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I get the sense that Dallas Cowboys fans would feel better about the team if it signed one of these free-agent offensive tackles. Tyson Clabo and Eric Winston are the names you're hearing, and it's pretty obvious either would be an upgrade over Doug Free. Neither has yet signed elsewhere, so there's no real reason to panic. But with all of the salary cap problems the Cowboys have had this offseason it's understandable to worry whether they can afford to sign one of these guys.

Calvin Watkins reports, however, that the Cowboys have more than $5 million in cap room at the present time, not counting the $2 million they'll get in June when the release of Marcus Spears takes effect and not counting the $7 million (post-June 1) they could save by cutting Free. This would seem to indicate that they can sign someone like Clabo and still sign their draft picks (especially since their first-rounder ended up being No. 31 and not No. 18, a distinction likely to save them somewhere around $300,000 against this year's cap). The picks don't need to be under contract prior to June 1, so the Cowboys can wait until then to take care of that even if they sign Clabo in the meantime.

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The issue appears to be Free, and how they handle his contract situation. It's easy for us to sit here and say they should cut him based on the way he's played since they signed him two offseasons ago. But the Cowboys don't like to give up on their guys, and it's likely they'd prefer to keep Free at a much lower salary and as a backup tackle. If Free would agree to the pay cut now, they'd add to their cap room and could make a move on a Clabo with more clarity about their overall 2013 cap situation. But if Free won't agree to the pay cut the Cowboys have in mind, then they're a month away from being able to cut him and things could get held up.

As you know, I like the move the Cowboys made to take center/guard Travis Frederick in the first round last week. Along with fellow first-rounder Tyron Smith, he'll give the Cowboys at least two offensive line starters about whom they can feel good. Adding a veteran such as Clabo, whom they appear to like, would up that number to three, and then they could throw a bunch of Phil Costa/Mackenzy Bernadeau/Nate Livings types into the mix for the other two spots and hope that competition pushes two of them to play better.

The Cowboys have enough talent on their roster to be a playoff team in 2013, but they have to get better offensive line play in order to cash in on that. Step 1 was the first round of the draft. Step 2 remains up in the air. But it appears they do have the resources to pull it off.

The Dallas Cowboys were almost $20 million over the salary cap when the offseason began, but the restructuring of contracts and releasing of some players put the team in a better situation after the NFL draft.

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The Cowboys are a little more than $5 million under the salary cap. They will pick up an additional $2 million when the release of defensive end Marcus Spears takes effect June 1.

That means the Cowboys will have $7 million available to sign draft picks and free agents. That figure could increase if right tackle Doug Free is released (saving $7 million) or takes a pay cut (an undetermined amount of savings).

Defensive end Anthony Spencer is under contract for $10.6 million, but his cap number could be decreased if he is signed to a long-term deal.

The Cowboys want to have salary-cap space during the season in the event obtaining a veteran free agent is necessary due to injury. Last season, the Cowboys signed Charlie Peprah, Brady Poppinga, Brian Schaefering, Ernie Sims and Anthony Armstrong because of injuries.

Right now, the Cowboys are on target to have enough space to take care of draft picks and free agents before and during the season.

IRVING, Texas – Jerry Jones basically bought an ad in the NFL classifieds during Monday’s pre-draft press conference, sending out the message that the Cowboys could be in trade-down mode when they get on the clock with the 18th overall pick.

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That news was met with a lot of moaning and groaning from Cowboys fans.

How can you be adamantly against trading down if you have no idea what the offer might be or which players might be available? Folks just don’t trust GM Jerry.

Should they in this situation? Let’s look at the Cowboys’ history of trading down in the first round during the Jerry era.

1991 -- No. 14 overall (obtained from New Orleans – RB Leonard Russell) to New England for No. 17 overall (traded to Washington – DT Bobby Wilson) and No. 110 overall (DE Kevin Harris).

No. 17 overall (Wilson) to Washington for No. 20 overall (traded to Detroit -- DT Kelvin Pritchett) and No. 132 overall (Darrick Brownlow).

