ddh33
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Well, I already feel like we've been in the dreaed offseason forever, and it's only been a week. But even one week is enough time to start regrouping and trying to guess what the Cowboys will do next. With that in mind, here's one look ahead...
At Quarterback, I don't expect any significant changes. Henson may go to Europe for some experience. A fourth arm along the lines of a Dustin Long type is probably brought in at some point. But I don't think this franchise is as concerned about that position as a lot of fans are.
At running back, I think we can pretty much expect to see more of the same. Julius Jones and Marion Barber are going to be at the top of the depth chart. Tyson Thompson may be replaceable, but I think that Bill likes him. His ability to return kicks and his speed will likely keep him on the roster another year. I don't think the team will have four running backs next season though like it did at times this year.
I think Lousaka Polite has a good chance to be the fullback again next season. I'm not sure that Bill thinks a ton of that position, and Polite seemed to improve as the season went.
I don't see many changes in the receivers either. Keyshawn, Terry Glenn, and Patrick Crayton are all Bill's guys. Terrance Copper seems to have the favor of the coaching staff. Even practice squad guys like Tom Crowder and Jamaica Rector have had good things said about them. My best guess is that the Cowboys use a third rounder to try to find a receiver. My hope is that receiver will have some speed.
I don't see many changes at Tight End either. The biggest difference I think we'll see at this position is more of Witten as a pass catcher. Campbell will probably be brought back as a team leader and blocker. Brett Pierce showed some promise. Sean Ryan isn't a bad third TE option. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dallas draft another young TE to groom in the middle rounds, but I don't think it's going to be someone who will make huge contributions.
The Offensive Line is the one area of the team where I think we will see some real changes. The priority is getting Flozell Adams back healthy. I think we saw how valuable his is to this team this season. I think we're probably going to see a change at LG. Larry Allen is one of the all-time greats, but with his contract the way it is and his play the way it is, I suspect that the team approaches him about restructuring. Larry doesn't seem like the kind of guy who will want to restructure. I think Al Johnson will get one more year at center, although he's probably going to have some competition. Marco Rivera will also get another year. I think the Cowboys will try to see what he can do when he's healthy, and his salary makes it hard to move on anyway. I think Rob Pettiti is going to be given every chance to win the RT position again, and I think he may improve a lot this offseason.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a veteran RT brought in who can hold down the fort if Pettiti isn't ready. I think Dallas has to cover their bases better this season. I don't think this veteran will be a star or a break the bank kind of guy. I don't really think Dallas will draft a RT very high either. I know everyone wants a young tackle who can hold down the spot for the next several years, but my hunch is that Bill thinks he has a young RT in Rob.
I think the team will also look to bring in a guard. I think the team looks to draft for this position. The guards here are old in football years, and they have a lot of miles on them already. If Peterman can play, that would help tremendously. Unfortunately, we don't know that right now. I just hope the coaches know...I would imagine that Dallas would be able to find some value in the draft in the second or third round of the draft.
Obviously, the team will also be very involved in upgrading the depth of the line as well by looking for better backups.
Kicker is another glaring weakness on the team. For all the "potential" talk about Suisham, I don't think he's the kicker here next season. I don't like the idea of drafting a young one either. I think Dallas actually spends some money and goes after a proven commodity. Adam Vinatieri, Mike Vanderjagt, and Ryan Longwell look like the best on the market. Even someone like Matt Bryant would be an improvement here though.
McBriar gets another year at punter. You could see Bill lose his patience with him several times this year, but with a little more consistency, Dallas has a very good young punter.
I think we're going to see some changes on the defensive line too. I don't see Greg Ellis or Laroi Glover back next season. My best guess is that one of the team gets moved for an additional pick. Your starting three lineman though are pretty much set. Spears, Ferguson, and Canty is a good group. We know how much Bill likes his depth though, so I would expect to see some movement on that front. Thomas "Pepper" Johnson really endeared himself to the staff, so he stays. So does Jay Ratliff, who showed signs of being a good pass rusher. Kenyon Coleman is probably finally gone. I expect Dallas to try to get a cheap free agent to fit into the rotation and one more young player in the draft. Someone along the lines of Dequincy Scott might be a good fit as a backup end. Scott was with the Chargers, so he's familiar with the scheme, and he looks like he might get squeezed for snaps in San Diego. If you wanted to go after a Nose Tackle in free agency, someone like M.Kemoeatu should be available. But basically, I don't expect this signing to break the bank either.
