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I get the sense that Dallas Cowboys fans would feel better about the team if it signed one of these free-agent offensive tackles. Tyson Clabo and Eric Winston are the names you're hearing, and it's pretty obvious either would be an upgrade over Doug Free. Neither has yet signed elsewhere, so there's no real reason to panic. But with all of the salary cap problems the Cowboys have had this offseason it's understandable to worry whether they can afford to sign one of these guys.

Calvin Watkins reports, however, that the Cowboys have more than $5 million in cap room at the present time, not counting the $2 million they'll get in June when the release of Marcus Spears takes effect and not counting the $7 million (post-June 1) they could save by cutting Free. This would seem to indicate that they can sign someone like Clabo and still sign their draft picks (especially since their first-rounder ended up being No. 31 and not No. 18, a distinction likely to save them somewhere around $300,000 against this year's cap). The picks don't need to be under contract prior to June 1, so the Cowboys can wait until then to take care of that even if they sign Clabo in the meantime.

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The issue appears to be Free, and how they handle his contract situation. It's easy for us to sit here and say they should cut him based on the way he's played since they signed him two offseasons ago. But the Cowboys don't like to give up on their guys, and it's likely they'd prefer to keep Free at a much lower salary and as a backup tackle. If Free would agree to the pay cut now, they'd add to their cap room and could make a move on a Clabo with more clarity about their overall 2013 cap situation. But if Free won't agree to the pay cut the Cowboys have in mind, then they're a month away from being able to cut him and things could get held up.

As you know, I like the move the Cowboys made to take center/guard Travis Frederick in the first round last week. Along with fellow first-rounder Tyron Smith, he'll give the Cowboys at least two offensive line starters about whom they can feel good. Adding a veteran such as Clabo, whom they appear to like, would up that number to three, and then they could throw a bunch of Phil Costa/Mackenzy Bernadeau/Nate Livings types into the mix for the other two spots and hope that competition pushes two of them to play better.

The Cowboys have enough talent on their roster to be a playoff team in 2013, but they have to get better offensive line play in order to cash in on that. Step 1 was the first round of the draft. Step 2 remains up in the air. But it appears they do have the resources to pull it off.

It's the making-of-the-sausage aspect of the NFL draft that's the problem. If the Dallas Cowboys had begun this offseason with picks 31, 47, 74 and 80 and drafted these same four players, the fans' reaction would have been quite different (though they'd still probably be mad about having lost the Super Bowl). The reason everybody was so upset about the Cowboys' draft 24 hours ago was this trade they made with the San Francisco 49ers in the first round and the idea that they didn't get enough in return for the No. 18 pick.

But from here? From the tail end of Friday night, with three rounds and four Cowboys picks in the books? To me, it looks as though the Cowboys are having a pretty good draft.

The first and most important thing they needed to do, above all else, was find offensive line help in the first round, and they did. You might not like Travis Frederick as a first-rounder, but the fact is this draft was weak at the top. And if you're sifting between sub-optimal options, why should you feel compelled to pick the guy other people have agreed to like as opposed to the guy you like? "Trust your board," is every team's pre-draft mantra, and if the Cowboys' board called Frederick their answer, there's nothing wrong with taking him with the 31st pick.

What happened next seemed weird because it was offense again with the first two picks Friday night. A team that has Jason Witten used its second-round pick on a tight end its fans had never heard of, Gavin Escobar, instead of a safety or a tackle or another offensive lineman. So the crying began anew, as well as the same old jokes about how the owner needs to fire the GM when we all know there's no chance of that ever happening. Then, in the third round, with the pick they got in that first-round trade, they went offense again, taking Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams.

But then a funny thing happened. The outlines of the plan began to congeal in front of everyone's eyes. And through the prism of a pick that finally felt like a really good one, it all started to make sense. The Cowboys just signed their franchise quarterback, Tony Romo, to a gigantic contract extension. When you do that, you're inclined to build up the offense around him. And by taking an interior lineman in the first round and a pair of dynamic passing-game weapons in the second and third, that's what the Cowboys were up to in the early part of the 2013 draft.

