Two bits of Dallas Cowboys news to comment on this afternoon. One directly affects the Cowboys, the other is a NFL story that just won't go away.

At the Cowboys OTA, it looks like guard David Arkin is taking the first shot at replacing the injured Mackenzy Bernadeau. Josh Ellis tweets that Arkin is running with the first team today at the OTA in the right guard slot.

David Arkin is your first-team right guard today. Wonder if that changes from week to week while Mackenzy Bernadeau is out.

— Josh Ellis (@DCStarJEllis) May 23, 2012

Ellis makes the obvious observation that this could be indicative of a tryout and that other players may be rotated in as the offseason rolls along. But even if that's the case, it does show the Cowboys coaching staff hasn't lost faith in Arkin, and even may give us an inkling that they think he's got real potential. Never read too much into these things, but for those who are fans of Arkin, this is a good sign.

In other interior line news, Bill Nagy is running at second-string center with Kevin Kolwaski not practicing, and Bruce Carter is the first-string linebacker beside Sean Lee.

In completely unrelated news, the case of the Cowboys and Redskins losing money for violating the spirit of the uncapped year has spawned a new turn. Even though an arbitrator threw out the claims of both teams yesterday, it opened the door for the NFLPA to claim collusion during the uncapped year of 2012. Imagine that.

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Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys started their remodeling project along the offensive line. Aging veterans were jettisoned, young players were given their chance. Even though it didn't all go according to plan, it at least seemed like a plan, one Jason Garrett was willing to follow. The one very bright spot in that plan was the addition of Tyron Smith. The ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft was just what the doctor ordered for the Cowboys, playing like an accomplished veteran in his rookie season. That was at right tackle. Now, the Cowboys are asking him to take over at left tackle, the premier position on the offensive line. The approach on that side is a little different, but Smith thinks he's already prepared for the transition.

"I’ve always prepared for it, switching sides, working on both stances every day," Smith said at the Cowboys’ annual golf outing. "It’s just all about knowing what’s happening on the other side and knowing what you have to do."

Jason Garrett echoes the same theme:

"The stance is different. Just the angles of things will be a little bit different for him, but he’s a very good athlete," head coach Jason Garrett said. "He’s a serious, conscientious guy, so he works very hard at it. He’s one of those young guys who go about it the right way, he has the right approach and he has ability, so you see him grow really on a daily basis. It’s fun to see him out on the practice field now."

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Now that free agency and the draft are pretty much in the rear-view mirror, we'll start looking ahead to how the 53-man roster might shake out, and what the depth chart will be. One position that was in flux in the early offseason was the outside linebacker position opposite super-stud DeMarcus Ware. Technically it's the strong-side outside linebacker position, althouhg I hesitate to apply that distinction since Rob Ryan likes to move guys around on a regualr basis. So I'm just going with the guy opposite Ware.

That position has been filled by Anthony Spencer, and there has been no shortage of opinion about how well he's filled that role. Because the Cowboys moved up to draft Spencer in the first round of the 2007 draft, there's been a lot of pressure on him to produce big numbers. And that's where things get murky. Are sacks the right measure for Spencer? Is it how well he plays the run? A combination of the two? Everybody seems to have an opinion.

After the 2011 season ended, Spencer became a free agent. The Cowboys were in a bind about what they wanted to do and eventually settled on the compromise position between letting him go and signing him to a long-term contract. That compromise was the franchise tag. Even that move split the Cowboys fanbase, continuing the trend of Spencer being one of the most divisive figures among Cowboys Nation. Everybody seemed to have an opinion on that move, too.

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The Dallas Cowboys take another step today, and over the weekend, in preparing for the 2012 season. Now that free agency and the draft have passed (well, technically free agents could still be signed), the Cowboys start some "on the field" work that will be the building blocks for the upcoming season. May 4-6 is the "rookie" mini-camp, it will see a gathering of the seven draft picks, (although Morris Claiborne will not participate as he's still recovering from a wrist injury), 21 undrafted free agents, five guys who are not rookies, and a group of guys in for tryouts.

The breakdown looks like this:

Draft Picks: CB Morris Claiborne (injury), DE Tyrone Crawford, OLB Kyle Wilber, S Matt Johnson, WR Danny Coale, TE James Hanna, ILB Caleb McSurdy.

