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Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones spoke to the team's season-ticket holders and sponsors via a conference call Wednesday.

Jones spoke for an hour and according to the voice of the Cowboys Brad Sham, there were nearly 1,000 questions though he didn't answer all of them.

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ESPN NFL expert John Clayton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about Jerry Jones' conference call, the Cowboys' draft picks and much more. Listen

Here's some highlights:

On Valley Ranch being a country club atmosphere: "I don’t think that we do have a country club atmosphere around here. There’s too much competition. These players recognize how fortunate they are to be in the NFL, to have these opportunities. We’ve got as good or better leadership than my experience in 24 years with the Cowboys has seen."

On the safety position, whish has veteran Will Allen and young players in Matt Johnson, Barry Church, Danny McCray and draft pick J.J. Wilcox: "I think we’re in good shape at safety." Jones later added, "I don’t know when I’ve ever seen a player impress our staff without having played in a ballgame any more than Matt Johnson." Jones was asked about naming starters and didn't, instead praising each player.

Defensive end Anthony Spencer is signed for this season at $10.6 million, but he's been franchised the last two seasons. There is some concern if the Cowboys will lock Spencer up long-term: "We'd like to have him under a long-term agreement. He knows that."

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On his conference call, Jerry Jones talked about leadership. Nate Newton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the leadership experience he had with the Cowboys. Listen

On Tim Tebow, who was released by the New York Jets and why the Cowboys don't want a third-string quarterback: "We really feel good about Kyle Orton and that's where it all starts and stops right there. He will be used differently to some degree than we use (Tony) Romo, but he's capable of winning big games and we know how important that backup slot is, especially if it's temporary if you don't have Romo. We're pretty set at quarterback there. We wish Tim all the luck and the best in the world."

On the defense: "The defense should be the strength of our team arguably, the defensive line can be the strength of the team." Later Jones said, "Our defense will fit Monte Kiffin's scheme. It actually will be a simpler defense for this group to get. The adjustment from where we were in the 3-4 to the 4-3 will not be as significant as it might appear."

On the health of Jay Ratliff: We don't think Jay Ratliff is injury prone. He had possibly three different injuries last year. He is further down the road in his career than he was a few years ago. But we think of all that he's very sound physically and we think he'll flourish in this defensive scheme. He's a natural three technique."

On the draft board: Jones said the Cowboys had center Travis Frederick ranked ahead of LSU safety Eric Reid. The Cowboys moved down in the NFL draft, switching from No. 18 to No. 31 after a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. Frederick was projected as a second-day pick and said he was surprised the Cowboys grabbed him in the first round. Jones also indicated there were two to three safeties ranked ahead of Wilcox on the draft board. Wilcox was a third-round pick.

Jones on losing to the New York Giants at Cowboys Stadium (The Cowboys open the 2013 season at Cowboys Stadium against the New York Giants. The Cowboys are 0-4 against the Giants at home): "It is a pain."

The Cowboys have some interest in free-agent tackles Eric Winston and Tyson Clabo but haven't entered into any contract talks or planned any visits to Valley Ranch.

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On his conference call, Jerry Jones talked about leadership. Nate Newton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the leadership experience he had with the Cowboys. Listen

But in our what seems like a daily update of the Cowboys' desire to find a new right tackle, there's a report in the Baltimore Sun saying the Cowboys made an inquiry regarding Bryant McKinnie.

A source told ESPNDallas.com the team doesn't have interest in McKinnie at this time. He played 16 games in the 2012 regular season but didn't register any starts. McKinnie, however, started at left tackle in the postseason.

UPDATE: The Baltimore Ravens announced Thursday they have reached an agreement in principle with left tackle Bryant McKinnie on a two-year contract.

The Cowboys' current right tackle, Doug Free, is still on the roster and multiple sources indicate nothing new has occurred with his status. The Cowboys would like Free to take a pay cut or he could be released. If Free is cut, the Cowboys would save $7 million, but they wouldn't have that money available until after June 1.

