Greatest Cowboys By Their Jersey Numbers: #87
Part of the Greatest Players by Number Series
Jersey #87
Thirteen players have worn #87 for the Cowboys. This includes seven wide receivers, four tight ends, and two defensive ends.
Ray Alexander, WR, Florida A&M, 1988-89
Statistics: Alexander caught 55 passes for 804 yards and 6 TDs with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: Alexander was a standout in the Canadian Football League, but he had only one good year in the NFL. After catching 54 passes for 788 yards in 1988, he was injured for most of the 1989 season and never played again.
Gordon Banks, WR, Stanford, 1985-87
Statistics: Banks caught 35 passes for 220 yards with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played three seasons with the Cowboys.
Intangibles: Banks was a former USFL standout who was a backup in Dallas.
Nate Borden, DE, Indiana, 1960-61
Statistics: n/a
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: The Cowboys acquired Borden in the 1960 expansion draft from Green Bay. He started for the Cowboys in 1960 and part of 1961 before moving on to Buffalo in 1962.
Billy Davis, WR, Pittsburgh, 1995-98
Statistics: Davis caught 42 passes for 724 yards and three touchdowns with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played four seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: Davis was a very good special teams player who became a starter in 1998. He was not a bad receiver, but when Dallas acquired Rocket Ismail in 1999, Davis moved on. After two seasons in Baltimore, he was out of the league.
Ron Howard, TE, Seattle, 1974-75
Statistics: n/a
Accolades: None.
Longevity: Howard played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: He was a former basketball player who played special teams in Dallas for two seasons. He played much more when he moved to Seattle in 1976.
Ken-Yon Rambo, WR, Ohio State, 2001-02
Statistics: Rambo caught 17 passes for 239 yards with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: A product of Ohio State, Rambo saw quite a bit of action in 2002. However, that was his final year in the league.
Alfredo Roberts, TE, Miami, Fla., 1991-92
Statistics: Roberts caught 19 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: The former teammate of Michael Irvin played two years in Dallas as a blocking tight end.
Jay Saldi, TE, South Carolina, 1976-82
Statistics: Saldi caught 63 passes for 704 yards and seven touchdowns with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played seven seasons with the Cowboys.
Intangibles: Saldi was Billy Joe DuPree’s primary backup from 1976 to 1980. He has some big plays in some important playoff games, including a touchdown catch that was Roger Staubach’s final career touchdown pass.
Zuriel Smith, WR, Hampton, 2003
Statistics: Smith averaged 7.1 yards per punt return and 21.5 yards per kickoff return for the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.
Intangibles: Smith saw action in 2003 but had trouble making the team after that.
Andy Stynchula, DE, Penn State, 1968
Statistics: n/a
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.
Intangibles: Stynchula played for the Colts, Redskins, and Giants before joining the Cowboys in 1968. He retired after one year in Dallas.
Billy Truax, TE, Louisiana State, 1971-73
Statistics: Truax caught 19 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played three seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: He was one of Roman Gabriel’s favorite targets in Los Angeles, and he backed up Mike Ditka in Dallas. However, injuries slowed him in 1972 and 1973, and he retired after the 1973 season.
Jason Tucker, WR, Texas Christian, 1999-00
Statistics: Tucker caught 36 passes for 565 and two touchdowns with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: Tucker was a product of nearby TCU, and he made the squad as a free agent after being cut by Cincinnati. He caught a 90-yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman in the season finale in 1999 in a win over the Giants that gave Dallas a playoff berth.
Dedric Ward, WR, Northern Iowa, 2004
Statistics: Ward caught one pass for five yards with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.
Intangibles: Ward was another former Jet who joined the Cowboys thanks to Bill Parcells. He saw action in only eight games and played mostly on special teams.
Poll
Here is your chance to vote for the greatest player to wear #87.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.My Vote: Saldi
Saldi had several big plays, including a fumble recovery against Minnesota in the 1977 NFL Championship Game, the touchdown reception against Los Angeles in the 1979 playoffs, and a huge 37-yard reception against the Rams in the 1980 playoffs. Thanks to those and his longevity, he gets my vote.
