Another Parcells Guy

For the second straight year, Bill Parcells has surrounded himself with a familiar face at quarterback.

No, its not Vinny Testaverde. This time around, it’s Drew Bledsoe. For Parcells, now in his third year with the Dallas Cowboys, it represents familiar territory.

“We want to go back and be a good game manager, try to avoid the bad play, be a good decision maker, and just reiterate the same things that I reiterated to you when you were a rookie player,” says Parcells in his conversations with Bledsoe. “That's really what I said to him. That's the way I want you to start.”

Bledsoe certainly brings a lot of things to this team, but one thing Parcells doesn't talk about much is his own comfort zone. It seems, every time he brings in a player he has worked with before, he appears more comfortable, and maybe that's really what all these old quarterbacks are about.

“Bill and I understand each other very well,” says Bledsoe. “We worked together before. The first think that he wants out of the quarterback position is for me to play the game in a way where I first and foremost, don't screw it up,” he says laughingly, “which is exactly the way he would put it.”

Still, no one is perfect, but Parcells believes, adding experience takes away some of the uncertainty, even if he wants Bledsoe to start at square one. But regardless of age, it marks the third straight year that Dallas will have a different starter at quarterback.

“I think he can make all the throws, when he was young he could make all the throws,” says Parcells confidently. “I think there are several quarterbacks in the league that can do that. For one reason or another, something just keeps him from, and it might be the people around him, but I think drew has had a solid career. “He has played winning football, on winning teams, and I think he's at the point where he realizes, this isn't going to go on forever. I think he wants to finish on a good note. I really believe that very much.”

Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson likes what the Cowboys did during the off season, by adding a vetran quarterback, but he's adjusting to Bledsoe as well. In fact, during his 10-year career, Bledsoe will be Johnson's 12th different quarterback.

“I'm pretty excited, its a plus,” says Johnson. “You have a guy who has the ability to be one of the better quarterbacks in this league, he has the ability to do a lot of good things, he's played in the super bowl before, he's been to a number of playoff games, he's been the captain of every ship, so, you know, all of those things are a plus.

Owner Jerry Jones, who spent more than 30-million dollars during the off season, signed Bledsoe to a three year contract. “We each know what we want to do,” he says. “He's the quarterback, he can put the ball out there for receivers, and he's gotten on me to kind of open the passing game for him. We kind of know that, but we have got a lot of work to do.”

“I think bill and are definitely linked together now,” says Bledsoe. “Now that we're together for the second time, and if this thing works out, its gonna be a great success for both of us, and if it doesn't, we'll be linked together on that side of it. I look forward to great success this time around.”

Testaverde spend just one season in a Dallas uniform. Bledsoe has a chance to be with the Cowboys three years, but only if he wins.

“What Vinny did is pretty special. He played at a high level, for a very long time, how long I play will depend entirely on what kind of success we're having, what kind of success I'm having, and whether I feel like I'm still playing at a level that meets my expectations.”

As for his relationship with Parcells this time around, Bledsoe doesn’t see much change.

“He's the same. He's still just looking for a chance to jump somebody,” says Bledsoe. “He looks for those coachable moments and then he jumps on those whenever he can. He's the same guy, people say he may have softened over the years, but I'm certainly not seeing that. I think he's the same guy that he always has been. He’s going to coach us and coach us hard, and demand greatness from the team, and that's been a successful winning formula for him for a long time.”

Bledsoe says he things the Cowboys are capable of winning a lot of games this year. He won’t predict a number. But if success can come his way in a Dallas uniform, so much the better.

“Its something that I'm very, very proud to be a part of,” he says. “When you play quarterback for the cowboys, it’s an honor. You've got a lot of hall of fame guys that came before you, so, its definitely a position where I feel that history and hopefully, when I'm done, I'll be a small part of that history