Undrafted Free Agents: OT Jeff Adams, OG Ron Leary, OT Levy Adcock, OT Taylor Dever, OG Harland Gunn, OT Tyrone Novikoff, WR Tim Benford, WR Cole Beasley, WR Donavon Kemp, WR Saalim Hakim, TE George Bryan, TE Andrew Szczerba, RB Lance Dunbar, RB Darrell Scott, CB Lionel Smith, CB Troy Woolfolk, CB Isaac Madison, DE/OLB Adrian Hamilton, DE/OLB Aston Whiteside, S Eddie Whitley, LS Charley Hughlett

Eligible Non-Rookies: CB Teddy Williams, CB Mario Butler, ILB Orie Lemon, DL Robert Callaway, S Justin Taplin-Ross

Tryout Players: K Delbert Alvarado, K Tom Mante, QB Larry Smith, QB Nathan Dick, WR David Little, P Craig Ratanamorn, P Dave Harrington, RB Bryce Beall, CB Royce Hill, FB Jamize Olawale, LB Dorvus Woods, NT Myles Caragein, DE Luke Black, C Chris Thompson, DE Ben Bass.

The Dallas Cowboys have finalized the dates and times of their pre-season schedule.

Mon. Aug. 13th - @ Raiders 8 PM EST (MNF)
Sat. Aug 18th - @ Chargers 9 PM EST
Sat. Aug. 25th - vs. Rams 8 PM EST
Weds. Aug. 29th - Vs. Dolphins 8:30 PM EST

Recently acquired cornerback Brandon Car was asked how he is adjusting to life with the Cowboys, and how things are going out at Valley Ranch. His answer was very encouraging because it was about the team and how they are preparing. I have few worries about Carr and how he'll play, but you got to like what he said about the team.

After all, according to Carr, the Cowboys are different than most teams when it comes to preparing for the upcoming season. "I was just surprised coming into this whole process of being a free agent and meeting with the Cowboys that a lot of the guys stay here and workout," Carr said after an NFL Play 60 fitness event in North Dallas. "That's something you don't really see with a lot of teams, guys staying for the off-season when they could be out traveling to other cities and other states. The guys are here and getting it in."

Nice, and I'm sure Mike Woicik is putting them through their paces.

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Draft grades. We all make fun of them, but we still read them. I think we feel about them the way we feel about mock drafts - they're never accurate, but we read them and argue about them anyway. So what fun would closing out the 2012 draft be without throwing out some grades? In that spirit, I asked the front-page writers to offer up their opinions.

Before we get to our draft grades for the Cowboys, here's a review from SB Nation concerning the entire NFC East.

Make the jump to read our exercise in futility as we try to grade the Cowboys draft.

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Okay, full disclaimer here before you go any further, tracking and confirming actual signings of undrafted free agents can be tricky. The sources of these transactions come from all over, Twitter included, and sometimes they are not 100% reliable. So, with that in mind, below is a list of players who I've seen that have supposedly signed with the Dallas Cowboys or that they have interest in. I will endeavor to keep the list accurate, but please forgive any mistakes that might pop up. I will try to correct them as soon as possible.

A lot of the credit for this list goes to CowboysZone, you can follow their thread here. All 21 signing are now confirmed by the mothership.

'Rank' is per the CBSSports big board
(*) denotes players who had a pre-draft visit with the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys closed out their portion of the 2012 NFL draft by drafting inside linebacker Caleb McSurdy from Montana with their seventh round pick (#222 overall). The Cowboys were looking for another inside linebacker to go with Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and Dan Connor after not re-signing Bradie James and Keith Brooking.

NFL.com:

Strengths

McSurdy is a very instinctual linebacker who relies on his play recognition and pre-snap keys to put himself in a strong position to make plays. He is a quick-twitched mover once the ball is snapped and easily sniffs out run plays. He is a solid, reliable wrap-up tackler on the inside and shows a polished ability to dip his hips, fend off a low block and make a quick move towards the ball.

Weaknesses

McSurdy is a bit undersized for the inside linebacker position. Given his inexperience with top-line collegiate play, he could struggle against bigger offensive linemen working toward the second level in the NFL. He struggles against tight ends.

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The Dallas Cowboys used their only pick in the sixth round (#186 overall) to draft tight end James Hanna from Oklahoma. The Cowboys let Martellus Bennett go in the offseason and needed another tight end to go with Jason Witten and John Phillips. The man they got is James Hanna.

NFP:

Possesses average size for the position, but can coil up into his stance, keep his pad level down and fire off the football. Exhibits solid first step quickness down the seam and good speed. Tends to gear down when asked to get out of his breaks, but can be a sharper route runner in time. Possesses good range when asked to go get the football, but at times will struggle to pluck off his frame. Looks natural running down the seam and making plays on the throw.

