Defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, now with the Green Bay Packers, was suspended for the first half of this season; Saints defensive end Will Smith was barred for the opening four games; and linebacker Scott Fujita, now with the Cleveland Browns, will miss the first three games. All of the suspensions are without pay.

All four players have three days to appeal NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s ruling.

An NFL investigation determined that the Saints had a bounty system from 2009-11 that offered thousands of dollars to players for big hits that knocked opponents out of games. In March, Goodell suspended Saints head coach Sean Payton for all of next season, and levied other penalties against the club.

But no players were punished until Wednesday. Originally, the league said that 22 to 27 defensive players were involved in the illegal scheme, which was orchestrated by then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and started in the season New Orleans won its only Super Bowl championship.

Targeted opponents included quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. “Knockouts” were worth $1,500 and “cart-offs” $1,000, with payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs.

“In assessing player discipline, I focused on players who were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation,” Goodell said in a statement.

According to the league, Saints defensive captain Vilma offered $10,000 in cash to any player who knocked then-Cardinals QB Warner out of a playoff game at the end of the 2009 season, and the same amount for knocking then-Vikings QB Favre out of that season’s NFC championship game. The Saints were flagged for roughing Favre twice in that game, and the league later said they should have received another penalty for a brutal high-low hit from Remi Ayodele and Bobby McCray that hurt Favre’s ankle. He was able to finish the game, but the Saints won in overtime en route to the NFL title.

According to the NFL, Fujita “pledged a significant amount of money to the prohibited pay-for-performance/bounty pool during the 2009 NFL Playoffs when he played for the Saints.”

Hargrove “actively participated in the program while a member of the Saints,” the league said, adding that he “submitted a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it.”

The NFL said that “multiple independent sources” said Smith “pledged significant sums to the program pool.”

In March, Goodell made Payton the first head coach suspended by the league for any reason, accused of trying to cover up the system of extra cash payouts. Goodell also indefinitely banned Williams, who was hired in January to run the St. Louis Rams’ defense.

In addition, Goodell suspended Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games next season and assistant coach Joe Vitt for the first six games. The Saints were fined $500,000 and lost two second-round draft picks.

Fujita, Hargrove, and Smith are allowed to participate in offseason activity, including preseason games, before their suspensions take effect. Vilma, though, is suspended immediately and will be reinstated after the coming season’s Super Bowl — which, coincidentally, will be played in New Orleans.

Associated Press | National Football League

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek (84) hurdles Kansas City Chiefs defender Mark Collins (25) in route to a third quarter TD in the Cowboys victory of the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day 1995. – Photo credit: JOHN F. RHODES

Jay Novacek may very well be one of the best tight ends to play in the NFL in the last 20 years, but the three-time Super Bowl champion will quickly tell you he’s not even the best Dallas Cowboy to ever play the position.

According to Novacek, that title belongs to Jason Witten. In fact, Novacek went as far as to say Witten is the best tight end in NFL history.

“He’s probably the greatest. He’s the best tight end that has ever played. He can just do so much, and he doesn’t make very many mistakes,” Novacek said Monday morning at the Cowboys Scramble presented by The Nova Center at Trophy Club Country Club. “He’s such a good guy and such a good individual. You wrap that up with a very talented and athletic body and you put it all together and that’s what you create, one of the best tight ends to ever play the game.”

In 11 seasons, Novacek recorded 422 receptions for 4,630 yards and 30 touchdowns. It just eight seasons, Witten has already surpassed Novacek’s totals in every category with 696 receptions for 7,909 yards and 41 touchdowns.

THE CAREER OF JASON WITTEN: Jason Witten (right) fights off New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley during the Cowboys-Giants game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on January 1, 2012.

Emmitt Smith: Looking back, it’s simply incomprehensible that Smith fell to the No. 17 overall pick in the 1990 draft. If the first 16 teams had a do-over on that one, Smith would go no lower than first. By the time he retired after the 2004 season, he was football’s all-time rushing leader. Cowboys fans got such joy from watching him run that they could even forgive those two seasons he played for Arizona at the end of his career. He signed a one-day, no-pay contract with the Cowboys so that he could retire as a Cowboy — as it should be. STEVE HAMM / DMN File Photo

*          *          *          *          *

Often scrutinized for his lack of leadership, Tony Romo has been quite the topic of discussion in Cowboys circles this offseason.

