ESPN

We’re about to finally get a glimpse to see why there’s all this buzz about Andre Holmes.

Wednesday’s OTA session, which will be the first one this offseason open to the Valley Ranch media, will be the first time any of us have seen Holmes actually run a pass route. But there will be a lot of eyes on the second-year undrafted receiver because the coaches and front office are so high on him.

Holmes was the first name out of Jerry Jones’ mouth at the scouting combine in February when the Cowboys’ owner/general manager discussed the possibility of losing Laurent Robinson in free agency. With Robinson taking a rich deal from Jacksonville, Holmes has as good a shot as anyone at claiming the No. 3 receiver role.

Scoff if you dare, but just remember that Miles Austin and Victor Cruz are NFC East examples of receivers who have soared from the obscurity of being a small-school guy passed over in the draft to stardom in the last few years.

Here is what we know about Holmes, who signed with the Cowboys after being cut by the Vikings at the end of preseason and spent most of 2011 on the practice squad:

*He is 6-foot-5, 208 pounds, was timed at 4.51 in the 40 at the combine and measured with a vertical leap of 35 inches.

*Much like Austin at Monmouth, Holmes was a late bloomer at Division II Hillsdale College after playing receiver only one year in high school. After redshirting, he caught only 38 passes for 648 yards and four touchdowns in his first two seasons. He had a breakout year as a junior (77 catches, 1,076 yards, six TD) and the most productive season in school history as a senior (104 catches, 1,368 yards, 11 TD).

*Holmes’ mix of size, athleticism, ball skills and competitiveness impressed the Cowboys’ coaches and front office enough that they promoted him from the practice squad to the 53-man roster late last season to prevent another team from claiming him. They did so despite the fact that Holmes had a hamstring injury because they considered him a valuable prospect.

*He’s part of a pack of receivers who will be competing to replace Robinson. Kevin Ogletree is the only one of the bunch with NFL experience, but he was handed the job last year and failed, opening the door for Robinson to emerge. Others in the mix are Raymond Radway, the former Abilene Christian track star who would have made the team as an undrafted free agent last year if not for a gruesome broken leg suffered in the final seconds of the preseason finale; 2012 fifth-round pick Danny Coale; 2011 sixth-round pick Dwayne Harris; and a handful of undrafted rookies.

The Cowboys open rookie minicamp on Friday at Valley Ranch, and that makes me think about Dez Bryant, who is entering his third season this fall.

When Bryant went through his rookie minicamp in 2010, a mini-firestorm flared up concerning his conditioning -- or possible lack thereof. During his very first practice, Bryant was wheezing and bending over. On the last day of the session, he tweaked his ankle.

Bryant has battled through some health issues during his first two NFL seasons, but he caught 63 passes for 928 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He endured several games where he was almost non-existent in the second half, finishing third on the team with 370 receiving yards after halftime.

When the veteran minicamp begins in June, Bryant has to enter with the mindset that he'll be better this season. He's a better talent than Miles Austin, just not as polished. The Cowboys need Bryant to play much better than last season.

Bryant totaled 12 catches for 132 yards during the last two games of 2011. In the first meeting against the Giants, he had one catch for 50 yards. You can talk all you want about coverages and whether or not Bryant knows the routes, but you can't have a talent like Bryant finish with just one catch against anybody, let alone your divisional rivals.

The Cowboys need to find a way to get him the ball. Other good teams make sure their playmakers get the ball, so why can't the Cowboys?

Bryant led the Cowboys with 20 third-down catches that resulted in a first down. That being said, Bryant wasn't as good as Laurent Robinson when it came to finding open spots on the field when plays broke down and Tony Romo was scrambling.

One would think Bryant learned plenty from watching Robinson excel with Romo in those situations. And with wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson in Bryant's ear again, maybe things will get better.

When the rookies and undrafted free agents invade Valley Ranch this weekend and try to impress the Cowboys coaches and scouts, think about how Bryant started things.

Then think about how close he is to possibly becoming what the Cowboys expect him to be.

With the Washington Redskins releasing wide receiver Jabar Gaffney it meant two of the NFC East's leading receivers from 2011 are gone.

The Cowboys lost wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who led them 11 touchdown receptions, when he signed a five-year $32.5 million deal. Paying Robinson that type of money was too much for the Cowboys because they have Miles Austin and Dez Bryant on the roster along with tight end Jason Witten, considered one of the best at his position, to help the passing game.

Gaffney was acquired in a trade last year and excelled for the Redskins. In two games against the Cowboys, Gaffney had 12 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown. But this offseason the Redskins signed Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan in free agency and it became clear Gaffney was expendable.

