A healthy suggestion

It doesn't get more indepensable than No. 81

The Dallas Cowboys officially started its training camp practices over the weekend. I think we could all go over the objectives for the Cowboys in the next three weeks and, frankly, there's going to be two dozen stories in local media about the many storylines and questions still lingering with this team.

Dave Campo. Roy Williams. Wade Phillips. Tony Romo. Terry Glenn. Greg Ellis. Bobby Carpenter. Pacman Jones. Mike Jenkins. Marion Barber. Felix Jones.

That's to name a few.

But this is the true objective, main goal for the Cowboys and the hope and dream of their fans: Stay healthy.

Already, the Washington Redskins lost defensive end Phillip Daniels for the year during the first drill of their camp. The Eagles are sitting Asante Samuel for a couple of weeks with a bum hamstring. Over the next several weeks, we'll read more about major, catastrophic injuries to important players on a number of unsuspecting teams.


There's little you can do about it except sit the guys down, which isn't a bad idea.

If Terrell Owens wants to ride a stationary bike for the next month, so be it. Tony Romo wants to feel up Jessica Simpson? Go for it.


Training camp is important, but there really comes a time when the veteran player isn't going to get a heck of a whole lot out of sweating their balls off running 7-on-7 drills and possible snapping some ligaments in their knee and winding up in traction.

Here's the five dudes the Cowboys could not truly live without.

5. Flozell Adams
Not a stranger to the IR. If he goes down, it's any combo of Pat McQuistan, Doug Free and/or James Marten.

4. Ken Hamlin
Have you seen the safety depth chart? Paging Pete Hunter. Paging Pete Hunter.

3. DeMarcus Ware
We've seen what happens when the Cowboys have no pass rush: Roy Williams is forced to cover people.

2. Tony Romo
Sure, there's the on-field stuff, the amazing plays and the leadership. But if Romo goes out for 10 weeks, how does that affect the way fans watch and root? There are fan favorites, then there's Romo.

1. Terrell Owens
He goes, so does the Cowboys offense whether he catches a pass or not. He spreads the field, forces a series of defenders to pay him some respect and opens everything else up. Nothing against Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd or whoever, but they can't hold Owens' jock. And he's not a spring chicken.