During the NFL draft weekend, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys want to keep Free.

In the last two drafts, the Cowboys have added pass-catching tight ends James Hanna and Gavin Escobar.

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ESPN NFL expert John Clayton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about Jerry Jones' conference call, the Cowboys' draft picks and much more. Listen

Does this mean the Cowboys are ready to move on from veteran Jason Witten?

Of course not. If anything, the Cowboys want to add to their passing game and believe the talent obtained the last two years will help accomplish that.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones offered these thoughts on his tight ends: "The answer is simply if you have that kind of talent, certainly as (receiving tight ends) and can get some blocking out of (them), then what does that allow us to do? Frankly, not necessarily different in concept ... But it really allows us to have different challenges, different views (against the defense), maybe doing the same things, but they are dealing with different types of personal."

Witten is an elite player and has been for years. Last season, he caught a team-high 110 passes for 1,039 yards and three touchdowns. Witten does need more touches in the red zone and it's amazing he doesn't have more touchdown catches given his ability to slip through defenses. He doesn't have great speed, but he's fast enough to get down field to make plays.

Adding Escobar and Hanna helps the Cowboys' offense in the future.

But the present at the tight end position is certainly with Witten.

PODCAST
ESPN NFL expert John Clayton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about Jerry Jones' conference call, the Cowboys' draft picks and much more. Listen

The draft is done. Free agency is dragging to the finish line. That means it's about time for the first ridiculously premature 53-man roster projection of the year, an exercise we'll repeat on a weekly basis once training camp begins.

QUARTERBACKS (2)
Tony Romo
Kyle Orton

At some point, the Cowboys need to invest a draft pick in a developmental quarterback again. Maybe next year. For now, carrying only two QBs saves a roster spot for somewhere else.

RUNNING BACKS (4)
DeMarco Murray
Joseph Randle
Lance Dunbar
Phillip Tanner

Tanner needs to impress new special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia in the preseason. He also needs to beat out undrafted free agent Kendial Lawrence, a Rockwall product via Missouri. No fullback? Lawrence Vickers was a disappointment last season and is coming off of back surgery, and the Cowboys can phase out that position with their renewed emphasis on multiple-tight end sets.

WIDE RECEIVERS (5)
Dez Bryant
Miles Austin
Terrance Williams
Dwayne Harris
Cole Beasley

There’s a lot of young talent here along with Austin, who might not be worth his $54 million deal but is at least a very good No. 2 receiver if he can stay healthy. Harris and Beasley are good enough in the slot to give Austin occasional breaks. The issue with Beasley: How can he help you on special teams with Harris handling punt returns?

TIGHT ENDS (3)
Jason Witten
Gavin Escobar
James Hanna

This could be one of the best pass-catching tight end corps in the league. The problem: Both of Witten’s backups are adequate at best as blockers. Keeping (or acquiring) a rugged fourth tight end is a distinct possibility.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10)
Tyron Smith
Travis Frederick
Nate Livings
Mackenzy Bernadeau
Doug Free
Jermey Parnell
Phil Costa
Darrion Weems
Kevin Kowalski
Ronald Leary

You don’t want to see Free on here, right? Well, that decision is apparently up to him. The Cowboys have presented him the option of taking a pay cut. They hope he accepts it. If he doesn’t, they’ll make him a post-June 1 cut and sign a right tackle in free agency. The top two candidates are Tyson Clabo and Eric Winston, but the Miami Dolphins are likely to sign one of them soon. And Clabo could be out of the Cowboys’ price range. On another note, can Costa be the short-yardage fullback?