But if you ask Emmitt Smith, the harsh reviews are unnecessary. The NFL rushing king and Hall of Famer supports Romo and believes the team will succeed under his guidance this season.

“I think people need to leave Tony Romo alone," Smith said Monday morning at the Cowboys Scramble presented by The Nova Center at Trophy Club Country Club. "Romo is much better. I think people need to right size their own expectations. When he was 13-3, he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now that the talent around him isn’t like it was back then, he’s made a few mistakes, but he’s matured. I’ve seen a level of maturity in him that I absolutely love. I think that says a lot about him and where he’s going.

“I don’t think anybody on the Cowboys team wants to win more than Tony Romo. People need to stop jumping ship. Bunch of bandwagoners. I think he’ll be fine.”

Decked out in Florida apparel, Smith was then asked whether he would have liked to see the Cowboys make a run at Tim Tebow but again showed his confidence in Romo.

“Tim Tebow is already locked and loaded. They’ve already made their decision," Smith said. "With Tony Romo, the Cowboys will be fine. I think we can win a lot of games with Tony Romo, despite what everybody out there is saying.”

Courtesy: EJ Holland | Special Contributor | Dallas Morning News

Hennings played his entire nine-year career with the Cowboys and was a rookie on their 1992 Super Bowl team. Dallas originally drafted him in the 11th round of the 1988 draft, and he joined them four years later after fulfilling his service commitment with the Air Force.

A member of all three championship teams in the 1990s, he played in 119 games and had 27.5 sacks at defensive tackle.

Ring of Honor inductee Charles Haley announced last year’s second-round pick, linebacker Bruce Carter.

Jokingly, he said he was about to sign “a 10-year contract.”

As it turns out, Colombo basically signing a deal longer than that as he is expected to retire after 10 seasons. But after spending one year in Miami, Colombo will officially retire as a member of the Cowboys, after he officially signs a one-year deal.

The Cowboys are expected to make an official announcement on Monday.

Colombo spent seasons in Dallas, which signed him in the middle of the 2005 campaign after being released by the Bears. Injuries plagued Colombo for the first three years of his career after Chicago drafted him in the first round of 2002.

Colombo was a fixture for the Cowboys at right tackle for five years but released him not long after drafting Tyron Smith in the first round. Colombo, 33, signed with the Dolphins and spent last year in Miami, starting all 16 games.

Former Cowboys linebacker Bradie James has signed with the Houston Texans.

The terms of his contract weren’t disclosed, according to the team’s official website.

James, 31, had played his entire career in Dallas, starting 111 games in nine seasons for the Cowboys after he was drafted in the fourth round in 2003.

In Houston, he will be reunited with former Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, the Texans’ defensive coordinator.

During his final season with the Cowboys, James’ role was reduced as 2010 second-round draft pick Sean Lee became the team’s primary inside linebacker.

As Lee made headlines, James faded into the background. He was on the field for only 414 snaps — fewer than half the total he played the previous season.

Once a fixture in the Cowboys’ lineup, he led the team in tackles each season from 2005 until 2010.

But despite his contributions, the Cowboys didn’t make an apparent effort this off-season to re-sign James, who was an unrestricted free agent. Instead, they acquired Dan Connor of the Carolina Panthers last month, leaving James to go to Houston.

After weeks of flirtation, the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday finally agreed to the terms of a deal with former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman.

Newman, 33, joins his former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who currently holds the same position in Cincinnati. A year after Zimmer took the Bengals DC job, Cincinnati added another former first-round defensive back of the Cowboys, safety Roy Williams.

Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, a Cowboy during the 2008 season, has been with Cincinnati since 2010.

The first selection of the Bill Parcells era, Newman was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He started 131 games in nine season with the team, making two Pro Bowls, but has battled injuries in recent years, and struggled down the stretch in 2011.

He was released by the Cowboys on March 13, saving the team roughly $6 million in salary cap space.

Adam Schefter reports the Bengals are also negotiating a trade that would send former first-round linebacker Keith Rivers to the New York Giants.

Joe Avezzano, a former Dallas Cowboys assistant coach when the franchise won its three most recent Super Bowl titles, died Thursday in Italy.

