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It was real nice, thanks. Took my kids to see Star Wars on Friday night, went out with my wife Saturday night, watched golf and the Grammys Sunday. Didn't think about football very much at all. Good little refresher. Hope to do it again soon. Thanks for asking.

But free agency starts a month from today, and I know that's on your mind along with that little "draft" thing they have planned for late April, so let's kick off a real solid week of offseason coverage with some fresh, hot links.

New York Giants

So, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz showed up in L.A. on Sunday night to present a Grammy. But Jason Pierre-Paul will not be appearing Monday night for TNA wrestling. This was apparently a possibility from which Pierre-Paul (or someone very wise who's close to him) changed his mind.

Mike Garafolo has a look at the superstitions that the Giants carried with them to and through Super Bowl XLVI. It was impossible not to notice the Christmas decorations still up in their offices in the final week of January, but I was not aware that John Mara was wearing the same tie to every game or that David Diehl had to talk to a four-year-old before games.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeff McLane explains why it's a sure thing that the Eagles will designate DeSean Jackson as their franchise player, and why that won't end their decision-making process on Jackson, who still could be traded to a different team after the franchise tag is applied. The most important thing to remember here is that every single decision the Eagles make between now and September will be for the purpose of helping the 2012 team reach the Super Bowl. For the people running the franchise, there's nothing beyond next season right now.

Asante Samuel is another Eagle whose future is in question, and Samuel has no idea where he'll be playing next season. He says he wants to be back in Philadelphia, but it feels unlikely at this point.

Dallas Cowboys

Because I know how much you guys love your Tony Romo golf updates: Romo and Tiger Woods finished tied for 17th at Pebble Beach after Tiger fell apart Sunday. But Romo says Tiger's close to putting something special together. Tiger didn't weigh in on whether Tony is.

Blogging the Boys posits that at least part of the Cowboys' Jerry Jones problem is that Jones hasn't connected with a head coach since Jimmy Johnson, then goes on to examine whether Jason Garrett can fill that void. I'll say this: I feel pretty confident that Jones will give Garrett every chance to succeed. He's invested in Garrett in a number of ways.

Washington Redskins

Mike Jones looks at the reasons why Matt Flynn might not make sense for the Redskins as a free-agent quarterback solution. I don't think, based on what little I know about it, that Flynn is very high on the list. I'd rank him behind Kyle Orton, Peyton Manning and Robert Griffin III on the list of likely Redskins starting quarterbacks in 2012. But I have been wrong before.

John Keim has a look at Orton and whether he makes sense. He's an imperfect solution, to be sure, but if they can't trade up for Griffin or be completely convinced Manning is healthy, they're not going to find a perfect solution. Mike Shanahan likes Orton but didn't want to deal picks for him when he was available last summer. Now that it's just money ... just don't be surprised, is all.

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was the first year in which former New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and New York Jets coach Bill Parcells was eligible for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so the fact that he did not make it is not devastating. There's reason to believe he will get in eventually, but on Saturday night, he was not among the final candidates. Neither was former Cowboys great Charles Haley. My personal opinion is that they both should be in, but Parcells is the more surprising omission, so let's take a look at it.

The 44 voters are not allowed to talk about any part of the discussion they had during a 7-hour, 37-minute selection meeting here Saturday, so we are left to speculate. Here are three possible reasons you might hear for why Parcells didn't get in and my opinion on the validity of each:

1. He might come back. Parcells has retired four times and returned to football three times, most recently in 2007 as the Miami Dolphins' director of football operations. There's a sense the voters like to make sure a guy's career is really over before they elect him, which is the main reason for the five-year waiting period. While I don't have any insight into the discussion that went on Saturday, I do know many of the football writers in the room, and I don't think there's a sense among the current football media community that the 70-year-old Parcells, who now works as an ESPN studio analyst, might return to the sidelines or a front office. I do not believe this is one of the reasons he did not get elected.

