Nov 24, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys fan in face paint takes a photo from his seat during the game against the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving day at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

For me, it’s been columns about how badly they handled the draft this year.  As I have written in previous columns, the Cowboys draft process has been much better since Jason Garrett took over as head coach and we see the results with players they have selected during that time.  So I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least until we see a particular selection was a bust.  I still haven’t forgotten about all of the irritated fans that called radio sports shows to complain about the “lousy” selection of Emmitt Smith way back when.

Other columns that irritate me are usually about Tony Romo, how bad he is, how the Cowboys will never win with him as the quarterback and how he is not worth his new contract.  I would sure hate to see the Cowboys record with another QB in Romo’s place.  Many plays have been made with Romo running for his life against the opposing pass rush and there are very few QB’s in the league that can do that.  And when the Cowboys got way behind and had to depend on Romo to use the hurry-up offense to get back into the game, he was nothing short of stellar.

And let’s not forget about him coming back into the game against San Francisco, with broken ribs and a punctured lung, willing the Cowboys to victory.  Whether you believe it or not, more than half of the other teams in the NFL would love to have Romo as their QB and wouldn’t hesitate to pick up that big contract in order to secure his services.  Whether it makes sense to pay all of that money to one player is a subject for future discussion.

OK, so I have detailed the kinds of stories that bother me and why.  But everyone is welcome to their opinion and that’s that.  If I identify a particular writer that always has something negative to say and that I usually don’t agree with, I can choose not to read their columns.  What I don’t do is resort to calling that writer names in the comment section at the end of the story.  Whether you agree, or don’t agree with what someone writes, you ought to a least be courteous.  At least that’s the way it used to be before one could hide behind a pseudonym created for anonymity on the internet.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys fan cheers on his team during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

I expressed opinions in my column a week ago that seemed to upset quite a few fans.  Badmouth Tony Romo, that’s OK.  Express an opinion that Miles Austin’s best games are behind him, that’s blasphemy.  I received many comments from readers, most of them disagreeing with me and I do stand corrected about any salary cap savings, unless they were to trade Austin.  But at some point, as they have in the past, the Cowboys will have to bite the bullet.  So I have to ask, if not now when?  I suspect there will always be dead money involved with this player, whenever the decision is made to move on.

But I digress and need to get back to my point.  So you disagree with me?  Is the name calling really necessary?  Can’t we just agree to disagree?  And if, as one reader said, all of my columns are stupid, then why are you still reading them?  The classic comment though, was the reader that called me a moron and a retard, even though admitting in his comment that he had not read the story.  Apparently the title was enough for him to form an opinion.

By all means, let’s all stay passionate about our favorite team, but let’s also realize that opinions are like noses, in that everyone has one, and respect that others don’t always agree with us.  In short, treat others as we would like to be treated.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Miles Austin (19) runs after a catch against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons (94) and safety Robert Golden (21) at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

With ten wide receivers currently on the roster and the ability to keep around five of them, the Dallas Cowboys have some tough decisions ahead.   Always a tough decision is when to let a veteran go and embrace the upside represented by a talented rookie.

The talented rookie, in this case, is third round draft pick from Baylor, Terrance Williams.  It’s not that the Cowboys can’t keep Austin and work with Williams to be ready to eventually replace him, it’s that there are several other talented receivers on the roster as well.  And if the Cowboys keep Austin, one of these receivers no longer has a job with the team.  But the reason why I am presenting this as a choice between Austin and Williams is because Williams would likely become a starter as the second wide receiver if Austin were to leave.

An absolute fact that comes into play when discussing Austin is that the health, or lack thereof, of his hamstrings has caused him to no longer be the player that signed the huge contract after a breakout season.  In watching him play in the 2012 season, it appeared to me that he protected his hamstrings by no longer running at full speed.  So, as a result, a second absolute fact comes into play, Austin is being overpaid for his production.

That doesn’t mean that the Cowboys couldn’t trade him to a team that needs and experienced receiver and get some value in return, which would be better than cutting a less experienced receiver and getting nothing in return.  But even if the Cowboys were to just cut Austin, they would still be better off.  There would be a lot of money saved against the salary cap and, as mentioned previously, they would be able to keep a talented, but less experienced, receiver.

Getting back to Williams, who is somewhat of a mini-me to Dez Bryant, why not start him as a rookie, just like they did with Dez?  The development of Williams would come along much more quickly if he were to be on the field most of the time.  After all, you want your picks from at least in the first three rounds, to be starters don’t you?  And recent history has shown the NFL stage is not too big for these Baylor receivers.

Dec 9, 2012; Cincinnati, USA; Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Nate Clements (22) breaks up a pass against Dallas Cowboys receiver Miles Austin (19) during the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Cowboys won 20-19. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA Today Sports

Receivers currently on the roster that I don’t believe will make the cut are: Anthony Armstrong, Tim Benford, Jared Green and Carlton Mitchell.  Receivers the Cowboys should keep are: Cole Beasley, Dez Bryant, Danny Coale, Dwayne Harris and Terrance Williams.  That’s five receivers.  If for some reason the Cowboys were to decide to keep six of them, then there is a spot for Austin.  However, if they keep only five and one of them is Austin, then they’re burning Co(a)le, because Danny Coale or Cole Beasley loses a job.

