gimmesix
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life
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Quarterback
STARTER Tony Romo
BACKUPS Brooks Bollinger, Brad Johnson
ANALYSIS I really can’t believe some Dallas fans think we should replace Romo. Yes, he sometimes frustrates with his decision-making, but we tend to let his mistakes cloud the big picture of him being one of the better QBs in the league. His career QB rating is 94.7. He completes almost 64 percent of his passes and is almost 2-1 on TD-to-int. ratio (would like that to be better, of course). Plus, how much were his numbers/play this year affected by his injuries? He needs to mature some, especially in his decision-making, but Dallas’ best shot at returning to the Super Bowl rests with Romo. The real question is who does Dallas get to be the No. 2 guy. Johnson should not be retained for any reason after he showed us exactly what we feared about him ... that his skills are gone. Bollinger didn’t show much more, but I’m afraid Dallas might retain him as the No. 2, then draft someone to groom for that role. The Cowboys definitely need to spend a second-day pick on the position, but they also need to look for a better veteran option than either one they currently have.
DRAFT PRIORITY Middle to late round
Fullback
STARTER Deon Anderson
BACKUP Julius Crosslin
ANALYSIS I wasn’t necessarily disappointed in Anderson’s play, but I was disappointed in how Dallas used him. I had hope based on the preseason that the Cowboys would hand off and pass to him some to establish the position as more than just a blocking threat. Maybe that was because the Cowboys didn’t trust Anderson in those other roles, but keeping the position one-dimensional certainly didn’t help the offense. If they are not going to use the position better, then the Cowboys need to look at their alternatives (see tight end analysis). Crosslin spent the season on the practice squad, but I didn’t think he showed enough in the preseason to even deserve that spot.
DRAFT PRIORITY Late round to UDFA
Running back
STARTER Marion Barber III
BACKUPS Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Alonzo Coleman
ANALYSIS Barber’s barbaric, unpredictable running style is one of the things that makes him great, but it also hurts Dallas at times (perhaps too many times in 2008) when he leaves his blockers too early. Jones and Choice were more effective cutting off blocks instead of cutting away from them like Barber (part of their effectiveness has to be credited to being backups, though). However, what Dallas missed when Barber got hurt was his energy. Barber’s relentlessness and excitedness appear to charge up the team. He needs to learn when to go with his gut and when to trust his blockers to be a better running back, but we can't undervalue the on-field personality he gives the offense. Based on the play of his backups, the Cowboys need to spend time trying to figure out the right mix for using all three backs. There needs to be some consideration for what each player does best and even how they can be used in combination. I really want to see us do something with Jones in the slot. I think Dallas failed to take advantage of his big-play ability there. We missed that ability when he got hurt and need to make sure we give him several chances each game to use it. To truly use him like I think we should, I think he should sub in on every drive for a play or two. Choice, who appears to be the best of the three at not improvising, should be used more as a regular substitute, spelling Barber for at least a couple of series. These are three good backs, each with different strengths that we need to take advantage of. Coleman didn’t show he belongs in their company, and I was somewhat disappointed that we kept him around on the practice squad after a disappointing preseason.
DRAFT PRIORITY UDFA
Tight end
STARTER Jason Witten
BACKUPS Martellus Bennett, Tony Curtis, Rodney Hannah
ANALYSIS Witten proved once again how much of a warrior he is and why he is Romo’s favorite target ... he's reliable in all that he does. I do think his injuries affected his play more than we know, but he still shined on offense as a receiver and blocker. The most consistent player we have on offense. Bennett’s play as rookie, even though it was up and down some, is the primary reason I want Dallas to switch to using mostly two-tight end sets. You can see his power as a blocker (more than Witten’s) when he gets his assignment right and he’s a natural as a receiver, showing a surprising ability to get upfield after the catch. I’ve never been completely satisfied with the blocking out of the backfield by tight ends, but I think the tradeoff is worth it because defenses have to account for the receiving abilities of our two tight ends. Curtis was supposed to be that second threat from the position, but failed to seize the role. I thought he had it in him, but he faded away after showing promise the previous season. I have no problem with Dallas losing him as a restricted free agent and replacing him with Hannah, who was the second-best TE on the roster in the preseason, at least as a receiver.