Avezzano was 68.

Avezzano, the head coach of the Milano Seamen of the Italian Football League, was reportedly running on a treadmill when he suffered a heart attack. He is survived by his wife, Diann, and his son, Tony.

"It just breaks my heart," said former Cowboys player Bill Bates, who was regarded for his contributions on special teams. "Joe changed people’s lives in a positive way. If you were around him enough, you would be affected by his ability to make people smile."

A popular figure in the Cowboys organization, Avezzano supervised the special teams units from 1990-2002, working under head coaches Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer and Dave Campo.

"Joe was an outstanding person and he did a great job coaching for me," Johnson said. "My thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

Known for his engaging and fiery personality he flashed on the sidelines, Avezzano left a lasting legacy. He was named NFL specials teams coach of the year three times.

"You need someone who can motivate players," Bates said. "You need someone who can challenge people, work them hard and love them."

Bates said Avezzano did all those things and more. For that reason, the man nicknamed "Coach Joe" was cherished by players, executives, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Avezzano was held in such high esteem he became the first head coach of the Dallas Desperados, the Arena Football League outfit that the Cowboys launched in 2002.

A year later, Cowboys coach Bill Parcells informed Avezzano that he would not be included among his staff and in February 2004 Avezzano accepted a job as Oakland’s special teams coach. He spent two seasons with the Raiders.

"Joe Avezzano was a very special part of our Dallas Cowboys family and our organization’s history," Jones said in a statement. "He was also a wonderful father, husband and friend. No one enjoyed life more than Joe, and no one that I know had a greater appreciation for the people that he loved and the lives that he touched. We grieve with Diann and Tony and the thousands of fans who loved Coach Joe. He was an original. There was no one else like him."

That sentiment was echoed by Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, who said,"The impact that he had on me and the hundreds of other players and coaches who had the good fortune to be around him was significant."

After appearing in three games with the American Football League’s Boston Patriots in 1966, Avezzano’s coaching career began a year later in Masillon, Ohio. In 1968, he was then hired as an assistant at Florida State, where had played as an offensive lineman.

Following his brief tenure was the Seminoles, he later served on staffs at Iowa State, Pittsburgh, and Tennessee before becoming head coach at Oregon State from 1980 to 1984. He was later hired to supervise the offensive line at Texas A&M, where he remained from 1985-1988.

Later in life, Avezzano opened a restaurant in Lewisville, Coach Joe’s Hat Tricks, and was involved in local radio and television, maintaining a high profile.

"It’s just tragic. It hurts me to have a friend pass away that was liked so much," Bates said. "But he lived life the best he could."

RELATED: Jerry Jones’ statement on passing of Joe Avezzano

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released this statement on the death of former special teams coach Joe Avezzano:

“Joe Avezzano was a very special part of our Dallas Cowboys family and our organization’s history.  He was also a wonderful father, husband and friend.  No one enjoyed life more than Joe, and no one that I know had a greater appreciation for the people that he loved and the lives that he touched.  We grieve with Diann and Tony and the thousands of fans who loved Coach Joe.  He was an original.  There was no one else like him.”

Avezzano, 68, died Thursday in Italy, where he was coaching a football team.

RELATED: Italian team brought to tears upon learning of Coach Joe’s death

Former Cowboys coach Joe Avezzano had the same impact coaching football in Milan as he did here.

Avezzano died of a heart attack today in Italy where he was coach of the Milan Seaman of the Italian Football League.

“Everybody loved him,” Seamen Milano President Marco Mutti said by phone from Italy. “He was an incredible man. We appreciate the passion he had for football. We were so glad to have him coaching.”

A shocked and saddened Mutti said the day began like any other. They were all in a meeting together with the other coaches until 3:30 p.m. Italy time.

“He said he was going to see us tonight for practice,” Mutti said. “He went to the gym an started to run and suddenly his heart stopped. He did a incredible job for us. He was a friend of everybody. Everybody started to cry when told the news. This is a game for tough guys. We are not so tough anymore.”

