Before we start our shopping list, we should probably review what it is exactly that we need. Quarterback, tight end, the linebacker group and our special teams unit are the strongest spots on the team. While the wide receiver corps and our safety depth could be addressed, they are not pressing needs. The real weakness in the roster is found in our running backs, offensive and defensive lines.

Unfortunately, Dallas has one largely prohibitive factor going against them.  The Cowboys will have one of the worst cap situations of any off-season shopper. So, how do they improve their depth with these restrictive issues facing them? Dallas must do something that they have not been good at in recent years. They need to spend their money wisely.

Here is a list of possible bargain free agents that can improve the weaknesses that the Cowboys have.

RUNNING BACKS

The free agent running back class represents the best opportunity to add talent, possibly at a lower rate than usual due to the wealth of options. These choices can be separated into two categories:

It would be really awesome, but it’s not happening…

This is where you find names like Shonn Greene (too productive), Rashard Mendenhall (too expensive), Steven Jackson (probably going to chase a ring) and Reggie Bush (both expensive and looking for a ring)

Completely plausible, affordable and worth a look…

Dec 2, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; A Kansas City Chiefs running back Peyton Hillis (40) is tackled by Carolina Panthers linebacker James Anderson (50) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 27-21. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Hillis - At age 27 and averaging only 120 carries per season, Hillis should still have plenty left in the tank. If you throw out his breakout year in 2010, his numbers do not look all that impressive, however the Cowboys do not need him to be a feature back. At 6’2″ 250 lbs, his value would come as a bruising short yardage / goal line carrier that could help improve this team’s failures of scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Lastly, he would not command a high salary and has familiarity with new coach Houston Nutt.

Cedric Benson - Even though Benson is older at age 30, he would represent a much more accomplished option than Dallas is accustomed to. Prior to last season, he had three straight 1,000 yard seasons averaging almost 7 touchdowns per year. He’s also a Texas native and played last year for the veteran’s minimum. A slight boost in pay to be a complimentary back may serve as a wise investment given that he is not too far removed from being a productive lead option if DeMarco Murray should happen to miss a few games due to injury.

Chris Ivory - Ivory represents the type of gamble that Dallas should be taking. He is young, runs with ferocity, has been productive in his few opportunities, is from Texas and can be had since the Saints are in a just as bad, if not worse cap situation than the Cowboys. While Ivory is a restricted free agent, he was also undrafted so the Cowboys would not lose a draft pick if they offered him a deal that the Saints could not or would not match.

OFFENSIVE LINE

As easy as it was to find multiple choices to fill the hole at running back, the offensive line options are quite limited. The dream for any Cowboys fan would be to wake up one day and find out that Andy Levitre, Jermon Bushrod or Phil Loadholt joined the team to solve our woes. Unfortunately these guys are too good, too young and will demand way more money than Dallas can afford. Ultimately, Dallas will certainly need to invest a high draft pick or two to infuse the line with youth and talent but there are a few options available in free agency.

Brandon Moore (RG) - Moore has started 142 of a possible 144 games in his career for the New York Jets. Similar to the aforementioned Saints, the Jets also find themselves in salary cap hell and may not be able to afford him. At age 32, he may come cheaper than expected and if he still commands the $3 million he made last year, this type of splurge would be one Cowboys fans could find palatable.

Matt Slauson (LG) - Another Jet makes the list because much like Brandon Moore, Slauson is extremely durable, starting all 48 games he’s played in. Slauson is six years younger and made far less money last year as well ($615K). That may also make him far more expensive as he is coming into his prime but again, these are the types of calculated gambles winning teams consider.

Sep 13, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears center Chris Spencer (67) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Spencer (C/G) - Spencer would bring a versatility to the Cowboys as he has played all three interior line positions well. At age 30, he is in his late prime but would be a major upgrade over almost any center or guard on the current roster. His previous contract (2 yrs / $6 million) was inexpensive given his experience and acumen so it is possible that Dallas could afford him.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Much like the running back position, the defensive line is littered with big names and highly talented players. Even though guys like Osi Umenyiora and Cliff Avril will command far more than what Dallas can pay, there are four very realistic options that the Cowboys should seriously consider…

Israel Idonije (DT) – Even though Idonije is 32, he has just recently maximized his talent. Over the last three years, he has registered 20.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. He played in Chicago last year for new Cowboys defensive line coach Rod Marinelli on a one year deal, making $2.5 million per. A two or three year deal for the same type of money could bring him to Dallas to close out his career.

