I make no claim to be a Mike Mayock level film evaluator. However with the Cowboys being recently linked to such an intriguing and polarizing prospect as Memphis DT Dontari Poe, I sat down yesterday and watched about 30 minutes of film on the Memphis defense. I watched Memphis vs. Arkansas State, and Memphis vs. Tulane. Now those might have been Poe's best 2 games, or his worst two games, but I'm not the one with a job on the line selecting this kid, so that's as far as I'm going. Here's what I saw in the two tapes.

The first thing we need to understand is that Poe played 3-4 DE, and 4-3 DT at Memphis. A lot of people don't know that, and assume because of his size that he played over the center.

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Let me say first and foremost that of the players who could realistically be available at the 14th pick, I would be most in favor of selecting David DeCastro. I think that the Peyton Manning situation could end up affecting the Cowboys chances of landing DeCastro. If Manning ends up in Arizona as some speculate, you would have to think that their #1 priority would immediately become the safety of their new QB. In that scenario, it's hard to imagine DeCastro escaping Arizona's #13 pick. But in a scenario that has DeCastro off the board at #14, why is no one considering Alabama LB Dont'a Hightower for our Cowboys?

I think that the schematic versatily that Hightower offers would be a huge tool for the Cowboys defense. Hightower played literally everywhere in Alabama's defense. Inside, outside, hand on the ground. Go back and watch some Alabama games. Hightower is violent, instinctive, and explosive. He has outstanding measurables, and he's not just some workout warrior, we knew he was an top-notch football player long before the shorts and stopwatches came out.

People want to pidgeonhole this guy as an ILB but I just don't see it. Every scouting report you read about Hightower speaks glowingly of his ability to rush the passer; and it shows up on tape. It's quite possible that Hightower was miscast or at least underutilized at Alabama, because when put in a position to rush the passer, he brought the heat. Just because he wasn't an every-down outside linebacker at 'Bama doesn't mean he can't be one in the NFL. Honestly I don't think he needs to be. I think he could play any of the four LB positions in the Cowboys defense. In my opinion, I prefer him over Luke Kuechly inside, and I like him better than Courtney Upshaw outside.

With Anthony Spencer getting the Franchise Tag, I'm not sure the team has a definite need at any LB spot. I'm not entirely interested in drafting for need. Im interested in stockpiling quality football players. I don't think you worry about "What do we do with Bruce Carter?" or "What do we do with Anthony Spencer?". You pay Rob Ryan to be creative right? So you hand him 5 good linebackers and tell him to work it out.

The complexion of this draft will become clearer after free agency, and we will then maybe have a little better idea about what the Cowboys want to do with their picks. But as it stands right now, Im interested in adding as many quality football players to this team as possible. Dont'a Hightower more than fits the bill, and I think he's worthy of consideration with pick #14.

I hear over and over again how the combine is "worthless" and serves no real purpose. To those who follow that line of thinking, I offer the same phrase I have been using in this argument for years.

"You can't find out who CAN play in shorts and T-Shirts, but you can find out who CAN'T play real quick."

To me the scouting combine is about two things: Weeding out the physically unfit, and identifying those with exemplary work ethic.

Weeding Out The Weak:

I don't think that the combine is so much about pushing a guy up the board who runs 4.3 as it is identifying and red-flagging the cornerback who runs 4.8, or the defensive tackle who can only muster 9 reps of 225 on the bench. I was told as much by coaches and scouts when I participated in a CFL/AFL combine-style tryout in 2004. Whether we like to believe it or not there are certain measurable criteria that can be a pretty good indicator of a players likelihood for success on the highest level. 

At the combine, coaches are looking to identify the players whose physical measurables fall well short of the optimum range for players at that particular position. For example, they aren't red-flagging the running back who goes 4.6, but the guy who goes 4.85 really has virtually no chance of being successful. 4.85 isn't getting you through the hole in time, and it isn't beating linebackers to the third level. Guys like this do need to be identified. Especially those who may have played against lesser competition, whose physical shortcomings may be more difficult to identify on tape.