Saldi’s son, John, tried out for the Cowboys in 2006 and 2007, but John failed to make the team.
Greatest Cowboys By Their Jersey Numbers: #87
Part of the Greatest Players by Number Series
Jersey #87
Thirteen players have worn #87 for the Cowboys. This includes seven wide receivers, four tight ends, and two defensive ends.
Ray Alexander, WR, Florida A&M, 1988-89
Statistics: Alexander caught 55 passes for 804 yards and 6 TDs with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: Alexander was a standout in the Canadian Football League, but he had only one good year in the NFL. After catching 54 passes for 788 yards in 1988, he was injured for most of the 1989 season and never played again.
Gordon Banks, WR, Stanford, 1985-87
Statistics: Banks caught 35 passes for 220 yards with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played three seasons with the Cowboys.
Intangibles: Banks was a former USFL standout who was a backup in Dallas.
Nate Borden, DE, Indiana, 1960-61
Statistics: n/a
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: The Cowboys acquired Borden in the 1960 expansion draft from Green Bay. He started for the Cowboys in 1960 and part of 1961 before moving on to Buffalo in 1962.
Billy Davis, WR, Pittsburgh, 1995-98
Statistics: Davis caught 42 passes for 724 yards and three touchdowns with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played four seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: Davis was a very good special teams player who became a starter in 1998. He was not a bad receiver, but when Dallas acquired Rocket Ismail in 1999, Davis moved on. After two seasons in Baltimore, he was out of the league.
Ron Howard, TE, Seattle, 1974-75
Statistics: n/a
Accolades: None.
Longevity: Howard played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: He was a former basketball player who played special teams in Dallas for two seasons. He played much more when he moved to Seattle in 1976.
Ken-Yon Rambo, WR, Ohio State, 2001-02
Statistics: Rambo caught 17 passes for 239 yards with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: A product of Ohio State, Rambo saw quite a bit of action in 2002. However, that was his final year in the league.
Alfredo Roberts, TE, Miami, Fla., 1991-92
Statistics: Roberts caught 19 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: The former teammate of Michael Irvin played two years in Dallas as a blocking tight end.
Jay Saldi, TE, South Carolina, 1976-82
Statistics: Saldi caught 63 passes for 704 yards and seven touchdowns with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played seven seasons with the Cowboys.
Intangibles: Saldi was Billy Joe DuPree’s primary backup from 1976 to 1980. He has some big plays in some important playoff games, including a touchdown catch that was Roger Staubach’s final career touchdown pass.
Zuriel Smith, WR, Hampton, 2003
Statistics: Smith averaged 7.1 yards per punt return and 21.5 yards per kickoff return for the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.
Intangibles: Smith saw action in 2003 but had trouble making the team after that.
Andy Stynchula, DE, Penn State, 1968
Statistics: n/a
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.
Intangibles: Stynchula played for the Colts, Redskins, and Giants before joining the Cowboys in 1968. He retired after one year in Dallas.
Billy Truax, TE, Louisiana State, 1971-73
Statistics: Truax caught 19 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played three seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: He was one of Roman Gabriel’s favorite targets in Los Angeles, and he backed up Mike Ditka in Dallas. However, injuries slowed him in 1972 and 1973, and he retired after the 1973 season.
Jason Tucker, WR, Texas Christian, 1999-00
Statistics: Tucker caught 36 passes for 565 and two touchdowns with Dallas.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.
Intangibles: Tucker was a product of nearby TCU, and he made the squad as a free agent after being cut by Cincinnati. He caught a 90-yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman in the season finale in 1999 in a win over the Giants that gave Dallas a playoff berth.
Dedric Ward, WR, Northern Iowa, 2004
Statistics: Ward caught one pass for five yards with the Cowboys.
Accolades: None.
Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.
Intangibles: Ward was another former Jet who joined the Cowboys thanks to Bill Parcells. He saw action in only eight games and played mostly on special teams.
Poll
Here is your chance to vote for the greatest player to wear #87.
