Cowboys Dependence On TO Has Begun?

Do you want to get your fix of TO? Do you want to be dependent on TO? Well, the Cowboys may have already begun the process of becoming a TO dependent team. Personally, I think we can make a run to the Super Bowl without TO, but some may beg to differ and that's fine. One thing we know about TO, is that he will manipulate his status and his offensive explosiveness from the field to the business table. Once you are dependent on one player to get you over the hump, (ie.) TO, then you have become a TO dependent team, (ie.) The Eagles. So, what I'm saying is this: We have indeed begun the process of becoming a TO dependent team. How? Well, look at the position we're in as of RIGHT NOW. We have signed two mid-level free agents, and have not signed any high-level free agents (not something we need anyway), but the fact remains that we have been very-very quiet and slow throughout the free agency season.

Virtually all the quality impact players we've wanted are all but gone, there's not much out there and look what the Cowboys do...they cut Keyshawn Johnson. Keyshawn did not want to play for $2.0 million a year, but states he believes he's a $2.5 million receiver. That's modest considering players who I consider sub-par have been giving semi-lucrative deals.

Ok, so we release Keyshawn, well who do we replace him with? We no longer have a #1 WR, and there are ZERO #1WRs out there worth going into the season with, EXCEPT for TO.

Will the Cowboys "Dance with the Devil?" - the answer is yes, they are, and here's why:
If the Cowboys do not sign TO, we're still out a #1WR, and if Keyshawn signs somewhere else, we are screwed, this changes the whole draft scheme, and the whole dynamic of the offseason. Keep in mind we have not signed a legitimate kicker, and those are all but gone as well, except for a very few high priced kickers. So, if we don't want to get a legitimate kicker, we better have an explosive offense where we wouldn't have to rely on critical field goals.

Let's examine a worst case scenario:
*If TO signs elsewhere and Keyshawn signs elsewhere, we have a glaring hole at WR, and do you want to draft a WR at #18? Perhaps Chad Jackson, Santonio Holmes, Sinorice Moss, or Maurice Stovall? This is very risky.

*And so if WR is a draft day priority, where does FS, LB, OT, DT fall into the picture.

Many questions yet to be answered; for instance, was Kosier signed to play that RT spot, if so, this will rule out releasing LA, either way though. Releasing LA would be disastrous at this time. If Kosier was signed for RT, the we wont be drafting RT This leaves our next glaring hole to be FS, if we do not address this soon, FS has to be a top priority, even if we were to sign a Marcus Coleman type player, he's old, we need to stay young, so I think we still need to draft FS somewhere.

We can keep going and going, but you know where we're going with this. The signing of TO will change the rest of the draft strategy eitherway. If we don't sign TO, we better have something up our sleeve come draft day, I'm not impressed with what we've done in free agency thus far. I like who we've signed for sure, but the lack of signing other people is a great concern at this point.

We're dancing with the devil, and we could be a TO dependent team.

Free Agency Reality

So, Free Agency is underway and we managed to sign offensive lineman Kyle Kosier from the Lions, and we re-signed our own player in Andre Gurode. What does the signing of Kosier mean?
At first glance, you ask yourself, "who?" then you ask yourself "what position is he going to play on the line?"

Kosier is a mid-level free agent who has played on every position on the offensive line except for center. Last season Kosier played LG, so once you know this you may be asking yourself, "Is he going to replace Larry Allen?"

Right now, I would say no, and this is why: Larry Allen is the best at his position and our running backs are going to run behind him and Flozell. Sure we may have some designed plays to run to the right, but who's on the right side right now? There's uncertainty with the center position, Marco Rivera had a very average year last year, and Rob Petitti is still young and gets beat on a regular basis.

SO, logic would dictate you would want to keep Larry Allen at LG. We can afford him this year, and the cap increases even more next year, so we can keep Allen around.

I've said this before, and here's the main this about the Kosier signing: He gives us options on the offensive line. Right now, I'd pencil-in Kosier as the starting RT, he would battle it out with Petitti, but would win obviously. In addition, how sure are we that Flozell has fully recovered and how sure are we that he will stay healthy this season coming off his knee surgery, do you want Tucker over there again? Tucker is ok, but Kosier is definitely an upgrade to Tucker at LT and Petitti at RT. This is all possible because of Kosier's versatility on the line and he gives us all these options should something go wrong during camp, and the regular season.

I would feel better going into the season with Flo, LA, Gurode, Rivera, and Kosier as the starters, than I would with Flo, Kosier, Gurode, and (?? Petitti, Rogers, Rookie)

Before free agency starts we want the high-end proven free agents; the Bentleys, Mawaes, Hopes, and the Petersons, but its not looking like that's going to happen this free agency season.

At this point, I think we could expect to see more low key names brought into the mix. Let's hope for the best and hope that we can get some decent people in here, we have a lot of work to do.