DRAFT PRIORITY Late round to UDFA
Wide receiver
STARTERS Terrell Owens, Roy Williams
BACKUPS Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Paris Warren, Travis Wilson
ANALYSIS I’m not among those who want to see Owens go. What I would rather see is Jerry Jones sit down with him and tell him the way its going to be, what he expects and needs from him (no speaking out publicly against any member of the coaching staff or teammate) and if Owens can’t handle that, then he can pack his bags. Owens needs parameters, and Dallas didn’t seem to give him any last year ... that’s on the coaching staff. I also don’t believe that Owens’ abilities slipped last year, at least not much. There are few receivers teams can’t nullify if they can make them the focus. Teams made Owens the focus, shading coverage his way enough to force Romo look for other options (even when the coverage actually ended up being 1-on-1) and the other options didn’t come through consistently enough to make teams pay for doing that. Figuring out how to change that has to be the No. 1 goal of coordinator Jason Garrett this offseason. Dallas hoped to solve it by trading for Williams, but the Cowboys couldn’t take advantage of his skills, partly because Romo didn’t have time to build a trust for Williams’ ability to catch the ball in tight coverage. Those two need to get on the same page this offseason, and Garrett needs to study how best to deploy Williams. When Williams was acquired, Crayton returned to a role that was better suited for him, third receiver. When matched up against backup corners, Crayton can take full advantage of his hands, route-running and physicality. However, the one thing Crayton can’t do is stretch the field and that’s where Dallas needs Austin on the field. If not for injury, Austin might have supplanted Crayton because he showed an ability to be a big-play receiver. His improved play makes him a priority for Dallas to keep, with at least a second-round restricted free agent tender. It’s possible that Austin has reached his peak, but if so, his peak at least can fill a nice niche for Dallas. Hurd is also a restricted free agent, and would be a good player to retain because of his special teams ability and what he has shown in the past as a possession receiver. I wouldn’t count him out of the No. 3 role. Stanback’s health issues might keep us from ever seeing exactly how good he can be. He has flashed great athletic ability (speed, size, moves, hands), but his injuries keep holding him back from seeing if he can put it all together. Warren and Wilson have NFL experience, but I don’t think they can beat out the other players at this position.
DRAFT PRIORITY Depends ... if we retain Owens and Austin, late round to UDFA; if we lose Owens, early round (although I think we would replace him in free agency); if we lose Austin, middle to late round
Center
STARTER Andre Gurode
BACKUP Cory Proctor
ANALYSIS Despite some shortcomings, Gurode is one of the best centers in the league. He rarely gets overpowered and can drive his man off the ball. He does hurt us some with his poor Shotgun snaps and his lack of great mobility, but I think it’s a tradeoff for what he does well. He’s not a weak link in the line. His backup is. Proctor didn’t get an opportunity to show what he can do in the regular season this year at the center spot (saw enough the previous year, though), but his play at guard showed that Dallas needs to look elsewhere for a backup. Proctor was targeted as the weak link because he was easily overpowered. He’s good at pulling and taking on linebackers, but defensive linemen treated him like a ragdoll and turnstile, and it affected the play of the entire left side. Proctor is a restricted free agent, and I could live with Dallas not offering him a tender at all, but wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys give him one as the only other real center on the roster, then bring in competition to beat him out.
DRAFT PRIORITY Early to middle round
Guard
STARTERS Leonard Davis, Kyle Kosier
BACKUPS Joe Berger, Montrae Holland, Ryan Gibbons
ANALYSIS You can count me among those who didn’t really appreciate Kosier until we didn’t have him. There was a distinct difference in how this line played with and without Kosier, and he was definitely missed. Now, I still think he’s weaker than what you’d like at the position, and a player you’re always going to be looking to replace, but at least he can hold his ground most of the time and is great on the move. Perhaps the player with the ability to replace him is Holland, if Holland will get into shape. Holland doesn’t have good movement skills, but looked pretty good in the limited time we saw him because he doesn’t give ground, takes up a lot of space and can get a push. He fits in well with this power line, but his commitment has to be questioned. Berger is definitely not the answer and will leave in free agency. The guy who needed to be the player to replace Kosier disappointed in that attempt, not even being able to beat out Proctor. I don’t hold out much hope for Gibbons being able to step in either, so it’s either Kosier or Holland on the left side with no other viable backups at guard or center. Davis has the other side locked up, but like Holland, his lack of good movement skills hurts him at times, more this season than the previous one. He has to watch overcommiting, being overagressive and letting defenders get around him because he doesn't have to movement skills to recover.
