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IRVING, Texas -- Inside linebacker Bruce Carter has been able to get all of the first-team snaps with the Cowboys’ defense during the organized team activities in part because free-agent pickup Dan Connor is not cleared to practice because of offseason shoulder surgery.

Connor, who signed a two-year deal with the Cowboys in March, had surgery after last season ended in Carolina. He will be ready to go when training camp begins on July 30 in Oxnard, Calif.

Connor is one of five players coming off shoulder surgeries, a group which includes cornerback Mike Jenkins, running back Felix Jones, safety Barry Church and linebacker Alex Albright.

Church is the only one cleared to take part in the OTAs and split the first-team strong safety duties with Brodney Pool. Jenkins, Jones and Albright are all expected to be ready for training camp.

Connor’s absence will give Carter more practice time. Last summer Carter, a second-round pick in 2011, missed training camp and the first six regular-season games while coming back from knee surgery. He played mostly a special teams role for the final 10 games. He had eight special teams stops and one on defense to go with a pass deflection.

Nose tackle Jay Ratliff is not taking part in the OTAs yet because of a foot injury, while guard/center Kevin Kowalski and offensive tackle Jermey Parnell are slowed by ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively.

During a podcast with NFL Network's Rich Eisen scheduled to air Thursday, The Triplets -- Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin -- talked about the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Super Bowl title, the first for Jerry Jones, and various other subjects.

Smith, the Hall of Famer and NFL's career leading rusher with 18,355 yards, likes the Cowboys' running backs but made some interesting comments about backup Felix Jones.

"And then when you look at the running back corps, they have two good guys – very good guys – and either one of them can shoulder the load and shoulder the burden at any point in time," Smith said. "We need Felix Jones to step up because we know DeMarco Murray can make it happen. We need Felix to step up a little bit – that’s a true statement."

Now, let's repeat, Smith said the Cowboys, "have two good guys, very good guys" as running backs. Yet his comments about Jones are worth looking into.

When you look back on that 2008 draft, we can think about at least five running backs selected after Jones who have produced better numbers. Jones has rushed for 2,326 yards on 458 carries. He's got only eight rushing touchdowns. By the way the five backs we thought about were Rashard Mendenhall, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles. When the Cowboys drafted Jones, it was mainly to back up Marion Barber.

But do you really waste a first-round pick on a backup?

Jones is a terrific running back, someone who can make defenders miss in space. He doesn't have the speed of, say, Johnson, but he's a running back who is hard to chase down at times.

The Cowboys have always described Jones as a complementary back and with good reason. He backed up Barber since he came into the NFL and when given the chance to become the full-time starter last season, he lost the gig to DeMarco Murray due to injury.

Jones has played 16 games in a season only once in his career.

Yes, running back is a tough position and few teams go with just one back, but Jones' durability is something that has been an issue for him throughout his career.

And as he enters the final year of his contract, you begin to wonder if he'll get a second deal with the Cowboys.

The NFL announced recently that teams can have up to 90 players on their roster heading into training camp.

With the Cowboys adding cornerback Akwasi Owusu-Ansah on Tuesday, they have 88 players on their roster and more are on the way as the team is expected to sign some players who tried out last weekend at Valley Ranch.

But the free-agency period is still ongoing and it begs a question: Should the Cowboys sign a veteran free agent?

We look at three positions that could use a veteran.

Wide receiver: The starters are Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, talented and explosive players. The No. 3 receiver is uncertain. There's a gaggle of players battling for the final three receiver spots, leading with the underachieving Kevin Ogletree, but the Cowboys drafted Danny Coale from Virginia Tech in the fifth round as a possible slot receiver. Signing a veteran could help bolster this unit, considering how Bryant and Austin battled injuries last season. Patrick Crayton comes to mind, but it's doubtful the Cowboys would go back to the talkative receiver, especially after he asked for a trade when Bryant was drafted. Jerheme Urban is another possibility but it's not known if the Cowboys like his skill set.

