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OFFENSE
Quarterback
CONTENDERS Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Drew Henson, Jeff Mroz, Nick Noce
ANALYSIS Bledsoe is cemented in as the starter this year, and probably as long as Bill Parcells remains Dallas’ coach, so the interesting battle is for the No. 2 spot. If Henson comes back from Europe ready to beat out Romo as the primary backup, then Dallas will probably try to trade Romo because 1) he makes too much money to be a third-stringer and 2) being demoted would guarantee that Romo will not re-sign with Dallas next year. In that case, Mroz might be a good developmental prospect for the third spot. If Romo holds on to the backup spot, then it’s likely Dallas will stay status quo at the position because 1) Henson doesn’t make too much money for a third-stringer and actually costs more to cut in a way because of his guaranteed money, 2) Henson is in his third year, so he has one last year to show progress and 3) Jerry Jones WANTS Henson to be his quarterback of the future. In that scenario, Mroz could be put on the practice squad in anticipation of replacing Romo next year.
PREDICTION Bledsoe, Henson, Mroz (Romo traded for a pick in next year’s draft)
Fullback/Tight end
CONTENDERSJason Witten, Lousaka Polite, Anthony Fasano, Ryan Hannam, Brett Pierce, Sean Ryan, Tony Curtis, Eric Gill
ANALYSIS Based on Dallas’ plan to use its two-tight end formation even more than it did last year, it’s almost a certainty that Polite is gone. He could be kept for short-yardage situations, but that would be an extreme misuse of a roster spot and Dallas can cover that need in a variety of ways, especially with Hannam having the blocking ability to handle the role coming out of the backfield. With the elimination of the fullback, Fasano becomes the Moose Johnston of the new generation Cowboys. His presence as a blocker frees up Witten to do what he does best — wear out linebackers and safeties on pass patterns — and his presence as a receiving threat is better than anything we could get from a fullback and has to be taken seriously by defenses. Dallas brought in Hannam likely to play that role just in case it didn’t get who it wanted in the draft, and now has a valuable backup/third tight end whose style of play should be similar to Fasano’s. Pierce and Ryan are the likely contenders for the fourth spot, with Pierce having the upper hand because he has shown he can be counted on as a receiver. Also, expect Parcells to keep at least one tight end on the practice squad since he “collects” them.
PREDICTION Witten, Fasano, Hannam, Pierce, Curtis (practice squad)
Running back
CONTENDERS Julius Jones, Marion Barber, Tyson Thompson, Keylon Kincade, Demetris Summers
ANALYSIS This position isn’t likely to change in the preseason. Jones has special ability to be a breakaway back and has proven himself with a few near-200-yard games. The only worry with him is if he can make it through a season healthy. To that end, Barber, who has shown he can be effective as a starter, should receive a solid share of the load to take some wear and tear of Jones and will be the third-down back because he has shown he can be a very good receiver out of the backfield and can be relied on as a blitz blocker. Although Thompson could have his role as the primary kick returner stolen by rookie receiver Skyler Green, he did well enough in the role that he’s probable to be one of the deep men, plus he flashed enough raw ability as a runner to earn further development. The only change here will likely be to the practice squad, where Kincade is out of eligibility (I believe) and Summers should show enough in his tryout to earn a trip to training camp and spot on the PS.
PREDICTION Jones, Barber, Thompson, Summers (practice squad)
Wide receiver
CONTENDERS Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton, Terrance Copper, Skyler Green, Jamaica Rector, J.R. Tolver, Ahmad Merritt, Tom Crowder, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd
ANALYSIS The controversial decision to add Owens doesn’t appear to be controversial with Dallas’ receivers because it gives the Cowboys the ability to really put defenses in a bind. Former Cowboy Michael Irvin changed his stance last year and decided Glenn IS a No. 1 receiver. The addition of Owens, then, gives Dallas two No. 1s who both command double teams. Defenses will either have to take their chances 1-on-1 against Glenn or Owens or hope their linebackers can cover the tight ends. That’s a nice situation to have for Dallas. What isn’t nice to have is no certified backups in case either of the 30-something starters gets hurt. Crayton proved to be the most qualified last year, but has to return to the form he showed early in the season when he was a solid option over the middle. He should retain his third-receiver role, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the explosive Green challenge for that spot. Green is almost certain to take punt-returning duties from Crayton, but has prove he can handle press coverage before he can supplant the quick and strong Crayton. Copper hasn’t proven much as a receiver — actually taking a step back in that area last season, and his biggest claim to a roster spot is his ability to cover kicks. That might not be enough this year, because Parcells only likes to take four receivers to games. If Crayton holds on to his spot as the third receiver and Green becomes the primary punt returner, then the inactive spot, if Dallas doesn’t choose to go short at this position, should go to a prospect who can be developed because of his receiving ability. But, of course, one of the younger players would have to prove worthy of that.