It's interesting to note just how fast things change in the NFC East with the Redskins and Cowboys, who at the end of the 2011 season were on the bottom half talent wise in the division.

Washington will have a new quarterback and two new starting wideouts to start the season, the Cowboys will have a new starting running back and quite possibly two new starting cornerbacks as well.

The head coaches remained the same, but you have to say the talent level at the top of the division remains with Philadelphia and the New York Giants.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys like versatile players and Virginia Tech’s Danny Coale is versatile.

He played outside wide receiver and excelled in the slot. He had four carries. He returned punts. He was on the Hokies’ punt block team and also was on the kick return and punt return teams.

He even punted as a senior, averaging 43.5 yards per punt.

“I want an opportunity to contribute to a team and it seems like a great fit,” Coale said.

Coale was the Cowboys’ fifth round pick and their first offensive selection. He left Virginia Tech with 165 catches for 2,658 yards and eight touchdowns. His receptions and yards are second-most in school history.

Coale did not come to Valley Ranch for a pre-draft visit, but he met with coach Jason Garrett and assistants John Garrett and Jimmy Robinson at the NFL scouting combine.

“I like to challenge myself to make tough catches over the middle and I really enjoy playing the middle of the field, seeing it from the slot,” Coale said.

The Cowboys have an opening for Tony Romo’s No. 3 wide receiver spot after losing Laurent Robinson. However, owner and general manager Jerry Jones has expressed his belief that Andre Holmes, Raymond Radway, Kevin Ogletree or Dwayne Harris can be playmakers. Coale will be in a competition

“He does a lot of exciting things,” Coale said of Romo. “I’m really thrilled to have an opportunity to catch from him.”

One of the most popular questions you get this time of year is about salary cap space -- as in, how much does each team have left? So it's worth it every now and then to check in and see where those situations stand. I'm using the figures from the NFL's web site, figuring they're as close to official as it gets. So here's their cap room figure for each NFC East team as of March 30:

Dallas Cowboys: $2,164,189

The Cowboys did their free-agency work early, and I wouldn't expect too much more. This figure would be $7,164,189 if not for the penalties the league imposed for the way the Cowboys spent in the uncapped 2010 season. But I still don't think they'd have plunked down big dollars to compete with Jacksonville to sign receiver Laurent Robinson. They'll bargain-hunt for their No. 3 wide receiver again, as they did last year when they turned up Robinson. And while there may be another signing or two -- bargain receiver, second tight end, veteran safety -- the Cowboys' attention right now is on the draft.

New York Giants: $3,431,050

This gives the Giants a little bit of room to address their needs at linebacker, offensive line and running back, though they don't seem in much of a hurry to do any of those things. Up tight against the cap for the second year in a row, the Giants continue to maintain their prudent, patient approach to the offseason. They'll probably bring back linebacker Jonathan Goff and add a veteran running back, but I think they address their tackle need at some point in the draft, if not in the first round.

Philadelphia Eagles: $16,255,888

Lots of money, and there's plenty the Eagles can do with it, starting with signing a free-agent tackle to replace the injured Jason Peters and working out a new deal for running back LeSean McCoy. The Eagles also are in the market for a veteran safety, a veteran running back and some more linebacker help. But they're not spending like sailors this offseason, mainly because they did last year and most of those same guys are still on the team.

Washington Redskins: $7,681,338

Yeah, and think about it. It'd be $25,681,338 if not for their salary-cap penalty. This figure still gives the Redskins plenty of room, if they want, to sign linebacker London Fletcher, running back Tim Hightower and a new right tackle. But especially in Fletcher's case, they need to get more creative than they expected they would have to be. Fletcher turns 37 this year and isn't going to get the kind of long-term deal that allows the team to spread out the cap hit over a period of years. The Redskins have been active in free agency and can continue to address their needs, but the penalty has forced them to adjust the way they're going about their spending.

» AFC Assessments: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Dallas Cowboys

Key additions: CB Brandon Carr, S Brodney Pool, QB Kyle Orton, FB Lawrence Vickers, LB Dan Connor, G Nate Livings, G Mackenzy Bernadeau

Key losses: WR Laurent Robinson, TE Martellus Bennett, FB Tony Fiammetta, CB Terence Newman, G Kyle Kosier (cut)

"You ain't a beauty, but hey, you're all right": Rather than go big for the biggest names out there, the Cowboys took a more directed, focused approach to free agency this year. They did spend a lot to bring in Carr, but they had a glaring need at cornerback and they believed Carr was the best one on the market. The two guards were specifically targeted by Cowboys' scouts and new offensive line coach Bill Callahan, and Connor was brought in to address a need at inside linebacker while 2011 draft pick Bruce Carter continues to develop.