Recall the common complaints about the Cowboys' offense. (The non-Romo ones, if you will.) It's unimaginative. It stalls in the red zone. It doesn't have a reliable No. 3 wide receiver, and its No. 2, Miles Austin, is always hurt. The picks of Escobar and Williams address all of that. Escobar is a considerably better player than James Hanna, last season's sixth-round pick, and the ability to put him on the field along with Witten will offer the Cowboys options they didn't have on offense last season. Escobar is a reliable pass-catcher who can outfight defenders for the ball in traffic, and that will serve him and the Cowboys well up and down the field, but especially in the red zone. Williams is a big-play outside receiver who allows them to use Austin in the slot when they go three wide and can be a game-breaker if teams overcommit to Dez Bryant on the other side. They have found fresh options that offer more variety for an offense that too often limits its quarterback's options in key spots. And by taking the lineman first, they've helped shore up Romo's protection, as well.

Some wanted a running back, but you can always get one of those, and there are still plenty on the board with four rounds to go. Some wanted a tackle or a guard, and I couldn't have argued if they wanted to overaddress the line. But you're more likely to find a usable offensive lineman in the fourth or fifth round than you are to find a big-play tight end or receiver there. Eric Winston and others remain on the free-agent market as possible answers at tackle. They did something about the line with their first pick, and the opportunity to do more exists for them.

Some wanted defense in the second round -- a three-technique defensive tackle or a playmaking safety. They ended up with a physical safety in J.J. Wilcox with their original third-round pick, and they like what he offers in terms of upside. But the basic theory with the Cowboys defense appears to be that the changes on the coaching staff, the switch to a 4-3 front and improved health will deliver improvement. They lost six defensive starters to injury last season, and if those guys all come back and thrive in their new 4-3 roles, those are their big additions on defense.

No, spending the early part of the draft on help for Romo was a completely worthwhile choice of priorities for the Cowboys, who came out of the first three rounds with three offensive players they like and can find multiple ways to use (plus that new safety). They're focused on putting Romo and coach Jason Garrett in the best possible position to succeed by expanding the boundaries of the offense's capabilities from play to play and week to week. If you're Romo and Garrett right now, you're thinking up new plays and personnel formations that weren't available to you last season when Bryant, Austin and Witten were your only reliable pass-catchers, and you're excited.

The draft is about hope that things will get better. A look back at the first three rounds offers the Cowboys a number of ways to imagine a more fun and productive offense. It doesn't really matter how it started or how they got here. So far, the Cowboys have to feel as though they're having a pretty good draft.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys have not addressed the offensive tackle spot with their first four selections and have not reached out to the agents for veterans Tyson Clabo or Eric Winston.

While executive vice president Stephen Jones said Doug Free’s situation is “to be determined,” he was also emphatic that he wants Free to remain with the team.

The Cowboys have made a pay-cut offer to Free, who is scheduled to earn $7 million this season. Jones said they have not heard from Free or the player’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, about whether they would accept a lower salary yet.

“We want him back, how’s that?” Jones said. “We’d love to have him here. I think he’d love to be here. Now the question is, it’s got to work for him and it’s got to work for us. I have all the respect in the world for Doug. He works his ass off. He wants to play better. He knows he needs to play better. He’d be the first to tell you that.”

Free split time over the last month of the season with Jermey Parnell and performed better. The Cowboys have had some conversations with the representatives of Clabo and Winston, but they have not ventured into any negotiations.

With the draft ending Saturday, the competition in the free-agent market figures to heat up quickly.

Jones said the team would like to get something resolved sooner rather than later.

“We’ve got a little bit of money to figure out what to do with Free and you don’t have to worry about us in free agency,” Jones said.

