[Update: I know these are supposed to come at the end of the article, but I want it at the top! According to ESPNDallas.com Cowboys Center Andre Gurode is being asked to either take a reduction in his $5.5 million salary or be released. As there are teams out there needing Center help, expect the release of Andre Gurode to happen today or tomorrow morning.
On the pregame show Jones said "Andre Gurode is not dressing tonight, we brought him on the trip...he is in the best health since he arrived at training camp...this is not a disciplinary thing", which implies that Gurode is healthy and not in trouble. Jones went on to say "He [Gurode] has had some really exciting competition this training camp and is still having it, so we are going to go back and talk about it....It's just a cap thing, I need to look at it from the standpoing of where he is, what we pay him, what we are going to be doing in the future..." For many of you, Andre Gurode may be best known as the guy who's face Albert Haynesworth used to clean his cleats on in a game back in 2006 that landed Haynesworth a 5-game suspension and anger management classes (yes we know the classes didn't help).
Gurode has had an intense training camp battle with former undrafted rookie Phil Costa, who is not playing tonight due to a sprained PCL, but many thought this past week that Costa would take over at center and Gurode would move back to his former position of guard, as the Cowboys are having trouble filling a guard spot. Jones and the Cowboys staff are obviously not concerned that Costa's injury is anything serious judging by his remarks on Gurode tonight.
If the Cowboys jettison Gurode, their offensive line would be made up of a combination of Doug Free, Bill Nagy/David Arkin, Phil Costa, Kyle Kosier, and Tyron Smith....If you have not heard of most of those guys, then don't worry you are among the majority....
After signing a 6-year $30 million contract in 2007, Gurode may be a "cap casualty" and you have to believe that the Cowboys not only strongly believe in the ability of Phil Costa and at least 2 rookies to protect their franchise quarterback Tony Romo, but that they are receiving a very attractive offer from a team to trade him.
So what teams may be interested in trading for Gurode? I would think the Bears are at the top of the list as they failed to bring back long time center Olin Kreutz, this could mean that bringing in Chris Spencer is not going to work on a team going into the season with Super Bowl aspirations.
The other option.....Jerry Jones and the Cowboys could tell Gurode that he has to take a reduction on his nearly $6 million base salary if he wants to stay on the team...
They moved incumbent left guard, and probably the smartest Cowboys offensive lineman, Kyle Kosier to right guard this training camp so they would not have to start two rookies next to each other on the offensive line (Bill Nagy/David Arkin next to 1st round draft pick Tyron Smith).
After being a 4-year starter at both offensive guard and center positions at the University of Colorado and garnering All Big-12 Honors his Junior and Senior years, the Cowboys selected him with the 5th pick of the 2nd round in 2002 NFL draft.
Gurode was drafted as a center by the Cowboys, and played there early in his career before being moved to guard due to injuries. When Bill Parcells came to town as the Head Coach he made Gurode a permanent guard for a while before admitting he made a mistake and that he is a natural center. Once he was moved back to center he responded by becoming a 2-time All-Pro and 4-time Pro Bowl center.
While racking up accomplishments as the Cowboys center, Gurode has come under plenty of criticism, and is regularly brought up as a perfect example of how Pro Bowl selections are based more on name recognition than actual performance due to his very poor performance the past couple of years..
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