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Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones spoke to the team's season-ticket holders and sponsors via a conference call Wednesday.

Jones spoke for an hour and according to the voice of the Cowboys Brad Sham, there were nearly 1,000 questions though he didn't answer all of them.

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Here's some highlights:

On Valley Ranch being a country club atmosphere: "I don’t think that we do have a country club atmosphere around here. There’s too much competition. These players recognize how fortunate they are to be in the NFL, to have these opportunities. We’ve got as good or better leadership than my experience in 24 years with the Cowboys has seen."

On the safety position, whish has veteran Will Allen and young players in Matt Johnson, Barry Church, Danny McCray and draft pick J.J. Wilcox: "I think we’re in good shape at safety." Jones later added, "I don’t know when I’ve ever seen a player impress our staff without having played in a ballgame any more than Matt Johnson." Jones was asked about naming starters and didn't, instead praising each player.

Defensive end Anthony Spencer is signed for this season at $10.6 million, but he's been franchised the last two seasons. There is some concern if the Cowboys will lock Spencer up long-term: "We'd like to have him under a long-term agreement. He knows that."

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On his conference call, Jerry Jones talked about leadership. Nate Newton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the leadership experience he had with the Cowboys. Listen

On Tim Tebow, who was released by the New York Jets and why the Cowboys don't want a third-string quarterback: "We really feel good about Kyle Orton and that's where it all starts and stops right there. He will be used differently to some degree than we use (Tony) Romo, but he's capable of winning big games and we know how important that backup slot is, especially if it's temporary if you don't have Romo. We're pretty set at quarterback there. We wish Tim all the luck and the best in the world."

On the defense: "The defense should be the strength of our team arguably, the defensive line can be the strength of the team." Later Jones said, "Our defense will fit Monte Kiffin's scheme. It actually will be a simpler defense for this group to get. The adjustment from where we were in the 3-4 to the 4-3 will not be as significant as it might appear."

On the health of Jay Ratliff: We don't think Jay Ratliff is injury prone. He had possibly three different injuries last year. He is further down the road in his career than he was a few years ago. But we think of all that he's very sound physically and we think he'll flourish in this defensive scheme. He's a natural three technique."

On the draft board: Jones said the Cowboys had center Travis Frederick ranked ahead of LSU safety Eric Reid. The Cowboys moved down in the NFL draft, switching from No. 18 to No. 31 after a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. Frederick was projected as a second-day pick and said he was surprised the Cowboys grabbed him in the first round. Jones also indicated there were two to three safeties ranked ahead of Wilcox on the draft board. Wilcox was a third-round pick.

Jones on losing to the New York Giants at Cowboys Stadium (The Cowboys open the 2013 season at Cowboys Stadium against the New York Giants. The Cowboys are 0-4 against the Giants at home): "It is a pain."

IRVING, Texas – If we’ve learned anything about the Cowboys, it’s that they love their defensive line.

“We believe the defensive line is a strength,” became a default position for just about everybody in the organization during the NFL draft.

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But is it really?

When Monte Kiffin was in Tampa Bay, the strength of the defense was the line with Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice and Booger McFarland. Same for Rod Marinelli in Chicago when he had Julius Peppers, Henry Melton and Israel Idonije racking up sacks.

Take DeMarcus Ware out of the equation. He will continue to be one of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL. The move from outside linebacker to defensive end will not be too much for him, but it has to be noted that he is coming off major shoulder surgery and has suffered some other nicks the last couple of seasons.

Anthony Spencer is a curious case. He had a career-high 11 sacks last year, but in his first five seasons he never had more than six in a season. One AFC personnel man believed Spencer’s sack boost came in part because he was moved around more than in the past. Bill Polian has said Spencer will be a great fit for this defense. If Spencer is consistently in the same spot opposite Ware, then does he go back to a six-sack player? And he is lighter than most strong-side defensive ends Kiffin and Marinelli have employed.

Jay Ratliff was a difference-maker at one point. He was a disruptive player, incredibly difficult to block and could get to the quarterback. Notice the past tense? Ratliff’s sack total has decreased in each of the last five years and he missed 10 games because of injuries last year. He turns 32 in August. Maybe he is the perfect fit to play the Sapp role here, but how much tread is left?

Jason Hatcher has never had more than 4.5 sacks in a season and he will be making a position switch. Are his numbers a product of the fact that 3-4 defensive ends just don’t have the opportunity to get after the quarterback? Perhaps. He turns 31 in July and is in the last year of his contract.

