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The 2011 season was not the most, well, beastly season in NFC East history. It was the first time in a full, 16-game season that no team in the division won at least 10 games, and for much of the year the talk around the division was that it wasn't what it used to be.

Buncha baloney if you ask me. Even forgetting for a second that an NFC East team won the Super Bowl, this division still does one very important thing better than any other: rush the passer. The NFC East's 181 sacks led all NFL divisions in 2011, and by quite a bit. (The AFC North, which had three playoff teams, was second with 160). The Eagles tied for the league lead with 50. The Giants tied for third with 48. The Cowboys tied for seventh with 42, and the Redskins tied for 10th with 41.

Look deeper, into the film-based, number-crunching stats from Pro Football Focus -- stats that take into account more than just sacks when evaluating the extent to which teams rushed, hassled and affected opposing quarterbacks, and the division still rules. The Eagles rank No. 1 in PFF's 2011 team rankings, the Cowboys No. 3, the Giants No. 6 and the Redskins No. 9. No division prizes this critical aspect of the game more than the NFC East does, and it shows up in the numbers.

So, as we slug our way through a slow news month in the NFC East, I thought it'd be a good idea to check in on the pass rushes of our four teams and see how they're doing -- what they've done to get better or worse, what their 2012 prospects look like from this far out and yes, how they rank against each other. You guys asked for more polls, and I promised I'd listen, so there's one right here for you to vote on. After you finish reading, of course. I'm addressing them in order of how many sacks they got in 2011, in case you're wondering how I decided. Seemed fair.

Philadelphia Eagles

Key contributors: DE Trent Cole, DE Jason Babin, DT Cullen Jenkins. PFF ranked Cole the No. 1 overall 4-3 defensive end in the league last year. Babin ranked 10th overall and third in pass rush, finishing third in the league with 18 sacks. Jenkins ranked as the No. 4 pass-rushing defensive tackle, and Derek Landri was No. 10. Defensive line coach Jim Washburn and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, each of whom is entering his second season in his current position with the Eagles, believe the front four is responsible for the pass rush. And while they got a lot of publicity for how wide they like to line up their defensive ends, they like to get pressure from the defensive tackles as well.

Newcomer: DT Fletcher Cox. The Eagles traded up in the first round to pick Cox because they believed he could be an impact pass-rusher from one of those interior spots right away. They need to toughen up against the run, and that will have to be part of Cox's game. But what appealed to them was his ability to get to the passer. Rookie linebacker Mychal Kendricks could conceivably factor in here too, but the Eagles don't ask their linebackers to rush very much in the new scheme.

Stock watch: UP. The addition of Cox, as well as the possible return to full health of Mike Patterson and 2010 first-round pick Brandon Graham, give the Eagles incredible depth at a position at which they were already very strong in 2011. It's possible they'll rush the passer even better in 2012.

New York Giants

Key contributors: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DE Justin Tuck, DE Osi Umenyiora, DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka. No one's roster goes as deep as the Giants' does in terms of star-caliber defensive ends. Pierre-Paul was fourth in the league with 16.5 sacks in just his second NFL season. Umenyiora had nine in just nine games. Tuck turned it on at the end and in the playoffs, and Kiwanuka is a defensive end playing linebacker. The Giants believe a strong pass rush is their heritage and their key to being an annual contender.

Newcomer: DT Marvin Austin. The Giants didn't really bring in anyone this offseason who looks like a 2012 pass-rush contributor, but their 2011 second-round pick missed all of last season due to injury, so we'll call him a newcomer. The Giants would like to get more help from inside. Linval Joseph was their best pass-rushing defensive tackle in 2011, according to PFF's rankings. A healthy Austin could be a difference-maker.

Stock watch: DOWN. Not by much, but a little, because of the loss of reliable, underrated reserve DE Dave Tollefson. If Tuck and Umenyiora have injury problems again, or if Umenyiora holds out, they could get kind of thin at defensive end pretty quickly without Tollefson there to fill in this time. Now, this is the Giants, and they'll probably figure it out. The addition of linebacker Keith Rivers could allow them to move Kiwanuka back to end in case of injury. But it's worth pointing out that they did lose a somewhat important piece of the pass rush and didn't replace him.