DRAFT PRIORITY Early to middle round
Tackle
STARTERS Flozell Adams, Marc Colombo
BACKUPS Doug Free, Pat McQuistan
ANALYSIS I understand, somewhat, what happened to Adams in 2008. He is a distractible player and the play next to him clearly affected his game. He also has some injuries that affected his game. But I don’t know if those things are enough to explain his inconsistent play (some would say it was consistent ... consistently bad). He just looked out of sync all season, almost like his heart wasn’t into putting in the effort necessary to keep up with the speed rushers (which has always been a struggle for him) ... and he looked the same way in the Pro Bowl, which makes me wonder about my reasons for his drop in play. I want to see how he plays with Kosier back next to him, though, before considering that he might be through. We do have to get Free ready, though, because it is a possibility. Free’s play was up and down in the preseason, and he got beat more than I expected. But I do see some encouraging signs that he could be the replacement. McQuistan didn’t show those encouraging signs, taking a step back in his development to the point that I no longer know if he can be counted on. In the preseason, it was almost like he just lost his technique. Instead, it seemed he would anticipate a defender’s move, then be out of position to counter the actual move. Maybe his feet just aren’t that good despite him getting praised for his athleticism. Colombo got a new contract at the end of the season, and deservedly so. He is not near the most athletic lineman on the team, but he is the most solid. He plays with great technique and to the whistle (sometimes beyond it). I love players who are clearly giving their all on each and every play, and Colombo is the kind who clearly hates to lose and plays all out on every play, even if he has to sacrifice his body to make a block.
DRAFT PRIORITY Middle to late round
STARTER Tony Romo
BACKUPS Brooks Bollinger, Brad Johnson
ANALYSIS I really can’t believe some Dallas fans think we should replace Romo. Yes, he sometimes frustrates with his decision-making, but we tend to let his mistakes cloud the big picture of him being one of the better QBs in the league. His career QB rating is 94.7. He completes almost 64 percent of his passes and is almost 2-1 on TD-to-int. ratio (would like that to be better, of course). Plus, how much were his numbers/play this year affected by his injuries? He needs to mature some, especially in his decision-making, but Dallas’ best shot at returning to the Super Bowl rests with Romo. The real question is who does Dallas get to be the No. 2 guy. Johnson should not be retained for any reason after he showed us exactly what we feared about him ... that his skills are gone. Bollinger didn’t show much more, but I’m afraid Dallas might retain him as the No. 2, then draft someone to groom for that role. The Cowboys definitely need to spend a second-day pick on the position, but they also need to look for a better veteran option than either one they currently have.
DRAFT PRIORITY Middle to late round
Fullback
STARTER Deon Anderson
BACKUP Julius Crosslin
ANALYSIS I wasn’t necessarily disappointed in Anderson’s play, but I was disappointed in how Dallas used him. I had hope based on the preseason that the Cowboys would hand off and pass to him some to establish the position as more than just a blocking threat. Maybe that was because the Cowboys didn’t trust Anderson in those other roles, but keeping the position one-dimensional certainly didn’t help the offense. If they are not going to use the position better, then the Cowboys need to look at their alternatives (see tight end analysis). Crosslin spent the season on the practice squad, but I didn’t think he showed enough in the preseason to even deserve that spot.
