Despite the many speed bumps that lie ahead of this team (insert Cap situation here), fans should take refuge in this year’s upcoming Draft. There are holes to be filled, this is true, but The Dallas Cowboys are not the only ones with many questions and very few answers at the moment. Every team is going through their rosters right now and trimming what they can to have a chance in Free Agency. Last year The Cowboys made their moves swiftly because they had the cash to make those necessary upgrades to attempt the “best player available” approach in The Draft.

Nov 18, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) under pressure from Cleveland Browns defensive end Jabaal Sheard (97) as he got past Dallas Cowboys tackle Doug Free (68) at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Although there are not too many “flashy” or “sexy” picks in this year’s class, there are plenty of skill players The Dallas Cowboys should feel good about. People, it is no surprise that this team lost a lot of their battles in the trenches and this has to be rectified. They can no longer put “Band-Aids” on gaping wounds.  The options in Free Agency will be very limited, if any, they will most likely find a few role players for bargains. Don’t get me wrong, I trust that Stephen Jones will be working magic once again to help alleviate any pressure he can; but that also comes with a price further down the road.

I cannot yet analyze Free Agency adequately because I’m not sure of what may or may not be there to work with, so I’m forced to tackle that issue on a later date. Instead, I would like to focus on what this team may have in the new class coming in. This Draft can look meek to some ball clubs depending on their situation. If you are a Cowboys fan though, you should be salivating with what it does offer. In this Draft, The Cowboys can make significant strides that I believe will ultimately lead to a playoff-caliber team.

With that said, I’ve concluded that the Dallas Cowboys must select Linemen with their 1^st and 2^nd round picks. If they decide to help Kiffin first and grab a Sharrif Floyd or a Sheldon Richardson to solidify that 3-Tech Defensive Tackle that is needed; in my opinion they will need to get in position to select a Larry Warford or Justin Pugh in the 2^nd. Let’s say they decide to help Tony Romo first, and they select a Chance Warmack, Jonathan Cooper or even Eric Fisher; than perhaps  a 2^nd round selection of Kawann Short or Brandon Williams would be nice fit.

Many will object and claim that a ball-hawking Safety should be selected in the 2^nd round and some will even say Vaccaro in the 1^st, to that I say: tread lightly dear friends. You see, I’m in Austin, TX, I have had plenty of time to dissect the UT Safety; he is good, but those 1^st and 2^nd picks are too rich for this young blood, and it bothers me that he gives up on plays. Getting a mauler on the Offensive Line or a headhunter on the Defensive Line will better serve this team for years to come. Besides wouldn’t you still like to see what this team could have in a healthy Matt Johnson? He’s not a mind-blower but he does have a knack for being around the ball.

This Draft offers this team a chance to get some real contributors and will add depth to hopefully keep them from decimation. I have faith in Kiffin, Eberflus and Marinelli to develop Crawford, Lissemore, Albright and some of the younger guys who are chomping at the bit for some playing time. I have faith in Jason Garrett, Bill Callahan, and Pollack to finally give the desired attention to this struggling Offensive Line.

If the Superbowl taught us anything this past weekend, it was that those teams have pretty good lines on both sides of the ball. That is what needs to be the blueprint for The Dallas Cowboys this off-season  Indeed this defense needs more turnovers, but this offense can stand less a dosage of sacks on Tony Romo. Shifting focus to getting quality players on both lines could be the difference between mediocrity and greatness.  In closing, I will pose the question to the reader; what would you like to see occur this off-season?

For those that don’t know, the 4–3 was originally created in the 1950’s by legendary coach Tom Landry and is basically the alignment of four defensive linemen and three linebackers.  So the decision meant it was OUT with Rob Ryan and IN with Monte Kiffin, but was this really a great hire or another miss by Jones?

There’s no disputing; in his prime, Monte Kiffin was THE GUY when it came to the 4–3, specifically with Tampa-2 coverage.  Kiffin (under Jon Gruden) helped mold a young Tampa Bay Bucs team into one of the toughest defenses in the NFL and is one of the biggest reasons the Bucs hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 2003.