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)
DeMarcus Ware
Anthony Spencer
Jay Ratliff
Jason Hatcher
Sean Lissemore
Tyrone Crawford
Brian Price
Kyle Wilber
Rob Callaway

Jerry Jones declared the defensive line to be a position of strength while ignoring it on draft weekend. That’s a curious decision, considering the age of the starters and the lack of proven depth. The Cowboys need 2012 third-round pick Crawford to prove this season that he’s a starting-caliber player, whether it’s at defensive tackle or the strongside end.

LINEBACKERS (7)
Sean Lee
Bruce Carter
Justin Durant
Alex Albright
Ernie Sims
DeVonte Holloman
Brandon Magee

Lee and Carter are studs if they can stay healthy, but that’s a big if given their injury histories. The Cowboys gave Magee, an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State, more guaranteed money ($70,000) than any seventh-round pick got last year.

CORNERBACKS (5)
Brandon Carr
Morris Claiborne
Orlando Scandrick
B.W. Webb
Sterling Moore

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On his conference call, Jerry Jones talked about leadership. Nate Newton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the leadership experience he had with the Cowboys. Listen

Scandrick probably needs to have a good season to prevent the Cowboys from making a cap casualty next year. If they’re right on fourth-rounder Webb, he can play the slot for about a tenth of Scandrick’s salary. The Cowboys need Claiborne to live up to his billing after a so-so rookie season that fell well short of the sky-high, Jerry-aided hype.

SAFETIES (5)
Barry Church
Matt Johnson
J.J. Wilcox
Will Allen
Danny McCray

Allen and McCray might be the best special teams players on the roster, but their roster spots are far from guaranteed, especially if the young safeties perform well in training camp and the preseason. Allen signed for less guaranteed money than camp cut Brodney Pool did last year, and McCray returned on a one-year deal as a restricted free agent.

SPECIALISTS (3)
Dan Bailey
Chris Jones
L.P. Ladouceur

No reason to make any changes here, as long as Jones is fully healthy coming off of a season-ending knee injury.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys made it clear they will become a two-tight end personnel team after the draft.

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Jerry Jones invoked the New England Patriots when discussing the scheme following the selection of San Diego State tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round. The Cowboys also had Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert graded as a first-round pick.

With Jason Witten (who is coming off a 110-catch season), James Hanna and Escobar, the Cowboys are in position to attempt to simulate what Tom Brady does with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

We offer a Q&A with ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss for an explanation of how New England uses its “12 personnel.”

Archer: What makes the Patriots' use of the two-tight end package work so well?

Reiss: It starts with the unique talents of the tight ends themselves. Rob Gronkowski (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) is obviously a very tough matchup for a linebacker or safety. He's more likely to be aligned closest to the offensive tackle, but because he runs so well, the Patriots will also split him out wide. He's equally as effective as a blocker or pass-catcher, making him a true "combination" tight end. Aaron Hernandez (6-1, 245) is a nice complement to Gronkowski. He is more receiver-like and thus is split out wide more often or on the move, although he does align close to the tackle on occasion and is competitive as an in-line blocker even though it's not his forte. We've seen the Patriots run the same offense with different tight ends and it hasn't been as effective (e.g., last season's playoffs when Gronkowski was out with injury), so I think the first key is to acknowledge that it's more about the players than the scheme when it comes to the Patriots' two-tight end package and its success.

Archer: How does it differ, in your mind, from how other teams use the package?

Reiss: Probably the biggest thing is how many formations and adjustments they can run out of it, which comes back to the versatility and unique skills of the top two tight ends, Gronkowski and Hernandez. They could be empty in the package, with both tight ends split out wide, or more tightly compact in a traditional look with both tight ends aligned next to the tackles. Sometimes they play up-tempo with it. Other times they slow it down. So there are really so many things you can do out of the package, which again is tied to the uniqueness of Gronkowski and Hernandez. When one of those players has been injured, the package isn't as dynamic, and at times in those situations, the Patriots will use a third receiver over a second tight end.

Archer: How do most teams combat it with their defensive personnel?

