This team has really done a nice job of drafting the past few years with Jason Garrett at the helm. It really should come as no surprise seeing that Jim Garrett is his father and Jason grew up around one of the NFL’s most revered Scouts. Jason Garrett trusts his scouts and that would explain the initial sour look Garrett had when “The Trade” was made in this year’s draft; but then again once Frederick was announced the Garrett grin was shining bright again. Another bright spot for Cowboys fans is that it certainly seems as though The Dallas Cowboys are highly successful with their undrafted free agent acquisitions.

Mar 27, 2013; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks former player Devonte Holloman makes a reception during pro day in Columbia. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Barring injury set-backs this has all the making of an exciting offseason for the fans of the boys with the blue stars on their helmets. Monte Kiffin was recently quoted in having confidence in the defensive line, but really made a priority of acquiring linebackers. This is what brings me to the first position battle that has many fans salivating with intrigue.

Strong-Side Linebacker (SAM):

The strong side of the offense is where there are more personnel and often a Tight End. The SAM is usually the more physically stronger linebacker and is responsible for calling blitzes. Along with those duties the SAM also is often relied upon to tackle the runner but also possess a Strong Safety’s skill set in covering Tight Ends. This offseason the Cowboys resigned Ernie Sims, signed former Lions Linebacker Justin Durant, drafted DeVonte Holloman, and handsomely rewarded Brandon Magee out of Arizona State with $70,000 guaranteed. The Cowboys also have Alex Albright and Caleb McSurdy listed as linebackers. The Cowboys seem to have Alex Albright as a backup for Sean Lee, because Albright does have instincts and intelligence to play the MIKE. Here is how the Linebacker Core is preset in my mind.

*Starter   x-denotes primary backup

Free Safety & Strong Safety:

Much like the emphasis on Linebackers, the Dallas Cowboys have shown a commitment to adding depth to the Safety position. With the uncertainty of Barry Church coming off an Achilles injury and Matt Johnson having not played at all for a 4^th round pick, Can you blame them? A lot has been made of Matt Johnson’s abilities from not only coaches but scouts as well. The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately?” league. The 4-3 Tampa 2 Scheme requires a Free Safety to follow the ball constantly with his eyes. Cover-2 defenses often split the field, where the Strong Safety stays closer to the Middle to cover Tight Ends and Slot guys, whereas the Free Safety covers the back side and plays as the last line of defense. The Dallas Cowboys will enter this offseason with 7 players listed as a Safety. This will be an interesting battle to say the least, because 1 maybe 2 will not be here when the Cowboys face off against the Giants on September 8^th. Here is how everything shakes out in my humble opinion.

*Starter   x-denotes primary backup     ^Special Teams

Offensive Guard:

Although there weren’t any new additions to this position thus far, I think many forget that there are some young guys returning either from injury or were on The Practice Squad last year and are ready for competition. The Offensive Guards are crucial in this offense because Tony Romo is going to need that “extra second” Jerry keeps talking about. The Guard’s objective is to keep interior defensive linemen from penetrating the middle and keeping the pocket clean. Last year was difficult to create any type of consistency at the position with all the injuries this team suffered before and during the season. The Cowboys are betting that if they can keep a starting 5 healthy, that this team can finally keep people out of Tony Romo’s lap. At this point I believe that one of last year’s Free Agents will probably lose his starting job this year, and if I were a betting man it would most likely be Nate Livings. Here is Depth Chart in my opinion once September 8^th rolls around. 

*Starter   x-denotes primary backup

Running Back:

It’s safe to say that DeMarco Murray and Joseph Randle will be penciled in as 1 and 2, but that’s not where the intrigue ends for this Cowboys backfield. Philip Tanner, Lance Dunbar and UDFA Kendial Lawrence will be fighting it out for a roster spot. The last few years have seen The Cowboys keep 4 backs so one of these maybe the odd man out. If you haven’t watched the tape on Kendial Lawrence, go to find it now. This guy makes what Bryan Broaddus calls “violent cuts”, that is very intriguing to any Cowboys fan. Both Murray and Randle are One-Cut runners and that bodes well for this offensive scheme, but if the Cowboys want a change of pace back then Lawrence may beat out both Tanner and Dunbar. If Dunbar can be consistent on Special Teams that may give him an edge, however if Lawrence shows well on teams too, then Dunbar will most likely land on the Practice Squad. Let’s shake the Depth Chart out once again.

