don’t get the bronze bust ready yet, but…”

Post game analysis:  Dez played well.  He caught 8 balls for 56 yards.  Some of his catches resulted in a no-gain, but at least he caught the ball.  He played well towards the end of the game catching balls in traffic.  Then he missed a hot read on a blitzing linebacker which could have lead to a game ending turnover.  Did anyone notice Dez was out of the game for the final play of the game.  The rookie is going to have a good season, especially if the Cowboys keep force feeding him 2 yard gain receptions.

5. The back shoulder throw: Romo has used the throw on occasion during the pre-season and practices. I believe this is what he was working on during the off-season, so expect to see it a minimum of three times against the Redskins with one of those being in the endzone for a touchdown.

Post game analysis:  Romo didn’t attempt one of these passes.  Nor did the Cowboys run a pump and go with Bryant.  After forcing the ball often to Bryant early in the game, I would have bet that the Cowboys would have Romo fake pump to the outside and when the corner broke for the ball, have Bryant run a go route.  Nope.  The entire passing game seemed to be out of sorts.

6.  Williams v. Ware:  Trent Williams will be a good player, but DeMarcus Ware has an opportunity to take an early lead in the defensive MVP battle.  With McNabb not being as mobile due to his ankle injury, Ware has a chance to dominate the game and the rookie tackle.

Post game analysis:  Revision.  Williams has a chance to be a great player.  Ware and Co. consistently put pressure on McNabb who scrambled well and often.  McNabb was as mobile as ever and the reports of his ankle affecting his play were greatly exaggerated.  Ware did get one sack on McNabb, but Williams will not face a better pass rusher this season.

7.  The Redskins’s new high definition screens: According to Dan Snyder, they are the best high definition displays available on the market.  Will the announcers gush over the screens the way they do over Dallas’s horizontal monolith?

Post game analysis:  Note to Dan Snyder, no one cares.  And… it’s about time.  For the longest time, Fedex field was a vacuum for all things NFL.  Trying to find a scoring update was all but impossible.

8.  Roy Williams v. Roy Williams:  Williams must play error free football.  Every drop and fumble only exacerbate the loathing Cowboys fans have for Williams.  If he catches 4 balls and limits his penalties to zero, he can begin the rehab that his image so sorely needs.  The first step is getting out of his own head and not pushing to hard.

Post game analysis:  Roy had one drop on a deep pass.  Otherwise he played error free football.  If Roy can get out of his own head, he will be the #2 WR that the Cowboys need and want.

9.  Shanahan v. Phillips - Garrett v. Haslett:  While Phillips was on the hot seat, Shanahan was the favorite of many fans to replace Phillips as head coach.  Shanahan has a distinct advantage of having zero tape on how he intends to use his offensive weapons.  Phillips has the advantage of knowing the Redskins personnel better than Shanahan did 7 months ago.  If Phillips can adjust on the fly, expect the Cowboys defense to dominate.  If the correct adjustments are not quickly implemented, expect a surprising surge early in the game by the Redskins offense.  Similarly, Garrett has a film record a mile long.  Garrett had to review film from 1997 when Haslett was the defensive coordinator for the Steelers and Ernie Zampese was running the Cowboys offense.

Post game analysis:  The Redskins drove the ball very effectively early in the game.  Phillips made the necessary adjustment and the Cowboys stifled the Redskins offense for a majority of the game.  On the other sides of the ball, the Cowboys offense could not find an answer to the Redskins defense.  The answer may have been obvious to all who watched, but Garrett was unable to see it (run the ball often and move the pocket for Romo).  Garrett was considered a genius after his first season in Dallas.  I’m not sure he would even make the honor roll at the high school level based upon his recent performance.

10.  Injuries:  The Cowboys cannot afford to lose an offensive lineman, tight end, or cornerback.  Certainly there are contingency plans, but does anyone have a great deal of faith in those plans?

Post game analysis:  The Cowboys escape the game with DeMarcus Ware only suffering a sprained neck.  Next week, both Kosier and Colombo are expected to play.  All in all, the game was awful, but the Cowboys have a chance to get better in a short period of time.

Haynesworth signed a seven year 100 million dollar deal in February 2009 with the Redskins. Built into the deal was a guaranteed $41 million dollars. At the time, Haynesworth said the following:

”You’re not going to remember Albert Haynesworth as a bust.”

He’s right about that.  He will undoubtedly be remember for being an unprecedented malcontent and stomping on the unprotected face of Andre Gurode.  The Redskins decided to dance with the devil and apparently were surprised to have rohypnol slipped into their drink.  Now they are waking up to a new day sore in all the wrong places and publicly violated.

The Cowboys and Redskins both suffer from questions at the defensive line; this opportunity will allow us to place our respective problems into perspective.