No. 20 overall (Pritchett) to Detroit for No. 37 overall (LB Dixon Edwards), No. 64 overall (G James Richards) and No. 108 overall (DE Tony Hill).

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These three deals have to be judged essentially as one. After all the wheeling and dealing was done, the Cowboys turned the 14th overall pick into a second-round linebacker who started for two Super Bowl title teams (Edwards), a third-round guard who never played an NFL game (Richards), a fourth-round defensive end who played 13 games in two NFL seasons (Hill) and a fifth-round linebacker who made 11 tackles in two separate one-year stints in Dallas (Brownlow).

This was a case of great value on Jimmy Johnson’s trade chart and essentially a push in reality. Russell ended up being a decent running back, rushing for 3,973 yards and 29 touchdowns in his career, and it’s not as if the Cowboys passed on a Hall of Famer who went later in the first round. Edwards contributed to three title teams, starting for two.

This deal would have been a steal if the Cowboys selected offensive tackle Erik Williams at No. 64 overall. They ended up drafting him six picks later.

1993 -- No. 29 overall (S George Teague) and No. 112 overall (Albert Fontenot) to Green Bay for No. 46 overall (WR Kevin Williams), No. 54 overall (LB Darrin Smith), No. 94 overall (RB Derrick Lassic) and No. 213 overall (LB Reggie Givens).

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Both of the second-round picks the Cowboys acquired contributed to two Super Bowl title teams. Williams was a quality punt and kick returner who started at receiver for the Cowboys’ last championship team, setting career highs with 38 catches for 613 yards and two touchdowns that season. Smith started all four of his seasons in Dallas.

Teague had a solid nine-year career, but he ended up spending most of that in Dallas anyway. Fontenot also lasted nine NFL seasons, making 81 starts. Lassic lasted 10 games, and Givens never played for the Cowboys.

Give the Cowboys a win for this deal, but it wasn’t lopsided by any measure.

1995 -- No. 28 overall (LB Derrick Brooks) to Tampa Bay for No. 41 overall (traded to Atlanta – DB Ron Davis) and No. 63 overall (OG Shane Hannah).

All Brooks did in Tampa Bay was go to 11 Pro Bowls, be named first-team All-Pro five times, win a Super Bowl and establish himself as one of the best linebackers of his generation.

Hannah started the Cowboys’ tradition of early-round offensive line busts, getting hurt in training camp and never playing a game in the NFL. They flipped Davis for a second-rounder (RB Sherman Williams) and fourth-rounder (TE Eric Bjornson), a couple of backups who combined for 10 career touchdowns.

This might be the worst draft-day deal the Cowboys ever made.

1996 -- No. 30 overall (Andre Johnson) to Washington for No. 37 overall (DE Kavika Pittman) and No. 67 overall (C Clay Shiver).

Pittman made 18 sacks in eight NFL seasons (10 in four seasons for the Cowboys). Shiver started 25 games, but that was evidence of how weak the Cowboys were at center, as he was out of the league after three years.

Johnson was a huge bust for the Redskins. He never played a game in Washington.

The Cowboys would have been better off staying put and drafting Texas product Tony Brackens in the first round. Brackens, picked No. 33 overall by Jacksonville, had 55 sacks and 27 forced fumbles in his eight-year career.

2002 -- No. 6 overall (DT Ryan Sims) to Kansas City for No. 8 overall (SS Roy Williams), No. 75 overall (CB Derek Ross) and a sixth-round pick in 2003 (WR Zuriel Smith).

A couple of Williams’ five Pro Bowl berths were reputation selections after his performance fell off, but he was a dominant force as a playmaking intimidator early in his career. That’s much more than you can say for Sims, who only had one more sack in his career than Williams did.

Ross looked like a steal when he had five picks as a rookie, but the character red flags that caused him to drop into the third round proved true. Bill Parcells got rid of him midway through Ross’ second season. Smith played nine games for the Cowboys, contributing primarily as a return specialist.