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 FM Tuesday that the team is looking at free agent tackle Eric Winston.

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The Cowboys are in the exploratory stages and have not opened contract talks with Winston.

"He's obviously somebody we're taking a look at," Jones said. "We certainly hadn't dismissed Doug (Free). We felt like when we went to rotating him and Jermey Parnell, he really picked up his game in terms of the competition, not to mention the fact I think he got some clarity as to what Bill Callahan was after. So I think there's some interesting prospects there between what we have and what we could get, and obviously the interior part of our line, the same thing holds true. We had some injuries, and after one year under Bill and what may happen in the draft, we'll just have to see what happens."

The Cowboys have options with Free. They can release him, which would open up $7 million in salary cap space after June 1, or offer him a pay cut.

Winston said in an interview on Sirius/XM that he is looking for a contract that averages $3-4 million per season. It's unknown if the Cowboys, with a little more than $5 million under the salary cap, are willing to go to that figure.

Of course, based on the best player available theme, the Cowboys might draft a tackle in the first round to compete for the starting right tackle spot.

The Doug Free watch continues with no news in sight.

Maybe no news is good news for the Cowboys right tackle. Or maybe it's bad news.

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Free struggled last season, and now it appears his status is under closer evaluation as we approach the NFL draft.

The Cowboys' front office knows it has to do something with Free, especially after he split playing time with Jermey Parnell during the 2012 season. When you compare Free to other tackles across the league, his financial numbers don't match the quality of play.

He's got the fourth-highest salary cap number for 2013 at $10.02 million. In 2014, if he's still around, his cap number jumps to $11.020 million, second-highest in the league at his position.

The Cowboys haven't said how they will rectify Free's status. However, the Cowboys could release Free, making him a post-June 1 cut and save $7 million. The team did this with defensive end Marcus Spears and saved $2 million that won't be on the books until June 1. However, if Free is released, the Cowboys will have $7 million in dead money to carry on their salary cap for 2014.

It's a high price to get rid of an underachieving player.

The flip side to keeping Free is to offer him a cut in pay, something he could accept to salvage his time with the franchise. Free could decline the paycut and enter a free-agent market that has been slow for veterans who hope to find new teams and big money.

"I think there's more to it without trying to talk in riddles," Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said at the NFL owners meetings recently. "There's more to it. That implies a decision after the draft on Free, and we may be doing things there with our offensive line before the draft, relative to Free."

The Cowboys had a discussion regarding free agent tackle Eric Winston but no visits or contract talks have occurred. Winston said recently on Sirius/XM radio he's looking for a contract worth $3 million to $4 million annually.

If that's the case, you might as well keep Free for that amount of money.

Of course, the Cowboys could wait until the draft and see if they can find someone willing to compete for a starting job with Parnell. There's nothing wrong with using young talent at the right tackle spot. The Cowboys are doing this now with Tyron Smith on the left side.

But at some point, a decision has to be made regarding Free.

"His skill is left tackle, as far as a lot of his value is concerned," Jones said of Free. "I could see us staying with him at his (salary cap) number. It’s not impossible, but I could see us staying at his number and sitting there with him or Parnell penciled in as the swing with Smith at left tackle and then going on out from there with the rest of the offensive line."

We're down to two for the national championship in college basketball and while we think about who wins between Michigan and Louisville, let's review our weekend mailbag.

Enjoy.

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Q: To: Mr. Cool Cat Watkins, with Doug Free being worth $7 million dollars is there any tackles on the market right now that we could sign and instantly upgrade the line? Eric Winston or Branden Albert are available or is that not a possibility? If not a tackle who should we sign if any? Long time reader first time writer. Brandon Fuller (Malibu, Calif.)

