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

The Offensive Line is a huge need for the Cowboys. It is obvious that Doug Free at Right Tackle just cannot hack it and was overpaid enormously. I cannot figure out why he has not been cut by our Owner/GM, but Mr. Jones is known to be loyal, even at a fault, to his players. Doug Free was so useless last year that at the end of the season he was actually put in a platoon situation with Jeremy Parnell. Maybe the Cowboys can move Doug Free inside to the guard position if they plan on keeping him on the roster. If they do decide to move him inside, they will still need to draft an offensive lineman at either position, Tackle, Guard and Center, if not draft all three at some point during this Draft.

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?

At the time I was an employee at Banana Republic folding shirts at the beautiful hotel and casino, Venetian. I knew immediately who he was when he walked in. He made all the shirts look small.

Really small.

Larry Allen is a big guy. You probably already know that. Or maybe you don’t. Offensive linemen tend to look normal on television when they stand next to other giants.

Feb 2, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFL former player Larry Allen reacts after being selected to the pro football hall of fame during a NFL Network presentation at the New Orleans Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

When a guy like Larry Allen (6ft 3in and 325 pounds) stands in the real world, next to normal size people, the dude is going to stick out.

Within seconds, I had a pen in my hand. I touched a blue button on the cash register to print out a small — blank — piece of paper.

But my feet couldn’t move towards Larry Allen.

I was nervous. I mean, it was Larry Allen, the starting left guard for the Dallas Cowboys!

He was known to be one of the strongest men in the NFL who once benched pressed 705 pounds. On top of that, former head coach and game announcer John Madden regarded him as the greatest to play that position, and maybe the greatest to ever play as an offensive linemen.

Wow.

Larry Allen was a hero, who protected my other favorite heroes such as Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin.

My co-workers made fun of me. They told me to hurry up; he could be leaving soon, they said. That much was true considering how obvious it was that none of the clothes there could fit him.

As I made my way to Larry Allen, the people he walked in with (I think they were trainers) stopped and noticed. They looked surprised that somebody might know who Larry Allen was. After all, offensive linemen aren’t glorified. It’s only when they make mistakes do we hear their numbers or names announced. Right?

When I asked Larry Allen to sign my receipt paper with blue ink, I wanted to ask him a hundred questions. I wanted to know if he had a chance to talk to newly hired head coach Bill Parcells. I wanted to know what it was like to play football in the National Football League. I wanted to know what he ate. I wanted to know how he felt about his chances of winning another Super Bowl.

Larry Allen signed my paper and handed it to me with a smile. I thanked him, and immediately turned away without saying another word.

What an idiot!

What struck me most about my encounter with Larry Allen was his presence. He didn’t walk in the store with guns blazing. He didn’t have a larger than life persona. He was normal. He was one of us: The cool guy people want to hang out with. Larry Allen had this ease about him that made you feel comfortable.

And that’s how Larry Allen played the game. He didn’t have to be a flashy, in your face kind of player. To me, Larry Allen eptiomized the meaning of classy. That’s what I remember of number 73 when I met him — that he was classy and humble.

These days it’s hard to think about what The Dallas Cowboys are doing right. But when you see Larry Allen, when you think about his legacy, you got to feel good about what the combination of him and this organization did together.

The Cowboys did him right. He did us right. And now that he is going into the Hall of Fame, the NFL did him right.

Well deserved.

If I ever meet Larry Allen again I would probably thank him. I would thank him for all the dedicated years he gave us fans, all of his hard work and hard shots he took as a left guard.

I’d remind him that even though the spotlight followed the likes of Emmitt Smith or Michael Irvin, us fans knew how great he was; and that the team’s success had to start with his success at the line.

Finally, I’d ask him to sign me another autograph because I lost his first signature. I’d probably say, “Ok, thanks, bye!” And then dart in the opposite direction feeling pretty cool that I just met up with a Cowboy hero.