IRVING, Texas — Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones will lead a delegation to Indianapolis next week for the NFL Combine. He'll sit in the Colts' stadium with other general managers and scouts from around the league and try to identify prospects for April's draft.
The Cowboys are fortunate to have several talented scouts, but it's difficult to say how much Jones listens to them at any given time. He's talked about reaching "consensus," but that sometimes involves last-minute phone calls from old buddies such as Barry Switzer, Larry Lacewell or Butch Davis. The Cowboys have spent the past couple of days prioritizing their needs for next month's free agency and then the draft.
Through various conversations with folks at Valley Ranch and scouts across the league, I've been able to piece together part of that strategy. It's been widely reported the Cowboys are considering placing their franchise tag on outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who's been wildly inconsistent since being selected in the first round of the 2007 draft.
Sources have told FoxSportsSouthwest.com that tagging Spencer is receiving "strong consideration," in part because the Cowboys don't have any alternatives. Victor Butler is a nice player, but no one at Valley Ranch sees him as a three-down player like Spencer. And if the Cowboys allow Spencer to walk, they would paint themselves into a corner heading into the draft. For a team with so many holes — outside and inside linebacker, cornerback, safety, defensive end, center, guard — the Cowboys don't want to be forced into selecting a specific position in the first round.
In an effort to see how Spencer is viewed around the league, I reached out to a highly respected scout from the AFC who requested anonymity:
"Spencer's a 3-4 OLB or a SAM in a 4-3 scheme," said the scout. "Is he really a good starter? No. But I think he's a solid starter type who won't ever go to the Pro Bowl. Everyone wishes he had more pressure production."
If the Cowboys use the franchise tag on Spencer, they would owe him about $9 million next season. It's not a mechanism they Cowboys have used much in the past, so it would be somewhat of a surprise. And remember that the Cowboys could always remove the tag if they land a starter in April's draft. It's not like they immediately owe Spencer the money if they place the franchise tag on him in the coming weeks. How much would Spencer receive on the open market? Based on his talent and flashes of production, someone might give him a four-year deal worth $15 million in guaranteed money. But maybe it's a good sign that Jones doesn't feel the pressure to be that guy. What, with Orlando Scandrick and Gerald Sensabaugh receiving contract extensions in 2011 based on a limited amount of production.
The Cowboys will also have to address the cornerback position with Terence Newman's time in Dallas likely coming to an end. Former Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt is on the Cowboys' free-agency wish list, but he's nowhere near the top. The Cowboys see him as big, fast and undisciplined, as evidenced by his league-leading 17 penalties last season. Here's what another scout told me about him recently:
"Outside press CB, less effective from off the WR," said the scout. "Lot of penalties and not a nickel corner despite time there in the past. Borderline starter. More of a functional starter than a good one."
The Cowboys aren't going to commit a lot of money to a player with Routt's pedigree, but they'll keep him in mind if other teams don't show a lot of interest.
Dallas' most likely target in free agency is New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks, who would be an enormous upgrade over last season. If the Cowboys bring back Kyle Kosier, they'd been in pretty good shape at the tackle and guard spots. They could continue to develop last year's starter, Phil Costa, at center and also identify someone in the draft. The Cowboys have taken a long look at Baylor center Philip Blake, who started 38 consecutive games after transferring from Tyler Junior College. He's being projected as the third or fourth center off the board by several draft experts.
At least one draft guru has the Cowboys selecting Alabama safety Mark Barron with the 14th pick overall, but that's hard to fathom. The Cowboys haven't selected a safety in the first round since Roy Williams in 2002. It's been a problem area for years, but it seems more logical for Dallas to take an outside linebacker or cornerback with that first pick. Folks at Valley Ranch believe that Barry Church has the potential to become a starter. And don't be surprised if the Cowboys try to bring back Abe Elam on another one-year contract.
Don't look for them to do anything splashy along the defensive line. It might be time to move Jay Ratliff to defensive end, where he could play opposite of Jason Hatcher. It appears that Sean Lissemore is on the verge of playing his way into the starting rotation, either as a nose tackle or defensive end. This is definitely the end of the road for Kenyon Coleman, and we'll see what the Cowboys do with former first-round pick Marcus Spears, who has been inconsistent.
This might be the most crucial offseason the Cowboys have had in the past decade. The last thing they need is to overvalue their current roster.
But as long as Jerry's in charge, that will always be a huge worry.
