Cowboy Brian
@BrianLINY
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http://BAN-INCOMING-IN-3-2-1/offseason2010dal.php
QB,RB, Receivers(incl;tes),Linebackers are 5 stars.
2010 NFL Season Preview:
Veteran Additions:
OT Alex Barron.
Early Draft Picks:
WR Dez Bryant, ILB Sean Lee, FS Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, OT Sam Young.
Offseason Losses:
OT Flozell Adams, G Cory Procter, C Duke Preston, ILB Bobby Carpenter, FS Ken Hamlin, K Shaun Suisham.
2010 Dallas Cowboys Offense:
Going into the 2009 season, Tony Romo's combined stats for all of his December games read: 11 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, no 280-plus passing games (except against the Lions). Formerly a renowned choke artist, Romo was expected to gag again during the final month of the season. This time, however, he actually came through in the clutch.
Romo tossed six touchdowns to just two picks this recent December, completing 66.2 percent of his passes in the process. He was also very sharp in a playoff win over Philadelphia, going 23-of-35 for 244 yards and two scores. He struggled a bit the following week at Minnesota (22-35, 198, 1 INT), but that wasn't really his fault; things just fell apart when left tackle Flozell Adams left the game with an injury.
Adams is not on the team anymore, leaving Doug Free to fill the void. Free played very well in his starts at right tackle last year, but he has very little experience on the blind side. It'll be interesting to see how he performs. If he fails, the Cowboys only have Rams reject Alex Barron as a fallback option. Barron will also take over for oft-injured right tackle Marc Colombo if he gets hurt again. The good news is that Dallas is solid inside with guards Kyle Kosier and Leonard Davis, and center Andre Gurode.
Romo had the best season of his career in 2009 thanks in part to the emergence of a new No. 1 receiver. Miles Austin (or Miles Austin-Jones) seemingly came out of nowhere to post 81 receptions, 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns despite not doing much for the first quarter of the year. Austin was unstoppable toward the end, logging at least six receptions in each of his final seven contests. He reportedly has been tearing it up in minicamp, so it's highly unlikely that he's a one-hit wonder.
Thanks to character concerns and a number of stupid teams selecting atop the 2010 NFL Draft, Dallas was able to obtain Dez Bryant toward the end of the first round. The enormously talented Bryant has obviously looked great in minicamps and will start across from Austin. With Jason Witten at tight end and Patrick Crayton in the slot, the odd man out is Roy Williams, who had just two catches for 18 yards in the final three games of the regular season.
Marion Barber has been the primary ball-carrier the past couple of years, but that figures to change in 2010. Jerry Jones stated that Felix Jones will be getting the bulk of the touches from now on, which makes sense given Jones' talent and Barber's habit of wearing down. Tashard Choice will also be in the mix for touches.
2010 Dallas Cowboys Defense:
The Cowboys defense ranked second in points allowed and ninth in yardage surrendered last year. Barring injuries, there's no reason to think the unit will regress at all.
It all starts with getting to the quarterback, which is something Dallas can definitely do. Unquestionably one of the top pass-rushers in the NFL, DeMarcus Ware has 14, 20 and 11 sacks the past three seasons. The good news for the Cowboys is that Anthony Spencer is finally coming on. Spencer didn't do too much in his first two seasons as a pro, but tallied eight sacks in his final eight games of the 2009 campaign (including the playoffs). If Spencer can pick up where he left off, opposing quarterbacks don't stand a chance.
Dallas also tends to get pressure from the defensive line. Jay Ratliff, one of the premier 3-4 linemen in the league, notched six sacks in 2009 and eight sacks the year before - phenomenal numbers for any nose tackle. Marcus Spears and Igor Olshansky, two serviceable players, start next to Ratliff on the front.
The Cowboys had a huge hole at inside linebacker next to Bradie James before last season. They added Keith Brooking, who did much more than tackle and cover; Brooking became the great leader that Dallas lacked for years. He's nearly 35 and will eventually be replaced by Sean Lee, but for now, Brooking is the heart and soul of this team.
The only hole on this squad is at free safety. The beleaguered Ken Hamlin occupied the position in 2009, but is no longer with the team. Alan Ball is currently the favorite to win the job, but he's just 6-1, 188. The Cowboys will hope that fourth-round rookie Akwasi Owusu-Ansah eventually takes over, but that's just wishful thinking for now; "AOA" is sidelined with a shoulder injury until training camp, so he won't have that much time to overtake Ball.
The free safety position ruins an otherwise stellar starting secondary. No. 1 cornerback Mike Jenkins really stepped up his game last year, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl. Terence Newman, 32 in early September, isn't the same player he once was, but is still a very good No. 2 corner. Strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh is great in run support. Corner depth is an issue, however, as Orlando Scandrick struggled last season.
2010 Dallas Cowboys Schedule and Intangibles:
Prior to 2009, Dallas' record after Nov. 30 was brutal. The team was an abysmal 5-10 in December and January between 2006 and 2008. As a point of reference, they were 26-9 before Dec. 1 in the same span. However, things changed; the Cowboys were 4-2 after Nov. 30 this past season before falling to Minnesota.
Nick Folk was brilliant in his first two seasons, but struggled last year and consequently was released. David Buehler will take over even though he has never attempted a field goal in his NFL career. However, the strong-legged Buehler was highly drafted and touted by Jerry Jones.
Punter Mat McBriar enjoyed a solid season, maintaining a 45.1 average with 38-of-72 kicks inside the 20.
Though Patrick Crayton fumbled too many returns, he still managed to score twice. The Cowboys surrendered one special-teams score themselves.
The Cowboys have a pretty balanced non-divisional schedule. Tough opponents include the Colts, Titans, Texans, Saints and Vikings, but they also get to beat up on the Lions, Bears, Jaguars and Cardinals.
2010 Dallas Cowboys Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
Quarterbacks
Offensive Line
Secondary
Running Backs
Defensive Line
Special Teams
Receivers
Linebackers
Coaching
2010 Dallas Cowboys Analysis: The Cowboys are the most talented team in the NFL. They're stacked on both sides of the ball and have very few weaknesses on the roster.
Whether or not they can win the Super Bowl is another story - the reason obviously being the enormous liability on the sidelines. Wade Phillips is a defensive mastermind, but is also a blundering buffoon as a head coach who is always overmatched in the playoffs. It's a shame too - if the Cowboys had someone the least bit competent calling the shots, they'd be overwhelming favorites to win it all.
Projection: 12-4 (TBA in NFC East)
QB,RB, Receivers(incl;tes),Linebackers are 5 stars.