This was a good deal for Dallas, just not nearly the steal it seemed destined to be during the rookie seasons of Williams and Ross.

2004 -- No. 22 overall (QB J.P. Losman) to Buffalo for No. 43 overall (RB Julius Jones), No. 144 overall (TE Sean Ryan) and a 2005 first-rounder (DE Marcus Spears).

Spears was a serviceable player for the last eight seasons. Ryan was a nonfactor during his two years in Dallas.

But this deal comes down to Steven Jackson vs. Julius Jones.

The Cowboys decided, based strongly on the input of running backs coach Maurice Carthon, that there wasn’t much difference between the top back on the board and the backs who would be available in the second round.

Jackson has rushed for 10,135 yards and counting, more than twice as many as Jones ran for during his career. Jackson has accounted for 64 touchdowns, almost three times Jones’ total.

Oops.

2007 -- No. 22 overall (QB Brady Quinn) to Cleveland for No. 36 overall (traded to Philadelphia – QB Kevin Kolb) and a 2008 first-rounder (RB Felix Jones).

The Cowboys were tempted to pick Quinn, who they had in the top 10 on their board, but they opted to fully commit to a quarterback with 10 starts under his belt named Tony Romo. Considering that Quinn is with his fourth team and Romo just got $55 million guaranteed, it’s pretty clear that was the right call.

The Cowboys moved back into the first round to select OLB/DE Anthony Spencer, giving up third- and fifth-rounders to do so. No regrets there, with Spencer a solid player coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance and Kolb failing to make an impact in Philadelphia.

This deal would have looked like a stroke of genius if the Cowboys picked Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, Ray Rice or Jamaal Charles the next year. Alas, they selected an Arkansas alum to be a change-of-pace back. Felix Jones had some flashes of brilliance, but his Dallas tenure was a pretty big disappointment given the quality of backs picked behind him.

This was still a solid deal for Dallas.

IRVING, Texas – First-round picks have to be the cornerstones of NFL rosters. The majority have to be more than one-contract players. If not, it generally means they didn't live up to expectations.

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With 2008 first-rounder Mike Jenkins gone off to Oakland and Felix Jones all but gone to anywhere else but here, the Cowboys have not extended the contract of one of their first-round picks before it expired since DeMarcus Ware, one of their two first-round picks in 2005.

Through a quirk in the system, Marcus Spears (2005) was a restricted free agent in 2010 and was kept for a year, but only because the price was right and cheaper than the guys who backed him up. He ultimately re-signed after the 2011 lockout ended and was cut this offseason after the second year of the current deal. Bobby Carpenter (2006) was traded to St. Louis in the final year of his deal.

The 2007 pick, Anthony Spencer, is on the team, but his deal expired after 2011 and the Cowboys have kept him with the franchise tag the last two years. In 2012 they did it because they weren’t sure how much they loved him. They did it this offseason because they didn’t feel like they could lose him. It is possible Spencer could sign a new deal this offseason, but there doesn’t seem to be any rush on that done.

The Cowboys had six first-round picks from 2005-08 and have extended one before that player’s deal expired. How does that compare with the rest of the NFC East?

The New York Giants had three and extended one (Mathias Kiwanuka, 2006) and let two walk (Aaron Ross, Kenny Phillips). Philadelphia had two and extended one (Mike Patterson, 2005), but that was in the second year of his deal and he didn’t become a dominant player. Brodrick Bunkley (2006) was traded by the Eagles before his deal was up. Washington had two and kept Carlos Rogers (2005) for a year the same way the Cowboys kept Spears, but then he signed with San Francisco in 2012. LaRon Landry (2007) walked after his rookie deal was up with the Redskins.

For the Cowboys, the next first-rounder to come due will be Dez Bryant, their top pick in 2010, whose contract is up after the 2014 season. Will Bryant cash in on a big deal before his contract expires?

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IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys’ deals with free agents Justin Durant and Will Allen chew up roughly $1.5 million in salary-cap space this year.