PREDICTION Owens, Glenn, Crayton, Green, Rector (practice squad), Austin (practice squad)
Tackle
CONTENDERS Flozell Adams, Jason Fabini, Rob Pettiti, Marc Colombo, Dennis Roland
ANALYSIS Although Adams has never been a great player, he was far better than what the Cowboys had to replace him with last year and Dallas’ play on offense reflected that after he was lost for the season. His return and the addition of a savvy and hard-working vet (Fabini) should make the starting spots solid, if Fabini’s body can hold up. Last year’s starting right tackle, Pettiti, should improve enough to give Dallas a decent backup with a year’s worth of experience, but it’s doubtful he improves enough in one off-season to keep the starting job from Fabini. The wild card at the position is Colombo, who has got the talent to be a starter on either side and should at least be a solid backup if his injuries have not robbed him of his movement skills.
PREDICTION Adams, Fabini, Pettiti, Colombo
Guard
CONTENDERS Kyle Kosier, Marco Rivera, Stephen Peterman, Cory Proctor, Shannon Snell, E.J. Whitley, Pat McQuistan
ANALYSIS The Cowboys aggressively targeted Kosier at the beginning of free agency, so it’s apparent they believe he will be a solid replacement for Larry Allen. There’s no doubt he will be quicker than Allen and can help on pull plays, but the big question is if he can keep the pocket from collapsing on Bledsoe. If Rivera returns to preinjury form, Dallas should be in good shape at the other starting guard spot. If not, the Cowboys do not have a capable replacement. Backup center Andre Gurode did a very nice job filling in for Rivera against Carolina, but it’s doubtful Dallas could expect that from him on a regular basis based on his past play. Peterman has to prove he can handle pass rushers, and if he doesn’t, he’ll only get a reprieve if the other guard prospects don’t show promise. Whitley appears the most likely to flash enough ability to stick as a versatile backup, while McQuistan should be a practice squad possibility. The Cowboys could go with only three guards on the 53-man roster because of Gurode’s ability to step in at the position and better players at other positions.
PREDICTION Kosier, Rivera, Whitley, McQuistan (practice squad)
Center
CONTENDERS Al Johnson, Andre Gurode, Matthew Tarullo
ANALYSIS Johnson has been reported to have added 17 pounds this off-season, and the Cowboys need him to be more stout, especially with Larry Allen gone. With Johnson, Rivera and Kosier starting, there is great potential for defenses to get a strong push up the middle without blitzing, which would foul up Dallas’ chances of exploiting its receiving advantage and disrupt the running game. Gurode is more powerful than Johnson, but has not shown the mental ability to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage or the quickness to handle stunting linemen or blitzers. As long as Gurode can lock on to a player, he can dominate; otherwise, he’s a liability. Whitley could eventually displace him from the roster, but not this year. Tarullo could remain on the practice squad for another year because of his versatility, but doesn’t seem to be real good at any one job.
PREDICTION Johnson, Gurode
DEFENSE
End
CONTENDERS Marcus Spears, Greg Ellis, Chris Canty, Kenyon Coleman, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Vontrell Jamison, Stephen Bowen
ANALYSIS It will be interesting to see what Dallas does with Ellis ... not regarding whether he’s on the team, but how the Cowboys use him this year. It isn’t very likely that the Cowboys will trade away one of their top pass rushers without knowing absolutely if anyone on the team can replace him as a nickel end, so Ellis’ roster spot should be safe for one more season. That forces Dallas to keep one more end than is ideal. Spears will start, and a bigger, stronger Canty should despite Dallas’ desire to get playing time for Ellis. Both showed signs of good things to come. Before he was injured, Ratliff flashed ability to be a solid contributor, and Hatcher has a nice size/speed combination for the position (and could eventually become the nickel end because of his pass rush ability). That leaves Coleman out, but Coleman showed last year that he can do little more than hold his ground in this scheme.