DRAFT PRIORITY Late round to UDFA
Running back
STARTER Marion Barber III
BACKUPS Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Alonzo Coleman
ANALYSIS Barber’s barbaric, unpredictable running style is one of the things that makes him great, but it also hurts Dallas at times (perhaps too many times in 2008) when he leaves his blockers too early. Jones and Choice were more effective cutting off blocks instead of cutting away from them like Barber (part of their effectiveness has to be credited to being backups, though). However, what Dallas missed when Barber got hurt was his energy. Barber’s relentlessness and excitedness appear to charge up the team. He needs to learn when to go with his gut and when to trust his blockers to be a better running back, but we can't undervalue the on-field personality he gives the offense. Based on the play of his backups, the Cowboys need to spend time trying to figure out the right mix for using all three backs. There needs to be some consideration for what each player does best and even how they can be used in combination. I really want to see us do something with Jones in the slot. I think Dallas failed to take advantage of his big-play ability there. We missed that ability when he got hurt and need to make sure we give him several chances each game to use it. To truly use him like I think we should, I think he should sub in on every drive for a play or two. Choice, who appears to be the best of the three at not improvising, should be used more as a regular substitute, spelling Barber for at least a couple of series. These are three good backs, each with different strengths that we need to take advantage of. Coleman didn’t show he belongs in their company, and I was somewhat disappointed that we kept him around on the practice squad after a disappointing preseason.
DRAFT PRIORITY UDFA
Tight end
STARTER Jason Witten
BACKUPS Martellus Bennett, Tony Curtis, Rodney Hannah
ANALYSIS Witten proved once again how much of a warrior he is and why he is Romo’s favorite target ... he's reliable in all that he does. I do think his injuries affected his play more than we know, but he still shined on offense as a receiver and blocker. The most consistent player we have on offense. Bennett’s play as rookie, even though it was up and down some, is the primary reason I want Dallas to switch to using mostly two-tight end sets. You can see his power as a blocker (more than Witten’s) when he gets his assignment right and he’s a natural as a receiver, showing a surprising ability to get upfield after the catch. I’ve never been completely satisfied with the blocking out of the backfield by tight ends, but I think the tradeoff is worth it because defenses have to account for the receiving abilities of our two tight ends. Curtis was supposed to be that second threat from the position, but failed to seize the role. I thought he had it in him, but he faded away after showing promise the previous season. I have no problem with Dallas losing him as a restricted free agent and replacing him with Hannah, who was the second-best TE on the roster in the preseason, at least as a receiver.
DRAFT PRIORITY Late round to UDFA
Wide receiver
STARTERS Terrell Owens, Roy Williams
BACKUPS Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Paris Warren, Travis Wilson
ANALYSIS I’m not among those who want to see Owens go. What I would rather see is Jerry Jones sit down with him and tell him the way its going to be, what he expects and needs from him (no speaking out publicly against any member of the coaching staff or teammate) and if Owens can’t handle that, then he can pack his bags. Owens needs parameters, and Dallas didn’t seem to give him any last year ... that’s on the coaching staff. I also don’t believe that Owens’ abilities slipped last year, at least not much. There are few receivers teams can’t nullify if they can make them the focus. Teams made Owens the focus, shading coverage his way enough to force Romo look for other options (even when the coverage actually ended up being 1-on-1) and the other options didn’t come through consistently enough to make teams pay for doing that. Figuring out how to change that has to be the No. 1 goal of coordinator Jason Garrett this offseason. Dallas hoped to solve it by trading for Williams, but the Cowboys couldn’t take advantage of his skills, partly because Romo didn’t have time to build a trust for Williams’ ability to catch the ball in tight coverage. Those two need to get on the same page this offseason, and Garrett needs to study how best to deploy Williams. When Williams was acquired, Crayton returned to a role that was better suited for him, third receiver. When matched up against backup corners, Crayton can take full advantage of his hands, route-running and physicality. However, the one thing Crayton can’t do is stretch the field and that’s where Dallas needs Austin on the field. If not for injury, Austin might have supplanted Crayton because he showed an ability to be a big-play receiver. His improved play makes him a priority for Dallas to keep, with at least a second-round restricted free agent tender. It’s possible that Austin has reached his peak, but if so, his peak at least can fill a nice niche for Dallas. Hurd is also a restricted free agent, and would be a good player to retain because of his special teams ability and what he has shown in the past as a possession receiver. I wouldn’t count him out of the No. 3 role. Stanback’s health issues might keep us from ever seeing exactly how good he can be. He has flashed great athletic ability (speed, size, moves, hands), but his injuries keep holding him back from seeing if he can put it all together. Warren and Wilson have NFL experience, but I don’t think they can beat out the other players at this position.
