Dallas Cowboys

As has been recently detailed here on BTB, the Cowboys have done yeoman's work this offseason. Between free agency and the draft, they added ten new players--and then supplemented this haul with 15 or so UDFAs, several of whom look like they have a legitimate chance to make the squad. In the process, they filled key roster holes (backup RB and TE, third receiver, starting SLB, depth at defensive end and safety) that gaped like open mouths in late February. Nevertheless, there are still some evident soft spots on the Cowboys roster, positions that, while not obvious holes, could happily withstand an upgrade: interior offensive line, defensive line, developmental quarterback How might the Cowboys address these soft spots as the Garrett administration continues to build the roster? Today, I'd like to take a (clearly, premature) look at the 2014 draft, to see what kind of players - and, mostly, at what positions - might be available to Dallas next April. This begs the question: how can we possibly know this when most college teams haven't even established their starting lineups? I'm glad you asked, faithful reader. In the past few days, a couple draft pundits have come out with early "top 100" rankings of players expected to come out next year. The fine fellows at Football's Future offer up their heroic hundred here; the draft crew at Scout.com (on FoxSports) add one of their own. A proviso: I don't believe these are particularly useful in terms of individual player rankings (who had Johnny Football starting for A&M at this time last year, much less winning the Heisman trophy?), I do think they are telling about the strength of specific positions. For example, the 2008, '09 and '10 drafts had 3, 4 and 4 offensive guards, respectively, taken in the top 100 picks. In 2012, however, ten OGs were taken by the time the draft wound around to pick 101. Spikes such as this show that a given position is historically strong, which can - nay, should- impact draft strategies: looking ahead at these perceived positions of strength can help an organization make decisions about the current draft. What I have done is to tabulate how many players at each position are projected to be taken in the 2014 draft's first one hundred picks with the position distribution that has actually transpired in each of the last five drafts. The strongest distributions by position receive asterisks; historic distributions receive the much-admired double asterisk: 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 QB 10* 4 7 7 4 4 RB 6 6 8* 8* 6 7 WR 7 11 15* 11 13 15* TE 3 6* 3 3 5 5 OT 9 9 7 11* 11* 8 OG 3 6 10** 4 4 3 OC 1 1 2 2 2 4* DE 12* 10 7 9 10 7 DT 11 11 11 12 14* 10 OLB 13* 4 10 10 5 10 ILB 5 7* 4 5 6 5 CB 13 16* 10 14 12 15* S 7 9* 5 4 8 7 A quick perusal of this table confirms that the positional distribution is fairly consistent from year to year, with the notable (and historic) exception of the 2012 guard class. However, there have been a few positional spikes of note: in 2010, fourteen DTs (with Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy leading the group) and 8 safeties (when Eric Berry and Earl Thomas were headliners) were taken in the top 100 picks; 2010 and '11 both saw eleven offensive tackles go off the board in in the same range. In both 2009 and '12, fifteen wideouts were selected in the first 100; last year saw a record 16 CBs taken in the same span. What might be the positions of strength in 2013? At first glance, there appear to be two or three, depending on perspective: quarterback and pass rusher, where a total of 25 defensive ends and outside linebackers (you'll notice that, while there are year-to-year fluctuations in the number of DEs and OLBs taken, the combined totals remain fairly consistent across years) are projected to far exceed the combined totals from recent years. As I noted above, positional

Jonathan Bales is a special contributor to SportsDayDFW.com. He’s the founder of The DC Times and writes for DallasCowboys.com and the New York Times. He’s also the author of visit site to read more]

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports As an undrafted free agent pickup in 2006 by the Dallas Cowboys out of tiny Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, wide receiver Miles Austin would emerge as one of the core young members of that 2006 Bill Parcells-coached team that would form the current core, along with Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Demarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff – “Parcell’s guys”, as they were called. And while Austin would make the Pro Bowl twice in 2009 and 2010 and emerging as Tony Romo’s No. 1 target pre-Dez Bryant, he has been hit with injuries as of late. Hamstring injuries have limited Austin over the last two seasons, as he played in 10 games in 2011 and played through the ailment last season. The Cowboys have to be careful that he isn’t a Terence Newman 2.0. The current Cincinnati Bengals player was the Cowboys’ first-round draft choice in 2003 (the fifth pick overall) and with the above players, was a “Parcell’s guy” along with Marcus Spears, who is now also gone. Newman was a Pro Bowler in 2007 and 2009, but nagging groin injuries limited him in 2008 and 2011 (missed the entire 2011 preseason) and he was never the same post-injury. The speed that he had earlier in his career that made him