Making matters worse is that Avezzano just returned to Italy a few weeks ago after flying to Miami to bury his mother, who passed away in February

RELATED: Barry Switzer – Joe Avezzano loved pickin’ and singin’

Barry Switzer knew Joe Avezzano for four decades, dating to the Avezzano’s days as a young coach on Johnny Majors’ staff at Iowa State. Avezzano worked for Switzer for four seasons with the Cowboys, including the franchise’s last Super Bowl title season.

But when Switzer thinks of his old friend, who died suddenly Thursday, football usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Switzer thinks of Avezzano strumming a guitar and belting out country songs.

“Joe would rather have been a country western music star or on-stage performer than a football coach if he had a choice,” Switzer said. “Joe did a great job coaching, was highly ambitious and a hard worker, but Joe always thought he could sing. I got a kick out of that.”
Switzer laughed as he recalled a party he hosted after a Cowboys game once that included Charley Pride and a couple of other country stars as guests. It didn’t take long before the music started, with Avezzano right in the middle of the group.

“They were all over there pickin’ and singin’,” Switzer said. “That’s what Joe loved to do – pick and sing. That was his passion.”

RELATED: Kevin Smith and Darren Woodson remember Coach Joe

The shocking death of coach Joe Avezzano, 68, is a huge loss to the Cowboys and to football as Avezzano was one of the game’s most passionate coaches and unique characters.

Probably no one was with him as long as former Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith who initially met Avezzano as freshman at Texas A&M in 1988 and then was reacquainted with him when he was drafted by the Cowboys in 1992.

“I have been knowing his whole family since I was 18 years old,” Smith said. “My young adult life was spent knowing Coach Joe. No one more demanding outside of Jimmy Johnson than Coach Coe.  Guys respected him more than their position coach. He expected the best out of you and looked for the best. He was a big part of your success in the 1990s. Everybody on the team respected Coach Joe even if you didn’t play special teams like Troy Aikman and Charles Haley.”

Former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, who was a member of the three title teams, said Avezzano was innovative in demanding because he has starters buying in and playing special teams.

“He was going to get the most out of his unit,” Woodson said. “He didn’t care if you were a starter or not. He was great coach. But he was a better man than was a coach. Talk to anybody on that team and they all respected the guy for what he was and what he brought. He is going to be missed.

Avezzano was recognized as one of the NFL’s premier special team coaches. He coached with the Cowboys from 1990-2002, including the team’s run of three Super Bowl titles in four years in the early 1990s.

After being let go by the Cowboys when Parcells took over in 2003, Avezzano coached the special teams coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2003-2005.

He also coached the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.

In the past few years, Avezzano, who was a sought after motivational speaker, tried to stay as close to the game as he could as a radio and television commentator as well as doing football clinics, including working on Michael Irvin’s Reality Show 4th and Long before heading to Italy in February for a sixth-month stay as coach of the Milan Seamen of the Italian Football League.

He planned to return to Dallas in time for the Cowboys training camp in late July.

NOTE: Video below is courtesy of ESPN. They are know to delete videos after a short time. Please enjoy the video now, while it’s available.

RELATED: Chris Boniol on the passing of Joe Avezzano

“Joe loved being a Dallas Cowboy, and he cared an awful lot about being part of this organization.  He also cared a great deal about having his players be as prepared as possible to do their job.  He had a very high standard for performance and production from his players.  He was also entertaining and could coach with a sense of humor.  He was unique in that he could bring humor into the meeting room without having it affect his authority.  He made it fun to play for him, but he always demanded respect.”

RELATED: Jason Garrett says Joe Avezzano legend lives on

Head coach Jason Garrett said Joe Avezzano is still a presence in the Cowboys organization. Garrett issued this statement today following news of the death of the team’s former special teams coach:

"Joe Avezzano was a great football coach, but, more than that, he was an outstanding human being. The impact that he had on me and the hundreds of other players and coaches who had the good fortune to be around him was significant. There are not many days that go by where we are not sharing a legendary Joe Avezzano story or using a trademark Joe Avezzano expression. He was a wonderful friend. We loved him very much, and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Diann, and his son, Tony."

RELATED: Troy Aikman tweets his condolences

Troy Aikman remembered Joe Avezzano on Thursday after hearing that the Cowboys former special teams coach had died.

"We lost a good man today. Coach Joe has been one of my very special friends in life…I will miss him terribly," Aikman said on @Troy Aikman.