Tyrone Crawford did some nice things as a rookie but didn’t record a sack. Sean Lissemore had one sack but was slowed by an ankle injury. Kyle Wilber will move to defensive end from outside linebacker this year but has the look of a tweener. Then there’s Ben Bass, Robert Callaway and Ikponmowasa Igbinosun.

Kiffin and Marinelli apparently have told Jerry Jones & Co. that the defensive linemen on the roster will be just fine, given how the team went about the draft and has looked at free agency so far. Rob Ryan said the same thing to Jones about the talent on hand when he showed up two years ago; how did that work out?

IRVING, Texas -- We've got some final thoughts on the NFL draft in our beat writers recap.

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*The trade that shocked North Texas was prompted years ago when San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was then the head coach at Stanford. Harbaugh tried to recruit safety Eric Reid out of a Louisiana high school. But Reid's father wanted him to attend LSU which he eventually did. So when it came time for Harbaugh to get Reid again, the trade was set in motion the morning of the draft. What prompted the Cowboys to make the deal occurred when Kenny Vaccaro was taken by New Orleans at No. 15. The Cowboys liked guard Justin Pugh, but had a higher grade on center Travis Frederick. The Cowboys also liked defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, but he wasn't a fit in their 4-3 scheme because they wanted a better pass rusher. Reid was also available for the Cowboys, but Vaccaro had a higher grade. If Vaccaro was available the Cowboys would have taken him at No. 18. Instead, the Cowboys moved down to get a center with a second-round grade.

*The interesting thing about getting Baylor wide receiver Terrence Williams in the third round is how it impacts Dwayne Harris. Currently Harris is the No. 3 receiver and if Williams can emerge during the preseason maybe he gets more playing time. Harris became a reliable player late in the season and took over the No. 3 receiving duties from Kevin Ogletree. The Cowboys want competition at various spots and the receiver position will have that this summer. Cole Beasley, Danny Coale and Williams will put pressure on Harris to maintain his spot.

*Drafting linebacker J.J. Wilcox, cornerback B.W. Webb and outside linebacker DeVonte Holloman gives the Cowboys some prospective special teams candidates. It seems Wilcox is being groomed to become a special teams ace, held by safety Danny McCray, because of his tackling ability in college. Webb is a feisty player who isn't afraid to mix it up on man coverage and Holloman is a physical player as well.

*The Cowboys watched quarterbacks Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib and Tyler Wilson go in the fourth round before selecting Webb. The Cowboys bypassed Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones. After the Cowboys selected Webb with the 114th pick of the fourth round, Pittsburgh selected Jones at No. 115. Several teams drafted quarterbacks in the middle rounds, starting with Philadelphia, which moved from No. 101 to No. 98 to get Barkley. Some in the Cowboys organization thought several quarterbacks, including Barkley would go higher in the draft, but there wasn't a belief the Cowboys needed one.

*After rushing for a team-high 897 yards in 2011, then averaging 4.1 yards per carry leading to 663 yards last season, there are concerns about starting running back DeMarco Murray. With good reason. He suffered a fractured ankle in 2011 costing him to miss the final few weeks of the season then he missed six games in 2012 with a sprained foot. The Cowboys were in the market for a running back and drafted Joseph Randle from Oklahoma State in the fifth round. It was noted by Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones that Randle isn't a special teams candidate but a legit No. 2 behind Murray and someone who can take over if he gets hurt again. The Cowboys view Lance Dunbar more of a change of pace back/special teams player than somebody who will can start. Drafting Randle has put Murray on notice he needs to stay healthy if not, his replacement is on the roster.

*Notes: The more you talk to people at Valley Ranch, the more you hear the expectations are high for DT Jay Ratliff now that he's healthy. ... Cowboys still don't have a blocking tight end or cleared up who will call the plays. ... I don't know about you but the Cowboys sure sounded defensive about their trade charts on Saturday. It was funny listening to Jerry Jones say trade charts are fluid. I can accept drafting Frederick, but you just want them to get a second-rounder over a third rounder.

IRVING, Texas – The red flag on sixth-round linebacker DeVonte Holloman is an especially sensitive subject at Valley Ranch. He was arrested in June 2011 on a drunken driving charge.

