Cornerback

Now this is a position that the Cowboys do not need to worry about. 2 seasons ago the corner back position was one of the Cowboys biggest problems, but last off season, Jerry Jones made sure it would not bother them for a long time.

The Cowboys first move was getting Brandon Carr, Carr was one of the top free agents in the off season. The Cowboys knew that with him they would be able to get a shut down corner along with a lot of experience for a young defense.

The Cowboys then surprised everybody in the draft, they moved up to get the best corner back prospect in the draft, Morris Claiborne. This was such a shock because the Cowboys already got Carr and so everybody figured that the Cowboys would look to fill other holes in the draft. But Jerry Jones had enough with all the sloppy play from the secondary and wanted to have a pass defense he could trust. Many people were happy for it because the trade to get Claiborne only cost them their second round draft pick.

The season then went very well for these two corners. Claiborne and Carr made a great duo in the secondary and did an amazing job at disrupting the pass. Of course it got a bit tricky because of the whole safety issue and Carr having to change positions, but if the Cowboys fixed the safety problem then Carr and Claiborne will be one of the best duos in the league. Claiborne still has some things to learn but Carr will be there to mentor him.

The Cowboys are also in such a good position because both Carr and Claiborne are very young, Carr at 26 and Claiborne at 22. So what the Cowboys need to do is make sure the extend their contracts because these 2 players are very important to this defense.

As for the depth of this position for the Cowboys, they are ok. Mike Jenkins played a big part in this secondary as well. He started at corner when Rob Ryan moved Carr over to safety. Jenkins is a corner back that has great potential and can also learn from Carr. There is not much past Jenkins how ever, so my advice for the Cowboys is too maybe look into free agency a bit but they do not have to get anyone to amazing. Or else the Cowboys could look to use a late round draft pick on one or pick up a non drafted rookie.

The Cowboys secondary can be one of the best if the find a solid safety, thanks to 2 shut down corners that lead the way.

Safety

The safety position for the Dallas Cowboys is one that is in need of a lot of help. The Cowboys made sure they secured the Corner back position with a huge off season last year. But the Safety position was forgotten and became a problem during the season. Rob Ryan even tried moving Brandon Carr over to the safety position and use Jenkins as a cornerback.

Right now Gerald Sensabaugh seems like the only one to have a secured spot on the team for next season. Sensabaugh has been with the team for four years and has always been a reliable safety but not an amazing player. His stats were down a bit in 2012, having no interceptions and only 1 forced fumble. But as of right now he is not a huge concern, the Cowboys need to worry about finding an amazing safety in the off season to be next to him on the field.


McCray, Peprah, and Frampton are currently listed as the other safeties on the roster. None of them were able to make a huge impact on the Cowboys pass defense this year and might not see much playing time next year.

The Cowboys are in a very good position however and could look to really improve this secondary even more in the off season. Sensabaugh still has 4 years left on his contract so he is staying and will be ready to start for the Cowboys.

Kenny Vaccaro from Texas is the top Safety prospect entering the draft this year. Unfortunately for the Cowboys he is projected to go very high and no other safeties are said to be first round talent. He is not too far away from the Cowboys position in the draft so pulling another move like last year with Claiborne could be an option.

As for free agents Jairus Byrd from the Bills is a free agent and would be a huge help for the Cowboys. He is one of the best in the NFL so he would not be cheap but would be an amazing addition to this secondary. Dashon Gold another great safety from the 49ers is also a free agent, he would be a bit cheaper but would still make this team a lot better.

I think the Cowboys will go for a safety in free agency and not in the draft. Last year the Cowboys really stepped up in the draft to get a top CB. This year I would not be surprised if they want to fill a gap in another position. If the Cowboys ended up getting Gold or Byrd they would not need to get a safety in the draft.

Go Cowboys!

Return Unit

Punt Returning
The Dallas Cowboys punt returning was one of the best in the NFL during the 2012 regular season, all thanks to Dwayne Harris. Coming into the season the Cowboys were a bit unsure about the punt returning job, Dez Bryant isn't doing it anymore because he is too important too the offense. So the Cowboys decided to use Harris, and that decision payed off.

Harris averaged an amazing 16.1 yards a return and took one punt to the house to help secure a win over the Eagles. 16.1 yards is hard for even some of the greatest of all time to accomplish. With 16.1 yards per return Harris was able to set this offense up in great field position. Harris has great speed and has the ability to make any tackler miss. Harris does not have as big as a part in the offense as returning but still make a huge impact on the Cowboys.

Harris remains very cheap for the Cowboys, heading into his 3rd year of a 4 year 2,040,000 dollar contract. When his contract is up Harris knows that he is worth a lot of money and will probably ask for more, but the Cowboys need to push for him because he is a valuable asset to this team.

Kick Returning
Lance Dunbar was a very pleasant surprise for the Dallas Cowboys this year. He was undrafted, was picked up in the off season, had a very good pre season, but did not make the final roster. But about half way through the season the Cowboys kick return unit was struggling, so the Cowboys decided to call up Dunbar from the practice squad to give him a chance.

Dunbar came in and did great for the Cowboys, by the end of the season he had the most return yards then any Cowboy during the season and the highest average at 21.8 yards, and a high of 44 yards. 21.8 may not be a great return average but Dunbar was a still a rookie and can only get better.