Avezzano was the Cowboys special teams coach from 1990 to 2002

RELATED: Share your thoughts and memories on the Cowboys Forum

Click HERE to share your thoughts and memories of Joe Avezzano with our friends on the Cowboys Forum

The Cowboys have picked up a defensive tackle with three Super Bowl rings to add to the defensive line.

As a coach.

Leon Lett has been hired as the team’s defensive assistant/defensive line coach. He will assist defensive line coach Brian Baker, especially when it comes to the development of some of the group’s younger players.

Lett was with the team in training camp last year as part of the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship Program and would periodically work with players at Valley Ranch during the season. Head coach Jason Garrett was impressed with how Lett worked with Clifton Geathers and others and decided to create the position.

Known as Big Cat by his teammates, Lett spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the Cowboys from 1991-2000. The defensive tackle from Emporia State was named to the Pro Bowl in 1994 and ’98 and finished his career with Denver in 2001.

Lett went back to school and graduated less than three years ago from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in university studies and a concentration in sociology and history. He was the defensive tackle coach for the University of Louisiana at Monroe before he went to camp last season with the Cowboys.

Receiver Jesse Holley said he is still talking to the Dallas Cowboys and hopes to come back. But if not, he’s thankful for the chance the Cowboys gave him and hopes he’s established enough of a body of work to get another NFL job.

“I’m pretty confident that some way, somehow, a team will like me enough to bring me in and give me a fair shot,” he said Wednesday at a charity event in Grapevine. “So I’ll go with that and work my way up the ranks again like I have before. I’ve never been a stranger to hard work or having the odds set against me.”

Holley, an exclusive rights free agent, did not get a contract offer from the Cowboys. That leaves him open to signing with another team or signing a new contract with the Cowboys, who probably did not want to pay him the going rate for an exclusive rights tender.

“I expected for them to at least sign me back,” Holley said. “So it was a blow. But it’s nothing personal. It’s a business. So you go with that.”

Holley has spent three years with the Cowboys since landing a spot in training camp in 2009 by winning a reality show, Michael Irvin’s "4th and Long." The show pitted 12 receivers and cornerbacks in a competition for the 80th spot in the Cowboys’ training camp that year.

Holley won the show, stuck through camp and was signed to the practice squad. In 2010, he was active for 14 games and was the Cowboys’ third-leading tackler on special teams.

Last year, he caught seven passes for 169 yards, including a 77-yard catch to set up a winning field goal in overtime at San Francisco. Six of his seven catches went for first downs. He also played special teams again.

Holley, who said he has been in contact with five other teams, said he would like to come back to the Cowboys and has high hopes for the team this year.

“This team is going to be a good team,” he said. “I’m still a Cowboy at heart. Coach Garrett has really got these guys going in the right direction. He’s brought in a bunch of top-notch free agents. He’s really shored up a lot of holes we had last season. I’m confident that Coach Garrett and Jerry really have this team going in the right direction. Once those guys get here and in the minicamps and get jelled in, I think it will definitely be a team to reckon with next year.”

Holley said right now, he has to remain patient, stay in shape and be ready for his next chance, wherever it is.

“No matter what  happens, I’ll always have a play in Cowboys history,” he said, thinking about his Week 2 catch in San Francisco. He laughed and said, “Hopefully, I’ll be around for a third and fourth play.”

Then he added, “I thank the Cowboys for everything they’ve done for me. It’s been an honor to play for such a great franchise. I hope I can continue to play for them.”

CANTON, MA

“We are honored at the opportunity to grow our presence in the Metroplex through a partnership with Jerry Jones – one of the country’s most admired businessmen and a leading presence in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and Troy Aikman - one of the NFL’s all-time great leaders on and off the football field,” said Nigel Travis, Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. CEO. “We look forward to making America’s favorite coffee, as well as our delicious baked goods and food products, available to a growing number of customers in this area by teaming up with these outstanding franchise partners.

The expansion of Dunkin’ Donuts in the Dallas/Fort Worth area is part of the Company’s goal to more than double its current footprint of 7,000 restaurants in the United States over the next 20 years.

“I’m a little lighter,” he said Wednesday night at a charity event in Grapevine, asked by reporters what he is doing to get himself ready for the season. “Going to try something new this year and just see how it goes.”

