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Checkdowns: Manziel to Dallas Would Require “Draft Day” Drama
By Rob Phillips on April 25, 2014 • ( 2 )
*Three years ago, Tony Romo uttered this magical cliché after beating the 49ers with a broken rib: “It’s football season and usually football players play football during football season.” This week, what a great way to salute his return to team workouts following back surgery: It’s football offseason and usually football players lift football weights during football offseason. Welcome back, Tones.Cowboys-Goalpost
*If Johnny Manziel winds up a Dallas Cowboy, as the Worldwide Leader hypothesized this week, it will mean one of two things: 1) Texans GM Rick Smith pulls a Sonny Weaver Jr. from “Draft Day”: he discovers no Aggie teammates attended Manziel’s birthday party last December, passes on him with the top pick and sparks a Johnny Football free-fall all the way to Jerry Jones at No. 16. 2) Jerry pulls a Sonny Weaver Jr. from “Draft Day”: he mortgages the team’s entire future, trades three first-rounders and moves up for Manziel because, well, Romo’s retiring.
*Jokes aside, this just can’t happen for two reasons: 1) Manziel will not fall out of the top 10. Besides the intrigue of his unique talent, he’s a walking turnstile for teams that need butts in seats. Frankly, I’m shocked the Jaguars aren’t drooling all over themselves at No. 3 with a chance at this marketing dream: Tim Tebow with actual talent. 2) If Romo is truly healthy, and if the Cowboys are truly all-in for the remainder of his prime, then they’re not trading up several spots – and losing several draft picks in the process – for a rookie quarterback who can’t help them until at least 2016.
*Will the schedule be as tough as it looks? Impossible to say because inevitable injuries will impact the Cowboys and their opponents. Regardless, they still must play five of their final seven games away from home. Brutal. A 7-4 record entering December may be required.
*As second-place finishers in the NFC East, the Cowboys by rule would’ve been slotted against San Francisco in any season because the Niners also finished second in the NFC West. But it’s just plain bad luck to draw the entire West division this year. Road trip to Seattle? Eeeesh.
*Early-season swing game: Sept. 28 at home vs. the Saints. Last November’s 49-17 loss in New Orleans was Dallas’ first truly bad loss of 2013, and things plunged from bad to historically bad for the defense in the final six weeks. Standing up to Sean Payton and Drew Brees could build confidence entering the second quarter of the season.
*Contrary to conspirators’ beliefs, the NFL isn’t screwing the Cowboys in December. The league generally prefers late-season division games for everyone because there’s more intrigue with more at stake.
*No sarcasm intended here: I look at the list and think, “On paper the Cowboys could win all 16 and lose all 16.” Nearly every game is a toss-up. Maybe that’s just the league’s “Any Given Sunday” parity. But it also speaks to the 8-8 track they’re on until proven otherwise.
By Rob Phillips on April 25, 2014 • ( 2 )
*Three years ago, Tony Romo uttered this magical cliché after beating the 49ers with a broken rib: “It’s football season and usually football players play football during football season.” This week, what a great way to salute his return to team workouts following back surgery: It’s football offseason and usually football players lift football weights during football offseason. Welcome back, Tones.Cowboys-Goalpost
*If Johnny Manziel winds up a Dallas Cowboy, as the Worldwide Leader hypothesized this week, it will mean one of two things: 1) Texans GM Rick Smith pulls a Sonny Weaver Jr. from “Draft Day”: he discovers no Aggie teammates attended Manziel’s birthday party last December, passes on him with the top pick and sparks a Johnny Football free-fall all the way to Jerry Jones at No. 16. 2) Jerry pulls a Sonny Weaver Jr. from “Draft Day”: he mortgages the team’s entire future, trades three first-rounders and moves up for Manziel because, well, Romo’s retiring.
*Jokes aside, this just can’t happen for two reasons: 1) Manziel will not fall out of the top 10. Besides the intrigue of his unique talent, he’s a walking turnstile for teams that need butts in seats. Frankly, I’m shocked the Jaguars aren’t drooling all over themselves at No. 3 with a chance at this marketing dream: Tim Tebow with actual talent. 2) If Romo is truly healthy, and if the Cowboys are truly all-in for the remainder of his prime, then they’re not trading up several spots – and losing several draft picks in the process – for a rookie quarterback who can’t help them until at least 2016.
*Will the schedule be as tough as it looks? Impossible to say because inevitable injuries will impact the Cowboys and their opponents. Regardless, they still must play five of their final seven games away from home. Brutal. A 7-4 record entering December may be required.
*As second-place finishers in the NFC East, the Cowboys by rule would’ve been slotted against San Francisco in any season because the Niners also finished second in the NFC West. But it’s just plain bad luck to draw the entire West division this year. Road trip to Seattle? Eeeesh.
*Early-season swing game: Sept. 28 at home vs. the Saints. Last November’s 49-17 loss in New Orleans was Dallas’ first truly bad loss of 2013, and things plunged from bad to historically bad for the defense in the final six weeks. Standing up to Sean Payton and Drew Brees could build confidence entering the second quarter of the season.
*Contrary to conspirators’ beliefs, the NFL isn’t screwing the Cowboys in December. The league generally prefers late-season division games for everyone because there’s more intrigue with more at stake.
*No sarcasm intended here: I look at the list and think, “On paper the Cowboys could win all 16 and lose all 16.” Nearly every game is a toss-up. Maybe that’s just the league’s “Any Given Sunday” parity. But it also speaks to the 8-8 track they’re on until proven otherwise.