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.

Top Priorities After the Lockout Ends

It is sounding more and more like the NFL lockout will be over within the next few weeks if not sooner. That means that the Cowboys will need to get to work on their roster in the near future. Since free agency hasn't taken place yet there are some major concerns that the Cowboys will need to address as soon as the NFL is open for business.

1. Resign Doug Free. The Cowboys can't afford to lose Doug Free. They drafted Tyron Smith but the intention is to start him at right tackle. Marc Colombo will probably be cut as soon as the offseason officially begins. That means that the Cowboys can't afford to lose Doug Free because they basically have no alternative.

2. Resign Gerald Sensabaugh. Stephen Jones made it clear before the draft that the Cowboys intend to move Alan Ball back to cornerback next season. That leaves the Cowboys without either of their starting safeties from last season if they don't bring Sensabaugh back. I'm expecting them to bring back Sensabaugh and go after one of the top free agent safeties.

3. Resign at least two defensive ends. Marcus Spears, Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher are going to be free agents most likely depending on the system the players and owners agree to. That leaves the Cowboys with Igor Olshansky and that is basically it. There aren't a lot of 3-4 ends coming available in free agency so the Cowboys need to focus on resigning their own guys. They need to bring back at least two of the three. I would like to see Spears and Bowen return but any two of the three would suffice.

4. Sign a free safety. Last season proved that the Cowboys don't have a free safety capable of starting on the current roster. They shouldn't break the bank to land a safety, but they can't risk the season on plugging in another one of the untested young safeties on the roster.

5. Cut Marion Barber. The Cowboys drafted Demarco Murray so they have four running backs. Barber's performance does not justify his bloated contract. Throw in some behavioral issues and his departure seems certain.

I can't explain how nice it is to actually be able to think about roster moves again. I know the lockout isn't over but it really seems like we are getting close to the end of this thing. The Cowboys have a lot of work to do when the league year gets started.

Carpenter for Barron is a Rare Win-Win Trade

Jerry Jones and the rest of the front office must have wide smiles right now. And I'll bet the Rams front office feels the same way. Bobby Carpenter was almost undoubtedly going to be cut sometime before training camp. And the Rams wanted to unload Alex Barron and were considering cutting him as well. But just when all hope seemed lost on getting something...anything for Bobby Carpenter the Rams came along.

The Cowboys needed depth on the offensive line. Cutting Flozell Adams was a bold move but it also left them extremely thin at offensive tackle. Last year's swing tackle, Doug Free, has been promoted to starter at left tackle. So the Cowboys were scrambling to find someone capable of stepping in if an injury pops up. They tried to address the need in the draft but Dez Bryant fell in their lap and all of the top tackle prospects went off the draft board early. So they walked away from the draft without finding any immediate help.

There had been talk about the Cowboys signing a veteran or even bringing Flozell Adams back as a backup. Flozell was never coming back just for the record but it was a nice thought. But the free agent crop had been picked pretty clean and only a few scraps remained. And it isn't like the Cowboys were looking for a starter. Just a veteran at a bargain price.

When Sean Lee was drafted it became obvious that Bobby Carpenter was on his way out. I assumed that no one would give any thought to a trade with Dallas for Carpenter. If they knew he was on his way out I figured they would just wait until he was released and get him at a bargain price. I kept saying for the last two years that Bobby needed a real chance to play before they gave up on him. He got his time last year and he was ok but he showed he was never going to be much more than just ok. He seems like a nice guy who works hard but he doesn't have the skills to excel in the Cowboys defense.

But just when you thought Bobby Carpenter would be cut with nothing to show for the Cowboys 2006 first round draft pick the Rams came calling. Sure, Alex Barron is no prize. But getting anything for Bobby Carpenter after his time in Dallas feels like stealing. The Rams may feel the same way about Barron but at least Barron has logged some serious time as a starter. And Barron's true value is difficult to gauge since he has been stuck on an awful team for his entire career. Remember how everyone thought Leonard Davis was a bust in Arizona? I'm not saying Barron is going to be that good but he could definitely play the role of swing tackle.