PREDICTION Spears, Canty, Ellis, Ratliff, Hatcher
Nose tackle
CONTENDERS Jason Ferguson, Thomas Johnson, Montavious Stanley, Steve Williams
ANALYSIS Ferguson did his job adequately last year, but needed to be more of a commanding presence in the middle of the line. Because of the way this defense is designed, he’s not supposed to stand out, but it seemed like he got washed out more than he should have last year as the anchor. Injuries might have played a bigger role in that than is known. Johnson was Dallas’ surprise find last year and if his play continues to improve, it would be a surprise for Parcells to cut his “godsend.” That makes for a logjam at this position with the addition of Stanley, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing because Ferguson is on the back side of his career. It will be interesting to see who wins the battle for the rotation spot. Having the versatility to play end or nose tackle might give the upper hand to Johnson on game days if Stanley is not clearly the superior nose tackle.
PREDICTION Ferguson, Johnson, Stanley, Williams (practice squad)
Outside linebacker
CONTENDERS Demarcus Ware, Bobby Carpenter, Al Singleton, Kalen Thornton, Rocky Boiman, Junior Glymph, John Saldi, J.J. Horne
ANALYSIS Ware was everything he could have been expected to be last year, struggling some to adjust to his new position but showing plenty of playmaking ability, and should be better with more weight and a better knowledge of how to play linebacker. Carpenter comes in ready-made to take over the strongside spot, with the pass rush ability to complement Ware and cover skills/run stopping ability to be an every-down linebacker. Carpenter taking over the starting spot likely means Singleton will be released. His salary is high for a backup and Dallas has enough talented, younger players to rely on as backups. If Thornton returns to the form he showed last preseason (where he was outplaying the still-adjusting Ware), he should win a backup spot. The other backup spot should go to Boiman, who stands out on special teams but has the versatility to be a solid backup at inside and outside linebacker and the coverage skills to see playing time as a nickel linebacker.
PREDICTION Ware, Carpenter, Thornton, Boiman
Inside linebacker
CONTENDERS Akin Ayodele, Bradie James, Kevin Burnett, Ryan Fowler, Kai Parham, Scott Shanle, D.D. Lee, Oliver Hoyte
ANALYSIS Although Fowler played well in Dallas’ final game last season, the Cowboys were clearly in need of a replacement for Dat Nguyen to take over the main-tackling position among the linebackers. Ayodele is a tackling machine and should put up great numbers in this scheme. James took to the scheme well last year and easily was Dallas’ top inside linebacker, and his play should improve even more this year. Dallas doesn’t know exactly what it has got in Burnett, especially from a health standpoint, but he flashed enough potential to be a sure bet to make the team as a backup. Parham and/or Hoyte could push for a roster spot, with Parham having the ability to play inside and outside linebacker, and should push Shanle off the roster. Shanle was good in coverage, but was a liability in run support. Fowler was the opposite and has a good chance to make the team because of his strength to take on blockers and make plays in the backfield. Remember that linebacker is also a position where Parcells likes to collect players, especially because of their ability to contribute on special teams.
PREDICTION Ayodele, James, Burnett, Fowler, Parham, Hoyte (practice squad)
Cornerback
CONTENDERS Anthony Henry, Terrence Newman, Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves, Nathan Jones, Lenny Williams, Marcus King, Byron Parker, Ronald Jones
ANALYSIS Before he was injured, Henry was the defensive MVP of the team, while Newman did not get the recognition he deserved nationally for his play. The two are one of the best corner tandems in the league. Glenn makes this position solid as the third corner, although his play was up and down at times ... but mostly up. Reeves did surprisingly well when called upon, showing a better ability to play the ball (which could get even better with his vision problems corrected). Jones, though, has not shown much, other than the ability to run downfield with receivers and not make a play on the ball. With Marcus Coleman having the ability to play safety or corner, it’s likely that Jones’ days are numbered.
PREDICTION Henry, Newman, Glenn, Reeves
Safety
CONTENDERS Roy Williams, Marcus Coleman, Keith Davis, Pat Watkins, Justin Beriault, Willie Pile, Darrell Brooks, Abram Elam, Quincy Butler
ANALYSIS Williams played really well at times, especially when he was allowed to play the run and get after the passer. But he wasn’t as poor in coverage as some make him out to be. He did get beat some, but his bad plays were far in the minority compared to his good ones. Coleman will likely get the starting nod at free safety because of his know-how. Davis made too many mental mistakes and is better served backing up Williams and being a special teams ace. Although there is reason to worry about the free safety position, there is also good reason to believe Coleman will play better for Parcells than he did in a lame-duck situation with the Texans, especially if his alcohol problems are behind him. Beriault has the skills to make a push for the starting job, but it’s questionable if he’ll be able to make the adjustment to being a coverage safety quickly after being an in-the-box safety in college and being injured all of last season. Watkins could also make a push, but it’s more likely that he’ll start out as a special-teams gunner and deep-zone safety in the nickel, making it tough for teams to get passes over him. Brooks and Butler are intriguing practice squad possibilities, if Butler is invited to join the team after this weekend’s tryout.
