Lrd Vdr
03-06-2009, 02:13 AM
IRVING, Texas - One's a controversial receiver, the other an embattled safety. Both are lightning rods for criticism on and off the football field. Both met the same fate on Thursday.
Terrell Owens and Roy Williams are no longer in the Dallas Cowboys' plans.
Within a 12-hour span the Cowboys decided to officially release Owens and Williams - two startling examples of the team's apparent shift in direction and attitude some three weeks before its off-season strength and conditioning program begins.
Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones informed Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus of the team's decision in person Wednesday night while Jones and his son Stephen were in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for NFL committee meetings.
Williams, who expected to be traded or released in the coming days, learned Thursday morning that his six-year stay in Dallas had ended.
Reporters flooded Valley Ranch headquarters once word had spread of Owens' impending departure, many seeking comment from players coming to and from workouts. The Cowboys did not confirm either roster move until Thursday afternoon after both had been filed with the league office. A press conference has not been scheduled.
"Terrell Owens was a very productive player who performed at a very high level for all three of his years here in Dallas," Jones said in a statement regarding the 35-year-old receiver who had signed a four-year, $34 million extension last summer. "But we have made a decision to move forward without him. … In the aftermath of the season, we talked about change. Some of what is changing involves the process and some of it involves people.
"This is a decision that was made based upon consideration for an entire team. We will move on now with a new team - a new attitude - and into a new stadium. The evaluation process and the prospect for change will continue at every level of the organization."
Jones also had this statement about Williams, the Cowboys' eighth overall draft pick in 2002, who became only the fourth safety in franchise history to reach five Pro Bowls:
"Roy has been a wonderful representative of this organization since coming to Dallas," Jones said. "Unfortunately, we have reached a crossroad with his time here in Dallas and the difficult decision was made to allow him to explore other opportunities in the NFL."
Owens' release only counts $680,000 more against the salary cap in 2009 ($9.675 million) than he would have if he had played ($8.995 million), and Williams' release saves about $2.2 million in cap space. He was scheduled to count $6.6 million this year.
That also means the Cowboys will be dumping another $4.4 million of dead money into their cap, having to account for the acceleration of the final two prorated years on the $11.1 million signing bonus Williams received in 2006 on his five-year extension. Adding that to the $9.6 million acceleration of his $12.9 million signing bonus from the three-year extension Owens received this past summer, the Cowboys' dead money total for the 2009 season is now approaching $22 million.
But Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told reporters last week that any potential roster cuts wouldn't be cap-saving reasons. The Cowboys are leaving space to re-sign linebacker DeMarcus Ware, yet still entered free agency with a reported $14 million available.
Chemistry and performance were factors in Owens' and Williams' exits.
According to sources, the Cowboys had extensive internal discussions about Owens' future with the team after a distraction-filled 2008 season. Owens finished with the lowest receiving totals in his three seasons with Dallas (69 catches for 1,052 yards, 10 touchdowns) and openly questioned Jason Garrett's offense as the team's 9-7 season dragged on.
In December, Owens was the subject of an ESPN report that detailed a growing rift between he and quarterback Tony Romo regarding Romo's ball distribution and the perception tight end Jason Witten got too many passes thrown his way.
In those three seasons, Owens finished behind only Witten on the team with 235 catches for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns, including a franchise-record 15 for the 13-win Cowboys in 2007.
In a Thursday interview with NFL Network, however, Jerry Jones said Owens' release was more a "strategic move relative to personnel" that will create more opportunities for wide receiver Roy Williams, whom the team traded three draft picks to acquire last October, and young receivers like Miles Austin.
"We've got some other top receivers that we want to involve," Jerry Jones said. "We've got some backs that we want to involve in the passing game. We've got some tight ends that we want to involve in the passing game. At the end of the day, you can't have it all."
Meanwhile, the Cowboys now have a clear hole at strong safety without Roy Williams, despite the fact he appeared in only three games last season because of two separate arm fractures. The second injury moved him to injured reserve for the final nine games.
Cornerback Anthony Henry, a presumed candidate to move to free safety next season with Ken Hamlin possibly sliding into Williams' spot, was previously traded to Detroit for backup quarterback Jon Kitna.
Hamlin is expected to start again next season, but Keith Davis, who started nine games in Williams' absence last year, remains an unrestricted free agent and was scheduled to visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.
Williams' time in Dallas was a stark dichotomy of league-wide acclaim and unbridled criticism. Williams once was considered one of the NFL's most dynamic, hard-hitting safeties. The last three seasons featured less praise and more critique, particularly regarding his pass coverage.
The Cowboys played Williams less and less in their defensive sub-packages. Last season Henry at times moved inside to cover the opposing tight end, a strategy to prevent Williams from facing one-on-one match-ups.
Prior to the 2008 season, he had played in 95 of 96 career games, starting 93. He finished his Cowboys career with 611 tackles, 56 pass breakups, 19 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles and 6.5 sacks.
When it became obvious the Cowboys likely would release Williams, his agent Jordan Woy asked the Cowboys to either trade or release his client as soon as possible so they could start combing the league for potential suitors before too much of the free agency money dries up.
