by: Robb Perkins
Transactions
Current FA's: Brooks Bollinger (QB)
Gains: Scott Chandler (TE), Mike Jefferson (WR), Jon Kitna (QB)
Losses: Terrell Owens (WR), Tony Curtis (TE), Brad Johnson (QB)
Fantasy Offense Draft Picks:
4th Rd-Stephen McGee (QB) Texas A&M
5th Rd-David Buehler (K) USC
6th Rd-John Phillips (TE) Virginia
7th Rd-Manuel Johnson (WR) Oklahoma
Depth Chart: (updated 7/8/09)
QB-Tony Romo, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee (rc), Rudy Carpenter (rc)
RB-Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Alonzo Coleman, Keon Lattimore
FB-Deon Anderson, Julius Crosslin, Asaph Schwapp (rc)
WR1-Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Travis Wilson, Julian Hawkins (rc), Kevin Ogletree (rc)
WR2-Roy Williams, Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Manuel Johnson (rc), Mike Jefferson
TE-Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, Rodney Hannah, Scott Chandler, John Phillips (rc), Jamar Hunt (rc)
K-Nick Folk, David Buehler (rc)
The following players have been placed on IR-
Practice squad-
2009 Weekly Schedule (all times EST)
Sept. 13 at Tampa Bay 1:00
Sept. 20 NY Giants 8:20
Sept. 28 Carolina 8:30
Oct. 4 at Denver 4:15
Oct. 11 at Kansas City 1:00
Oct. 18 BYE
Oct. 25 Atlanta 4:15
Nov. 1 Seattle 1:00
Nov. 8 at Philadelphia 8:20
Nov. 15 at Green Bay 4:15
Nov. 22 Washington 1:00
Nov. 26 Oakland 4:15
Dec. 6 at NY Giants 4:15
Dec. 13 San Diego 4:15
Dec. 19 at New Orleans 8:20
Dec. 27 at Washington 8:20
Jan. 3 Philadelphia 12:00
Strength of Schedule Rankings:
Team Schedule (based on '08 records)-11th (131-123)
Passing-14th-209.9 yards allowed per game
Rushing-17th-116.8 yards allowed per game
| 2008 Dallas Cowboys Percentages |
| Total Passes |
547 |
58% |
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| Total Rushes |
401 |
42% |
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| Total Plays |
948 |
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Target |
% |
|
Rec |
Yrds |
TD |
| Terrell Owens |
140 |
26% |
|
69 |
1052 |
10 |
| Jason Witten |
121 |
22% |
|
81 |
952 |
4 |
| Patrick Crayton |
70 |
13% |
|
39 |
550 |
4 |
| Marion Barber |
61 |
11% |
|
52 |
417 |
2 |
| Roy Williams |
42 |
8% |
|
19 |
198 |
1 |
| Tashard Choice |
30 |
5% |
|
21 |
185 |
0 |
| Martellus Bennett |
27 |
5% |
|
20 |
283 |
4 |
| Miles Austin |
23 |
4% |
|
13 |
278 |
3 |
| Thrown Away |
13 |
2% |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Tony Curtis |
12 |
2% |
|
8 |
32 |
0 |
| Deon Anderson |
3 |
1% |
|
2 |
7 |
1 |
| Isaiah Stanback |
3 |
1% |
|
2 |
24 |
0 |
| Felix Jones |
2 |
0% |
|
2 |
10 |
0 |
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| Totals |
547 |
100% |
|
328 |
3988 |
29 |
News and Notes:
Say what you will about Terrell Owens but the Cowboys lost their top receiving target as T.O. was targeted 140 times last season. For more of a visual, 26% of the Cowboys passes last season were intended for Owens. He also led the team with 1,052 yards; his 10 touchdowns were over one third of the teams receiving touchdown total and six more than anybody else on the roster. To say there's "upward mobility" for Romo's top targets is an understatement.
The Cowboys did not bring in any receivers in the off-season so it will be up the committee of Patrick Crayton, Roy Williams, and Miles Austin to make up for the loss of T.O. These three were targeted 135 times combined and posted 71 receptions, 1,026 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
Tony Romo may enjoy life more on the sidelines without T.O. in his ear but on the field he may be hard pressed to match last year's numbers. The 'Boys did upgrade from Brad Johnson to Jon Kitna as Romo's backup, okay it is not much of an upgrade but at least Kitna has the potential to win you a fantasy week (or throw a football 20 yards for that matter) should Romo go down. Fourth round pick Stephen McGee out of Texas A&M was all the rage at the OTA's and practice. According to CBSsports.com McGee refined his techniques throughout mini-camp and has quarterback coach Wade Wilson and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett raving. His arm strength, accuracy, and field intelligence are all better than experts predicted. He is not likely to be anything more than a third option this season but he could be worth holding onto in dynasty leagues.