2. Two Super Bowl wins isn't enough. It's impressive that Parcells won two Super Bowl titles with the Giants, but he's hardly the only coach to turn the trick. George Seifert, Jimmy Johnson and Tom Flores each won two Super Bowls, and none of them is in the Hall of Fame. Winning it twice doesn't make you automatic. Now, the primary argument for Parcells is that he built all four of the teams he coached into playoff teams, and took the Giants and the Patriots to the Super Bowl. Being able to go multiple places and build winners is impressive, and it's likely what will get him in eventually. But playoff and Super Bowl success are, I believe, major factors in this particular committee's decision-making, and two isn't three. My guess is that the names of Flores, Johnson and Seifert were brought up by people who voted against Parcells on Saturday.

3. Team-jumper? I have heard people point out that the way in which Parcells left the Patriots to jump to the Jets in 1997 remains a possible argument against him, since it could allow those who oppose his candidacy to paint him as a coach who was more interested in his own career, legacy and bank account than the success of the teams and players for which he was responsible. I think this is absurd and that Parcells' record of success should trump any such concerns, but opinions do differ, and the way Parcells went about his business did occasionally ruffle a feather or two.

Again, I think it seems clear that he eventually will get in. But he didn't make it on the first ballot, and those are my best guesses as to why not. Parcells will be in Canton this summer for the induction ceremony, however. Curtis Martin, the former Jets and Patriots running back who credits Parcells for much of his own success, was elected Saturday and said on a conference call Saturday night that Parcells will present him at the induction.

Looking for ways to improve their dismal punt return game, the New York Giants plan to hire former Dolphins, Jets and Patriots special teams whiz Larry Izzo, according to The Star-Ledger's Giants beat whiz Mike Garafolo. Izzo is a 14-year veteran who went to three Pro Bowls as a special teamer. Mike says Izzo will work as an assistant to special teams coach Tom Quinn, attempting to help "improve the team's return game (last in punt returns, next-to-last in kick returns last season) and help a punt-coverage unit that allowed the second-highest average in the NFL (14.9 yards per return) and a pair of touchdowns in 2010."

Izzo was one of those cult-hero players around whom legends would spring up, mainly because he never looked the part of the big, bad NFL star but managed to make so many who did look bad. I was covering the Dolphins in 1996, which was Jimmy Johnson's first year as coach and Izzo's first year in the league. During a preseason meeting, Johnson was going through film with the team and talking about what had to be done in order to make the team. "Make plays," Johnson said, then showed a clip of Dan Marino making one of his brilliant touchdown throws. "Dan Marino makes plays," Johnson said. "Dan Marino is on the team."

The next clip was of Izzo making an insane special teams tackle in a preseason game. Remember, this was an undrafted free agent of Rice who'd been an afterthought among anyone (inside or outside that room) who was paying attention to the potential roster. "Larry Izzo makes plays," Johnson said. "Larry Izzo is on the team." The meeting ended shortly thereafter.

That story is true. It's also the way Izzo found out he made his first NFL roster. As Izzo's career blossomed over the next decade, I never forgot the day the 1996 Dolphins were told the only two players who'd made the team so far were Dan Marino and Larry Izzo. The guy built an NFL career on fierce determination. Having him around can't be a bad thing for a special teams unit that needs more intensity.

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Cowboys -- for better or worse? Give us your take and we’ll give you our definitive moment on May 27.

Any franchise that puts a star in the middle of its field and carries the nickname “America’s Team” should have more than a few moments worth remembering. The funny thing about the Dallas Cowboys is that it isn’t that hard to nail down the turning points in the franchise’s history. The Cowboys basically had nothing going for them until a stoic, stone-faced revolutionary showed up in 1960 armed with a fedora to wear on game days and all sorts of crazy ideas about flex defenses and shotgun formations. Tom Landry didn’t claim his first conference title until 1966 -- six years after his hiring in Dallas -- but hardly anybody remembers that wait for success today. What they do recall is that Landry was the central figure in the Cowboys’ success for 29 years, right until the day new owner Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989.