Holloman said the Cowboys did not discuss his arrest with him during the pre-draft process. Owner/general manager Jerry Jones said the organization looked into the incident and determined it should not deter them from drafting Holloman.

“We looked at that,” Jones said. “It was a couple of years ago. When you see an incident, then you look at the whole picture and weigh it from there. It did not impact us obviously drafting him.

“We were well aware of that. I think our whole purpose of the way that we approach that challenge is, what happens when you do have an incident? Not that we have to eliminate everybody on the draft board that might have a sip of alcohol.”

The career of Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent is in limbo due to an intoxication manslaughter charge stemming from the car crash that killed practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown Jr. in December. Brent also had a drunken driving charge in college.

Nose tackle Jay Ratliff was charged with driving while intoxicated in January after he crashed his truck into an 18-wheeler.

Cowboys officials met with Mothers Against Drunk Driving representatives in the wake of the two alcohol-related arrests.

Holloman believes his arrest caused him to slip into the sixth round of the draft.

"Knowing it might have been the thing to hurt me, I refuse to let it happen again," Holloman said. "It will not be a worry for them or me."

IRVING, Texas – Unless the Cowboys make a trade back into the seventh round, they concluded their draft Saturday by taking South Carolina linebacker DeVonte Holloman with the 185th overall pick.

Holloman had 55 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions as a senior after spending his first three seasons at safety.

He is projected as a strong-side linebacker where he would compete with Justin Durant, Alex Albright and Ernie Sims. His time as a safety could help him as a special teams’ contributor as well as in covering tight ends.

Holloman had a DUI arrest in 2011, which is a sensitive subject surrounding the Cowboys with the incidents involving Josh Brent and Jay Ratliff in December and January.

It is the ninth straight year the Cowboys have drafted at least one linebacker.

The second and third rounds of the NFL draft are set for tonight back at Radio City Music Hall, and the second will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT. After a first round that saw nine offensive linemen, one quarterback and no running backs taken Thursday, it's possible tonight will have more star power than the first night did. Scouts, Inc. has done a second-round mock draft , and this is what they've come up with for the NFC East's teams.

3 (35). Philadelphia Eagles: John Cyprien, S, Florida International

In this scenario, West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is off the board, taken by Jacksonville with the night's first pick, and the Eagles end up with the best remaining safety to fill a position of perennial need. Other possibilities I could imagine for the Eagles here include a defensive lineman with a 3-4 background, Stanford tight end Zach Ertz or Smith if he's available. I doubt they'll trade up for Smith (because they could have done so last night), and if he's gone I'm guessing they wait a few rounds for someone like Arizona quarterback Matt Scott.

15 (47). Dallas Cowboys: Kawann Short, DT, Purdue

After getting the interior offensive line help they so badly needed in the first round, this mock has the Cowboys turning to the interior of the defensive line, where Jay Ratliff always seems banged-up and Jason Hatcher is entering the final year of his contract. Short is a big talent whose question marks are about motivation and inconsistent college production. He could be a developmental guy for them -- help some in a rotation in the first year but more as a down-the-road replacement for one of the starters. I'd also have no issue with the Cowboys addressing safety here with someone like Cyprien or D.J. Swearinger. Could see them looking at a running back like Eddie Lacy or Montee Ball. And no, I absolutely do not think it would be a mistake for them to take another offensive lineman such as Menelik Watson or Larry Warford here.

17 (49). New York Giants: Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU

Linebacker is a need for the Giants. But as we've discussed, it's not one on which they tend to spend valuable resources. This is still a relatively high pick, and while Minter makes sense, I could easily see them spending this on a safety like the ones we've mentioned, a cornerback like Johnthan Banks or Jamar Taylor, a defensive end like Tank Carradine or even one of those running backs. They do like to have depth there.

19 (51). Washington Redskins: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State

Finally, the Redskins make their first pick of this year's draft, and it's at a position where they need immediate help and long-term depth. This draft is deep in defensive backs, and the Redskins should be able to take advantage of that with a good cornerback or safety at this spot. Tyrann Mathieu is still on the board in this mock, but I'd be surprised if Washington went that way, especially with so many less questionable options available. Cyprien, Swearinger or Shamarko Thomas make sense if they want to go safety. Banks, Taylor, Blidi Wreh-Wilson or Banks' teammate, Darius Slay, are among the good options at corner. If they don't take a defensive back here, maybe it's because a tackle like Watson or Terron Armstead fell to them. And you can't rule out wide receiver as a possibility here either.

