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Posted Thursday, Jul. 29, 2010
By Clarence E. Hill Jr.
chill@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO -- One year after the Dallas Cowboys struck gold with a commitment to developing young, promising players by releasing progress stoppers at receiver, cornerback and outside linebacker, they are looking to hit it big again.
Just as they did with receiver Terrell Owens, linebacker Greg Ellis and cornerback Anthony Henry following the 2008 season, the Cowboys got rid of tackle Flozell Adams and safety Ken Hamlin this past spring in favor of unproven players with high potential.
They are hoping tackle Doug Free and safety Alan Ball are this year's version of cornerback Mike Jenkins, linebacker Anthony Spencer and receiver Miles Austin.
"You try to get your best guys on the field," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "It doesn't matter what age they are or what year they are, if they're your best athlete or your best player, you try to get them on the field. Experience means a lot in some cases, but ability means the most."
Jenkins and Austin became Pro Bowl performers last year in their first season as starters. Spencer might have been the team's best defensive player at the end of the season.
But they wouldn't have had those opportunities if the Cowboys hadn't made a commitment to their development by removing aging, but proven, veterans in front of them.
It's not an easy move to make, especially for position coaches who traditionally show loyalty to veterans they can trust rather than take a chance on someone who has yet to put it all together.
"It's hard to stand back and look at the whole picture sometimes and that's why when I've been a coordinator I've been a walk-around coordinator and a head coach where you can stand back and look at the whole picture," Phillips said.
So far things seem to be working out for the Cowboys, who made the moves with Adams and Hamlin because of age and declining production that didn't match their high salaries.
Vice president Stephen Jones said it's good business for the team, and the bottom line is to get young guys on the field when you can.
Hamlin was set to make $5.596 million this year.
Adams, who was signed by Pittsburgh on Thursday, was scheduled to make $5 million in base salary with a $2.5 million roster bonus due in June. The Cowboys saved roughly $13 million with the moves.
"You can do that when you have a good feel for a guy," Jones said. "We are not going to go with some arbitrary guess. At some point in order to make your business work you can't have just all high-priced veterans. You can't keep paying that kind of money and pay everybody else you want to pay."
Phillips, however, has done this his entire career. After his success with last year's breakout threesome, he is fully committed to seeing it through with Free at left tackle and Ball at free safety, and to a certain extent with David Buehler at kicker.
After playing well in seven games at right tackle in place of the injured Marc Colombo last year, Free is adapting to the move to left tackle, which is considered his natural position. Although the Cowboys signed veteran Alex Barron to compete with him, Free is getting all the snaps with the first team.
The task for Ball might be even easier because what the Cowboys want from him -- to cover and make plays on the ball -- he already does better than Hamlin. He has three career starts, all last year for an injured Hamlin. His transition has been so smooth that talk of Mike Hamlin competing with him for the starting job has subsided.
"Some of the rookies, or younger players, because of their abilities can overcome mistakes because they're talented," Phillips said. "You have to bring it all together and say, 'Hey, these are the best players for the team.'"
By Clarence E. Hill Jr.
chill@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO -- One year after the Dallas Cowboys struck gold with a commitment to developing young, promising players by releasing progress stoppers at receiver, cornerback and outside linebacker, they are looking to hit it big again.
Just as they did with receiver Terrell Owens, linebacker Greg Ellis and cornerback Anthony Henry following the 2008 season, the Cowboys got rid of tackle Flozell Adams and safety Ken Hamlin this past spring in favor of unproven players with high potential.
They are hoping tackle Doug Free and safety Alan Ball are this year's version of cornerback Mike Jenkins, linebacker Anthony Spencer and receiver Miles Austin.
"You try to get your best guys on the field," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "It doesn't matter what age they are or what year they are, if they're your best athlete or your best player, you try to get them on the field. Experience means a lot in some cases, but ability means the most."
Jenkins and Austin became Pro Bowl performers last year in their first season as starters. Spencer might have been the team's best defensive player at the end of the season.
But they wouldn't have had those opportunities if the Cowboys hadn't made a commitment to their development by removing aging, but proven, veterans in front of them.
It's not an easy move to make, especially for position coaches who traditionally show loyalty to veterans they can trust rather than take a chance on someone who has yet to put it all together.
"It's hard to stand back and look at the whole picture sometimes and that's why when I've been a coordinator I've been a walk-around coordinator and a head coach where you can stand back and look at the whole picture," Phillips said.
So far things seem to be working out for the Cowboys, who made the moves with Adams and Hamlin because of age and declining production that didn't match their high salaries.
Vice president Stephen Jones said it's good business for the team, and the bottom line is to get young guys on the field when you can.
Hamlin was set to make $5.596 million this year.
Adams, who was signed by Pittsburgh on Thursday, was scheduled to make $5 million in base salary with a $2.5 million roster bonus due in June. The Cowboys saved roughly $13 million with the moves.
"You can do that when you have a good feel for a guy," Jones said. "We are not going to go with some arbitrary guess. At some point in order to make your business work you can't have just all high-priced veterans. You can't keep paying that kind of money and pay everybody else you want to pay."
Phillips, however, has done this his entire career. After his success with last year's breakout threesome, he is fully committed to seeing it through with Free at left tackle and Ball at free safety, and to a certain extent with David Buehler at kicker.
After playing well in seven games at right tackle in place of the injured Marc Colombo last year, Free is adapting to the move to left tackle, which is considered his natural position. Although the Cowboys signed veteran Alex Barron to compete with him, Free is getting all the snaps with the first team.
The task for Ball might be even easier because what the Cowboys want from him -- to cover and make plays on the ball -- he already does better than Hamlin. He has three career starts, all last year for an injured Hamlin. His transition has been so smooth that talk of Mike Hamlin competing with him for the starting job has subsided.
"Some of the rookies, or younger players, because of their abilities can overcome mistakes because they're talented," Phillips said. "You have to bring it all together and say, 'Hey, these are the best players for the team.'"