It’s said that patience is a virtue. In the case of Dallas wide receiver Miles Austin, that’s never been more apparent, as he received the major payday from the Cowboys this afternoon that he’s been patiently waiting for throughout the entire off-season.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys have reached an agreement with Austin on a six year, $57 million dollar extension, keeping the Pro Bowl receiver in Dallas through the 2016 season.

Austin has quietly lobbied for a long term arrangement for some time now, but refrained from ever making it an issue in the media, preferring instead to let his play on the field do the talking for him.

The Cowboys agreed all along that he should be rewarded for his stellar season last year, but were unable to come to a resolution on the length and dollar amount until now.

The Cowboys search for a trading partner to relieve themselves of wide receiver Patrick Crayton has finally come to an end, with the Chargers stepping up to the plate and offering a seventh round pick in next year’s draft.

NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora was the first to break the story, first indicating a trade was close and then posting the news of Crayton’s departure from Big D to his Twitter account.

Crayton’s acquisition gives the Chargers enough weapons on offense to finally part ways with fellow receiver Vincent Jackson, and while a deal on that front isn’t thought to be close, San Diego’s front office will likely make a big push to get it done between now and tomorrow afternoon.

The front runner so far for Jackson’s services is Seattle, but other teams may get into the mix now that the Chargers motivation to trade him has increased.

Every year, there’s more than a few players that are either released or traded away at the 53 man roster deadline, and this year is shaping up to be no exception.

According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the Cowboys are still looking at all of their options with wide receiver Patrick Crayton, who is looking to be traded after being relegated to fourth on the team’s depth chart at his position.

Dallas is hopeful that they’ll be able to find a suitable trade partner prior to Saturday’s deadline, but if they’re unable to do so, an outright release of Crayton is a very real possibility.

Teams that are interested in Crayton are likely taking a wait and see approach for the time being, as they won’t want to give up a future draft pick if they can obtain Crayton’s services for free once he’s released.

That said, the Cowboys could end up keeping Crayton in the fold if they can’t find a deal to their liking, paying him $2 million this season to come off the bench in a limited role.

As always, we’ll keep you posted when more information becomes available.

It won’t make the headlines anywhere outside of Dallas, but the Cowboys were the unfortunate recipients of some bad news on the injury front after tonight’s victory in Canton, with third string tight end John Phillips suffering what will likely be a season ending knee injury.

According to ESPNDallas.com’s Tim McMahon, the injury is feared to be a tear of the ACL, and Phillips is expected to undergo a MRI tomorrow, to determine the just how extensive the damage is.

If the tear is confirmed, surgery to correct it will come shortly after, effectively ending Phillips’ season just after it started. Phillips had displayed a nice ability to catch the ball throughout most of the game, before going down with the injury.

As we draw closer to the unofficial start of the football season, with training camps across the country opening in just a few weeks, more and more players taken in last April’s draft are beginning to reach common ground with their clubs.

On Thursday, Dallas did just that with their first round selection, wide receiver Dez Bryant, who agreed to a five year contract worth an estimated $11.8 million, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas.

Bryant, who was selected 24th overall last April, will make $8.3 million guaranteed over the contract, and has the ability to increase his salary with playing time incentives.

The former Oklahoma State standout hasn’t exactly wowed many people around the league with his off the field behavior, but his decision to put aside a tough negotiation stance in favor of making it to training camp on time has to be commended.

“This was very important to me to be able to get this done in time for the first practice. I want to help this team. I want to compete. I can’t wait to start playing football again.”

– Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant

Bryant is expected to push incumbent starter Roy Williams this year for playing time, with Pro Bowl receiver Miles Austin starting on the opposite side.

With standout Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant in the fold, Dallas now has the luxury of having a solid trio of receivers for quarterback Tony Romo to work with.

Unfortunately for the other players at the position, that means the Cowboys will more than likely be shopping them around throughout the remainder of this weekend’s activities, and the first one to go is expected to Sam Hurd.

According to Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas, the Cowboys have initiated discussions with teams that may have an interest in acquiring Hurd, and should be able to find a suitor for his services in exchange for a low round pick.

Hurd is a special teams ace, with 19 tackles to his credit last season, and has the ability to become a solid receiver in the right situation. In Dallas, he’s had to work behind a big group of competitors for playing time, making the learning curve a bit steeper.

