Does Jerry Jones need a "straightjacket"?

For the first time, the NFL draft won't start at noon (ET) on Saturday. Instead, the first day of the draft, which includes the first and second round, will kick off at 4 p.m.

And for the first time since 2004, the Cowboys don't have a pick in the first round of the draft. (See Cowboys full draft history here.)

With the 51st overall pick being the Cowboys' first pick in 2009, will Jerry Jones be patient enough to wait until perhaps 10:30 PM (ET)?

"We're going to put him in a straitjacket," executive vice president Stephen Jones joked.

"You're right," [Jerry Jones] said. "Put me in a straitjacket."

As the Dallas Morning News points out, the Cowboys, who made five draft-day trades last year, have made a total of 51 draft-day trades in the past 20 drafts.

In addition to their second-round pick, the Cowboys have 10 picks from the third round on.

2009 Dallas Cowboys Schedule

Earlier this week, the NFL announced their 2009 schedule. Here is the Cowboys schedule, which features six prime-time games:

9/13: Dallas at Tampa Bay
9/20: Giants at Dallas (SNF)
9/28: Carolina at Dallas (MNF)
10/4: Dallas at Denver
10/11: Dallas at Kansas City
10/25: Atlanta at Dallas
11/1: Seattle at Dallas
11/9: Dallas at Philadelphia (SNF)
11/15: Dallas at Green Bay
11/22: Washington at Dallas
11/26: Oakland at Dallas (T-Day)
12/6: Dallas at Giants
12/13: San Diego at Dallas
12/19: Dallas at New Orleans (Sat.)
12/27: Dallas at Washington (SNF)
1/3: Philadelphia at Dallas

The Cowboys bye week is week 6.

The most challenging part of the schedule will be the final five games in December and January. Of course, that's been the most challenging part of the Cowboys schedule yearly regardless of who they play.

MBIII and Felix healthy again

All reports out Valley Ranch are that running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones are healthy again.

Both suffered toe injuries that affected the end of their seasons.

Jones is "running and cutting normally." Barber is back to his challenging workouts that have induced vomiting for Vikings WR Sidney Rice, who is working out with Barber.

Coach Wade Phillips plans on using a three-headed running attack in 2009 with Barber, Jones and Tashard Choice, who played well while Barber was limited and Jones was on IR.

Cowboys to host Raiders on Thanksgiving

The NFL has announced the prime-time schedule for week 1 as well as the slate of games that will take place on Thanksgiving.

The season kicks off with the Steelers hosting the Titans on Thursday, September 10th.

On Thanksgiving, the Cowboys will host the Oakland Raiders.

The Cowboys have hosted an NFL game on Thanksgiving every year since 1966 with the exception of 1975 and 1977. Their record is 26-14-1 on Thanksgiving.

The last time the Raiders played on Thanksgiving was in 1970.

The other two Turkey day games are the Lions vs Packers and the Broncos vs Giants.

Cowboys release T.O.

The Dallas Cowboys have released Terrell Owens. By releasing T.O., he will be more expensive ($9.675 million) than if he played in Big D ($8.995 million) in 2009 against the cap.

T.O. had 3 1,000-yard seasons and scored 38 receiving TDs in his 3 seasons with the Cowboys. Although he certainly dropped his share of balls, no NFL WR caught as many TD passes during T.O.'s tenure in Dallas.

Despite his on-field productivity, he was a disruptive and dividing force in the locker room.

To see a full list of places that have officially rejected of the notion of T.O. playing in their city, check out PFT's The Anti-T.O. List.

Jerry tells Cowboys' coaches not to talk

According to the Star-Telegram, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has issued a gag order for all Dallas Cowboys coaches.

It's common for a head coach to be the voice of the team, such as Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, and not allow their assistants to talk to the media. But it's uncommon for the head coach of a team to not be allowed to talk to the media.

Arriving at his hotel in Indy Thursday for this weekend's NFL Scouting Combine, Phillips wouldn't talk to the media.

“Can’t,” he said. “Against the rules.”

Everything that Jones does undermines Phillips' authority and his ability to keep the team under control. It looks like the only thing that will be different for the 2009 Cowboys is that they will play in a different stadium.

Jerry vague about T.O.'s future

Today Jerry Jones was vague when talking about Terrell Owens' status for the 2009 season.