Jones was listed at 217 pounds last year, and he was listed at 220 going into the previous year. He came out of college listed between 200 and 207 pounds.

He said he’s ready for the year to get going and to meet new offensive linemen Mackenzie Bernardeau and Nate Livings, the massive guards signed to give the Cowboys more bulk in the middle.

“As long as those guys get in the way and block, they’re here for a reason,” Jones said with a smile.

Jones, entering his fifth year with the Cowboys, said he was surprised to hear of the retirement of former teammate Marion Barber. They played together three years in Dallas.

“It was news. It kind of shocked me,” Jones said. “But you know, it’s a decision. I’m behind him 100 percent. He had a great career. He was a great teacher, a great mentor. I thank him for that, and I wish him the best.”

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Now that Laurent Robinson has taken his Cowboys-high 11 touchdown catches to Jacksonville, Jason Garrett is looking for one of his younger receivers to take his spot as the No. 3 receiver.

The team re-signed Kevin Ogletree to one-year deal and like the potential of second-year wideouts Andre Holmes and Dwayne Harris. Raymond Radway has been recovering from a serious leg injury suffered at the end of his rookie preseason.

In the meantime, Garrett said the Cowboys will comb through the latter stages of free agency and the draft for depth.

"Now there is that void again, a guy who wants to step up into that third receiver role," Garrett said. "We’re hopeful those young guys step into that role and grab it like Laurent did, but at the same time we’re always on the lookout to try to help our team with players from outside our organization."

IRVING, Texas – A few of you waving #BobbyCarpenter hashtags have disagreed with me on Twitter already, but I would be glad to see former Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells back on an NFL sideline.

By my estimation, the Big Tuna is one of the most fascinating personalities in the history of not only football, but sports in America. The 2012 season would be better, more interesting, if Parcells were involved. And while the New Orleans Saints haven’t officially reached out to Big Bill as an organization, Parcells’ quote to Newsday that "Everything is hypothetical at this point" makes it pretty obvious that he’s interested in what Sean Payton has been selling.

It sounds like the kind of thing he was saying about the Cowboys job right at the end of the 2002 NFL season, after reports emerged that he had met with Jerry Jones on the owner’s private jet at Teterboro Airport.

If the memory of that news doesn’t make you appreciate Parcells, you’ve obviously forgotten just how bad the Cowboys had it before he got here. After three straight 5-11 seasons, he came in, kicked the players’ butts and led a team quarterbacked by Quincy Carter to the playoffs.

Allow me to repeat myself. He led a team quarterbacked by Quincy-freaking-Carter to the playoffs. It’s got to be one the greatest coaching jobs in league history.

There’s something wrong with any Cowboys fan who doesn’t have great respect and admiration for what Parcells did here. Nevermind the fact he rode Troy Hambrick and Richie Anderson into the postseason, but in the process he built a team that had been in the hunt, if nothing else, since he left.

It makes no sense to hold Carpenter and Julius Jones over Parcells’ head when during his tenure the Cowboys added Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Jay Ratliff, DeMarcus Ware, Terence Newman, Bradie James, Marc Colombo, Kyle Kosier and Mat McBriar among many, many other crucial parts of these teams. And no, the Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl with the group Parcells assembled, but he at least turned the thing around. For the first time since Jimmy Johnson left, the arrow for this franchise began to point up as soon as Parcells arrived.

He did the same thing for the Cowboys, the Jets, the Patriots and the Giants. Rescue ops have been his specialty, so it would be really intriguing to see what he could with a team that actually has talent when he arrives.

Though New Orleans has a ton of good players, the team is a mess right now in the wake of this bounty situation. If Parcells were to come in and quickly do what he’s done four times already, you’d have to think it would erase any doubt about his candidacy for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Not that putting him into the Hall should’ve been much of a question, anyway.

Courtesy: Josh Ellis

Could former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells be returning to the sidelines?

If it’s up to Sean Payton, that could happen this year for the New Orleans Saints.

Payton, who was recently suspended for the entire 2012 season after his involvement in the Saints’ bounty scandal, wants Parcells to fill in for him during his year-long suspension, according to a report by ESPN’s Chris Mortenson.