The Cowboys were exploring trades for Williams, but the chances of moving him were slim given the rumors of his release.
http://i44.tinypic.com/11rf502.jpg
Terrell Owens and Roy Williams are no longer in the Dallas Cowboys' plans.
Within a 12-hour span the Cowboys decided to officially release Owens and Williams - two startling examples of the team's apparent shift in direction and attitude some three weeks before its off-season strength and conditioning program begins.
Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones informed Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus of the team's decision in person Wednesday night while Jones and his son Stephen were in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for NFL committee meetings.
Williams, who expected to be traded or released in the coming days, learned Thursday morning that his six-year stay in Dallas had ended.
Reporters flooded Valley Ranch headquarters once word had spread of Owens' impending departure, many seeking comment from players coming to and from workouts. The Cowboys did not confirm either roster move until Thursday afternoon after both had been filed with the league office. A press conference has not been scheduled.
"Terrell Owens was a very productive player who performed at a very high level for all three of his years here in Dallas," Jones said in a statement regarding the 35-year-old receiver who had signed a four-year, $34 million extension last summer. "But we have made a decision to move forward without him. … In the aftermath of the season, we talked about change. Some of what is changing involves the process and some of it involves people.
"This is a decision that was made based upon consideration for an entire team. We will move on now with a new team - a new attitude - and into a new stadium. The evaluation process and the prospect for change will continue at every level of the organization."
Jones also had this statement about Williams, the Cowboys' eighth overall draft pick in 2002, who became only the fourth safety in franchise history to reach five Pro Bowls:
"Roy has been a wonderful representative of this organization since coming to Dallas," Jones said. "Unfortunately, we have reached a crossroad with his time here in Dallas and the difficult decision was made to allow him to explore other opportunities in the NFL."
Owens' release only counts $680,000 more against the salary cap in 2009 ($9.675 million) than he would have if he had played ($8.995 million), and Williams' release saves about $2.2 million in cap space. He was scheduled to count $6.6 million this year.
That also means the Cowboys will be dumping another $4.4 million of dead money into their cap, having to account for the acceleration of the final two prorated years on the $11.1 million signing bonus Williams received in 2006 on his five-year extension. Adding that to the $9.6 million acceleration of his $12.9 million signing bonus from the three-year extension Owens received this past summer, the Cowboys' dead money total for the 2009 season is now approaching $22 million.
But Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told reporters last week that any potential roster cuts wouldn't be cap-saving reasons. The Cowboys are leaving space to re-sign linebacker DeMarcus Ware, yet still entered free agency with a reported $14 million available.
Chemistry and performance were factors in Owens' and Williams' exits.
According to sources, the Cowboys had extensive internal discussions about Owens' future with the team after a distraction-filled 2008 season. Owens finished with the lowest receiving totals in his three seasons with Dallas (69 catches for 1,052 yards, 10 touchdowns) and openly questioned Jason Garrett's offense as the team's 9-7 season dragged on.
In December, Owens was the subject of an ESPN report that detailed a growing rift between he and quarterback Tony Romo regarding Romo's ball distribution and the perception tight end Jason Witten got too many passes thrown his way.
In those three seasons, Owens finished behind only Witten on the team with 235 catches for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns, including a franchise-record 15 for the 13-win Cowboys in 2007.
In a Thursday interview with NFL Network, however, Jerry Jones said Owens' release was more a "strategic move relative to personnel" that will create more opportunities for wide receiver Roy Williams, whom the team traded three draft picks to acquire last October, and young receivers like Miles Austin.
"We've got some other top receivers that we want to involve," Jerry Jones said. "We've got some backs that we want to involve in the passing game. We've got some tight ends that we want to involve in the passing game. At the end of the day, you can't have it all."
Meanwhile, the Cowboys now have a clear hole at strong safety without Roy Williams, despite the fact he appeared in only three games last season because of two separate arm fractures. The second injury moved him to injured reserve for the final nine games.
Cornerback Anthony Henry, a presumed candidate to move to free safety next season with Ken Hamlin possibly sliding into Williams' spot, was previously traded to Detroit for backup quarterback Jon Kitna.
Hamlin is expected to start again next season, but Keith Davis, who started nine games in Williams' absence last year, remains an unrestricted free agent and was scheduled to visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.
Williams' time in Dallas was a stark dichotomy of league-wide acclaim and unbridled criticism. Williams once was considered one of the NFL's most dynamic, hard-hitting safeties. The last three seasons featured less praise and more critique, particularly regarding his pass coverage.
The Cowboys played Williams less and less in their defensive sub-packages. Last season Henry at times moved inside to cover the opposing tight end, a strategy to prevent Williams from facing one-on-one match-ups.
Prior to the 2008 season, he had played in 95 of 96 career games, starting 93. He finished his Cowboys career with 611 tackles, 56 pass breakups, 19 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles and 6.5 sacks.
When it became obvious the Cowboys likely would release Williams, his agent Jordan Woy asked the Cowboys to either trade or release his client as soon as possible so they could start combing the league for potential suitors before too much of the free agency money dries up.
The Cowboys were exploring trades for Williams, but the chances of moving him were slim given the rumors of his release.
http://i44.tinypic.com/11rf502.jpg