Dallas Cowboys

Key contributors: LB DeMarcus Ware, LB Anthony Spencer, DE Jason Hatcher, NT Jay Ratliff. There's no one like Ware, who rang up another 19.5 sacks in 2011. That's nearly half the team total, and the conventional wisdom says he needs more help. But PFF ranked Spencer its 11th-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the pass rush and Hatcher as its eighth-best 3-4 pass-rushing defensive end. Add in Ratliff, who can generate pressure up the middle, and the Cowboys look better in this area than we tend to think.

Newcomer: DE Tyrone Crawford. Dallas' third-round pick is looked at by many as a project, but as one that can eventually help with the pass rush whether he ends up as a 3-4 end or standing up as an outside linebacker. Whether he can help in 2012 remains a question, but the Cowboys didn't see a first-round or second-round pass-rusher they liked better than Spencer, so they focused on the secondary instead and picked up some down-the-road guys for the pass rush.

Stock watch: EVEN. They're bringing back basically the same group, and while there's a theory that the improvements at defensive back will help the pass rush by giving it extra time to get sacks, we have yet to see that in action. Spencer must play with more aggressiveness if this unit is to take a step forward into the upper tier with the Eagles and Giants.

Washington Redskins

Key contributors: LB Brian Orakpo, LB Ryan Kerrigan, DE Stephen Bowen. The Redskins' pass rush is all about those young outside linebackers, and they are fearsome. But with only 16.5 sacks between them in 2011, their numbers have a ways to go to get into the big-time stratosphere we're talking about in the NFC East. PFF did rank Orakpo fifth and Kerrigan ninth among pass-rushing 3-4 OLBs in 2011, so they do a lot of things well in that area. Bowen had six sacks and DE Adam Carriker came up with 5.5.

Newcomer: DE Jarvis Jenkins. Just as we did with the Giants, we'll go with a 2011 second-round pick who missed his rookie season due to injury. Jenkins may not be a pass-rusher, but adding him to the defensive line rotation could help free up more room for the linebackers and maybe help the other linemen get to the passer more often as well.

Stock watch: EVEN. This is really all about how much and how quickly Orakpo and especially Kerrigan continue to develop as elite pass-rushers. They've both shown flashes of incredible raw ability, and they have to continue to hone their craft so they can play at the level of the other pass-rushers in their division. Ware, Cole, Pierre-Paul and the rest of these guys are setting a high bar, and the Redskins know they have to have their own pass-rush monsters if they want to hang with them year in and year out.

One common theme was coming from several defensive players at the Cowboys' annual golf outing Wednesday afternoon: The defense is better.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said the defense is good, adding that a full offseason during which he can go back to basics should curtail communication problems.

His players agreed.

"The mistakes we did make are on tape now and we can correct now," outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said.

The Cowboys' defense finished 14th overall and 23rd against the pass in 2011.

Upgrading the talent -- signing Brandon Carr, Brodney Pool and Dan Connor in free agency, and drafting cornerback Morris Claiborne -- should help.

The Cowboys also drafted two pass-rushers -- DE Tyrone Crawford in the third round and OLB Kyle Wilber in the fourth.

"I like it. Anybody who can come in and help us right away, I'm pleased with it," defensive end Jason Hatcher said. "We've got a lot of work to do. Claiborne has got to come in and prove himself, (and) when he proves himself (and) we jell as a defense, we'll be ready to go."

Of course, nobody really knows how the talent upgrades will work because everyone across the league signs and drafts players with the hope of getting better.

The secondary, once a weakness for the Cowboys, appears to be a strength for the 2012 season. The projected starters are Brandon Carr and Claiborne with former Pro Bowler Mike Jenkins and slot corner Orlando Scandrick coming in on passing downs.

With NFL teams using more three- and four-receiver sets, the need for extra cornerbacks is important, which is something the Cowboys have stressed this offseason. It's part of their reason for keeping Jenkins around.

Jerry Jones wants Jenkins long term, but it seems the corner is concerned about his role.

If Jenkins remains with the Cowboys in 2012 -- and there's no reason to believe he won't -- the secondary will have some solid players covering opposing receivers.

"I think it's a good group of guys," Carr said. "There's going to be some competition this year, and competition makes everybody elevate their game. That’s all you can ask for as a player and as a teammate, just guys being accountable and getting that next person to that next level."

Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher has switched agents, leaving Bus Cook for Dallas-based Jordan Woy.

Recently, Woy signed Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who left Roosevelt Barnes.

Cook, by the way, is the agent for first-round pick Morris Claiborne.

What this means for Hatcher in the short-term is uncertain. Last year, Hatcher signed a three-year $6 million contract with the Cowboys with an $1.8 million signing bonus. Hatcher is scheduled to get $1.5 million in base salary in 2012.

In 2011, Hatcher had his best season with the Cowboys. He finished with a career-high 28 tackles, the most since his 27 in 2007, and also had a career-high 4.5 sacks. Hatcher also started 10 games and is the projected starter at right end for 2012.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys had an obvious need for help on the defensive line, which is part of the reason why they drafted Tyrone Crawford in the third round Friday.

The Cowboys want to generate more pass rush from their line and Crawford’s biggest strength is getting to the quarterback.

But the Cowboys also had a need because of age.

Their top four defensive linemen will be at least 29 by the time the season starts, and Marcus Spears, the 29-year-old, is entering his eighth season. Kenyon Coleman is 33. Jay Ratliff will be 31 in August. Jason Hatcher will be 30 in July.

The Cowboys also have Sean Lissemore, who turns 25 in September, Josh Brent (24) and Clifton Geathers (24).

“We like what has happened with Geathers,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “Of course, he’s a bigger guy and Lissemore you know about that. Again, we’d like one of those guys at that position on the come all the time. Our third round says the guy you draft is not necessarily a starter now but has a chance to move into a starter in the future. [Crawford] fits that profile.”

Crawford turns 23 in November.

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.

SI's Peter King looks at the NFL Draft in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback and mentions how LSU defensive tackle/end Michael Brockers has visited numerous teams.

Brockers visited the Cowboys earlier this month. He's projected as a player who might get drafted in the teens. With the Cowboys drafting at No. 14, there's a chance they could take him. The Cowboys also got a visit from Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox, but it's believed he won't get out of the Top 10.

Most mock drafts have Dallas taking either Stanford guard David DeCastro or safety Mark Barron from Alabama. But what about Brockers?

And while the Cowboys could use some improvement along the offensive line by selecting DeCastro and moving him in at right guard or finding a playmaking safety in Barron, there's nothing wrong with improving the pass rush.

Brockers can be inserted at defensive end and on passing situations can move inside and be a good pairing with Jay Ratliff.

Drafting Brockers would mean either Marcus Spears or Kenyon Coleman would be sent packing.

Brockers, 21, could join a younger group in Sean Lissemore (24), Clifton Geathers (24) and Josh Brent (24). That would be four defensive linemen under 25 to match up with Ratliff, who turns 31 in August, and Jason Hatcher, who reaches 30 in July.

Youth is always important and the Cowboys picking Brockers might be the best thing for them.

Here's what Scouts Inc. had to say about Brockers' quickness: "Very good first-step quickness for size. Consistently gains initial penetration and is very disruptive. Can improve his hand usage but has the quick, violent hands to do so."

SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Jason Hatcher caused a little bit of a ruckus earlier in the offseason when he said on ESPN Dallas Radio’s “Ben and Skin Show” that he was not sure who the Cowboys' leaders were and that the team needed a more vocal leader.

Seven-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten respectfully disagrees.

“I don’t want to speak for anybody but we’ve got plenty of leaders,” Witten said after an appearance at a Southlake Dunkin Donuts. “We’ve been in more situations where there’s been more players-only meetings and that. The bottom line is that we’ve got to go and play better and win ballgames and find a way to do that. I think you do that by sticking together. I think you do that when you have a strong group of six, eight, 10 guys, whatever it is. Jay Ratliff, DeMarcus Ware, Miles Austin, of course [Tony] Romo and you add young guys in there that are big-time players."

Romo’s decision to sit out next month’s U.S. Open local qualifier has been viewed by some as a sign of a more serious approach by the quarterback and the team.