The report states that Payton and Parcells have "spoken numerous times" since Payton’s suspension was announced. Payton was Parcells’ quarterback coach during Parcells’ head coaching tenure in Dallas from 2003-2006. He won two Super Bowls as head coach of the New York Giants.

Bill Parcells says the Saints haven’t contacted him about possibly coaching the team. Parcells did say, however, that Payton has spoken to him about how to handle the season.

The Saints have yet to announce their future coaching plans.  Payton’s agent said Monday “no decisions have been made about an appeal.”

Donald Yee says Payton “fully supports the league’s player safety goals” and that Payton “probably won’t address the entire league” Tuesday when he arrives at the NFL owners meetings.

When Parcells was asked if anyone in the Saints organization had talked to him about coaching the team in 2012, he said “No,” prior to the New York Mets spring training game Monday against St. Louis.

The Cowboys and Saints will meet this season. Dates and times are yet to be determined.

Jason Garrett said the retirement announcement of Marion Barber surprised him and said the former Cowboys running back was a pleasure to coach.

“Talk about the right kind of guy,” Garrett said. “He was physical, he was tough, he was passionate, he loved to play football, and we loved having him on our football team. Fourth-round pick. Did a lot of good things for us.”

Barber played for the Chicago Bears last season after the Cowboys released him before training camp.

“He was someone I really enjoyed being around as a person and as a player,” Garrett said.

Barber ran for 4,358 yards and 47 touchdowns in six seasons with the Cowboys. After he scored 24 touchdowns in two seasons despite not being a starter, the Cowboys signed him to a seven-year contract worth $45 million, with $16 million guaranteed.

He had 885 and 932 yards in his next two years, but only 374 in 2010 and was released in 2011 before training camp.

He had 422 yards and six touchdowns with the Bears last year.

In case you missed it, earlier this week Troy Aikman was in South Texas to promote the opening of the chicken wing restaurant in his portfolio

In an interview with The Brownsville Herald, Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer, said he didn’t play quarterback back then as well as Tony Romo does now.

"I think Tony already is a better quarterback than I was," the former Cowboys quarterback said.
I texted Aikman to ask if he stands by his quote. His response indicated that he did.

Aikman, who now earns a portion of his living analyzing NFL games for Fox, went on to explain to the newspaper what he meant. In essence, he was talking about pure athleticism. "I know how quarterbacks are judged, but as far as [Romo's] playmaking ability and the things that he is capable of doing, he is a far more athletic quarterback, capable of making more plays than I ever was able to," Aikman said. "I believe he will win a Super Bowl before he is done playing."

I thought I’d get a second opinion. So I called Michael Irvin, who was the Ying to Aikman’s Yang on the Super Bowl Cowboys of the 1990s. Aikman has no bigger fan than Irvin, his Hall of Fame wide receiver.

Irvin, who hasn’t spoken to Aikman on the subject, agreed with his friend, providing an eerily similar explanation.

"Think about the evolution of the game," Irvin said. "Jim Brown was a bad man as a running back. But those were different times. He was playing against different kinds of players, different size players.

"I’ll tell you Terrell Owens was a bigger, faster, stronger Michael Irvin," said Irvin, who earns a portion of his living analyzing NFL games for NFL Network. "He was more physically gifted than me."

But that doesn’t mean better, does it?

"Look at Tony Romo’s ability to play quarterback outside the pocket," Irvin said. "That’s where the game is evolving. I think that’s what Troy was talking about."
But Irvin offered a caveat.

"If you have to make a dynamic play all of the time, you’re going to ultimately fail," he said. "You can go to that well too many times. To win a Super Bowl you have to be methodical and that was Troy.

"If you needed a ball thrown 17 yards down the field, two feet to the right of the receiver, bing, Troy would put the ball there every time, just like it was drawn on the chalkboard."

Jason Garrett said Troy Aikman has a “dead-on” understanding of how good Tony Romo is as a quarterback.

And he’s modest.

The Cowboys coach said that’s why he believes Aikman told the Brownsville Herald last week that Romo is already a better quarterback than Aikman was.

“I think that’s a reflection on who Troy Aikman is,” Garrett told reporters Saturday at a high school football camp at Cowboys Stadium. “Troy Aikman was obviously an outstanding quarterback, first-ballot Hall of Famer, three-time Super Bowl winner, someone who was very talented, but also someone who was very modest. Troy understands the challenges of playing in the National Football League more than anybody else does, and I think his perspective on what Tony has done throughout his career is pretty dead on. He has a real appreciation for Tony as a player, as a person, as a leader in our locker room and on our football team, and I think those comments stem from that.”

