ESPN

IRVING, Texas – Thursday’s trade down with San Francisco was the 60th draft-day trade of the Jerry Jones era.

The Cowboys’ decision to move down from No. 18 to 31 and pick up an extra third-round pick was met with curiosity as was the player the Cowboys took at No. 31, center Travis Frederick.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones understands some of the angst.

“It’s never going to be popular when you move down,” Jones said. “Everybody thinks we’re, ‘Oh, my God, we get to make a trade. Let’s move down.’ That’s not what we were hoping for, but to me you don’t pay for the hoopla. You can’t get into that. And you’ve got to manage your draft. We felt like the best decision for us was to go do the right thing, pick up a pick and take a player that fits what we needed in the first round. That brings some value for that pick. Now we lost a few guys that maybe would’ve been a little but higher than Frederick, but they didn’t make it to 31.”

Among those players were safety Eric Reid, who went at No. 18 to San Francisco, guard Justin Pugh, who went to the New York Giants at No. 19 and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who went to Minnesota at No. 29.

Jones said the Cowboys only options to trade up were for guards Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack.

“We needed players,” Jones said. “We didn’t need to be going up and giving up ur picks with where we are under the salary cap right now,” Jones said. “We needed to be more focused on staying where we are or going the other way because we do need to infuse some young players on this team.”

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys exchanged numerous calls with NFL teams about moving down from the 18th position of the first round. Team executive vice president Stephen Jones said there was competition for the selection.

There was more value gained by the Cowboys by moving from No. 18 to No. 31 and picking up an extra third round pick (74th overall).

"Well, you can make a hard quick decision, too," Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. "We had gone over every scenario you could imagine over the last few days. These (scouts) do a good job of what ifs, but then we obviously analyze perspective and saw San Francisco there with two (third round picks). So they're certainly candidates to move down and keep us in the range that we wanted to be in."

The Cowboys had first-round grades on 19 players and there were only two players -- projected to be Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper -- that were worth moving up into the top 10. With Warmack (drafted at No. 10) and Cooper (drafted at No. 7) off the board, the Cowboys elected to stay put for the moment. When it was finally time to pick, the Cowboys graded Frederick higher than Syracuse guard Justin Pugh, who went after the 49ers selected Eric Reid at 18.

PODCAST
Galloway & Company react to the Cowboys trading down in the NFL draft and their first-round pick Travis Frederick. They also discuss Jerry Jones' comments on why the Cowboys did not select Sharrif Floyd. Listen

Stephen Jones said the team like Reid, and he most likely was the second-highest safety behind Texas' Kenny Vaccaro on Dallas' draft board. But Stephen Jones said there was more value to get an extra third-round pick than to select Reid in the first round.

When it came time to select at No. 31, Frederick was the highest-ranked player on the Cowboys' draft board. Frederick had a second-round grade, but the team felt justified getting him at No. 31 after ranking him as the 22nd overall prospect.

"Bottom line, we were very true to our grading (players)," Jerry Jones said. "Very true to the grading of our scouts and very true to what we were trying to accomplish. We did draft to our board."

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys made their 60th draft day trade under owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Thursday night.

The Cowboys switched spots with San Francisco, moving from No. 18 to No. 31 in the first round. The Cowboys also acquired a third-round pick, the 74th overall selection.

The 49ers drafted LSU safety Eric Reid with the 18th pick of the first round.

Dallas was interested in several players, including Sheldon Richardson, Kenny Vaccaro, Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper, but those players were off the board by the time the Cowboys' turn came to pick.

However, the Cowboys left highly-regarded Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and defensive tackle Sylvester Williams on the board.

The Cowboys have two third-round picks, 74th and 80 overall.

IRVING, Texas – With the 18th pick in the first round, the Cowboys could make their pick sometime around 10 p.m. That’s a lot of time to sit around and wait.

PODCAST
Todd Archer joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what we can expect in the first round of the NFL draft and how it relates to the Dallas Cowboys. Listen

Throughout the week, the Cowboys have run through every possible scenario so when they are on the clock (or even a little earlier than that) they will have a pick ready. It’s like going in with multiple game plans on a Sunday.