"You and I both know that the one [player] you're asking about all the time, if I gave you the answer that you want to hear, then you would have already had it," Jones said. "So the fact you don't have it ought to tell you something."

As Tim Colishaw of the Dallas Morning News points out, should you expect Jones and the Cowboys to take a $9.6 million salary-cap hit to part ways with his best WR?

No.

While hindsight is 20-20 (and I didn't think it was a good idea at the time), Jones shouldn't have given T.O. a 3-year contract extension last off-season. If he hadn't, T.O.'s contract would have been up. At least, the franchise would be making their decision solely based on whether or not T.O. is a good fit.

But let's face it - T.O.'s going to be back in '09.

Ray Lewis says Cowboys need "one general"

Unless the Baltimore Ravens assign the franchise tag to LB Ray Lewis (or sign him before February 27th), Lewis will become an unrestricted free agent.

Teammate Terrell Suggs suggested that he, Lewis and Bart Scott (who are all scheduled to become free agents) give Baltimore a "hometown discount." And Ravens' owner Steve Bisciotti has said that he thought Lewis might take less.

However, the best person to speak for Ray Lewis is Ray Lewis.

"I don't play less," Lewis told the NFL Network in Hawaii, where he will play in the Pro Bowl. "If you don't play less, you don't take less. That's just life."

If Lewis doesn't stay in Baltimore, where has played for 13 seasons, he said he considers the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets as attractive places to play.

Lewis says the Cowboys need "one general" that should be a player not a coach. Ain't that the truth!

"I don't see all of that outside stuff that they're talking about what goes on in Dallas," Lewis said. "I see Dallas as a great opportunity. It's always been America's Team. It's just a great place to play football."

"I can definitely play with T.O," Lewis said. "I think T.O. is a great, great person. I just love him. I love his work ethic. I love everything about him. So, playing with T.O. is easy."

If there is one player that command the respect of the locker room, it is a fierce competitor like Ray Lewis. Despite his age (34), Lewis is worth the money it takes to get a real leader into a franchise that is completely devoid of leadership.

Terry Glenn busted

Former Cowboys WR Terry Glenn was arrested at the Extended Stay Deluxe Hotel in Irving on January 25th. He was charged with public intoxication and possession of marijuana under two ounces.

"I guess he was going up and down the halls," [Irving Police spokesman David] Tull said.

Glenn caught 208 passes for 3,337 yards in his 4 seasons with the Cowboys. He played in the NFL since 1996.

Roy Williams says Lions practiced harder

Cowboys WR Roy Williams says that the Lions practiced harder than the Cowboys. That's pretty easy to believe.

"The practices in Detroit are a lot more difficult than they are in Dallas," Williams said. "Rod Marinelli had us moving at a faster tempo. The receivers were blocking downfield after every run and every catch, no matter who ran the ball or who caught the ball..."

"I tried to do it when I first got here, but none of the guys were catching on, so I felt like an idiot running out there by myself," Williams said. "So I quit doing it, but I'm going to start that back up come the off-season work. If people come with me, fine. If they don't, I'm going to get my work in. It's my time to be a leader on this football team."

The one thing you kept hearing as the Lions kept losing was that their guys didn't give up. That's commendable, but they just don't have enough talent to compete.

On the other hand, the Cowboys have a ton of talent. But they (in general) always seemed unfocused and lacked the heart.

Although it would be better if Williams did his talking to the team and in the locker room instead of in/to the media, I hope the 'Boys follow his lead on the field. (Although I won't be holding my breathe.)

Learning from T.O., Williams threw the OC and QB under the proverbial bus. But I happen to agree with him.

"If the coordinator wanted to get the ball to me, he could. And the same thing with the quarterback," Williams said. "I just do my part, beat the guy and put it on film and show the coordinator that I can run routes and win in this league. Unfortunately, that didn't happen this year. Hopefully, it can happen next year."

The Cowboys gave up a lot for Williams. I still don't understand why they didn't try to get Williams more involved in the passing game.

"Bullet" Bob finally a Hall of Famer (officially)

It's been long overdue, but today "Bullet" Bob Hayes was selected as part of the 2009 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hayes was a seniors finalists and the last time he made it as a finalist was in 2004 in Houston.