Identifying Players With Good Work Ethic:

If you have ever lifted weights you know that no one bangs out 35 reps of 225 on brute strength alone. While it is true that a bench press number doesn't translate into on-field success, I think that a high bench press score speaks to a players work ethic, because it takes diligent work to achieve such a thing. When I see a corner smash 24 reps, or a lineman hit 30+, it tells me a few things about him. To me it shows that you have a guy who recognized that no matter what he thought about it's relevance to playing ball, his bench press would have an effect on his draft position. He recognized the task at hand, and whether he liked it or not he put in the work and got himself prepared to perform when called upon.

Isn't that what being a pro is all about? Putting in the work, and sometimes doing things that you may not agree with? To add to that, doesn't a guy scare you to death who knew the combine was coming for months, and DIDN'T put in the work?

Again, I agree that the combine is overrated, and too many guys get pushed up the board because of things that have little to do with football. A lot of good players slide as well. I just think that if teams are responsible, and use the combine only as a supplement to film study and interviews, the week in Indianapolis does have some real value.

I understand that this is not a Cowboys-related matter, but a young man's life is at stake here, and this is an NFL matter that encompasses all fans. Bengals wide-receiver Chris Henry is likely to lose his life tonight after an extremely odd automobile accident.

Henry is on life support after reportedly falling out of a pickup truck. Homicide decetives were called onto the scene, so loss of life is almost imminent in this case.

As we all know, Henry has been a troubled man throughout his football career. But in the last calendar year, Henry has been an example of how it is possible to turn a troubled life around.

Whatever you think about this man, please pray for him. He is only 26 years old, and a father of three. No young man deserves this fate. No children deserve to lose their father.

PLEASE SEND UP YOUR PRAYERS FOR CHRIS HENRY TONIGHT.

I know it’s only the preseason. I know it’s only one game, but Sam Hurd looked good Thursday night. With all of this talk about whether or not Miles Austin would overtake Patrick Crayton as the #2 receiver, I don’t think any of us considered the possibility of Hurd making a case for the #3 spot. Again, it was just one preseason game, but Hurd showed some things that were really encouraging.

After losing a great deal of his 2008 season to an ankle injury, Hurd is fully recovered. He's still listed at 205 lbs. but appears to be more muscular than in years past. He seems to have an extra little bounce in his step, and for a guy who is supposed to be slow, he’s proving that he is fast enough to get open. It’s early, but it’s beginning to look like Sam Hurd is determined to contribute this year.

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With the NFL being the copycat league that it is, the Wildcat formation became a league-wide craze last season when the Miami Dolphins used it to inject a little juice into an otherwise less than special offense. I, like many other Cowboy fans, have had my fair share of daydreams about Isaiah Stanback or Patrick Crayton lining up behind center. But the more I think about this whole Wildcat thing, the more I personally would prefer the Cowboys leave it alone entirely. 

Of course the Wildcat sounds like a ton of fun, especially considering the Cowboys personnel. But one quote from an owner who has had a great deal of success began to sway my opinion. When asked if his team may have interest in signing Michael Vick to run a little Wildcat, Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a ton of sense in one sentence:

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Training camp is here at last. As Cowboy fans we have been anxiously waiting to finally see this new-look, streamlined Cowboy unit in action. We’ve all been waiting to see what a healthy Roy Williams looks like in T.O.’s old spot. We’ve debated at length which sophomore corner will hold down the island opposite Terence Newman. We’ve hypothesized all offseason about the role Jason Garrett will be carving out for Felix Jones. With all of these great training camp related unsolved issues, there was still one question that loomed larger than all of the rest in my mind. I wanted to know whether or not we were all going to see this tougher, more demanding Wade Phillips that we were promised.

At his pre-camp presser, Coach Phillips looked at times like a guy who was trying on his tough guy suit for the first time. He was in a few instances, uncharacteristically short and dismissive with the media. He also seemed to be almost fighting his own natural smile, attempting to look a bit more subdued and businesslike. I get it. The guy wants to be taken serious, and is probably a bit tired of the way that he is perceived by members of the media. And to his credit, early reports from camp have players moving in and out of drills at a much more urgent pace than in recent years.