Best-case scenario: Somehow, some way Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack are available. History says they will there because five offensive linemen have not gone so early in thirty-plus years, but it seems like there is a lot of evidence to the contrary.

Cooper would be the preference but Warmack would be a nice pickup, too. They would walk in as Day 1 starters, which has become something of a catch-phrase around the Cowboys here this week. They would upgrade the weakest part of the team.

The only way this happens is if a quarterback or two or a wide receiver or two go early. Perhaps a running back. They need some unexpected moves that would push Warmack (most likely) down to them.

Likely scenario: The Cowboys take a defensive lineman, like Sheldon Richardson or Sylvester Williams, or safety Kenny Vaccaro.

As of this moment, I believe they would take Richardson if they cannot move back and the offensive linemen are gone. He can play both interior spots with the idea of him becoming the Warren Sapp for this Monte Kiffin defense. Williams is more of the traditional run stopper. Both would bring value to the defense.

Vaccaro is the top safety and he would fill an immediate need. Does he slip to No. 18? The Cowboys worked him out privately and had him at Valley Ranch for a visit.

Of the three, Williams figures to be the guy most likely to be available.

Second-best case scenario: Trade down in the first round and pick up extra picks.

Some might believe this would be the best-case scenario, but the offensive line needs big help.

If the Cowboys can move down, then that would open up more players to them and fit with their draft board more. They are in a no-man’s land right now where there is a gap in talent.

Depending on how far back they go, this would give the Cowboys looks at offensive lineman D.J. Fluker and Justin Pugh, defensive end Bjoern Werner and safeties Eric Reid and Jonathan Cyprien.

A pick of Fluker would seem to mean Doug Free would not be back. Pugh could be a walk-in starter at guard. Werner would fill a need as a backup defensive end with the eye on him starting in the future with Anthony Spencer on a one-year deal. Reid and Cyprien would be walk-in starters, too.

Worst-cast scenario: Everybody listed above is gone and they can’t trade down.

They must be willing to make a pick and this is where Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert comes into the mix. He could be their best player available but drafting a first-round tight end doesn’t help them that much in 2013 or give Jason Garrett the best chance to win now.

Eifert will be a terrific player, but Garrett has not shown the ability to work multiple tight end packages effectively like New England has. The Cowboys couldn’t make it work with second-rounders Anthony Fasano or Martellus Bennett behind Jason Witten.

Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, Werner, Cyprien and Fluker would also be in this mix. Picking any of them at No. 18 would likely be higher than the Cowboys would want.

Where they're picking: No. 18

Conventional wisdom tells us the top six offensive linemen will be gone by 18, depriving the Cowboys of the chance to address their most significant short-term and long-term need. The mock drafts in which this happens have the Cowboys taking a defensive tackle such as Sheldon Richardson or Sylvester Williams at No. 18, and some are still connecting the Cowboys with Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro, since safety is a need as well. Everybody seems to agree that the Cowboys' dream scenario is that they get one of the draft's top two guards, either Chance Warmack or Jonathan Cooper, but no one seems to think either will fall to 18.

PODCAST
Ed Werder joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett live from Kansas City to discuss Jerry Jones' attendance at the Bush Library on NFL draft day, what he expects the Chiefs to do with the No. 1 pick and tell a funny tale about Bill Clinton and Jerry Jones. Listen

History tells us that the conventional wisdom is wrong. The last time six offensive linemen went in the top 17 picks was 1966, when the league only had 15 teams in it. Guards don't tend to go early, since most teams don't assign top-half-of-first-round value to that position. History tells us the Cowboys will be able to get offensive line help if they want it in the first round. But history also tells us that the Cowboys tend to pick out a guy they really like in the first round (Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith and Morris Claiborne are the recent examples) and do what they can to get him.

They probably won't end up with Vaccaro. First of all, it's possible he goes earlier than 18 (say, to St. Louis at 16). Second of all, their needs on the lines and the comparative value at those positions likely will push them to take a linemen of one sort or the other in a draft whose second round is packed with starting-caliber safeties. Sure, it's possible Vaccaro is this year's Jerry Jones crush and there's nothing anyone else in the braintrust can do to talk him out of it. But I'd be surprised if they end up with the Texas safety.

