DeMarcus Ware - held out as pre-caution

Today, DeMarcus Ware was held out of practice. Wade Phillips says:

"They've got a procedure that you go through when a guy gets dinged a little bit and so we held him out of practice," Phillips said. 'We don't see any long-term problems there."

Ware should have a monster year in 2008. I expect Anthony Spencer to have a breakout season for the 'Boys, which should benefit Ware big time.

Terrence Newman's injury

On Monday, Terrence Newman left practice after he hurt his groin. Yesterday, the MRI revealed that he had a tear in the groin. Although Newman is expected to be out for 3 weeks, which means he would be ready in time for the season, it worries me that the injury was more severe than initially thought.

I (and almost everybody else) expect Adam Jones to be reinstated by Roger Goodell. But, if that doesn't happen and Newman's injury is more severe than thought now, that leaves the 'Boys with Henry and Jenkins as starting CBs to go along with Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin in the secondary.

That would make a unit that is arguably the team's strongest much weaker. So hopefully three weeks will pass and Terrence Newman will be fully recovered.

Terry Glenn to Miami?

It would make sense for Terry Glenn to head to Miami and re-join Bill Parcells for a third time. Although Glenn says he has interest in Miami, he says it's not a "done deal" yet and that he is talking to "several" teams.

When he was cut, it wasn't ruled out that Glenn would be brought back. Whether it's a "done deal" with Miami or not, it now looks like there is virtually no chance Glenn will be back in Dallas.

First Cowboys Draft Pick to Sign

Orlando Scandrick, 5th-round DB from Boise State, signed with the Cowboys today. It's a 4-year deal worth $1.85 million.

The remaining unsigned draft picks are:

Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M
Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
Erik Walden, DE, Middle Tennessee

With camp starting Friday, we should expect to see the others signing soon.

How hot is Phillips' hot seat?

In his first season as head coach of the Cowboys, Wade Phillips did what nobody in franchise history has done better. He won 13 games.

However, a first-round exit (again) when the team had Super Bowl expectations means the season was...let's face it...a disappointment. Look at the Patriots - 16 regular-season wins with a Super Bowl loss. How many Pats fans do you know that are happy with 2007? (Of course, are Pats fans ever happy?)

Mike Florio, in his Sporting News column, ranked the Top 10 coaches on the "Hot Seat". I agree with the majority of coaches on the list including Phillips. However, I disagree with the fact that he ranked Phillips #1. (There are a few coaches I would rank higher than Phillips, but my #1 would be Marvin Lewis with Cincinnati.)

In 2008, the regular season does not really matter (provided the Cowboys make the playoffs) for Phillips. The franchise needs to win (at a minimum) one playoff game otherwise I think Phillips' heir apparent Jason Garrett takes over. It would make sense - new stadium, new coach, new era.

Call me optimistic, but I can't help but believe that this team is too talented to win a post-season game or 2. Like Newy Scruggs of the Star-Telegram wrote, "On the flip side, Phillips can look in his own division for inspiration. The Giants meekly gave coach Tom Coughlin a one-year extension before last season. Coughlin went from the hot seat to a Super Bowl victory and cashed in with a new deal for $21 million over four years."