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[Ed. Note by Grizz]: It turned out that Carl and I both wrote posts about things to watch for at training camp. I was planning to do a Part II to the Five Things post from yesterday, but since Carl already had a post of stuff he's watching out for, we'll use that as part two. [End Note]

Okay, if you want to be technical about it, I won’t be at Cowboys training camp so I won’t be watching anything. I guess I will be listening for, or reading up on a few different storylines coming out of Cowboys camp. Considering the abundant media coverage these days, coaching staffs are reluctant to reveal much before the regular season kicks off. Still, if we look closely, we can probably gather a few vital tidbits of information about the Cowboys upcoming season. Here are the things that I will be looking for at Cowboys camp.

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Less than two weeks remain until the Dallas Cowboys open training camp. Pretty soon we will be opining about the ongoing training camp battles, and the prospects of the coming season. At this particular time however, there is not a ton of earth-moving news coming out of Valley Ranch. There were a few minor things in the news this week that stood out to me. Again, these are not huge issues or news stories, just a few things that I felt were worthy of a little discussion.

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Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice. Any offensive coordinator would be elated to have such an outstanding trio of backs at their disposal. As Cowboy fans it is difficult to step away from our slightly slanted vision, as we are quick to adorn the Cowboys three-headed monster the best in the business. All biases aside, how does the Cowboys backfield stack up against the rest of the league? Sure, there are quite a few remarkable one-two punches, but can anybody go three deep as well as the ‘Boys can? Let's take a look at some of the more potent projected backfields around the league. 

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As many of you may know, DC.com is running a series on the 50 greatest Cowboys of all time. The countdown currently stands at #15, where DC.com has named wide receiver Drew Pearson as the 15th greatest Cowboy of all time. Reading about all of the Cowboys of old brings back some fond memories, and also invokes a little imagination. As I continue to read through the series, I continue to mull over one question. If I had an ‘85 Delorian, a flux capacitor, and a little plutonium, what former Cowboy would I travel back in time to kidnap and add to the current unit?

Offensively it is easy to go with one of the all-time greats. Sure, any of us would probably love to have Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman to come in and guide the ship. Both are Hall of Fame quarterbacks with Super Bowl rings. But with Tony Romo on board, I personally would not spend my one and only pick on a quarterback, however important the position may be. It is natural to blurt out a name like Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett, or Emmitt Smith. For this particular post, I wanted to dig a little deeper and tag players who would fit need areas for the current Cowboys.

My list is not by any means all-inclusive. There have been too many great Cowboys over the years to include them all, so forgive me if I left out your guy.

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"Success occurs when preparation and opportunity intersect."  I’m not sure on who said it first, but that is one of my favorite phrases in the world, and boy is it ever true. Take a guy like Tashard Choice for example. In college Choice found himself behind future NFL backs like Adrian Peterson and P.J. Daniels. In his inaugural NFL season he found himself third on the depth chart behind Pro Bowler Marion Barber, and first-round pick Felix Jones. In both instances, Choice kept himself prepared and was able to capitalize on his opportunity when he was called upon.

The stars are beginning to align for a few other current Cowboys. A handful of Cowboys have a chance to prove their worth, and play more significant roles than they ever have. What remains to be seen is whether or not said players will truly be ready to make the most of their opportunities.

A look at a few Cowboys who have a chance to make a significantly greater impact going forward:

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The Dallas Cowboys never made the blockbuster move this offseason. The Cowboys were however quite efficient at filling holes with affordable free agents. One of the first moves the Cowboys made at the onset of free agency was shipping aging cornerback Anthony Henry to Detroit in exchange for quarterback Jon Kitna. This move was only a footnote to all of the madness that is the free agency signing period, but for the Cowboys it could prove to be the biggest move of the offseason.