They could shock us by taking a tight end. The Blogfather, Matt Mosley, says he's been hearing the Cowboys love Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert, and if that's the case they could be making plans to move up to get him. While that would seem silly with Jason Witten still in place and at the top of his game, it's not completely crazy to find another weapon for Tony Romo in the passing game. If Eifert is the Cowboys' best player available, they could go for it. It would be foolish, and would leave them too short in too many other areas, but I'm not sure that would stop them.

My prediction: I'm leaning on history here and saying the mocks are all wrong and the Cowboys are going to be able to get one of those guards. Since we're making a pick, I'll say it's Chance Warmack who falls either all the way to 18 or at least into the 14-15 range that would allow them to make a sensible, cost-effective trade-up to get him. Not like last year's trade for Claiborne, which cost them their second-round pick, but maybe for a later-round pick or even a 2014 one.

IRVING, Texas – Over the last few years, the Cowboys’ top-30 visitors before the draft have been a good indicator into who they end up selecting.

PODCAST
Nate Newton went undrafted in 1983, but he still feels like he was part of one of the greatest draft classes in league history. Newton joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss his draft experience from 30 years ago and his journey to three rings. Listen

Guys like Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Tyrone Crawford and Matt Johnson, among others, visited Valley Ranch and ended up getting picked by the team.

Here is the list of this year’s invites to keep handy for the next three days:

S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
S Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International
S Eric Reid, LSU
G Chance Warmack, Alabama
RB Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State
RB Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
DL Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
RB Knile Davis, Arkansas
G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
OL Justin Pugh, Syracuse
DT Kawann Short, Purdue
DT Jordan Hill, Penn State
C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
S Phillip Thomas, Fresno State
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson
LB Sio Moore, Connecticut
LB Gerald Hodges, Penn State
CB B.W Webb, William & Mary
WR Charles Johnson, Grand Valley State
RB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
OL Kyle Long, Oregon
S J.J. Wilcox, Georgia Southern
LB Brandon Magee, Arizona State
TE D.C. Jefferson, Rutgers
TE Dion Sims, Michigan State
WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State
S Jakar Hamilton, South Carolina State
DT Bennie Logan, LSU

IRVING, Texas – In an ideal world the Cowboys would love to see Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack be available with the No. 18 pick in the first round.

PODCAST
Randy Galloway, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss some of the players the Cowboys should be looking at in the upcoming NFL draft. Listen

Some might call that a fantasy world.

So do the Cowboys trade up, even a smidge, to get one of them in tonight’s first round?

With so many teams reportedly looking to move down, the cost might not be so prohibitive. I’ve been fairly strong in my belief that the Cowboys need as many early picks as possible, but if it costs a fourth-rounder to move up a couple of spots I could be talked into it.

But there is also this to remember from last year’s draft: high-level people with the team last year felt taking guard David DeCastro at No. 14 was too high. Pittsburgh took DeCastro with the No. 24 pick.

If they felt No. 14 was too rich for the best guard in last year’s draft, then does it make sense to trade up higher than that for this year’s top guards?

Some believe DeCastro was a better prospect than Cooper and Warmack. Others believe differently. It’s not clear how the Cowboys compare the players. An element to the decision has to be the position. Rightly or wrongly safeties and guards are not as valued as other positions.

Unlike last year’s draft, this year’s crop of players does not have the top-end skill players. Perhaps that has pushed Cooper and Warmack up the boards of many teams. Perhaps that’s why DeCastro was available at No. 24 last year.

Last year the Cowboys had just paid decent money to Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau in free agency before the draft. Why take a guard in the first round when you just gave Livings a $3.5 million signing bonus and Bernadeau a $3.25 million bonus?

This year the Cowboys know what they have in Livings and Bernadeau, which could make them more inclined to go the guard route this year even if it costs them a little bit more.

With the 18th pick of the NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys will select ...

With that, we look at five players that the Cowboys might select with their first-round pick Thursday night:

PODCAST
Randy Galloway, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss some of the players the Cowboys should be looking at in the upcoming NFL draft. Listen

1. Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina: Highly-regarded player had just two seasons of work in college. Scouts say he has a quick first step, excellent swim move and strong, active hands. Selecting Williams will become more of a reality if a safety or offensive linemen aren't available and the desire to move down decreases. He won't start right away because of the Cowboys' experience along the defensive line, but he most likely will be a starter in 2014.

2. Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas: He fills a need at the position where he can play close to the line of scrimmage and in coverage. The Cowboys want defensive backs to make plays on the ball, and the Cowboys defensive coaches and scouts believe he can do this. Vaccaro covers a lot of ground because he plays fast and displays smarts to make plays.

3. D.J. Fluker, T, Alabama: In a draft heavy with guards and tackles, Fluker should be around in the teens. He's been projected to go late in the first round or possibly early in the second. He's got one of the biggest wingspans (87 1/4) of any tackle in the draft, displays good hands and has power to push defenders off the line of scrimmage.

4. Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri: The Cowboys might have to choose between Williams and Richardson. Both players attended JUCOs, but it seems Richardson needs some work. He's got the measureables (6-2, 294 pounds), a quick first step and makes plays away from the line of scrimmage. But he had shoulder surgery before the 2012 season and played only one full season at Missouri.

5. Chance Warmack, G, Alabama: He's considered one of the best guards in the draft along with Jonathan Cooper. There's some doubt if Warmack will be around at No. 18, but if he falls somehow, the Cowboys need to grab him. Warmack has good foot quickness, balance and strength. He had 40 starts in the SEC, which is impressive to NFL coaches and scouts.

There was concern, I won't lie, as I sat there with the No. 18 pick for the Dallas Cowboys in the ESPN.com blogger mock draft. Dallas absolutely needs to come out of the first round with a new starting offensive lineman, and they were going off the board quickly. The top three tackles went in the top five picks, and when guard Chance Warmack went to Arizona at No. 7, I got worried.

Eyeing North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper, who was still on the board at No. 10, I reached out to Paul Kuharsky to ask if the Titans wanted to trade down. He said they did. I offered Dallas' first-round pick and third-round pick (Picks 18 and 80) for the No. 10. Paul countered by offering Picks 10 and 142 (fifth round) for Picks 18 and 47 (second round). I said I couldn't do that, after ripping the Cowboys for giving up their second-round pick last year to move up for Morris Claiborne. Don't want to be hypocritical, right?

So Paul and I talked about some possibilities involving 2014 compensation, but we couldn't agree on it, and he ended up taking Sharrif Floyd for the Titans at No. 10. My next move was to reach out to Bill Williamson, who was picking for the Chargers at No. 11. I made the same offer to him -- the 18 and the 80 -- but he said he was going to stay put and make a pick. He picked Cooper, which obviously disappointed me-as-Cowboys.

Now I had my eye on D.J. Fluker, the Alabama tackle who would allow the Cowboys to bid goodbye to Doug Free and help solidify the run game. I think he's the absolute perfect guy for the Cowboys at 18 if the guards are gone by then, and the only team I was still afraid might snatch him away was Carolina at 14. Fluker didn't feel worthy of trading up for, so I decided I'd stay put and hope he fell to 18, and if he didn't, I'd look into trading down and going after someone like Syracuse's Justin Pugh.

But Pat Yasinskas took Sheldon Richardson for Carolina at 14. And (because I know you guys want to know) Mike Sando took safety Kenny Vaccaro for the Rams at 16. And lo and behold, there was Fluker still sitting there at 18 for the Cowboys. I ran to the podium.

Will the Cowboys do the same if the same situation plays out Thursday night? It doesn't sound like them. But I think they'd be wise to take Fluker. And I don't even think they'd be nuts to take an offensive lineman in the second round as well. The need -- short term and long term -- is that significant.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

What would be the ideal first-round scenario for the Cowboys in next week's NFL draft?

