Lower Expectations Might Make This Season More Fun

Last season there was constant chatter about the Cowboys playing in the Super Bowl in their home stadium. The season before, in 2009, the Cowboys were coming off a 9-7 record and people weren't quite sure what to make of the team. It probably isn't the best comparison to draw based on how badly the season went last year. But which season was more fun for you as a fan?

And I'm not just talking about the fact that the Cowboys won a playoff game following the 2009 season. I'm talking about that feeling of impending doom every time the Cowboys got off to a bad start in the game last season. For me it isn't always just being angry about the Cowboys losing the game. A lot of times it is partly due to knowing that I am going to have to endure razzing and teasing from an endless stream of people who come out of the woodwork when the Cowboys lose.

But what makes so many of these haters so happy to see the Cowboys lose? A lot of times it is the way the media builds up the Cowboys before the season starts. The media has a tendency to pump up a lot of hype around the team and set unreasonable expectations. And the people who dislike the Cowboys always somehow spin the media comments into a feeling that the actual team has some sort of feeling of entitlement. Those of us who follow the Cowboys closely know that it is almost always the media talking big about the Super Bowl and not the actual members of the team. But the huge expectations built up by the media put a lot of people off.

This year is different. No one really knows what to make of the team right now. It isn't trendy to pick the Cowboys to go deep into the playoffs. The hot picks this year are teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots. But you don't hear anyone talk about the Cowboys making a run deep into the playoffs.

The Cowboys have big questions on the offensive line, the defense, at running back and even at kicker. So why would anyone pick the Cowboys as an odds on favorite right now? They really shouldn't.

What makes a season the most fun for me is when the team exceeds all expectations. I think the Cowboys are primed for that type of year. They are still a very talented team. Sure, there are a lot of questions to be answered. But it isn't like the Cowboys are the Buffalo Bills. There is a lot of talent on the Dallas roster. And all of the big questions about the team aren't insurmountable.

I doubt I'll be expecting the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl. I certainly would love to see it. But I will be thrilled if the Cowboys can find a way to qualify for the playoffs and win a playoff game or two. I'm not saying I won't be devastated if the Cowboys end up losing the NFC championship game. I'm just saying that the regular season will be much more enjoyable without the weight of unreasonable expectations weighing down the enjoyment of the season.

Finally Some Safeties!

It looks like the 2011 Dallas Cowboys have finally taken shape. With the signing of Gerald Sensabaugh and Abram Elam to one year contracts it would appear that the roster is very close to complete. There aren't any major holes remaining on the roster at this point. You could argue for wide receiver depth and cornerback depth but it seems as though the Cowboys want to go young there.

It is expected that Sensabaugh and Elam will man the two starting safety spots with Barry Church and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah providing depth. I'm happy to have experience back there but I hope that the coaches are going to get the young guys some real game experience this season because they need to be ready to start next season.

The best part about the two safety signings is the fact that the safeties came at relative bargain prices and the short term deals set things up for the young players to move into starting roles next season. I really like what I have seen from Barry Church in his limited time last season and from what I saw at training camp. He seems too good to get buried on the bench for much longer.

Unfortunately Terence Newman went down with yet another injury at practice yesterday. But on the bright side it appears that he may be able to return for the season opener. The Cowboys do have some young players at cornerback who will need to step up.

The silver lining here is the new defense that Rob Ryan is installing. With the multiple defensive looks they will give the offense and the blitzes coming from all over the field it makes the cornerback position a little easier to hide. But it still is a concern if Newman is expected to start and he is already out with an injury again.

Observations from Training Camp

I made a trip down to San Antonio yesterday to get a look at this year's team. It was a very long practice but the first hour was devoted to allowing the younger players and rookies to get some extra work. Saturday's afternoon practice was the first full pad practice of the year.

Once the full practice got under way it was amazing to see the difference between a Jason Garrett run practice and a Wade Phillips run practice. There was no wasted time this year. No one stood around joking or laughing. Everyone was there to work. Everyone ran from drill to drill. And you could tell that players were worn out by the end of practice. Based on what I witnessed I would expect the Cowboys to be one of the most well conditioned teams in the league this year.

All of the offensive and defensive lineman were wearing knee braces. I remember that Bill Parcells required all lineman to wear braces when he was the coach. I don't know if Garrett is going to require braces for the entire season but I do like the injury protection especially this early in training camp.

I won't be the least bit surprised if the Cowboys enter the season with a new kicker. Dan Bailey from Oklahoma State looks like the real deal. He went 5 for 5 during the team portion of practice and all his makes were right down the middle. He doesn't kick the ball nearly as hard as Buehler but I'll take accuracy over distance any day at this point. Buehler went 4 for 5 during the team drills but his kicks always just seem all over the place.