Jon Kitna is not without his flaws. He has struggled with injury of late and has always had a propensity for throwing interceptions. Still, Kitna is quite the upgrade over last year’s backup, Brad Johnson. If nothing else, Kitna’s arm strength will force other teams to respect the entire field. Kitna’s arm will also keep the team from having to reign in the playbook, which Kitna is quite familiar with, having spent time in a system with similar terminology in Detroit.

Kitna knows he is not here to compete for a starting job and has said as much. While he offers security as a backup quarterback, his greatest value may be as a mentor. As a Bengal in 2003, Kitna served as a mentor for #1 overall pick Carson Palmer. The fact that Kitna was willing to groom a rookie to eventually supplant him says a lot in itself about Kitna’s character. Much like Trent Dilfer, Kitna is a player whose average play is not a fair indicator of his immense knowledge of the game. Some guys are just better teachers than players, and Carson Palmer has always gone out of his way to attribute much of his success to Kitna’s teaching. Palmer believes that Kitna will be an asset to Tony Romo as well.

Palmer Tuesday on ESPN’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd:

"…you said that the biggest move of the offseason wasn’t Jay Cutler. It wasn’t T.O., but it was Jon Kitna going to Dallas, and you couldn’t have been more right…If Tony just follows what he (Kitna) says and listens to him, he’s gonna have a great year."

Maybe a guy like Kitna is just what Tony Romo needs. A backup who is not exactly breathing down his neck, but who is a good and willing teacher. Kitna is not a Hall of Famer by any stretch of the imagination, but he has seen a lot more live bullets than Tony Romo has in his short career. Kitna should be a great guy for Romo to have with him in the film room. If nothing else, Kitna ought to be able to draw from his experience and drop a few words of wisdom on Tony when times get tough. If things go well for the Cowboys, Jon Kitna won’t be playing a single meaningful down this season. If things go well for Tony Romo, it may have something to do with Jon Kitna.

Many of the Cowboys’ offseason maneuvers were made in order to allow the players and coaches to breathe a little easier. Tony Romo and Jason Garrett are supposed to be able to operate more freely now that Terrell Owens and his sometimes overbearing personality have left town. The Cowboys will no longer have to answer questions about Pacman Jones. As fans, we want to think that since the distractions are gone the Cowboys will play relaxed football and cruise right along. But, when you really take a step back and look at things, the pressure may not be so evident but the stakes are as high as they have ever been.

Let’s say the plan works. A more harmonious locker room and a cast of young, hungry players lead this team to some relative success; let’s say one playoff victory. All is well in Dallas. Wade Phillips is probably no longer on the hot seat. Questions about Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and Roy Williams will likely evaporate. Jerry Jones will feel that his locker room cleansing efforts are paying off, and the team will continue to move in that direction. With a playoff win in their pockets, the team will return loose, yet hungry for bigger successes in 2010.

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There has been a lot of talk this offseason about the Dallas Cowboys receiving corps. The receiver talk lately has been about whether or not Patrick Crayton can fend off Miles Austin for the #2 spot. However, the majority of the wide receiver talk in Dallas this off season has been centered around whether or not Roy Williams can be a #1 wide receiver. To answer that question, we must first make clear the definition of a #1 receiver.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the top wide receiver for each team in the NFL averaged 74 receptions, 999 yards and just over five touchdowns. The numbers lay a good outline for what you can expect from a #1 receiver as far as tangible production, but the value of a #1 receiver goes far beyond what shows up on a stat sheet.

A true #1 receiver has to be a player who forces opposing coordinators to alter game plans. A true #1 is almost as valuable without the football as he is with it, for the attention he attracts coverage wise opens the field for teammates. In my opinion, a #1 still has to has some success even when he is the focus of an opposing team's defensive strategy. A lead receiver has to beat a double team sometimes, and has to be uncover able man-to-man all the time. Still, a lot of a #1 receiver's success is contingent on the play of those around him. If the team's other pass catchers don't make defenses pay, the lead dog will see a heavy diet of double coverage until they do.

