Category Archives: Dallas Cowboys
2012 NFC East predictions: Are the Cowboys playoff bound?
Can the Dallas Cowboys make the playoffs in 2012? Historically the NFC East has been one of the toughest divisions in the NFL and that tendency should again hold true in the upcoming season. Last season, the New York Giants won the NFC East with a 9-7 record on the last week of the regular season with a win over the Cowboys. With the offseason upgrades of the Washington Redskins and the way the Philadelphia Eagles ended 2011, any of the four teams are capable of becoming division champs in 2012. Here are the 2012 NFC East final standing predictions and team records.
Cowboys move up, shock fans by selecting Morris Claiborne
The Dallas Cowboys knew exactly what they needed in the 2012 NFL Draft. An offense staring Tony Romo and Dez Bryant is great for putting up points but Rob Ryan’s defense was shredded last year, especially by the New York Giants.
The Cowboys are never afraid to take chances in the draft and by moving up to the sixth pick they made sure the player they were selecting was one of the best.
Morris Claiborne from LSU stated he wants to follow in the footsteps of fellow LSU CB Patrick Peterson and if he does there is no doubt he will be off to a stellar NFL career.
Claiborne is ranked as the top cornerback in the 2012 NFL draft .
2012 NFL draft: Cowboys and Ronnell Lewis could be a perfect fit
The Dallas Cowboys aren’t unwilling to take a chance on greatness just because of some difficulties off the field. They did a great job of showing that when they drafted Dez Bryant and now if they were to select LB, Ronnell Lewis from Oklahoma in the second round they may be taking another chance.
Ronnell Lewis was a fan favorite for the Oklahoma Sooners. Fans named him “The Hammer” after he rose to national prominence after two huge hits on special teams against the Stanford Cardinal in the 2009 Sun Bowl.
Lewis was named to the First team All-Big 12 and finished the season with 59 tackles which 13 of them were for a loss. He also posted 5.5 sacks, five pass breakups and an interception.
Dallas Cowboys looking to turn the ‘Tide’ in the 2012 Draft
With this year’s NFL draft on the horizon, experts believe Dallas will find the solution to their defensive woes in the form of Crimson Red with the 14th overall pick.
3 NFL teams guarenteed to miss the 2012 playoffs
The ‘win now’ philosophy is not at all new, and with teams like the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions seemingly getting things together, there has to be room made towards the top of the list of championship contenders. There may be a changing of the guard as soon as the upcoming season. While the championship hopes of some teams are just beginning to bloom, there are a few windows that are most certainly closing.
Marion Barber III: The legacy left in Dallas
After Marion Barber III announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday, March 21, Dallas Cowboys fans have likely reflected on much fonder memories of “Marion the Barbarian” than the team from which he retired.
NFL 2012 opening game set: Cowboys put in must win situation?
On Tuesday the NFL announced that the Dallas Cowboys will open their 2012 regular season on the road against the New York Giants. The game is scheduled for Thursday, September 5th and will be televised on NBC. The NFL scheduling committee must have a sense of humor as MetLife stadium was the backdrop in Week 17 when the Giants embarrassed the Cowboys 31-14 to win the NFC East and set the stage for their improbable playoff run. Now the Cowboys will get shot at some redemption but are they already in a must win situation?
Top 10 Dallas Cowboy QBs of all-time: Did Romo make the cut?
With an impressive eight Super Bowls in franchise history the Dallas Cowboys have featured some of the most illustrious quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. From Gary Hogeboom to Troy Aikman, where does Tony Romo fit in amongst the top 10 signal callers in the history of the Dallas Cowboys?
Cowboys sign Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton will replace Jon Kitna as Tony Romo’s clipboard holder as the newest back up quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
2012 NFL draft: Possible selections for the Dallas Cowboys
The 2011 NFL season for the Dallas Cowboys was the first for new head coach Jason Garrett and Tony Romo’s first season back after a collar-bone injury sidelined him during the previous season.
While the Cowboys improved on their 6-10 record from 2010 they failed to make the playoffs losing twice to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants.
Running back, Demarco Murray was a bright spot on offense until a season ending injury sidelined him but looks to be a solid contributor for 2012.
The Cowboys should concentrate on drastically improving the Cowboys’ defense during free agency and the 2012 NFL Draft.
Rob Ryan was brought in as the defensive coordinator and struggled putting a solid unit together, but placed the blame on him. The real blame should be placed on Jerry Jones for a lack of overall talent. They gave up too many leads and allowed too many points up the board.
The Penalty Flag’s Mike Presley believes the Cowboys will go defense in Rd. 1 and 2;
Dre Kirkpatrick
Round 1, Pick 14: Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama: The Cowboys secondary needs improving and Kirkpatrick falls due to his arrest. Kirkpatrick is talented enough to where if he keeps out of trouble he will be a great corner in the NFL. Their secondary needs multiple improvements and this is just one of them, they can focus on a safety in the second round.
2012 NFL draft: Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama (college-sports-university.com)
Round 2, Pick 45: Ronnell Lewis OLB Oklahoma: Anthony Spencer is a Free Agent and will need to be replaced if he happens to leave for another team. Even if they Franchise him, it is only for a year and they need someone opposite of DeMarcus Ware.
