Watching Cowboys fun again with Tuna on line
by Rawly Bransom, Sports Editor

  One thing to say about Bill Parcells's first year as the Dallas Cowboys head coach is that he and his team were fun to watch.
  Parcells takes over this year as the sixth coach in Cowboys' history and the fifth to work for Jerry Jones.
  After several disappointing seasons, Jones tried something new by hiring Bill Parcells; he hired a coach with a proven NFL track record.
  Jimmy Johnson had a great college record with Miami but had never coached an NFL team.
  Barry Switzer also had a proven college record with Oklahoma but had not coached a team since he left the Sooners several years before Jones hired him.
  Chan Gailey had success as an offensive coordinator for the Steelers but none at head coach.
  Finally, Dave Campo was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach.
  Parcells is different.
  He has a proven track record and a habit of taking bottom-tier teams to the Super Bowl.
  He is a coach who knows how to evaluate talent and to get the most from that talent, even if it means walking off the field during practice, which is exactly what he did on Aug. 17.
  Parcells took his whole coaching staff and just left, not to return or be seen for the rest of the day.
  "Don't read too much into that. It wasn't some kind of motivation trick. I got tired of watching what I was watching,"
  Parcells said during his Monday press conference. Parcells was adamant during the press conference that his leaving was not a deliberate manipulation to his players, but most people didn't believe him.
  Parcells has walked out of practice before, and most analysts agree that his walk off was a wake-up call to his players.
  "It's a trick that an old coach can use to motivate his players. A young coach can't do it, but a guy like Parcells can do that because the players know his temperament, and they know he has the ability to get results," John Madden said on ESPN Sports Center the next day after the walk off.
  Yet, not even Parcells' antics could erase the fact that a lot of questions need to be answered before Cowboys can start any type of winning season.
  The biggest and most talked about question was who would be the Cowboys quarterback?
  The Cowboys entered the camp with four quarterbacks, although Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson were the obvious favorites.
  "There's some things involved in that particular position besides dropping back and throwing the ball, contrary to popular belief," Parcells said, "He's the guy who's running the train."
  Carter has won the job. His performances against both the Texans and the Steelers sealed it for him.
  Carter threw for touchdowns while Hutchinson had a hard time holding onto the ball when he played.
  Another offensive position that has been in question is halfback.
  Veterans Troy Hambrick and Michael Wiley, who missed much of camp from injury, have had to compete for their jobs with rookies Aveion Cason and ReShard Lee.
  Just as Wiley began to practice again, ReShard Lee went out as well.
  Lee had leave camp early to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair his left knee, which he hurt during the preseason game against the Texans.
  So, with an injury-ridden position, the only natural thing to do is bring in a veteran free agent. Adrian Murrell was the guy brought in. He will fill in any gaps and compete with Hambrick.
  Murrell's only preseason appearance, since he was not signed until the last week of camp, was against the Steelers.
  He finished his night with 24-yards, six carries and a touchdown.
  Larry Allen also has been a disappointment during camp. Although Parcells has never come out blasting the player, Allen's performance has been poor.
  The pro-bowl lineman came into camp out of shape and favoring his ankle, which he had surgery on last season.
  On one day of camp, during sprints, Hambrick was literally running circles around Allen.
  Allen grabbed Hambrick, shook him and then walked off the field saying ankle hurt.
  Allen did not practice again until just before the Texans game.
  Yet, all was not doom and gloom for the Cowboys.
  They may in fact have more depth at receiver then any other team in the league.
  Joey Galloway and Antonio Bryant are both quality go-to guys, and Aaron Brooks, Terry Glen, Ken-Yon Rambo, Reggie Swinton, Zuriel Smith and Randal Williams have all shown sparks of brilliance during training camp.
  Terry Glen was brought in by Parcells and should receive almost even playing time as Bryant.
  Tight end should also be a much-improved position with the acquisition veteran Dan Campbell.
  Campbell, another guy Parcells personally brought in, is a blocking tight end and also has good hands. He was the starter for the Giants last season until they decided to go with Jeremy Shockey.
  Campbell has also been a team leader at camp, often taking young players aside to give them advice.
  Of course the offense is not the only area of the team; special teams should improve over last year.
  Ex-Cowboy Toby Gowin returned to Dallas this season. The seven-year pro signed a multi-year contract, the first kicker to receive one in all the time Jones has owned the team.
  Defense should be the Cowboys strength. La'Roi Glover, Dexter Coakley and Darren Woodson are all veteran pro-bowlers. Also strong are Dat Nguyen and Greg Ellis, as well as last years stand out rookie, Roy Williams.
  Williams led the team in tackles and was a constant threat for interceptions.
  Rookie cornerback Terrance Newman may be the last piece in the puzzle. His speed and athleticism have made up for the few rookie errors he has had, but those errors have been very few.
  With so many questions to answer in camp, Parcells seems to be overall happy with his first experience with the Cowboys.
  "We accomplished a lot in camp and got a lot better feel for key players who are 53 players will be," Parcells said at his last press conference of camp.