It is fair to say that there is at least some correlation between lead receiver production and overall team success. Here is a look at all of the teams who made the playoffs last season, and a statistical snapshot of each team's #1 wide receiver:

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Does anyone else miss the 90's Cowboys? Though I have learned quite a bit about the Cowboys of the 70's, that team was a generation before my time. I respect those teams, but watching old films and reading books isn't quite the same as living through an era. I grew up on the Cowboys of the 90's. To me it wasn't so much the three Super Bowl victories that made that team special. To me it was the swagger.

I liked it when the Cowboys were the "Bad Boys" of the NFL. That unit operated with a level of confidence that bordered on the edge of arrogance. The players on those 90's Cowboys teams didn't care how good you were, or what historic stadium you played in. They were going to walk right into your house, track mud through your living room, raid your fridge, drink your last beer, leave with your girlfriend and dare you to say something about it. They were fearless, and at times overconfident which came back to bite them a time or two. Still, those teams were too mentally strong to let the effects of a loss linger. Those teams were resilient, and there was no more frightening place to be on earth than on the opposite sideline from a Cowboys team coming off of a loss.

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If I were an NFL free agent, there would be two primary factors that would weigh heavy in my choosing of a new destination. Firstly, as in any field, you have to find an employer who will pay you fair market value for your services. Secondly, I would not exactly be looking for a team who was set up to win right now, but rather a team that is set up to contend annually for a number of years. If the Dallas Cowboys are right about their quarterback (and I think they are), they have the look of one of those teams.

Based on last season’s opening day roster the Dallas Cowboys were actually the league’s third oldest team with and average age of 28.22 years per player. The acquisitions of Keith Brooking and Jon Kitna pretty much negate the dumping of Anthony Henry and Greg Ellis. Still the possibility of adding as many as 12 rookies will drop the teams overall average age dramatically. Most importantly, the Cowboys have a young core, so most of the teams key players will be around for a while.

There is a point in a player’s career when his knowledge for the game reaches its optimum level while his physical ability is still near it’s peak. Most believe this happens around age 28 for positional players, and a little closer to 30 for quarterbacks. If that is true, most of the Cowboys nucleus will be at or near their prime in the very near future.

Take a look at some of the Cowboys’ key players and their respective ages as of the start of the 2009 regular season:

Make the jump...

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Thursday, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips addressed the media upon the conclusion of the team’s third week of organized team activities. In general, Wade spoke from an optimistic position, as all coaches do this time of year. Watching the press conference, many things become clear about Coach Phillips’ view of the team. He thinks highly of his pair of sophomore corners Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, just as he does safety Gerald Sensabaugh. He has a ton of respect of Keith Brooking. He has high hopes for rookie linebacker Jason Williams who is improving daily. He doesn’t sound very enthusiastic about the idea of Felix Jones returning punts.

The bulk of every post-OTA press conference sounds generally the same. Every coach in the league loves everything about their team in June. Still, beyond the rigmarole, Coach Phillips made a few statements that got me excited about the upcoming season.

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Even with the subtraction of Terrell Owens, much has been made about the Cowboys’ impressive arsenal of offensive weaponry. We all know about the three-headed rushing attack of Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice. We speak glowingly about the tight end tandem of Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett, which may indeed be the league’s finest. Roy Williams and Miles Austin are often among the reasons for optimism amongst Cowboy fans. Still, lost in the shuffle is one guy who has been a solid contributor his entire Cowboy career. How has Patrick Crayton become the forgotten man (at least from a fan's perspective) on the Cowboy offense?

The Cowboys recently began organized team activities. When the Cowboys offense took the field, they did so with Crayton in the starting lineup, opposite Roy Williams. Miles Austin’s upside is through the roof, but isn’t this at least Crayton’s job to lose? He has at least earned that much hasn’t he?

Wade Phillips thinks so:

"I wouldn’t count Patrick Crayton out of anything," Phillips added. "He has a knack for making plays and does run well after catching the ball." (Phillips also referred to Crayton as a "top-notch receiver")

Minus a pair of crucial miscues in the Cowboys’ 2007 playoff loss to the New York Giants, Patrick Crayton has done everything asked of him, and for the most part done it all pretty well. In his only full season as a true #2, Crayton posted 50 receptions for 697 yards and found pay-dirt seven times. Not outstanding numbers under normal circumstances, but being the #2 wide receiver in Dallas essentially means that you are the #3 receiving option. When the tight end hauls in 96 balls as Witten did in 2007, 50 catches from your #2 wide receiver isn’t half bad. In his career, Crayton has twice (2006 and 2008) posted 500 or more yards as the #3 wideout (in other words the #4 receiving option).