Running back: This position, like wide receiver, is a strength for the Cowboys. DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones are a solid 1-2 punch. Phillip Tanner can play special teams and get some snaps as a No. 3 runner, but all three running backs were injured at some point last year. Murray didn't finish the season, needing surgery to repair a broken ankle. You can't have four running backs on the roster, yet signing someone such as Patrick Cobbs (North Texas) to mainly play special teams and become an insurance policy might be a good move. Ronnie Brown, a former first-round pick, while he might not play special teams, is someone to look at too.

Punter: Chris Jones is the favorite to win the job, but Mat McBriar, who is a free agent, is recovering from leg surgery. There's some uncertainty regarding McBriar's availability for teams, because some might want him to prove he can punt after recovering from surgery. McBriar should be ready to kick in training camp. Daniel Sepulveda (Baylor) punted with Pittsburgh last season and in eight games had a 40.6 net average. If Jones struggles and McBriar is unavailable due to health or signing with another team, getting a veteran such as Sepulveda might be worthwhile.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys have four picks in the top 113, and with those selections Jason Garrett hopes to land three eventual starters and a solid role player.

“Our objective independent of this year would be to in the first round, the second round and the third round have guys who can be starting players for you,” Garrett said. “Now, are they Day 1 starters? You can’t say that. Nobody can say that, but at some point in their careers you would like to think that they’re a starter, and the sooner the better. Now, if you can get in the fourth round and start getting a starter player, maybe he’s a younger player who needs time to develop but can be a starter down the road, you get four of them. Or maybe that fourth-round player is a [special] teams’ guy. Maybe he has a particular role and will never be an every-down player but he has a role for you that’s fairly defined.

“And then when you get in the fifth, sixth and seventh [rounds], I think you’re looking for players with special traits. Again, maybe a role for your team or maybe a guy who isn’t ready to play but maybe has the measurables and the makeup and you think down the road can be a player for you in a given role or maybe even as a starter. But your expectations are certainly first- and second-round players are starters for you sooner rather than later. You would like to be able to say that about the third round or a really defined role and the fourth round starts to get a little bit different than that, but we’re all optimistic enough or maybe naïve enough to think that we can judge these players and order them in a certain way that they can help our football team in some way, shape or form as starters or as significant role players now or in the future.”

Using that criteria, the Cowboys' projected starting lineup in 2012 has 10 starters picked by the Cowboys from Rounds 1-3: Dez Bryant (2010), Tyron Smith (2011), Jason Witten (2003), DeMarco Murray (2011), Jason Hatcher (2006), Anthony Spencer (2007), Sean Lee (2010), DeMarcus Ware (2005) Bruce Carter (2011) and Mike Jenkins (2007). The fourth round led the Cowboys to Doug Free (2006) and the seventh round led to Jay Ratliff (2005).

Felix Jones and Marcus Spears, first rounders in 2007 and '05 respectively, should play large roles in sub packages.

Bill Polian knows something about drafting NFL players. He's a six-time NFL Executive of the Year and was a GM for three teams: Buffalo, Carolina and Indianapolis.

Today, Polian -- who's now an ESPN analyst -- ranked which teams are the best at identifying and drafting talent since 2009. The Cowboys don't rank very high.

Polian is impressed with the Cowboys taking Sean Lee (2010, second round, though Cowboys had first-round grade) and Tyron Smith (2011 first-round pick) in the draft.

Both are starters.

Yet Polian writes, "There is more work to do here. The last two drafts were good but there is room for improvement."

Depth is an issue for the Cowboys and if you look at some recent first-round picks (Felix Jones and Anthony Spencer), you have to question the decision-making because neither player is elite.

Here's the rest of Polian's column. You have to have an ESPN Insider account to check it out.

IRVING, Texas -- As the Cowboys look toward 2012, running back Felix Jones figures to play a prominent role.

Responding to an ESPN Dallas story on Tuesday that stated the team had “internal discussions” about trading Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones said, “No discussions – or speculation – on the possibility of a trade involving Felix Jones have ever taken place among individuals in this organization who would have the authority to explore such a scenario. Any reports of apparent internal discussions along those lines would involve people who have no input or relevance in the process.”

Jones, one of the team’s two first-round picks in 2008, is entering the final year of his contract.