Durant received a two-year deal that included a $400,000 signing bonus and a $715,000 base salary this year and a $1.25 million base in 2014. He can earn more in ’14 based on incentives. Allen received a minimum salary benefit contract worth $840,000 but it will count only $620,000 against the salary cap with a $65,000 signing bonus.

That’s two potential starters for half of the $3 million base salary they were set to pay Gerald Sensabaugh before he was cut. That’s two potential starters for less than they were set to pay Marcus Spears ($2 million) before he was cut. That’s not bad shopping in free agency.

Durant gives the Cowboys a veteran to play the strong side linebacker spot. Allen at least gives the Cowboys some cover at safety, but it’s more like SPF-15 when they need SPF-50 on a hot summer day. Safety will remain one of their top priorities entering the draft.

Veteran safety Michael Huff will visit the Dallas Cowboys at Valley Ranch on Monday, according to a source.

Huff, an Irving, Texas native who played at the University of Texas, finished the 2012 season with two interceptions and a team-leading 15 pass break-ups for the Oakland Raiders. Huff was released by the Raiders last week.

The Cowboys are also bringing in safety Will Allen and linebacker Justin Durant on Monday.

Signing any of these players won't occur immediately. The Cowboys are just $102,000 under the salary cap and would need to restructure some contracts to make room for any free-agent signings. The Cowboys will get $2 million in savings this summer thanks to the release of defensive end Marcus Spears because he was designated as a post-June 1 cut. The team could gain an additional savings of $7 million if it lets tackle Doug Free go as a post-June 1 cut.

We took last Sunday off, just needed a personal day, and we're back with our Cowboys weekend mailbag.

Here we go:

Q: I know Jerry Jones takes a lot of lip regarding his job as a GM (I've given some myself). Check these names out: Anthony Spencer, Orlando Scandrick, Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Tyron Smith and Demarco Murray. All drafted by Jones. Are we not giving him enough credit? Second, if the Boys' stay healthy, do you think they can win a Super Bowl? Robert Smith (Austin)

A: It's the other types of picks, such as Robert Brewster, David Arkin, Felix Jones among others that don't help Jones. Yes, Jones makes the final decision on those picks, but Wade Phillips wanted Spencer drafted. Phillips also liked Chris Johnson over Felix Jones. Lee and Carter were solid second-round picks who fell because of health issues. Bryant is a talented player, but numerous teams passed him because of potential off-the-field problems. Jones should get credit but the Cowboys have won just two playoff games since their last Super Bowl. That's on Jones' ledger. As far as if they stay healthy, any NFL team, if they stay healthy, can win a Super Bowl. I don't think the Cowboys have Super Bowl talent on the roster, but good enough players to make a run in the postseason, should they get there.

Q: Calvin, I have been a Cowboys fan since I was a kid. I feel like this offseason is a catastrophe. Rather than making tough choices on fading or overpriced veterans (Ratliff, Free, Austin) they just pushed out salaries. I'm asking, is their any reason I should feel confident in what this team is doing or should I spend my fall looking for a hobby? Matt Ellison (Chantilly, Va.)

A: Take up a hobby. Seriously. The Cowboys are a mediocre franchise right now. Consecutive 8-8 seasons with no playoff berth the last three seasons back that up. The Cowboys have some good talent to reach the postseason, but for numerous reasons aren't good enough at the right moments of NFL games to do it.

Q: Hello, Mr. Watkins just wondering if the Cowboys should go after free agent Osi Umenyiora now that Marcus Spears is no longer with the team? Javier (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)

A: Spears is a run stopper and Umenyiora is a pass rusher. You can move Spears to the interior of the line and I think he'll produce for you there. Umenyiora is more of an edge player who has dealt with injuries the last few seasons. While I think Umenyiora is a solid player in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme, the Cowboys have better edge rushers in DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. I'm not sure if the Cowboys want to pay Umenyiora, though the market for pass rushers is down from a financial standpoint and they don't have the cap space available. Dallas has just $102,000 in cap space. Not enough for Umenyiora.