Whether he starts or not, when the Cowboys employ a 3-wide look, Crayton will be in the slot where he is at his best. Too much is made of the notion of having a speed demon in the slot. Great top-end speed from your slot guy is a nice luxury, but not a necessity. Playing the slot is about short-area quickness, understanding of coverage, finding the open area, being shifty, and being sure-handed in traffic. Using that criteria, you can pretty much grab Crayton’s report card and check straight down the "Pass" column. Also, for a guy who is supposed to be slow, Crayton still somehow manages to sneak over the top on occasion.

Jason Witten is and probably always will be Tony Romo’s safety blanket, but it is feasible to imagine Crayton also being a guy who Romo leans on in crunch time. Crayton still has the best hands on the team, and seems to know how to find the sticks. In a league where consistency is paramount, it is hard to imagine how a known commodity like Crayton has been so often undervalued by fans and members of the media. Mixed in with all of the stars in Dallas, it is easy to lose track of Patrick Crayton. He will never be mentioned amongst the elite, but in my opinion Patrick Crayton has accomplished quite a bit for a seventh- round converted quarterback from Northwestern Oklahoma State.

With the NFL being the copycat league that it is, it is rare to see a storied franchise continue to deny a widely successful trend. The Cowboys have denied it so long, it's not even a trend anymore. Over the year’s we’ve watched our rivals do it. The Packers have done it with great success. The 49ers of the late 80’s and 90’s beat us over the head with it. Though they backed off a bit last season, the Philadelphia Eagles have historically punished us with it. Forgive my youth, but my Cowboy fandom spans about 19 years and 6 head coaches. What I’m trying to figure out is over that time span, through all of those changes, why haven’t the Cowboys ever truly made the screen a part of their regular offense?

There are a few theories on why the Cowboys have never been much of a screen team. If you don’t mind, I’m going to pipe-bomb both of those hypotheses right now.

Theory 1: The Cowboys have traditionally had big offensive lines who may not move well in space. - Nice try. It is true that the Cowboys have always liked their offensive linemen with a little extra beef. The Cowboys were tied for having the heaviest offensive line in the league last year with an average weight of 330.2 lbs. per man amongst the opening day starting five. Do you know who the Cowboys were tied with? That’s right, the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the NFL’s best screen teams over the last decade. Big offensive lines are a good thing in the screen game. Yes the big guys are going have to move, but if you are some light-in-the-shorts defensive back (let’s say DeAngelo Hall just for fun), is there any more disheartening sight than Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo and maybe a fullback barreling down on you with a full head of steam? Yeah, I’m not signing up for that.

Continue reading after the jump for more theories...

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With veteran outside linebacker Greg Ellis now out of the picture, DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer will bookend the Cowboy defense. Ellis' departure means that in 2009 the Cowboys will always be one injury away from having to throw a rookie into the fire. Making the switch from college defensive end to NFL linebacker, rookies Brandon Williams and Victor Butler have a difficult transition ahead. However, recent history shows us that amongst converted ends, there have been more hits than misses, and few have been able to contribute right away.

I took a look at the last 5 NFL drafts. I charted every college defensive end selected to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 system. While I found a few guys who have to this point made virtually zero impact, I found a comparable number of success stories as well. This list is not all-inclusive, but a collection of highlights and lowlights.

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Much has been made about the issue of leadership as it pertains to the Dallas Cowboys. Let me first say that I am happy that the team did not go the “rent-a-leader” route and bring in a guy like Ray Lewis. I believe that leaders are grown organically from within, and that players may not be very receptive to a hired hand who has never bled with them. I also don’t think that a leader necessarily has to be an in-your-face type of guy. A leader may jump a teammate at times, but in my opinion leadership is more about being a “come on, we can do this” type of guy. Leadership is as much about getting your teammates settled down as it is about riling them up.

