[WAREWOLFE94]

Cowboys to add Davis to offensive line

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com





The Dallas Cowboys are finalizing an agreement with free agent offensive lineman Leonard Davis, the second pick in the 2001 NFL draft who has played the last six seasons for the Arizona Cardinals.
Top free agents

Davis

Offensive tackle Leonard Davis is No. 8 on ESPN.com's list of the top NFL free agents on the market. Story
Davis, 6-feet-6, 366 pounds, is expected to play either right tackle or right guard for the Cowboys, depending on the resolution of contract talks with current Cowboys right tackle Marc Columbo, an unrestricted free agent the Cowboys hope to re-sign.
Davis' contract is expected to exceed the free agent deals of Bills guard Derrick Dockery (7 years, $49 million) and Browns guard Eric Steinbach (7 years, $49.5 million).
Davis visted the Washington Redskins and was considering a visit to the New York Giants, but decided on the Cowboys due to a desire to stay close to his hometown of Wortham, Texas, just south of Dallas.
Davis was an All-America tackle at the University of Texas, and played his first three seasons at guard for the Cardinals before switching to tackle the last three seasons.


ESPN.com - NFL - Cowboys finalizing deal with prized tackle Davis


Unleash the Beast within 94!

[EmpireWF]

Now that he got his big money deal (or will be getting), the question turns to him and whether he'll be motivated enough to stay in shape and do well.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

Now that he got his big money deal (or will be getting), the question turns to him and whether he'll be motivated enough to stay in shape and do well.

Does it matter?...Nate Newton and some of the fabled Cowboys that block for Emmitt were the size of a house...

[ThePundit]

What am I missing here? Was Little that good for Arizona? And how can they pay a guy this much money and not know whether he's going to be a guard or a tackle? I would think he's got to play tackle.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

What am I missing here? Was Little that good for Arizona? And how can they pay a guy this much money and not know whether he's going to be a guard or a tackle? I would think he's got to play tackle.

He will play were TO tells him to play darn it!

[ThePundit]

From Blogging The Boys: Evidently, I'm not the only one who is scratching their head over this one:

The reviews are coming in on the Leonard Davis signing, and they aren't pretty. Besides Len Pasquarelli blasting the signing on the Mike & Mike show, others have joined in the mockery.

FOX Sports Adam Schein:


1. Leonard Davis to Dallas - This is the worst move of the offseason thus far. Signing the underachieving and underwhelming tackle to a 7-year, $49.6 million deal, with $18.75 million in guaranteed money, is beyond comprehension. Honestly - did he do anything in Arizona? And when new coaches, offensive line guru Russ Grimm and head coach Ken Whisenhunt, study the film and don't make you an offer to stay in Arizona, where they are desperate to talent upgrades on the line, well, that tells you everything about everything.


Peter King puts it more succinctly: "You'll be sorry, Jerry"

Don Banks is more charitable:

Maybe we can blame the imprint of failure that the Cardinals left on him since taking him second overall in the 2001 draft, but that's a pretty hefty payday the Cowboys just gave offensive tackle Leonard Davis, a guy who never remotely played up to his billing in Arizona.
Dallas needs both a right tackle and a right guard, and Davis has played both positions, without much distinction. But six years of underachievement in Arizona got him a seven-year deal worth a reported $49.6 million (see earlier Nate Clements' note), with the important part being the $18.75 million of guaranteed money in the deal.

It just goes to show, when you're 6-foot-6, 366 pounds, and you just report to work almost every day, good things can happen.

Blogging The Boys :: A Dallas Cowboys Blog