Shaun Cody (DT) - Cody has been the anchor of a stellar Houston Texans run defense and has the type of size (6’4″ 292) the Cowboys need. Coming off a two year deal which he made $2 million each year, the 30 year old Cody could get a slight pay raise or a slightly longer contract to switch Texas teams.

Dwan Edwards (DT) – Another early thirties player, Edwards had a very productive year in Carolina in 2012 with six sacks as an interior lineman. He did make just over $4 million last year so he might not be fiscally reasonable, however since he is nearing the end of his career, he could probably be signed for a similar amount.

Nov 25, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) is sacked by Chicago Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton (69) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Henry Melton (DE) – Melton would be the youngest of the four options at age 26 as well as the cheapest as he made only $700K last season. He has 13 sacks in his last two years and again was with Marinelli in the Tampa 2 defense of the Bears last year. A significant pay increase, something in the neighborhood of $4-5 million per year could be enough to the Texas native back home.

So there you have it. There are suitable options for the Cowboys to make subtle improvements to the roster while sticking to their budget. Obviously, not all these players can or will be brought in, however if we can land two or three of them, it may make the difference between watching the playoffs and participating in them.

http://pigskinplace.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/how-to-fix-the-dallas-cowboys/

If there are any positives to take from this Groundhog’s Day-like scenario it is that the roster appears to be in better shape. One could make the argument that the rash of injuries that plagued this team in 2012 was the difference between 8-8 and possibly 9-7 or 10-6, especially on the defensive side of the ball. For this reason alone, I am happy to report that this year’s version of the same column can be reduced in half. Unfortunately, the top request will mimic the same exact request as last year (fitting I suppose, right?)

Here now are the five ways to fix the Dallas Cowboys…

5. Draft Tyrann Mathieu in the third round…

Three facts: 1.Whoever the defensive coordinator has been for Dallas, the team has been horrible at creating turnovers. In the last ten years, the Cowboys have been in the bottom ten in this statistic five times. 2. While the Cowboys have not done so badly in the first two rounds of the draft, they have been pathetic beyond round two. Only 13 guys picked in rounds 3-7 since 2004 are on the team (13 out of 57). Of those 57 picks, only 28 are still in the league. 3. Since Darren Woodson retired in 2003, the Cowboys have been searching for a play making safety and still have not found one. One solution to all three problems: Tyrann Mathieu.

Jan 9, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; LSU Tigers cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) reacts to a play during the BCS National Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

In only two years at LSU, Mathieu registered 133 total tackles, 16 for loss, six sacks, four picks, 19 passes defended, 11 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy award which is rare for defensive players. The reason why he should be available this late is because he missed all of 2012 for off the field issues which got him kicked off the team. Normally, I would not want someone like this playing for the Cowboys but after reading this article on ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8817861/emotional-tyrann-mathieu-admits-regrets-says-marijuana-usage-him

I feel he is going to do whatever it takes to avoid this issue in the future. He could even emerge as the emotional leader this team sorely lacks based on his aggressive style of play. In short, the risk is worth the reward and leads into the next fix which is…

4. Get more defensive play makers via draft and free agency…

Building off of the previous mention, there has been a serious void on the defense in all facets in regards to making plays. Until this year, you would have to go back to 2007 to find a Cowboys’ team that had two players register double-digit sacks. Prior to that? 1985! Only once since 1996 have the Cowboys had a player with more than five interceptions and that was also in 2007. That 2007 edition of the Dallas Cowboys was 13-3, by the way, which I don’t believe was a coincidence. Along with drafting Mathieu, I would like to see Dallas go after a free agent safety. There are two solid choices, in my opinion, that could not only make the defense younger, but also more dominating. The first choice would be Jairus Byrd. Byrd, 26, has eight interceptions and seven forced fumbles in the last two years. If the Bills re-sign him the other choice would be Dashon Goldson.