The most likely candidate to obtain Hurd at this point is Kansas City, as they definitely have a need at wide receiver, and have experience with Hurd’s abilities courtesy of head coach Todd Haley’s time spent coaching the Cowboys receivers. Hurd would also give the Chiefs a much needed boost on special teams as well.

This is the continuation of our eight part series, taking an in-depth look at each division and the teams within headed into the NFL Draft on Thursday. You can view our analysis of all the AFC teams here.

As always, feel free to let us know what you think in the comment thread.

Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

Analysis: Even thought their season ended with a thud against the Vikings in the second round of the playoffs, the Cowboys had to be pleased with what they saw during the late stages of the year. Prior to last December, Dallas had not posted a winning record in that month of the season since 2001, so seeing his team win their last three games had to make owner Jerry Jones pretty happy. That said, there’s definitely work to be done if the Cowboys have any plans to get back to the Super Bowl winning ways they experienced in the early 90s. Having a strong draft this weekend will be a critical part of that.

• Players added: None
• Players lost: OT Flozell Adams, S Ken Hamlin, K Shaun Suisham

Major Needs:

• Safety – With starter Ken Hamlin out the door, the Cowboys have to address this position early on in the draft, and given the level of talent available, they should be able to find a solid player to fill in the gaps with their pick in round one or two. Having a player with strong coverage skills would definitely be a bonus.
• Offensive Line – Dallas has multiple issues along their line, so they’ll need to find capable players in several different rounds to ensure they’ll have solid blocking up front next season. The most important need here is at tackle, where Doug Free is now projected to be the starter, after the Cowboys released Flozell Adams, and if one of the upper level talents at the position fall to their pick in round one, expect them to make a move in a hurry to get it done.
• Linebacker – This is really about depth more than anything else, as Keith Brooking is still a quality leader on their defense, but it’s need nonetheless. The Cowboys should be able to find a decent player to fill this hole in the later stages of the draft, but a lot will depend on how the first round plays out.

2010 Draft Picks:

• 1st (27)
• 2nd (59)
• 3rd (90)
• 4th (125)
• 6th (196)
• 7th (234)

New York Giants (8-8)

Analysis: The Giants did everything they could to pack it in down the stretch last season, and it showed in their final two games, both losses with a combined score of 85-16 in the wrong direction. Injuries, attitude issues, and poor coaching were on full display throughout the majority of the year, and as a result, the Giants squandered an excellent 5-0 start to their season. The core nucleus of players is still intact, but several key additions should help prevent that from happening this year, and if New York can parlay their picks into a solid draft class, they should find themselves back in the hunt next fall.

• Players added: S Antrel Rolle, QB Jim Sorgi, S Deon Grant, OT Herb Taylor
• Players lost: LB Antonio Pierce, S Aaron Rouse, QB David Carr, DT Fred Robbins, TE Darcy Johnson, CB Kevin Dockery

Major Needs:

• Linebacker – Now that the Giants have officially parted ways with Antonio Pierce, they’d better be ready to find someone capable of replacing him in the lineup, or suffer the consequences of having their defense struggle to find consistency once again. Jonathan Goff is an okay player and should be fine as a role player off the bench, but he’s not the kind of guy New York needs to run their defense.
• Defensive Tackle – The Giants literally have nothing to work with at this position, as most of their depth chart played poorly last season, and the one reasonably talented player (Fred Robbins) bolting for St. Louis. Finding a capable playmaker to line up on the inside is critical to their defense’s overall success, and they’re going to have to address it early on in this draft.
• Defensive End – Much of this depends on how Osi Umenyiora reacts to his atrocious play last year, as he could go either way at this point. There’s no denying he has talent, but his attitude and willingness to lay it on the line for his team are questionable at best. If the Giants think he’ll regain his form as a premier pass rusher, no need to expend a high round pick on a player at this spot; if not, then taking a top-tier pass rusher is most definitely in order.

2010 Draft Picks:

• 1st (15)
• 2nd (46)
• 3rd (76)
• 4th (115)
• 5th (147)
• 6th (184)
• 7th (221)

Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

Analysis: Last year was a season full of ups and downs for the Eagles, and it culminated in a bad way for them in their final two games of the year, losing back-to-back contests on the road against their rivals in Dallas. The off-season hasn’t been all that much different, with future Hall of Fame quarterback Donovan McNabb traded away within the division to Washington, and long time running back Brian Westbrook on the verge of retirement. Philly’s offense shouldn’t be an issue, even without McNabb running the show, but their defense has to play better next year if they’re going to make a deep run in the playoffs.

