What I Will Be Watching for Monday Night

We finally get to see some "real" football tomorrow night.  Now obviously we aren't going to learn a lot about the top players on the team.   We know Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Demarcus Ware and the rest of the superstars are good to go.  And we won't see them for more than a series or two anyway.  So here is what I'll be looking for while I watch the game.

Center:  I know Phil Costa can at least do a decent job at center.  He isn't a pro bowler but he can be serviceable.  With Costa out we'll get a heavy dose of David Arkin at center.  Things have been interesting to say the least with Arkin trying to figure out how to snap the ball to the quarterback without putting it on the ground.  He has a real shot to make the team as a backup center and guard if he can show something in this game.

Safety:  We have been hearing a lot of good things about the play at safety in camp.  I'm interested in what Barry Church can show us on the field.  There have even been reports that Gerald Sensabaugh is doing a better job covering receivers down the field.  I want to see the safeties flying around the field and playing aggressively.

Wide receiver:  Miles Austin is out.  Dez Bryant is probably out.  So we'll get a heavy dose of the rest of the depth chart at wide receiver.  Cole Beasley seems to be the guy playing the best right now.  But Andre Holmes, Kevin Ogletree, Dwayne Harris, and Raymond Radway are all in the mix.  It will be interesting to see who steps up with the lights on.

Bruce Carter:  We all know that Sean Lee has All-Pro potential at middle linebacker.  I want to see what Bruce Carter can do.  We didn't see much of him last season but we have been told so many times about his athleticism that I want to finally get a good look at what he can do.  I feel good about the linebacker depth but the Cowboys could really be strong up the middle if Carter can play up to his potential.

Lawrence Vickers:  We might not see much of the running game from the starters but I am really excited to see how DeMarco Murray and Vickers play together.  Murray could really have a great season this year if Vickers is what he is advertised to be.

I would love to see Morris Claiborne on the field but that looks unlikely.  We'll most likely have to wait until the second preseason game to see what he can do.  We'll definitely get to see a lot of the youngers guys on the field so we can get a good look at whether the depth of the roster will be improved this season.  Hopefully there will be a marked improvement in that department or it will be another long season.  Monday Night Football should be fun to watch!