Sure, Jones created instant controversy when he fired Landry. But the maverick owner with a con man’s grin had a vision that worked just fine on its own. He hired an old buddy from college named Jimmy Johnson, set him loose on the NFL and won two Super Bowls within the next five years. The only downside was Jones’ ego. It led to an eventual split between him and Johnson in 1994, and Jones never hired another dynamic coach until Bill Parcells arrived in 2003.

As we all know, the Cowboys have yet to regain the dominance that was their trademark in the 1990s. But we also have to accept something else: Whether in good times or bad, they’ve always been a franchise that has kept things interesting.

What is your Cowboys defining moment? If you vote Other, give us your suggestion in the comments area below.

Let's take a quick peek at the major stories in the division:

Cowboys

• Tony Romo and John Daly had their moments, but they didn't qualify to play in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
• Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tries to explain why folks are so upset about Sean Payton moving to North Texas.
• Is the three-headed running back concept dead for the Cowboys?
• Here's a Q&A with Jimmy Johnson regarding the Cowboys.

Eagles

• Juan Castillo will have a linebacker from the Blue Bombers to work with in training camp.
• Kevin Kolb said he was "flattered" by Larry Fitzgerald's recent comments.
• Nick Fierro of The Morning Call says Juan Castillo will have plenty of supporters on this staff.

Giants

• Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger has some video of Chad Jones' rehab work. The former LSU safety is making progress as he continues to recover from an awful car accident.
• Here's how the New York Post reacted to Garafolo's report.

Redskins

• Here's the latest update on return specialist Brandon Banks from the Post.
• Redskins safety LaRon Landry had surgery on his left wrist. Here's what he told Mike Jones of the Post about the 2011 season: "Next year is going to be a great one. We've got the tools; it's just a matter of putting them together. With Coach [Mike] Shanahan and his mindset, you know anything's possible."

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones surprised a lot of folks when he announced that Jason Garrett would have "final say" when it came to putting together a coaching staff. He also indicated that Garrett would have a lot of influence in personnel decisions. Well, here's exactly what he said at Garrett's introductory news conference earlier this month:

"Jason will have the final say on any person that leaves the coaching staff or comes to the coaching staff," said Jones. "There won't be a player on this team that Jason does not want on the team."

I bring this up again because ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins has a story today indicating that Jones still has final say when it comes to the draft. And hopefully that doesn't come as a shock to any of you. I don't even think Garrett ever requested or wished to have final say when it comes to player personnel. Only men such as Andy Reid and Mike Shanahan have that type of power in this league, and I'm not sure that's a good thing for either organization.

"The way I like to say it is that I'm not the sole decision-maker," Garrett said from the Senior Bowl on Tuesday. "A lot of people seem interested in that. We'll make the decisions collectively as an organization."

A lot of people "seem interested" because Jones went out of his way to indicate that Garrett would have unprecedented power -- for folks not named Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells. Cowboys fans seemed to embrace this news, but you can't fault some of them for having their doubts.

Jones will continue to listen to suggestions from his scouting department and coaching staff. And then he'll pull the trigger on the No. 9 pick.

Were any of you guys actually hoping Garrett would have final say in the draft?

In his weekly column for ESPNDallas.com, the incomparable Ed Werder, who's called Minneapolis home for much of this season, talked to former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson about the sad state of the Dallas Cowboys. In particular, Werder delivered some great anecdotes from a trip that Troy Aikman and Jason Garrett took to Johnson's place in the Florida Keys three years ago.

"Garrett arrived with a purpose and was thoroughly prepared, and Johnson clearly was not," writes Werder. "Garrett had several pages of questions, which he asked relentlessly. At one point, Johnson turned to Aikman, laughed and said, "I need a little break. Let's enjoy each other a little here."

"The three spent a few days discussing Garrett's role as offensive coordinator under Phillips, the Cowboys' personnel and what Garrett should be prepared to do whenever his next head coaching opportunity was presented."