one of the game’s best cover cornerbacks dissipated, and he began to get routinely beat on deep routes by opposing receivers. It’s the main reason the Cowboys elected not to bring him back following the 2011 season. With Austin, the Cowboys have to worry about his nagging hamstring injuries and the realization that his play may start to decline like Newman’s did. Austin admitted to ESPNDallas.com this week that he has been working on strengthening his hamstrings every day, which is a good thing for him and the Cowboys. But, the offseason discussion on whether Austin should be back in Big D for his seventh NFL season didn’t just happen for no reason. His hamstrings have become that much of an issue. It is probably the most likely reason why Terrance Williams was a mid-round pick by the Cowboys last month: as an insurance policy in the case that Austin goes down yet again. Hopefully though, the Cowboys can use Williams without him having to be an insurance policy, and hopefully Austin doesn’t turn into another Newman. That would be bad news for America’s Team. Jake Carapella is a Dallas Cowboys writer for RantSports.com. Follow him  on  Twitter @JKCSports1, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

It was reported on Tuesday, May 21st that QB Tony Romo will be sitting out the OTA’s (Organized Team Activities) and not expected ready to participate until a June mini-camp or training camp.  Already thinking about how this will affect the team; this could be a blessing in disguise for not only Romo but the organization. Romo will have the extra time to sit down and evaluate film a lot more closely and also do any type of studying he will need to do to prepare the upcoming 2013-14 National Football League season.  It’s been reported that team owner/general manager Jerry Jones wants his quarterback to put in Peyton Manning type of time into preparing.  This is one way to accomplish that. During the time that Romo is sitting out, the Cowboys will get a better picture of their backup quarterback situation.  At the moment, the Dallas Cowboys have three other signal callers’ on the roster: Kyle Orton, Nick Stephens, and Dalton Williams. Kyle Orton is a nine year veteran who has been with the Cowboys since 2012.  He played one game and went for 9-10 for 89 yards with one touchdown.  His previous experience included stints at Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Chicago Bears.  He made his mark with the Bears, playing for them for four seasons and then made his move to the Denver in 2009.  From there he played two seasons then went to the Chiefs for a brief time before signing a 3-year contract, $10.5 million contract with the Cowboys. Nick Stephens is signed a 2-year, $900,000 contract in 2013.  Stephens previously played with the Tennessee Titans but he didn’t make it past training camp so his rookie status is still intact.  He played collegiately at Tarleton State.  He originally attended Tennessee before transferring in 2009, after losing his starting job.  His scouting report from 2012 states that he has good arm strength but needs to work on his accuracy and decision making.  From what it says, he seems to be injury prone as well, having broken his right wrist in 2010 while at Tennessee, then had a separated shoulder in 2011 while at Tarleton State. May 10, 2013; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett watches quarterback Dalton Williams (7) perform a drill during the rookie minicamp at Dallas Cowboys Headquarters in Irving, TX. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports Dalton Williams is a rookie free agent from Akron State where started one season.  He previously attended Stephen F. Austin and attended Coppell High School, where he was hoping to keep his football dreams in the state of Texas.  Those dreams stayed alive but he had to travel to Ohio to complete his collegiate football career.  Now that he is back in Texas, it appears he is hoping to start a pro career in his home state.  Williams will have to overcome his accuracy issues, learn his footwork from taking a snap from the center, and find some consistency with his throwing motion. Kyle Orton will dust the rust off with getting a majority of the snaps during the OTA’s while the other two quarterbacks, Stephens and Williams, will not only fight for the third quarterback spot but a roster spot as well.  From the judging of things, it probably wouldn’t hurt to bring in another veteran quarterback just in case either of the rookies doesn’t meet expectations.  After reviewing their scouting reports, they have a lot of work to do and at the professional level, there isn’t much time to get them where they should be before they get released.  Bringing in an experienced veteran to fill that third quarterback spot is probably the best thing the Cowboys could do at this point. So to say having Romo out for such a long period of time isn’t going to be that bad, he will have time to study up and put in the time Jones wants him to plus we can evaluate the talent or lack of talent we have at the quarterback positions.  If neither of the rookies pans out, let’s hope Jones wises up and gets a quality third stringer.  Orton is the undisputed number 2 and tha

The Dallas Cowboys haven't made the playoffs since 2009. Will that drought end in 2013? Gil Brandt has 10 reasons to believe in Jerry Jones' team this season.