I expect to see some changes at Linebacker too. Demarcus Ware and Bradie James have virtually locked up their positions for the forseeable future. Ryan Fowler shows promise, and Scott Shanle has a role as a situational type player. Scott Fujita probably comes back too. Dat is likely gone. I don't expect Al Singleton to return either. I like the idea of getting Kalen Thornton and Kevin Burnett healthy again. Thornton could be a contributer on this team, and Burnett looks like he might have a job inside if he can stay healthy. I think that Bill will want to get a dynamic playmaker opposite Ware though, and I think he's going to get that early in the draft. Guys like Parham and Bobby Carpenter culd be great fits. Once again, I think Dallas will also look for a cheap free agent like Orlando Ruff or Ben Leber to try to plug into the rotation too.
The secondary seems to be in pretty good shape too. Terence Newman had a great year. Anthony Henry was also having a very good year until his injury. Aaron Glenn showed his value too. Jacque Reeves showed signs of stepping up too. Nate Jones could easily be replaced, but teams don't exactly go nuts trying to get a fifth corner. Dallas will look cheap, and may the best man win.
Roy Williams had a very good year at strong safety this season, and I thin Dallas will want to free him up even more next year. Keith Davis showed himself to be a good player, albeit one who probably shouldn't be a starting free safety. Willie Pile was a nice pickup, but he wasn't anything spectacular. Justin Beriault looked good in the preseason, and if he can get healthy and stay that way, I think he'll make the team. But Dallas will look to get a free saftey this year. I don't think they are going to get it in the draft though. I wouldn't be surprised if Dallas looks at someone like Darren Sharper and sees the value of having a good veteran back there who can get guys in the right spots, be a ballhawk, and make plays. I think this is the one position where Dallas might spend a little more money. Corey Chavous should be interesting. I also like Marlon McCree, but he may be viewed as more of a strong saftey. Will Demps will be on the market. So will Ryan Clark, Chris Hope, Dexter Jackson, and even Marquand Manual (who played well for the Seahawks after Hamlin's injury).
So that pretty much covers it. We all know the holes, and I bet that Bill and Jerry do all they can to fill those holes. This is just one way that makes a lot of sense to me.
At Quarterback, I don't expect any significant changes. Henson may go to Europe for some experience. A fourth arm along the lines of a Dustin Long type is probably brought in at some point. But I don't think this franchise is as concerned about that position as a lot of fans are.
At running back, I think we can pretty much expect to see more of the same. Julius Jones and Marion Barber are going to be at the top of the depth chart. Tyson Thompson may be replaceable, but I think that Bill likes him. His ability to return kicks and his speed will likely keep him on the roster another year. I don't think the team will have four running backs next season though like it did at times this year.
I think Lousaka Polite has a good chance to be the fullback again next season. I'm not sure that Bill thinks a ton of that position, and Polite seemed to improve as the season went.
I don't see many changes in the receivers either. Keyshawn, Terry Glenn, and Patrick Crayton are all Bill's guys. Terrance Copper seems to have the favor of the coaching staff. Even practice squad guys like Tom Crowder and Jamaica Rector have had good things said about them. My best guess is that the Cowboys use a third rounder to try to find a receiver. My hope is that receiver will have some speed.
I don't see many changes at Tight End either. The biggest difference I think we'll see at this position is more of Witten as a pass catcher. Campbell will probably be brought back as a team leader and blocker. Brett Pierce showed some promise. Sean Ryan isn't a bad third TE option. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dallas draft another young TE to groom in the middle rounds, but I don't think it's going to be someone who will make huge contributions.
The Offensive Line is the one area of the team where I think we will see some real changes. The priority is getting Flozell Adams back healthy. I think we saw how valuable his is to this team this season. I think we're probably going to see a change at LG. Larry Allen is one of the all-time greats, but with his contract the way it is and his play the way it is, I suspect that the team approaches him about restructuring. Larry doesn't seem like the kind of guy who will want to restructure. I think Al Johnson will get one more year at center, although he's probably going to have some competition. Marco Rivera will also get another year. I think the Cowboys will try to see what he can do when he's healthy, and his salary makes it hard to move on anyway. I think Rob Pettiti is going to be given every chance to win the RT position again, and I think he may improve a lot this offseason.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a veteran RT brought in who can hold down the fort if Pettiti isn't ready. I think Dallas has to cover their bases better this season. I don't think this veteran will be a star or a break the bank kind of guy. I don't really think Dallas will draft a RT very high either. I know everyone wants a young tackle who can hold down the spot for the next several years, but my hunch is that Bill thinks he has a young RT in Rob.