With that said, who is in line to take on a leadership role this year in Big D?

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According to rumors that surfaced this week, the Cowboys may be trading or releasing veteran linebacker Greg Ellis in the near future. Ellis is an interesting character. While he is by all accounts a good teammate, he has in the past had a difficult time properly managing the relationship between he and the team. Greg Ellis is generally liked by teammates, but has repeatedly used the media to voice his frustrations pertaining to issues such as his role or his contract.

Jerry Jones and company have made a genuine effort to turn the Cowboys organization into more of a team. Player who have in the past refused to toe the line are no longer around. Pacman Jones' unreliability made his release a no-brainer, but outspoken players and excuse makers such as Terrell Owens and Roy Williams have been shown the door as well. Greg Ellis is not a cancer in the traditional sense. He is not a bad teammate, but is at times a bad example for a young (and getting younger) team. The Cowboys' recent efforts have been directed at making the Cowboys a closer knit group, much like a family. Families handle their beef in-house. The Cowboys cannot allow old uncle Greg to continue to put family business in the street.

Greg Ellis is still a valuable player to the team and would be sorely missed should he be moved. However, if the Cowboys are truly interested in cleansing the organization, keeping a problematic player around because of his on-field value would undermine the team's efforts. If you are going to clean up a locker room, clean it all the way up. If the Cowboys really want to change a culture that has been lackadaisical and un-phased by authority, then they have got to go through the roster and yank every nail that sticks out. It shouldn't matter if it is the starting quarterback or the third-string tight end. It shouldn't make any difference whether or not the team has a viable replacement on board. You worry about those things later, you just cut the cord and move on.

Keeping Greg Ellis around solely out of fear of losing his on-field production would destroy any credibility the Cowboys have built this off season. Greg Ellis is aging, paranoid, and has repeatedly proved his unwillingness to censor his comments about the organization. If the Cowboys can get as much as a 6^th round pick in return for Ellis, they should make it happen. If not, then the Cowboys need to grant Ellis his outright release, therefore rubbing out the final stain in a once-messy Cowboy locker room.

Well, the NFL Draft came and went, and the Cowboys never selected that unnamed mammoth defensive tackle whom everyone outside the organization had declared a must-have. Instead the Cowboys apparently appear comfortable doing battle with Jay Ratliff, and whoever emerges and separates himself from the pack of no-names at defensive tackle. Ratliff made it through last season virtually injury-free, and also avoided any type of late season decline. Ratliff may not be so lucky on the injury front this season. Following his first Pro Bowl selection, the Rat may have a slightly bigger target on his back, and may also see a few changes in the way other teams scheme against him. Jay Ratliff needs an occasional breather, and the team needs to know that they have someone on board who can step in should Ratliff miss any time due to injury. The Cowboys have got to get this fixed.

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How many questions have we beaten to death pertaining to the Cowboys’ upcoming season? Can Roy Williams be a lead receiver? Will Gerald Sensabaugh’s presence be enough to get the defense over the hump? How much will the loss of Terrell Owens hurt the offense? Will Jason Garrett recover from his sophomore slump? Is Mike Jenkins ready for prime time? Does Flozell Adams have enough left in the tank? Will Miles Austin blossom? While all of these questions are valid and relevant, most of these points will be nullified, for better or worse by the play of one Antonio Ramiro Romo.

Midway through Tony Romo’s first NFL start against Carolina in 2006, I remember saying to myself "this guy is going to win multiple Super Bowls." I still believe this to be true. I have always been a guy who was quick to defend Romo. I still think that he will eventually settle into the top tier of NFL quarterbacks, but given the way he played down the stretch, I am a little more receptive to the arguments of Romo’s doubters. Still, in a league where quarterback play is paramount, I am thankful that the Dallas Cowboys are not among those searching for answers at the position.