IRVING, Texas – The keeper of all things salary cap when it comes to the Cowboys, executive vice president Stephen Jones understands the importance of the team hitting on draft picks.

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The NFL docked the Cowboys $10 million of cap space the last two years and the team added to the cap figures of veterans like Miles Austin, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff with restructured deals this offseason. They also signed quarterback Tony Romo to an extension worth $118 million.

With the cap not expected to go up greatly over the next few years, finding a middle class in the draft is a must.

“You can’t continue to go to the well and pay the veteran players the $1 million, the $800,000, the $1.2 million,” Jones said. “We’ve got to do a better job going forward of taking your lumps early, but developing these guys and putting them in your lineup, those $300,000 and $400,000 and $500,000 guys. I think that is the big difference compared to where it was three, four, five years ago when you could get the veteran guys.

"I think obviously, when we start the season, that veteran guy is probably a little more ready to play than the young guy coming out of college. It’s a big jump. But with the cap where it is today, that’s one of the things you’re going to have to focus on is plugging these young guys in regardless of if they’re a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick. We had some injury issues last year that didn’t allow us to do that, but I certainly expect those guys to come along as well as the young guys we’ll pick in the third and fourth and fifth round this year.”

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.

ESPN's NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. predicts the Cowboys will select offensive and defensive linemen in the first three rounds.

It's not something I hear mentioned often, but the age of the Dallas defensive line has crept up. By the time the season starts, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher and DeMarcus Ware will be 32, 31 and 31, respectively.

You have to be an ESPN Insider to get the complete three rounds for every NFL team. Kiper also has the Cowboys taking a guard and another defensive lineman in Rounds 2 and 3.

Kiper makes a valid point regarding the line. If the Cowboys draft North Carolina's Sylvester Williams, it could make Ratliff expendable. However, the team might keep Ratliff and create competition for what could be a young, deep defensive line.

Under the new 4-3 alignment, Anthony Spencer and Ware will move to defensive end, where they haven't played since college. The Cowboys also will move Hatcher to tackle, keeping double-teams off Ratliff.

Sean Lissemore, Tyrone Crawford, Rob Callaway and Ben Bass are young players who also will compete for playing time.

As of now, the starting inside defensive linemen for the Cowboys will be Jason Hatcher and Jay Ratliff.

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The Cowboys have several needs on defense, including safety, but selecting a defensive tackle in the draft is also a possibility.

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. projects the Cowboys to select North Carolina's Sylvester Williams with the 18th pick. Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout also has the Cowboys picking Williams at No. 18. However, ESPN's Todd McShay has Dallas grabbing Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro. He's got Williams going to St. Louis at No. 22.

Drafting a defensive lineman could impact the current tackles on the roster.

Hatcher is entering the final year of his contract and was one of the Cowboys' better players in 2012.

Ratliff's status becomes sketchy if the team drafts a defensive tackle who is able to push the pocket. His spat with owner/general manager Jerry Jones, his declining play -- attributed to double-teams -- and his DWI arrest, doesn't give him much cushion with the front office. While the coaching staff values Ratliff, he played only six games in 2012 and it has to be frustrating to deal with his mood swings.

When healthy, Ratliff can be a dominant force. The Cowboys need to keep him on the roster because they know what he means to the defense as a whole. But that doesn't mean the Cowboys can't draft a defensive tackle for more depth or to replace Ratliff or Hatcher in the future.

But are the top defensive tackles worthy of an early pick?

Here's what Kiper said regarding the defensive tackle draft class: "A really deep group at the top. (Sharrif) Floyd has been the breakthrough. There's no scheme you can put him in where he won't make an impact. (Star) Lotulelei is back in there as a possible top-10 pick now that his heart issue appears to be over with. I've changed my mind on Williams and (Sheldon) Richardson several times."

With 10 days left until the first round of the NFL draft, we are fortunate to have the good folks at ESPN Stats & Information taking a deeper dive into the issue of team needs. Let's start our look at their "next-level" analysis with the Dallas Cowboys, whose needs the Stats & Info group has identified as offensive line, defensive line and safety.