Reiss: I'd say most teams combat it with a nickel package, essentially treating Hernandez as a receiver. When that happens, the Patriots have made a concerted effort to turn to the running game, feeling that a two-TE package should be able to win that matchup against a smaller defense. The results were uneven last season when it was two-TE versus nickel, in part due to some injuries on the offensive line. One of the clear-cut examples of it working to a T was last year's Sept. 30 win over the Bills, when they played a small nickel the entire game (it could have even been a dime but they listed 6-1, 220-pound safety Bryan Scott as a linebacker) and the Patriots powered through them for 247 rushing yards. Other teams have stayed in base, but it takes special personnel to do that and not get beaten by the tight ends in the passing game.

Archer: Is there ever a downside to it, like shrinking the field too much?

Reiss: If we wanted to nitpick from a Patriots perspective, we could say that relying so heavily on the two-TE package when your top receiver is more of a slot option (Wes Welker from 2007 to '12) means that your three best pass-catchers all do their best work in the middle of the field. So I guess there is a part of it where "shrinking the field" could come into play, but I don't think that's a reason not to do it. If you have two special tight ends, they can be matchup-busters and you can dictate terms based on their versatility. If the defense plays nickel against you, pound it at that team. If the defense plays base personnel, spread that defense out and let it rip.

Archer: Has the package all but eliminated the fullback in the offense?

Reiss: Yes, for the most part. The Patriots used tight end Michael Hoomanawanui in a fullback role at times last season. Other times, most often closer to the goal line, they used an offensive lineman as a fullback. But overall, when running so much of the offense with two tight ends, you're most often going to see two receivers and a running back paired with them unless it's a short-yardage situation. In terms of building the 53-man roster, one point that Bill Belichick has made is that the fullback is basically competing against a running back, tight end or linebacker for a spot, and it often can come down to special teams contributions. The Patriots didn't carry a pure fullback last season.

At the end of last year's NFL draft, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones announced the signing of undrafted free agent guard Ronald Leary from Memphis. The Cowboys guaranteed $214,000 to Leary with the hope he would make the 53-man roster out of camp.

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Leary didn't, instead playing on the practice squad for the bulk of the season until the Cowboys had to promote him to the 53-man roster after the Oakland Raiders put in a claim for him.

Leary improved as the season progressed and again has a shot to make the 53-man roster in 2013.

Fast-forward to this year when the Cowboys signed undrafted linebacker Brandon Magee over the weekend. Magee received a $70,000 signing bonus, more than any seventh-round pick from last year's draft.

The Cowboys were interested in drafting Magee in the middle rounds, but his size (5-foot-11, 229 pounds) and health (he injured his elbow in Arizona State's bowl game) made selecting him a risky proposition. However, the Cowboys were impressed with his 113 total tackles last season at Arizona State, which earned him second-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Magee is completely healthy, according to his agent, Blake Baratz, and looking forward to next week's rookie minicamp.

The Cowboys project Magee as a strongside or weakside linebacker because of his speed (4.68-second 40-yard dash at Arizona State's pro day) and ability to make plays on the ball.

Some NFL teams were a little scared off by Magee's baseball ambitions. The Boston Red Sox own his rights, but Magee's desire is to play in the NFL.

The Cowboys are looking for good fits in Monte Kiffin's 4-3 defense, and once they find someone, Jones will make sure he spends the money to grab him, much like he did with Leary.

This year's pet project, if you will, is Magee, who will have to play well on special teams and on the defense with the backup units to make the roster.

The Dallas Cowboys were almost $20 million over the salary cap when the offseason began, but the restructuring of contracts and releasing of some players put the team in a better situation after the NFL draft.

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The Cowboys are a little more than $5 million under the salary cap. They will pick up an additional $2 million when the release of defensive end Marcus Spears takes effect June 1.

That means the Cowboys will have $7 million available to sign draft picks and free agents. That figure could increase if right tackle Doug Free is released (saving $7 million) or takes a pay cut (an undetermined amount of savings).