Is a coordinated run/pass blocker. Understands angles, extends his arms well and showcases the ability to bend and keep his pad level under him. Slides his feet well through the play and routinely can seal defensive ends from the football and stay engaged.

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With their only pick in the fifth round, the Dallas Cowboys drafted wide receiver Danny Coale from Virginia Tech. After four straight picks on defense, the Cowboys finally address the offense by picking up a receiver.

Todd McShay:

On Coale, who McShay said in this video could be a third- or fourth-round pick (fast-forward to the 1:55 mark):

“I like him. I just think, he’s a little dinged up now, but you’re talking about a guy who produced at a high level in college, he has the size, around 6 feet, he’s in the 195-pound range. I think he runs well. I think that’s the misconception is that he doesn’t run well. I’m not sure if he’s going to be healthy enough to run at the combine [edit: Coale pulled a muscle near his rib prior to the Shrine Bowl], if he doesn’t he’ll be at the pro day, but at some point it won’t surprise me if he runs in the 4.4 range. I just love his toughness, the way he plays, his ability to catch the ball in traffic. I’m not saying he’s going to be a No. 2 [receiver], but I am saying that he can be a very productive No. 3 in the NFL and be in the league for a long time, the type of guy who can bring versatility.”

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With their second pick in the fourth round, the Dallas Cowboys drafted safety Matt Johnson from Eastern Washington.

PFW:

Good-sized with a well-proportioned, toned build, Johnson is a tough, competitive, coachable strong safety with good linear athletic ability. Plays with and trusts his eyes. Drops downhill and supports the run aggressively — gets proper fits, runs the alley and takes effective angles. Effective in halves or thirds, can run with tight ends and has good hands to intercept (17 career interceptions). Smart, experienced four-year starter who made secondary calls. Struggles to man up receivers and shows average range and change of direction. Is not a violent striker and misses some tackles when he isn’t under control. Character player with a professional approach who has an intangible makeup and athletic skill set to make a roster and contribute on special teams.

UPDATES BELOW (with video)

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With their first pick in the fourth round (#113 overall), the Dallas Cowboys selected linebacker Kyle Wilber from Wake Forest. Looks like an edge rusher as a 3-4 OLB.

From National Football Post:

A DE/OLB hybrid who made the move to backer in 2010 when Wake Forest changed to a 34 front. Lacks the kind of anchor to consistently hold the point of attack in the run game with his hand on the ground. However, he's much more effective setting the edge vs. the run game standing up. He's an instinctive player who reads and reacts quickly to the football and uses his length well to pick his way through traffic. Consistently takes proper angles toward the action, gains proper leverage when attacking the upfield shoulder of a blocker and exhibits the balance to fend off the block and make his way toward the ball carrier. Uses his length well to shed on the edge and has average range in pursuit. He exhibits a good first step when attacking downhill and does close quickly. However, he plays a bit upright and doesn't have the same kind of initial explosion when trying to shed. Needs to learn to play a bit lower.

Impression: An intriguing 34 rush end to me. Has a good first step, can change directions on his pass rush and plays the run with good integrity. Could be posed for a jump up draft boards with a solid year. Reminds me some of Jaguars DE Aaron Morgan.

UPDATES BELOW THE JUMP (including a video)

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Day Three, the final day of the 2012 NFL draft, is now upon us. The Cowboys made their big move in drafting Morris Claiborne (cornerback from LSU) in the first round, but that made for a slow day two. With no second round pick, Dallas had to wait until the middle of round three to draft again and picked up defensive end Tyrone Crawford from Boise State. Crawford proved to be a divisive pick among the fan base as seen in the comments, we'll have to wait and see how that one plays out.

For more on Crawford, check here, here, here and here.

Today's picks for the Cowboys:

Round 4: Pick #18 (113 overall)
Round 4: Pick #40 (135 overall)
Round 5: Pick #17 (152 overall)
Round 6: Pick #16 (186 overall)
Round 7: Pick #15 (222 overall)

For a video review of the draft on Day 2 concerning the NFC East, make the jump...

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After trading away their second round pick to get Morris Claiborne, the Cowboys had to wait all the to pick #81 in the third round to select again. The wait produced Tyrone Crawford from Boise State. Looks like a candidate for defensive end playing the 5-technique. Mike Mayock praises the pick.

NFL.com analysis:

More thread for your draft experience.

This is an open thread for draft chat.

Round 2 results below...

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We spent a lot of time here at BTB in the run up to the draft examining prospects who the Dallas Cowboys had brought in for pre-draft visits. It was a solid strategy given past preference for drafting players they had brought to the Ranch. Turns out, they went a totally different direction. Most of us were shocked, but generally pleased, by the move to get Claiborne, but the player himself was as shocked as we were.

