The Cowboys have contened that their number 1 priority this off season was to keep Miles Austin in Dallas. Thursday they upped the ante somewhat by placing a 1st and 3rd round tender on him. This means that if another team decides to sign the restricted free agent and the Cowboys refuse to match the offer, they would receive a 1st and 3rd round draft pick from the signing team. Otherwise, if no team offers Austin a contract, he will make 3.168 million in 2010.  It's a safe bet for the Cowboys and if some team does come a long and offer Austin a contract the Cowboys simply do not seem justified they would be compensated with draft picks. The fan outcry in Dallas would be enormous if Austin were to escape and the offensive disruption would likely set the Cowboys back a few years...

On another similar note, the Cowboys placed 2nd round tender offers on Gerald Sensabaugh, Marcus Spears, Stephen Bowen, Jason Hatcher, Cory Proctor and Sam Hurd. THe Cowboys placed their lowest tender offers on Duke Preston, Pat McQuistan, Pat Watkins and Junior Siavii. Kicker Suan Suisham was the only free agent the Cowboys did not offer a contract to.

The the NFL announced on Wednesday that the Dallas Cowboys will face the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2010 preseason Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton , Ohio, on Sunday, August 8. The game will be one day after the Hall of Fame Class of 2010 enshrinement, in which Emmitt Smith, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle and Jerry Rice will all be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones said in a statement released by the team. "I can't think of a better way to start the season from a motivational perspective than wearing the same uniform as the NFL's all-time leading rusher. I really believe that having our players share in Emmitt Smith's Hall of Fame enshrinement should serve as an inspiration to every man on our roster, whether it be a 10-year vet or a rookie that's never played in an NFL game."  The Cowboys playing in this game means they will have five preseason games and also increases in the likelihood they will split their training camp between San Antonio, Tx and Oxnard, Ca. If it all goes through, look for the Dallas Cowboys to open camp in San Antonio for two weeks and then head to Oxnard following the Hall of Fame game in August.

The Dallas Cowboys hired retired kicker Chris Boniol to work as a consultant to help David Buehler and Conor Hughes improve their kicking accuracy. Boniol has been running a kicking camp for the past 13 years. He said he will be with the team a few times a week during the off-season and through training camp. They have not worked out a schedule for the regular season. Boniol spent three years with the Cowboys (1994-1996) and made 27-of-28 field goal attempts in 1995. He spent two years in Philadelphia and 10 games in Chicago, making 128-of-163 tries. 

In a similar note, ex Cowboy kicker, NIck Folk, was signed by the New York Jets to a 1 year deal on Monday Feb 22nd.

Dat Nguyen, one of the most popular players in Dallas Cowboys history is returning to College Station, where he earned legend status as an All-America linebacker for the Texas A&M Aggies and finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in tackles. Dat Nguyen won the Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year award, the Bednarik Award (given annually to the college defensive player of the year) and the Lombardi Award (best college lineman or linebacker) his senior year back in 1998.

Dat Nguyen spent the last three seasons as an assistant linebackers coach and defensive quality control coach with the Dallas Cowboys. Dat Nguyen was offered a contract extension that would have kept him with the Dallas Cowboys for two more seasons, but chose instead to return to his college roots and the Texas A&M Aggies!

As the 2009 football card sets begin to wind down, collectors start to turn their attention to the new 2010 cards that will hit the market in April. Late football card releases tend to market towards the higher end collector.  The 2009 Upper Deck SP Authentic football card set has plenty to offer for the autograph collectors. Almost every insert set is autographed and serial numbered with several having some of the games greatest players on them. The Dallas Cowboys are featured on 60 plus cards from SP Authentic when you include all the parallels and isnert cards. The base set includes 4 veterans (Romo, Witten, R.Williams, Barber) as well as 7 short printed Rookie Cards, two of which are autographed (Mickens - auto, D.Smith - auto, J.Williams, M.Johnson, V.Butler, S.McGee, R.Carpenter).  Upper Deck SP Authentic made its debut in 1997 and has been a main stay in the football card maket ever since.  Upper Deck SP Authentic has always produced nice cards but they have changed little over the course of the past 13. Perhaps they go by the adage, 'If it aint broke, don't fix it'!