Defensive end Anthony Spencer is under contract for $10.6 million, but his cap number could be decreased if he is signed to a long-term deal.

The Cowboys want to have salary-cap space during the season in the event obtaining a veteran free agent is necessary due to injury. Last season, the Cowboys signed Charlie Peprah, Brady Poppinga, Brian Schaefering, Ernie Sims and Anthony Armstrong because of injuries.

Right now, the Cowboys are on target to have enough space to take care of draft picks and free agents before and during the season.

Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless discuss whether Travis Frederick will prove to be the right pick for the Dallas Cowboys.

Let's get this out of the way now: The Dallas Cowboys are not interested in quarterback Tim Tebow. No, not even as a tight end.

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Multiple Cowboys sources gave the answer "no" when asked if the team wanted to sign Tebow. The Cowboys have not been linked to Tebow like the New England Patriots, and you can read about how my guys at ESPNBoston.com answered the Tebow question here.

Adding Tebow to the Cowboys -- and to any team, it seems -- would create a national frenzy.

Let's examine why it's good and bad not to bring him to Valley Ranch. (To be honest, I don't see any good from it).

1. The quarterback spot. Given the public backlash quarterback Tony Romo is receiving for his new contract, if he has a bad game in 2013 -- and believe me he'll have one or two -- it would raise the ire of the fans and push the media into asking coach Jason Garrett about benching Romo for Tebow during a rough performance. Garrett was asked about benching Romo during his five-interception game against Chicago last season when Kyle Orton was the backup. No need to add drama to your team at the quarterback spot. Also, the Cowboys don't seem enamored with using the Wildcat, given the current personnel they have.

2. Moving him to tight end. If Tebow decides to play tight end, he still doesn't fit well. The Cowboys drafted Gavin Escobar, another pass-catching tight end, to add with James Hanna and Jason Witten. The Cowboys need a blocking tight end, and that's not Tebow. While he could become a good blocker over time, his skill set is more of a receiver -- if he makes the position change.

3. Drama, drama, drama. The last thing the Cowboys need is drama. It's one thing to have issues on the field when it comes to wins and losses, but it's another to have Tebow drama. He's a good guy in the locker room, according to ex-teammates, but you have to wonder how his teammates will deal with Tebow getting besieged by reporters on a weekly basis about his thoughts on football and Christianity. It would wear you down after a while.

IRVING, Texas -- Over the last few years, the Cowboys have had draft picks who weren't ready to start practicing come rookie minicamp.

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Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Matt Johnson and Morris Claiborne were just some of the players whose careers were delayed by either post-college surgeries or an early injury in camp.

This class doesn't appear to have those issues, other than running back Joseph Randle, who has a thumb injury. But he will wear a brace and participate in the rookie minicamp in two weeks.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said that Randle most likely won't catch any passes but should be fine for training camp.

The Cowboys can't afford to deal with any more injured draft picks. It's one thing to get hurt once you start working for the Cowboys, but it's another having to deal with an injury before turning pro.

The Cowboys front office talked a lot over the weekend about how the seven draft picks could become starters at some point. The pressure on center Travis Frederick is great because of the Cowboys' decision to trade down in the draft and and acquire an extra third-rounder rather than a second-round pick.

The rest of the 2013 class can morph into a starting role in the future, but there's no pressure to do so now. However, becoming major contributors in 2013 is important to the success of the Cowboys.

In order to do that, this class has to remain healthy.

IRVING, Texas – If we’ve learned anything about the Cowboys, it’s that they love their defensive line.

“We believe the defensive line is a strength,” became a default position for just about everybody in the organization during the NFL draft.

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But is it really?

When Monte Kiffin was in Tampa Bay, the strength of the defense was the line with Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice and Booger McFarland. Same for Rod Marinelli in Chicago when he had Julius Peppers, Henry Melton and Israel Idonije racking up sacks.