He missed four games in 2011 with a high ankle sprain and finished the year with 575 yards on 125 carries and one touchdown. He had three 100-yard games, including back-to-back efforts in December after regaining the every-down back role following DeMarco Murray's broken ankle. Jones also caught 33 passes for 221 yards.

The NFL draft is a little more than two weeks away, and whom the Cowboys select over those three days could have a profound effect on the roster.

Here are five players who might get cut because of draft selections:

1. Kenyon Coleman. The Cowboys save $1.9 million with his release, but he's a trusted veteran and was one of two players defensive coordinator Rob Ryan brought to the team to help with his scheme. There are some younger players on the roster (Sean Lissemore, Clifton Geathers) who might be of more value during to the team than Coleman. If the Cowboys draft a defensive end in the early rounds, Coleman is a possible cut.

2. Felix Jones. Yes, Felix Jones. The Cowboys were interested in Boise State running back Doug Martin, but he wasn't able to visit Valley Ranch for a pre-draft visit because of last week's storms. Jones isn't a feature back -- in fact, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett continues to call him a complementary running back -- and the team did have internal discussions about trading him. If the Cowboys find a younger version, it wouldn't surprise anyone if he's let go. DeMarco Murray, Phillip Tanner and quite possibly a draft pick doesn't make the Cowboys significantly younger, but it does give them some fresh legs. Jones, like Marion Barber and Julius Jones before him, might need a fresh start somewhere else.

3. Marcus Spears. He's been nothing but a good soldier. He took less money, based on the NFL salary structure, two seasons ago. Meanwhile, backups Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher made more. Spears was finally rewarded with a new contract last year, but he might be sent packing with the Cowboys seeking to go younger along the defensive line. Spears had a solid season, yet it depends on Ryan and if he values Coleman more.

4. Phil Costa. If the Cowboys don't draft a guard, getting a center at No. 14 or in the early stages of Round 2, is a possibility. Costa wasn't that bad, but he wasn't great. And if the Cowboys find a bigger center, it might be time to move on. Kevin Kowalski impressed the coaches in his limited action at center and he also has the versatility to play guard.

5. Kevin Ogletree. It was a surprise he re-signed considering his underachieving play the last two seasons. But among the backup receivers, he's got the most experience behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. However, if the Cowboys draft a wideout in the late rounds or find an undrafted free agent, maybe Ogletree gets pushed out at some point during training camp.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- What we learned (or didn't) after the Cowboys have departed the NFL owner's meetings:

PODCAST
Deion Sanders says that Jason Garrett is not the reason the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs. Deion says that the biggest need for the Cowboys is a solid pass rush. Listen

1. With the postseason overtime rules moving to the regular season, the Cowboys had two games -- at San Francisco and at Washington -- where field goals wouldn't have won the game. The Cowboys got a game-winning field goal of 19 yards from Dan Bailey to beat the 49ers, and Bailey made a 39-yarder at Washington. Who knows how Jason Garrett would have managed the game if these new OT rules were in place ...

2. It seems the Cowboys want to draft defense with the 14th pick of the first round. Jerry Jones hinted that drafting a cornerback isn't out of the question, and that's a good thing. The Cowboys have weapons on offense -- Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, Felix Jones and a stud tackle in Tyron Smith. Fixing the defense is very important to this team, especially in the secondary.

3. Jerry Jones isn't sure what Bill Parcells is going to do, but he has a feeling the old coach will return. Parcells retired from coaching after the 2006 season. He was tired. He felt the Cowboys were good enough to beat Seattle -- which they didn't -- but that they also could have went to Chicago and won the divisional round game. The way the Cowboys lost, with Tony Romo fumbling a potential game-winning field goal vs. the Seahawks, took a lot out of him. If Parcells had lasted one more season -- Wade Phillips took over in 2007 -- maybe the Cowboys would've won a playoff game.

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber ended his career Friday when he announced his retirement from the NFL at age 28.

It was classic Barber: No news conference, just a statement through his team -- the Chicago Bears.

For a few years, Barber was a force with the Cowboys, who gave him a seven-year, $45 million contract in 2008. At the time, it was deemed the right move because the franchise was moving on from Julius Jones.