Marion Barber got his chance to be a feature back last season, gained less yards, and had fewer touchdowns than he had the previous season. There is a reason he has always been part of a backfield by committee. A healthy Felix Jones will take pressure off Barber and allow him to once again be the thunder to Jones' lightening, increasing both of their fantasy values. You can also expect Tashard Choice to be part of the committee but his value is limited as long as Barber and Jones are healthy.
The biggest concern for Cowboys fans and fantasy owners alike is who will step up at receiver? Roy Williams is the leading candidate but this is a guy who has played in an entire 16 game season only once in five years, gaining over 838 yards only once, and after posting 8, 8, and 7 touchdowns his first three seasons he has only combined for 7 over the past two years. In 10 games last season for the Cowboys he looked like a boy among men so it could be asking a lot of him to live up to the hype he is receiving this season. The second receiver spot will be a battle between Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin with Sam Hurd likely taking over the fourth receiver role. Crayton showed in 2007 he is a capable number two, posting 697 yards and 7 touchdowns on 50 receptions. Austin is a sleeper that showed promise in limited action last season posting 21.4 yards per reception with three touchdowns on just 13 receptions and overtook Crayton at one point before injury.
Jason Witten will be asked to be an even bigger part of the offense this season, if that is possible, and it would not be a surprise to see him post over 100 receptions and 10+ touchdowns, but he needs at least one receiver to step up and take pressure off the middle. Martellus Bennett showed flashes of brilliance last season and could become a solid fantasy option this season even as backup tight end.
The Cowboys drafted David Buehler out of USC because Nick Folk is recovering from surgery to repair torn cartilage in his hip. They expect him to be back by training camp but this is the type of injury that could affect his kicking ability. It is worth watching these two in camp. With an offense that has been known to struggle in the red zone the Cowboys kicker is generally a solid fantasy option and 2009 should be no different.
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I.D.P. and Defensive Notes
by Jon Rascon
Base defense: 3-4
2008 Fantasy leaders:
Tackles: Bradie James (116), Zach Thomas (94), DeMarcus Ware (84)
Sacks: Ware (20), Greg Ellis and James (8)
Interceptions: Terrance Newman (4), 4 with 1
Ascending player: Bradie James. Ware gets all the headlines, but James has increased his production every year since he entered the league.
Descending player: Keith Brooking. Great team guy. But he's old. Merely a stopgap.
Notes:
We'll start with the linebackers here. DeMarcus Ware was a nightmare for opposing teams in 2008, with a league leading 20 sacks, as well as a very respectable 84 combined tackles. I don't see any reason why that can't continue in 2009 with a perhaps small downtick in sacks, but be careful not to over reach for this sack master, especially if there are still solid middle linebacker options also available. Bradie James and Keith Brooking will be the middle linebackers for the Cowboys, but it's James that has the higher fantasy ceiling. Last year he notched 116 combined tackles and eight sacks. In a league that awards 1 pt for tackle, .5 for an assist and 3 points for a sack, Ware only outpaced James by 14 points. That's huge value for James compared to Ware.
The Cowboys run a 3-4 defense, so there really isn't anyone of note to worry about come draft day, but if you are in deep, deep leagues, nose tackle Jay Ratliff would be the pick here. Last year Ratliff notched 7.5 sacks to go along with 51 combined tackles. The sacks will be hard to duplicate, but Ratliff should be able to at least approach the 40-50 tackle mark again.
With Roy Williams no longer with the Cowboys, Ken Hamlin now takes over as the leader of the defensive backfield. Hamlin isn't destined to be a top 10 tackler, but he is an able tackler that should provide you consistent stats as your number two or three defensive back. The other safety spot is up for grabs right now, but you can wait that out before picking them up. The cornerbacks are Terrence Newman and Mike Jenkins. Jenkins has some upside, but neither him or Newman are starting fantasy material at this point and should only be drafted in deep leagues that require a minimum of 3 starting defensive backs.
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PRELIMINARY (VERY) O-LINE ANALYSIS
by Chris Graley
I want to say, "I told you so!", so bad!!! I won't though, and just say that the line imploded, but Trader Insiders were aware that it could happen ahead of time.