“We played together in the college all-star game,” former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach said in a telephone interview. “We were all good athletes, and we were all fast people, and then there was Bob Hayes. But he was not just fast; he was a football player. No one could guard him.”

“I wish he was there,” Staubach said. “We have great faith, so we still believe he knows what’s going on.”

Hayes, the "world's fastest man" and Olympic gold medalist, was difficult (if not impossible) to cover man-to-man.

In a statement, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, "This is a deserving honor for one of the Cowboys' most and truly gifted stars. We all know he changed the game on the field, but he also brought a unique star quality to the NFL that helped make professional football the most popular sport in the world."

Hayes, who averaged 20 yards/reception for his career, had 371 catches for 7414 yards and 71 TDs (which is a Cowboys record).

The other 5 inductees are Bruce Smith and Rod Woodson (both in on their first ballot) and Derrick Thomas, Ralph Wilson and Randall McDaniel.

The future of football on Thanksgiving in Dallas

Roger Goodell has said that both the Dallas Cowboys, who have hosted Thanksgiving games since 1966, and the Detroit Lions, who have hosted Thanksgiving games since 1934, will host Thanksgiving games in 2009.

But beyond 2009, it will be re-evaluated.

"I attended that [Thanksgiving] game [in Detroit] a little over a year ago," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in his state-of-the-league news conference Friday. "I understand it’s a great tradition in Detroit and Dallas. [Moving the game around] is something that our owners have raised from time to time. It will not change for this season. As to whether ownership feels the same, we will discuss it as we get later in the year. We certainly will raise it."

Considering there is now a third Thanksgiving game, which has rotated, I think the Cowboys and even the Lions deserve to keep their Thanksgiving tradition.

Of course, I'm a little biased and like that the Cowboys have an advantage over whatever team has to travel to play 3 days later on Thanksgiving. And the Cowboys get a mini-bye that can be used to get healthy.

Cowboys fine Bennett for video

Martellus Bennett, who recorded a rap video placed on You Tube and subsequently removed, was fined by the Cowboys for the equivalent of 1 game check ($22,647).

In the video, he used a lot of profanity and referenced Tony Romo, Jason Witten and Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys back-up tight end sort-of, kind-of issued an apology.

"Why they hatin' on me, it was just a song. I was only rappin', I didn't do nothin' wrong."

Interesting fact: Instead of recording the initial video, Bennett could have been late to 226 team meetings and have been fined less (226 x $100 = $22,600).

Dan Reeves to be consultant with Cowboys?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has talked to Dan Reeves, who played and was an assistant under legendary coach Tom Landry.

Reeves has a 192-166-2 record as head coach for the Giants, Broncos and Falcons and reached four Super Bowls.

A month ago on KTTB-AM, Reeves discussed the Cowboys' problems.

"They had an awful lot of distractions – things that you don't need to have with a football team, the T.O.'s, the Pacman Jones instances," he said. "You say, well, that doesn't really bother us. But it really does, because that's the focus. "

When Wade Phillips said that he was going to be tougher in 2009, he mentioned that he would seek input from Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer and Marv Levy.

Phillips has been a defensive coordinator under Reeves with the Broncos and Falcons. Phillips is not a head coach, but a great defensive coordinator.

As Gil LeBreton of the Star-Telegram argues, hiring Dan Reeves as a replacement for Wade Phillips would be better. But Reeves influencing the powers to be as a consultant is better than nothing.

Martellus Bennett video - possible fine

Dallas Cowboys TE Martellus Bennett, the Cowboys 2nd-round draft pick in 2008, could be fined for producing a rap video on his Marty B TV channel where he uses profanity and mentions Jerry Jones, Jason Witten and Tony Romo.

Bennett has removed the video, but it can still be seen on You Tube (see below).

"He’s young. It’s pure and simple," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said during the season. "He’s just like my dad told me one time, ’If you’d quit trying to be so funny, you might get something done. Get serious with me, will ya?’ My dad told me that, because I needed to quit screwing around."

Bennett had a decent season (20 receptions and 283 yards) for a rookie.

But he has frustrated the Cowboys with his apparent lack of passion. So much so that Keith Davis, safety and special teams captain, challenged Bennett to a fight.