Q: Why is Dallas in the NFC East? How can Dallas address the offensive line problems with less than $200,000 of cap room?
T. Holloway (Virginia Beach, Va.)

A: I'm not going to breakdown the history of why the Cowboys are in the NFC East. But I do understand your question. The division is getting better and you have to question the Cowboys' abilities of improving. I think the Cowboys can't improve in free agency because of a lack of salary cap space. The Cowboys made significant moves in the past regarding free agents and trades. Now they can't do that because of their cap problems. If you're asking do the Cowboys have good players? Yes. Put DeMarcus Ware, Lee, Carter, Bryant on the open market and opposing teams will sign them up. Injuries along the defense hurt and an inconsistent offensive line were the biggest problems for the Cowboys last season. That can't happen again if the team expects to do anything positive in 2013.

Q: Why do you sports writers and sportcasters think they know more than the coaches who interact with players every day? They see them practice, the effort and more importantly they know about nagging injuries that can undermine confidence and productivity. If you were an athlete you know this. Do think the Cowboys staff can't recognize talent? Moy (Houston)

A: Very few sports writers I know, think they're smarter than the coaches. Same with sportscasters. The Cowboys know how to judge talent, just look at some of the players currently on the roster. However sometimes talented players underachieve and scouts miss out on some players. It's not just with the Cowboys, it's with almost every other NFL team.

Paralyzed in free agency, unable to get Tony Romo extended, and the hits just keep on coming for Dallas Cowboys fans, who are going to absolutely hate this story from Calvin Watkins about right tackle Doug Free. Calvin reports that, according to a source, Free's future with the Cowboys is "secure for now."

Earlier this offseason, executive vice president Stephen Jones said of Free's possible return: "I wouldn't rule Doug out."

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Tim Heitman/USA TODAY Sports Tackle Doug Free is scheduled to count $10.02 million against the Cowboys' salary cap.

Free's status could again become tenuous if the Cowboys believe there's a tackle worthy of selecting in the first two rounds of the draft. If that's the case, Free could be sent packing, and Jermey Parnell or the draft pick would become the starter at right tackle.

Yeah, see, that's the whole thing. The phrase "secure for now" doesn't really mean much, right? You're either secure or you're not. If the status of your security can change, you're not secure. So I wouldn't worry too much. I still think there's a really good chance they designate Free a June 1 cut and save $7 million against the cap during the summer.

But the fact that they haven't done that yet speaks to their situation, and their lack of ability to find a replacement for Free. They literally can't sign a free-agent tackle (unless they get that Tony Romo deal done and reduce their quarterback's 2013 cap cost in the process), and picking 18th in the draft they can't be certain they'll find their answer at right tackle in the draft. They could find a very good guard at that spot, such as Chance Warmack or Jonathan Cooper, which might help convince them they can afford to give Parnell a shot. But six weeks away from the draft they can't possibly know.

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So they will wait on Free. They cut defensive lineman Marcus Spears and designated him a June 1 release because they felt like they had enough depth on the defensive line to do that now. But obviously, and justifiably, they don't feel the same about their offensive line. And as bad as Free was last year, they don't feel as though they can let him go without knowing who's going to replace him. Add all of that to the Cowboys' famous tendency to hang onto their own players too long and refuse to admit mistakes, and you find yourself unable to say with complete certainty that they will part ways with Free. Even if it seems obvious to all of us on the outside that they need to do so.

This Cowboys' offseason is going to be like this -- slow and frustrating -- and they're going to need to have a very good, 2013-focused draft if they're to make the playoffs this year. Cowboys fans aren't used to Marches like this one, but they don't have much choice right now other than to deal with it.

If the Dallas Cowboys plan on making any moves in free agency, more space must be cleared as they're only roughly $175,000 under the salary cap right now.

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Right tackle Doug Free would save $7 million if he's a post June 1 cut. If the Cowboys release Free and Marcus Spears, the Cowboys would have $9 million more to play with under the league's $123 million salary cap.