Take DeMarcus Ware out of the equation. He will continue to be one of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL. The move from outside linebacker to defensive end will not be too much for him, but it has to be noted that he is coming off major shoulder surgery and has suffered some other nicks the last couple of seasons.

Anthony Spencer is a curious case. He had a career-high 11 sacks last year, but in his first five seasons he never had more than six in a season. One AFC personnel man believed Spencer’s sack boost came in part because he was moved around more than in the past. Bill Polian has said Spencer will be a great fit for this defense. If Spencer is consistently in the same spot opposite Ware, then does he go back to a six-sack player? And he is lighter than most strong-side defensive ends Kiffin and Marinelli have employed.

Jay Ratliff was a difference-maker at one point. He was a disruptive player, incredibly difficult to block and could get to the quarterback. Notice the past tense? Ratliff’s sack total has decreased in each of the last five years and he missed 10 games because of injuries last year. He turns 32 in August. Maybe he is the perfect fit to play the Sapp role here, but how much tread is left?

Jason Hatcher has never had more than 4.5 sacks in a season and he will be making a position switch. Are his numbers a product of the fact that 3-4 defensive ends just don’t have the opportunity to get after the quarterback? Perhaps. He turns 31 in July and is in the last year of his contract.

Tyrone Crawford did some nice things as a rookie but didn’t record a sack. Sean Lissemore had one sack but was slowed by an ankle injury. Kyle Wilber will move to defensive end from outside linebacker this year but has the look of a tweener. Then there’s Ben Bass, Robert Callaway and Ikponmowasa Igbinosun.

Kiffin and Marinelli apparently have told Jerry Jones & Co. that the defensive linemen on the roster will be just fine, given how the team went about the draft and has looked at free agency so far. Rob Ryan said the same thing to Jones about the talent on hand when he showed up two years ago; how did that work out?

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys draft is over but not forgotten, so there’s no time like now than to wonder about things that did and did not happen.

On to 5 Wonders:

** If the Cowboys are going to be a predominantly two-tight end team, like they say they are, then I wonder if they should have taken Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert at No. 18 and risked the chance that Travis Frederick would be there at No. 47. If they had gone that route, they would have had the best tight end and best center in the draft with their top two picks. The Cowboys had their eyes on Justin Pugh with the No. 31 pick, but he went to the New York Giants at No. 19. They felt Frederick was the final offensive lineman in the draft capable of being a Day 1 starter and did not want to risk losing him or waiting until the second round. That’s a draft for need, which is OK at that point, but Eifert will be somebody worth watching for the next few years.

** I wonder if the Cowboys will alter how they will evaluate defensive lineman after what happened with Sharrif Floyd. He was among the top-10 players on their board, perhaps the highest rated defensive player, and he was staring them in the face with the 18th pick. And they passed on him. Then you hear about the kid’s arm length and lack of sacks. Well, those were things everybody knew before the draft. What it came down to was scheme fit and Floyd wasn’t deemed to fit in what the Cowboys wanted in 4-3 tackles. Had they stuck with the 3-4, then I can almost guarantee they would have selected him. If a player is not a scheme fit, then he just can’t be that high on their draft board.

** I wonder if Jerry Jones understands how even in points of praise he can also hurt. Take Tony Romo as an example. On Friday, Jones said Romo played a part in the selections of Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams in the second and third rounds. Jones was attempting to show Romo was all-in. Well, what about the current players on the roster at those positions. Should they now think Romo didn’t like them as much? And then Jones said part of the quarterback’s new megadeal meant he had to spend “Peyton Manning time” at the facility. For those who questioned Romo’s commitment, that was all they needed to further their belief that Romo was not fully vested when Romo has always been a “football junkie.”

