http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/3501 Recent articles about Marcus Spears en-us 2005 had its share of stars in the 1st round but also had a handful of busts check to see where your teams pick did............. 1. Alex Smith, quarterback, 49ers: When the first overall pick is competing three years later with Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan for the starting job, that's by definition a BUST. 2. Ronnie Brown, running back, Dolphins: After a so-so first year, Brown has been solid. A torn ACL derailed his opportunity to have a strong third year. Though he hasn't lived up to the billing of the No. 2 overall pick, we're not yet ready to call him a bust. (But we could be after 2008.) 3. Braylon Edwards, receiver, Browns: Edward is becoming one of the best receivers in the league. Clearly, not a bust. 4. Cedric Benson, running back, Bears: He's been a disappointment on the field, and his arrest conjures memories of past incidents in college. Without question, he's a BUST. 5. Cadillac Williams, running back, Buccaneers: Williams made a huge splash as a rookie, but can't stay healthy. After rupturing a patellar tendon in 2007, he might not play again. If he does, he might never be the same. Based on his top-five selection, he's a BUST. 6. Pacman Jones, cornerback, Titans: BUST 7. Troy Williamson, receiver, Vikings: We once tried to throw Williamson a compliment, but he dropped that, too. BUST. 8. Antrel Rolle, cornerback, Cardinals: When a cornerback might be shifted to safety at only age 25, it's not because he's a great cornerback. BUST. 9. Carlos Rogers, cornerback, Redskins: He's on the path to being declared a bust. We'll give him one more year. 10. Mike Williams, receiver, Lions: Maybe he wouldn't have been a BUST if the Lions had made him an offensive lineman. 11. DeMarcus Ware, linebacker, Cowboys: A 2006 Pro Bowl + a 2007 Pro Bowl = not a bust. 12. Shawne Merriman, linebacker, Chargers: He could still be a bust if he gets suspended again for steroids (or blown up on a regular basis by a pint-sized running back); for now, though, Merriman is clearly not a bust. 13. Jammal Brown, tackle, Saints: The Pro Bowler in 2006 slipped a bit last year, and the Saints were rumored to be shopping him. Still, he's not a bust. 14. Thomas Davis, safety/linebacker, Panthers: He's not spectacular, but he started 16 games in 2007. Not a bust. 15. Derrick Johnson, linebacker, Chiefs: Johnson made a splash as a rookie and hasn't taken it quite to the next level in two years since, but he's not a bust. 16. Travis Johnson, defensive tackle, Texans: When the biggest hit of your career is one that you unknowingly put on a quarterback's head with your knee, you might be a redneck. And a BUST. 17. David Pollack, linebacker, Bengals: Though he was on his way to becoming a great player, a neck injury ended his career early in his second season. Unfortunately, he must be declared a BUST. 18. Erasmus James, defensive end, Vikings: Knee problems have slowed his development, but barring injury to Jared Allen and Ray Edwards (and maybe Brian Robison), James won't be a starter in his fourth season. BUST. 19. Alex Barron, offensive tackle, Rams: The Rams wouldn't have been dreaming of Jake Long sliding to No. 2 if they thought that Barron was the long-term solution on the left side, or the right. BUST. 20. Marcus Spears, defensive end, Cowboys: Yeah, he has been a three-year starter. But he was rumored to be on the trading block earlier this year, and his impact hasn't reflected his stature as one of the top 20 players in the draft. BUST. 21. Matt Jones, receiver, Jaguars: This much-hyped quarterback-turned-receiver isn't very good, and doesn't seem to care. The Jags would have been wise to let him play quarterback — for another team. BUST. 22. Mark Clayton, receiver, Ravens: The thinking in NFL circles is that a player destined to be a high-end receiver performs like one by his third NFL season. For his third season, Clayton had 49 catches for 531 yards, and no touchdowns. BUST. 23. Fabian Washington, cornerback, Raiders: Being traded for a fourth-round pick after only three seasons automatically qualifies him for BUST status. 24. