Dallas Cowboys Update: Preseason Starts with New Questions

The sports betting fans in Dallas are getting ready for a preseason they did not think would happen. But the Dallas Cowboys seem to be filled with more questions than answers as the team prepares to take on the Denver Broncos Thursday in the preseason opener. Changes in some key positions, and no changes in other positions, have created tense moments for the Cowboys’ fans who are unsure as to what to expect in 2011.

Felix Jones prepares to take on the role of the primary running back after the departure of Marion Barber in the off-season. But NFL betting lines fans remember Jones as the running back that could not stay healthy his first two seasons. Barber was the one that was carrying the load for Dallas while Jones was hurt. When Jones was able to play, he was an electric and exciting running back. But fans are wondering if the loss of Barber will give more time to new back-up running back Tashard Choice as opposed to allowing Jones to flourish as the starter.

The biggest question floating around Valley Ranch involves the Dallas defense. The one major change made to the Cowboys’ defensive unit was new coordinator Rob Ryan. Aside from that, the players on the field are the exact same unit as last year. The defensive secondary was unable to keep up with some offensive opponents, and the defensive line had issues in containing the run. But the Cowboys feel that a change in scheme will help the current players to be more successful and bring out the best in this defensive unit.

NFL fans in Dallas remember Kyle Kosier as being an effective left tackle in the 2010 season. But the addition of rookie right guard Tyron Smith in the 2011 draft means that Kosier will be playing right tackle in 2011. The move does make sense. Kosier has a comfort level on the right side, and he can work with the rookie Smith to develop his skills. That also gives veteran left tackle Doug Free the chance to work with rookie left guard David Arkin. Having two rookies at guard is a risk that the Cowboys are willing to take. It may help an offensive line that had a lot of problems last season, or it could be another step backwards for the Cowboys’ offensive unit.

The Dallas Cowboys love taking their training camp show on the road, but the shortened training camp this season made it difficult for the Cowboys to make multiple stops on their way to Valley Ranch. The Alamodome in San Antonio has been one of the homes of the Dallas Cowboys training camp for the past few years, but the Cowboys are not committing to coming back in 2012. Each team in the NFL picks its training camp sites for extended periods of four and five years. Now is the time for the Cowboys to re-sign their five-year commitment to the Alamodome, and the Cowboys are not certain that they want to do that just yet.

Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Still Leading The West, Cowboys Hit The Ground Running

Bet Eagle clients are gearing up for a busy time of year in Dallas as the Texas Rangers are headed into the stretch run to the playoffs, and they’ve got their hands full with Los Angeles in the American League West. However, the Cowboys are back and that threatens to grab all of the attention in your sports betting book.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers will be ready to head back home after a road trip that saw them lose four of their first five games in Toronto and Detroit, and they’ll be aiming to avoid a sweep in the Motor City on Thursday afternoon against the Tigers. That leaves the Rangers with a one-game lead over the Angels in the West ahead of that matinee with the Tigers, and Texas will head back home in time for the beginning of their weekend set against Cleveland, who are trying to keep pace with Detroit in the Central, so you know they’ll bring their A-game. Following that series, the Rangers will welcome Seattle to the Ballpark and will likely be the MLB betting favorites, but Texas has to get their act together and do the little things that they seem to have trouble with on the road.

Dallas Cowboys

The lockout ended last week and the Cowboys wasted no time; the major releases were Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Marc Colombo and Kris Brown, while rookies Tyron Smith, DeMarco Murray and Bruce Carter were signed. Linemen Doug Free and Kyle Kosier were re-signed, and along with Smith, they’ll be counted on to keep quarterback Tony Romo on his feet. But you don’t need a Bet Online review to tell you that the Cowboys have to sort out their problems in the secondary, and they missed out on claiming cornerback Nmandi Asomugha, who signed with Dallas’ NFC East rivals from Philadelphia. There isn’t much else out there as Antonio Cromartie decided to re-sign with the New York Jets, so the Cowboys have to deal with who they have, and they can’t afford another season like 2010, when their secondary was lit up on a consistent basis. Philadelphia has improved (although Dallas fans should keep an eye on the contract discussions between DeSean Jackson and the Eagles), while the New York Giants should have a solid aerial attack and Washington…..well, the Eagles and Giants will be tough to stop. It’ll be interesting to see if the Cowboys can swing any more moves before Week 1 kicks off on September 11^th in New York (technically, New Jersey) against the Jets. However, the Cowboys begin preseason action on August 11^th at home against Denver, and they should be the sports betting favorites for that contest.

Dallas Cowboys Update: How Did the Cowboys Do in Free Agency?