Offensive line: The line could use help in pass protection as well as run blocking. Quarterback Tony Romo may be an adept scrambler whose ability to move around behind the line of scrimmage helps him avoid sacks, but Dallas' pass-protection issues show up in other ways. Stats & Info says that eight of Romo's 19 interceptions last year came while under duress -- the highest number in the league. It's not Romo's playmaking ability that suffers when the line collapses as much as his decision-making ability. As for run blocking, the Cowboys' 2.1 yards per carry before first contact in 2012 was the fifth lowest figure in the league. I continue to believe the Cowboys absolutely must find a starting offensive lineman in the first round, and maybe in the second as well.

Defensive line: Switching to a 4-3 alignment could help, but the personnel is largely the same and the Cowboys need to do a better job of getting into the backfield and making plays there. Stats & Info says the Cowboys ranked 30th in the league in sacks, tied for last in batted passes and "contacted opposing rushers in the backfield on only 12 percent of rushes, the second-lowest rate in the league." I think the new defensive alignment will be good for Jay Ratliff (if he can stay healthy) and Jason Hatcher as interior rushers. But if the top six offensive linemen are gone before pick 18 (something that hasn't happened since 1966), and if they have addressed the line somehow in the meantime (Eric Winston?), and if they think they can find an impact offensive lineman in the second round, then it would make some sense for the Cowboys to pick a disruptive defensive lineman with their first pick.

Safety: "The Cowboys safeties combined for eight defended passes and interceptions last season, tied for 29th in the NFL at that position," Stats & Info writes. "Dallas was exposed downfield last season, allowing a league-worst 96.5 QBR on throws more than 10 yards downfield." Right now the projected starters are Barry Church, who's coming off injury, and Matt Johnson, who's never played an NFL snap. Veteran Will Allen is also on the roster and could factor into the mix. It would be tempting for a team drafting for need to go with someone like Kenny Vaccaro in the first round. But everyone who's breaking down this draft says you can find starting safeties in the second and third rounds, so I think the Cowboys should resist and focus on the lines early.

Injuries are part of the NFL. But in 2012 the Cowboys dealt with severe injuries to the defense that caused them to mix and match for the bulk of the season.

Moving forward we look at five players who need to remain healthy for the entire season to ensure success in 2013.

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1. DeMarcus Ware. His talent and desire is unquestioned. But last year health was an issue. He played the last few weeks of the season with one arm and underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason that's going to keep him out of the bulk of the offseason programs. Ware also had elbow problems that forced him to wear a brace. He's moving from outside linebacker to defensive end and is going to need the practice reps in training camp to familiarize himself with the switch. The Cowboys need a healthy Ware to get the new 4-3 scheme moving.

2. Jay Ratliff. Ratliff played just six games before finally undergoing sports hernia surgery late in the season. It was a combustible offseason for Ratliff, whose roster status was questioned because of his DWI arrest. His place with the team is secure, but he needs to stay on the field. With the move to a 4-3, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin needs Ratliff to become that defensive tackle who can pressure the quarterback on three downs. Ratliff's production has slipped the last few years and a position switch might give him new life.

3. DeMarco Murray. Durability was a concern when he came out of Oklahoma and it's still an issue as a professional. Murray missed six games with a foot injury and the running game suffered in his absence. The Cowboys' front office has talked about finding a suitable backup in the draft, but are there underlining themes here about finding his replacement. Murray is a solid running back, but will his health raise issues about his long-term future?

4. Barry Church. He played just three games before tearing his Achilles tendon. Church won the safety position in training camp last season and the Cowboys like his cover and tackling skills. However, there is some concern about how he'll play once he returns from the injury. Church is on target to practice with the rest of the team in the offseason workouts, but once the games start will he be effective?

5. Sean Lee. Lee plays hurt, but that's the problem. He plays hurt and he misses games. He's yet to play a full 16 games and the Cowboys need him to become the leader of the linebackers as they move to a 4-3. The same can be said of Bruce Carter, who also missed games because of injuries last season, but Lee is one of the leading tacklers and his presence on the field is important.

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Here are the Cowboys' latest salary cap figures for the 2013 season.

Quarterback Tony Romo continues to have the highest salary cap figure for the season coming in at $11.8 million. Before Romo signed his mega contract for $119.5 million, his cap number was $16.8 million.

Here are the Top 10 salary cap figures for 2013.