Predicting the Entire 2013 Season: Week 1 to the the Lombardi Trophy Here, I will predict the entire 2013 NFL Season. I will do one every few days leading up to the NFL 2013 kickoff in September. Week 1: Ravens @ Broncos: Broncos 30, Ravens 21 Titans @ Steelers: Steelers 34, Titans 24 Patriots @ Bills: Patriots 27, Bills 13 Falcons @ Saints: Saints 30, Falcons 27 Buccaneers @ Jets: Buccaneers 20, Jets 13 Chiefs @ Jaguars: Chiefs 14, Jaguars 3 Seahawks @ Panthers: Seahawks 21, Panthers 17 Bengals @ Bears: Bengals 21, Bears 14 Dolphins @ Browns: Dolphins 24, Browns 21 Vikings @ Lions: Vikings 24, Lions 17 Raiders @ Colts: Colts 24, Raiders 23 Packers @ Niners: Packers 34, Niners 31 Cardinals @ Rams: Rams 17, Cardinals 7 Giants @ Cowboys: Cowboys 24, Giants 20 Eagles @ Redskins: Redskins 28, Eagles 17 Texans @ Chargers: Texans 38, Chargers 13 Giants @ Cowboys: The Cowboys will play well on defense, anchored by the return of Lee and Carter and the strong play of both corners. The safeties struggle, but Sean Lee’s presence in the deep backfield helps out. Dallas has a 10-10 halftime tie. The fourth quarter starts off tied at 17 before the Giants take an early field goal lead. A Miles Austin TD soon after is the final score as Dallas sacks Manning twice in the remaining minutes, capping off a strong defensive finish to hold the lead. Week 2: Jets (0-1) @ Patriots (1-0): Patriots 38, Jets 12 Rams(1-0) @ Falcons(0-1): Falcons 24, Rams 23 Chargers(0-1) @ Eagles(0-1): Eagles 26, Chargers 20 Cowboys(1-0) @ Chiefs(1-0)8: Cowboys 23, Chiefs 20 Dolphins(1-0) @ Colts(1-0): Dolphins 23, Colts 21 Titans(0-1) @ Texans(1-0): Texans 34, Titans 23 Redskins(1-0) @ Packers(1-0): Packers 40, Redskins 27 Browns(0-1) @ Ravens(0-1): Browns 20, Ravens 17 (OT) Panthers(0-1) @ Bills(0-1): Panthers 24, Bills 20 Vikings(1-0) @ Bears(0-1): Vikings 21, Bears 18 Saints(1-0) @ Buccaneers(1-0): Saints 20, Buccaneers 14 Lions(0-1) @ Cardinals(0-1): Lions 35, Cardinals 14 Jaguars(0-1) @ Raiders(0-1): Jaguars 14, Raiders 7 Broncos(1-0) @ Giants(0-1): Broncos 37, Giants 21 Niners(0-1) @ Seahawks(1-0): Seahawks 13, Niners 10 Steelers(1-0) @ Bengals(1-0): Bengals 23, Steelers 17 Cowboys @ Chiefs: The Cowboys get into trouble quickly againt a good Chiefs team, down 14-3 at halftime. But a 3rd and 4th quarter interception by Smith, in which the Cowboys get two TD’s, aid for a comeback and a defensive lockdown to outscore the Chiefs 20-6 in the second half and avoid another 1-1 start. Week 3: Chiefs(1-1) @ Eagles(1-1): Eagles 19, Chiefs 17 Texans(2-0) @ Ravens(0-2): Texans 30, Ravens 17 Giants(0-2) @ Panthers(1-1): Giants 27, Panthers 23 Lions(1-1) @ Redskins(1-1): Redskins 45, Lions 21 Chargers(0-2) @ Titans(0-2): Chargers 23, Titans 20 (OT) Cardinals(0-2) @ Saints(2-0): Saints 34, Cardinals 20 Buccaneers(1-1) @ Patriots(2-0): Patriots 21, Buccaneers 20 Packers(1-1) @ Bengals(2-0): Bengals 26, Packers 23 (OT) Rams(1-1) @ Cowboys(2-0): Cowboys 27, Rams 20 Browns(1-1) @ Vikings(2-0): Vikings 26, Browns 13 Dolphins(2-0) @ Falcons(1-1): Falcons 35, Dolphins 24 Bills(0-2) @ Jets(0-2): Bills 28, Jets 3 Colts(1-1) @ Niners(0-2): Niners 24, Colts 17 Jaguars(0-2) @ Seahawks(2-0): Seahawks 38, Jaguars 0 Bears(0-2) @ Steelers(1-1): Steelers 24, Bears 21 (OT) Raiders(0-2) @ Broncos(2-0): Broncos 27, Raiders 18 Rams @ Cowboys: The Cowboys will start off badly as Romo throws a pick on the first possession which results in a TD. But 3 Sam Bradford picks and 3 sacks later, Dallas takes a 27-20 lead off a field goal with just 10 second to play, and Dallas holds for the victory. Week 4: Niners(1-2) @ Rams(1-2): Niners 19, Rams 10 Ravens(0-3) @ Bills(1-2): Ravens 25, Bills 21 Cardinals(0-3) @ Buccaneers(1-2): Buccaneers 12, Cardinals 6 Steelers(2-1) @ Vikings(3-0): Vikings 24, Steelers 16 Giants(1-2) @ Chiefs(1-2): Giants 27, Chiefs 14 Colts(1-2) @ Jaguars(0-3): Colts 20, Jaguars 14 (OT) Seahawks(3-0) @ Texans(3-0