Dallas Cowboys

PODCAST
Arlington and Texas A&M product Luke Joeckel, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, joins Ian Fitzsimmons and Richard Durrett to discuss the draft, coaches and advice from his dad. Listen

Because of the perceived lack of top-level skill-position talent in this year's draft, a lot of the mock drafts and projections have the top offensive linemen going off the board early. Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock , for example, has six offensive linemen going in the top 12 picks, which means well before the Cowboys pick at 18 and probably too early for them to make a sensible trade-up to grab someone like Alabama guard Chance Warmack or North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper. This would be unfortunate and far from ideal for the Cowboys, but history offers hope. The last time six of the first 17 picks in the draft were offensive linemen was 1966, when there were only 15 teams in the league. Only three times since then -- 1977, 1985 and 2008 -- have as many as five offensive linemen been picked in the top 17. The Cowboys probably can't expect any of the top three tackles to fall to them, but their ideal first-round situation would be for Warmack, Cooper or even Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker to fall to 18 and allow them to shore up their most significant area of short-term and long-term need. If only one of those guys is still available by 14, the Cowboys should look into trading up to get him.

To see the ideal first-round scenario for the other NFC East teams, click here.

To help preview who might be on the Dallas Cowboys’ board for the NFL draft, ESPNDallas.com has identified five players at five key positions that we’d like to learn more about. Along those lines, we’ve asked former Cowboys assistant coach Glenn “Stretch” Smith – the official scout of Galloway & Company – to study tape of each player and give his thoughts.

No. 2 Offensive lineman: Chance Warmack

Position: Guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 317 pounds

School: Alabama

Why he’s on the radar: The Cowboys signed Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau in free agency last year but still want to upgrade the interior of the offensive line. Warmack is considered one of the top guards in the draft and probably will be off the board when its time for the Cowboys to select at No. 18. Warmack doesn't have the position flexibility the Cowboys normally want, but he's a solid player who has the potential to be a starter for the next 10 seasons.

Projection: First round

Stretch Truths: Played all four years at Alabama. … Has strong punch and power to press a defender in pass protection. … Good lower body to anchor, and balance that matches. … Has excellent feet to get to second-level blocks and run his feet through contact. … Is comfortable with a tackle over his nose. … I only question his true foot speed after running 40 in 5.49 seconds. … He’s the top guard in the draft and has a real nasty side. … Overall opinion: Take him if he's there with the 18th pick.

PODCAST
Stretch Smith takes Galloway & Company around the NFL, discussing quarterback moves, Tony Romo's contract and Chip Kelly's first season. Listen

IRVING, Texas – It is no secret that the Cowboys need help along the offensive and defensive lines and at safety entering the NFL draft, so it’s not surprising the team is meeting with some of the best available at those positions this week at Valley Ranch.

With the draft three weeks away, the Cowboys are scheduled to meet with 28 national prospects, including offensive linemen Chance Warmack (Alabama), Jonathan Cooper (North Carolina), Jonathan Pugh (Syracuse) and Travis Frederick (Wisconsin), safeties Kenny Vaccaro (Texas), Jonathan Cyprien (Florida International) and Eric Reid (LSU) and defensive linemen Sheldon Richardson (Missouri) and Kawann Short (Purdue).

Among the other players visiting are Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Fresno State safety Phillip Thomas, running backs Knile Davis (Arkansas), Joseph Randle (Oklahoma State) and Le’Veon Bell (Michigan State) and defensive tackle Jordan Hill (Penn State).

Paralyzed in free agency, unable to get Tony Romo extended, and the hits just keep on coming for Dallas Cowboys fans, who are going to absolutely hate this story from Calvin Watkins about right tackle Doug Free. Calvin reports that, according to a source, Free's future with the Cowboys is "secure for now."

Earlier this offseason, executive vice president Stephen Jones said of Free's possible return: "I wouldn't rule Doug out."

[+] Enlarge
Tim Heitman/USA TODAY Sports Tackle Doug Free is scheduled to count $10.02 million against the Cowboys' salary cap.

Free's status could again become tenuous if the Cowboys believe there's a tackle worthy of selecting in the first two rounds of the draft. If that's the case, Free could be sent packing, and Jermey Parnell or the draft pick would become the starter at right tackle.

Yeah, see, that's the whole thing. The phrase "secure for now" doesn't really mean much, right? You're either secure or you're not. If the status of your security can change, you're not secure. So I wouldn't worry too much. I still think there's a really good chance they designate Free a June 1 cut and save $7 million against the cap during the summer.