“I don’t think anybody ever doubted his dedication, but I do think there’s a perception that goes along with that,” Witten said. “That’s never taken anything away from what he’s done on the football field. He’s the first one in. He’s the last one to leave. He’s been that way for a long time. I believe he puts us in position to be successful. He’s an elite quarterback but until he wins a championship and we do that, the critics are going to come. But the best thing about him is he’s so far past that that he knows he’s got one goal and he’s all in to do that.”

While the offseason program officially began Monday, a majority of the players had been working out at the Cowboys’ Valley Ranch facility for more than a month prior. Witten said the season-ending loss to the New York Giants has served as motivation, especially after seeing their NFC East rivals win their second Super Bowl in five years.

“You’ve got to be your best at key times,” Witten said. “You see the San Francisco-Giants game and it could’ve gone either way. The Ravens-New England game could’ve gone either way. You can’t say you’re close. You’ve got to go do it and prove it and make those plays in those key situations that allow you to win. We had too many games go the other way.”

IRVING, Texas -- What was reported last week is now official: San Diego has released defensive end Luis Castillo.

Should the Cowboys take a look at the seven-year veteran?

If you play the “he’s better than” game, then absolutely. But it also means having to study Castillo’s health pretty intently. He missed all but one game last year for the Chargers with a broken left leg and has played 16 games in a year just twice. He entered the league with an elbow injury and a failed steroid test, but the Cowboys were high on him back in 2005.

At 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, Castillo has the size teams want in a 3-4 defensive end. He also brings a pass rush that the Cowboys lack in their ends. He has 19 sacks in seven years and seven came in his second year. Marcus Spears has nine. Kenyon Coleman has 13.5. Jason Hatcher has 12.

After talking to some folks at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis two weeks ago, this draft does not appear to have the talented 3-4 ends of a year ago, like a J.J. Watt, Cameron Jordan or Cameron Heyward. This draft seems to have more interior defensive linemen.

Too often around here we have been schooled in the 3-4 philosophy that these ends are just supposed to hold guys up and let the other guys make plays. Forget that. Watt, Justin Smith, Richard Seymour and Aaron Smith show you that you can get to the passer from that spot.

Castillo would offer the Cowboys something they don’t currently have and he’d likely come at a good price.

Maybe they can use Miles Austin as a recruiter. He was Castillo’s high school teammate in Garfield, N.J.

IRVING, Texas -- Leadership has become quite the topic surrounding the Cowboys since the comments made by defensive end Jason Hatcher on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM a few weeks ago.

Jason Garrett said the Cowboys have plenty of leaders, but they can use more.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has the perfect in-house candidate: Sean Lee.

Lee will be entering his third season in 2012 and established himself as a future Pro Bowler with his play and a tough guy, playing through a dislocated wrist over the final half of the 2011 season. Lee was credited by the coaches with 131 tackles, 52 more than the second-leading tackle and tied for the team lead in interceptions (four) and tackles for loss (eight).

“I think you’ve seen him do things naturally are all about what a leader on the football field is all about,” Jones said Sunday from the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. “I feel Sean is a leader and that’s based upon the reputation he had if you look back to him coming out of Penn State. But in looking at what he’s done here, he does take a very active role in what we’re doing intangibly right now. Obviously leadership has a certain amount of earn-your-stripes aspect to it. It would be inordinate and above expectations to have somebody come in that first year and be one of your apparent leaders to everybody.”

Go back a year -- heck, go back three or four months and check out some of the stuff that was being written and asked about New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Not fiery enough, it was said. Bad body language. Doesn't look like the kind of guy who gets people energized and focused in the huddle. Needs to be more of a leader.

PODCAST
Calvin Watkins, Todd Archer and Jean-Jacques Taylor are joining by former Cowboy Greg Ellis to discuss the team's offseason plans, leadership issues, potential acquisitions and much more. Listen

Well, something about throwing a football into a football-sized hole 38 yards down the sideline in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl changes the narrative, doesn't it? Giants fans aren't bothered by Eli's dopey-kid-brother demeanor anymore. Now it's all about Even-keeled Eli, who's so great in the clutch because he never gets rattled -- whose teammates would follow him through the gates of hell, so calm and convincing a leader is he.

Guess what? Nothing about Eli Manning changed over the past year except that he won his second Super Bowl. He's the same guy whose leadership style nobody liked when they missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010. The difference is, this year, it all worked.