The only loss that they didn't upgrade is that of Robinson, who signed with the Jaguars after coming out of nowhere to catch 11 touchdown passes from Tony Romo in 2011. The Cowboys will hope that one of the young receivers on their roster fills that No. 3 wide receiver role, or that they can catch lightning in a bottle again this year as they did with Robinson last year. They could miss Kosier's leadership on the offensive line, but he was getting old and injured and they needed to keep getting younger on the line.

What's next: While they'll keep an eye out for a bargain-bin receiver to replace Robinson, and they could try and find another tight end to replace Bennett, the Cowboys' main focus the rest of this offseason is likely to be on defense. They could add to the safety or cornerback mix in the draft or with another free agent. They'll keep looking to upgrade the pass rush, either with another outside linebacker or a defensive lineman. Those are the likely areas in which the Cowboys will focus their efforts in the draft.

Otherwise, it's going to be about sorting things out, especially on the offensive line. They need to find a pair of starting guards from a group that includes the two newcomers and the two youngsters -- David Arkin and Bill Nagy -- they drafted last year. Training camp should help sort out what needs to be sorted out on the offensive side of the ball. The draft will be for adding more pieces to Rob Ryan's defense.

The Dallas Cowboys re-signed wide receiver Kevin Ogletree on Friday.

Ogletree, a New York native, visited the New York Giants on Wednesday.

It's a surprise in some ways considering Ogletree lost the No. 3 receiver spot to Laurent Robinson last year and didn't play in the regular-season finale despite being active.

Ogletree will compete with Dwayne Harris, Andre Holmes and Raymond Radway for the No. 3 receiver spot.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was asked about the receiving corps during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday and spoke about Ogletree challenging the younger receivers if he made the roster in 2012.

Ogletree finished the 2011 season with just 15 catches for 164 yards and no touchdowns. He also returned two punts for 35 yards and fielded six kick returns for 114 yards.

The Cowboys most likely will include Ogletree in the return game rotation in 2012 as another way for him to make the team.

The Cowboys lost their No. 3 wide receiver when, according to our own Adam Schefter, Laurent Robinson agreed to a five-year deal worth $32.5 million.

There are two ways to look at it from the Cowboys' perspective: 1. They lost their most productive receiver in 2011, and that's bad. 2. It clears the way for younger talent to emerge in 2012, which can be deemed as a positive.

Robinson became a favorite target of quarterback Tony Romo last season and caught a team-high 11 touchdowns and was third on the team in catches with 54.

He had a stretch where he caught touchdown passes in seven of eight weeks. When Romo was under duress, he sought Robinson, who understood how to get to open spots on the field and become a target for the quarterback.

Miles Austin and Dez Bryant each had health issues during the season, and Robinson remained healthy for the most part. It should be noted, Robinson injured his hamstring in his first practice with the Cowboys and was quickly released. But once Robinson was healthy, he became a force. Now, you can attributed this to defenses trying to shut down Bryant and Austin, or Robinson just elevating his game.

The thing the Cowboys will miss with Robinson is his professionalism. Bryant said he learned a lot from Robinson in terms of preparation and how to deal with adversity. Before practices, Robinson would do his own stretching exercises to make sure his legs wouldn't betray him like they did early in the season.

It doesn't matter now because the Cowboys won't have him and are left with some unproven talent behind Austin and Bryant.

Andre Holmes is a long and fast receiver that played well on the scout team last season. Wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson likes Holmes' potential.

Dwayne Harris didn't get enough offensive snaps because he was behind Austin, Bryant, Robinson and Kevin Ogletree last year. Harris did some work in the return game and didn't find a good rhythm until later in the season. But he will get a shot to compete with Holmes for playing time.

Raymond Radway became one of the stars of the preseason until suffering a serious leg injury in the waning moments of the final preseason game at Miami. Radway has speed and good hands, but was inconsistent. He's expected to fully recover in time for training camp and will get a long look to make the team.

Teddy Williams it seems has been around forever, but really it's just been two seasons. He came in as a track star trying to make the team in 2010. He was move from cornerback to wide receiver to cornerback and back to wide receiver. Williams spent his time on the practice squad and also did some good things. But he's still raw and you have to wonder just how long the team is willing to wait before they expect him to make the 53-man roster.

The draft has some interesting names, so the Cowboys could look improve the depth of the position that way. Let's also not forget Austin and Bryant are two emerging talents who seek better seasons. Bryant got better as the season progressed, and Austin was sorely missed when he was out with an injury.

At the top, the Cowboys' receiving corps is fine. But looking for the third, fourth and fifth receiver will be a challenge.