 

Former Dallas Cowboys WR Michael Irvin has responded to the rape allegations levied against him earlier this month by filing a suit of his own. Irvin seeks more than $100 million in damages against the woman for alleged tortious interference with current and prospective business relations, conspiracy, defamation and slander, defamation per se, civil extortion and duress. Irvin says in his petition that the woman’s statements regarding the alleged July 2007 rape are false.  Irvin alleges the woman threatened to expose him unless he paid her “to keep her quiet.” Irvin also alleges in his petition that ESPN Radio terminated him the day after the woman filed her suit. Irvin admits that he did meet the woman on the night of the alleged rape at the Hard Rock Casino but that he had nothing to do with her. He refused to pay her to keep her quite because he did nothing wrong. The womans attorney, Lister says that when the woman came to his firm, the firm required her to take a polygraph test. Lister says that three experts who studied the results of the polygraph exam are convinced the woman is telling the truth.

I can't imagine that Emmitt Smith or fans of the Dallas Cowboys felt much if any anxiousness on Saturday before the election committee announced the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame selections.  Emmitt Smith who compliled over 18,000 yards and 164 rushing touchdowns, NFL records, was the 17th player selected in the 1990 NFL Draft. During his 15 year career, Emmitt Smith won 4 NFL rushing titles, 1 NFL MVP and 1 Super MVP along with 3 Super Bowl rings. Emmitt Smith along with fellow electee Jerry Rice, were the only 2 locks for the 2010 slection.  Other players elected were, John Randle, DT from the Minnesota Vikings, Floyd Little, RB from the Denver Broncos, Dick LeBeau, CB from the Detroit Lions, Rickey Jackson, LB from the New Orleans Saints, and Russ Grimm, Guard from the Washington Redskins.

Emmitt Smith becomes the 10th native Dallas Cowboy player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and only the 2nd Florida Gator to earn enshrinement, the other Gator was Jack Youngblood from the Los Angeles Rams.

According to the Miami Herald, a woman has filed a civil suit on Thursday Feb 4th, 2010 against Michael Irvin, former Wide Receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, claiming he raped her back in July of 2007 in Hollywood, FL. No criminal charges have been filed and the attorney of Michael Irvin has stated that the charges are totally false.  According to the Seminole Police, charges were filed 2 weeks after the incident took place but at the time, no forensic evidence remained and there was no video surveillance therefore no charges were filed back then. Since that time, the two parties attorneys were working on a financial settlement but when one could not be agreed upon, the accuser filed a civil suit.

Either way you look at it, this is not good news for Michael Irvin. Guilty or innocent, his past indiscretions will always lead public opinion to believe he is guilty. Even though way back in 1996 when he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and those claims were eventually found to be false and the accuser made up the story, he will still have a hard time persuading public opinion of his innocence.

More details have been released concerning the incident that occured Tuesday night causing Dallas Cowboys starting full back, Deon Anderson, to be arrested. An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday (Feb 3, 2010) evening for Deon Anderson on a charge of deadly conduct. Apparently Deon Anderson pulled a loaded pistol on a man during the early hours of Tuesday morning. It was reported that Deon Anderson was having problems with his car and he accused 31-year-old Mekonnen Geji, of tampering with his vehicle. Anderson then pulled a gun no Geji and asked why he was laughing. The gun was later found iby the Police n bushes near the location, loaded with a round in the chamber.

One thing we know for sure, Anderson does not like to pay his traffic tickets and he carries a gun with him, loaded no less.  If Anderson survives Jerry Jones wrath and remains on the Dallas Cowboys team, there is little doubt that NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell will suspend Anderson for a few games beginning next year.  I am not convinced that Deon Anderson has done much on the field to warrant keeping him on the team but stranger things have happened!

The Dallas Cowboys starting fullback, Deon Anderson, was arrested Tuesday morning (Feb 2, 2010) on traffic warrants in Addison, Texas. The police were called because of a disturbance between Deon Anderson and a BlackFinn restaurant staff member. According to the report, 2 weapons were also confiscated as well as Anderson's car pending further investigation. Along with Deon Anderson, Devon Anderson was also arrested on public intoixication charges. Devon is Deon's brother. Deon Anderson was transfered to an Irving Jail at 5:20 am and he posted bond at 7:20 am. Dallas Cowboys officials have said that they are aware of the incident and are looking into it. Deon Anderson just finished his third season as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.