PREDICTION Williams, Coleman, Davis, Watkins, Beriault, Butler or Brooks (practice squad)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Long snapper
CONTENDERS L.P. Ladouceur, Danny Young
ANALYSIS Unless Ladouceur hits a snag, he should retain his spot on the roster, although Young has the ability to take it from him. Ladouceur wasn’t perfect last year, as several snaps were saved by holder Tony Romo, but he gets the ball back quickly and mostly on target.
PREDICTION Ladouceur
Kicker
CONTENDERS Mike Vanderjagt, Shaun Suisham, Chris McMurtray
ANALYSIS Vanderjagt gives Dallas an almost flawless field-goal kicker and perhaps the best it’s ever had. The trouble is that Vanderjagt is not a very good kickoff guy and seems to wear down when forced to do it, affecting his accuracy and causing injury. Dallas doesn’t really want to keep a kickoff specialist, but Jerry Jones said it isn’t realistic to expect Vanderjagt to be able to handle the job, and there is no indication that punter Mat McBriar can do it. Suisham is not a kickoff guy; McMurtray is, and would be a developmental field-goal kicker after making the final 17 of his career.
PREDICTION Vanderjagt, McMurtray
Punter
CONTENDERS Mat McBriar, Brian Claybourn
ANALYSIS McBriar wasn’t a model of consistency last year, but was exciting when he got off a booming punt or kicked one of his end-over-end specials inside the 20. If he can improve his consistency, he can be one of the top punters in the league. Claybourn isn’t really a challenge to McBriar as a punter, but his ability to kickoff could get him an invite to camp.
PREDICTION McBriar
Quarterback
CONTENDERS Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Drew Henson, Jeff Mroz, Nick Noce
ANALYSIS Bledsoe is cemented in as the starter this year, and probably as long as Bill Parcells remains Dallas’ coach, so the interesting battle is for the No. 2 spot. If Henson comes back from Europe ready to beat out Romo as the primary backup, then Dallas will probably try to trade Romo because 1) he makes too much money to be a third-stringer and 2) being demoted would guarantee that Romo will not re-sign with Dallas next year. In that case, Mroz might be a good developmental prospect for the third spot. If Romo holds on to the backup spot, then it’s likely Dallas will stay status quo at the position because 1) Henson doesn’t make too much money for a third-stringer and actually costs more to cut in a way because of his guaranteed money, 2) Henson is in his third year, so he has one last year to show progress and 3) Jerry Jones WANTS Henson to be his quarterback of the future. In that scenario, Mroz could be put on the practice squad in anticipation of replacing Romo next year.
PREDICTION Bledsoe, Henson, Mroz (Romo traded for a pick in next year’s draft)
Fullback/Tight end
CONTENDERSJason Witten, Lousaka Polite, Anthony Fasano, Ryan Hannam, Brett Pierce, Sean Ryan, Tony Curtis, Eric Gill
ANALYSIS Based on Dallas’ plan to use its two-tight end formation even more than it did last year, it’s almost a certainty that Polite is gone. He could be kept for short-yardage situations, but that would be an extreme misuse of a roster spot and Dallas can cover that need in a variety of ways, especially with Hannam having the blocking ability to handle the role coming out of the backfield. With the elimination of the fullback, Fasano becomes the Moose Johnston of the new generation Cowboys. His presence as a blocker frees up Witten to do what he does best — wear out linebackers and safeties on pass patterns — and his presence as a receiving threat is better than anything we could get from a fullback and has to be taken seriously by defenses. Dallas brought in Hannam likely to play that role just in case it didn’t get who it wanted in the draft, and now has a valuable backup/third tight end whose style of play should be similar to Fasano’s. Pierce and Ryan are the likely contenders for the fourth spot, with Pierce having the upper hand because he has shown he can be counted on as a receiver. Also, expect Parcells to keep at least one tight end on the practice squad since he “collects” them.
