[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Monday, December 22, 1997

Some Cowboys hoping finale wasn't last roundup

By Darrin Scheid

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - Broderick Thomas wants a long, happy marriage with the Cowboys.

Bill Bates, saying the same thing he says after every season, wants to keep it going.

So do Scott Galbraith and Anthony Miller.

These are the some of the optimistic guys, free agents and older Cowboys who offered help to Jerry Jones after Sunday's 20-7 loss to the New York Giants. The defeat at Texas Stadium capped the team's worst season since 1989.

Some say it can be fixed.

"It's hard to say what should be done, but I don't think you have to make huge, sweeping changes," Galbraith said. "We have talent. Whether our problems were induced by coaches or induced by the players, I don't know. I do know that I'm glad I'm not the one who has to make those decisions."

Then, there are the others.

Realists, you might call them.

Brock Marion and Shante Carver would rather walk away from Texas Stadium and think about next season some other time. Marion, who had a team-leading 92 tackles, is a free agent who just finished one of his finest NFL seasons.

"I don't really have a comment on whether I'm coming back," he said. "We just came off a loss, and we just finished a really hard season. I'm going to sit down and see what is best for me."

Wade Wilson, the second-string quarterback, has talked about retirement.

Starting guard Nate Newton and tackle Mark Tuinei have been mentioned among those who might not return.

Shante Carver would not say if he would return after one of his best seasons. Carver finished the season with a team-leading six sacks, and he had three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

"I have no idea, and that's all I have to say about it," Carver said.

Who is coming back?

Thomas reminds everybody who has the answers.

"The last time I checked, my name was not Jerry Jones," he said. "We'll talk about it pretty soon, and if they still want me here, that's what I want. But I'm not the one in charge."

That man, Jerry Jones, stood on the sidelines on Sunday and watched the Dallas offense gain 184 total yards and earn 11 first downs.

The Cowboys converted twice in 13 third-down plays, and their quarterbacks were sacked four times. In the first half, Dallas had more penalty yards (68) than total yards (63).

In taking the Eastern Division title away from Dallas, the Giants picked apart the Cowboys for 283 yards. Many of the New York starters sat out the fourth quarter.

Bates, who went through down seasons, the rebuilding, and now the down-again 1997, wants to be part of the solution.

He also understands who makes those decisions.

"Finishing the year like this makes you enjoy the good times even better and appreciate them more," Bates said. "If they want me back, there's no question about it because I love playing football. It's still fun. But it's not up to me."

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Visit the Star-Telegram on the World Wide Web: www.startext.net; www.arlington.net; and www.netarrant.net.

Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services.