Johnson told Werder, who covered those Cowboys Super Bowl teams of the 90s for the Dallas Morning News, that Garrett is already doing the right things with this team. He'd advised Garrett to start earlier in the morning with team meetings, and that's exactly what Garrett did beginning Monday. But Johnson showed some of his disgust for the current players when Werder brought up the fact that Garrett had been charged with simply trying to get them to compete each Sunday.

"That tells you how far they've fallen,'' Johnson said. "How deep their problems are, how low it has gotten when you have to tell millionaires to try. The last couple of weeks was embarrassing. It's embarrassing to anybody affiliated with the sport."

And I'll close with this gem from Johnson: "It was obvious to anybody who watched -- from the astute football person to a housewife -- that team had shut it down, and that's a shame. I don't think it's too far wrong when people said this was extremely talented team, and this year is wasted. It's a shame to see all that talent wasted.''

The good thing for Garrett is that Johnson's only a phone call away if he needs advice. The bad news is that he only has eight games to prove himself as a head coach.

Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, he of "Survivor" fame, is in Los Angeles this week doing some promotional work for Fox and preparing for a Sunday segment on how to fix his former team. Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway caught up with Johnson via phone Wednesday and asked him what was wrong with the Cowboys.

"I've been talking to Troy [Aikman] about this," Johnson told Galloway, "and when I see the penalties, the assignment mistakes and just the undisciplined nature of the Cowboys, it's hard not to yell. That stuff goes back to the coaching, whether it was once me, or someone else. There is one thing about football.

"If a team is sloppy on Sunday, it almost without exception means the team was sloppy all week in practice. And there is no excuse for that. I know Wade agrees with me on this, but there's just too much sloppiness with this football team."

And Johnson's last quote in Randy's column was a doozy:

"I watch that team, and there's sure a lot of struttin' going on. What's that about? This team has won how many playoff games in how many years? And they strut around out there like they've got Super Bowl rings. For me, there's way too much struttin' going on and not enough winning going on."

And that's coming from a guy who now has an excellent relationship with Jerry Jones. I'm anxious to see what Johnson says next.

Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson talked with "Galloway & Co." on ESPN Radio 103.3 about how he fared on "Survivor" and assessed the 2010 Dallas Cowboys through what's been seen so far in preseason.

Johnson also weighed in on whether he would be supportive of an 18-game regular-season schedule.

"I would have preferred to have an 18-game regular-season schedule and no preseason games," said Johnson. "I hated preseason. Really, people say that you need four preseason games. That's ridiculous! That fourth game, they don't even play anybody and really that first one, they only play a series.

"You could get away with two preseason games, get your team ready and hey, it's a level playing field for everybody. Everybody's going to have two preseason games. And I think with the 18 regular-season games, it maybe helps them get that collective bargaining agreement signed. Get the union and the owners together, it will add more money to the pot for those veterans. Now they have to work on that rookie pay scale and make sure the rookies don't get these huge contracts when they don't deserve it. There's only so much money in the pie. Add a little money with those two regular-season games, give that money to the veterans and restrict how much money these rookies are getting -- and then get the agreement signed."

Hopefully Roger Goodell is reading the Beast today -- per his usual routine.

Let's take a quick trip around the division to see what's going on this morning:

Cowboys

• DallasNews.com has provided a transcript of Andre Gurode's appearance on Dallas-Fort Worth's ESPN 103.3's "Galloway and Company" on Tuesday. The Beast participated in the interview.

• Tom Pedulla of USA Today takes a look at the challenge in front of the Cowboys.

• Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com reports that Jimmy Johnson will appear in the 21st season of "Survivor" on CBS.
  

• Someone named Jacoby Jones is talking trash about the Cowboys.

Eagles

• That Christina Lurie feature you guys have been asking me about? Here it is in all it's glory.

• Les Bowen says it's unlikely the Eagles will sign Chester Pitts.

• Reuben Frank says that Ellis Hobbs was hurting last season.

