Major Offseason Issues Still Remain

With the draft coming up fast there are still a few big outstanding items on the agenda for the Cowboys this offseason. They don't all need to be addressed prior to the draft but the sooner they are resolved the easier it is going to be for the team to move forward with other roster decisions. These are my top three concerns at this point.

1. Demarcus Ware is still negotiating a new contract/contract extension with the team. There are huge dollar amounts at stake for both parties here so the slow pace is easy to understand. The big problem is that the uncertainty makes it difficult to make many other roster moves because the salary cap situation will be effected dramatically by the Ware contract. The sooner things get worked out the sooner the Cowboys will be able to make moves at lower priority positions.

2. Wide receiver suddenly seems very unsettled. Neither Sam Hurd and Miles Austin has signed the 2nd round tender offer from the Cowboys. They both have until April 17 to work something out with another team or sign the offer from the Cowboys. Austin is currently meeting with the Jets but, so far, there isn't any news about a contract offer. Sam Hurd is flying under the radar after missing nearly the entire season with an ankle injury so I doubt he'll be going anywhere. The Miles Austin situation should be playing out over the next several days and it seems that he'll be back barring a ridiculous offer from the Jets. Any unexpected turns at wideout would put this position at the top of the list of priorities.

3. Special teams coverage units are still a major concern. Now the draft may yield some players who can contribute to the coverage units but I have some concerns that there isn't a special teams ace currently signed to the roster. I still expect Keith Davis to come back to lead the special teams (probably for the veteran minimum) but it is going to be a concern until something is done to settle the issue. I don't think Keith Davis is a necessity but there needs to be a leader for the special teams added to the roster.