However, a source said Free's status with the Cowboys, as of now, is secure.

This could change if the Cowboys believe there's a tackle worthy of selecting in the first two rounds of the draft. If that's the case, Free could be sent packing and Jermey Parnell or the draft pick would become the starter at right tackle.

Free took a step back in his development in 2012, but there is a belief that he can improve to give the Cowboys two solid tackles who can protect Tony Romo for the future.

When Chris Canty officially signed a deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday it reminded me of one of the best Cowboys draft classes in some time: the class of 2005.

That draft class produced seven-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys' first-round pick, another Pro Bowler in running back Marion Barber, who was selected in the fourth round, and Jay Ratliff, who was taken in the seventh round and has been a Pro Bowler, as well.

What makes this class so good? 1. Bill Parcells had something to do with it. 2. Jerry Jones convinced Parcells that Marcus Spears would be around later in the first round; he was. 3. Starters were produced.

Of the eight players taken by the Cowboys in that draft, Ware, Spears, Kevin Burnett, Canty, Rob Petitti and Ratliff made the Cowboys roster. Ratliff, Ware and Spears still remain with the team. (UPDATE: The Cowboys will part ways with Spencer.)

Petitti, fellow sixth-round pick Justin Beriault and Barber are currently out the league.

But overall, the 2005 class has staying power. It's expected that Burnett will get a job somewhere, and if Spears gets released -- his status is uncertain at this stage -- he will find another gig, as well.

When you think about what the Cowboys will and won't do in free agency, think about the good things they've done in the draft -- especially the 2005 class.

The Cowboys will enter free agency Tuesday afternoon as spectators in the early going.

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That's ok because, after all, sometimes fans forget what happened the previous year.

Last year many fans wanted the Cowboys to jettison Terence Newman from the team. After that occurred, the Cowboys spent $50.1 million -- the most for a cornerback in franchise history -- on Brandon Carr.

Cowboys fans wanted upgrades to the offensive line, and Jerry Jones delivered by spending more than $30 million on guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau.

Lawrence Vickers was expected to be upgrade at fullback last season and the Cowboys signed him to a two-year deal worth $2.4 million.

Jon Kitna bothered the Cowboys' faithful because of his age and declining skill set; forget about the fact he was a respected member in the locker room. Enter Kyle Orton, who lost his starting job to Tim Tebow the previous season in Denver, to take over as Tony Romo's backup. Orton signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract.

The Cowboys made their free-agency play last spring, upgrading the cornerback, guard, fullback and backup quarterback positions.

All it got them was an 8-8 season and a seat at home watching the playoffs.

You can't expect the Cowboys to become big players every year in free agency. The team was nearly $20 million over the salary cap when the season ended and you can't expect the franchise to cut everybody because it comes with a price. Dead money hits you the next year or two depending on when a player is released from his contract.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Cowboys will get under the cap. They've agreed to restructure the contracts of Livings, Orlando Scandrick and Jay Ratliff. There's a chance Dan Connor and Marcus Spears will be sent packing.

In Connor's case, a pay cut was offered a week ago, but nothing has transpired along that front. Sending Spears home saves just $600,000. But finding the right fit for Spears (defensive end or defensive tackle) could be the main reason he's released.

At this stage of the offseason the two most important financial plays for the Cowboys are defensive end Anthony Spencer and Romo. Romo will likely get a long-term deal at some point, mainly to reduce his team-high $16.8 million salary cap.

Spencer, who received the franchise tag, wants to remain with the Cowboys long term. Whether he will get a big-money deal from the Cowboys is uncertain.

As of today, the Cowboys are nearly $6.8 million over the salary cap. Depending on how much gets done by Tuesday afternoon, the Cowboys might not have much room to play with in free agency. So while other teams are holding press conferences and flying players to their facilities, things will be quiet at Valley Ranch and Cowboys Stadium.

It's not the end of the world. Just the reality of the situation.

IRVING, Texas – With the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer for the second straight year, the short-sighted view is to say the Cowboys can push defensive line down the list of needs when it comes to the draft.