Note: There is a poll within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
My Vote: Saldi
Saldi had several big plays, including a fumble recovery against Minnesota in the 1977 NFL Championship Game, the touchdown reception against Los Angeles in the 1979 playoffs, and a huge 37-yard reception against the Rams in the 1980 playoffs. Thanks to those and his longevity, he gets my vote.
Saldi’s son, John, tried out for the Cowboys in 2006 and 2007, but John failed to make the team.
Dallas Cowboys 16, Minnesota Vikings 10
The Dallas Cowboys won this game without playing many regulars showing that they have decent depth. QB Richard Bartel had a solid game completing 28 of 41 passes for 233 yards. WR Sam Hurd led the Cowboys in rushing in this game with 35 yards on 1 carry. He also caught 2 passes for 7 yards against the Vikings. Rookie RB Tashard Choice also had a decent game rushing for 21 yards on 6 carries (3.5 ypc) with a 11-yard TD run. QB Bartel spread the ball around very well in the passing game as the Cowboys used 14 different receivers in this game. The Cowboys finished up with 97 yards rushing on 26 carries (3.7 ypc) in this game and they also completed 28 of 41 passes for 210 yards. The Cowboys were ballhogs in this game as they had possession of the football for a stunning 35:54.
Linebacker Tyson Smith led the way for the Cowboys on defense in this game with 5 tackles and a interception. LB Bobby Carpenter and CB Alan Ball each pitched in on Thursday Night with 5 tackles apiece in this game. The Vikings finished up with 100 yards rushing on 23 carries (4.3 ypc) and they also completed 14 of 33 passes for 145 yards. The Cowboys finished up the preseason with a 2-2 record and they appear ready to rock starting next week in Cleveland.
Cowboys Announce 53-Man Roster
The Cowboys announced their 53-man roster this afternoon. One mild surprise is that the team only kept five wide receivers, releasing Danny Amendola and Mike Jefferson. This means that Dallas has only two healthy receivers at the moment. You can also bet that Hard Knocks will feature plenty of close-ups of Keon Lattimore and Todd Lowber (here’s to hoping that they are signed to the practice squad).
Thanks to the Dallas Morning News, here is the roster:
QB (2) - Tony Romo, Brad Johnson
RB (4) - Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Deon Anderson
WR (5) - Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Miles Austin, Isaiah Stanback
OL (11) - LT Flozell Adams, LG Kyle Kosier, C Andre Gurode, RG Leonard Davis, RT Marc Colombo, G Montrae Holland, T Pat McQuistan, G Joe Berger, C Cory Procter, OG James Marten, OT Doug Free
DL (6) - Chris Canty, Jay Ratliff, Marcus Spears, Tank Johnson, Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen
LB (8) - Greg Ellis, Bradie James, Zach Thomas, DeMarcus Ware, Kevin Burnett, Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Spencer, Justin Rogers
DB (11) - CB Terence Newman, CB Anthony Henry, S Roy Williams, S Ken Hamlin, CB Adam Jones, CB Mike Jenkins, CB Orlando Scandrick, S Pat Watkins, S Courtney Brown, CB Alan Ball, CB Evan Oglesby
Sp (3) - P Mat McBriar, K Nick Folk, LS L.P. Ladouceur
Players who were cut include the following:
Danny Amendola
Drew Atchison
Remi Ayodele
Richard Bartel
Mark Bradford
Alonzo Coleman
Julius Crosslin
Dowayne Davis
Marcus Dixon
Tearrius George
Ryan Gibbons
Rodney Hannah
Mike Jefferson
Keon Lattimore
Todd Lowber
Darrell Robertson
Junior Siavii
Marcus Smith
Tyson Smith
Erik Walden
Cory Lekkerkerker (injury settlement)
In addition, Larry Allen was placed on the reserve/retired list after formally signing with the team this week to retire.