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**Over the last two years every team in the NFC East has looked at a quarterback-of-the-future/present in the draft. Washington did it last year with Robert Griffin III and also took Kirk Cousins. Philadelphia traded up for the top pick of the fourth round to take Matt Barkley a year after they took Nick Foles. The New York Giants grabbed Ryan Nassib in the fourth round. And the Cowboys chose to pass on the position. Again. Romo turned 33 recently. Kyle Orton is signed through 2014. I wonder if next year is the year the Cowboys look to the quarterback position. No, I do. Really. I had no problem with the club not taking a QB this year, but had Barkley, Nassib and Tyler Wilson dropped to them in the fourth round, I wonder if they would have pulled the trigger this year. Since they passed on Landry Jones, I think we know he wasn’t their guy. Is it too early to think about A.J. McCarron or Aaron Murray or any other QB? And, yes, I realize Johnny Manziel could be draft eligible. A quick aside: For those wondering why the Cowboys didn’t go after Tyler Bray, think about it. His coach, Derek Dooley, is on this staff now. Don’t you think the team would need to know all (stress all) there would be to know? And if the kid panned out at Tennessee, then Dooley would still be the Vols coach.

** I hope Marcus Lattimore turns into a great success. His story would be a terrific inspiration for everybody. But he wasn’t what the Cowboys needed. I wonder if people realize San Francisco was able to take a flier on Lattimore, who is coming back from a horrific knee injury, because it had so many picks. The Niners had the opportunity to offer up a redshirt year for Lattimore. The Cowboys, who entered the draft with six picks and added one through a trade with the Niners, didn’t. They needed a running back to help right now and they got Joseph Randle in the fifth round. If Lattimore becomes a star, then good for San Francisco but I would not use that as a knock on how the Cowboys ran their draft.

The Dallas Cowboys lost both games to the Washington Redskins in 2012, and Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III let his fans know about it during an after party for the White House correspondence dinner that was attended by Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz on Saturday.

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Did Jerry Jones call out Tony Romo? Fitzsimmons & Durrett react to exclusive audio of Jones talking about the quarterback's increased role, who will be calling plays for the Cowboys and the Peyton Manning-like time he anticipates Romo putting in. Listen

"We made Cowboys Stadium our home," he told the crowd, according to Associated Press. "And that's what we want to continue to do. ... Rehab's going great. We're having a great draft right now, and I'm all in for Week 1 -- just like you guys are."

In the first meeting between the teams, Griffin threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-31 victory on Thanksgiving Day.

Griffin is recovering from reconstructive knee surgery and played with a brace in the regular season finale against the Cowboys at FedEx Field.

During the rally Griffin ran in place and did some jumping jacks.

"I'm good. You guys saw me jumping. I mean, I can run a little bit," he said, running in place some more. "I'll be good. No worries. I'll take it slow, but at the same time, I'll be ready to go."

The Dallas Cowboys gave undrafted free agent Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee $70,000 guaranteed in his contract, more than any 2012 7th-round pick, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

IRVING, Texas – Lawrence Vickers picked the wrong time to need back surgery, not that there’s a good time to need back surgery.

The Cowboys’ decision to draft tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round, coupled with the never-ending discussion of the offense’s renewed use of the “12 personnel” grouping has put Vicker’s job in doubt as well as the long-term future of a true fullback.

“You certainly have to ask that question both in your roster makeup as you go to training camp and as you get into the season,” coach Jason Garrett said when asked about the long-term prognosis of the position given what happened during the three-day draft. “We like two-back runs like everybody in the league likes two-back runs. How do you get there? That’s something that’s going to be determined. Lawrence Vickers has done a nice job for us at the fullback position. We like using him. Fullbacks are harder to come by because not many play there in high school and not many play it in college. It’s been an issue for us for a number of years. Typically one or two get drafted every year.”

The Cowboys have used their tight ends at fullback in the past, but it’s interesting to note that New England, an offense that the Cowboys could attempt to emulate in 2013, did not have a traditional fullback on the active roster.