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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The way you feel about the Dallas Cowboys' 2013 draft seems to depend on the way you feel about how they handled the first round. Ashley Fox, feels they bungled it badly, and theorizes that they did so because Jerry Jones was distracted by his attendance at the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library earlier in the day.

Now, I understand that Jerry excels at making himself an easy target. And I like Ashley's work. But on this point, I couldn't disagree with her more strongly. The way the Cowboys handled the first round has all the hallmarks of a coherent plan. A distracted decision-maker would have stayed put and taken the highest player on the board at No. 18, even if he didn't think that player was worth such a high pick. What the Cowboys did made sense on a number of levels.

First of all, they trade down with the 49ers, getting the 31st pick of the first round and the 12th pick of the third in exchange for that No. 18 pick. The biggest criticism we've heard is that they should have been able to get more from the 49ers, but different draft-value charts say different things on that and it takes two sides to make a deal. If they didn't have a player they liked at 18 and they saw a chance to get two that they did, then there's nothing wrong with taking that deal.

The player they ended up taking at 31, Wisconsin center Travis Frederick, projects as both an immediate and long-term starter for the Cowboys at either center or one of the guard spots. The second criticism is that they reached for him -- that they could have had him in the second or maybe even the third round. But (a) no one knows that for sure and (b) the 31st pick is practically the second round anyway. It's not as though they took Frederick 10th overall (or even 18th, for that matter). The Cowboys absolutely, 100 percent, more than any team needed anything in this entire draft, needed to come out of the first round with a new starter on the offensive line. They did. And they got an extra third-round pick out of the deal and used it on Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams, a new vertical threat for Tony Romo in the passing game.

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Along the way, they added second-round tight end Gavin Escobar, who also offers the opportunity to expand their options in the passing game and represents the successor to Jason Witten down the road. With their original third-rounder, they added physical safety J.J. Wilcox, who could push for a starting spot this year. In the fourth they added a cornerback, B.W. Webb, deepening a position at which there's no such thing as too many bodies. In the fifth they took a running back, Joseph Randle, who didn't miss a game in college, to back up the injury-prone DeMarco Murray. And in the sixth they took project linebacker DeVonte Holloman.

They filled needs at good value in rounds two through six, and their second and third picks of the draft will help them add layers to their offense, offering Romo more options from play to play and game to game as his receiving threats become more numerous and varied. If it weren't for the weird way the first round went down, people would be hailing this as a fine draft for the Cowboys. And frankly, too many people are overreacting too strongly to the way the first round went down.

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This was a lousy draft class, people. A bad year. Very little, if any, top-level talent, and if you're picking 18th that puts you in a tough spot. Considering that, and the fact that they needed to get an offensive lineman in the first round, I think the Cowboys acquitted themselves rather coolly. I certainly don't think the way they operated their first round indicates distraction or the lack of a plan. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Fans might be happier today had they gone offensive line again in the second or third round, or if they'd found a defensive tackle early. They could have stayed put at 18 and taken Sharrif Floyd, and perhaps that would have been hailed as a coup, since Floyd had been projected to go much earlier. But this is the part I never get. All we hear going into the draft is how useless all of these projections are, and then while the draft is going on everybody wants to use them to critique the picks. There was some good reason Floyd fell all the way to 23, and Dallas was hardly the only team to pass on him.

If Frederick never starts a game, or turns out to be a bust, then obviously it'll be easy to look back and say the Cowboys bungled this. But in a bad draft year, why not take the players you like instead of the ones the mock-drafters told you to like? I think the Cowboys got five players who could contribute right away, and Frederick could start on their line for the next eight years. I honestly don't see what's to rip.

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 -- What will be different this time that the Cowboys drafted a tight end in the second round to complement perennial Pro Bowler Jason Witten?

That’s not a rhetorical question. Jerry Jones really pressed Jason Garrett on the issue before taking San Diego State’s Gavin Escobar with the 47th overall pick.

“We literally by taking him had to look at each other in the draft room and say to Jason, ‘Are we going to be different because of him? Does this add a dimension?’” Jones said. “Not that we came in to be different, but if we take him to have these three tight ends with (James) Hanna and Witten, are we going to be doing some things differently that we haven’t done before?

“The answer is yes.”

Two good reasons to be skeptical: Anthony Fasano and Martellus Bennett. Under Garrett’s coaching, neither of the Cowboys’ last two second-round tight ends emerged as significant weapons in the passing game until they left Valley Ranch.

If that’s the case with Escobar, the Cowboys will have wasted another second-round pick. The Cowboys coveted the 6-foot-5 7/8, 254-pounder because of his receiving ability, certainly not because of his average-at-best blocking.

This comes down to whether Garrett can be creative enough to utilize Escobar’s talent in an offense that also features Witten, Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, DeMarco Murray and now third-round receiver Terrance Williams.