Cowboys Roster at 53 After Latest Round of Cuts
The Cowboys roster is at 53 after they cut or came to terms on the release of 23 players today. Here is the list:
Larry Allen (reserve/retired)
Danny Amendola
Drew Atchison
Remi Ayodele
Richard Bartel
Mark Bradford
Alonzo Coleman
Julius Crosslin
Dowayne Davis
Marcus Dixon
Tearrius George
Ryan Gibbons
Rodney Hannah
Mike Jefferson
Keon Lattimore
Cory Lekkerkerker (injury settlement)
Todd Lowber
Darrell Robertson
Junior Siavii
Marcus Smith
Tyson Smith
Erik Walden
2008 Cowboys-Related Odds
A benefit, I suppose, for having several online betting services as a sponsor is that I receive information about oddsmaking related to the Cowboys. Thanks to Bodog, below are as many odds as you will probably need for the Cowboys… at least for now.
Odds to win the 2009 Super Bowl XLIII
Dallas Cowboys 6/1
Odds to win the 2008 NFC Championship
Dallas Cowboys 9/5
Odds to win the NFC East Division
Dallas Cowboys 4/5
Win Totals
Dallas Cowboys Regular Season Wins
Over 10.5 -135
Under 10.5 +105
Dallas Cowboys Regular Season Home Wins
Over 6 -130
Under 6 Even
Dallas Cowboys Regular Season Away Wins
Over 4.5 -140
Under 4.5 +110
Miscellaneous Odds
Will Wade Phillips be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for week 1 of the 2009 NFL season?
Yes -115
No -115
Player Performance Odds
Tony Romo Passing Yards
Over/Under 4000
Tony Romo Passing Touchdowns
Over/Under 30.5
Marion Barber Rushing Yards
Over/Under 1150
Marion Barber Total Touchdowns
Over/Under 12.5
Felix Jones Rushing Yards
Over/Under 460
Felix Jones Total Touchdowns
Over/Under 4
Terrell Owens Receiving Yards
Over/Under 1220
Terrell Owens Touchdowns
Over/Under 13
Terrell Owens Receptions
Over/Under 85
Patrick Crayton Receiving Yards
Over/Under 760
Patrick Crayton Touchdowns
Over/Under 6.5
Jason Witten Receiving Yards
Over/Under 1000
Jason Witten Touchdowns
Over/Under 6.5
Jason Witten Receptions
Over/Under 85
DeMarcus Ware Sacks
Over/Under 12.5
Greg Ellis Sacks
Over/Under 8
Adam Jones Interceptions
Over 3 Even
Under 3 -130
The Dallas Cowboys lose LG Kyle Kosier
The Cowboys have lost starting left guard Kyle Kosier for the next six weeks due to a sprained right foot. Joe Berger will take over for Kosier until he’s ready to return but expect the Cowboys’ offensive line to dropoff somewhat until Kosier is ready to return to action.
Outstanding Promo Video (Now the Preseason Is Over)
Now that preseason is officially over, here is an outstanding promo video put together by silverandblue:
The only real significant story in the Cowboys’ 16-10 win over Minnesota last evening was that Sam Hurd injured his ankle. This is from the team’s official site:
The looming task of finalizing the 53-man roster just got a little tougher for Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips thanks to a “downer” in Thursday night’s preseason finale.
The Cowboys edged Minnesota, 16-10, on a night reserved largely for the reserves at Texas Stadium. Twenty-eight players sat, including all but one projected starter (fullback Deon Anderson), enabling the coaching staff to evaluate nearly every fringe player on the roster before Saturday’s cuts.
But now Phillips must decide how to replenish a near-barren receiving corps further hindered by the loss of third-year veteran Sam Hurd, who suffered an apparent high ankle sprain on a 35-yard reverse play in the first quarter and left the stadium in a protective boot.
“That’s a real concern, certainly,” Phillips said. “We were only going to play him for a series and he made a big play. That was the downer of the game.”
Hurd, who will have an MRI exam on Friday, seemed confident he could return in time for the Sept. 7 season opener in Cleveland with proper rest and treatment. But team doctors project that he’ll be doubtful for the game due to the lingering nature of a high ankle sprain, which involves the ligaments connecting the tibia and fibia on the lower leg. Generally that type of injury requires a week of evaluation before an accurate timetable can be set.