# Practice Squad

Wide Receiver:

This position may be the strongest Depth on this team. Last season when Miles and Dez went down in the last game at Washington it became a little scary, but after the acquisition of Terrance William, fans can feel pretty good. Dwayne Harris made strides last year and even Cole Beasley had some shining moments. The only major question mark comes from that of last year’s 5^th Round pick Danny Coale. This team currently has the rights to 12 Wide Receivers. Just for those who don’t know their names:

Dez Bryant                          Tim Benford

Miles Austin                       Jared Green

Terrance Williams            Carlton Mitchell

Dwayne Harris                  Anthony Armstrong

Danny Coale                      Anthony Amos

Cole Beasley                      Eric Rogers

I’m inclined to believe the Cowboys will go long at this position but they will not be keeping all 11 of these guys. I think 8 is the right number and that includes the Practice Squad guys.

With more OTA’s and Mini-Camps coming up in the next few weeks, a lot of fans will be glued to the respective websites for information. If you haven’t created a twitter account, now is the perfect time to follow all of The Dallas Cowboys beat writers for news updates during the practices. I’m sure that there will be even more intriguing battles throughout the OTA’s and leading up into The Preseason opener against Miami. With so many young players on the depth chart, some of these veterans better be ready for the challenge. As the old saying goes Let the Battle Begin!

Let me be clear, this is not an excuse for the failures; rather it’s a variable in this situation. If you look at the way last year began you can easily say this line had many flaws and holes. The fact that David Arkin and Ronald Leary were taking the majority of the OTA and Camp snaps had clearly placed the Cowboys at a disadvantage early on. Kowalski, Costa, Bernadeau, Livings all were hurt at given times before they even took the field. That’s troublesome, and left no room for synchronizing this unit.

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tackle Jeremy Parnell (78) watches the score board during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium. The Saints beat the Cowboys 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Does that explain the performance by Doug Free? Absolutely not, Free gave up 7 sacks last season; combine that with a 6% pressure rate from his side. Running backs also only eked out a measly 1.9 yards-per-carry on the right side with Free in the line-up. How about the backup Mr. Jeremy Parnell? Well although he wasn’t at the point of attack but a fraction of Free’s exposure, he still managed to have only a 4% pressure rate and gave Running Backs a 5.08 YPC, and was at-fault for 5 sacks. The sack statistic is not as nearly atrocious for these Tackles as it was for these Guards but nonetheless the tackles combined gave up 18 of the 36 sacks taken by Tony Romo.

So what does one do? Promote the former basketball player who showed flashes of brilliance at times? Go search the dwindling Free Agent market for a Tackle that will take less than the $7 million due to their own troubled Veteran? How about hope and pray Doug Free decides to take the pay-cut and have some competition for the open spot? Well obviously the powers-at-be would rather take the latter. Although I have written an article regarding Eric Winston, it seems that I may have been jumping the gun. Is he better than Free? In the running game I would say he is; but in pass protection…..Can I call you back?

It seems as everyone believes that Free isn’t going to take a reduced salary, and therefore will be released, however I’m not so sure folks. Doug Free doesn’t really have much leverage in my humble opinion. He can try and draw this out and keep the Cowboys from going after any available replacements, but maybe that just makes the Executives angry and they designate him a June 1^st casualty anyhow. One thing is for certain, regardless of what happens Jeremy Parnell is excited to compete for this starting Right Tackle spot.

Let’s move this discussion to the Guard/Center area of this offensive line. The only acquisition on the interior of the line was the 1^stRound pick of Travis Frederick. Does he play Guard? Yes. Does he play Center? Yes. Well where is he going to be? If you ask this guy, I believe he starts at Center and wins that battle quickly into Training Camp. What about Costa? He played well before his back injury last year. That is true, but can he do it consistently for an entire season?

