Everyone else was doing it, so I thought I would too. 

Obviously we need OL depth.  And I don't mean depth like serviceable backups, I mean guys who can legitimately challenge a starter.  Stop drafting guys who can adequately play 2 OL positions and instead draft a guy that you know is dominant at one.  If a LT that is truly superior to Doug Free is available through trade, the Cowboys need to look into acquiring him.  If not, they will need to get some help in the draft.  I'm also wondering if Colombo could play guard, and eager to see what kind of ability Brewster has.  In my perfect world, we find a starter for LT, Free takes Colombo's spot and Colombo takes Kosier's spot, instantly upgrading our power on interior runs.

At WR, more than anything else, Dallas needs RW to play to his ability and for Ogletree to take his game to the next level, challenging Crayton.  I think Ogletree can be both a deep threat and a Wes Welker type slot receiver, but he is still raw.  Williams has size and leaping ability that is hard to find, and just needs to learn how to make the right reads, and run his routes properly.  This will be Williams' third season with the Cowboys and 2nd offseason, so hopefully he will make a leap mentally.

If they do anything with the TE/FB situation, which I think is solid, they need to find a true annihilator at FB.  Cricket is a good guy, but I want someone that is a guaranteed pancake on every run.  He touched the ball once last year, so I don't buy that we need someone who can also catch passes and/or be an effective short yardage runner.  We use our TEs in that role if we do want someone to catch.  Obviously Bennett needs to step up, but I think being called out by the owner and this being his 3rd season will enable him to show that growth.  If not, Phillips has shown that he is good 2nd TE.

At RB, they need to reshuffle the current work load. Ignoring their contracts, Jones should be the starter, Barber the 3rd down and short yardage back, and Choice the backup for both roles. Barber is an animal as a pass blocker, is highly effective on dump off passes on 3rd and long, and not being the starter would save wear and tear on him over the season (and his career). That’s the role that earned him the big contract, so why not put our aces in their places?

At DL, they need to find a legitimate backup for Ratliff.  As difficult as it is to find a space eating monster that fills the role of traditional NT, it is even more so to find someone with Ratliff's skill set.  As a backup, they would likely have more success finding a guy who can just be a rock in running situations and relieve Ratliff on first and second down for some series.  DE is solid if not spectacular, but there are very few spectacular 3-4 DEs, and that doesn't seem to be a need.

The biggest help at LB would be if the rookies from this year prove to be capable.  They offer athleticism at ILB that none of the current top 3 can match.  It might not be a bad idea to try to find a couple more potentials mid to late in the draft, because Brooking isn't going to last forever and Carpenter and James are average.  OLB is our strongest position, and if the rookies can show growth and Curtis Johnson can develop, we are probably set here for years.

Orlando Scandrick showed improvement throughout the year, and if he can make a similar leap this year that Jenkins made last year, he may be able to challenge Newman as the starter.  I think that would also allow Dallas to move Newman to covering slot receivers where he always excelled in years past.

The problem at S is that Hamlin isn't an athletic playmaker, and that guys with his field generalship and communication are rare.  If you're going to replace Hamlin, you have to be sure that it's with someone that can line the other guys up as well as him.  This will be Ball's 4th season, so I think this is the year where he shows that he can either take Hamlin's spot or if he will be a career backup.  The key for him is film study and communication, in my opinion, because he's a great athlete. 

I sincerely hope that Buehler hired a personal kicking coach and is developing his FG skills, because devoting 2 spots to kicker hurts both our depth and ability to develop other young players.  However, if not, Dallas needs to find someone who can reliably make FGs.  If no one in training camp establishes themselves as that guy, then just go with Buehler, because it's not like we're having success there anyway.  Why waste the roster spot on a specialist that can't fulfill his role?

This is the first year that I go into the next season honestly believing that we have one of the top 5 QBs in the league.  Kitna is about as solid as you're going to get for a backup.

How 'bout them Cowboys?!

Obviously this blog has been busy over the past week, with a ton of good arguments on just about every side.  One thing that seems to be clear: a lot of fans have lost faith in at least parts of this team, if not the whole team.  Personally, I have lost faith in Tony Romo's ability to take us to the next level.  Many people have lost faith in Wade, Garrett, Campo, Hudson Houck, Wade Wilson, and/or the rest of the coaching staff.  Some have lost faith in Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins, and Orlando Scandrick.  Some have even lost faith in Demarcus Ware.  I'm not saying that we should or shouldn't believe in any or all of these guys, because I think there are valid arguments either way.  Let's just say that they have all been at least moderately successful, some very successful, at what they do in the past;  shown varying degrees of talent - some moderate, some immense; yet have never been ultimately successful (maybe Campo and Houck have, but that was a long time ago) and continue to either do things, or not do things, that raise valid questions about whether this is as good as this team will get.