But the fact that they haven't done that yet speaks to their situation, and their lack of ability to find a replacement for Free. They literally can't sign a free-agent tackle (unless they get that Tony Romo deal done and reduce their quarterback's 2013 cap cost in the process), and picking 18th in the draft they can't be certain they'll find their answer at right tackle in the draft. They could find a very good guard at that spot, such as Chance Warmack or Jonathan Cooper, which might help convince them they can afford to give Parnell a shot. But six weeks away from the draft they can't possibly know.

PODCAST
Former Alabama All-American guard and potential Cowboys draft pick Chance Warmack joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what it would mean to play for the Cowboys and why Larry Allen was his childhood hero. Listen

So they will wait on Free. They cut defensive lineman Marcus Spears and designated him a June 1 release because they felt like they had enough depth on the defensive line to do that now. But obviously, and justifiably, they don't feel the same about their offensive line. And as bad as Free was last year, they don't feel as though they can let him go without knowing who's going to replace him. Add all of that to the Cowboys' famous tendency to hang onto their own players too long and refuse to admit mistakes, and you find yourself unable to say with complete certainty that they will part ways with Free. Even if it seems obvious to all of us on the outside that they need to do so.

This Cowboys' offseason is going to be like this -- slow and frustrating -- and they're going to need to have a very good, 2013-focused draft if they're to make the playoffs this year. Cowboys fans aren't used to Marches like this one, but they don't have much choice right now other than to deal with it.

NFL teams are allowed 30 visits from prospective draft picks.

PODCAST
Former Alabama All-American guard and potential Cowboys draft pick Chance Warmack joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what it would mean to play for the Cowboys and why Larry Allen was his childhood hero. Listen

The Dallas Cowboys are still finalizing their list, but according to a source, the team has scheduled a visit for Alabama guard Chance Warmack.

ESPN NFL Draft expert, Mel Kiper projects Warmack to go to the Cowboys at No. 18 overall.

At Alabama's Pro Day on Wednesday, Warmack didn't lift, but based on reports, did a good job during positions drills.

"I'm athletic and trying to show what I can bring to the table if anybody wants to draft me," Warmack said in quotes released by Alabama. "I'm really excited to just get on a team and get started with football, but just to show what I can do and show what my strengths are."

Adding Warmack upgrades the Cowboys interior which struggled in 2012. Currently, the starters at guard are Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau and the center is Phil Costa.

There are several guards along with Warmack who are seeing their stock rise in the draft as a result of Pro Day and combine workouts.

"I'm really not paying attention to the stock thing so much as just trying to improve myself as a player," Warmack said. "I didn't get a chance to do much at the combine, so I wanted to prove to myself that I could do the drills here, and that's what I did. I'm happy I did it."

ESPN's NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has the Cowboys taking Alabama guard Chance Warmack at No. 18 in his latest mock draft (Insider).

PODCAST
John Clayton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the offseason happenings around the NFL and what they mean for the Dallas Cowboys. Listen

It's a logical selection, given the Cowboys' inconsistency along the interior of the offensive line last season.

Cowboys director of pro and college scouting Tom Ciskowski is scheduled to attend Alabama's pro day Wednesday. No word on whether coach Jason Garrett will show up. He attended last year's pro day in Alabama and has a close relationship with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. Now, just because Garrett watches a pro day doesn't mean the Cowboys will draft a player from that particular school.

Garrett doesn't attend a lot of pro days. However, he did attend USC's in 2011 with former offensive line coach Hudson Houck. The Cowboys selected tackle Tyron Smith in the first round that year.

The Cowboys' offensive line is an area of concern this offseason. While the team believes it has a solid left tackle in Smith, the other four positions have issues.

Guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau were signed as free agents last year and had an uneven first season. Centers Phil Costa and Ryan Cook will return, but injuries limited Costa to just three games in 2012.

Right tackle Doug Free shared playing time in the last month of the season with Jermey Parnell.

According to ESPN's Stats and Information, quarterback Tony Romo threw an NFL-high eight interceptions when under duress last season. That can be attributed to the receivers, Romo holding the ball too long and the offensive line.

Whatever it is, improving the offensive line is something that must be done in 2013.