At LT Flozell Adams had another disappointing year. This is his 12th season, so it's pretty safe to say that his technique isn't going to improve. He's still a road grader in the running game though, and given his skill set, would be a heck of a RT. Also, a Dallas homer told me that he has trouble hearing in his right ear, which would explain his penalties and trouble reacting to the quick pass rushers. That's another reason why he'd be better at RT, but the truth is that in most NFL games, tackles can't hear the snap count away from home. He's hitting a point in his career where most lineman lose a step, and he was never that quick to begin with. So to sum it up, we have a RT type, that might lose a step and, to some degree, have difficulty hearing the signals
protecting Romo's blindside. Keep this in mind if you're a Romo owner. (As if losing Owens wasn't enough!)
At LG we have Kyle Kosier, who started exactly three games last year, but the Cowboys won all three. I slighted him last year as being too small for the position, but his run blocking looked fine and his technique is definitely better in the run game. If the Cowboys have any hope of improving on the line, Kosier is it. Keep in mind though, that that I'm only going off of 3 games.
Andre Gurode is back at Center and is another road grader in the running game. He's entering his 4th year, just like Kosier and and seems to have similar problems with the mental part of the game. He has trouble when asked to long-snap and has troubles reading defenses, (the entire line counts on the center for this) Kosier also has problems reading defenses as well, so if I'm a defensive coach, I'm looking for ways to exploit that gap. If Kosier and Gurode don't improve mentally this year, I'd be firing an o-line coach.
At RG we have Leonard Davis. He is a monster in the run game, but slower than maple syrup in February. He can't pull and defenses know he can't pull. That itself takes a lot of plays off of the table.
Marc Columbo is the RT and the only guy that I think is a better pass blocker than a run blocker. He's tall and lanky, but lacks strength. His technique is decent, and he has long arms that he uses effectively. If I were the o-line coach, I'd seriously consider moving him to LT and Adams to RT.
My projection for the Cowboys o-line is grim. They have a bunch of good run blockers and 2 good RB's, but if I'm a defensive coach I'm doubling Witten and putting 8 guys in the box. I'm stunting and blitzing all over the place. To quote "Animal House", fat and stupid isn't a really good way to go through life. The entire starting unit is also above the age 30 and they have no depth. I really see no way to go but down unless Kosier and Gurode improve significantly. I expect downgrades in both running and passing.
Position-by-position grades with pass/run blocking unit rankings coming in July.
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PLAYERS TO WATCH/AVOID (at his A.D.P)
by Stan Feldman
Underrated: WR Roy Williams. Williams' struggles in Dallas last season were well documented, but an entire offseason of work with quarterback Tony Romo should make a significant difference. Williams has excelled in worse situations, and while he shouldn't be considered a No. 1 receiver, he has fewer question marks than the likes of Braylon Edwards, Chad Ochocinco and Antonio Bryant.
Overrated: RB Marion Barber. Barber is going to be pushed for carries this season. Both Felix Jones and Tashard Choice will take their piece of the pie, and while Barber will still be the goal line back, last year showed that he isn't built to be an every-down rusher. Generally, owners should be looking for one of the few remaining every-down backs at the turn of the first round and let rushers like Barber slip down into the second.
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COWBOYS BURNING QUESTION
by Rick Perkins
Q: Terrell Owens was targeted 140 times. Now that he's off to Buffalo, how are those targets redistributed and should it change my draft plans?
A: Well besides the obvious fact that Jason Witten (second among the 'Boys targeted last year) will be leaned on like a sled dog and see his targets and subsequent stats increase across the board. The two names standing to benefit the most are Roy Williams and Felix Jones.
Williams is obvious, if only for the fact that he's hands down the #1 WR on the roster. Being taken on average as the 16th WR overall, nobody's sleeping on that fact.
Felix, on the other hand is still under wraps (ADP: 6.12) and could be on the verge of a special sophomore season. I loved his prospects as a rookie and the stride he began hitting before a week 6 injury did nothing to damper my enthusiasm (6-76-1 in week 4 and 9-96-1 in week 5). In this same spot last year, I said it wouldn't surprise me at all if Jones led all rookies in yards per carry. And his 8.9 yds per was #1 among all rookies with 30+ attempts. Fortunately for your 2009 fantasy team, that's all Felix managed was exactly 30 carries.
Mark my words, get Felix Jones as your #3 RB. Particularly in point-per-reception, he'll be a surprise you do not want to miss out on.
