Jason Witten is one of the oldest Dallas Cowboys. Is the time for him to win a championship running out?    Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com recently wrote a piece about the best rosters in the NFL and ranked them from 1-32. Silva, whose opinion I respect, ranked the Cowboys with the 21^st best overall roster in the league. And the ranking itself isn’t even what infuriated me. It was the last two lines he wrote about the Cowboys roster:

“The Cowboys’ talent is mediocre and their roster planning seems to lack direction. The arrow is pointing downward on this team.”

The talent is mediocre? The arrow is pointing downward on this team? I could not disagree more with this statement.

In 2010, the Dallas Cowboys were in a major rebuilding project even after making the playoffs in 2009. Under head coach Wade Phillips, the team started out 1-7 with an aging roster. In just three years, 17 of the 22 starters on the team of 2010 are gone. The only starters that remain are Romo, Ware, Witten, Austin, Spencer, and Ratliff.  After Phillips was fired midway through the 2010 season, Jason Garrett took over the team and officially became the head coach in 2011.

Since 2010, they have drafted potentially 10 projected starters for their 2013 starting lineup.

The Dallas Cowboys were 8-6 last year heading into the final two games of the season. They played the Washington Redskins with a chance to win the division in their final game.  And here are the players who could not play in the game due to injury:

Sean Lee (toe), Bruce Carter (elbow), Phil Costa (back),  Barry Church (torn achilles), Josh Brent (dismissed from team), Matt Johnson (hamstring) Jay Ratliff (toe), Ernie Sims (concussion), Orlando Scandrick (fractured hand.)

I’m not making excuses, but this team was one missed field goal against the Ravens and one fingertip out of bounds against the Giants from being a double digit win team despite all the injuries. The writer makes the statement that the team lacks direction with their current roster and I couldn’t disagree more.

Here is a look at how young some of the core players are on the team:

Tyron Smith – 22

Travis Frederick – 22

Morris Claiborne – 23

Dez Bryant – 24

DeMarco Murray – 25

Bruce Carter – 25

Barry Church – 25

Brandon Carr – 26

Sean Lee – 26

The Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver, starting running back, left tackle, center, two stud linebackers, two very good cornerbacks and starting safety are all 26 or younger. The core of the team is young and extremely talented. The team is stockpiling young talent at the most important position.

Fortunately for the Cowboys, their season isn’t doomed because some writer doubts the talent on this team. And in 16 weeks we will be able to decide if this team is truly on the downswing as Silvia suggest, or inching ever closer to their sixth Lombardi trophy. Their team is loaded with young, developing players who are as hungry as ever. The team is definitely on the upswing and is poised to make a a serious playoff run in 2013.

Nov 18, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) throws as owner Jerry Jones talks with Cleveland Browns general manager Mike Holmgren in the background at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a difficult time for a Dallas Cowboys fan. It might be the worst time ever, depending on what type of lenses you wear.

The Cowboys have so much talent on their roster, and yet, the team finds a way to carry out so little. Talk about mediocrity. Talk about waste. Talk about windows closing. Fast.

The 2013 draft selections did not accommodate the team for future success. It didn’t even necessary accommodate the team for “now” success. That’s heartbreaking.

But that’s what happens when your pilot — Jerry Jones — flies the team with ego and not brains. The clocks are ticking. Maybe age has prevented Jones from hearing the ticks. But the fans hear it. And so do the players. Jones should have upgraded the surround sound system when he outdid the world with that gigantic television screen in Cowboys Stadium.

Jerry Jones can no longer answer to the voices in his head. He must answer to the voices of the fans. The customer is always right. You don’t need to be a mathematics expert to calculate the Cowboys recent success. Or have a chemical engineer background.

17 seasons. Two playoff victories. Zero Super Bowl appearances.

The lack of January play is so bad that the most popular team in Dallas isn’t even the Dallas Cowboys. It’s the Texas Rangers. Imagine that. Well, you don’t have to; it’s a reality. Yet the nation still has the gull to call the team, “America’s Team.”

No wonder why Cowboy Nation is hated so much. Instead of being a quality television show, the Cowboys circus is more like a trashy reality television show. You can thank the producers for that.

The sad part of it all is that the Cowboys have the right actors on the squad to produce. In the history of the game, Tony Romo trails only four other quarterbacks with a higher passer rating. The problem: The other four quarterbacks have together six rings.

Romo has none. Talk about cardiac arrest.