Dez Bryant is a freak of nature. Miles Austin is no slouch. But there is a noticeable difference between the explosiveness of Dez with the ball in his hands and any other player on the team. And Dez seems to catch everything with ease. The Cowboys are lucky to have a 1-2 punch at receiver as skilled as Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.

I think Kevin Ogletree is ready to step into the #3 receiver role. He looked the best I have every seen him look at practice. His routes were crisp and he was making great catches all day long. Seeing him operate really put my mind at ease in terms of the #3 receiver. Dwayne Harris, the rookie from East Carolina, has great hands but he needs to work on his routes because he was getting no separation from defenders. Manny Johnson did nothing to impress me.

Tony Romo was his usual excellent self. His arm was accurate and he threw with great velocity. Don't be fooled by the media reports of his practice stats due to the current offensive line situation. He had no time to throw and was always under pressure due to the back ups currently manning nearly the entire first unit of the offensive line.

Also on the quarterback front, both Kitna and McGee looked good as well. The Cowboys have great depth at quarterback as it stands right now. I certainly don't want to see either of these guys on the field in the regular season because that would mean Romo was hurt again. But I have a lot of confidence that all is not lost if Romo does go down again.

The offensive line is a mess right now. It is frustrating that Kyle Kosier and Doug Free are standing around watching practice even though they are under contract due to the new CBA. Tyron Smith is really struggling to block Demarcus Ware. With Gurode still rehabbing his knee the Cowboys have only Tyron Smith and Montrae Holland as actual starters who are currently playing with the first teamers. I'm going to give Tyron a break for now because it was the first padded practice and he is going against the best pass rusher in the league. But he needs to get it going.

Felix Jones still looks a little heavy to me. I thought he was planning to go back to his rookie weight but I didn't see that in his physique. I'm not saying he was fat, but he looked very stout compared to his younger days. I really don't care what he weighs as long as he regains his explosiveness. Unfortunately both Tashard Choice and DeMarco Murray aren't practicing right now due to injuries.

The Cowboys are stacked again at tight end now that John Phillips is back. He looked good but I want to see him in a game before I'm convinced about his knee. Martellus Bennett seems to get bigger every year. Pretty soon he is going to look like an offensive tackle. As long as his run blocking continues to be excellent I don't care what he weighs. Jason Witten was great as always.

Watching Rob Ryan coach the defense was exciting. There were blitzes coming from all over the place. And several times Demarcus Ware started by lining up all the way back at safety and then ran to different spots along the line to rush. The defensive will make a lot of big plays this year.

I didn't get a good feel for the play of the secondary because most of the action during the team portion of practice was running game and screen passes. But at least Scandrick, Jenkins and Newman are all healthy for now.

I like Barry Church at safety but I still think the Cowboys need a free safety. Again, it was hard to judge any of the secondary guys in practice but I would feel better with at least one seasoned veteran back there. I keep hearing rumor about Abe Elam but we'll see how that plays out.

Jay Ratliff looks like he is in great shape. He claims to have lost 15 pounds and it shows. I just hope he didn't lose so much that he gets pushed around. Igor Olshansky looked a lot more fit as well. Josh Brent looked huge out there. He is expected to get a lot of playing time this year and he looks ready.

Sean Lee started at inside linebacker with Bradie James because Brooking is injured. It was easy to notice Lee because he was always around the ball. He seems a lot more comfortable reading the running game this year. I hope he steps into a starting role this season.

It was so early in camp I can't really draw any big conclusions from what I saw. But I did see a team that clearly was in shape even after the long lockout. And I saw a coach running practices that are no joke. The Cowboys are working hard and that is all you can ask right now.

The 2011 Dallas Cowboys Are Slowly Taking Shape

As expected, Marion Barber and Roy Williams were cut today. And along with them Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo were also let go. A few other guys got the axe as well but those four were the headliners. I'll miss Marc Colombo's intensity but he was clearly on the decline. I won't miss Marion Barber.

Now that the Cowboys have signed Kyle Kosier to a three year deal the offensive line is almost complete. Tyron Smith signed his rookie contract so now there is only a hole at right guard. But at least Montrae Holland is capable of starting if the Cowboys don't sign another offensive lineman. That leaves defensive end and safety.

Stephen Bowen is now with the Redskins so he is no longer an option at defensive end. And it is looking like Jason Hatcher might be headed for Denver. I'm still hoping that the Cowboys can bring Marcus Spears back but only if his price tag is reasonable. Sean Lissemore played defensive end during practice today so maybe he can provide some depth there.