I can’t imagine being the Minnesota Vikings, having all the makings of a championship team, yet still desperate enough to consider climbing into bed with Brett Favre. Perhaps even more frightening, put yourself in the shoes of the Detroit Lions, mortgaging the next half-decade on the hope that a rookie quarterback will become a star. There are not enough quality quarterbacks to go around, and the Dallas Cowboys most certainly have one of the keepers.

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Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams has been the object of quite a bit of media scrutiny lately. The media wants to know the answer to the question that has been a major topic on this blog since Williams was acquired mid-season: Can Roy Williams be a number one receiver?

To answer this question, we must first determine what exactly is to be expected of a number one wide receiver. Last season Terrell Owens was the Cowboys’ number one receiver, catching 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns. I tracked the stats for the top wide receiver for each NFL team in 2008. The top wide receiver for each team averaged 74 receptions, 999 yards, and just over 5 touchdowns. I for one would be satisfied if Roy Williams could match these numbers…but in this offense I think he could destroy them.

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Thinking about the NFC East and the upcoming season, I came across an article on Askmen.com highlighting the greatest rivalries in all sports. The Dallas Cowboys actually made the list twice. Cowboys vs. Steelers ranked sixth, while Cowboys vs. Redskins came in fourth.

That fourth-place finish was the highest for any NFL rivalry on the list. North Carolina vs. Duke in NCAA basketball topped the list.

The article provoked the question for me: “Who is the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest rival?” Instead of looking back, let's look at the present and the future, and see who could be making a Top 10 Rivalry list along with the Cowboys down the road.

Make the jump to read about the candidates.

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I cannot say enough about the exemplary job the Cowboys organization has done this off season. The team has made a real effort to clean up the locker room and has taken steps towards changing the culture of the team. The Cowboys’ draft showed that the team is committed to improving its special teams play and overall depth. All signs point towards the Cowboys having a deeper, more focused unit in 2009.

While they have taken steps in the right direction, the Cowboys are still more of a work-in-progress than a finished product. This team still has holes, and will be asking a number of unproven players to step into significant roles. There are still a few reasons for Cowboy fans to temper their expectations for the upcoming season.

Here are a few reasons fans should be concerned about the 2009 Cowboys:

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The 2009 off season has been quite the opposite of what we have grown accustomed to as Cowboy fans. No big-name free agent acquisition. No big-name first round pick. No drama. In fact, the organization has stayed under the radar this off season, save for the dreadful, catastrophic collapse of the Cowboys’ practice bubble.

Respectfully moving forward from the recent tragedy, things seem to be looking up in Cowboy country. Like every other NFL team, the Cowboys look toward training camp with a renewed hope. Cowboy fans can find optimism in the arrival of fresh new faces, and also in the departure of a few stale ones. I am no Cowboy insider, but from a fan’s perspective things just feel different. As impossible as it may seem, the Dallas Cowboys are beginning to blend into the NFL landscape. The new sense of calm at Valley Ranch is just one of the many reasons the Cowboys have to be optimistic about the upcoming season.

Here are a few others:

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While training camp position battles will undoubtedly be intense on the defensive side of the ball, the fight for roster spots on offense should be a bit less interesting. There should be no competition at quarterback, as Tony Romo will obviously be the starter. The team drafted Stephen McGee in the 4th round when the team had bigger needs, so that ought to be an indication of how much the team likes the former Texas A&M signal caller. Jon Kitna was acquired via trade, and is the only experienced depth at the position. He will be safe for that reason. Rudy Carpenter is coming to camp to minimize arm fatigue, and maybe log enough preseason snaps to impress another team.

While their 2009 roles have yet to be defined, we do know that Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice will occupy the team’s three running back roster spots. No disrespect to Ray Ray’s little brother (Keon Lattimore), but he will be at camp for the sole purpose of preserving the bodies of Bash, Dash, and Tash. The only way we will see any movement at running back is if Minnesota, in an attempt to clear cap space for Brett Favre, offers us Adrian Peterson for a bag of K-balls.

Most of the offense is locked up, but there are still a few spots up for grabs. Let’s look at this year’s offensive contestants for Survivor:Dallas.

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