By Carlos Mendez
cmendez@star-telegram.com
IRVING -- Dallas coach Jason Garrett said he stresses to his players to come to him or anyone in the organization if they have anything in their lives they want to talk about or want help with, and that the Cowboys will do anything they can to provide help.
"Literally, I said I'll get down on my hands and knees, and I beg you to do this because it's the most important thing there is," Garrett said Monday, talking about the effect of the murder-suicide on Saturday involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins.
"There's no issue that you have in your life that we can't somehow solve in some way and in some way make it better," Garrett said. "I just say that from the bottom of my heart because you never know what guys are going through, and you just let them know they have a place to turn. It's a real tragedy there, so you just want to make sure you do everything you can to make sure something like that doesn't happen here, and you want to make them really aware that we have the resources to help them."
Garrett said he spoke to the team about the shootings on Saturday night at the team hotel and that everyone listened and he hoped he got the message across. He said the macho image of a football player shouldn't prevent him from seeking help.
"You have to make clear to them there's no judgment involved," Garrett said. "We're not judging you, we're helping you."
Garrett said cornerback Brandon Carr, who spent his first four years in Kansas City before joining the Cowboys this year, knew Belcher well and did a good job of getting himself ready to play as best he could.
Romo contract
The Cowboys began talks with quarterback Tony Romo on a long-term contract extension earlier this season, according to a source, but tabled them until the off-season at the player's request.
Both sides will resume talks in the spring in hopes of getting a deal done before the 2013 season. Romo is set to count $16.8 million against the cap in 2013, the final year of his contract, with an $11.5 million base salary, according to the source.
The Cowboys' current salary-cap issues as a result of being docked $5 million by the league in 2012 and 2013 for violating the spirit of the cap in the uncapped season of 2010 will have no bearing on the negotiations. The Cowboys have enough flexibility to get a deal done with Romo any time they want, the source said.
Romo is the franchise's all-time leader in touchdown passes with 168.
Bryant patience
Dez Bryant is doing a better job of being patient when the ball doesn't come his way early in games, Jason Garrett said.
"I think in so many ways, Dez has matured, and I think that's one of the ways," Garrett said. "I think his preparation throughout the week has gotten better. I think he's understanding more and more how to practice well and allow that practice work to show up in the ballgame. I think the patience and the composure that he had early on in the ballgame when he wasn't getting the ball is another sign of that maturity."
Bryant caught his first pass against Philadelphia on Sunday night just before the two-minute warning in the first half, with the Cowboys trailing 14-3. He finished with six catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns, and the Cowboys won 38-33.
Jenkins in slot
Cornerback Mike Jenkins' inexperience in the slot showed at times against the Eagles, but overall he did a good job, Jason Garrett said.
"There are a couple of situations where he hadn't run the particular coverage against what they were doing and his reactions weren't quite as quick as what you'd like them to be," Garrett said. "He's trying to learn that spot as well as he can as quickly as he can."
Jenkins made one tackle, playing 42 plays as a starter in place of Orlando Scandrick. Garrett was asked if Jenkins perhaps erred in passing off receivers in coverage.
"I don't want to get into the specifics of it because there were so many different conditions on that stuff, but in general, he did a really good job in the game," Garrett said. "But there were a couple of times where he wasn't quite familiar with what you needed to do in that particular case."
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/03/4457331/cowboys-welcome-open-talk.html#storylink=cpy
cmendez@star-telegram.com
IRVING -- Dallas coach Jason Garrett said he stresses to his players to come to him or anyone in the organization if they have anything in their lives they want to talk about or want help with, and that the Cowboys will do anything they can to provide help.
"Literally, I said I'll get down on my hands and knees, and I beg you to do this because it's the most important thing there is," Garrett said Monday, talking about the effect of the murder-suicide on Saturday involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins.
"There's no issue that you have in your life that we can't somehow solve in some way and in some way make it better," Garrett said. "I just say that from the bottom of my heart because you never know what guys are going through, and you just let them know they have a place to turn. It's a real tragedy there, so you just want to make sure you do everything you can to make sure something like that doesn't happen here, and you want to make them really aware that we have the resources to help them."
Garrett said he spoke to the team about the shootings on Saturday night at the team hotel and that everyone listened and he hoped he got the message across. He said the macho image of a football player shouldn't prevent him from seeking help.
"You have to make clear to them there's no judgment involved," Garrett said. "We're not judging you, we're helping you."
Garrett said cornerback Brandon Carr, who spent his first four years in Kansas City before joining the Cowboys this year, knew Belcher well and did a good job of getting himself ready to play as best he could.
Romo contract
The Cowboys began talks with quarterback Tony Romo on a long-term contract extension earlier this season, according to a source, but tabled them until the off-season at the player's request.
Both sides will resume talks in the spring in hopes of getting a deal done before the 2013 season. Romo is set to count $16.8 million against the cap in 2013, the final year of his contract, with an $11.5 million base salary, according to the source.
The Cowboys' current salary-cap issues as a result of being docked $5 million by the league in 2012 and 2013 for violating the spirit of the cap in the uncapped season of 2010 will have no bearing on the negotiations. The Cowboys have enough flexibility to get a deal done with Romo any time they want, the source said.
Romo is the franchise's all-time leader in touchdown passes with 168.
Bryant patience
Dez Bryant is doing a better job of being patient when the ball doesn't come his way early in games, Jason Garrett said.
"I think in so many ways, Dez has matured, and I think that's one of the ways," Garrett said. "I think his preparation throughout the week has gotten better. I think he's understanding more and more how to practice well and allow that practice work to show up in the ballgame. I think the patience and the composure that he had early on in the ballgame when he wasn't getting the ball is another sign of that maturity."
Bryant caught his first pass against Philadelphia on Sunday night just before the two-minute warning in the first half, with the Cowboys trailing 14-3. He finished with six catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns, and the Cowboys won 38-33.
Jenkins in slot
Cornerback Mike Jenkins' inexperience in the slot showed at times against the Eagles, but overall he did a good job, Jason Garrett said.
"There are a couple of situations where he hadn't run the particular coverage against what they were doing and his reactions weren't quite as quick as what you'd like them to be," Garrett said. "He's trying to learn that spot as well as he can as quickly as he can."
Jenkins made one tackle, playing 42 plays as a starter in place of Orlando Scandrick. Garrett was asked if Jenkins perhaps erred in passing off receivers in coverage.
"I don't want to get into the specifics of it because there were so many different conditions on that stuff, but in general, he did a really good job in the game," Garrett said. "But there were a couple of times where he wasn't quite familiar with what you needed to do in that particular case."
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/03/4457331/cowboys-welcome-open-talk.html#storylink=cpy