One-liner analysis on every significant Cowboys players and offseason move.

Dallas Cowboys

Predicted: 2^nd

2008: 9-7 (3^rd NFC East)

Head Coach: Wade Phillips (3^rd year)

Roster Quick View

Offense (coordinator: Jason Garrett)

QB: Tony Romo The quickest release in football allows him to play a sandlot style. It’s a style that works in September, October and November…but apparently not December.

RB: Marion Barber Ferocious runner who devours contact. Can turn the corner and catch passes in the flats, but is best as a late-game pounder.

RB: Felix Jones Electrifying burst and quick hips make him potentially special. But if injuries persist, rising star Tashard Choice will steal his reps.

FB: Deon Anderson Excellent initial quickness compensates for mediocre lead-blocking power.

WR: Roy Williams Unlike with the last Roy Williams, Dallas does want this one to destroy coverage schemes.

WR: Patrick Crayton If not for one or two untimely––and uncharacteristic––drops, he’d be known as a fluid route runner instead of a “slot receiver who shouldn’t be starting”.

WR: Miles Austin Sure, he gives the offense some field-stretching speed, but there’s an awful lot of excitement surrounding a fourth-year pro who has just 18 career receptions.

TE: Jason Witten The only other Cowboy to have three 80-catch seasons is Sir Michael Irvin. God doesn’t make ‘em much tougher than this.

LT: Flozell Adams Should consider copyrighting the false start.

LG: Kyle Kosier Brings valuable mobility in run-blocking, but a foot fracture tarnished his ’08 campaign and kept him sidelined all offseason.

C: Andre Gurode Drive-blocking power and consistency in pass protection have sent him to the last two Pro Bowls.

RG: Leonard Davis The catalyst to 99% of Texas’s solar eclipses. Perhaps more impressive than his sheer force is his surprising ability to operate in space.

RT: Marc Colombo Appears to be playing knee-deep in sand sometimes, but craftiness and grit foster his survival.

6 OL: Cory Procter Saw frequent action at left guard last year; didn’t show nearly enough power to control his part of the trench.

Defense (coordinator: Wade Phillips)

LDE: Marcus Spears In a make-or-break contract year. Is fine as an anchor, but Cowboys want to see him make more plays.

NT: Jay Ratliff A four-leaf clover of a NT: too small to command double teams, so he earned a trip to Hawaii by playing a galvanizing one-gap brand of football.

RDE: Igor Olshansky* Not as strong as predecessor Chris Canty, but is familiar with Phillips’s scheme and showed gradual improvement in his five years as a Charger.

2 DT: Junior Siavii Brute power is marred by overall inconsistency. Will probably see a few snaps a game until 300-pounder Stephen Bowen discovers an identity.

3 DE: Jason Hatcher Run defense is finally starting to catch up to his pass-rushing. Experience and increased weight are the reasons why.

LOLB: Anthony Spencer Time for the ’07 first-rounder to stay healthy and blossom. Very gifted athlete, but does he have enough maturity?

LILB: Bradie James Veteran leader who plays up-tempo and collects tackles like beaches collect sand. After eight sacks last season, hard to believe he’s never been to a Pro Bowl.

RILB: Keith Brooking* Turns 34 in October but is expected to be crisper than last year’s aging vet, Zach Thomas. His best seasons came when Phillips was his D coordinator in Atlanta (’02, ’03).

ROLB: DeMarcus Ware The most dynamic front seven defender in football.

5 LB: Bobby Carpenter The former first-rounder’s finesse style has earned him the nickname “Barbie” Carpenter. Performance in nickel packages will determine his fate.

CB: Terence Newman Claims to be truly healthy for the first time in two years. If that’s true, Dallas has its desperately-needed shutdown corner.

CB: Mike Jenkins Some have criticized his tackling. But tackling becomes somewhat of a moot issue if his anticipatory skills improve.

NB: Orlando Scandrick Ideal fit for this scheme’s slot corner. Coaches are determined to get him on the field.