DRAFT PRIORITY Depends ... if we retain Owens and Austin, late round to UDFA; if we lose Owens, early round (although I think we would replace him in free agency); if we lose Austin, middle to late round
Center
STARTER Andre Gurode
BACKUP Cory Proctor
ANALYSIS Despite some shortcomings, Gurode is one of the best centers in the league. He rarely gets overpowered and can drive his man off the ball. He does hurt us some with his poor Shotgun snaps and his lack of great mobility, but I think it’s a tradeoff for what he does well. He’s not a weak link in the line. His backup is. Proctor didn’t get an opportunity to show what he can do in the regular season this year at the center spot (saw enough the previous year, though), but his play at guard showed that Dallas needs to look elsewhere for a backup. Proctor was targeted as the weak link because he was easily overpowered. He’s good at pulling and taking on linebackers, but defensive linemen treated him like a ragdoll and turnstile, and it affected the play of the entire left side. Proctor is a restricted free agent, and I could live with Dallas not offering him a tender at all, but wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys give him one as the only other real center on the roster, then bring in competition to beat him out.
DRAFT PRIORITY Early to middle round
Guard
STARTERS Leonard Davis, Kyle Kosier
BACKUPS Joe Berger, Montrae Holland, Ryan Gibbons
ANALYSIS You can count me among those who didn’t really appreciate Kosier until we didn’t have him. There was a distinct difference in how this line played with and without Kosier, and he was definitely missed. Now, I still think he’s weaker than what you’d like at the position, and a player you’re always going to be looking to replace, but at least he can hold his ground most of the time and is great on the move. Perhaps the player with the ability to replace him is Holland, if Holland will get into shape. Holland doesn’t have good movement skills, but looked pretty good in the limited time we saw him because he doesn’t give ground, takes up a lot of space and can get a push. He fits in well with this power line, but his commitment has to be questioned. Berger is definitely not the answer and will leave in free agency. The guy who needed to be the player to replace Kosier disappointed in that attempt, not even being able to beat out Proctor. I don’t hold out much hope for Gibbons being able to step in either, so it’s either Kosier or Holland on the left side with no other viable backups at guard or center. Davis has the other side locked up, but like Holland, his lack of good movement skills hurts him at times, more this season than the previous one. He has to watch overcommiting, being overagressive and letting defenders get around him because he doesn't have to movement skills to recover.
DRAFT PRIORITY Early to middle round
Tackle
STARTERS Flozell Adams, Marc Colombo
BACKUPS Doug Free, Pat McQuistan
ANALYSIS I understand, somewhat, what happened to Adams in 2008. He is a distractible player and the play next to him clearly affected his game. He also has some injuries that affected his game. But I don’t know if those things are enough to explain his inconsistent play (some would say it was consistent ... consistently bad). He just looked out of sync all season, almost like his heart wasn’t into putting in the effort necessary to keep up with the speed rushers (which has always been a struggle for him) ... and he looked the same way in the Pro Bowl, which makes me wonder about my reasons for his drop in play. I want to see how he plays with Kosier back next to him, though, before considering that he might be through. We do have to get Free ready, though, because it is a possibility. Free’s play was up and down in the preseason, and he got beat more than I expected. But I do see some encouraging signs that he could be the replacement. McQuistan didn’t show those encouraging signs, taking a step back in his development to the point that I no longer know if he can be counted on. In the preseason, it was almost like he just lost his technique. Instead, it seemed he would anticipate a defender’s move, then be out of position to counter the actual move. Maybe his feet just aren’t that good despite him getting praised for his athleticism. Colombo got a new contract at the end of the season, and deservedly so. He is not near the most athletic lineman on the team, but he is the most solid. He plays with great technique and to the whistle (sometimes beyond it). I love players who are clearly giving their all on each and every play, and Colombo is the kind who clearly hates to lose and plays all out on every play, even if he has to sacrifice his body to make a block.
DRAFT PRIORITY Middle to late round