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Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan reacts on the sidelines after the fumble was confirmed in overtime against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium. The Saints beat the Cowboys 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Anyone who reads this column on a regular basis knows that I have not been the biggest supporter of Rob Ryan during his tenure. The fact is that I had him fired after last seasons 8 – 8 performance and the display of the defense. The Cowboys went out and spent money and used Draft picks to upgrade the shortcomings of the 2011 season. The Cowboys needed help in the secondary, so they signed the best free agent cornerback available in Brandon Carr. Then they traded up in the Draft to grab the best cornerback in Morris Claiborne. The addition of the corners was supposed to stabilize the defense and make them a threat against the pass. The Cowboys proved promising early in the season, but play slipped as the season went on and the Cowboys finished the season 19th out of 32 teams in Pass defense averaging 230 yards against per game. The Cowboys secondary also finished tied for last in the league with the Kansas City Chiefs in terms of forcing interceptions. In total defense the Cowboys also finished 19th in total yards per game on defense.

The stats without context scream for the defensive coordinator to lose their job. The truth when looking deeper into the season the defensive coordinator is not at fault for the Cowboys struggles. Injuries on defense were a huge factor in their demise this season. Sean Lee, the teams leading tackler had his season ended due to injury early in the season. His replacement Bruce Carter was sidelined a few weeks later. By the end of the season the Cowboys were grabbing guys off the street just to fill the middle linebacker role. The Cowboys best player DeMarcus Ware was beaten up towards the end of the season and was a shell of his former self. The amount of injuries on the defense is more than enough of a reason to allow the defensive coordinator one more chance with a healthy roster.

The injury factor could have saved the defensive coordinator, if it weren’t for the other factors involved. Rob Ryan brought this outcome on himself with his antics in the media and on the sidelines during his tenure as a coach with the Cowboys. The first misstep by Ryan was when he opened his mouth to the media disparaging the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2011. Then the Cowboys played a nationally televised game in Philly where they got blasted 34 – 7. The Eagles players said prior to and following the game that the comments of the defensive coordinator were the motivation behind the humiliating performance. The defensive coordinator was more subdued for the rest of the season. The defensive coordinator seemed to be on his way to redeeming himself, until he disgraced himself, the organization and more importantly the coaching profession. Against Cincinnati in Week 14, a flag was thrown for a personal foul, not on a player, but on the Cowboys sidelines for a Coach interacting with a player from the other team. Ryan cost his team a 15 yard penalty because he lost his “cool” and taunted a Bengal player. After this moment, the only thing that could have saved Ryan’s job was a trip to the playoffs. The final game against the Redskins was a visual disaster. The Cowboys looked like they never prepared for the option, and never made any adjustments the entire game.

Rob Ryan’s fate was sealed the minute that 15 yard penalty was called in the Cincinnati game. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is a no nonsense kind of guy and is “buttoned up” when it comes to conduct on and off the field. He could not have been happy with that display. When changes were announced by the owner, I am sure the first guy on the list was Rob Ryan. Again not a shock here, but the minute it happened I was screaming for Ryan to be fired right after the game. There is no need for those kind of antics, especially if the best the team can do is 19th in total defense and an 8 – 8 record.

On Friday, the Cowboys replaced Ryan with 72 year old Monte Kiffin. Kiffin retired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he spent over a decade as their defensive coordinator. Kiffin is an innovator and invented the “Tampa 2″ defense that has been used by multiple teams throughout the NFL. Kiffin retired from Tampa Bay three years ago to join his son at the University of Tennessee. When Lane Kiffin left Tennessee for USC, Monty followed suit. This season was rough for the USC team and the defense in general. Kiffin was not the one behind the downfall though, as sanctions crippled their depth and defensive players.

The signing of Kiffin means that there will be a drastic change from the 3-4 defense run by Wade Phillips and Rob Ryan over the past 5 years. Serious upgrades will have to be made to the defensive line and the safety position to implement the “Tampa 2″ style. The Cowboys will also have to define a position for DeMarcus Ware in the new 4-3 scheme. Despite the need to fulfill the positions, the change in defensive style should be an improvement for the Cowboys moving forward in 2013.

Jerry Jones said change was coming. He said the change would shock the fan base. The firing of Rob Ryan on Tuesday was certainly that kind of move. Cowboys fans have been on polar opposites of this, from people slamming the team and wanting Ryan back on the team, to people rejoicing in his departure. Ryan’s mouth and his antics on the sidelines wrote his own ticket out of Dallas when the team failed to make the playoffs. The defensive stats did not help his cause either. For all the bellyaching over the firing of Rob Ryan, his replacement Monte Kiffin has a proven track record of coaching defense at the NFL level. Best of all he will not embarrass the organization on the sidelines or in the press clippings.