Giants

• Paul Schwartz reports that Antrell Rolle is the real deal.

• The Star-Ledger checks in with Hakeem Nicks.

Redskins

• Oops, it looks like Antwaan Randle El has some words for Dan Snyder.

• The Examiner wonders if Donovan McNabb will spark a turnaround.

For some reason when an irate Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson was telling a player the "asthma field's over there" in the early '90s, it never occurred to me that he would one day appear on a CBS reality show. But that's exactly what will happen when the 67-year-old Johnson appears on "Survivor: Nicaragua" this fall.

I stopped watching when part-time nudist Richard Hatch took home the trophy ($1 million) in Season 1, but I'm told that we're entering Season 21 this fall. Perhaps the show will challenge ER's epic run, which was aided in part by Noah Wyle's inability to find another gig.

For Johnson, it's a chance to enhance his national profile. He's already a studio analyst for Fox Sports. And in recent months, he's enhanced other areas of his life. When Johnson's coaching career ended with the Dolphins, some folks thought he'd remain on a beach in Florida. But he's experienced a rebirth of sorts in recent years.

Perhaps seeing his former pal/boss Jerry Jones on a recent episode of "Entourage" inspired Johnson to become a contestant on "Survivor." He'll definitely be entertaining, although I think Barry Switzer would've been the better choice. I can't help but wonder how the great Tom Landry would've responded if he'd been asked to appear on a reality series such as "Big Brother 14." I think he may have passed on the opportunity.

So will you guys watch "Survivor: Nicaragua" now that you know Johnson's involved? I'm all in -- unless of course there's a conflict with "Monday Night Football." If you guys could select any former or current NFL player or coach to be on the show, who would it be?

I'd probably go with the Manster, Randy White.

Some of you might recall Emmitt Smith predicting last summer that the '09 Cowboys would finish 7-9 and miss the playoffs. During a conference call Monday, I gave Smith the opportunity to make a prediction for this season. He stopped short of predicting a trip to the Super Bowl, but he's a lot more optimistic this time around.

"This year, they have a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to,'' Smith said of the Cowboys. "Hopefully those guys have taken this offseason and said next year should be our time. They made giant strides.''

Smith's 7-9 prediction stung some of the current Cowboys last year and they brought it up again when they finally won a playoff game. When I asked Smith on Monday whether he was willing to predict a Super Bowl appearance for the Cowboys, he said, "I think they have the potential to get there."

Sounds like a man who's gotten out of the prediction business. But the fact that Smith said this Cowboys team reminded him a lot of his '91 team is high praise. That Jimmy Johnson-led team broke through to win a wild-card game before being destroyed by Detroit the next week. In '92, the Cowboys bounced back to win the Super Bowl.

In other news, Smith said he's completed his Hall of Fame speech. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will present Smith at the Hall of Fame ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, next month. Smith said he had to make a tough choice between Jones and Daryl "Moose" Johnston.

Asked if he'd try to match Michael Irvin's powerful speech, Smith said it's not something that had entered his mind. He said his speech will be the ultimate "thank-you opportunity," so I'd set the over-under on names mentioned at 50. I attended his retirement speech a few years back, and he mentioned so many names that it became comical.

Now if I could just figure out why a reporter decided to pepper Smith with questions about his experience on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Didn't he win that contest like five years ago?

Notable players: RB Joe Morris, LB Lawrence Taylor, TE Mark Bavaro, T Brad Benson, DE Leonard Marshall, NT Jim Burt, LB Harry Carson, QB Phil Simms

Analysis: Some longtime members of the organization tried to talk me into the ’90 team based on the Jeff Hostetler theory, but I held strong. The Giants had the most dominant defensive player in the game with Taylor and Morris still had his legs at that point. Simms was the Super Bowl MVP after he completed a ridiculous 22 of 25 passes.

