Jerry Jones seems fairly certain that Greg Ellis will not be a member of the Dallas Cowboys this season ("probably likely" in his words).

It has the potential to be a disastrous move.

Here's why: The Cowboys, if Ellis is indeed traded or cut, will have little proven depth behind starters DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. The Cowboys drafted both Victor Butler and Brandon Williams in the fourth-round and expect them to be the backups.

The problem is it's likely one or both of Ware and Spencer will miss time in 2009. Ware has been exceedingly healthy over his four years in Dallas. He's started every game. Is he due for an injury?

Spencer looked great in training camp last season, but never regained his play-making form after missing four games with knee and hamstring injuries. We never saw the impact player we were expecting. He had just one and a half sacks.

Former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells would say he was in the "contingency business," meaning he was always looking out for the worst-case scenario. If Spencer or Ware get hurt, the Cowboys would be relying on a fourth-round pick or would be forced to move Bobby Carpenter outside again.

If Jones and the Cowboys believe they are a team that can go deep into the playoffs, which I'm pretty sure they think they are, it doesn't make sense to risk exposing a thin secondary with a lack of a pass rush, especially if there is an injury.

Ellis is a great insurance policy. He's also a great mentor for Spencer, Williams and Butler. Kind of like how he helped that Ware guy. Plus, Ellis can still produce.

Coach Wade Phillips likes Spencer, calling him "a real talented player."

Phillips is hoping Spencer reaches his potential. Ellis is a proven player, a leader his teammates look to. His 20.5 sacks the past two season will be hard to replace. His locker room presence even harder for a team that lacks leaders.

Of course this really all comes down to money. Ellis is due to make $4.15 million in 2009.

Ellis' agent says there's a slim possibility Ellis could return to the Cowboys.

That would be the best for the Cowboys and Ellis may realize it's the best way for him to go out.

1 Comments

Jason said:

no way, Ellis may still be a decent player(and probably a really great guy) but his whining is really getting old. year in and year out he whines about $$, he whines about the team trying to replace it, he whines about this and he whines about that. let him go whine is someone else's locker room. The Cowboys began the off-season by ridding themselves of "problem players" and Ellis is just the next one on the list. Not as bad as those who have gone before him but his negativity is not needed in the locker room. just my opinion.

May 28, 2009 5:28 PM

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