Practice finally got under way today. While that is exciting I find myself frustrated that we are already talking about injuries to our rookie class again. Bruce Carter will likely start camp on the PUP list and DeMarco Murray will probably miss the first two weeks of camp. It seems like the Cowboys are cursed with their draft picks over the last few years. I know Bruce Carter was coming off a major knee surgery but DeMarco Murray's injury is a big surprise. I hope this isn't the beginning of another year of rookie injuries.

I can't wait to see the new defense in action. From the sound of it the Cowboys will now be moving around before the snap to disguise their defensive look. And the blitzes are going to come from everywhere. It should be exciting.

Stephen Jones made it clear that the Cowboys are ok with moving forward with just the receivers currently on the roster. That scares me. I really hope that Sam Hurd is brought back at a minimum just to add a little experience to the depth chart.

I'm hoping to get to training camp on Saturday to get a first hand look at the team. It should be exciting but it will probably be odd since all of the newly signed veterans won't be able to participate until August 4. I want to see how Tyron Smith looks in person. And I am very interested to see if Dez Bryant looks ready to take a big step forward this season. Can Sean Lee step into a starting role? Is John Phillips all the way back from his knee injury? I could go on. So many questions. So little time this year to answer them before the season starts.

Getting Free Under Contract Reshuffles Priorities

Priority #1 of the start of the 2011 league year was taken care of pretty quickly. Doug Free agreed to terms with the Cowboys late last night. There had to be a big sigh of relief with the Cowboys when Free agreed to remain with the team. Now the offensive line doesn't appear to be in complete disarray like it might have been if Free had gone elsewhere.

So Free will play left tackle and Tyron Smith will play right tackle. Andre Gurode will be back at center even though he'll need a little time to heal up before he is ready to participate in training camp. Both guard spots are a question mark. It looks like the Cowboys are working hard to get Kyle Kosier under contract. That would leave just the right guard spot open. The Cowboys are still considering bringing Leonard Davis back under a reduced contract. Montrae Holland is still with the team and is capable of starting if necessary. I expect Colombo to be cut now that Free is under contract.

Along with the guard position the focus has to be defensive end, safety, and wide receiver depth. There are young, unproven players on the roster at safety and wide receiver. But defensive end is in bad shape right now.

Jason Hatcher, Marcus Spears and Stephen Bowen are all available in free agency and I expect at least one of them to return. The Cowboys have to find some help at defensive end because the cupboard is pretty bare at that position right now. There was some talk of the Cowboys going after Cullen Jenkins but it seems like he is out of their price range due to the salary cap.

At safety the Cowboys are in bad shape but at least there are some young guys on the roster who might be able to play. Barry Church showed some promise last year and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah didn't get a chance to play much last year due to injuries. I would hate to see Alan Ball back at safety again this year but at least he is a back up plan if all else fails. I think the Cowboys need to sign at least one free agent safety and maybe even two. I would like to see Barry Church get a real shot at the starting strong safety spot.

I'm a little concerned about the depth at wide receiver. We've seen flashes from Kevin Ogletree but not enough to believe with any certainty that he is ready to move up the depth chart. It is hard to imagine that Dwayne Harris (7th round pick, East Carolina) will be ready to be on the field regularly early in the season. And Manny Johnson, Teddy Williams and Jesse Holley have done next to nothing in their time with the team. Stephen Jones indicated that wide receiver is not a priority right now but I don't see how the Cowboys don't at least bring back Sam Hurd to add depth.

The good news is that Free will be back. It would have been scary to have two unproven players manning the offensive tackle positions. The offensive line has got to do a better job protecting Romo this season. With Free and Tyron Smith on the outside the Cowboys are off to a good start in building a new offensive line. There is still a lot of work to do to get a contending team put together for 2011.

Big Changes In Big D

We knew a lot of this was coming. Marion Barber cut. No surprise. Marc Colombo rumored to be cut. Check. Leonard Davis likely cut. No shock there.

But then we get to Roy Williams. I am floored by this one. With the rules in place now the Cowboys actually save money this season by cutting Roy Williams. But they are pushing dead money into next year's cap which is never good. And now there is a big question mark at the #3 receiver. And Roy will still count more than $4 million against the cap this year and he won't be giving anything to the Cowboys in return.

I think the Marion Barber cut not only helps free up cap space but it also sends a message. Don't mess with the new coach or there will be a price to pay. Barber defied Garrett a couple of times last year and it appeared that he escaped without punishment. Maybe not so much.

It is hard to defend Leonard Davis. When you are one of the highest paid players on the team and you have to be benched during a game because you are playing so badly it isn't a good sign. And so the Cowboys cut their losses before Davis' play could decline any more. They probably could have held onto Davis for another season or two and gotten decent play out of him. But for his salary you want more than a decent player. If Davis wants to resign for a reasonable salary then I could see him coming back for one or two more years.