Evaluating the success of a given rookie class is never easy, as there is no established definition of what success actually means, just as there is no established definition of what constitutes failure. You could count the number of starts, the number of games played, the number of postseason accolades received or anything else that you can assign a number to. How Much Will Rookies Contribute in 2013? A look at how much playing time this year's rookies can expect based on the past few Cowboys drafts We went in a slightly different direction last week when we took at the look at the number of snaps played by each of the last five Cowboys draft classes, and found that the 2011 draft class played in 7.6% of the total offensive and defensive snaps in their rookie season, the highest value of the last five years. But is that high enough, or still too low? How much is good enough? You often hear about how getting two solid starters out of a draft class can be considered a good draft. Perhaps not a great draft, but a solid draft at least. Two starters out of 22 total starters equals nine percent, so if your rookie class comes close to that percentage in its share of snaps played, you could argue that the rookie class was equivalent to about two starters, and thus a success. The other thing you often hear about evaluating a draft class is that it usually takes three years, sometimes even more, to judge a draft. And that's exactly what we'll do today. But instead of looking only at the snap percentages of the drafted players, we'll look at the snap percentages of the entire rookie class, including UDFAs and tryout players that make the roster. In his post-minicamp press conference Garrett talked about how it doesn't really matter for the Cowboys where a player comes from, and that while some organizations pride themselves in how many draft picks they keep, what the Cowboys want to do is field the best team they possibly can. "We talk about the guys we draft, the college free agents we sign; but we really try to go through the process of bringing the tryout guys in," Garrett said. "We try to do that the right way as well, because, again, you never know where you can find football players. We want to be very deliberate and thorough in deciding who those tryout guys are." One important note right up front: The snap numbers I use are taken from Pro Football Focus, and unfortunately, their data only goes back to 2008, so I don't have snap numbers for the rookie seasons of rookie classes prior to 2008. But I do have the second year of the 2007 class, the third year of the 2006 class and the fourth year of the 2005 class. What this allows me to do is to show how different rookie classes performed in terms of snap percentage in each of their first four years in the league. The graph below illustrates what this looks like: How to read the graph: Take the dark blue bar marked "2008" which represents the 2008 rookie class. In its first year in the league, the 2008 rookie class played on 6.7% of all snaps. That figure climbed to 11.1% in the second year and 11.9% in the third year before falling back slightly in the fourth year to 9.4%. Now take the green bar, the 2010 rookie class. Obviously, we only have data through 2012, which would be the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year in the league for that class. In its first year, the 2010 rookie class notched a solid if unspectacular 6.9% of all offensive and defensive snaps, but in its second year (2011) that value more than doubled to 14.3%, the highest second-year value that can be observed using the data we have. In the third year (2012), particularly with the injuries to Phil Costa and Sean Lee, that percentage dropped again. Overall though, the 2010 rookie class looks to be one of the best in recent years. The 2011 rookie class, marked in purple, looks equally promising and had the highest snap percentage (8.5%) of any of the last five rookie classes in its rookie s

Dallas Cowboys OTA Wrapup 05/21/13 - Blogging The BoysIt was all hands on deck - well, all healthy hands, anyway - as the Cowboys kicked off the first day of Organized Team Activity for 2013, and Tom Ryle provides a nice summary of the day, with lots of soundbites from players and coaches. Cowboys CB Morris Claiborne packs on the pounds so he can get ‘more physical’ - DMNSecondary Coach Henderson said that there were times last year when Claiborne wasn’t strong enough to execute certain techniques, as his wrist injury had prevented him from fully participating in last year's offseason workout program. So at Henderson's request, Claiborne hit the gym hard and packed on about eight pounds of muscle, which should allow him to be a lot more physical this year. Miles