Dunbar is also very cheap with a 3 year 1,440,000 dollar contract. I expect him to improve and get a lot better through out the rest of his contract and will most likely get an extension from the Cowboys.

The Cowboys return unit is the least of their worries this year. They have two very young, and very good returners that can only get better in the years to come.

Kicker/Punter

Kicker

Dan Bailey is an unbelievable young talented kicker. He was perfect with in 50 yards, and was 3/4 on game winning kicks. Not to mention that one kick being over 50 yards and with wind against him. Going perfect inside 40 yards is about what every kicker in the NFL should be able to do, not many can stay perfect inside of 50 yards. Dan Bailey is amazing and should certainly be getting a contract extension from the Cowboys soon. Bailey has one year left on his contract and I am certain that the Cowboys do not want to let this one get away. The Cowboys will be able to have a kicker they can trust for many years to come with Bailey, getting him a big contract is not a question at all. The Cowboys were a bit lost for a few years in the kicker spot, but have found one of the best kickers in the entire league.


Punter
The punter situation is a bit trickier but I think the Cowboys have found a great punter. Chris Jones, has been with the Cowboys for a bit but has not punted much for the Cowboys, but he  played fairly well, in the 4 games we saw him. The Cowboys injury bug also hit the punters pretty hard this year as well. Chris Jones got hurt and Brian Moorman was also injured for a bit. Moorman can not be a long term solution since he is 36, Chris Jones needs to make sure he can avoid injury so he can become reliable for the Cowboys. If Jones stays healthy he could among the top punters in the NFL, Jones had a totally of 12 punts all season, half of them were inside of 20, and he had an average of 45.2 yards a punt.

These Cowboys have a great grip right now in this year, they have two very young players with very bright futures and can be relied on.

Breaking Down the Cowboys

Over the next few weeks I will be going over every position, seeing what they need to improve on, what they should do in free agency, and what they should do in the NFL draft. Seeing what the Cowboys will have to do in order to make it to the super bowl.

Updated draft predictions

The Cowboys draft position is finalized and Taylor Lewan decided to stay in college, so who should the Cowboys go for next?

Dream pick - Luke Joeckel - OT - Texas A&M
This choice is clearly the dream pick, Luke is the top offensive line men in the entire draft. Picking him would really help to make this offensive line better. They would have Smith who is also very good and then they could draft other line man and get some in free agency to make this offensive line one of the best. Tony Romo would then be under much less pressure to throw, which would limit his turnovers. The only problem is he is expected to go very high, and at 18 in the draft I do not think the Cowboys will get away with just giving up one second round pick like last year for Claiborne. It is a possibility but also very likely that it will not happen.



Reasonable Pick - Chance Warmack - OG - Alabama
Warmack is one of the best offensive line man in the entire draft, but the Cowboys would not have to trade to get him. He has great run blocking skills and is excellent at picking up blitzes. Which is exactly what the Cowboys need in order for their offense to really improve. Warmack would be able to start and make a huge impact on this team and could be selected right where the Cowboys are at 18.

Reasonable Pick - John Jenkins - NT - Georgia
The Cowboys run defense was very badly hurt by the end of the season and was one of the main reasons why they lost the NFC East championship game. John Jenkins is huge at 6 foot 3 and 360 pounds and would make an instant impact on this defense. He would be able to use his strength to get right to the quarter back or open up lanes for blitzes. Jenkins will most likely still be there at 18 for the Cowboys to select.

Best available if those are gone
Johnathan Hankins - DT - Ohio State
Hankins is another huge defensive line man who would be great at stopping the run and and opening up lanes to the quarter back. He would also be able to step up and be able to start and make a huge impact on the Cowboys run defense. He will most certainly be on the board for the Cowboys if every body else they were looking at are taken.

Go Cowboys!

Coaching Shuffle

The Cowboys biggest off season move so far was the firing of Rob Ryan, 2 year defensive coordinator with one year left on his contract.

I must say this came as a bit of a surprise to me, the Cowboys defense was a lot better in 2012. They did show a lack of depth when many players got hurt and gave up a lot of yards in their final two losses of the season, but Ryan really improved this defense since he started. I would have liked to see one more year with him though. He would get guys back from injuries, and with the hurt players this year it showed him where he needed to get more defenders. Getting defenders was already a priority for the off season and I would have liked to see who Rob Ryan would bring in. But the Cowboys defense was lost in their last two games and injuries can not be an argument for failure.


However the Cowboys really made sure they picked up someone who they knew would be great. The Cowboys hired Monte Kiffin which is a very good hire. Many coaches were fired this season and the Cowboys picking up one of them could have definitely been an option. But getting Kiffin is a very good choice. Kiffin has tons of knowledge and experience about football. He has been in the NFL a long time before going back to being the defensive coordinator at USC. His experience would not only improve this defense but also improve Garrett. He could help with giving Garrett advice, since Monte Kiffin has been to the super bowl before and could be a great mentor for this team.


As much as I would have liked to see Rob Ryan stay for one more year, I have faith that Monte Kiffin will really improve this team.

Another big question involving the coaching staff is the offensive play calling. Garrett had a lot of moments in the 2012 season where they had opportunities to win games but just ended up wasting time on the clock. Trying to get one of the coaches that was fired this season would be an option along with college coaches that might have what it takes to coach at the next level.

The Cowboys still have plenty to do, but are already getting things done.