PREDICTION Witten, Fasano, Hannam, Pierce, Curtis (practice squad)
Running back
CONTENDERS Julius Jones, Marion Barber, Tyson Thompson, Keylon Kincade, Demetris Summers
ANALYSIS This position isn’t likely to change in the preseason. Jones has special ability to be a breakaway back and has proven himself with a few near-200-yard games. The only worry with him is if he can make it through a season healthy. To that end, Barber, who has shown he can be effective as a starter, should receive a solid share of the load to take some wear and tear of Jones and will be the third-down back because he has shown he can be a very good receiver out of the backfield and can be relied on as a blitz blocker. Although Thompson could have his role as the primary kick returner stolen by rookie receiver Skyler Green, he did well enough in the role that he’s probable to be one of the deep men, plus he flashed enough raw ability as a runner to earn further development. The only change here will likely be to the practice squad, where Kincade is out of eligibility (I believe) and Summers should show enough in his tryout to earn a trip to training camp and spot on the PS.
PREDICTION Jones, Barber, Thompson, Summers (practice squad)
Wide receiver
CONTENDERS Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton, Terrance Copper, Skyler Green, Jamaica Rector, J.R. Tolver, Ahmad Merritt, Tom Crowder, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd
ANALYSIS The controversial decision to add Owens doesn’t appear to be controversial with Dallas’ receivers because it gives the Cowboys the ability to really put defenses in a bind. Former Cowboy Michael Irvin changed his stance last year and decided Glenn IS a No. 1 receiver. The addition of Owens, then, gives Dallas two No. 1s who both command double teams. Defenses will either have to take their chances 1-on-1 against Glenn or Owens or hope their linebackers can cover the tight ends. That’s a nice situation to have for Dallas. What isn’t nice to have is no certified backups in case either of the 30-something starters gets hurt. Crayton proved to be the most qualified last year, but has to return to the form he showed early in the season when he was a solid option over the middle. He should retain his third-receiver role, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the explosive Green challenge for that spot. Green is almost certain to take punt-returning duties from Crayton, but has prove he can handle press coverage before he can supplant the quick and strong Crayton. Copper hasn’t proven much as a receiver — actually taking a step back in that area last season, and his biggest claim to a roster spot is his ability to cover kicks. That might not be enough this year, because Parcells only likes to take four receivers to games. If Crayton holds on to his spot as the third receiver and Green becomes the primary punt returner, then the inactive spot, if Dallas doesn’t choose to go short at this position, should go to a prospect who can be developed because of his receiving ability. But, of course, one of the younger players would have to prove worthy of that.
PREDICTION Owens, Glenn, Crayton, Green, Rector (practice squad), Austin (practice squad)
Tackle
CONTENDERS Flozell Adams, Jason Fabini, Rob Pettiti, Marc Colombo, Dennis Roland
ANALYSIS Although Adams has never been a great player, he was far better than what the Cowboys had to replace him with last year and Dallas’ play on offense reflected that after he was lost for the season. His return and the addition of a savvy and hard-working vet (Fabini) should make the starting spots solid, if Fabini’s body can hold up. Last year’s starting right tackle, Pettiti, should improve enough to give Dallas a decent backup with a year’s worth of experience, but it’s doubtful he improves enough in one off-season to keep the starting job from Fabini. The wild card at the position is Colombo, who has got the talent to be a starter on either side and should at least be a solid backup if his injuries have not robbed him of his movement skills.
PREDICTION Adams, Fabini, Pettiti, Colombo
Guard
CONTENDERS Kyle Kosier, Marco Rivera, Stephen Peterman, Cory Proctor, Shannon Snell, E.J. Whitley, Pat McQuistan
ANALYSIS The Cowboys aggressively targeted Kosier at the beginning of free agency, so it’s apparent they believe he will be a solid replacement for Larry Allen. There’s no doubt he will be quicker than Allen and can help on pull plays, but the big question is if he can keep the pocket from collapsing on Bledsoe. If Rivera returns to preinjury form, Dallas should be in good shape at the other starting guard spot. If not, the Cowboys do not have a capable replacement. Backup center Andre Gurode did a very nice job filling in for Rivera against Carolina, but it’s doubtful Dallas could expect that from him on a regular basis based on his past play. Peterman has to prove he can handle pass rushers, and if he doesn’t, he’ll only get a reprieve if the other guard prospects don’t show promise. Whitley appears the most likely to flash enough ability to stick as a versatile backup, while McQuistan should be a practice squad possibility. The Cowboys could go with only three guards on the 53-man roster because of Gurode’s ability to step in at the position and better players at other positions.