Wrong.

The Cowboys can’t afford to be so short-sighted.

The projected starting defensive line is DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher and Spencer. By the time the season starts Ware will be 31, Ratliff will be 32, Hatcher will be 31 and Spencer will be 29.

Ware is coming back from shoulder surgery, but the feeling is he will continue his Pro Bowl run in the new scheme. Ratliff has had his sack total decrease every year for the last five years. Hatcher and Spencer (at least for now) are on one-year deals.

Of the backups, only Sean Lissemore, 26, and Tyrone Crawford, 23, should be viewed as potential starters. This does not include Marcus Spears, who turns 30 on Friday, and Josh Brent, whose status is unknown because of the December car accident.

The Cowboys can’t view the Spencer tag as a reason to avoid taking a defensive lineman in the top three rounds.

The draft is not only about 2013. It’s about 2013 and beyond.

When the Cowboys are on the clock for the 18th pick and their highest-rated player is a defensive lineman, take him and be happy.

PODCAST
Randy Galloway and Matt Mosley discuss the Cowboys putting the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer and releasing Gerald Sensabaugh. Listen

After the Cowboys released three players Monday -- the biggest name being safety Gerald Sensabaugh -- who might be the next player to be sent packing from Valley Ranch?

We look at four possibilities:

1. Marcus Spears. A valued member of the defensive line, Spears has played well as a starter and a backup. The team, however, could be focused on using younger players. It's unknown if Spears has a role in the new 4-3 alignment since it requires pass rushers up front and he's more of a run stopper. If Spears is released, the Cowboys only would save $600,000 -- so it's not a big deal if he stays.

2. Dan Connor. The Cowboys have asked Connor, who is scheduled to make $3 million in base salary, to take a pay cut or be released. Connor, an inside linebacker in a 4-3, takes up $4.3 million of salary cap space and the Cowboys would like to reduce that number or eliminate it. With the team looking to go younger, the Cowboys might let him go, but his experience in a 4-3 is of value. Connor most likely won't play one of the outside linebacker spots as a starter, but could as a reserve.

3. Doug Free. It seems, for now, that the starting right tackle has a home. The Cowboys could cut Free after June 1 and save $7 million, but that won't happen until the summer. The Cowboys are under the cap right now, so Free's status seems secure. After more offseason meetings, the Cowboys could move on from Free -- especially if they draft a tackle.

4. Lawrence Vickers. He was supposed to be an upgrade over Tony Fiammetta but the Cowboys' run game finished 31st overall. Even with injuries to Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys expected more from Vickers, who enters the final year of his deal with a $1.2 million base salary and counts $1.3 million against the salary cap. The Cowboys would save $1.1 million by releasing him.

IRVING, Texas – For the last two days the Cowboys have had their first in-depth meetings regarding the players on the roster.

After signing seven players in unrestricted free agency last year, including cornerback Brandon Carr to a five-year, $50 million deal, the Cowboys will be hard-pressed to be as active this year when the market opens March 12.

“The salary cap is tight around the league and it’s tight here in Dallas,” coach Jason Garrett said, “so we have to make some decisions. We’ve spent the last couple of days here talking about our personnel. We’ve got to make some good decisions with our personnel and how we think we can help our team with guys who are available free agents. Obviously we also have an opportunity to help ourselves in the draft, so we have to put all of this together.

“We’ve just started the discussions, and those decisions will be critical for our success.”

The Cowboys will have to make a number of moves – cutting players, restructuring contracts and/or signing quarterback Tony Romo to an extension – just to get under the $121 million cap. Executive vice president Stephen Jones has acknowledged the cap is more of a challenge this year than in recent years.

The Cowboys will restructure Carr’s contract, which will save about $10.5 million in space, and can look to rework the deals of DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten, which would create about $6.5 million in space. A new deal for Romo would likely cut his $16.8 million salary-cap figure in half.