“We never got where we wanted to go with Martellus,” Jones said. “For whatever the reason, we didn’t get there.”

Bennett didn’t score a touchdown in his final three seasons with the Cowboys, basically becoming a glorified tackle-eligible. Valley Ranch folks point out that Garrett’s scheme wasn’t necessarily at fault for Bennett’s lack of production.

“Some of the things we tried to do with Martellus we couldn’t get done because we just couldn’t get it working,” Jones said. “I mean, we had packages we worked at for weeks out here sometimes to get packages in games and then he didn’t show. It sounds negative toward him, but he didn’t show.

“So having said that, we welcome the opportunity to add a real tight end, a New England-type emphasis.”

The hope is that Escobar can fill Aaron Hernandez’s role as the second tight end who often lines up in the slot or as an outside receiver.

Garrett said Escobar plays much faster than his unimpressive 4.84 40 time. That’s supported by the fact that Escobar had the best 20-yard shuttle (4.31), 60-yard shuttle (11.86) and three-cone drill (7.07) among tight ends at the combine.

Combine that athleticism with Escobar’s soft hands and ability to fight for the ball in traffic, and the Cowboys believe they’ve added another weapon for Tony Romo. Of course, we heard the same thing when they selected Bennett in 2008.

“Are we going to do the kinds of things necessary to invest that kind of pick?” Jones said. “We are.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Cowboys will do much new from a scheme standpoint. As Garrett pointed out, he’s always preferred to use a lot of multi-tight end formations.

“We’ve used the 12 personnel group a lot over the years, maybe as much as any team in the league,” said Garrett, who used those personnel groups much less after Bennett left in free agency before last season. “This is a guy who can really come in and make a difference for us at that tight end spot opposite Witt. We feel Witt is arguably as good a tight end in the National Football League. He has so many strengths.

“When you can add somebody else at the tight end position with this guy’s length, athleticism and pass-catching ability to go along with our outside receivers, it can be a challenging personnel group for defenses to handle.”

Escobar needs to develop as a blocker – something the Cowboys think will happens as a result of his work in the strength and conditioning program – but the hope is his presence will provide an immediate boost to a running game that ranked last in the NFC last season. The logic: Teams will be forced to play a lot of nickel defense to account for him as a receiving threat, making it easier to run the ball.

The Cowboys were dreadful running the ball out of two-tight end sets last season, averaging 2.7 yards on 120 carries, a drop from 4.2 yards a pop on 225 carries the previous season.

That’s proof that the Cowboys actually missed Bennett last season, as disappointing as his Dallas tenure was.

But the hope is that Escobar will make the Cowboys’ previous second-round tight ends distant memories, not continue the trend. The heat is on Garrett to make it happen.

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys' newly drafted second-round tight end, Gavin Escobar from San Diego State, said he hopes to one day replace the team's Jason Witten.

"I'm always striving to be a complete tight end like Jason Witten," Escobar said Friday night in a conference call with reporters. "If I'm able to take over his role once he's gone, that would be amazing."

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In three seasons at San Diego State, Escobar caught 122 passes for 1,646 yards with 17 touchdowns. He had just 11 starts the past two seasons but picked up 13 touchdowns.

Escobar is considered a pass-catching tight end, which matches up with the current roster of James Hanna and Witten. There was a thought the Cowboys would get a blocking tight end, something they haven't had since Martellus Bennett was on the roster.

"Right now, I just need to get bigger and work on the run game more," Escobar said. "That's one main thing I need to excel on to be a complete tight end, a three-down tight end."

IRVING, Texas -- Can Gavin Escobar do what Anthony Fasano and Martellus Bennett couldn’t?

For the third time since 2006, the Cowboys have selected a tight end in the second round.

Fasano was the 53rd overall pick in 2006 but lasted only two seasons before he was traded to Miami. He caught 28 passes in two seasons.

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The Cowboys took Bennett in 2008 with the 61st pick, and he never lived up to the expectations.

Now, they are going with Escobar, considered a pass-catching tight end, to play behind Jason Witten.

Fasano and Bennett were able to find more success elsewhere in part because Witten never came off the field to allow them playing time while with the Cowboys.

Can the Cowboys design their offense in a similar way to how New England uses Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez?

If they don’t, then this pick comes with a lot of questions. If they do, then it makes some sense.

Witten, who is entering his 11th season, is coming off an NFL record for catches in a season by a tight end (110) and was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time.

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.

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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.

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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.

This is our last weekend mailbag before the NFL draft kicks off next Thursday.

Let's get to it.

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Q: I know we need offensive line help, but what about at tight end? Jason Witten is getting a little long in the tooth even though he still plays at a high level, I just think we should start looking at the future at this position, what are your thoughts on this? Bobby Henry (Lemoore, Calif).