PREDICTION Kosier, Rivera, Whitley, McQuistan (practice squad)
Center
CONTENDERS Al Johnson, Andre Gurode, Matthew Tarullo
ANALYSIS Johnson has been reported to have added 17 pounds this off-season, and the Cowboys need him to be more stout, especially with Larry Allen gone. With Johnson, Rivera and Kosier starting, there is great potential for defenses to get a strong push up the middle without blitzing, which would foul up Dallas’ chances of exploiting its receiving advantage and disrupt the running game. Gurode is more powerful than Johnson, but has not shown the mental ability to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage or the quickness to handle stunting linemen or blitzers. As long as Gurode can lock on to a player, he can dominate; otherwise, he’s a liability. Whitley could eventually displace him from the roster, but not this year. Tarullo could remain on the practice squad for another year because of his versatility, but doesn’t seem to be real good at any one job.
PREDICTION Johnson, Gurode
DEFENSE
End
CONTENDERS Marcus Spears, Greg Ellis, Chris Canty, Kenyon Coleman, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Vontrell Jamison, Stephen Bowen
ANALYSIS It will be interesting to see what Dallas does with Ellis ... not regarding whether he’s on the team, but how the Cowboys use him this year. It isn’t very likely that the Cowboys will trade away one of their top pass rushers without knowing absolutely if anyone on the team can replace him as a nickel end, so Ellis’ roster spot should be safe for one more season. That forces Dallas to keep one more end than is ideal. Spears will start, and a bigger, stronger Canty should despite Dallas’ desire to get playing time for Ellis. Both showed signs of good things to come. Before he was injured, Ratliff flashed ability to be a solid contributor, and Hatcher has a nice size/speed combination for the position (and could eventually become the nickel end because of his pass rush ability). That leaves Coleman out, but Coleman showed last year that he can do little more than hold his ground in this scheme.
PREDICTION Spears, Canty, Ellis, Ratliff, Hatcher
Nose tackle
CONTENDERS Jason Ferguson, Thomas Johnson, Montavious Stanley, Steve Williams
ANALYSIS Ferguson did his job adequately last year, but needed to be more of a commanding presence in the middle of the line. Because of the way this defense is designed, he’s not supposed to stand out, but it seemed like he got washed out more than he should have last year as the anchor. Injuries might have played a bigger role in that than is known. Johnson was Dallas’ surprise find last year and if his play continues to improve, it would be a surprise for Parcells to cut his “godsend.” That makes for a logjam at this position with the addition of Stanley, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing because Ferguson is on the back side of his career. It will be interesting to see who wins the battle for the rotation spot. Having the versatility to play end or nose tackle might give the upper hand to Johnson on game days if Stanley is not clearly the superior nose tackle.
PREDICTION Ferguson, Johnson, Stanley, Williams (practice squad)
Outside linebacker
CONTENDERS Demarcus Ware, Bobby Carpenter, Al Singleton, Kalen Thornton, Rocky Boiman, Junior Glymph, John Saldi, J.J. Horne
ANALYSIS Ware was everything he could have been expected to be last year, struggling some to adjust to his new position but showing plenty of playmaking ability, and should be better with more weight and a better knowledge of how to play linebacker. Carpenter comes in ready-made to take over the strongside spot, with the pass rush ability to complement Ware and cover skills/run stopping ability to be an every-down linebacker. Carpenter taking over the starting spot likely means Singleton will be released. His salary is high for a backup and Dallas has enough talented, younger players to rely on as backups. If Thornton returns to the form he showed last preseason (where he was outplaying the still-adjusting Ware), he should win a backup spot. The other backup spot should go to Boiman, who stands out on special teams but has the versatility to be a solid backup at inside and outside linebacker and the coverage skills to see playing time as a nickel linebacker.
