The data suggest that Fitzgerald will hit pay dirt against Dallas

This Sunday, the 7-4 Dallas Cowboys will face off against the 4-7 Arizona Cardinals in the desert. Both sides of the ball have various fantasy studs that are must starts in what is expected to become an aerial shoot-out. Here are my starts, sits and a sleeper pick for the big game.

Starts

Larry Fitzgerald – Arguably the best wide receiver in the game should be an every week starter for you. But you might have had some luck later in the draft or through the waiver wire with names like A.J. Green and Victor Cruz. So sitting Fitzgerald could be in the realm of possibility. But Fitz has scored three touchdowns in his last three games and it appears he’ll have Kevin Kolb back in the pocket. The Dallas defense will be focused in on stopping Beanie Wells and getting pressure on Kolb. I see a lot of throwing in this game and Fitzgerald stands to benefit due to his size. The Dallas corner backs have struggled against taller receivers all year.  Here are the numbers from opposing “big” receivers versus the Cowboys secondary in the last three weeks alone: Brandon Marshall (6’4) – 5 recs, 103 yards, 1 TD; Jabar Gaffney (6’2) – 7 recs, 115 yards, 1 TD; David Nelson (6’5) – 4 recs, 31 yards, 1 TD. Based on the data, Fitzgerald is pretty much guaranteed to score at least once with the possibility for more.  (more…)

Until yesterday at about 6 p.m., no one who visits this site had ever heard of the former Aggie. The selection will go down as one of the more bizarre ones in Jerry Jones’ 20-year draft history. It makes absolutely no sense, especially considering Jones traded away the back-up and useful tight end, Anthony Fasano the night before the draft. Sure, Bennett may be a better all-around player than Fasano, but it still doesn’t make sense for the Cowboys to take him.

I had to search around for articles about this guy, just so I could learn more about who he is. Apparently, he is a great blocker and he’s very strong. He does not run routes well. He scored five touchdowns with 49 catches and 585 yards for the Aggies his senior season.

Here is what the football expert had to say about him:

The Antonio Gates/Tony Gonzalez comparisons are legit. Bennett actually played 30 games for the Aggies’ basketball team. He actually declared for the NBA Draft out of high school, but withdrew his name. Bennett has the rare type of size and athleticism that you see in very tight ends. He will create mismatches on the field that a good offensive system will take advantage of. In Dallas, Jason Garrett better utilized 6-5 Jason Witten this past season, which was a major reason for the success of Tony Romo and Dallas’ offense. Utilizing that tall/athletic tight end can open the field for your wide receivers and also create a nice safety blanket for your quarterback. Actually, Bennett creates that safety blanket twice because of his blocking, something that Fred Davis and Dustin Keller lack.

Here is an interesting clip that shows his athleticism:

Despite the guy’s play-making and blocking skills, it still boggles my mind why the Cowboys passed over the likes of Early Doucet, Mario Manningham and Reggie Smith to take him.

Some Cowboys fans are saying that this trade makes no sense. I can’t say I want it to happen because I don’t. And if you think about it too much it really doesn’t make sense. But if you think about it even more, then it starts to make sense again.

Look back at all of the running backs Bill Parcells has loved. Marion Barber fits that mold. Marion Barber is a restricted free agent, which means that the Cowboys have seven days to match any offers for him at the end of the season, UNLESS THEY TRADE HIM. Any team that would take Barber outside a trade would also have to give up 1st and 3rd round draft picks, a more unlikely scenario. A Bobby Carpenter to Miami trade as part of the deal also makes sense because it appears Zach Thomas is leaving Miami. Plus, the Cowboys are loaded with good linebackers, which is one reason Carpenter has seen little playing time.

Why would Dallas get rid of Marion Barber? Well, first, he is worth more in a trade than unrestricted free agent Julius Jones. The Cowboys would keep Julius Jones and draft Jerry Jones‘ baby Darren McFadden with that top pick. Jones and McFadden would become the new two-back system for the Cowboys. Sound good?

There are some problems with that besides the fact it would irk a horde of Cowboys fans. The backfield is not the top priority for the Cowboys unless Jerry Jones makes it that way.  Dallas still needs a wide receiver or two, a cornerback and an offensive lineman if unrestricted free agent Flozell Adams leaves.  If Dallas gets rid of its two first round picks, there is no chance to get LSU wide receiver Early Doucet or a cornerback, which mock drafts show will be the first two positions the Cowboys take. Keep in mind that if the Cowboys really want a running back, Felix Jones might be available along with at least three other strong runners who may outperform McFadden. Again, will Jerry Jones let that happen?

The scenario is completely mind boggling but it is sparked by the fact the Cowboys have signed Tony Romo, Patrick Crayton and Jay Ratliff, but not Barber (again, he is restricted so it is not paramount to sign him immediately, but a newspaper did report a deal was ready). Why wait?

Wouldn’t you want to pump the team up with the announcement of signing Barber longterm?  Something just doesn’t make sense. Parcells is gorging himself over the coaches and talent scouts from the Cowboys. You think he’s going to leave alone the players he loves and drafted? That’s not how Parcells operates. When he left the Patriots for the Jets, he brought Curtis Martin. When he went to the Cowboys, he brought over Drew Bledsoe. He has made coaches out of former players, too.

Parcells is worrying me and I want to know what the hell is going on?!!!!!