Personally, I lost faith in Tony Romo this past Sunday.  I think it was a breaking point for a lot of people, maybe not necessarily for Romo, but also for other players, coaches, or units.  Many people still have all the faith in the world in the entire team, or at least certain parts of the team.  Some people said that they lost faith long before this past Sunday. 

For me, I am just unable to believe that Romo can lead this team to playoff success and ultimately a Super Bowl.  I still think that he can, and I definitely still hope that he can, but I have serious doubts now.  For me to believe in him again, it's going to take quite a lot, unfortunately.  Even if he were to play great and rattle off 9 straight 100+ passer rating games and lead the team to 9 straight wins, I would still question whether he will get it done in December and January.  Even if he went 5-0 in those games, and played great in all of them, I would question whether he can actually lead the team to victory in the playoffs this year.  In order for me to have faith in Romo again, I need not only a playoff victory for the team, but for him to play well in the game.  And if they only get one playoff win and then lose, I would need to see him play well in the loss in order to have faith in him.

Has anyone else here lost faith in this team or parts of it?  Or am I  the only one?  If you did, what would it take for you to believe again?

*************************

I just wanted to add that this thread wasn't intended to bash Romo or any of the other specific people that I mentioned.  And I'm not just trying to get people to say that they don't believe in Romo or Wade or whatever.  I just know that before the season, a lot of people seemed to think this team was going to go far, but then after last week, that didn't seem to be the case.  I'm just curious if it's as simple as beating Carolina to have most of us convinced again, or whether it will take more than that.  Like, if the Defense plays lights out against Carolina, will people that doubted them believe that they are a good defense, or will that take all season?  Etc.

Obviously, the best case is if the Cowboys win out.   The next simplest route is an ATL loss this weekend, which means that if we beat NYG and Philly, we are in.  If Dallas beats those 2 teams and Atlanta loses any of their last 3 games, we have the tie breaker over every other team that can finish 10-6.

Teams that appear to still be in it, and realistic scenarios to get them out:

Redskins: they are in trouble due to injuries; ideally would lose 1 of last 3, but beat Philly.  That is a tough scenario because they also play Cincy and  the Niners, and the SF game would be week 17 with a playoff spot on the line.  If they do lose to Philly, that basically puts them out.

Philly: Lose at least 1 of the next 2, which will probably have to be the Redskins.  That's another tough scenario, as I don't see CLE beating them, and WAS is too banged up. 

Bears: Lose to either NO or GB.

TB: I would like to see them win out to put pressure on Carolina to play tough against NO in week 17, and also to bump the Falcons down.

ATL: Need to lose 1 of their last 3, with TB and MIN on the the schedule.

NO: Need to lose to either CHI or CAR

MIN: If they finish 10-6, they win their division.  Next to Dallas, they might have the toughest schedule, with Arizona, Atlanta, and the Giants.  If they lose 2 or more, they are pretty much out, unless they still win their division.

Actually, the toughest part appears to be Dallas beating NYG and Baltimore, as well as Philly losing in the next 2 weeks.  If that all happens though, Dallas is in win or lose against Philly.  If Philly doesn't lose, we need to beat them too.

I know it stinks, but it looks like the Philly game is going to be a must win.

Obviously, we're only a quarter of the way through the season, but seeing the post about the Cowboys having a lot of picks got me thinking.  What are the Cowboys biggest needs for next year? 

Clearly one issue is age, as T.O. and Zach won't be here forever.  Unless Bobby Carpenter makes huge strides over the next 15 games, we need a stud WR and an ILB.  Or do we need a WR?  I feel like Hurd, Austin, and Stanback just may be able to continue to improve enough that that's not our top priority, unless something great falls to us. 

I think a big, mean, monster in the middle would be nice.  Then Ratliff can move to DE, and our DL would be dominant.  Unfortunately, true 3-4 NTs are extremely rare, so they might have to go DE.

OL is always a concern, especially given Columbo's contract situation, and the poor backups that we have now. 

I can't really think of any other glaring needs, but there' s a couple of biggies there.  Maybe SS if Roy, Watkins, KD, or CB don't step up, but I expect that Henry will move to FS and Hamlin to SS.

First, I have to say that I think this has been done before, so full credit if I borrowed your idea.  Second, I love the Cowboys, and have been a fan since around 78, so that's as far back as my personal knowledge goes, but I have read everything I can find about the team before then.

There's no denying that this team of Cowboys is great, and they're loaded at almost every position.  But sometimes it's fun to imagine bringing back a former Cowboy in their prime to help them out.  Like say you're polishing your Cowboys lamp one day, and a little genie in a suit and fedora pops out.  He says he will grant you one specific wish - the ability to add one former Dallas Cowboy in their prime to the current team, for just this year.  You would still have the same coaching staff and all of the other players, but this guy would now be on the roster.