PREDICTION Ware, Carpenter, Thornton, Boiman
Inside linebacker
CONTENDERS Akin Ayodele, Bradie James, Kevin Burnett, Ryan Fowler, Kai Parham, Scott Shanle, D.D. Lee, Oliver Hoyte
ANALYSIS Although Fowler played well in Dallas’ final game last season, the Cowboys were clearly in need of a replacement for Dat Nguyen to take over the main-tackling position among the linebackers. Ayodele is a tackling machine and should put up great numbers in this scheme. James took to the scheme well last year and easily was Dallas’ top inside linebacker, and his play should improve even more this year. Dallas doesn’t know exactly what it has got in Burnett, especially from a health standpoint, but he flashed enough potential to be a sure bet to make the team as a backup. Parham and/or Hoyte could push for a roster spot, with Parham having the ability to play inside and outside linebacker, and should push Shanle off the roster. Shanle was good in coverage, but was a liability in run support. Fowler was the opposite and has a good chance to make the team because of his strength to take on blockers and make plays in the backfield. Remember that linebacker is also a position where Parcells likes to collect players, especially because of their ability to contribute on special teams.
PREDICTION Ayodele, James, Burnett, Fowler, Parham, Hoyte (practice squad)
Cornerback
CONTENDERS Anthony Henry, Terrence Newman, Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves, Nathan Jones, Lenny Williams, Marcus King, Byron Parker, Ronald Jones
ANALYSIS Before he was injured, Henry was the defensive MVP of the team, while Newman did not get the recognition he deserved nationally for his play. The two are one of the best corner tandems in the league. Glenn makes this position solid as the third corner, although his play was up and down at times ... but mostly up. Reeves did surprisingly well when called upon, showing a better ability to play the ball (which could get even better with his vision problems corrected). Jones, though, has not shown much, other than the ability to run downfield with receivers and not make a play on the ball. With Marcus Coleman having the ability to play safety or corner, it’s likely that Jones’ days are numbered.
PREDICTION Henry, Newman, Glenn, Reeves
Safety
CONTENDERS Roy Williams, Marcus Coleman, Keith Davis, Pat Watkins, Justin Beriault, Willie Pile, Darrell Brooks, Abram Elam, Quincy Butler
ANALYSIS Williams played really well at times, especially when he was allowed to play the run and get after the passer. But he wasn’t as poor in coverage as some make him out to be. He did get beat some, but his bad plays were far in the minority compared to his good ones. Coleman will likely get the starting nod at free safety because of his know-how. Davis made too many mental mistakes and is better served backing up Williams and being a special teams ace. Although there is reason to worry about the free safety position, there is also good reason to believe Coleman will play better for Parcells than he did in a lame-duck situation with the Texans, especially if his alcohol problems are behind him. Beriault has the skills to make a push for the starting job, but it’s questionable if he’ll be able to make the adjustment to being a coverage safety quickly after being an in-the-box safety in college and being injured all of last season. Watkins could also make a push, but it’s more likely that he’ll start out as a special-teams gunner and deep-zone safety in the nickel, making it tough for teams to get passes over him. Brooks and Butler are intriguing practice squad possibilities, if Butler is invited to join the team after this weekend’s tryout.
PREDICTION Williams, Coleman, Davis, Watkins, Beriault, Butler or Brooks (practice squad)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Long snapper
CONTENDERS L.P. Ladouceur, Danny Young
ANALYSIS Unless Ladouceur hits a snag, he should retain his spot on the roster, although Young has the ability to take it from him. Ladouceur wasn’t perfect last year, as several snaps were saved by holder Tony Romo, but he gets the ball back quickly and mostly on target.
PREDICTION Ladouceur
Kicker
CONTENDERS Mike Vanderjagt, Shaun Suisham, Chris McMurtray
ANALYSIS Vanderjagt gives Dallas an almost flawless field-goal kicker and perhaps the best it’s ever had. The trouble is that Vanderjagt is not a very good kickoff guy and seems to wear down when forced to do it, affecting his accuracy and causing injury. Dallas doesn’t really want to keep a kickoff specialist, but Jerry Jones said it isn’t realistic to expect Vanderjagt to be able to handle the job, and there is no indication that punter Mat McBriar can do it. Suisham is not a kickoff guy; McMurtray is, and would be a developmental field-goal kicker after making the final 17 of his career.
PREDICTION Vanderjagt, McMurtray
Punter
CONTENDERS Mat McBriar, Brian Claybourn
ANALYSIS McBriar wasn’t a model of consistency last year, but was exciting when he got off a booming punt or kicked one of his end-over-end specials inside the 20. If he can improve his consistency, he can be one of the top punters in the league. Claybourn isn’t really a challenge to McBriar as a punter, but his ability to kickoff could get him an invite to camp.
PREDICTION McBriar