"I was shocked," Claiborne said. "They didn't even talk to me."

He may have been shocked, but his family was elated.

It was welcome news. Claiborne said his family is full of Cowboys fans, and he cried when he heard he was drafted by them.

I guess there is crying in football.

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So the Cowboys shocked almost everyone and traded up to get Morris Claiborne. Most Cowboys fans seem to like the deal, but let's check around and see what other people thought. Of course, draft grades this early are ridiculous, but hey, sometimes we like ridiculous, so we'll check some out anyway.

You can still vote in our poll to give the pick a grade:

The guys over at ESPN Dallas - Tim MacMahon, Calvin Watkins and Todd Archer all gave the Cowboys move an 'A'.

The Cowboys desperately needed more playmaking in the secondary, and Claiborne certainly provides that, having picked off six passes last season despite not being targeted often. Claiborne and free agent addition Brandon Carr should be one of the NFL's best cornerback combos for the foreseeable future.

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ProFootballTalk is confirming something many have been suspecting since the Dallas Cowboys made their move in the 2012 draft and jumped up to grab cornerback Morris Claiborne in the first round. Current starting cornerback Mike Jenkins is being actively shopped.

A league source tells PFT that the Cowboys are shopping Jenkins, and that the Cowboys are willing to move him during the 2012 draft. Jenkins has been a full-time starter since 2009. The first-round pick in 2008 is entering the final year of his rookie deal, at a base salary of slightly more than $1 million.

Why I certainly understand this move, I stop short of totally endorsing it. The Cowboys now have a fully-stocked secondary, with quality corners, and besides Carr, the price is not prohibitive. They could now withstand an injury to one of their top corners and still be in good shape. Of course, the flip-side to that argument is that you generally only play three corners, so one guy is going to be riding the pine unless injury does occur.

Jerry Jones and Co. may be using Jenkins as bait to get back into the second round. Getting back into the second round would be nice, there are some quality players still available. Trades involving players and draft picks are much rarer than straight-up pick-for-pick trades, so I'm not sure the Cowboys can get this done even if they are trying. Stay tuned.

Morris Claiborne is now a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Going into the first round of today's draft, very few people would have said that was going to happen. Jerry Jones traded up, giving up the Cowboys second round pick (#45) to get it done. The Cowboys secondary is now stocked with talent at corner, but there is now a big hole in the second round where the Cowboys will have to watch players go by, unless they decide to jump back in. So the question becomes, did Dallas do the right thing in making the move to grab one of the blue-chip prospects in the 2012 draft?

I guess it all depends on your view of their needs, and if you believe that corner was one of them. It also depends on how much you feel that the defensive line, the pass rush, or the interior offensive line is a problem, and whether they can still address it in this draft.

So BTB, how do you rate the move to get Morris Claiborne?

Continuing on with the the open threads.

Continuing on with the the open threads.

The Cowboys moved up to #6, giving the Rams their 14th pick and the #45 pick.

With #6, the Cowboys selected LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne.

UPDATE:

The Cowboys went bold and made a move for a guy they really wanted, and they only gave up their 2nd round pick to move up eight spots in the first round, all the way to #6. That's a great deal. Long ago, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said he was only looking at defensive backs, and he was true to his word. The Cowboys got the best corner in the draft, and they have now upgraded a weak secondary into what should be a strength with the addition of Claiborne and Brandon Carr.

A while back at BTB, OCC brought up the possibility of the Cowboys moving up for Claiborne. It seemed like a fantasy then, but now it's a reality.

Continuing on with the the open threads. The Bucs traded down with the Jaguars, Jags likely want Justin Blackmon.

1. Colts - Andrew Luck
2. Redskins - Robert Griffin III
3. Browns - Trent Richardson
4. Vikings - Matt Kalil

Updates:

5. Jaguars - Justin Blackmon
6. Cowboys - Morris Claiborne
7. Bucs - Mark Barron
8. Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill

This is an open thread for draft chat.

The time has finally arrived. The 2012 NFL draft begins within the hour. We'll keep open threads running throughout the draft, so jump on in and start conversing. We waited so long for the draft to finally arrive, now it will seem like eternity until pick #14 gets here. Unless the Cowboys decide to trade up!

BTW, we already have a trade. The Browns have given up three picks to move up one spot and exchange places with the Vikings to the #3 pick. The report is they gave up a 4th, 5th and 7th.

Updates:

1. Colts - Andrew Luck
2. Redskins - Robert Griffin III
3. Browns - Trent Richardson
4. Vikings - Matt Kalil

This is an open thread for draft chat.