2012 NFL draft: Ronnell Lewis OLB Oklahoma (college-sports-university.com)
Ronnell Lewis
Jonathan Bales of The DC Times believes the Cowboys could possibly move up to select a stand-out corner;
LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne figures to be the first cornerback off the board in the 2012 NFL Draft, and in all likelihood, the Cowboys have no chance of scoring the play-maker. If the ‘Boys desperately desire a cornerback and don’t find Dre Kirkpatrick or Janoris Jenkins suitable, a trade-up is always possible.
In Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, he has the Cowboys taking Alabama safety Mark Barron with the 14th pick. However, he has Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, Upshaw and DeCastro still on the board.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes the Cowboys will take Courtney Upshaw from Alabama;
Upshaw has played all over in the Alabama defense. You can line him up at defensive end, inside linebacker and as an edge rusher. Upshaw is the solid football player type who can fit in any scheme—you just have to make room for him. Dallas will be glad to. Pairing Upshaw with Ware would give Dallas a linebacking corps ready to rival the San Francisco 49ers in terms of potential and talent.
Rob Rang of CBS Sportsline has the Cowboys taking CB Dre Kirkpatrick from Alabama;
The Cowboys’ defense made gains under Rob Ryan, but inconsistencies in the secondary led to plenty of breakdowns. Kirkpatrick’s recent arrest for marijuana possession could scare off some teams but Jerry Jones has shown a willingness to overlook off-field transgressions in the past. There is no denying Kirkpatrick’s size and physicality would be a welcome addition to a defense in need of a shakeup in the secondary.
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Click Here to SubscribeRelated articles
- 2012 Mock Draft: NFC East edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- 2012 NFL draft: Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama (college-sports-university.com)
- 2012 NFL draft: Ronnell Lewis OLB Oklahoma (college-sports-university.com)
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Looking into the future of the NFC East
Dallas Cowboys- The Cowboy roster on paper is always solid, however they fail to execute disappointing a huge fan following year after year. Big games remain a huge problem as they lost 4 out of the last 5 games down the stretch. Although Tony Romo, Jason Witten, and Dez Bryant played well, the running game needs someone in addition to Felix Jones. The defense looked lost at times, giving up big play after play and should begin to target some young defensive backs. Terence Newman enters his 10th year in the league and the secondary needs youth. DeMarcus Ware is still a beast and a pass rusher on the other side is needed. Interior offensive linemen are also a concern, and protecting Tony Romo remains one of Dallas’a main priorities.- 2012 Mock Draft: NFC East edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Panthers may pursue Laurent Robinson
The Carolina Panthers didn’t have any problems scoring last season. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton had a prolific inaugural season helping the Panthers score 25.4 points per game which tied them for 5th best in the league.
No the Panthers’ biggest chore this offseason will be beefing up their porous defense which ranked 28th in the league allowing 26.8 points per game. Expect them to try and sign a few defensive free agents but they will mostly attempt to improve their defense through the draft.
They will need to make an upgrade at the wide receiver position though. Their best receiver last season was Steve Smith who while still productive, will be 33 when the 2012 NFL season starts and can’t be depended on to produce at such a high level for much longer.
And the guy who played opposite him, Legedu Naanee, is not the answer to succeed Smith. Naanee was maddeningly inconsistent and produced only one touchdown in 15 games played last season. With the Panthers targeting defensive players with most of their high picks in the 2012 draft, Carolina will look towards the free agent crop of receivers to address their need at that position.
There are a few young receivers available that can help this team but some of the more talented ones come with baggage. The Buffalo Bills’ Steve Johnson and the Philadelphia Eagle’s DeSean Jackson are two of the youngest and probably the two most gifted athletes available at the position but both are head cases.
Johnson made some big catches last year but also had a lot of untimely drops. Jackson on the other hand was not nearly as productive as he had been in previous years. Jackson was upset about not receiving a contract extension last year and was in a funk all season. Both were distractions with their childish behavior and would potentially clash with the team’s resident head case, Smith.
There are four more receivers on the list that Carolina would love to sign this offseason but two of them are sure to be resigned by their respective teams. Mike Wallace had a great year for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is sure to be franchised if the Pittsburgh Steelers fail to sign him, while Dwayne Bowe was one of the few bright spots for the Kansas City Chiefs last year.
That leaves the Indianapolis Colts’ Pierre Garcon and the Dallas Cowboys’ Laurent Robinson as the most coveted free agent targets that the Panthers will pursue this offseason. Garcon will be courted heavily by his own team with the expected departure of their top receiver Reggie Wayne but may not want to stick around with all of the changes going on in Indy. Robinson on the other hand may be tempted to leave Dallas rather than be stuck in the lineup behind receivers Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.
Robinson proved to be a big time play-maker for the Cowboys last year after being inserted into the lineup when Austin went down with an injury. Robinson played in 14 games for the Cowboys last year starting four of them. Robinson had 54 catches for 858 yards and a whopping 11 touchdowns on the season.
Robinson was a vertical threat and 6’2” also proved to be a pretty reliable possession receiver. He would be a great compliment to Smith who may retire in a couple of years.
Most importantly he would be a great weapon for Newton to grow with. With the canon of an arm Newton possesses, Robinson could become a Pro-Bowl caliber receiver in a year or two. That is if the Panthers can get him.
Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag and NBA Featured Journalist for Shatter The Backboard. He can be contacted at RHall@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @sportmentalist.
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- NFL Draft musings: top ten picks over the past decade (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