“Down…set….snap the ball over Tony’s head, Tony scoops up the loose ball, scrambles left, nobody’s open down-field  ball thrown to the flat 8 yards out, caught by Jason Witten for an 11 yard gain, 1^st Down Dallas Cowboys! Ok, Tony let’s regroup and repeat that 3 more times in this game. No thanks Coach!”

I would rather place the rookie there who has a chip on his shoulder, may not have the best athleticism, but he doesn’t get beat often.The real intrigue will be the competition for the Guard spots; I’m not as certain as Broaddus and Cahill are that Livings and Bernadeau are going to walk in here and start. There are still a few guys like Costa, Kowalski and one Ronald Leary whom are ready to compete. After all Leary was given a decent chunk of change last year and there have been some whispers around Valley Ranch that he has got his sights set and is ready to perform. Let’s hope that is the truth, and maybe Leary can become the Cowboys’ Latest Gem from the UDFA market that makes good on his potential.

Decisions, decisions, decisions bring us all the way back to the “Free the Free” campaign. As a fan, you want to know what happened. How did Doug Free go from playing well enough to earn the left tackle spot, to switching back to his natural position and playing so poorly that the fans have given up on him? Maybe the Coaches believe he can return to his former self. Maybe Doug Free wants the chance to prove us wrong. Then again maybe he wants to be cut take his money and ride off into the sunset. What if Jeremy Parnell is actually ready for this? What if he takes this as the perfect opportunity to reach up and grab his dreams and make them a reality? So many what ifs, maybe this, maybe that, not a lot of concrete answers are on the table at the moment. Something has got to give, because switching tackles every year is not a plan for success. Do these Cowboys have a plan; or are they comfortable with Parnell starting? I’m not willing the put my eggs in that basket yet, are you?

Call me an optimist or whatever you may feel, but I’m ashamed of some of the people who call themselves fans and I don’t care if this offends you. Now this article will not be to chastise the ones in disagreement, because everyone is entitled to their opinion. The truth is that none of these analysts or myself for that matter are Draft experts; not Mayock, Kiper, or McShay. In fact, I don’t believe that any of these so-called “grades” mean a rip when it’s all said and done. Want proof? Carson Palmer was taken #1 overall by The Cincinnati Bengals in the 2003 Draft; Tony Romo went un-drafted, now convince me that Tony Romo isn’t the best Quarterback of that class…Don’t worry I’ll wait….*crickets*

Feb 22, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

For those who do believe in the Draft grades, this is for you, calculate the average grade by adding all and dividing by 7.When doing so, the end result is that The Cowboys actually rank 1^st in the league with an average of 77.6. All 32 teams go into the draft every year with “pressing needs”, but after doing the research you’ll find that the majority of teams that Draft for need fail miserably. The teams such as The Packers, The Broncos, The Giants, Ravens and 49ers draft with the Best Player Available approach and its seems to have worked out for them.

I don’t agree with every pick 100%, or the mathematical formula used to execute each pick, but I’ll at least give credit where credit is due. Jason Garrett made it clear that this team needed to get better on the offensive line and give Tony Romo some added time. The team’s message rang clear with their first three picks. Though many believed Callahan wanted to run a Zone Blocking Scheme, it has become evident that is not the case. The Cowboys have been running a ZBS for some time now and Callahan has now indicated a shift to possibly a Gap/Power Scheme is in order, but then again who knows?

Look no further than the all too unpopular choice of C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin:

There have been plenty of documented deficiencies out of the Center position in the past few years. Though not a side to side mobile Center; Frederick will fit nicely in a Gap Power Scheme because of his skill to completely turn defenders around and drive up the field on blocks. His intelligence will also be significant help in getting The Offensive Line in sync. Although his versatility has not gone unnoticed; look for The Dallas Cowboys to build this Offensive Line by keeping him at Center and moving outward by possibly searching Free Agency for a Tackle on the right side. If Frederick can perform well, this smells like a great foundation for the next 10 years.

Much has been made of The Dallas Cowboys red zone deficiencies in the past few seasons dating back to the dreadful 2010 campaign. Though they have shown production in getting down the field and scoring from deep balls off Tony Romo’s arm; once actually in “plus territory” the Cowboys have been settling too often for three points. The first three selections of this year’s crop all have one thing in common: they are all proven commodities in the red zone. In fact each of the three were relied on heavily once inside the 20 yard line. Don’t believe me? Go study the tape! In the NFL with constant double teams and more stout running Defenses, The Dallas Cowboys were in need of some fresh red zone targets.

TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State:

Escobar adds many dimensions for Callahan’s offense this season. Though picked for his great ball skills and pass catching abilities, his major asset in College was his red zone antics. At 6’6 254 lbs, He is a huge target for Tony Romo. He will definitely need work in honing his blocking skills, which at this point is a bit of a worry; however Coaching can be the key there. His ability to catch over the middle and stay on his feet is admirable. This pick was not merely due to his capabilities near the end zone; but also an opportunity for The Cowboys to try their hand more often in 3 TE sets in order to mimic The New England Patriots style of offense. The only difference is The Cowboy’s core receivers are better than New England, makes you wonder what may be.

WR Terrance Williams, Baylor:

I respectfully disagree with our very own Editor’s opinion on this prospect, in fact I don’t know what tape he was watching because I’ve seen bad and good and can assure that this pick is one of the best picks made by Garrett and Co. Terrence Williams is nothing like Kevin Ogletree. William’s sideline awareness is impeccable, though body catching is not always safe; he’s damn good at it. I feel he may need some assistance in route running, but he lays all out for the catch. He has a tremendous amount of burst and has the ability to be a game changer, and very efficient in red zone plays and blocks. Just knowing the injury prone history of some of the Cowboys wide-outs is indication of the smarts used in this pick.

This was the point into the Draft that I actually became nervous, with all 3 of the Cowboys picks thus far going toward Offense, it made sense but I was itching for some Defenders. After all arguably the biggest change to be made all offseason was the implementation of the 4-3 Tampa-2 Defense and this scheme was going to require some pepper in certain positions. Since Jay Ratliff was sliding to a 3-Tech Defensive Tackle, with Hatcher, Lissemore and perhaps now Crawford waiting in the wings; there were still holes at the 1-Tech and more notably Free Safety position. Little did I know the Cowboys would make my favorite pick of the lot.

FS J.J. Wilcox, Georgia Southern:

While many mocks were fixated on Kenny Vaccaro, Eric Reid, or Matt Elam; Bryan Broaddus and Ed Cahil from the Draft Show mentioned Wilcox as a raw but talented option for The Dallas Cowboys. When I first laid my eyes on Wilcox’s tape, I was intrigued. It’s no secret that since Darren Woodson’s departure this team has suffered somewhat at the Free Safety position. Over the years many have stepped in and most notably Gerald Sensabaugh did a decent job, but the Cowboys released him to make more cap room, and it wasn’t like his play was remarkable. Wilcox, though not having much experience (1 year) at the position; he definitely has a play-maker demeanor about him. He hails from a small school, but some of his traits cannot be taught. Much like the “Honey Badger”, he has a nose for the ball. He seems to always know where to be and isn’t afraid to lay you out cold. He’s tough, rangy, physical and has good size and speed for the position. His only question mark is his rawness, but with a Coach like Jerome Henderson he will be in good hands.

I’ll admit I didn’t know what to expect for the final day of this year’s Draft, but I didn’t try to predict at this point. The Dallas Cowboys approach became very evident to me early on, and in the 4^th-7^th rounds most teams are looking for role players, which is indicative of the many picks unknown, with the exception of Matt Barkley and the other quarterbacks. The Cowboys however were looking to get as many role players with significant chances to start.

CB B.W. Webb, William & Mary:

Considered by many as a 3^rd round prospect, B.W. has the ability to really cover a lot of ground in the secondary. After the departure of Mike Jenkins, and attempting to continue to build at the position it makes since for Monte Kiffin to like this cat. He has quickness, fantastic awareness and an outstanding vertical of 40.5! His tape is very intriguing because he plays hard on every play and really shows up. He needs a little work playing man to man, but he still has those traits. His quickness is remarkable, and with Scandrick due some cash next season, Webb is a candidate for a replacement.