The anticipation is building. The draft will kick off soon. Here are some random stories for your reading pleasure.

Peter King has some draft storylines to watch and mentions the possibility that Dallas could trade up to get Mark Barron.

Mocking The Draft has their final mock up, they still believe the Cowboys will get Mark Barron at #14.

Ryan Van Bibber has his final mock up, he's buying the Mayock argument that the Chiefs grab Barron and we settle for Michael Brockers.

ESPN Dallas brings up the possibility the Cowboys trade down if Barron is gone, and their target could be another Alabama player - Dont'a Hightower.

Michael Brockers hopes that Mark Barron gets drafted ahead of the Cowboys pick, because he grew up a Cowboys fan and wants to wear the star.

A story on the Cowboys draft needs, courtesy of BTB.

Another Cowboys mock, and one of the few still hanging on to David DeCastro as the pick, plus you get all seven rounds.

For the past week or so, it seemed a strong consensus was building around the Dallas Cowboys and their pick at #14. Marrying need with talent, safety Mark Barron out of Alabama had been showing up almost everywhere when the Cowboys pick was predicted. But just in the past day or so, a new contender for Barron's services has entered the picture and they stand ahead of the Cowboys in the draft order.

If the Cowboys are truly set on Barron, then the Kansas City Chiefs might be poised to dash those plans. The guys over at Arrowhead Pride are noting that in recent days Barron has been connected to the Chiefs. When I spoke with Joel Thorman who runs that blog, he said a former Chiefs scout is now thinking they will choose Barron to pair with Eric Berry and create a solid safety wall that will help battle Peyton Manning in their division.

Then yesterday, Mike Mayock posted his only mock draft and placed Barron with the Chiefs. One of our SB Nation writers who spoke with Mayock yesterday said Mayock thinks Barron fits their system and would be a great complement to Berry. But, Mayock also mentioned that the Jets and the Patriots may have interest in Barron and might consider trading up to get him.

So Barron has been racing up draft boards and is now considered to have an outside chance to go in the Top 10. Buffalo Rumblings reports on rumors that the Bills just might grab Barron at #10.

If Dallas wants Barron, they might have to make a move. But if they are truly looking at a group of players like Barron, Cox, Brockers and DeCastro, then they can sit tight and hope one of them will be there - most likely Brockers. And if they aren't there, trading down might be the next best option.

Last offseason, when the Cowboys went on a purge of their roster, dumping salaries and players that no longer fit with the direction the organization wanted to go, some players I admired were shown the door. I wasn't against the decision of cutting these players, but it's hard to see someone go that always seemed to put in 100% effort, and was kind of an enforcer. That guy was right tackle Marc Colombo. He ended up playing last year in Miami, and now he's signed a ceremonial contract with Dallas so he can retire wearing the star.

Colombo was rescued from the NFL scrap heap by Bill Parcells. Colombo was a first-round draft pick out of Boston College by the Chicago Bears in 2002, but never made a huge impact there because of a knee injury. The Cowboys picked him up mid-season of 2005 and he took over the right tackle spot starting in 2006.

Colombo flourished in Dallas and finally gave the Cowboys a decent answer at right tackle after years of misfires at the position. Unfortunately, Colombo broke his leg in the middle of the 2009 season. After returning for the playoffs, he had a terrible day against the Vikings, something no Cowboys fan wants to remember. Age and injury finally caught up to Colombo and his play declined, leading to his release last offseason.

What I do want to remember him for was his service in Dallas, and those good years he provided us at right tackle.

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It's finally here, the Dallas Cowboys 2012 NFL schedule. We already knew we'd be kicking things off on Sept 5th against our NFC East rivals, the New York Giants. Now take a look at the rest of the schedule.

The Cowboys actually made a transaction today, releasing kicker Kai Forbath. With Forbath out of the picture, and the previous release of David Buehler, Dan Bailey looks to be officially the man at kicker for Dallas.

Voluntary workouts began today, although this year they are a little different than in the past due to the new CBA that was agreed to last year. At the bottom of this post I've posted the basic rules about how they work, but for these first couple of weeks, players can only have contact with the strength and conditioning coaches. Apparently the wide receiver group was getting after it today, as Dez Bryant lets us know in a tweet.

Just finished a great workout with @KOforPrez @MilesAustinIII @d_harris17 and @rad84acu it's getting real out here!!!!!!!!!

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 16, 2012

So that would be Dez, Kevin Ogletree, Miles Austin, Dwayne Harris and Raymond Radway.

Speaking of Radway, make the jump...

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