Dec. 2, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jordan Shipley (16) drops a pass while getting tackled by Buffalo Bills free safety Jairus Byrd (31) during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beats Jacksonville 34 to 18. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Goldson has nine interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in the same time frame. Both would be significant upgrades over Gerald Sensabaugh, who will be 30 when next year starts and has only two interceptions and three forced fumbles since 2011. To solve the sack issues, while likely unpopular, I would let Anthony Spencer leave and replace him with a cheaper, more productive option in Shaun Phillips. I am leery of guys who have their best years in a “contract year.” A tale of the tape shows Spencer’s highest sack total prior to this year’s 11 was six. Phillips has had seven years with more than six sacks and is not just a specialist. He is the same type of all-around player Spencer is but better at getting to the quarterback. Lastly, I would like to see Dallas a guy who has “done it before” and who better to choose than Osi Umenyiora. Not only would that weaken a divisional rival, but also it would add someone who knows how to get to the quarterback. In the last four years, Umenyiora has accumulated 33.5 sacks, 18 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. That sounds like a play maker to me.

3. Draft a defensive tackle with the 18th pick in the first round…

By now, a few of you are probably wondering why I am so fixated on the defense when there are issues on the offensive side of the ball. The short answer is that it is easier to build a dominating defense. We’ll get to the offensive side of the ball but step three in the process is yet another defensive request. This draft is absolutely loaded with talent on the defensive line, primarily the defensive tackle position. Scout’s, Inc. ranks four of the top 17 and seven of the top 27 overall best players listed in the 2013 draft playing DT. Draft guru Mel Kiper also has a litany of these players on his top 25. The consensus best is Star Lotulelei from Utah but Dallas does not draft high enough to get him. The others are essentially personal preference so I will lean towards someone who got it done in the best conference in college football. My pick is Johnathan Jenkins from Georgia.

You can view his info here: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1888753 but given the fact that we are likely to release Jay Ratliff and Josh Brent removed himself from the picture, the Cowboys do not have a legitimate option in the middle of their line. This addition would solve that problem quite nicely. If Jenkins is not available, Johnathan Hankins from Ohio State or Sheldon Richardson from Missouri would be acceptable choices as well.

2. Emphasize “clean” football…

Here is where the focus shifts to the offensive side of the ball. “Clean” football means limiting penalties and turnovers, especially in the red zone. One of the biggest issues on this team is the amount of turnovers under Coach Garrett. In three of the five years he has run the offense we have had 29, 30 and 33 turnovers in a season. To put that in perspective, the top five teams in the league who had the fewest turnovers tallied between 14 and 17 total turnovers and all were playoff teams. This team is doubling the amount of the turnovers that winning teams produce. That has to stop. The other killer on this team is penalties.

Even though this issue is not specific to just the offense, it is specific to clean football. Dallas has been one of the six most penalized teams in the NFL for the last six straight seasons, averaging over seven penalties per game in that time span. Unacceptable. The first sign that this may be turned around is the firing of Rob Ryan who doesn’t exactly scream “discipline,” but more needs to happen. I would like to see that anytime a player was responsible for a penalty or turning the ball over in practice, that player be replaced for two or three sets of plays. We should also implement the same concept Atlanta does, where they lead off their weekly preparation with “low lights” of all of the penalties they had in the previous game. If a reduction in playing time or peer pressure doesn’t work, fines or outright cutting of a player may need to occur.

1. Hire an offensive coordinator…

Two and a half years of the Jason Garrett dual responsibility experiment and things are not any better. If you want to hitch your wagon to Garrett as the head coach, then he needs help. In my opinion, there were three glaring issues with the offense. We already discussed the issue of the turnovers. The next issue was the consistently slow starts. Dallas averaged 7.8 points per game going into halftime. Only four teams were equal or worse. Their combined records were 12-52. Lastly, there has been little to no improvement in scoring. In the five years Garrett has been the offensive coordinator, Dallas has scored 362, 361, 394, 369 and 376 points, working out to approximately twenty-four points per game. This has been good enough to be perfectly mediocre.