Who would it be?  At first, I thought, that's easy, Michael Irvin.  But I don't know that there are enough footballs to go around with him and T.O., and they're not that much different style-wise.  Maybe Bullet Boy Hayes?  Or Jay Novacek and terrorize teams with a 2 TE set? 

Emmitt or TD probably wouldn't improve the current team too much, as great as they were, but Larry Allen or Nate Newton might.  Old time linemen are probably too small.  Hmm, what about Moose?  Some DBs and linebackers would be shaking in their cleats at the thought of him and MB3 both coming at them.

Prime Time would be nice, but I don't know that he would be as big a factor given the current scheme.  Same with Charles Haley, although adding him into the rotation as a pass rusher would be pretty scary.

I think I would end up having to go with Darren Woodson.  Add that guy in at SS right now, and this defense would be truly fearsome.  Remember in 95 when he knocked out Rodney Peete in the Divisional playoff game, then hit a Packers guy so hard that he bounced off a coach and nearly killed him in the championship game?  And he was as good as Newman in the slot.

What do you guys think?  Who's the guy you would bring back for this year only?

So, after the Browns game, I wrote into DC.com, and actually got my letter selected by the website.  My letter was very similar to the fanpost that I wrote on this site, addressing my concerns about Tony Romo's ball handling inside of either 20 yard line.  I was pretty much pooh-poohed by all of the writers, but the most irritating was Mickey, who of course acted like I didn't know what I was talking about, then put up the Cowboys Red Zone statistics from last year.  Of course, he left out the turnovers and bad ball handling in our own 20, and did not point out that though the stats might look decent, they were well below the league average in touchdown% in the Red Zone, and scoring% in the Red Zone. 

Anyway, I'm pretty sure this game's done and the Cowboys will win, but through 2.5 games, Romo has thrown 2 interceptions and had 2 fumbles inside the 20s.  Unfortunately, it appears that I'm not an idiot.

Mickey and the other writers can just reach me here to apologize and say that they were wrong and don't know nearly as much as they think that they do.

One thing that I noticed during that great game was how well the Eagles wrapped up when they were tackling.  That was part of the reason that I think that they were able to do well on Barber.  Obviously it helps to stack the box, but most teams did that the last couple of years when he was running late in the game, and he would break tackles for big gains.  The Eagles were very good at keeping hold of his legs and ankles, as well as on the other Cowboys.  If nothing else it gives time for someone else to come in and help.

Another thing I noticed was that most of the Cowboys seemed to tackle high.  I think that's why they had so many facemask penalties, and probably should have had more.  I think this is an unfortunate side effect of not having full contact practices in the offseason.  Maybe part of it is trying to avoid horse collaring?

Is there a way for an NFL team to improve it's tackling during the season?  I know that you definitely don't want to have full contact practices now, but I think the Cowboys need to work on tackling guys lower, especially from behind or the side.  I remember practicing breaking down and wrapping up on the dummy in high school, but that was from straight ahead.  It's hard to simulate tackling while chasing. 15 yards and an automatic first down is just a killer every single time.

He's very, very good, no doubt about it.  But, he needs a little more ball security to be on the level of Brady and Peyton Manning, or former Cowboys greats.  Particularly inside the 20s, where he had another turnover this past Sunday. 

He had 7 turnovers inside our or their 20 last year, and the one against the Browns looked real similar to the one in preseason that everyone said was just because it was the preseason ( I think they even tried to blame it on Jason Witten somehow).  They're trying to say this one was because of Felix Jones, but the fact is, the receiver was blanketed. 

Romo has to learn to throw it out of the end zone, or even take the sack when nothing's open, because not only does it leave points on the board, but it can cause a huge shift in the momentum and possibly be a 14 point swing (the 7 we could have scored plus the seven they might score from the turnover + momentum).

Last year the Cowboys scoring percentage inside the Red Zone was .857, which was below the league average of .861.  While it might seem not that far off from the league average, this team and QB are supposed to be elite, not just below mediocre.  The average on Sunday was .853.  Even if you credit the Cowboys with a score on that last drive, that's .800 - below average.

I don't want him to stop being gutsy, but he has to be more brainy at the same time.  I think that's the last piece to the puzzle that ends with the Lombardi Trophy.

Thoughts?

With all of the talk about the possible Pacman trade, I found this to be a sobering article.  Chris Henry and Pacman were teammates at WVU, and have been poster boys for bad behavior in the NFL.  Even after his suspension, and even with all of his talent, Henry just can't stay out of trouble.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/s...

I think this is important to the Cowboys and Titans, as it highlights the potential problems with Jones.  I think it helps the Cowboys as far as asking price, since they can point to Henry and say that Pacman is too risky to offer more than a 2008 late round pick.  However, it also underlines that A.) He might not even get his suspension lifted any time soon, and B.) This guy is as big a gamble as there is.

I still hope we get Pacman and think that the Henry news will help, but I also hope JJ is smart enough to still take a CB in the first round.