A: Based on what Free did last season, no he's not worth his contract and he most likely will get offered a paycut. If he refuses, then expect the Cowboys to move on. As much as they like Free he struggled last season under offensive coordinator Bill Callahan. The team wants Free to become more aggressive, a player who attacks defenders and too many times he failed to do that. He almost lost his starting job in 2012 and did play well on the backend of the year. When you evaluate his entire season, you begin to wonder if he's worth coming back. Albert was franchised, so it will cost you too much to give up to get him back from a financial and draft pick standpoint. Winston is a nice pickup, however, why get a veteran player. Stick with the draft and get a younger player to build with Tyron Smith on the other side.

Q: Calvin, is it "Set-in-Stone", that Anthony Spencer will be the starting defensive end? Maybe they can get a quality 4-3 DE in free agency or the draft. This will keep Spencer at OLB. Derrick (New Port Richey, Fla.)

A: Spencer is going to be the starting defensive end because he's more effective at that spot than playing outside linebacker in a 4-3. Monte Kiffin's defensive line warrants pass rushers at all four spots and this is where Spencer comes in. Spencer played a 4-3 defensive end in college and making the move back to it isn't a problem.

Q: I see that Ronde Barber is a free agent. What is the likelihood that we could nab him, before or after the draft? I have seen Ronde excel in that Tampa 2 and be a big ballhawk. He could help out with teaching the scheme to other players as well as produce turnovers in a limited role. I'm not sold on Kenny Vaccaro should Dallas draft him. So why not bolster the safety spot with a proven guy that can still produce and bring leadership and championship experience to a secondary that could clearly use it while we figure out what we have in Matt Johnson and Barry Church? This provided he comes cheap of course. Clayton Hice (Oklahoma City)

A: Clayton, you answered your own questions here: "provided he comes cheap of course." Barber, a solid player on the backside of his career, isn't coming on the cheap. It's ok if the Cowboys keep younger players at certain positions, especially safety. What has veteran players gotten them over the years? I do like what Gerald Sensabaugh provided them at times, but he didn't make enough plays on the ball. The Cowboys have Johnson, who displayed playmaking skills in college. So why not give him an opportunity?

So the Chiefs cut right tackle Eric Winston on Wednesday, probably because they've decided to take a tackle with the first pick in the draft. But this isn't a Chiefs blog. This is a Cowboys blog, peopled by fans of America's Team. So why are we talking about this?

Because whenever a player of whom fans have heard gets cut in the middle of his contract, one of the first questions fans immediately ask is, "Should [my team] try to sign [this player that was just cut in the middle of his contract]?" And if you cheer for the Cowboys, and the player in question is Winston, the answer is yes.

It amazes me sometimes, the similarities our four NFC East teams can share. They all need help in the secondary, for instance, and they all need help on the right side of the offensive line. So here's a quickie rundown of why the Cowboys should kick the tires on this 29-year-old offensive lineman who is allowed to sign any time.

Dallas Cowboys

Obviously, the Doug Free contract is a huge bust and the Cowboys need a right tackle. They need guard help, too, but a right tackle is a fine place to start. Sadly for the Cowboys, they're too tight up against the cap to really compete for a free agent if that free agent is going to draw interest from multiple teams. I still think they address this in the draft.

HOUSTON – The Texans were 1 yard away from getting back in the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

“They ain’t getting in. Period,” nose tackle Jay Ratliff recalled thinking.

Ratliff was right. The Texans actually moved backwards 11 yards before settling for a field goal, the equivalent of waving a white flag for a team that was down two touchdowns at the time.

The Cowboys stuffed Arian Foster on first and second downs. Linebacker Keith Brooking committed pass interference against tight end Owen Daniels in the end zone on third down, a penalty that was offset by a holding call on Houston right tackle Eric Winston.

Brooking redeemed himself the next play, coming free on a blitz from the offense’s right side to sack Matt Schaub and essentially seal the Cowboys’ first win of the season. Credit Wade Phillips for scheming to bring six, with no blocker touching Brooking.

“The goal-line stand arguably was the most significant thing in the ballgame,” Jerry Jones said. “That’s a guaranteed momentum changer.”