A: Replace Jason Witten? Really!?!?!? I don't see a decline in play from Witten. Last year he struggled at the start and that was due to his recovery from a lacerated spleen. When the season ended, Witten led the team in catches (110) tied for first downs earned (54) and had 1,039 receiving yards. If you want to pick on Witten about anything, maybe his blocking. The Cowboys could use a blocking tight end in this draft, if one is available. The team has six picks and unless they make a trade to get an extra second or third rounder I'm not sure using a draft pick on a tight end is worth it.

Q: Is Stephen Jones the worst contract negotiator in the League? Howard Stevens (Allentown, Pa.)

A: I understand the question. You could question the deals given to Miles Austin, Doug Free, Tony Romo and the renegotiated deal of Jay Ratliff, but Sean Lissemore, Barry Church and at that time Gerald Sensabaugh, signed team-friendly contracts. The Cowboys' $50.1 million deal with cornerback Brandon Carr last offseason was the going-rate for a cornerback in free agency at that time. The next three big contracts: Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and Dez Bryant, will be worth looking at for the future. Lee enters the final year of his deal and the Cowboys saw what the Green Bay Packers signed linebacker Clay Matthews for at $65 million for five seasons. Carter and Bryant are a year away from new deals.

Q: What do you think of picking up Collin Klein from Kansas State as our project quarterback getting drafted in the middle rounds? John (Chandler, Ariz.)

A: I have no problem with drafting a quarterback in the middle rounds, especially Klein. The issue for me and with most people who follow the team on a daily basis is: With so many holes is drafting a quarterback worth it? I would say yes because the shelf life of Tony Romo is three years, based on the structure of his contract from a financial standpoint. So, why not get a quarterback? Kyle Orton is a solid backup but at some point in the next year or so you want a younger player at that position.

Q: Are there any salary cap implications around the potential Doug Free paycut? Would the Cowboys carry over less dead money into 2014 if Free agrees to a restructured deal rather than getting released outright? Martin (Washington, D.C.)

A: If the Cowboys make Free a post June 1 cut, the team saves $7 million in 2013, but it won't get the savings, as is the case with the $2 million for Marcus Spears' release, until June. Cutting Free carries $7 million in dead money for 2014. Now the Cowboys won't have any more salary cap restrictions, they lost $5 million this year because they violated an unwritten NFL rule regarding contracts in the uncapped year, so they might be in good shape going forward in regards to cap space.

Q: I watch every game. FYI DeMarcus Ware disappears late in games. He gets three out of every 10 sacks in the fourth quarter. I personally watched him pass up a forced fumble on a QB to get a sack. He needs to shut his mouth about Romo. As Sapp said, "he couldn't lead ants to a picnic in his own back yard." John Ward (Hampton, Va.)

A: John, it's clear you don't like Ware. Last season, a season where he played with numerous injuries, including with one arm in the final two weeks of the season, he picked up four fourth-quarter sacks, tied for ninth in the NFL. Ware also finished with 11.5 sacks. He's an elite player and his toughness shouldn't be questioned. I'm surprised you're ripping Ware. I don't think Ware was taking about Romo when he said put up or shutup. His statement was about the entire team needing to put up or shutup. Not Romo.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys have one of the best tight ends in football in Jason Witten. With James Hanna, the Cowboys think they have a player who can be a mismatch for linebackers or safeties.

As the Cowboys enter the draft, they need to find another tight end. The only other tight ends on the roster are Colin Cochart and Andre Smith. Cochart had a cup of coffee with the club last year but didn’t play in a game. Smith was a late addition to the practice squad.

To a degree the Cowboys have wasted second-round picks on tight ends with Anthony Fasano (2006) and Martellus Bennett (2008). There simply aren’t enough plays for a tight end behind Witten to justify the second-round pick unless the Cowboys want to do what New England does with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

This draft has a number of quality tight ends, but the Cowboys should not be in play for a Tyler Eifert or Zach Ertz, considered the top two at the position. Again, it’s based on how they use their second tight end behind Witten.

You have to maximize plays per game with early picks. Unless the Cowboys switch their philosophy and move away from heavy three-wide receiver personnel looks, then it does not make sense to grab a tight end early. And it doesn’t make sense to take a “pass-catching” tight end either.

The Cowboys have to look at the “blocking” tight ends more.

They had two of those types in for top-30 visits in Rutgers’ D.C. Jefferson and Michigan State’s Dion Sims. Both players are considered solid blocking prospects, with Sims more highly regarded. Another option is Alabama’s Michael Williams.

Todd Archer wrote a compelling column the other day about the pressure to win being on GM Jerry Jones.