At 6:00 PM EST on Friday July 29, all chaos broke loose in the NFL free agency market as teams only had a few days to sign players. The sports betting experts were watching to see where key free agents such as Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha would end up, and Cowboys fans were hoping that the Dallas Cowboys would improve their defense in some way on the open market.

When the dust settled, the NFL betting lines had definitely changed. But Cowboys fans were left wondering what the plan was at Valley Ranch and if the team was trying to gear up for a Super Bowl run. Last year was the ultimate in disappointment if you are a Cowboys fan. This year there have been some changes, but fans will have to see if it will be enough for the Cowboys to make it to the playoffs in 2011.

The first area to look at to see how the Cowboys did in free agency is to see what kind of activity Dallas had in the NFL open market. With all of the potential help that was out there in the defensive secondary, the Cowboys made no free agent signings. Asomugha, cornerback Antonio Cromartie from the Jets and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the Cardinals were all on the open market and none of them went to Dallas. Much to the dismay of Cowboys fans, Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie both went to the Philadelphia Eagles. A change like that in Philly could go a long way to pointing out the inadequacies of the Cowboys’ own defensive secondary.

The Cowboys did manage to keep some key players and prevent them from getting into the open market. Offensive tackle Doug Free was going to be a hot free agent until the Cowboys signed him to a four-year deal. Defensive end Marcus Spears was retained by Dallas, along with offensive guard Kyle Kosier.

The betonline reviews on the players that the Cowboys let go is mixed. Veteran wide receiver Roy Williams never seemed to fit in to the Dallas offense, so letting him go was a natural move. Running back Marion Barber became part of a crowded Dallas backfield and was the odd-man out. Offensive tackle Marc Colombo and defensive end Stephen Bowen could have been contributors to the Cowboys’ success in 2011, but both were allowed to leave the team via free agency.

The one player that has not been signed by the Cowboys, or any other team at this point, that stands out is safety Gerald Sensabaugh. The Dallas Cowboys have continually ignored their weaknesses in the defensive backfield for the past two or three years. When quality players are available in free agency, the Cowboys do no pursue them. When the Cowboys needed a safety or offensive lineman in the 2010 draft, they took wide receiver Dez Bryant instead.

With Sensabaugh still not signed to a contract, it shows that the Cowboys feel that they have a plan in the backfield but they are unwilling to let anyone know what that plan may be. New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has his hands full trying to put together a defense that can compete for Dallas. Considering the moves that Dallas made in free agency, Ryan’s job just got more difficult.

Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Working To Improve, Cowboys Back In Business

ABC per head customers in the Dallas area have probably had a busy week between the baseball diamond and the football field as the Texas Rangers now have to share the sports betting spotlight with the Dallas Cowboys now that the NFL lockout is over. The Rangers are aiming to improve their team ahead of the trade deadline on Sunday, while the Cowboys are trying to make a splash via free agency.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers ended the week poorly after winning two of three at home against Toronto last weekend, but all is not lost; they can still earn a split of their four-game set at the Ballpark against Minnesota with a win on Thursday night against the Twins. Texas exploded for 20 runs on 27 hits in the first game of the series, but MLB betting players watched Neftali Feliz continue to have a strange campaign as he blew his fifth save of the year in a 9-8 loss, and then the Rangers were thumped 7-2 on Wednesday night. The Rangers will head to Toronto and Detroit next week, and it’ll be interesting to see what the team looks like by the time they arrive in the Motor City, as Texas is in the running to acquire closer Heath Bell from San Diego, but they missed out on slugger Carlos Beltran, who was dealt by the New York Mets to the San Francisco Giants.

Dallas Cowboys

Whatever attention the CFL was getting will now be taken over by the NFL as the lockout ended on Monday, and the Cowboys have been hot on the heels of free-agent cornerback Nmandi Asomugha, who would really provide a spark in a secondary that was often burned last season. A number of players have been or are on their way to being released, such as running back Marion Barber, receiver Roy Williams, tackle Marc Colombo and kicker Kris Brown, among others. One signing that the Cowboys did make was tackle Doug Free, who received a four-year deal worth $32 million, and Dallas knows that they have keep quarterback Tony Romo on the field after last season’s broken clavicle. Guard Kyle Kosier was also re-signed to a three-year deal worth $9 million, and they will be joined up front by rookie tackle Tyron Smith and center Andre Gurode, but they have to find a replacement for guard Leonard Davis, who is on his way out of Dallas. Now, look for the Cowboys to focus their efforts on Asomugha, the jewel of the free-agent market and one of the top three cornerbacks in the game. If the Cowboys can lure him to “Jerry’s World”, look for their sports betting odds to make a move.