Instead of just wishing for a new coordinator, I am going to take it one step further. I am going to list a few candidates I would really like to see hired. One name that will seem glaringly missing is Norv Turner. The reason why he is not listed is more realistic than anything else as it seems he and Jerry Jones do not have a positive relationship. He has also mentioned multiple times that he probably will not be returning to Dallas since being fired as San Diego’s head coach.

The Bronze Medalist

Mike Solari – Currently Offensive Line coach – San Francisco 49ers
- Aside from a brief stint working for Alabama University, Solari has been in the NFL since 1987 working almost exclusively as the offensive line coach for the Cowboys, Chiefs, Seahawks and 49ers. During his time with the Chiefs (1997-2005) his offensive lines were responsible for producing top five rushing attacks in 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2004 as well as top five passing offenses in 2000 and 2003-2005. He also has experience as an offensive coordinator, running the Chiefs offense in 2006 & 2007. Recently, his unit in San Francisco has improved their rushing attack from 19th in 2010 to 8th in 2011 and now 4th in 2012.

The Silver Medalist

Hue Jackson – Currently assistant to Special Teams and Defensive Backs – Cincinnati Bengals
- Jackson has been in the NFL since 2001 with stints as the offensive coordinator with Washington in 2003, Atlanta in 2007 and Oakland in 2010. While the ’03 Redskins and ’07 Falcons were dismal teams, they also had no talent whatsoever. In 2010, his offense was the sixth best in the league including the second best rushing attack in the NFL for that year. Hue was then named head coach of the Raiders in 2011, where he led them to their best record in nine years and to the verge of the playoffs. As a positional coach, Jackson coached the Redskins running back unit in 2001 that was eighth best in the league. He then coached the wide receivers in Cincinnati from 2004-2006 where his unit finished fifth and sixth in the league in his last two years. Jackson was also the quarterbacks coach in 2008-09 where he tutored Joe Flacco in his first two years with the Ravens, taking their passing game from 28th in 2008 to 9th in 2009.

The Gold Medalist

Bobby Turner – Currently Running Backs coach – Washington Redskins

Dec 23, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins running backs coach Bobby Turner along the sidelines during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins defeated the Eagles 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

- Turner was the running backs coach at Ohio State University from 1989–90 during which time they had the top rushing attack in their conference, averaged almost 30 points per game and made bowl games in both years. He moved on to work as running backs coach, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Purdue University from 1991–94. Even though there was little team success, he was still responsible for an offense that scored almost 24 points per game while only working with one NFL caliber player in Mike Alstott. Turner has since worked in the NFL from 1995-2009 as Denver’s running back coach, holding the same position in Washington since 2010. Since 1995, his teams have been in the top five in rushing offense eleven times. Since we recently fired our running backs coach and Jerry loves multi-taskers, this would theoretically make the most sense.Hopefully we make all five of these changes but even if two or three of these changes are made, we could finally see a playoff appearance for Dallas… maybe even a deep run.

When Tony Romo and Owens had their press conferences, more than 50 reporters would stack the room to hear what controversy they could light up from their words. Now, more reporters are showing up for Orlando Scandrick’s press conference instead of Romo’s. That’s because Scandrick and former first rounder Mike Jenkins are battling it out for the starting cornerback spot opposite of Terence Newman.

There just aren’t anymore loud mouths in the locker room. No one is stirring the pot.

Wide receiver Miles Austin gave a very positive summary of the turnaround:

“It’s sort of nice not to have our names in the papers for all that stuff right now,” Austin said. “I don’t know about all the other locker rooms because I’m only in this one. But this locker room has a much different feel right now. I think guys are all about football, and that’s a good thing.”

But Mosley goes on to point out that there is turmoil in the locker rooms of the Cowboys NFC East enemies. For example, in Philadelphia, the most insecure quarterback in the NFL is already complaining about Michael Vick upsetting the roll of the offense.

In Washington, the head coach and the quarterback are both on the hot seat. Colt Brennan is on the IR and the Redskins will play the season with just two quarterbacks: Jason Campbell, who hasn’t proved himself capable of being a formidable starting quarterback, and Todd Collins. Ouch.

In New York, defensive end Osi Umenyiora disappeared from practice and provides a wealth of evidence that he and new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan are not going to be best friends.

But it’s all quiet in Big D. And it hasn’t been like that for years.