IRVING, Texas – What the Cowboys figured would happen has happened: Laurent Robinson has accepted a deal that they just could not afford for a No. 3 wide receiver.

Robinson agreed to a five-year deal with Jacksonville, leaving the Cowboys in search for a wideout to play behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.

In 14 games last season, Robinson caught 54 passes for 858 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns after joining the team in Week 3. Initially signed Sept. 7, he was cut Sept. 13 because of a hamstring injury and re-signed on Sept. 20.

He quickly blossomed and helped the Cowboys overcome the loss of Austin to a hamstring injury for six games.

Because he signed a “minimum salary benefit” contract the Cowboys were unable to sign him before free agency began Tuesday. The Jaguars quickly pounced and he received interest from a handful of teams.

Robinson had hoped to stay because he knows there is a good fit with Tony Romo, but the economics made for an easy decision.

The Cowboys can look in free agency for some help and Arizona’s Early Doucet is a possibility. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones expressed faith in Andre Holmes, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, but he has not played in a regular-season game. The Cowboys did not tender contracts to Kevin Ogletree, a restricted free agent, or Jesse Holley, an exclusive rights free agent. Raymond Radway missed his rookie season with a broken ankle and Dwayne Harris split time on the active roster and practice squad last year.

No. 3 wide receiver Laurent Robinson is visiting Jacksonville today and has interest from San Diego and Arizona. Miami also has a desire for Robinson, though no official visits have been planned for the Cowboys' best receiver in 2011.

Robinson hasn't ruled out returning to the Cowboys, but with the contracts being distributed to several other free-agent wide receivers, it appears he won't come back.

If Robinson signs elsewhere, the Cowboys have mild interest in veteran wideouts Early Doucet, Jerheme Urban and Devin Thomas. However, nothing has been finalized in terms of scheduling visits with these wideouts or someone one else on the market.

The Cowboys like their current young corps of receivers: Dwayne Harris, Andre Holmes and the return of an injured Raymond Radway (remember him?).

There are some other veteran wide receivers such as Roscoe Parrish, Derek Hagan, Eddie Royal, Michael Spurlock, Steve Smith and Anthony Gonzalez who could be a solid backup to Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.

If you're wondering about Patrick Crayton, he's on the market too but the Cowboys are not planning on bringing him back. Roy Williams? Forget about that, too.

Don't even ask about Terrell Owens or Hines Ward.

Cowboys are looking for a veteran but are not stressed about it.

You guys know I'm active on Twitter (@ESPN_NFCEast and, to a lesser extent, @DanGrazianoESPN). I'm there to answer whatever questions I can, and at times like these the activity is more intense than it is at other times of the year. So I'm on there in between blog posts to help out. You can ask questions, vent, call me names, whatever. I'm there for you.

Some of the questions I get on there become so frequent that they take on lives of their own and become worthy of their own posts. Such is the case, I feel, with the question of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who is making free-agent visits to places like Jacksonville and appears unlikely to return to Dallas.

To hear Cowboys fans on this topic, you'd think we were talking about the second coming of Jerry Rice. I mean, Robinson played very well for the Cowboys last year, and only three players in the league caught more touchdown passes, but I refuse to buy into the idea that replacing his production would become a major offseason priority for the Cowboys if and when he signs elsewhere.

Possible options for replacing Robinson include:

1. Throwing the ball to Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant more.

2. Finding a third wide receiver in the bargain bin, which is where they found Robinson last summer when no one else wanted him.

This isn't rocket science. Robinson became Tony Romo's favorite red zone target and ended up with 11 touchdown catches, but that doesn't mean Romo would be crippled in the red zone without him. Witten used to be his favorite red zone target, and there's no reason to think he can't be again. If they can keep Austin healthy and if Bryant (just 23 years old) continues his development, they won't need a No. 3 wide receiver to produce the way Robinson did. Robinson's production was a pleasant surprise, but it's not as though Romo and the Cowboys would have been lost without him.

The Cowboys need help on defense and on the offensive line. They're pretty well-stocked at receiver. Falling in love with Robinson and overpaying him off his first good season would be a free-agent gamble, and given their strengths and their needs, it's one the Cowboys would do well to let some other team make.

IRVING, Texas – While the Cowboys are actively shopping in the free-agent market, so are two of their own free agents.

PODCAST
Galloway & Company discuss who the Cowboys need to get in free agency and who they need to let go. Is Laurent Robinson worth keeping? Should we worry about Marty B visiting the Giants? Listen

Tight end Martellus Bennett will visit the New York Giants on Tuesday night. Also, wide receiver Laurent Robinson is visiting with Jacksonville, according to sources.