It is a good day for the Cowboys. The offensive line suddenly seems pretty strong if you believe that Doug Free can get the job done as the starter. Now they have depth at tackle with Barron and depth at guard and center with Montrae Holland. Keep your fingers crossed that the coaches are right about Doug Free. But even if they are wrong at least there is someone on the team who can step in to play who has real experience as a starter.

Goodbye Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin

There has been speculation for months about the future of Ken Hamlin and Flozell Adams with the Dallas Cowboys. That all ended this morning. The Cowboys have officially released both players. While I am not at all shocked by the move I am scratching my head at the timing.

The Cowboys are going younger at left tackle with Doug Free and/or possibly an early draft pick. The Cowboys have seen enough of Ken Hamlin to realize that they can get a suitable replacement if his primary duty will be lining up 20 yards off the ball and keeping everyone in front of him while never making a play on the ball. I see the logic in both moves. I really do.

But why release both guys before the draft when it wasn't necessary? I think the Cowboys have put themselves at a disadvantage on several fronts. Teams now now without a doubt that the Cowboys will be targeting offensive tackles and free safeties early in the draft. The flexibility that we all thought the Cowboys had entering the draft is not what it was before the day began.

And what about the contract negotiations with Gerald Sensabaugh? You know his agent was thrilled at the news of Ken Hamlin's release. The Cowboys can't afford to let Sensabaugh go anywhere now. The RFA tender they placed on him will probably bring him back next year, but the Cowboys would be wise to get him under contract. They can't afford to go into the season with new starters at both safety positions.

We all saw what Doug Free did in his time filling in for Marc Columbo. He was excellent. But we haven't seen much from him on the left side. And the small sample we got in the Minnesota game didn't exactly make any of us feel warm and fuzzy. Now getting thrown into the situation unexpectedly like Free did in Minnesota was no easy task, but I would have expected a little more. Clearly the coaches and management of the Cowboys feel like Free can do the job either permanently or until a high draft pick is ready to take over.

Flozell is clearly on the decline as a player. His tripping penalties came last season due to his loss of mobility and quickness. He was holding and tripping to make up for the fact that he was getting beaten off the ball by his man. But I really thought the Cowboys would try to milk one more season out of Flozell unless they found a young stud in the draft.

I don't mind cutting either guy. I really don't. There is nothing wrong with getting rid of an overpaid, aging veteran like Flozell Adams. And the fact that the salary cap is gone temporarily opened the window for the perfect moment to unload the ridiculous Ken Hamlin contract. I just do not understand the timing.

I'll bet Doug Free and Alan Ball are going to have a new attitude when they show up to work on Monday. Both guys have a golden opportunity to get on the field regardless of what happens in the draft. Let's hope the moves to unload veterans this offseason pay off like they did last season.

Flozell and Hamlin Look Safe...For Now

It is becoming apparent as the Cowboys stand pat during the early stages of free agency that they are going to wait until the draft is completed to make any big roster decisions. As frustrating as it can seem that the Cowboys aren't making any moves it also makes some sense.

It isn't like there are any great players left in free agency at this point. The Cowboys chose not to overpay for good but not great free agents early in free agency. So now there really aren't many players who merit real consideration. There are a few restricted free agents available but teams don't seem willing to trade for anything less than what the tender offers guarantee up to this point.

So it looks like the Cowboys will decide on Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin after the draft is over. If they can score a talented future starter at either position then they will probably cut one or both players. The good news is that the Cowboys have players at tackle and safety who could temporarily fill in as starters while a rookie develops.

Doug Free could man the left tackle job if the Cowboys pick a tackle they view as a potential starter. That insurance would make Flozell Adams expendable. And in the same way Alan Ball can fill in at safety while a talented rookie safety gets some time to learn the defense and get comfortable with the complexity and speed of the pro game.

We know what the Cowboys have in Hamlin and Flozell so holding on to them for now is the right move. It would make the team desperate if either player were released prior to the draft. The quickest way to make a big mistake in the draft is to go in feeling like you have to land a player at a specific position in the early rounds. So keeping Hamlin and Flozell as insurance allows the Cowboys to remain flexible during the draft.

Once the draft is completed all bets are off for both players. Especially if the Cowboys manage to pull in a highly touted safety or tackle.