As most know, Terry Glenn has recently made comments in which he has made it clear he wants to be released if the Cowboys (more specifically, Jerry Jones) make him sign the now infamous "injury waiver." Potentially, this could impact the Cowboys in arguably the weakest area of the skill positions on the roster. If Glenn is in fact released, the 'Boys will have Terrell Owens and not much else. Patrick Crayton would fill the second receiver spot--which he did formidably last season, and hopefully has improved more--and we then will be forced to rely on the young and inexperienced Sam Hurd and Miles Austin. Now, word around Valley Ranch is that the coaching staff is impressed with the strides Austin and Hurd have made and could easily become solid receivers. A big gamble, however.
Essentially, the injury waiver calls for a reduction in Glenn's salary from his $1.74 million guaranteed deal to $500,000 guaranteed--should he re-injure his knee. If there is not injury, then he will keep his original deal.
It is quite obvious that Jerry Jones is pinching his pennies here. In 2007 the Cowboys had a payroll of $106.6 million, so what is another measly million (POSSIBLE million) on top of that? Jerry Jones has thrown away much more money with much less production from players in the past (see Shante Carver and Dwayne Goodrich as notable examples). All of a sudden Mr. Jones (not Pacman...or, eh, Adam) is trying to be a man of principle, which is undoubtedly puzzling to most fans who have followed the Cowboys for any amount of time. Players are signed all the time with the risk that they may get injured, and Glenn is no different. If he were showing no desire to recover or not taking the necessary precautions to get back on the field, there might be an issue. But Glenn has done nothing but focus on helping his team and has handled his comeback well.
However, there are two sides to every story. Last season Terry Glenn was paid around $5 million for four (4) plays. If you do the simple math, that means he made $1.25 million per play. Now I am no personal accountant, but i'm moderately sure Glenn can feed his family on $5 million along with the worst case $500,000 he would make this year. He had his payday last season, and he didn't produce anything, so it may be fair for him to give up a little this year.
Patrick Crayton, perhaps hoping to hold on to the #2 receiver spot, seemed to side with Jones, saying "Jerry has a valid point saying we paid you (a $5 million roster bonus last year) and it's the least you can do." Logically, this makes sense, and is something I'm sure everyone is thinking. However, I do not think it is the place for Patrick Crayton to be offering his opinion. It is never a good thing to take sides in an argument between a teammate and a boss. Remember that, kids.
Appearing happy just to be interviewed, an overly excited Sam Hurd said this: "Hopefully he comes back to the team. We could really use him and everybody in our receiving corps loves Terry, I love Terry a lot." A much more neutral and tactful reply. However, it is possible that Hurd is revealing a little too much to the public with his worship-like comment about Glenn.
So now, due to this scuffle of player and owner/GM/controller of everything, the team is not unified. Not only does this affect Glenn and his role on the team, but is clearly causing more friction than a frivolous million should. One player decides not to back his buddy; another admits his love for him...this could be a strange training camp.
For this to be resolved, one man needs to decide to be the bigger man and bite the bullet. Neither will take a huge financial hit--this is a battle of pride. The quicker this is accomplished, the quicker the team can move on...and the quicker the media can return to its microscope coverage of T.O. If both men truly want to see the team succeed, they will reach an agreement quickly.
In other news, rumors are circulating about Anthony Henry being converted to a safety (bye-bye Roy Williams, possibly?) and Javon Walker is now asking to be dubbed "Pacman Walker" after his incident in Las Vegas. Hamlin, Henry, Jones, Newman and rookie Mike Jenkins have the potential to be a great secondary. We'll see.
Next up is coverage of the Dallas Desperados as they begin they're hopefully lengthy playoff run. Arena Bowl 2008!
Also be on the look for Texas Rangers coverage (above .500!) and a rare look at FC Dallas.
--PD
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