Players such as Doug Free, Dan Connor, Jay Ratliff, Marcus Spears and Lawrence Vickers could be cut or asked to take pay cuts to remain in Dallas, which would open up more space.

The Cowboys would like to keep Anthony Spencer and will have discussions with his agent, Jordan Woy, this month. Woy has said Spencer’s preference is to remain with the Cowboys, but the team might not have the financial wherewithal to keep him.

Here at the NFC East blog, we appreciate the extent to which ESPNDallas.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor has been helping us out with provocative Dallas Cowboys columns during a slow time. The ability to link to and discuss Jacques' work has helped carry us through a few days recently, and today is no different. Today Jacques writes that, rather than extend Tony Romo's contract this offseason to create salary-cap relief and ensure that they're not left without a quarterback a year from now when Romo's deal expires, the Cowboys should let Romo play out the final season of his deal.

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AP Photo/Tim SharpTony Romo threw for 4,903 yards and 28 touchdowns this past season.

The Cowboys should let Romo play out his deal just as the Baltimore Ravens did with quarterback Joe Flacco. Make Romo play his best football for himself -- and the team -- next season. And if Romo still hasn't earned a contract extension with his performance, Jones should place the franchise tag on him in 2014. And 2015 too, if necessary.

The Cowboys could absorb Romo's salary this season, but it would mean saying goodbye to players such as nose tackle Jay Ratliff, Doug Free, Marcus Spears, Dan Connor and Anthony Spencer. Then the Cowboys would have to restructure the contracts of Brandon Carr, DeMarcus Ware and maybe, Miles Austin. Bottom line: It could get done without too much pain.

Now, I am a great fan of Jacques personally and of his work, but I could not disagree with him more on this particular point. While the premise isn't a bad one -- the idea that the Cowboys would like to see more from Romo than they've seen to this point in terms of his ability to deliver big wins -- waiting a year is completely impractical.

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First of all, I fail to see how losing Ratliff, Spears, Connor and Spencer and then working to restructure Carr, Ware and Austin isn't "too much pain." That sounds like a lot of losses on defense and a lot of work on deals (Carr's in particular) that may not be as restructure-friendly as the cap-strapped Cowboys would like them to be.

Second of all, there is the persistent problem of the lack of strong alternatives to Romo should they lose him in a year. Say Romo plays great, as he did in 2011 and for most of 2012 (the final game notwithstanding), and the Cowboys continue to struggle to put a representative offensive line in front of him. Maybe he doesn't want to come back. Maybe he wants to go to a team that can protect him better, where his reputation as a big-game flop isn't as integral a part of the way the team's fans feel about him. Maybe he'll want out of the Cowboys circus completely. And if that's the case, woe to the Cowboys trying to find a solution on next year's market without a decent candidate already in the fold. Look around the league at teams like the Chiefs, Browns, Jaguars, Jets and the Eagles for goodness' sake. You don't want to be the team looking for a quarterback on a market that might not have any. That's not a fun place for a franchise to be.

The Flacco comparison fails because it's not as though Flacco outperformed his prior résumé this season. He muddled through an up-and-down regular season and played well in the playoffs, as he always does. The Ravens lost last year's AFC Championship Game to the Patriots because of a dropped pass and a missed field goal that weren't his fault. This year, they won that game and the next one. Yes, the Super Bowl MVP award will help Flacco make more money on this next deal, but it's not as though the Ravens saw anything from their quarterback this year they didn't already know or believe he could do. Flacco didn't have a prove-it year. He just had a better ending than he's ever had before. If that's what the Cowboys need to see from Romo, then as we have discussed at length, they need to get him a lot more help.

But in the end, the biggest reason to extend Romo is the fact that it makes too much financial sense. The Cowboys have major salary-cap problems. One of the easiest ways for them to get relief is to give Romo an extension that his performance relative to his peers says he deserves anyway and which would save them cap space they'll need over the coming months. Standing on principle and saying Romo has to win a big game before he can get his money simply isn't the best thing for the franchise right now. Warts and all, Romo as the quarterback now and for the foreseeable future is.