NFL Career Passer Rating Leaders Today

1. Aaron Rodgers – 104.9
2. Steve Young – 96.8
3. Tom Brady – 96.6
4. Peyton Manning – 95.7
5. Tony Romo – 95.6

• 32. Roger Staubach – 83.4
• 47. Troy Aikman – 81.6

Romo has produced enough numbers to become a star. He is one. But paper glorification doesn’t translate into stardom. Romo has faded into the backseat when it matters most. No excuses. No apologies. You can’t spin Romo’s losing narrative; it’s hard to add lipstick to a 1-6 elimination record.

But the general manager must give better supplement for his star player. It’s nice that you dished out some cash to keep him. So you want Romo more involved in the offense and personnel decisions? Cool. Yet at the same time Jerry Jones consciously neglects what matters most for Romo: Protection.

August 13, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shakes hands with defensive tackle Rob Callaway (72) after the Cowboys defeated the Oakland Raiders 3-0 at O.Co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Poor Dez Bryant. He can command his team with leadership voice all he wants, but his talent will go to waste if Romo is on his back — all the time.

Fans can only sit back and watch the sun go down. Nothing has changed. Nobody really got uncomfortable, as Jerry Jones once promised.

The off-season was a chance to turn things around. It was a chance for the team to shine. Jerry Jones too.

Instead, Jerry Jones nets a gain in the ego department at the cost of losing fans. Not cool.

It’s funny how much Cowboys Stadium resembles the inner details of Jerry Jones — all spectacle and dance. But no substance or rings. But hey, since the Cowboys don’t play in January, the electricity bill should be pretty cheap.

Sigh. And tears.

Well, that’s the true price of being a Dallas Cowboys fan these days. But the real fans will never stop to cheer. They’ll roll their eyes (again). Take a deep breath (again). And start filling the balloons with hope (again).

It’s never too late for Jerry to send out thank you notes. It’s the least he could do considering all the heartaches.

In the mean time, let’s all hope we have good health insurance.

Matt Johnson might be the biggest contributor in 2013 because of the open opportunity at the free safety position. Johnson hurt his hamstring early in 2012, but remained on the active roster for the majority of the year. The team thought he might be ready to contribute if they had made a deep run in the playoffs.

Johnson was a fourth round pick out of Eastern Washington who the Cowboys fell in love with during the draft process. The team believes Johnson can be the deep center fielder they’ve been lacking for some time. Matt Johnson possess the range to flow from sideline to sideline in Monte Kiffin’s defense.

What I like about Matt Johnson is his work ethic and how that translates to the field. He, (along with Danny Coale) was praised by former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus as being one of the hardest workers on the team.

Can WR Danny Coale have an impact in 2013?              Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Danny Coale was personally my favorite draft pick in the 2012 draft and it was a shame that he struggled with injuries all year long. Coale, a fifth round pick out of Virginia Tech has a knack for making big plays in the most important games. Coale can play both outside and inside and also has exceptional hands.

Frank Beamer, Coale’s head coach at Virginia Tech, still believes that Coale will be a successful player in the NFL despite losing his rookie year to injury;

“He’s fast, but you just look at him, you don’t think he is. He sneaks up on you. I think people underestimated his speed sometimes. But he catches the ball. He gets open. And he’s got some toughness to him.”

So how does Coale fit in with the present wide receiving corp?  Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Terrance Williams, and Dwayne Harris are all locks for the 53 man roster. Danny Coale will compete with Cole Beasley for the fifth WR job. And if Beasley and Coale prove to be too valuable to cut, the team may be forced to keep six wide receivers in 2013.

Linebacker Caleb McSurdy has been the forgotten man of the 2012 draft. McSurdy was drafted in the seventh round last year out of Montana.

McSurdy may have the toughest competition for a spot on the roster.  He will be competing for the final linebacker position with Ernie Sims, Alex Albright, Brandon Magee, DeVonte Holloman, Tank Reed and Cameron Lawrence  Caleb McSurdy was a favorite of Jerry Jones last year, but his season ended early when he tore his achilles in training camp.

McSurdy’s best and perhaps only chance to make the team is on special teams. And fortunately for McSurdy, this happens to be where he excels.

For these three second year players, the 2013 training camp will be absolutely vital for their chance to impact the season. If he can stay healthy, expect Matt Johnson to start at free safety for the Cowboys this year. Danny Coale should also be able to crack the roster as the fifth or sixth wide receiver on the team. With all the new linebackers that the Dallas Cowboys have brought in this off-season, Caleb McSurdy is currently on the outside looking in.