The ’86 team was dominant enough to destroy teams in the playoffs. In the divisional game and the NFC title game, the Giants’ defense gave up a combined three points. The ’90 and ’07 Super Bowl teams were special in their own rights, but I believe the ’86 team was among the best in league history.

It was during the ’86 season that the world took notice of Bill Parcells’ Gatorade baths, which were started as a prank by Jim Burt. And after overhearing some of Burt’s stories during a Cowboys training camp a few years ago, that’s probably not the only prank he pulled.

I would’ve really enjoyed watching the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys teams of the ‘90s play against Parcells’ Giants teams. They both had the same foundation: A group of relentless pass-rushers who made it almost impossible for opposing quarterbacks to find any rhythm. A lot of folks in the Giants’ organization think the fact that Parcells won a Super Bowl with Hostetler playing a large role suggests how strong his supporting cast was. And while I appreciate that argument, I’d still take the ’86 Giants.

Most impressive win: This Giants team reeled off 12 consecutive wins, but the most impressive was against the Redskins in the playoffs. Joe Gibbs had an excellent team, but the Giants beat the Skins twice in the regular season and then shut them out 17 -0 in the playoffs. I loved watching Morris in the playoffs. He didn’t have a lot of size, but he kept his legs churning at all times and was a vital part of the ’86 Super Bowl team. I think Parcells still feels guilty that he later ran Morris into the ground.

Best player: Lots of great players on this team, but Taylor, the Hall of Fame linebacker, wins in a rout. The MVP and Defensive Player of the Year had 20.5 sacks in 1986, the fifth-highest total of all time.

Honorable mention

1990: Simms was injured, but the Giants weren’t going to be denied in the playoffs. It was a remarkable season and at that point we thought Parcells would have several more Lombardi trophies in him.

2007: The David Tyree catch never gets old. It was a case of a team catching fire at the right time. But unlike some pundits, I’ve never used that to take away from what that team accomplished. Now we know how special that pass rush was after watching things disintegrate last season.

2000: Wait, did that team really play in the Super Bowl? Hey, it was an excellent team. But nowhere close to as dominant as the ones I ranked ahead of it.

Notable players: QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith, FB Daryl Johnston, WR Michael Irvin, G Nate Newton, C Mark Stepnoski, OT Erik Williams, TE Jay Novacek, DT Russell Maryland, LB Ken Norton, DE Charles Haley

Analysis: I could make the argument that the ’94 team that lost to the 49ers in the NFC title game was the best, but I’ll save that one for another day. In ’93, Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys had an enormous target on their backs and the team began the season with Smith in a holdout. Disgusted by an 0-2 start without Smith, Jerry Jones quickly signed the running back to a new contract. The Cowboys ran off seven straight wins and finished the season 12-4.

Dallas sent 11 players to the Pro Bowl after the season, and they could’ve had a few more on defense. If not for Smith’s holdout, this was the type of team that might have made a run at a perfect season. The Triplets were unstoppable, and the Cowboys had perhaps the best offensive line in the league. The Roger Staubach teams of the '70s were formidable, but I just don’t think they were as deep as Johnson’s teams of the early '90s.

The Doomsday defense from the late '70s trumps the defense from the early '90s, but the Triplets surpassed what Staubach, Tony Dorsett and Drew Pearson accomplished.

Most impressive win: It’s too easy to say the Super Bowl, so give me the overtime victory in the Meadowlands over the Giants to end the regular season. The win gave the Cowboys the division title and a wild-card bye week. In that 16-13 win, Smith had one of the best individual efforts in club history. Playing with a separated shoulder, he rushed for 168 yards and caught 10 passes.

Best player: How can you not go with the guy who won the NFL’s MVP award, the Super Bowl MVP and the rushing title in the same season? Let’s go with Emmitt.

Honorable mention

1977: The Super Bowl champions were dominant on both sides of the ball. Dallas began the season 8-0. The Broncos didn’t belong on same field in the Super Bowl. Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Harvey Martin and Randy “Manster” White put the “Doom” in Doomsday.