• Players added: CB Marlin Jackson, WR Hank Baskett, DE Darryl Tapp, RB Mike Bell, LB Ernie Sims, DE Alex Hall
• Players lost: QB Donovan McNabb, WR Reggie Brown, LB Will Witherspoon, RB Brian Westbrook, S Sean Jones, WR Kevin Curtis, DE Darren Howard, CB Sheldon Brown, LB Chris Gocong

Major Needs:

• Linebacker – The departure of Chris Gocong has been long overdue, but it leaves Philly without a lot of depth in their linebacker corps. The addition of Ernie Sims earlier today definitely helps, but finding a quality player to take over for Gocong on the strong side will be a must early on in this draft.
• Cornerback – Trading away Sheldon Brown was a bit of a surprise, but the value the Eagles received in return was enough to pull the trigger, and they should have little difficulty finding a solid player in round two or three to step into his shoes adequately next fall.
• Running Back – Injuries have taken their toll on Brian Westbrook over the past few years, so not having him on the field next season shouldn’t be all that difficult for the Eagles to deal with. That said, they need to find someone capable of playing in the same fashion later on in this draft, with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and block would-be defenders consistently.

2010 Draft Picks:

• 1st (24)
• 2nd (37, 55)
• 3rd (70, 87)
• 4th (105, 121)
• 6th (200)
• 7th (243, 244)

Washington Redskins (4-12)

Analysis: Last season was an exercise in futility for the Redskins, as they struggled all season long to find any semblance of consistency on offense, defense, and special teams. Much of the blame for that disorganization has to be laid at the feet of former head coach Jim Zorn, who was summarily fired shortly after the season ended, and has since been replaced by former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. The transfer of control to Shanahan has definitely inspired a significant amount of excitement in the nation’s capitol, and that fire was driven even higher recently with the addition of quarterback Donovan McNabb. It won’t change over night for the Redskins, but those two additions should jump start a franchise in desperate need of success.

• Players added: QB Donovan McNabb, OT Artis Hicks, DT Maake Kemoeatu, RB Larry Johnson, QB Rex Grossman, P Josh Bidwell, CB Philip Buchanon, RB Willie Parker, RB Ryan Torain, DT Howard Green
• Players lost: OT Chris Samuels, RB Rock Cartwright, OG Randy Thomas, DT Cornelius Griffin, CB Fred Smoot, RB Marcus Mason, QB Todd Collins, WR Antwaan Randle-El

Major Needs:

• Offensive Line – The Redskins were one of the worst teams last year in keeping opposing defenders away from the ball, and that isn’t likely to change now that Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels has made his retirement official. Mike Shanahan’s teams have always had excellent offensive lines, and in time the Redskins should be no different, but they’re going to have to address this area early and often in this draft.
• Running Back – Unless Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker somehow transport themselves back about five seasons, Washington is going to be in a world of hurt offensively with their running game. The Redskins could potentially spend a pick on a running back in this draft, but with so many other needs, it’s hard to see where that will happen.
• Linebacker – Once the Redskins switch back to a 4-3 defense, Brian Orakpo will be moved up front, and the linebacker corps will suffer as a result. Finding a player capable of filling that role will be a definite must in this class.

2010 Draft Picks:

• 1st (4)
• 4th (103)
• 5th (135)
• 7th (211)

One of the best parts of the NFL is getting to watch late season games between two opponents with a ton of motivation to win, and tonight’s contest in New Orleans is certain to live up to that standard, with both teams in need of a win to keep their dreams alive.

For the Saints, a victory would give them home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and extend their undefeated streak to an awe-inspiring 14 straight games this season. Obviously, the right to host any and all playoff games they’re a part of is by far the biggest motivator for New Orleans, as their rowdy fan base has the ability to drive opposing teams into making major mistakes.

That said, continuing their run to perfection has a tremendous amount of pull for this team, so much so that it’s doubtful that head coach Sean Payton will take his foot off the gas and rest his starters until the season is completely finished. It could hurt them in the long run, especially if a key player gets hurt, but having the mindset of wanting win them all is admirable and will keep every member of the team focused on the task at hand.