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, Packers: He has looked good when he's gotten a chance to play, but the jury is out on whether he's a bust. Get back to us in a year. 25. Jason Campbell, quarterback, Redskins: Campbell is on his way to becoming a solid starter, and could evolve into one of the better signal-callers in the conference. Not a bust. 26. Chris Spencer, center, Seahawks: If he'd been taken higher, Spencer might qualify for strong consideration as a bust. But he started every game in 2005, and the Seahawks have gotten decent value out of him. Close, but not a bust. 27. Roddy White, receiver, Falcons: White was on his way to being a bust after his first two years. He broke out in 2007, which coincidentally was his first season without catching one-hoppers from Mike Vick. Not a bust. 28. Luis Castillo, defensive tackle, Chargers: Solid defensive linemen despite some injuries. Not a bust. 29. Marlin Jackson, defensive back, Colts: Steady but unspectacular Tampa Two corner. He might be another Jason David in a defense that requires him to cover wideouts down the field. But his performance allowed the Colts let guys like David walk away. Not a bust. 30. Heath Miller, tight end, Virginia: The Steelers arguably reached on a guy who wasn't healthy in the months leading up to the draft. They ended up with a solid tight end. Not a bust. 31. Mike Patterson, defensive tackle, Eagles: The Philly chapter of PFT Planet will revolt if we were to call Patterson a bust. Not a bust. 32. Logan Mankins, offensive lineman, Patriots: Solid contributor on the offensive line. Besides, we can't call anyone who paid $7,500 for the privilege of punching a guy in the crotch a bust. Thu, 08 May 2008 07:30:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264689 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264689 I am surprised a bunch of "Dallas is trading Marion Barber" stories didn't appear on blogs all over the country. I say this because the Cowboys gave the 1st and 3rd round draft pick tender to defensive lineman Chris Canty because he is a restricted free agent. What this means is any team that wants Canty must give the Cowboys their 1st and 3rd round picks in this draft. Rarely does a team pick a tendered restricted free agent. I cannot think of any recent ones. Marion Barber is a restricted free agent. There are many of us in Dallas land wondering why the heck he has not gotten the 1st-3rd tender. Canty first? Fine. He's a decent defensive player, and the Cowboys can use him because Marcus Spears isn't playing like a first-round pick. But why wait so long to offer the same payscale to Barber? Is Jerry Jones shopping Marion Barber? He keeps on saying he is not. But it just doesn't make sense that he is waiting until the last minute to give Barber a tender. I said this before and I will say it again: the rumors and speculation won't end until Jerry Jones makes the move on Barber. Until then, we Cowboys fans are wondering if he is coming back. Do I hold off on buying my authentic Barber jersey? Please, Jerry, get this over with and make a decision. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:30:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/128773 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/128773 David Jacobs, a north Texas man, was arrested yesterday for conspiracy to possess anabolic steroids with the intent to distribute. The police seized tens of thousands of steroids from his east Plano home upon his arrest along with firearms. The juicy part of this is this guy is a personal trainer who claims to have "offered guidance" to Dallas Cowboys players and is going to plead out and cooperate with officials telling them everything and everyone he knows. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:14:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/35785 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/35785 After every NFL draft is completed, pundits come out and assign letter grades for each team. Somewhere in the article you read " . . but of course the true winners and losers of this draft will not be determined until several years have passed . .". Draft Tek (www.drafttek.com) has taken it upon themselves to review the drafts of previous years, and assign each team a score. Currently, they're about 70% complete with the 2005 draft. The scoring system is unique, but certain to elicit a few naysayers. If you are one, you can still impress your friends with plenty of "Whatever happened to . . . " trivia from their research. Draft Tek's scoring system attempts to measure how successful a given team is at evaluating (and drafting) talent. Anybody can find starter quality players in the first round. Right Lions?? It is for this reason Draft Tek rewards teams for drafting serviceable players in the later rounds moreso than the day 1 elite. A team that consistently gets 4 or 5 contributors from each draft is in much better financial shape than those teams that annually play free agent roulette. In theory, this leads to long term competitiveness. The 2005 Dallas Cowboys draft class was reviewed most recently. Of the 20 teams scored to date, the Cowboys rate highest. They're getting production from six (6) draftees from 2005. First round pick DeMarcus Ware is a Pro-Bowler. And 7th rounder Jay Ratliff is a key cog on the Defensive front. Read more at: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:36:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23357 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23357