Which brings me to the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Hatcher and the question of locker-room leadership. Hatcher is a relatively non-controversial Cowboys defensive end who made some waves last week when he was asked on a radio show who the Cowboys' leaders were and he said he didn't know. Said he wished they had a Ray Lewis-type of leader in their locker room -- somebody to make fiery speeches and get the team pumped up.

Hatcher was surely speaking from the heart and not trying to stir up controversy, but the thing grew instant legs because what he said jives with the popular external opinion of what's wrong with the Cowboys -- that they're missing some key ethereal ingredient that makes winners, that they don't have the same kind of stuff beating in the center of their chest that Manning and his Giants do. The Cowboys underachieve, and should be better than they normally are, so we assume it's about heart or guts or leadership or whatever.

It's entirely possible that Hatcher and the public perception are correct. However, I believe that this is (a) a heavy charge to level against individuals who willingly put their bodies through the physical torture of NFL football on a week-to-week basis and (b) overblown, if not irrelevant. This is stuff that has only come up because the Cowboys lost four of their last five games. If they'd won one or two of those games -- if they'd held on against Arizona or beaten the Giants once in two tries -- the Cowboys would have been NFC East champions and talk radio hosts wouldn't be asking people like Hatcher who the leaders in the locker room were. The talk would be about how Tony Romo played through broken ribs and Sean Lee played with a cast on his hand, and how those guys inspired their teammates to do great things because of all of the heart and toughness they were showing.

In the NFL, it takes only a dropped pass here or a blocked kick there to change the entire narrative. What the Giants accomplished in January and February was stunning and tremendous, and there's certainly no guarantee the Cowboys would have made the same run if they'd been the NFC East champ instead of the Giants. But it goes to show that these storylines are all driven by who wins the games. If you win, you have effective leaders. If you don't, well, there must be something wrong.

"There's so many different styles of leadership," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett told reporters Thursday in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine. "There are guys who are more vocal guys, guys that lead by example, guys that pat a guy on the back, guys that ring guys by the neck. That's the way it is and the way it's always been. The best teams I've been on had a variety of styles of leadership from the players."

But one thing I'm sure they all have in common is that, regardless of style, they're genuine. You can't pretend to be a fiery-speech guy if you're not. People will see through it, and people don't respond to phonies. Lewis, for all of his bluster, is no phony. He believes the stuff he's screaming at his teammates before and after games, and they respond to it.

But Manning's teammates respond to his much calmer style, and that apparently works, too. Just because no one's in the Giants' locker room yelling and screaming all the time doesn't mean they lack leadership. And you know what? Just because no one's in the Cowboys' locker room yelling and screaming all the time doesn't mean they lack leadership. If Ray Lewis had been in the Cowboys' locker room on the evening of Jan. 1 and given some fiery speech, would only one Giants fullback have been able to hurdle Terence Newman that night instead of two?

The Cowboys' problem in 2011 was a defense that didn't have enough good players to hold up all season. They're embarking on the process now of trying to fix that. If some of the guys they bring in turn out to be Ray Lewis speechmaking types and they win some playoff games next year, you'll hear a lot about those new, fiery leaders. If the guys they bring in are all quiet types and they win some playoff games next year, you'll hear a lot about those new, cool, quiet leaders.

That's the way things work in this league -- results dictate the narrative, and the narrative must be molded to fit the results. The Cowboys don't need "leadership." They need defensive backs. And a pass rush. And some help on the offensive line. And if they get all of that stuff and it works in 2012, we're going to be told by people inside their locker room that they had plenty of leaders all along.

INDIANAPOLIS -- On Wednesday we spoke with Stephen Jones about Jason Hatcher’s leadership comments. On Thursday it was Jason Garrett’s turn.

The Cowboys’ head coach did not want to comment much on what Hatcher said, but he does not believe the teams lacks for leaders. He acknowledged he wants more leaders.

“We have a really good band of players, experienced veteran players, who’ve been very good leaders for us over the past number of years,” Garrett said. “You can’t get enough of them. We want more of them. We want young guys to be leaders. We want middle-range guys to be leaders. We want our more veteran players to be leaders, so that’s always a criteria when we’re evaluating players, draftable players or players we might acquire in free agency: what’s their makeup, what can they bring to the football team, are they leaders?”