The Cowboys would like to keep Robinson, who led the team with 11 touchdown catches last year, but the price tag might get too high, especially with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant on the roster.

The Arizona Cardinals have also expressed interest in Robinson among other teams.

The Giants’ need for a tight end arose after Travis Beckum and Jake Ballard suffered major knee injuries in Super Bowl XLVI. The Giants have enough familiarity with Bennett over the years and Bennett has made it clear he wants the chance to be a starter.

Bennett confirmed the visit to New York on Twitter: "Headed to NY tonight. excited!"

In 2008 the Giants signed defensive end Chris Canty away from the Cowboys with a lucrative offer.

As it stands, the Cowboys' salary cap situation looks terrible.

PODCAST
ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer explains how the Cowboys violated a rule that did not exist during an uncapped year. Listen

But there is a silver lining. (We think.)

The Cowboys can create room under the salary cap by releasing Terence Newman (as much as $6 million) and restructuring the deals of Dez Bryant, DeMarcus Ware, Orlando Scandrick and Doug Free (saves nearly $13 million). Kenyon Coleman could also get clipped at a savings of $1.9 million.

So if all goes well (again, we think), the Cowboys might be able to save about $20 million if they rework some deals.

But the Cowboys still have some work to do once things get cleared up.

They need to put a tender on fullback Tony Fiammetta, re-sign Laurent Robinson, figure out what to pay Mat McBriar and find a cornerback and possibly a guard/center in free agency.

When it comes to the draft, the Cowboys will have the rookie pool to help them out at an undetermined financial amount.

Yes the Cowboys should have more money to spend, but they don't, so now they have to live with the strange ruling by the league today and move forward, starting Tuesday afternoon when free agency begins.

IRVING, Texas -- The NFL’s decision to dock the Cowboys $10 million in salary-cap space, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported, wounds the team’s ability to improve in free agency but does not kill it.

PODCAST
ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer explains how the Cowboys violated a rule that did not exist during an uncapped year. Listen

The Cowboys can spread that hit over the next two years if they choose but they were already planning on re-working a number of contracts to create enough salary-cap space anyway.

The Cowboys have triggers in the contracts of cornerback Orlando Scandrick and tackle Doug Free that would save them roughly $8.6 million in cap space. Re-working the contracts of DeMarcus Ware and Dez Bryant could net about another $4 million in space.

The Cowboys can create as much as $7.26 million in room on Tuesday by cutting cornerback Terence Newman (designated as a post-June 1 cut) and kicker David Buehler, who is scheduled to count more than $1.6 million against the 2012 cap and lost his job to Dan Bailey last year.

On Sunday the league announced the 2012 cap would be $120.6 million.

The Cowboys were carrying a credit of around $17.1 million over from 2011, which would have in effect made their cap $138.2 million in 2012. If the Cowboys chose to take a $5 million hit in each of the next two years because of the sanctions, then they would have a cap of roughly $133.2 million this year.

With the $8.856 million franchise tag on linebacker Anthony Spencer, the Cowboys would be just below that threshold and that would not including the tenders offers they would put on restricted free agent fullback Tony Fiammetta and exclusive rights free agents Jesse Holley, Clifton Geathers and Jermey Parnell.

Make the aforementioned contract and roster moves, and the Cowboys would have about $15 million to $17 million in cap room, which is plenty to sign a starting cornerback, guard, backup quarterback and Laurent Robinson depending on the structures of the deals.

It isn’t the worst contract the Cowboys have given a wide receiver in recent memory, but man, the Miles Austin deal looks awful right now.

Austin hasn’t come close to playing up to $54 million standards in the first two seasons of his six-year deal. He has regressed since cashing in after his 2009 breakout season.

Austin was still the Cowboys’ No. 1 receiver in 2010, but he struggled with drops and had his numbers drop drastically across the board. He was the Cowboys’ third most productive wide receiver last season, when he was plagued by hamstring strains and managed to lose a potential Giants-crushing touchdown catch in the bright lights of the JerryTron.

And Austin’s contract got a lot worse when the NFL dropped the hammer on the Cowboys for getting a little too cute in the structuring of the deal.

As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the league docked the Cowboys $10 million of cap space, which can be split over the next two seasons, essentially for exploiting a loophole in the uncapped season by giving Austin a $17 million base salary in the first year of his deal.

That’s a huge blow to a team that needs to fill a lot of holes this offseason. It might just cause the Cowboys to lose Laurent Robinson, a free agent who severely outperformed Austin while playing for the veterans’ minimum last season.

On the bright side, at least Austin has given the Cowboys much better bang for buck than Roy Williams did.