December 17, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) smiles during the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-15. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Whether you like him, love him, or hate him, Tony Romo will be the Dallas Cowboys QB when the 2012 NFL Season begins.  The only way you will see another QB taking snaps in a Cowboy uniform is if Romo gets hurt.

Tony Romo will have a career year in 2012, and here are a few reasons why.

The acquisition of Lawrence Vickers and a healthy DeMarco Murray will provide the Dallas Cowboys with a formidable running game.  The Cowboys have not had a balanced offense on a consistent game to game basis since Jason Garrett became the Head Coach.  Many analysts and fans mistakenly believe this is because Garrett, being a former QB, prefers an offense based on a passing attack. This is not true.  Jason Garrett wants a balanced attack.

Jason Garrett is not stupid.  He knows the benefits of a balanced offense.  The problem is that they haven’t had an effective running game.  The problems with the OL , omnipresent injuries to the RB’s, and a defense that results in playing from behind a lot,  have all combined to make it almost impossible to implement a balanced offensive attack.  You can not have a balanced offense if your running plays are always getting stuffed for 2 yards or less.

Garrett will, and has, call a balanced game when it is working.  Look at the 6 games last season (St. Louis, Seattle, Buffalo, Washington, Miami, and Tampa Bay) when DeMarco Murray was healthy and the running game was effective.  They were all wins, and they all featured a heavy dose of running, and they were all very balanced between running and passing.

Garrett will call lots of runs when he can do it effectively. To read the rest of this article, click this link to go to SportDFW.

Nov 24, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Laurent Robinson (81) celebrates after a fourth quarter touchdown against the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving day at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Dolphins 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Robinson signed a 5 year, 32.5 million dollar contract with the Jaguars.  Not surprisingly, the Cowboys were not interested in paying that much for a receiver who would only be #3 on the depth chart.

The Cowboys have been looking for a reliable 3rd wide-out for several years.  Now that Robinson is gone, that search will continue.

Remember that the 3rd WR position is an extremely important position in today’s NFL.  The Cowboys offense is based on the passing game. In order to have an effective aerial attack, the team needs 3 capable receivers.  Having a 3rd receiver who Romo trusts allows him to take advantage of defensive coverages that double Austin and/or Bryant.

The 3rd WR must also be capable of assuming a larger role in the offense; both Dez Bryant and Miles Austin have missed games in recent years due to injury.  This means that the #3 WR could very well be the #2 receiver for at least part of the season.

The Cowboys could sign a WR in free agency, but given their salary cap restrictions, it seems more likely that they will look for a replacement in the draft or in the stable of young inexperienced receivers already on the roster.

It is unlikely that the Cowboys will spend a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round pick on a WR because they have too many other holes to fill, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.  Similarly, they have two top-tier WR’s already in Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, so it is unlikely that they can afford to pay for another top-notch receiving prospect.

If they do draft a WR in the 4th round or later, it is very unlikely that the player would be ready to start in September 2012.  It is therefore possible that the Dallas Cowboys 3rd WR may already be on the roster.

Remember that Jerry Jones decided not too tender a contract offer to restricted free agents Kevin Ogletree or Jesse Holley.  Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones had to have known that Laurent Robinson might leave in free agency, but they still decided not to extend an offer to Holley or Ogletree.  This suggests that they believe that they can fill Robinson’s spot with someone better than either Ogletree or Holley. Jerry Jones was quoted as saying that he believes the “next Laurent Robinson is already on the roster.”

When asked about whether the Cowboys would try to sign a free agent WR, Jerry Jones said:

“You never rule out getting better. I will say this: We’re very comfortable with the young players we have coming. Andre Holmes, Radway, Harris, those are guys who have a bright future with us. Yet, we still have other ways we can acquire talent.”  (from dallascowboys.com)

All of that begs the question: which WR on the current roster is most likely to become the 3rd WR?

The Cowboys currently have 4 very young and inexperienced (none of them have a reception in a regular season NFL game) receivers under contract: (to read the rest of this story, click here to go to SportDFW)

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October 16, 2010; Gainesville FL, USA; Florida Gators cornerback Janoris Jenkins (1) runs with the ball during a punt return as Mississippi State Bulldogs long snapper Aaron Feld (46) defends during the first half of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Several performances at the Combine affected what will happen in the 13 selections before the Cowboys use their 1^st Round pick. A few players, like Dontari Poe, have jumped up into the Top 15 in most mock drafts. Others, like Courtney Upshaw, have fallen out of the Top 15.

I have argued previously that the Cowboys should not draft David DeCastro, and that they should take a DT if there is one capable of being a 3-4 NT still available. In the event that there is no suitable NT still on the board or Jerry Jones just continues to ignore my sagacious advice, it seems likely that the Cowboys braintrust will be looking for an impact player at CB. DE, or OLB. Of course, what they do in free agency will affect the relative importance of each need . If they sign Brandon Carr or an effective pass-rusher, that would eliminate the urgency of one of the huge needs.

Many prognosticators have the Cowboys taking a CB with the 14^th pick. Every mock draft has Morris Claiborne being picked in the Top 10. Most mocks project that both Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama and Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama will be available when the Cowboys get on the clock. The debate about which of the two CB’s the Cowboys should draft is starting to pick up.

The writers at The Landry Hat addressed, in a cursory fashion, a similar question before the Combine. You can read their answers here – six of them chose Kirkpatrick, one selected Jenkins, and one wanted to draft Alfonzo Dennard from Nebraska.

The Combine results for Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins:

Dre Kirkpatrick. Born: October 26, 1989. Height: 6-2. Weight: 186.
40 Time: 4.51 10
Vertical: 35 inches. Broadjump: 120 inches.
Arm: 30 5/8 inches. Hands:9.5 inches

Final Combine Grade from NFL.com: 92

Janoris Jenkins. Born: October 29, 1988. Height: 5-10. Weight: 193.
40 Time: 4.46 seconds. 3-Cone: 6.95. 20 yard shuffle:4.13. 60 Yd. Shuffle:11.23
Vertical: 33.5. Broad: 121 inches
Arm: 32 inches. Hand: 8 ¼ inches.

Final Combine Grade from NFL.com: 91.5

The one thing that stands out to me from the Combine, other than their respective heights, is that Dre has short arms for someone of his stature.

When you start to look at the big picture and think about which player is better suited to the Dallas Cowboys organization, then the follow random facts have to be considered.  I organized them into facts that favor each player:

To read the rest of this article, click here to go to SportDFW.

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