The 5^th round was another moment of almost panic for me, because after witnessing a run on running backs, I was really hoping this team would have a good one available without too much injury history. I felt very embarrassed as the pick was made with not having studying this prospect that was given a good grade by many scouts and gurus. I think I was too enamored with Giovanni Bernard and Le’Veon Bell, and that was a mistake.

RB Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State:

Very similar makeup as Murray, but he is slower. I can’t lie and say that doesn’t worry me a little, but his shuttle was 4.25 and that seems oddly fast for his 40 time of 4.63. Like Murray he is a very good pass catcher. He is a one-cut runner who has the ability to fool linebackers into leaning the wrong way. He is very good at pass blocking and quick to chip at defenders. He needs to learn to stay upright when blocking bigger defenders instead of lunging at them, but is still very effective. He will fit the offense well because unlike Felix Jones, he has all the traits of a starting 3-down Back.

Frankly, I didn’t put much emphasize on the 6^th Round selection because I figured this pick to be a Bisaccia Pick. Although, despite a couple of speed bumps last year in punting, the special teams unit showed some promise. Even though J.J. Wilcox is a skilled punt returner, he will have his work cut out for him to take the job from Dwayne Harris. Kyle Wilber, Alex Albright, and Eric Frampton showed up well on teams, but I don’t expect Frampton back. To be honest, the only thing that irks me about this Draft was the complete ignorance to the Defensive Line. I understand the fans being upset with the passing on Sharrif Floyd, and have said if it was me; I would have probably taken him. However I do see more value in Frederick and Williams over just nabbing Floyd. My frustration comes from knowing where I see fits on this new Defensive Line, but the holes are too evident. Jay Ratliff will add a year or so to his career by moving to the 3-Technique. I’m intrigued by the Defensive End position as well with Ware, Spencer, Crawford, and possibly now Wilber. The big question to me is “Who is going to play the 1-Technique?” Looking at the Depth Chart only gives me 1 option and that is UDFA Robert Callaway. So I was hoping the 6^th rounder would be used on a “big boy” for the 1-Tech, but then again this pick seems to be a Special teamer with potential to battle for an Outside Linebacker spot.

LB DeVonte Holloman

The Cowboys seem to have put a lot of focus toward the SAM Linebacker in the 4-3 Scheme. Free Agency included a re-signing of Ernie Sims and an acquisition of Justin Durant. My guess is that Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli see this as a priority in this new scheme and want to have as much competition to find their starter. In fact this is my pick for best battle of the offseason. I feel that Holloman has a legitimate chance to win the spot. He has really remarkable athleticism and versatility. After all, he was a Safety/ Linebacker Hybrid in College. He has long arms which make him a great tackler over Tight Ends but also in open field play. One thing that shows up vividly on tape: This kid hits really hard! Now that can be a good and bad thing in The NFL. I assume that Marinelli will be spending time teaching him legal/illegal hits. He does lack straight-line speed which can often cause him to lunge ahead at times. Has a knack for bullying offensive linemen to make his tackles in run formations. He will have to show up in Special Teams early to get noticed, but he’s a true competitor.

I know some of my readers will think that this is a complete fluff/homer piece; I want to reassure you that it is not. The Draft grades that have been given out so far really can’t come to fruition for another 3-4 years. This article was designed to give information about each prospect and shed some light on so much darkness in the last several days since The Draft’s conclusion. Was everything perfect? No, far from it, but if you research each prospect and watch the tape it makes this organization’s messages very clear. Do I agree with Jerry Jones lament that The Defensive Line is a strength? Not exactly, there is no clear answer at a very important position. What I do realize is that there are still available options for this team in Free Agency, and with spots filling up fast; these veterans are going to lower their asking prices for sure. Although panic has set in with some of the Dallas Cowboys fan base, I hope this “scouting report” could give some solace as to what positive outcomes could play out this season. Jason Garrett loves to create competition in every area that is possible, and I believe his notions are warranted. I would rather have a team full of young guys ready to play hard and give their all, than have a lot of veterans that have grown complacent with their statuses and aren’t trying to achieve greatness. Mini-Camps are about to begin, which if you’re like me, pray to the gods for a healthy outcome.  With some questions still left unanswered, we can only hope these Dallas Cowboys have a plan and stick to it. Welcome to the NFL rookies, now you have to fight to stay there.