Austin trying to avoid hamstring issues - ESPN DallasCalvin Watkins points out that despite continuous issues with his hamstrings, Austin has recorded 20 TDs over the last three years, two 1,000-yard seasons and came up just 57 yards short of another 1,000-yard season last year. Austin said he's adopted a different training regimen to make his hamstrings won't affect his performance again this year. "I'm definitely strengthening my hamstrings a lot more than I have been," Austin said. "Just doing a different routine, a couple of extra exercises each day on our leg days. Just running hard and trying to compete at a higher level this time, that way it doesn't shock your muscles when you actually do it for real." Look for Cowboys to ride the new 4-3 scheme to playoffs - Sporting NewsVinny Iyer points to the Cowboys' edge rushers, the linebacking corps and the "delayed returns they will receive on the cornerbacks they added in '12 - veteran Brandon Carr and first-round pick Morris Claiborne" as key reasons why the Cowboys will ride an improved defensive performance into the playoffs. With players on the mend, Barry Church says ‘there is no reason why we shouldn’t be the No. 1 defense in the league’ - DMNIt may have cause fewer raised eyebrows if Church had said the Cowboys are aiming to be a top 10 or even top 5 defense, but heck, why not aim for the top? “If we can remain healthy throughout the whole season, the sky is the limit for us,” Church said. “We have stars at every level. There is no reason why we shouldn’t be the No. 1 defense in the league.” And Brandon Carr concurs: “The injury bug hit us hard,” cornerback Brandon Carr said. “Some of our key players, our cornerstone players of our defense, went down…Now we have guys with a year under their belt playing together and we kind of have got a feel for how [everyone] plays. And now everybody is pretty much on the same page as far as the new scheme and things like that. This year the sky is the limit.” Scout’s Notebook: Some Observations From Tuesday’s OTA - DC.comBryan Broaddus provides a lengthy summary of yesterday's OTAs and conveniently touches on almost all position groups. Quick Hits: Garrett Press Conference After First OTA's - DC.comGet your OTAs fix in this recap of Garrett's post-practice press conference. Doug Free, Jermey Parnell still splitting time - ESPN DallasThis will be an interesting battle for the RT starting job to watch in training camp. Patriots, Cowboys and Rams spent the most guaranteed money on undrafted rookie free agents - Shutdown CornerThe Cowboys rank second only to the Patriots with a total of $104,500 in guaranteed money spent on their undrafted free agents. The Cowboys handed out the largest individual guarantee, signing linebacker Brandon Magee to a contract that includes a total of $70,000 in guarantees, including $65,000 in fully guaranteed base salary. The second-largest guarantee on the Cowboys belongs to safety Jakar Hamilton, who pocketed a $10,000 signing bonus. More Cowboys Coverage Recapping The Cowboys' Recent Roster Mo

Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Fans this off season had been calling loudly for the Cowboys to part ways with troubled offensive tackle Doug Free – me included.  Instead, Dallas was able to get Free to agree to take a pay cut to stay with the team – for now. He was set to be the highest paid right tackle in the game in 2013 with a base salary of $7 million followed by an increase to $8 million in 2014.  His level of play however made him easily the most overpaid right tackle in the league.  Instead of becoming a likely June 1 cut, Free agreed to a base salary of $3.5 million in each of the next two years.  But, is that still too much?  Tyson Clabo – courted by the Cowboys as a potential free agent replacement for Free – signed recently with the Dolphins for the same $3.5 million.  Who got a better value for the money? To try and answer that question, it’s helpful at this point to review the history of Doug Free. He played college football at Northern Illinois University, a Division 1 school in the MAC.  He was drafted by the Cowboys in the 4th round in 2007 (He and Anthony Spencer are the only players still on the team of the 8 draft picks the Cowboys had that year).  