1992: You almost forget how Jimmy Johnson could send waves of pass-rushers at quarterbacks. Tony Tolbert had more sacks than Haley in ’92. And Maryland and Leon Lett were just beginning to figure things out. The collection of talent was remarkable. The Triplets truly began to impose their will on opponents.

1971: Some of the great defensive players from the early days -- Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley, Lee Roy Jordan -- finally got their championship. The offense scored 29 points per game and the Cowboys won by an average of 13.1 points per game.

Special thanks to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for clearing up the curious case of Roy Williams. During a wide-ranging interview with North Texas reporters Sunday, Jones said he would lead the battle against complacency following the Cowboys' first playoff win in 12 seasons.

But fortunately for Williams, he's been grandfathered into Jones' old philosophy, which is applied to embarrassing investments. When I asked Wade Phillips on Friday what he would do if someone like, say, Kevin Ogletree outperformed Williams in the offseason, the Cowboys coach quickly said he would "play the best player, no matter what."

This may have sounded like good news to Cowboys fans who briefly forgot that Phillips doesn't have final authority in such decisions. And two days later, Jones cleared things up when asked if he could envision a scenario in which Williams was benched.

"No. No. A big no," said Jones, as if Williams' starting spot was untouchable.

On a day in which the eternally optimistic owner tried to set an ominous tone, this qualified as classic doublespeak. The Cowboys gave up the bulk of their '09 draft and about $45 million for Williams, who delivered 38 catches last season and became a marginal part of the offense once Miles Austin was unleashed on the league in early November. In basically guaranteeing Williams a starting spot while threatening other players on the '09 roster, Jones has sent a confusing message: "Your job's on the line this offseason -- unless the loss of that job would embarrass the Jones family."

Among the many reasons he has given for releasing Terrell Owens last offseason, Jones said the talented but combustible wide receiver was a progress stopper. The owner didn't think receivers such as Austin and Sam Hurd could reach their full potential as long as T.O. was getting reps. Now it's fair to say that Williams might be impeding the progress of a second-year player such as Ogletree. Anyone who watched the Cowboys down the stretch knows that Williams was rarely on quarterback Tony Romo's radar. And when the Cowboys were attempting to clinch a huge win in New Orleans late in the fourth quarter, Williams remained on the sideline.

But now the onus is back on the coaches. It's up to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett -- and even the defense-minded Phillips -- to tap into Williams' talent and save face for the owner in the process. It's a strange way to do business. Jones almost believes that he can will a player to reach his potential by simply placing blind faith in him and making sure said player doesn't feel threatened in any way. And really, we're all searching for an employer -- or significant other -- such as Jones. Someone who offers unconditional support and trust while asking for minimal return on their investment.

Meanwhile, Jones has indicated that Ogletree, an undrafted rookie in '09, will have to pay the price if he wants to see the field in 2010. The owner indicated that Ogletree's future was hanging in the balance.

"If he comes in and works as hard as Miles Austin worked, then he's got a real upside," Jones said. "If he kind of floats in and floats around during our offseason and [organized team activities], then he might not see a roster spot. I'm serious."

That's right, folks. The least shall be first -- to be released if they "float" around during the offseason. But if you once had a 1,000-yard season in Detroit and are guaranteed $13 million in 2010, rest easy. Personally, I preferred Jones' '09 message that the team would play to the level of its new stadium. I once poked fun at that rallying cry, but in light of Jones' Sunday conversation, maybe he should stick with the massive HD screen as a motivating force.

"Last year, it was not any fun in the offseason," Jones said. "Everybody was pointing fingers. We were pointing fingers. I want some of that right now. I want some people nervous. I want our players nervous."

And with more mixed messages like the one he delivered Sunday, Jones will also make Cowboys fans nervous. If you want to create an uncomfortable atmosphere, exempting certain players doesn't seem like the way to go. Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson gave certain players special treatment while tormenting others.

He just made sure the special treatment was applied to the players who earned it. Fortunately for Williams, times have changed.