PODCAST
Fitzsimmons & Durrett discuss Tony Romo's contract extension and what it says about Jerry Jones. Listen

Archer writes: "Jones has to do more for Romo besides just writing some handsome checks. Jones has to get better players around Romo, and not just at the sexy positions."

The pieces are here.

The pressure shouldn't be on Jones, it should be on Romo.

Romo has an elite tight end in Jason Witten, two standout wide receivers in Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. He has a rising running back in DeMarco Murray and a young talented left tackle in Tyron Smith.

You could say the rest of the offensive line struggled at times last season, but it's strange how the offensive line wasn't an issue when Romo went on a seven-game stretch where he threw 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions and his team went 5-2 to remain in the playoff picture. Romo was sacked an ungodly 20 times during those seven games.

But all sacks can't be placed on the offensive line, much like all interceptions can't be placed on the quarterback. Can Romo throw the ball away sometimes? Anytime?

On defense, nobody questions the elite status of DeMarcus Ware and the talented young players in Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and Morris Claiborne. Brandon Carr, Jason Hatcher, Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff are solid playmakers.

Kicker Dan Bailey is solid.

The pieces are in place.

The Cowboys have the No. 18 overall pick in the draft and should find a starter who will make an impact.

What Romo's contract has done is raise the stakes even higher. Yes, the Cowboys want Romo to deliver a championship before he signed his new contract last week. But the Cowboys could have moved on without Romo and still cleared out salary cap space without restructuring his deal. The free-agency market for the Cowboys was going to be tight regardless of whether the Cowboys lowered Romo's salary cap figures.

By giving Romo this massive contract, the Cowboys told the NFL, "we expect a championship NOW."

At some point, the Cowboys should have drafted a quarterback for the future. They didn't, so now they're stuck and you can blame Jones for that.

But you can't blame Jones for providing security for his quarterback, which is the right thing to do. And don't blame Jones if his quarterback fails to bring a championship to North Texas.

That's on Romo.

After all the moves made by the Cowboys the last two weeks, the organization is roughly $175,000 under the salary cap as free agency begins Tuesday afternoon.

PODCAST
Todd Archer joins Galloway & Company to discuss the Cowboys' latest moves, if the team should extend Tony Romo's contract and much more. Listen

So what does that mean?

The Cowboys basically can't do anything in free agency or sign their draft picks. So more financial moves are needed.

The team most likely will work out a new deal with quarterback Tony Romo and quite possibly with defensive end Anthony Spencer, who is franchised for $10.6 million.

The NFL has set the salary cap at $123 million, but the Cowboys -- after a $5 million penalty administrated by the league for Miles Austin's contract during the uncapped season and $2 million carried over from the 2012 season -- will have their cap set at $120 million for 2013.

One of the moves the Cowboys can make won't take effect until later this offseason, as the Cowboys can save $7 million if they decide to release tackle Doug Free as a post June 1 cut.

A recap of some moves:

The Cowboys saved $3 million by cutting inside linebacker Dan Connor.

The Cowboys saved $7.8 million by restructuring the deals of defensive tackle Jay Ratliff, cornerback Orlando Scandrick and guard Mackenzy Bernadeau.

Tight end Jason Witten's restructured deal saved nearly $3.65 million.

A clause in cornerback Brandon Carr's contract lowered his cap number for 2013 and saved $10.8 million.

The Cowboys saved $4 million in cap space by restructuring defensive end DeMarcus Ware's contract.

Wide receiver Miles Austin's restructured deal provided $3 million in savings.

Offensive linemen Mackenzy Bernadeau and Ryan Cook also cleared cap space by reworking their deals.

The finale of a 10-part series breaking down the Cowboys' free-agency needs, position by position:

Tight ends

Who’s on the roster: Colin Cochart, James Hanna, Andre Smith and Jason Witten

Analysis: Witten, after a slow start in 2012, proved once again that he's an elite tight end. It's still a mystery as to why he doesn't get enough touches in the red zone. But Witten continues to be a prime target and safety net for quarterback Tony Romo. There were times last season where Witten seemed unstoppable. Hanna is a solid pass-catching tight end who moves up the depth chart in 2013. Hanna has impressed the coaches with his route running and catching ability. It won't happen for a few years, but Hanna appears to be the future at this position.

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

NFL free agents of interest: John Phillips, Anthony Fasano, Dustin Keller and Travis Beckum.

Need meter: 6. The Cowboys miss Martellus Bennett, who was a solid blocking tight end. And while Bennett is a free agent this spring, he won't be looking to return to Dallas. The team should get a veteran who can block well and isn't worried about getting touches on a regular basis. Fasano possibly? He was a Cowboys draft pick who was traded to Miami. If the Cowboys decide to address the position in the draft, that's fine too, but finding someone who can block well on a consistent basis is very important.