SS: Gerald Sensabaugh* Replacing Roy Williams and Keith Davis. Apparently, Dallas is looking for stiff-hipped strong safety who does not hit hard.

FS: Ken Hamlin If he makes a big play early, he’s in the mix all game. If he doesn’t, he tends to disappear.

6 DB: Mike Hamlin** Many were surprised he fell to Round Five. Will give more teeth to the special teams and add versatility to the secondary depth.

Special Teams

K: Nick Folk Accurate and poised under pressure. Terrible on kickoffs, though, which is why the team drafted David Buehler.

P: Mat McBriar Of all the areas for a punter to break multiple bones, would you agree that the foot is probably the worst? Fortunately, he’s recovered from the October injury.

RS: Felix Jones Breakaway speed makes him absolutely lethal in the open field.

Offseason Quick Glance

Draft

RD PK (OVR) NAME POS SCHOOL

3 5 (69) Jason Williams OLB W Illinois

3 11 (75) Robert Brewster OT Ball St

4 1 (101) Stephen McGee QB Texas A&M

4 10 (110) Victor Butler OLB Oregon St

4 20 (120) Brandon Williams DE Texas Tech

5 7 (143) DeAngelo Smith CB Cincy

5 30 (166) Michael Hamlin S Clemson

5 36 (172) David Buehler K USC

6 24 (197) Stephen Hodge OLB TCU

6 35 (208) John Phillips TE Virginia

7 18 (227) Mike Mickens CB Cincy

7 20 (229) Manuel Johnson WR Oklahoma

KEY PLAYERS ACQUIRED

LB Keith Brooking: UFA Falcons; $6M/3 yrs, $2.5M guaranteed.

QB Jon Kitna (trade Lions).

DE Igor Olshansky: UFA Chargers; $18M/4 yrs, $8M guaranteed.

S Gerald Sensabaugh: UFA Jaguars; $1.75M/1 yr, guarantees unknown.

KEY PLAYERS LOST

OG Joe Berger: UFA Dolphins; 3 yrs, terms unknown.

LB Kevin Burnett: UFA Chargers; $5.5M/2 yrs, $2M SB.

DE Chris Canty: UFA Giants; $42M/6 yrs, $8.5M SB/$17.25M guaranteed.

TE Tony Curtis: Not tendered as RFA/Chiefs; terms unknown.

S Keith Davis (not resigned)

CB Anthony Henry (traded Lions).

QB Brad Johnson (released).

DT Tank Johnson: UFA Bengals; $620,000/1 yr.

CB Pacman Jones (released).

WR Terrell Owens (released).

LB Zach Thomas: UFA Chiefs; $2M/1 yr.

S Roy Williams (released).

Analysis

Jerry Jones probably wouldn’t have released Terrell Owens if he didn’t think Roy Williams could become a true No. 1. Williams had better––Jones gave up a first-round pick, plus some $20 million in guarantees for him. Plus, Dallas made no other moves to the receiving corps (other than retaining low-priced RFA Miles Austin).

None of the Cowboys’ other personnel changes are of dramatic immediate consequence. LB Keith Brooking nullifies the loss of Zach Thomas. (Brooking is familiar with Wade Phillips’s system and might even infuse a tad more speed). DE Igor Olshansky is a mild downgrade from Chris Canty, but he’s worth the savings (he’s also a former Phillips pupil). Though aging himself, new backup QB Jon Kitna will be monumentally better than Brad Johnson.

In the secondary, Dallas wasn’t strong at SS last year. Roy Williams blew too many coverage and Keith Davis wasn’t instinctive. But their replacement, Gerald Sensabaugh, is no better. That’s why he only got a one-year deal. Cornerbacks Anthony Henry and Pacman Jones will be replaced from within.

Fans and analysts lampooned this team’s ’09 draft class, and for obvious reasons. Top pick OLB Jason Williams (third round) projects as a backup, as the Cowboys already have two former first-rounders at OLB (DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer). They hope G Robert Brewster can one day replace Kyle Kosier. Other than that, the rest of this rookie group consists of fringe 3-4 developmental backups.