Cost:  The first thing I think when it comes to Haynesworth is the fact that he received a $100 million dollar contract.  (According to Wikipedia, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were prepared to offer a $120 million dollar contract).  Certainly much of that money offered by the Redskins was monopoly money, and there was little expectation that Haynesworth would have received the full value of the contract.  However, he has received over $30 million for last season without playing a down in the 2010 season.

In 2008 the Tennesse Titans franchised Haynesworth and publicly commented that they had reservations about signing him to a large long-term contract because they were uncertain of his continued motivation.  Fast forward to July 2010 and Haynesworth failing two consecutive conditioning tests.

The Cowboys on the other hand have a first round draft pick in Marcus Spears who is slated to make 1.226 million for his services in 2010.  Spears has played in the 3-4 defense his entire career.  Spears is considered to be a bust by most of the national media.  In five years, Spears has totaled 8 sacks and 166 tackles (33.2 tackles per year on average, 1.6 sacks per year on average).  Those numbers are not eye popping.  Spears is a space eater on the defensive line and it is his responsibility to absorb and maintain the blocks of the offensive linemen in order for the linebackers to roam free and make the tackle.  Spears is good at his responsibility, but not irreplaceable.  Spears will make less than his backups, Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher (both scheduled to make $1.759 million in 2010).

Amazingly Spears has not complained about the situation.  He has expressed a desire to stay in Dallas and consequently sign a long-term contract, but that is hardly complaining.  Certainly it isn’t on par with Haynesworth’s behavior.

Injury:  Spears has started in every game since he was drafted in 2005.  The biggest issue that I have heard about Spears is that Bill Parcells was pushing to draft Spears prior to DeMarcus Ware.  Fortunately Jerry Jones stepped in and Ware was chosen before Spears.  As for Haynesworth, he has averaged 12.75 games played during his 8 year career.  Haynesworth turned 29 in June of 2010.  For a player who averages 3 missed games per year, it is difficult to believe that number would decrease as he gets older.

Performance: In this category Haynesworth blows away Spears, or does he?  As previously indicated, Spears’s job is to absorb and maintain blocks while maintaining his position at or near the line of scrimmage.  Haynesworth has totaled 308 tackles and 28 sacks during his career (38.5 tackles per year on average, 3.5 sacks per year on average).  My question is, are the extra 5 tackles and 1.9 sacks per year really worth an extra $13.8 million per year?  That’s not a fair assessment, however.  Haynesworth, similar to Spears, is responsible for absorbing blocks and keeping the linebackers free to run.  He also penetrates into the backfield disrupting rushing lanes and the coordination of the blocking scheme.  During the 2007 season the Titans rushing defense suffered tremendously when Haynesworth was out of the lineup.

During the first eight games the season (2007), when Haynesworth was in the trenches, the Titans gave up an average of 15.5 points a game. The most points an opponent scored on Tennessee was 36, which was racked up by Houston; still, the Titans managed to pull out a 38-36 win. Take out Houston’s 36-point afternoon, and the average against Tennessee drops to 12.5.

The previous two opponents — Jacksonville and Denver – capitalized on Haynesworth’s absence, scoring 28 and 34 points, respectively. With each of these two teams racking up 166 rushing yards apiece on the No. 4 run defense in the league, it’s clear the defense’s problem is the lack of Haynesworth.

Hayneworth was given credit for what simply could have been a statistical anomaly.  Suddenly he became a super hero rather than what he is, which is a very good defensive lineman.

Behavior: Haynesworth’s less than ideal behavior is well documented.  In 2003, he kicked his teammate, center Justin Hartwig, in the chest.  In October 2006, Hayneworth physically removed the helmet of Andre Gurode and proceed to stomp on his face.  Haynesworth was suspended for five games for the infraction.  Finally, arrest warrants were issued against Haynesworth in two Tennessee counties in May 2006 stemming from a traffic incident. Both sets of charges were dropped in June 2006. The judge in the Putnam County case tossed the charges on the grounds that the alleged offense happened out of their jurisdiction. In Smith County, the district attorney dismissed the charges. In March 2009, Haynesworth was indicted on two misdemeanor traffic charges stemming from a December 2008 car accident in Tennessee.

As for Spears… I can’t think of a single questionable thing he has done.  Despite have a multitude of opportunities to voice frustration, Spears has been a model teammate and player.

So what’s the moral of the story?  The first would be that statistics don’t tell the entire story.  Haynesworth is a dominant player; however, Spears is a quality person and player and should not simply be dismissed as a bust because his talents don’t translate to easily decipherable statistics.  Spears may not be signed by the Cowboys for 2011, but he has not been a bust.  Despite the praise and adulation lauded at Haynesworth, it certainly can be suggested that he has been an enormously monumental bust for the Redskins.