The Cowboys on the other hand, have more than their fair share at stake in this game as well, seeing as a loss would place them squarely behind the eight ball in the race for their division title, not to mention the wild card standings. December has been extraordinarily cruel to Dallas in recent years, handing the Cowboys a losing record every year in that month since 1996, and a loss tonight would only further that misery.

Dallas will also have their coach’s future to worry about, as the fate of Wade Phillips will likely hinge on the outcome of this game, especially if the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs this season. Owner Jerry Jones has made it utterly clear that he expects his team to win when it matters most, and anything short of a playoff victory will almost certainly spell the end of Phillips’ run in Big D.

All in all, this game should prove to be an epic affair, with both teams fighting for something of tremendous value, and we the viewers should consider ourselves lucky to have the chance to watch a game of this magnitude take place outside the friendly confines of Sunday afternoon. Kick back, grab something good to eat, and enjoy this one… it’s going to be fun.

If you’re like me, and your cable provider doesn’t carry the NFL Network, you can watch the game live on NFL.com

Not much scares a team or their fans more than seeing one of their best players carried into the locker room on the back of a cart, strapped to a backboard after taking a severe blow to the head or back.

That’s exactly the scenario that played out in front of the Cowboys earlier this afternoon when defensive end DeMarcus Ware rushed Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and crashed into the leg of San Diego offensive tackle Brandyn Dumbrowski helmet first. Ware retained full movement in all of his extremities while he was laying on the field, but team doctors chose to err on the side of caution and called for the medical cart to come out and take Ware into the locker room.

According to ESPN Dallas’ Calvin Watkins, the current outlook on Ware is good, and doctors believe he has a sprained neck.  Ware has not lost feeling or movement at any point since the injury and barring any complications, he should make a full recovery in the near future.

Yesterday we posted a piece on the war of words between Giants defensive end Justin Tuck and Cowboys offensive tackle Flozell Adams, and speculated that Adams would likely receive a significantly higher fine this time around for his role in the fracas that took place at the end of the first half last Sunday in the Meadowlands.

That prediction proved to a good one today, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting (via Twitter) that Adams will be fined $50,000 thanks in large part to his shove of Tuck after the final play of the half was over. That is four times as large as the fine Adams received after the two teams met up earlier in the season, and will certainly make it clear that the league will be watching his actions very closely from now on.

Giants beat writer Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News confirmed the punishment.

Headed into their pivotal contest yesterday, the Cowboys and Giants dropped more than their fair share of one liners on each other throughout the week, setting the stage for a testy game that nearly turned ugly near the end of the first half.

Dallas offensive tackle Flozell Adams shoved New York defensive end Justin Tuck in the back, starting a miniature rumble on the field while the two teams headed into the locker room. That, along with the Giants eventual victory, set off a verbal exchange after the game through the media between the two players.

“I laugh at stuff like that. It just proves what kind of dirtbag he is. A few guys in Dallas I really admire as people. He’s not one of them.”

– New York defensive end Justin Tuck

Adams response? The always popular, he’s a nobody line.

“I ain’t talking about him. He’s a nobody.”

– Dallas offensive tackle Flozell Adams

At the very least, Adams will likely be fined by the league for his actions, which warranted a personal foul penalty. ESPN’s Adam Schefter speculates that the punishment could be stiffer, considering Adams’ previous run ins with the league this season.

New York prevailed in the game, beating Dallas 31-24 to sweep both regular season games between the two teams.

When Giants QB Eli Manning signs an autograph, it’s usually for one of his fans or a collector. But the one he left on a wall in the visitor’s locker room in Cowboys Stadium has had the opposite effect, providing Dallas’ players with the bulletin board material teams go to great lengths to avoid.

Manning publicly acknowledged that the signature was in fact his own, claiming to have been asked to leave the mark on the wall by an attendant after New York defeated the Cowboys earlier this season.  That said, the players in Dallas aren’t as concerned with that as they are with the addition to his John Hancock; the final score of the game (33-31) and the words “First win in the New Stadium.”

“We won’t forget that. It just makes for a more intense game.”

– Dallas linebacker Bradie James

For his part, Manning is claiming that he simply complied with the request and that everything he needed to leave the message was provided for him. Either way, the Cowboys won’t be likely to forgive and forget when the two teams meet up once again next Sunday, in a pivotal game that will go a long way towards determining the Giants playoff chances.