Garrett did not name names Thursday but he views Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff among the team’s leaders.

“They set the pace for our football team and guys we wouldn’t trade for anybody,” Garrett said. “But like I said the more of those kinds of guys that you have on your team, guys who get invested in what you’re doing, are willing to be the right example for their teammates, are willing to be the right example for everybody in the organization and make sure they hold everybody accountable to that standard, that’s a good thing. We have a lot of them now and we want more, just like every team in the league does.”

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.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Leadership has been among the buzz words among Cowboys fans and media since Jason Hatcher’s comments last week on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM, but executive vice president Stephen Jones does not believe the Cowboys lack it.

“I think we have leadership, I do,” Jones said in a break between Competition Committee meetings on Wednesday from the NFL scouting combine. “I think you can always use more. Who wouldn’t want to have a Michael Irvin personality or have a Ray Lewis personality? Those guys are rare.”

Hatcher told the "Ben and Skin Show" that he was not sure who the Cowboys' leaders were, and that the team needed a Ray Lewis-like leader.

“Everybody does it differently,” Jones said of leadership, “but what Hatcher said, ‘Hey we needed a Ray Lewis,’ well, to me, I don’t know many Ray Lewises. They don’t grow on trees out there. I think we had one in Michael Irvin at one time. I think these guys are rare. They’re Hall of Fame players. They have a lot of other intangibles, but you can’t go out and find them. There are a lot of teams that don’t have a Ray Lewis.”

Jones was not upset with what Hatcher said.

“Everybody has their reasons for our seemingly not making the playoffs or not getting the job done that we all want to get done, including Jason,” Jones said. “He wants to go to the Super Bowl, and so our guys appreciate that. They think we’ve got a lot of talent on [this] team. Sometimes it’s frustrating and it’s then, ‘Why aren’t we getting it done? I think Tony’s a helluva quarterback. We have good players on defense.’ And I think we do to. Everybody’s trying to figure out what we need to do to take the next step. I’m sure if you ask 53 guys they’ve all got differing opinions as to why it’s not done. But we’ve got to make the next step.”

You can make the case that the Cowboys haven’t had a long-term leader since Darren Woodson last reported to work at Valley Ranch in 2003.

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

That makes the three-time Super Bowl champion safety, who should be in the Ring of Honor, an awfully good authority on the sensitive subject. Woodson was dismayed to hear that Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher couldn’t think of one leader on the current team.

“Man, that’s shocking to hear that,” Woodson said during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3’s Ben and Skin Show.

However, Woodson doesn’t believe that the Cowboys need a Ray Lewis-like leader, as Hatcher suggested on the Ben and Skin Show last week. In fact, Woodson considers the rah-rah style of leadership to be overrated, and he says that with all due respect to fiery former teammate Michael Irvin.

“The rah-rah speech is not going to win games for you,” Woodson said. “And I don’t care who’s giving it to you – you can bring Knute Rockne back. No one is going to motivate you between the lines. It’s about preparation the week of, and it’s about the top guys in that locker room and your role players understanding their role on that football team.”

Woodson didn’t consider Irvin a great leader because of No. 88’s animated pregame speeches. Woodson considered Irvin a great leader because of his insane work ethic, which Irvin made sure rubbed off on his teammates.

The standard was set in Woodson’s mind one hot summer afternoon before his rookie season, when he watched Irvin run routes on the practice field until he puked, wash his mouth out with water and run more routes.

The standard was reinforced on a regular basis by role players such as Daryl “Moose” Johnston and Tony Tolbert, who were quick to call out teammates who stepped out of line.

“If a guy walked in late, you better believe Daryl Johnston was going to jump him for being late,” Woodson said. “If a guy fell asleep, you better believe Daryl Johnston was going to jump him. He was a role player who understood his role, but he was a leader and he was very well respected within that locker room.”

As a defensive captain for most of career, Woodson didn’t put much stock in speeches. But he certainly wasn’t shy to speak up when he felt it was warranted.

“I wasn’t a rah-rah guy,” Woodson said. “I told guys the truth. I also told guys, ‘You don’t have to love me, but you’re going to respect me because of my actions.’ I think that’s what they need.”

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.