Dallas Cowboys News: Tony Romo Injury Update

The betting world was waiting for the final prognosis on the broken collarbone of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Well the final answer is in, and it is not good news for NFL betting fans of the Dallas Cowboys. Romo will not have surgery on his collarbone, which means that the fracture will have to be given time to heal naturally. The normal time for a player to be out with an injury like this is six to eight weeks. With only 10 weeks left in the Cowboys season, Romo’s injury could signal the end of the playoff hopes in Dallas.

Ever since the Romo injury there have been questions raised as to the mental and physical toughness of the team. Inevitably, those kinds of questions fall on the shoulders of the coach, and Dallas head coach Wade Phillips is feeling the weight of those questions.

With preseason NFL predictions that had the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, but NFL scores that show the reality to be quite something else, the Dallas media is once again asking whether or not Wade Phillips will make it to the end of the season as the Dallas head coach. A laid back coach trying to gain the respect of a locker room full of superstars is a difficult combination. It worked for Marv Levy in Buffalo, but it may not be the answer for Wade Phillips and the Dallas Cowboys.

Injuries seem to be one of the silent killers of the Dallas Cowboys season. Rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant is still feeling the effects of an ankle injury he sustained in the first week of the preseason. He has been held out of many of the drills in practice and does not expect to participate in a full practice this week. Despite his injury, Bryant was still able to return a punt return for a touchdown in the week seven Monday night loss to the Giants. He does not appear to show any ill effects from the ankle injury, but it can affect his ability to plant and cut when running routes.

Another injury of significance is to cornerback Terence Newman who is still recovering from a rib injury. Newman is also seeing limited time in practice and it is unclear as to how much his rib discomfort is affecting his play.

To add to the Cowboys offensive problems, the left offensive guard position will be filled this week by third-stringer Phil Costa. The blind side guard position is normally played by starter Kyle Kosier. But neither Kosier nor back-up Montrae Holland are healthy enough to practice this week. That means that back-up quarterback Jon Kitna will be put in the position of turning the Cowboys season around without really knowing if his blind side is safe.

The Cowboys may finally have to give the ball more to their running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones now that Tony Romo is injured. Each back is averaging less than 10 carries per game, but with Romo out the offensive focus could shift to a running game that was touted as the best in the NFL prior to the start of the season.

NFL Week 5 Preview: Dallas Cowboys vs Tennessee Titans

Dallas Cowboys vs Tennessee Titans Preview
The Cowboys have everything going for them this week, they are coming off a bye and will face a struggling Titans team at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys need to take advantage of their good fortune this time. Last week the Titans couldn’t get anything going on offense or defense against the Broncos. Outside of running back Chris Johnson the Titans have looked lost for most of this season. Their defense struggled against the Broncos passing attack last week, and will face a Cowboys team with even more weapons.

If the Cowboys can play the like they did against the Texans they will have no problem dispatching the Titans. The bye week came at the right time, giving the long list of injured Cowboys a chance to rest: Jason Witten (knee), Kyle Kosier (knee), Dez Bryant (ribs, hips), Marc Colombo (knee) and Mike Jenkins (knee).

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Dallas Cowboys Update: Dallas Comes Through in Houston

Things were looking sketchy in Dallas after the first two weeks of the season. The sports book makers were starting to second guess their choice of Dallas as one of the NFC favorites to get to the Super Bowl. The offense was not clicking and the special teams were terrible. The NFL betting world was turning on America’s Team and rumors about coaching jobs and quarterback benchings were starting to fly.

Then the Cowboys went in to Houston and beat a legitimate playoff contender in the Houston Texans. The NFL scores the first couple of weeks were against the Cowboys, but the week three game saw a 27-13 win for Dallas. Now Wade Phillips’ job is safe again, Tony Romo is one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks again and Jerry Jones is starting to force a smile.

While the win was significant for the Cowboys, the team is still 1-2 on the season. They will need to put together a string of wins if the locker room division is going to stop, and the finger-pointing at coaches and players is going to stop as well. The players tried to keep the problems among themselves, and Phillips kept acting like he has the answers but no one is listening. We will see what future games will bring.

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Dallas Cowboys: Cause for Preseason Concern?

Read more great Dallas Cowboys Content from Ben at Blue Star Daily, Ben can also be found on Twitter @BenBulljive
With one more game remaining in the preseason, the Cowboys have been a hop topic for discussion since their horrible performance last Saturday in that 23-7 lost to the Houston Texans.

In that game, the Cowboys looked out of sync, discombobulated, and worn down as they were physically beaten by the Texans and raised some eye brows about the super bowl contender.

Will the red zone woes from last season carry over to this season? Can the offensive line hold up enough to keep Romo off his back? Or, can Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh provide the consistent play at the safety positions this defense has desperately needed in past years.

So, here are four concerns for the Cowboys going into the last preseason game.  More importantly, these are areas they need to address with the regular season right around the corner: Read more