The Marc Colombo move is interesting. It appears the Cowboys are holding off on that move until they know what is going to happen with Doug Free. If they cut Colombo now and then Free signs with another team the Cowboys could find themselves in bad shape at tackle. But if Free comes back then Tyron Smith steps in to start at right tackle and the starting tackles could be better this year than last year. The next few days are scary from the standpoint of the offensive line. You don't want a rookie starting a left tackle and an unproven commodity like Sam Young forced into a starting role. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things will work out with Free.

Jason Garrett has a lot of work to do during training camp. It was obvious that changes were coming. But with this compressed free agency period the roster is turning over at an amazing rate. Hopefully Garrett and the rest of the staff can put the old a new pieces together quickly.

Where Should the Cowboys Start?

Things are going to get absolutely crazy across the league next week. And for the Cowboys there is a lot of work to be done in a very short amount of time. Let's look at the priorities for the Cowboys heading into the shortest free agency signing period in the history of the NFL.

Priority #1 - Get Doug Free signed. I list this as the top priority because accomplishing the goal of locking Free into a long term deal not only helps shape the salary cap picture but it also impacts whether Marc Colombo can stay or go. If Free somehow ends up with another team the Cowboys will be forced to hold onto Colombo and start Tyron Smith at left tackle.

Priority #2 - Identify what dead weight is going to be cut from the roster to save salary cap space. There are some easy picks here. I know getting Free signed is the top priority for Jerry and Stephen Jones. So Colombo will be gone which will save the Cowboys $1.9 million in base salary and a $2.6 million option bonus. Cutting Barber saves $4 million on the cap and they Cowboys need to get rid of one of their backs anyway after drafting DeMarco Murray.

Priority #3 - Restructure some of the big money players to save cap space. Tony Romo, Demarcus Ware, Terence Newman and Miles Austin are all prime candidates for contract restructuring. I would love to see the Cowboys find a way to restructure Roy Williams' deal to make his cap number lower this season without making it impossible to cut him again next year. Leonard Davis is another prime candidate for contract restructuring.

Priority #4 - It looks like all teams will get 3 days to deal exclusively with their own free agents. The Cowboys need to resign Gerald Sensabaugh, Marcus Spears, Stephen Bowen and Kyle Kosier. I would love to see the Cowboys upgrade the offensive line but the lockout is going to prevent that this season. With very limited offseason work in the offense it is hard to imagine any of the young players progressing to the point that they can start the year at left guard. Bringing Kosier back is the safe option and they can buy another year of development. David Arkin was drafted to be a starter but he won't be ready this season. The Cowboys can't afford to go into the short free agent period needing two starting safeties. Hopefully Sensabaugh isn't trying to break the bank with his new deal. The Cowboys are in bad shape at defensive end if they don't resign at least one and hopefully two of their soon to be free agent ends (Jason Hatcher, Marcus Spears, Stephen Bowen)

Priority #5 - This is the beginning of open free agency. I seriously doubt the Cowboys will cut Newman and make a run at Nnamdi Asomugha. There won't be the cap space available to go after a high priced guy like that. The #1 priority should be finding a free safety. The Cowboys can't afford wait another year with Alan Ball as the only other starting option. There have been a lot of names thrown around as targets in free agency at safety. I'll be happy with anyone back there who isn't named Alan Ball.

Priority #6 - Depth, depth, depth. The Cowboys need more depth at cornerback, linebacker, offensive line, and wide receiver. They need to find quality depth at as many positions as possible. Obviously some of the rookies will be providing depth at some spots but you never know what you have from your draft picks until you get them on the field.

It is going to be a wild and fun week of free agency starting hopefully on Monday. The Cowboys have plenty of work to do to keep things interesting for Dallas fans.

No Training Camp Circus This Year

I don't how or why it happened. But there won't be a repeat of the traveling circus during this year's training camp. And that is good news no matter how you look at it. The Cowboys will spend three weeks in San Antonio to start training camp this year before returning to Dallas to finish out the preseason.

Last year the team went from San Antonio, to Dallas, to Oxnard and back to Dallas again during camp. Throw in the fact that they also played in the Hall of Fame game meaning they got five preseason games instead of the usual four and it is easy to see how the team was mentally fatigued before the season even started.

I'm not saying that training camp last year is the excuse for everything that happened last season, but it certainly didn't help.

I have to believe that Jason Garrett had some input on the training camp schedule this year. Jason Garrett is trying to instill focus and professionalism after Wade Phillips allowed the team to slip into disarray with his lackadaisical approach. And you know Jerry Jones believes in Jason Garrett and takes advice from him seriously.

This year I think we will see a lot less of a show during training camp and a lot more hard work. Without the added travel and camp relocation it should make for a much more effective camp. Of course this is all assuming that everything gets worked out with the new CBA before the start of training camp.