Then, Barber started to break down.

His bruising style began to catch up to him. He never lost his starting job but it was clear that he wasn't the same despite leading the team in rushing for three consecutive seasons (2007-09).

Routine 5-yard runs turned into 2-yard runs. He didn't have the same explosviness as in years past. Thigh, toe and knee issues cost him games and his ability to run people over.

His teammates loved his style and that he gave up so much of his body.

But after six seasons and 4,358 rushing yards, sixth-most in franchise history, it was just time for the Cowboys to move on. Felix Jones took over this season and now he's been replaced by DeMarco Murray as the starting running back.

For as much as people want to replace Tony Romo around here (I find the talk silly), looking for Emmitt Smith's replacement seems harder to do more than anything else.

There is a long list of starters the Cowboys have employed to replace the all-time rushing leader, and it will grow again in 2012. Barber was supposed to be one of those players, but it didn't end that way.

We're not sure what the Dallas Cowboys are going to do when the draft comes around in late April, but we've seen positive things in the first three days of free agency.

PODCAST
ESPN NFL analyst Herm Edwards dishes on what he saw when he drafted Brandon Carr in the fifth round, how he'll fit in with Rob Ryan's defense and more. Listen

It started with cornerback Brandon Carr and his five-year $50.1 million deal. Carr is an upgrade over Terence Newman, who struggled the last two months of the season.

Carr can play man-to-man, and the Cowboys believe he can make plays on the ball, something that was missing in the Cowboys' secondary last year.

You can say the Cowboys overpaid for Carr, but his contract is what the market pays.

An undervalued position is fullback and the team got the better player in signing Lawrence Vickers from the Houston Texans. There was much praise for Tony Fiammetta's work in 2011. But a hamstring and later an inner ear infection cost him games. The Cowboys want players who play, not players who sit in the trainers' room.

Vickers is a physical presence who the team will use 10-to-14 snaps a game. If DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones loved how Fiammetta blocked, wait until they see Vickers.

Jon Kitna was past his prime and his back issues forced him to retire. Stephen McGee just isn't a No. 2 quarterback in this league. So the Cowboys did the right thing by signing Kyle Orton, a player the team laid a claim on last season.

Orton has been a starter in the NFL, and Garrett said he's confident he can win games with him if Tony Romo gets injured.

Another solid pickup was inside linebacker Dan Connor. He replaces aging veterans Keith Brooking and Bradie James to back up Sean Lee. He's not going to start, Bruce Carter is the future, but one thing Garrett likes to have on his team is competition. If Connor challenges Carter for a starting job, then so be it.

The Cowboys also gained younger and more experienced players along the offensive line in signing Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau.

Depth along the offensive line is improved.

So all that's left in the draft is to find the best player available.

The Cowboys, despite signing Brodney Pool, could draft a safety and maybe a wide receiver in the first two days of the draft.

Things are looking up at Valley Ranch as the offseason moves get under way.

Before free agency starts, we've decided to give you the base salaries and cap numbers for the projected returning members of the Cowboys.

These financial figures might change next week as the Cowboys begin the process of restructuring deals to get more cap room.

Have fun.



Notes: Miles Austin and DeMarcus Ware restructured their deals to lower their cap numbers for 2011 and Tony Romo restructured his deal last season to get lower cap numbers for 2011 and 2012. The following players are due either roster, workout or option bonuses this year: Ware ($500,000 workout), Ratliff ($500,000 workout), Bryant ($1.4 million roster and $250,000 workout), Coleman ($100,000 workout), Carter ($50,000 workout), Murray (25,000 workout), Lee ($510,000 roster), Arkin ($20,000 workout), Chapas ($7,000 workout) and Harris ($10,000 workout). Tyron Smith gets $3.7 million from deferred money on March 15. Anthony Spencer was tagged at $8.8 million but he hasn't signed the tender yet.

The following players enter the 2012 season in the last year of their contracts: Felix Jones, Kenyon Coleman, Mike Jenkins, LP Ladouceur, Stephen McGee, Victor Butler, David Buehler, John Phillips, Barry Church, Phil Costa and Danny McCray.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As currently constructed, the Dallas Cowboys have 19 players scheduled to count more than $1 million against the 2012 salary cap.