Former Cowboys running back Marion Barber, who played last season with the Chicago Bears, has decided to retire.

The Bears made the announcement on Friday.

Barber, 28, played six seasons with the Cowboys. He joined the Bears last season as a backup to Matt Forte. He no longer had a future in Chicago after the Bears signed Michael Bush early this week to be Forte’s backup in 2012.

Barber had his best year in 2006 when he scored a league leading 14 touchdowns. He rushed for 975 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2007 when he made the Pro Bowl.

Barber never came close to those numbers again because of injuries and wear and tear on his body from his bulldozing, barbaric style of running.

“I want to thank everyone who helped me become a better player,” Barber told ChicagoBears.com. “I owe a lot to a lot of coaches, and am also very grateful to the owners and organizations I played for. Last but not least, I want to thank the fans for the support and inspiration they gave me.”

IRVING, Texas – Troy Aikman wasn’t just being polite in the things he said about Tony Romo. There is some truth in what he said. Romo is a better player in this era than Aikman was in his.

Remember, that’s better, not greater.

Courtesy: Josh Ellis

When former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman stopped at a Brownsville, Texas, Wingstop for a publicity event on Tuesday, most fans figured he’d pose with a chicken wing or two and be on his way.

But the NFL Hall of Famer gave Cowboy fans something else to chew on after he sat down for a brief Q&A with a local newspaper. When asked to compare himself to Tony Romo, Aikman was extremely complimentary of the Cowboys’ current QB.

"I think Tony already is a better quarterback than I was," Aikman told the Brownsville Herald. "I know how quarterbacks are judged but as far as his play-making ability and the things that he is capable of doing, he is a far more athletic quarterback, capable of making more plays than I ever was able to."

For his career, Aikman amassed 165 touchdowns to 141 interceptions, completed 61.5% of his passes and threw for more than 32,000 yards in 165 games. Compare that to Romo, who, in less than half as many starts, has already racked up 149 touchdowns to just 72 interceptions, completed 64.5% of his passes and is average far more passing yards per start than Aikman did.

And while it’s worth noting huge differences between the eras in which the two quarterbacks played — Romo benefits from a pass-happy NFL and a long list of new rules that have restricted what defenders can do — Aikman was still bullish on what what Romo will accomplish before his career is done.

"He has a good team around him," Aikman said. "Hopefully — and I believe this will happen — I believe that he will win a Super Bowl before he is done playing."

That didn’t take long. Two days into free agency, the Cowboys lost their leading touchdown receiver from last year, Laurent Robinson.

The sixth-year veteran signed a five-year deal worth $32.5 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars, making him a $6 million a year receiver, out of the Cowboys’ range for their third option. Except, Robinson also filled in as a superb No. 2 receiver when Miles Austin missed time. Robinson caught 11 touchdown passes, playing in 14 games after he was signed off the street in Week 2.

Now that the Cowboys determined they couldn’t afford Robinson after his career year, they’ll need to find another third option. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at the NFL combine that the team is high on Andre Holmes, a practice squad player a year ago. Raymond Radway will also get a chance after a strong preseason last year, although it ended with him suffering a broken leg on the second-to-last play of the final preseason game.

One of Jason Garrett’s final messages to the Cowboys’ players on Monday was to watch the playoffs and let the feeling burn a little and serve as motivation in the offseason.

If the players take Garrett up on that message, then they will see some familiar faces playing or coaching on wild-card weekend. There are 10 former players among the six teams playing this weekend and five former coaches.

Cincinnati – Mike Zimmer, Pacman Jones, Dennis Roland

Pittsburgh – Shaun Suisham

Houston – Wade Phillips, Reggie Herring, Bobby King

New York Giants – Chris Canty. (Isaiah Stanback is on the practice squad.)

Detroit – Bobby Carpenter, Leonard Davis, Stephen Peterman

New Orleans – Pat McQuistan, Scott Shanle, Sean Payton

Only Denver and Atlanta do not have former Cowboys players and coaches

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