Published: January 14, 2006 08:40 pm            

RON MORGAN: Dallas needs more Tuna

The Tuna is staying in Dallas. For over a week, there was speculation over whether Bill Parcells was going to retire. This week Jerry signed him to an additional year on his original 4 year contract. Not only will Bill be here next season, but he is under contract for ’07.

I hear a lot of talk on the radio that some people didn’t want him back. I think these folks might need to be evaluated for their recreational use of Valium.

Let’s do a quick examination of the Cowboys’ situation.

Are the Cowboys better than they were before Parcells’ arrival? Absolutely. Under Dave Campo, the ’Boys had three consecutive 5-11 seasons. Under Bill they have gone 10-6, 7-9 and 9-7. One of those seasons resulted in a playoff appearance.

This season’s 9-7 could well have been much different. They squandered wins against Seattle and Washington with at least three others that could easily have been in the W column. I know. I know. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. But if you recall, Campo couldn’t even get close enough to hear the grenades.

The defense is better. In fact, I would argue that the ’05 defense was much better than the ’03 version that finished No. 1 in the NFL. The ’03 group did it with smoke and mirrors. They were short of talent. It’s a credit to Mike Zimmer that the defense at that time could do what it did.

The current bunch is bigger and faster than the old bunch. They have improved to the point where La’Roi Glover and Greg Ellis are backups who might not even return. Dat Nguyen may call it quits, and no one will notice.

Remember when the Cowboys used to draft cornerbacks by the dozen hoping to find one? Well, they have three now that I would put up against any group in the league.

They have an excellent blend of veterans and youngsters. Just look at this year’s rookies. Ware and Spears were both first round picks and played like first rounders. Chris Canty was stolen in the fourth and would up as a starter. Kevin Burnett was a solid linebacker taken in the second round.

There is a lot to build around with that group, and DeMarcus Ware could be something special. Let him figure out what’s going on, and watch out.

The offense is far from a finished product, but still an improvement over what the Tuna inherited. Do you recall the quarterback caravan that rolled through here after Troy’s retirement? Drew Bledsoe is the best player under center since Aikman hung it up.

The running back situation is now an asset with a little depth. Emmitt’s last couple of years, the uniform was the same, but something less filled it. They now have three young ones with some promise.

Of course, they are only as good as the holes they have to run through. As much as I’ve maligned Larry Allen and Flozell the last couple of years, I’m ready to repent. Seeing what happened after Flo went down changed my mind. But, the ’Boys have to find a couple of tackles. They could also use a quality wideout to compliment their aging stars.

Kicker? Did I mention that they could use a kicker? Here’s hoping Bill will spring for a veteran. Cundiff and Cortez are long gone. Don’t ask me to spell the name of the guy that kicked the last couple of games. All I know is that is sounds like Swish ’Em, and that sound more like a name for a basketball player.

Did you look around to see what was available if Bill had retired? There’s not much out there. Passing coordinator Sean Payton is a candidate for a couple of the openings. The top candidate in the market was Herm Edwards who signed with the Chiefs. I’ve never heard Edwards name mentioned in the same breath with Lombardi.

If the Tuna had retired, basically, Jerry would have gone back to coaching with a puppet on the sidelines. Welcome back, Bill. I feel better about next season already.

        

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