I think the team will also look to bring in a guard. I think the team looks to draft for this position. The guards here are old in football years, and they have a lot of miles on them already. If Peterman can play, that would help tremendously. Unfortunately, we don't know that right now. I just hope the coaches know...I would imagine that Dallas would be able to find some value in the draft in the second or third round of the draft.
Obviously, the team will also be very involved in upgrading the depth of the line as well by looking for better backups.
Kicker is another glaring weakness on the team. For all the "potential" talk about Suisham, I don't think he's the kicker here next season. I don't like the idea of drafting a young one either. I think Dallas actually spends some money and goes after a proven commodity. Adam Vinatieri, Mike Vanderjagt, and Ryan Longwell look like the best on the market. Even someone like Matt Bryant would be an improvement here though.
McBriar gets another year at punter. You could see Bill lose his patience with him several times this year, but with a little more consistency, Dallas has a very good young punter.
I think we're going to see some changes on the defensive line too. I don't see Greg Ellis or Laroi Glover back next season. My best guess is that one of the team gets moved for an additional pick. Your starting three lineman though are pretty much set. Spears, Ferguson, and Canty is a good group. We know how much Bill likes his depth though, so I would expect to see some movement on that front. Thomas "Pepper" Johnson really endeared himself to the staff, so he stays. So does Jay Ratliff, who showed signs of being a good pass rusher. Kenyon Coleman is probably finally gone. I expect Dallas to try to get a cheap free agent to fit into the rotation and one more young player in the draft. Someone along the lines of Dequincy Scott might be a good fit as a backup end. Scott was with the Chargers, so he's familiar with the scheme, and he looks like he might get squeezed for snaps in San Diego. If you wanted to go after a Nose Tackle in free agency, someone like M.Kemoeatu should be available. But basically, I don't expect this signing to break the bank either.
I expect to see some changes at Linebacker too. Demarcus Ware and Bradie James have virtually locked up their positions for the forseeable future. Ryan Fowler shows promise, and Scott Shanle has a role as a situational type player. Scott Fujita probably comes back too. Dat is likely gone. I don't expect Al Singleton to return either. I like the idea of getting Kalen Thornton and Kevin Burnett healthy again. Thornton could be a contributer on this team, and Burnett looks like he might have a job inside if he can stay healthy. I think that Bill will want to get a dynamic playmaker opposite Ware though, and I think he's going to get that early in the draft. Guys like Parham and Bobby Carpenter culd be great fits. Once again, I think Dallas will also look for a cheap free agent like Orlando Ruff or Ben Leber to try to plug into the rotation too.
The secondary seems to be in pretty good shape too. Terence Newman had a great year. Anthony Henry was also having a very good year until his injury. Aaron Glenn showed his value too. Jacque Reeves showed signs of stepping up too. Nate Jones could easily be replaced, but teams don't exactly go nuts trying to get a fifth corner. Dallas will look cheap, and may the best man win.
Roy Williams had a very good year at strong safety this season, and I thin Dallas will want to free him up even more next year. Keith Davis showed himself to be a good player, albeit one who probably shouldn't be a starting free safety. Willie Pile was a nice pickup, but he wasn't anything spectacular. Justin Beriault looked good in the preseason, and if he can get healthy and stay that way, I think he'll make the team. But Dallas will look to get a free saftey this year. I don't think they are going to get it in the draft though. I wouldn't be surprised if Dallas looks at someone like Darren Sharper and sees the value of having a good veteran back there who can get guys in the right spots, be a ballhawk, and make plays. I think this is the one position where Dallas might spend a little more money. Corey Chavous should be interesting. I also like Marlon McCree, but he may be viewed as more of a strong saftey. Will Demps will be on the market. So will Ryan Clark, Chris Hope, Dexter Jackson, and even Marquand Manual (who played well for the Seahawks after Hamlin's injury).
So that pretty much covers it. We all know the holes, and I bet that Bill and Jerry do all they can to fill those holes. This is just one way that makes a lot of sense to me.