Cornerback Terence Newman is slated to count $8.016 million against the cap, but the veteran could be released in order to create more room to sign players. If the Cowboys want to count Newman as a “June 1” cut and spread the salary-cap hit out over two years, they will have to wait until March 13 to release him.

The list does not include free agent linebacker Anthony Spencer. If the Cowboys decide to use the franchise tag on Spencer, then he would count $8.8 million against the cap in 2012. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones did not rule out the possibility of signing Spencer to a multi-year deal, but that does not appear likely.

DeMarcus Ware has the highest cap figure at $10.301 million, followed by Tony Romo and Doug Free at $8.060 million apiece. Orlando Scandrick is scheduled to count $7.7 million as part of the extension he signed last summer.

The Cowboys have structured the contracts of Free and Scandrick in such a way that they could dramatically reduce their cap figures to create around $8.6 million in cap room.

I've gone back and forth on the comments made by Jason Hatcher about a lack of leaders in the Cowboys locker room.

PODCAST
ESPN NFL analyst Darren Woodson responds to Jason Hatcher's comments about the Cowboys needing a vocal leader in the locker room. Listen

Hatcher said the Cowboys need more Ray Lewis-type leaders. Lewis commands the Baltimore Ravens locker room.

He's the pulse of the team. When he speaks people listen. Reporters seek him out for what goes right and wrong. He doesn't hide.

After Baltimore's Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal against New England in the AFC Championship game, Lewis gave an inspiring speech in the locker room after the loss.

Lewis told his teammates not to worry, life will go on. He didn't blame Cundiff for the loss.

It was a wonderful message.

Not everybody can do that.

Prior to Hatcher's comments, Lewis was at the Pro Bowl speaking about a conversation he had with nose tackle Jay Ratliff and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware about leadership.

Apparently, Ratliff and Ware wanted to know how Lewis does it.

The Cowboys don't need any of their players to be Ray Lewis. If Ware and Ratliff try to act like Lewis, they come off as phonies.

Ware and Ratliff should continue to act accordingly.

Do the Cowboys have a leadership issue?

It depends on how you define it.

Tony Romo led the offseason workouts last summer. He sent out a mass e-mail to teammates telling them get to an area high school to workout.

Early in the 2011 season, Romo had to basically tell Dez Bryant what to do in the huddle. Romo never mentioned it. He just kept doing it until Bryant grew more comfortable with the offensive playbook.

Bryant even noted how Laurent Robinson's and Jason Witten's professionalism helped him on the field.

Tony Fiammetta's play at fullback showed rookie running back DeMarco Murray about how to play the game as well.

Felix Jones kept his cool and praised Murray when he took over the starting running back spot from him after he got hurt.

When Bradie James and Keith Brooking lost playing time both veterans asked for special teams snaps to help the team.

Mike Jenkins played with a dislocated shoulder for the bulk of the season. It was so bad, Jenkins couldn't lift his shoulder above his head. Gerald Sensabaugh took a pain injection to play every game, but didn't for practice and worked out in pain. Kyle Kosier played with a foot problem that he walked around the locker room like Fred Sanford.

Let's not talk about what Romo played through, fractured rib, punctured lung and swollen hand, in 2011.

Not everybody can yell and scream and tell inspiring stories and quote bible scriptures like Ray Lewis.

Leadership comes in different ways.

One thing this Cowboys team must do is win. It can't allow the New York Giants to continue winning in Cowboys Stadium. The Giants have never lost there.

When the team goes though tough times, it can't hide from reporters in the locker room each week and rely on the same old players to speak about the issues.

Every player needs to be accountable.

The Cowboys need to finish off opponents. Too many times in the 2011 season they didn't finish teams off.

Is that because of leadership?

I don't know.

Maybe they don't know to finish or lead and that's why Hatcher said what he said. He was being honest and you can't get mad at a man for being honest.

Leadership is also about honestly and maybe in his own subtle way, Hatcher was showing that by telling the truth about his team.

It's something the Cowboys need to address this summer.

This is the second-part of a 12-part series on the Cowboys roster. Today we look at the running backs.