1. Tony Romo, $11.8 million
2. Anthony Spencer, $10.6 million
3. Doug Free, $10.02 million
4. DeMarcus Ware, $8.093 million
5. Brandon Carr, $5.4 million
6. Jason Witten, $4.35 million
7. Jay Ratliff, $4.072 million
8. Morris Claiborne, $3.6 million
9. Miles Austin, $3.58 million
10. Tyron Smith, $3.4 million

Note: Romo's base salary is $1.5 million. The highest base salary for the Cowboys in 2013 is currently Spencer's at $10.6 million but that's his franchise tag number. Doug Free comes in with the second-highest base salary of $7 million. Base salaries of several players were turned into signing bonus money to lower 2013 cap figures. For example, Austin's $6.7 million base salary was turned into signing bonus money to lower his cap figure from $6.7 million to $3.58 million. Austin will earn a base salary of $840,000 this season.

The case of Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent remains a terribly sad one all the way around. The greatest sadness is, of course, over the loss of the life of teammate Jerry Brown, who was killed in the Dec. 8 car accident for which Brent is charged with intoxication manslaughter. The news Monday that Brent's trial has been set for Sept. 23 brought it all back, and serves as a reminder that the impact of Brent's terrible decision that night will continue to be felt for a while.

There's a football component, which seems small by comparison to the real-world aspects of the Brent case, and that is that Brent obviously isn't going to be playing for the Cowboys again any time soon, if ever. This robs the Cowboys of a promising young player who would have offered them depth and flexibility on the interior of their defensive line in their new 4-3 alignment. Had Brent been available, if would have been easier to release Jay Ratliff (who idiotically and inconceivably got busted for drunken driving just six weeks later) and clear some needed cap room. But Brent is not available to them and likely will not be.

Because the likelihood is that Brent will have to go to jail for this. His charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and even if that's just a worst-case scenario, he's still confronting a very serious penalty. This is not Brent's first drunken-driving offense, and there appear to have been witnesses. At the age of 25, Brent is confronting the premature end of his promising pro football career and the loss of a significant chunk of his prime to prison.

And that is sad, and infuriating, even if it's the kind of thing the casual fan forgets with time. And that's why you keep writing about it, even though you know your readers would rather read about the draft and free agency and which teams have how much salary-cap room left. You keep writing about it because it's an important thing not to forget. Because if any good were to come out of an all-around rotten situation like this one, it would come in the form of a lesson learned by those of us on the outside. It's not just the NFL or other professional sports leagues that fails to take this selfish, stupid, completely avoidable crime seriously enough. It's our society as a whole. And as sad as Josh Brent's case is, all you can hope is that the fact that it's so public helps the lesson sink in and convinces somebody, some night, somewhere to call a damn cab.

When Jerry Jones said the other day that the door was still open for Felix Jones to return to the Dallas Cowboys, my first thought was something like, "Of course it is. Jerry Jones doesn't like to let anyone go." Calvin Watkins had a similar thought, and he has a column on ESPNDallas.com wondering why the players are immune to Jones' efforts to make things "uncomfortable" around the Cowboys:

If the Cowboys are going to ascend to another level, putting players on notice is key. Jones can't worry about hurting feelings, and in some ways he needs to pull away from his close relationships with the players.

Jones needs to cut people. He needs to make it known that three consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs is not acceptable.

Maybe the coaches know that.

The players?

That's a different story. And it has to change.

Calvin's basic point is that roster churning has its benefits and that the Cowboys seem to avoid doing it if at all possible. Franchising Anthony Spencer, in my opinion, was a move made out of fear. It was as though the team asked itself, "Well, how would we replace him?" and then decided they didn't want to think about creative or economically sensible ways to answer the question. The result is that they're pressed right up against the salary cap and can't operate in free agency.

A player like Jay Ratliff can call out Jones in the locker room and get busted for a DUI six weeks after one teammate died and another went to jail for the same crime, and it's made clear to him his job is completely safe. The offensive line can be one of the worst in the entire league and be told it just needs more time to come together. Felix Jones can blow chance after chance for years and years to fulfill his promise and instead of moving on and making a clean break, the owner leaves the door open for him to return.

It's an issue for which Jerry Jones has taken a lot of heat, and the truth is he leaves himself vulnerable to this criticism. If you're going to bellow about accountability and make change for change's sake on the coaching staff (where continuity is actually a proven asset), then you ought to be willing to do it along the roster as well. Or, as Calvin suggests, make it clear that roster changes are at least on the table. Jones' reluctance to do so indicates an inconsistency of vision, and in the long run it's not good for the team.