On the flip side of this story, the real pleasant surprise last night was the play of Tearrius George, who had two sacks and some other pressures in the second half of the game.
Linebacker Tyson Smith also had a good game, recording an interception and five total tackles.
Dallas Defeats Minnesota 16-10 To End Preseason
It wasn’t exactly pretty or fun to watch, but Dallas did manage to beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-10 Thursday night on the strength of three Nick Folk field goals and a Tashard Choice touchdown run to end their preseason at 2-2. Richard Bartel was efficient, but not spectacular by any means in his first NFL start going 28-of-41 for 233 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
The most explosive play of the game also led to the worst result as WR Sam Hurd rushed for 35-yards on an end around reverse play, but came up limping after the tackle. He was taken in for X-rays which were inconclusive, but the words “high ankle sprain” were used in reference to the injury. This could mean yet another Cowboys wide receiver will not be available until two or three weeks into the season.
Before the game began, word was out that Dallas had traded for Montrae Holland, a guard from the Denver Broncos, in return for a 2010 fifth-round draft pick to help shore-up a depleted offensive line. Holland started every game last year at left guard for the Broncos and may be Kyle Kosier’s replacement at the position if none of the other possiblities can do the job. It appeared that Pat McQuistan, normally a tackle, did rather well filling in for Kosier in the position with the starting O-line tonight. Joe Berger also made several key blocks during the game from the guard spot, including the 11-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
The Cowboys now have roughly ten days to resolve the injury problems and get ready for the opener against Cleveland. While Isaiah Stanback claims he will be ready, he is still quite shaky with a dislocated shoulder and Miles Austin is out for at least three weeks with a MCL sprain. Tonight would have been a primetime for some other young receiver to step up and show what he could do and the closest person to do so was Mike Jefferson, a second-year receiver out of Montana State who had several big catches early in the game finishing with 3 receptions for 36-yards. Rookie free agent Danny Amendola had some opportunities on punt and kick returns plus a couple of receptions, but nothing that amazing either in his performance.
The defense played very well, particularly the second and third string defenses. LB Tyson Smith intercepted the first pass of the evening by Minnesota’s John David Booty setting up the touchdown run and the defense only allowed one scoring drive in the first half and just a field goal in the second. The kick coverage teams did a much better job as well, only allowing one above-average return late in the game keeping the Vikings in their end of the field the majority of the time following great McBriar punts or Nick Folk kickoffs.
Folk, meanwhile, kicked two 52-yard field goals and P Matt McBriar boomed several punts over 50+ yards giving the Vikings a long field all night. I’d say the kicking game is definitely in great shape heading into the regular season.
Like the Cowboys, the Vikings sat most of their starters for this game also, with Booty playing quarterback for the first half of the game and Brooks Bollinger the second half. Running back sensation Adrian Peterson and gang never stepped onto the field, much like Romo and company.
Another positive about the game for the Cowboys was a glaring lack of penalties or turnovers. They had just 2 penalties for a mere 10-yards with no turnovers, although Mike Jefferson did fumble once after a reception but managed to recover it himself.
Holland Acquired to Help Guard Romo
Questions have risen about the left tackle position after Kyle Kosier went down with a hairline fracture in his right foot. The Cowboys front office has offered an answer: Montrae Holland. Holland has been acquired from the Denver Broncos for a fifth round pick in the 2010 draft.
The reason Denver was so willing to give up this starter from last year is a weight issue. Montrae reported to Broncos camp at 334 lbs. That was 9 lbs more than his assigned weight. As has been a theme in Dallas, this is the perfect place to offer a second chance to this former Bronco and Saint. If Montrae Holland earns a starting spot, every lineman on the Cowboys offensive line will be over 300 lbs. Kyle Kosier was the runt of the litter tipping the scales at a measly 294 lbs.
In the 2008 season Holland started every game at left guard. This is a good thing because this position is crucial to the right-handed Romo. The left guard is the first line of defense from attacking lineman and blitzing linebackers with the QB facing the opposite side. James Marten is the next Cowboy on the depth chart, but look for Holland to leapfrog the current Cowboys and hold down Kosier until his return.