Injuries kept us from seeing anything from Coale last year.  But he should show us this year why the Cowboys selected him when they did.  And Beasley has shown enough for us to know he can succeed as a niche receiver in the NFL.  The NFL success of Wes Welker and Danny Amendola (that the Cowboys let get away) shows us there is a place for receivers like Beasley in the NFL.  If Beasley doesn’t make this team, I fully expect him to haunt the Cowboys in the future when they play the team he ends up with.

In all the years of watching the NFL, I have not seen as many veteran player cuts as I have this year.  General Managers in the NFL finally understand aging veteran’s salaries quickly eclipse their performance on the field and are doing something about it.  The end result is salary cap relief and the opportunity to receive big time performances from younger and less expensive players.

Austin has been a loyal soldier for this team and has no doubt played in pain on numerous occasions.  But there is not enough time, or money, for sentimentality in the NFL.  When it’s time, it’s time and I think it’s time for the Cowboys to wave goodbye to Miles Austin.

Dec 27, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Travis Frederick at press conference for the 2013 Rose Bowl at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

You have heard, and will continue to hear, that the Cowboys were big losers in this draft.  But says who, self-proclaimed experts that write about it?  If they were being paid by an NFL team to evaluate talent their opinions would be valid, if not, then their opinion is no more valid than mine or yours.  And if you are up in arms about the perceived terrible job the Cowboys did this time around, be sure it’s based on something you discovered about their selections and that you’re not just parroting someone else’s opinion.

After all, you really can’t truly grade a team’s draft until you see the selected players in action as part of the team.  It seems to me we run this drill every year, where everyone with an opinion says the Cowboys had a terrible draft and then later, when we see selected players in action, such as Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, DeMarco Murray and Dwayne Harris, we see they drafted pretty well.  So, when the Cowboys move back in a trade and then grab their top rated center they are subject to much ridicule.  And when other teams do the same thing, it’s reportedly OK, since this player is a good fit for their system.  I am sure the Cowboys feel the same about Travis Frederick and how he fits their system

Maybe he was a projected second or third round pick by many, the bottom of the first is pretty close to the second round and close enough that you better take him there if you really want him and feel he might be gone when you pick again in the middle of the second.  Even if no one else does, the Cowboys know the value of the center position.  We all know how terribly the offensive line played last year.  The running game was horrible and Tony Romo spent a lot of time running for his life.  But in his one complete game, Phil Costa at center versus the Baltimore Ravens, the Cowboys had a record day running the ball.  Based on that, I think I’ll give the Cowboys the benefit of the doubt on knowing what they need to do to fix the offensive line.

How do you offset what many consider to be a reach at the bottom of the first round?  You grab late first or early second round talent at wide receiver in the third round, as the Cowboys did with Baylor wide-out Terrance Williams.  Some might question that pick, with Dwayne Harris picking up his game last year, but I think the selection is Miles Austin insurance more than anything else.  And if you are picking the best player available, you have to take him if he’s still there.  And while we are talking about receivers, Gavin Escobar appears to be a solid selection.  He will need to do some work on his blocking in order to be a complete NFL tight end, but he will certainly start out as another weapon for Tony Romo in the passing game.

Jason Witten is still playing at a very high level, but at 31, it’s time for Dallas to start grooming his successor.  In the meantime, if you think defensive coordinators have a difficult stopping the two tight end offense of the New England Patriots, imagine trying to stop a three tight end offense starring Witten, Escobar and James Hanna.  I’m looking forward to seeing that.  And that’s a break from the past.  In the past, the second tight end whether it be Martellus Bennett or John Phillips, was primarily a blocker.  The Cowboys will make a real effort this year to make the second tight end in the set a weapon at receiver too.

Nov 10, 2012; Stillwater OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Joseph Randle (1) runs for yardage during the first quarter against West Virginia Mountaineers cornerback Cecil Level (24) at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Rowe-USA TODAY Sports

Joseph Randle is a solid pick and a great value as a fifth round selection.  He really appears to mirror the talents of DeMarco Murray, a steal in his own right, having been selected in the third round.  No one wants to see Murray go down, but there is reason to be more confident that the offense can keep on clicking with a quality back, such as Randle, coming in to replace him.  The Cowboys selected three defensive players as well, and they all seem to be solid selections too, with the common refrain being that they are hard hitters.

Some are bemoaning the fact that the Cowboys didn’t make more defensive selections or add more offensive lineman, but if you are taking the best player available, it just doesn’t always work out that way.  They can still sign free agent Eric Winston if they feel he is an upgrade over Doug Free and Jeremy Parnell.  The bottom line is the Cowboys did a much better job in the 2013 draft than they will ever get credit for, at least until these players become impossible to ignore when excelling on the field of play.   There should be no surprises here either, since all of the selections visited Valley Ranch before the draft.

So, if you’re in a frenzy of negativity over this draft, take a chill pill and wait to see how they look on the field of play as part of the team.  That’s when we know how good their draft was, or was not.