But, he played in only one game that year – a late season appearance against the Redskins where he surrendered one sack but was considered to have played well enough.  He suffered a back injury during the off season that kept him on IR for the entire 2008 season. In 2009, Free started 7 games at right tackle after Marc Columbo broke his leg and ended his season on November 15th against the Green Bay Packers.  Free finished the season as the starting right tackle.  He played well enough that season to give the Cowboys the confidence to cut starting left tackle Flozell Adams in the off season and install Free as their new left tackle for the 2010 season – switching him from the right side of the line. In 2010, he played well enough (on a team that finished 6-10) to earn, at least in the eyes of Jerry Jones and his son “Tommy Boy”, a lucrative, 4-year $32 million contract extension with $17 million guaranteed.  One decent season and he was rewarded like a top-tier left tackle.  According to Pro Football Focus, Free was ranked as the 9th best tackle in the NFL in 2010. Two things happened in 2011 that were significant for Free.  First, the Cowboys drafted tackle Tyron Smith with the 9th overall pick in the draft.  With Free’s big contract signed in the off season, Smith was installed at the right tackle position.  Secondly, the Cowboys chose to cut most of their veteran starters – Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, and Marc Columbo – in an effort to get younger (and cheaper).  Free’s level of play with this ragtag group of new players dropped off precipitously – he dropped to the 39th best tackle in the league per PFF but was still being paid like an elite tackle.  He gave up 10 sacks – 6 alone in the critical December stretch – and it would have been more if Tony Romo were not so adept at escaping the rush at times.  It set off alarm bells for all Cowboys fans. In 2012, the Cowboys did more tinkering.  They signed Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings as free agent guards.  Due to injury, they traded for Ryan Cook for depth at center and he ended up being the starter one series into the season when Phil Costa reinjured his back.  At one point, Bernadeau had to play center because no one else was available that could.  In an effort to figure out what happened to Doug Free, the team also decided to switch Free and Tyron Smith from right to left tackle.  Although his best season to date in the NFL had been at left tackle, it was thought that Smith was a more natural left tackle and that Free would face fewer premier pass rushers on the right side. The other thing the Cowboys did prior to the 2012 season was replace offensive line coach Hudson Houck with Bill Callahan –

The first day of the Dallas Cowboys’ organized team activities was more about who was “not” on the field as opposed to who was. Quarterback Tony Romo announced Tuesday that he had back surgery last month to remove a cyst. The surgery will require him to be sidelined for the next two-three weeks. Romo downplayed the severity of the injury saying he could play if he had too. “It was just kind of like ‘What is this? Let’s go take care of this…There was no ‘Woah, that’s the biggest thing I’ve ever seen!’ It was just a little cyst, so we just took it out and they said ‘OK, you’re good.’” May 21, 2013; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) participates in drills during organized team activities at Dallas Cowboys Headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Running back DeMarco Murray, no stranger to injury himself, sat out of Tuesday’s practice due to a “tweaked” hamstring. Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett described the move as the team simply being extra careful:  ”We understand it’s May 21st and we’re going to err on the side of caution with all of our players….We anticipate seeing him (Murray) here in the next couple practices…probably early next week.” Here at The Landry Hat, we care about what our readers think. Our entire site is dedicated to you, the die-hard Dallas Cowboy fans. And there is no better way to gauge your opinions then through our poll questions. Please submit your choice below, leave your thoughts in the comments section below, and come back to check and see what the bulk of Cowboy fans feel is the right answer. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.