Players: Felix Jones (signed through 2012), Tony Fiammetta (free agent), Shaun Chapas (signed through 2014), Sammy Morris (free agent), Chauncey Washington (free agent), DeMarco Murray (signed through 2014), Phillip Tanner (signed through 2013).

Top free agents: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears; Arian Foster, Houston Texans; Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns; Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks; Ray Rice, Baltimore

Top draft prospects: Trent Richardson, Alabama; Lamar Miller, Miami (FL); David Wilson, Virginia Tech; LaMichael James, Oregon; Doug Martin, Boise State.

2011 review: The season started off with uncertainty as Jones took over the starting role after Marion Barber was released. An injury to Jones opened the door for Murray, a rookie, who set a franchise record with a 253-yard rushing performance against St. Louis. Murray's season ended with a fractured ankle, but he rushed for 897 yards. He will become the starter in 2012 and Jones will go back to coming off the bench. Murray is the future and has the skills and mindset to have a bigger season. Fiammetta burst onto the scene as a strong fullback that cleared the way for Murray and Jones to pick up big yards. Tanner has a future as Murray's backup but must have a strong training camp to make the roster again.

Offseason preview: Should the Cowboys consider trading Jones this offseason? It's hard to accomplish a trade with Jones entering the final year of his contract. The Cowboys should explore whether a fourth-or fifth-round pick is available for the former first-round pick. The team doesn't trust Jones to become a 20-down back in the NFL. He's a solid backup, which leads us to Tanner. He should compete with Jones for more playing time. If he makes the roster, he should get more game-day carries and special teams snaps. The Cowboys need to re-sign Fiammetta to maintain the chemistry he developed with Murray. Fiammetta was the glue to a solid running attack in the middle of the season. If Fiammetta's health issues (inner ear infection) are solved, then his return should be considered a positive.

Bryan Broaddus' Scout's Eye: Running back will be a position of strength for the Cowboys going into the 2012 season. Murray was outstanding when given the opportunity to start for the club, which allowed Jones to return to the role for which he is better suited -- backup off the bench. Tanner was a nice fit as a third back who contributes on special teams -- a role that Jerry Jones likes.

The learning curve for Murray was not that steep and he was able to do things as a pass protector that allowed him to stay on the field for more than two downs. The Cowboys were a different offense with Murray in the lineup, and Garrett was a better playcaller. If the Cowboys try to upgrade the position, it will most likely be for Tanner, but he will be tough to replace. I don't see the club using a draft pick on this spot unless it's late and it's a height, weight and speed player with high-quality traits.

Need meter (0-5): 2.

This is the fifth installment in ESPN Dallas' five-part series on things that went right for the Dallas Cowboys in 2011.

No. 1: DeMarco Murray emerges as the No. 1 running back

DeMarco Murray’s season started with two carries for no yards at the New York Jets on Sept. 11, 2011 and ended because of a fractured ankle on his fifth carry of the game on Dec. 11 against the New York Giants.

Murray didn’t rush for 1,000 yards. He ran for only two touchdowns. But he changed the Cowboys’ season in 2011 and gives them a ton of hope for 2012.

The Cowboys chose Murray in the third round out of Oklahoma with the idea that he would split time with Felix Jones, but he arrived at training camp with a hamstring that would force him to miss al but one preseason game

It wasn’t until Jones suffered a high ankle sprain on Oct. 16 at New England that Murray took off. He didn’t start the next game against St. Louis but he finished it with a franchise-record 253 yards on 25 carries. He had a 91-yard touchdown run.

Over the next six weeks he would carry the ball at least 20 times in five times. He posted games of 139 and 135 yards. The Cowboys went on a four-game winning streak with Jason Garrett calling a more balanced game of run and pass.

His season ended with the fractured ankle against the Giants and the Cowboys lost three of their last four without him.

The final numbers are impressive: 164 carries, 897 yards. He also caught 26 passes for 183 yards.

In 2012 Murray will get the chance to prove he is closer to the franchise back he looked like before the injury than the next Julius Jones, who could not turn his rookie year success into long-term success.

The Cowboys are banking on it.