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IRVING, Texas -- Mike Jenkins has done nothing wrong this offseason.

It is well within his right to do his rehab work from major shoulder surgery mostly in Florida. The Cowboys’ offseason conditioning program is voluntary even if there is a wink-wink involved.

But it doesn’t mean Jenkins is in the right either.

Is Jenkins, who was the Cowboys’ best cornerback last season -- and that is not meant as faint praise -- upset that he does not have a new contract? Is he upset the team signed Brandon Carr to a $50 million deal and Orlando Scandrick to a $27 million deal before he could cash in? Is he upset the Cowboys traded up to get Morris Claiborne in the first round in the draft?

Maybe it’s yes to all three, but staying home is not the right answer.

Let’s offer up Ken Hamlin and Marion Barber as lessons why.

In 2008, Hamlin did not take part in the offseason program, organized team activities and mini-camp after the team put the franchise tag on him. That same offseason the Cowboys tended Barber as a restricted free agent with the highest compensation possible -- a first and third rounder -- and he missed about two months of the offseason program.

Eventually Hamlin and Barber got paid. The Cowboys signed Hamlin to a six-year, $39 million deal in July 2008. Barber signed a seven-year, $45 million deal in May.

But neither guy was the same player.

Hamlin was cut after the 2009 season. Barber lost the tread on his tire and was cut after the 2010 season. He retired this offseason after one year in Chicago.

Maybe this is just anecdotal evidence about the importance of the offseason program, but you’re hearing a lot of guys talk now about how much better this spring has been than last spring when there was a lockout in effect.

If it’s all about money, then, hey, those guys got their money. Is it a coincidence that Barber’s agent then is Jenkins’ agent now, Drew Rosenhaus?

Trading Jenkins is/was not easy. Why would a team trade for a guy who is coming off major shoulder surgery? Why would a team trade for a guy with one year left on his deal? Why would the Cowboys want to give up on a young cornerback even if they have stockpiled the spot this offseason?

On Wednesday owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he has visions of a long-term plan for Jenkins. Maybe he does or maybe he’s just saying he does. The Cowboys will have significant money tied up in Carr, Scandrick and Claiborne. Can they really afford a fourth cornerback?

Yes, if he plays as well as Jenkins played last year and in 2009.

Jenkins' best attribute as a corner is his willingness to compete at the line of scrimmage and for the ball in the air. Yes, I know people now are talking about two failed tackles he had as a rookie and 2010, but if he didn’t answer any toughness questions for you last year by playing with that shoulder injury then shame on you.

Jenkins can show the Cowboys they have to keep him. He can show other teams he’s healthy and worth the money in 2013.

He can’t show them that from Florida.

When rookie cornerback Morris Claiborne takes the field at some point this summer, he's going to wear No. 24.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones held up the No. 24 jersey at Claiborne's introductory news conference at Valley Ranch last week and talked about Everson Walls and Larry Brown having worn it previously for the team as outstanding cornerbacks for the franchise.

The number is connected mostly to Walls, one of the Cowboys' greatest defensive backs.

"It was pretty cool," Walls said Tuesday when asked about Claiborne wearing his number. "I'm from Dallas and we don't have any official retired numbers. It's an unspoken rule nobody will wear Roger's number (No. 12)."

Roger being Roger Staubach, the Cowboys' Hall of Fame quarterback.

Walls wore No. 24 from 1981-89 before Larry Brown claimed it in 1991. Other players who have worn the number since include Roger Harper, Omar Stoutmire, Vashone Adams, Tony Dixon and recently retired running back Marion Barber.

"A pleasant performer," Walls said Barber. "He came through and brought a little shine to the number. I was proud he had my jersey."

Walls, who many Cowboys fans and former players believe should be in the team's Ring of Honor, was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He led the Cowboys in interceptions five times, tied with Terence Newman for the most in franchise history, and his 44 picks are second all-time in franchise history. Walls also led the Cowboys with 11 interceptions in 1981, the most in a single season for the team. In 1985, he had nine picks -- third-most in a single season for the Cowboys.

For Walls, seeing Claiborne get his old number is a sign of respect for his accomplishments.

"The expectations are extremely high for him," Walls said. "I thought it was an honor they thought about me in that way. I was never upset at all, I saw [Claiborne's] accomplishments and they're exceptional. They're expecting him to keep it up. He's a player who can make plays on the ball and when I saw they brought out my jersey, I said it's cool."

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber ended his career Friday when he announced his retirement from the NFL at age 28.

It was classic Barber: No news conference, just a statement through his team -- the Chicago Bears.

For a few years, Barber was a force with the Cowboys, who gave him a seven-year, $45 million contract in 2008. At the time, it was deemed the right move because the franchise was moving on from Julius Jones.

Then, Barber started to break down.

His bruising style began to catch up to him. He never lost his starting job but it was clear that he wasn't the same despite leading the team in rushing for three consecutive seasons (2007-09).

Routine 5-yard runs turned into 2-yard runs. He didn't have the same explosviness as in years past. Thigh, toe and knee issues cost him games and his ability to run people over.

His teammates loved his style and that he gave up so much of his body.

But after six seasons and 4,358 rushing yards, sixth-most in franchise history, it was just time for the Cowboys to move on. Felix Jones took over this season and now he's been replaced by DeMarco Murray as the starting running back.

For as much as people want to replace Tony Romo around here (I find the talk silly), looking for Emmitt Smith's replacement seems harder to do more than anything else.

There is a long list of starters the Cowboys have employed to replace the all-time rushing leader, and it will grow again in 2012. Barber was supposed to be one of those players, but it didn't end that way.

Four years later, the Cowboys have nothing to show for all the cash they threw around during 2008.

Jerry Jones went on a re-signing spree that offseason, making major commitments to receiver Terrell Owens, running back Marion Barber, left tackle Flozell Adams, safety Ken Hamlin and cornerback Terence Newman. He gave receiver Roy Williams a rich extension after trading for him later that season.

The Cowboys cut ties with the last of those guys Tuesday, releasing Newman in a move that was about as surprising as opponents picking on him while the Cowboys lost four of their last five games.

Half of the Cowboys who cashed huge signing bonus checks from the Cowboys in ’08 weren’t even in the league last season. Barber and Williams were role players for the Bears, and Newman struggled as the Cowboys’ starting left cornerback.

T.O. was the first of the group to go from Valley Ranch. He got the pink slip – er, white tablecloth – after one controversy-packed, chemistry-killing season of his four-year, $34 million extension that included a $12.9 million signing bonus.

The Cowboys cut Adams and Hamlin two seasons into their six-year deals. Adams got $15 million guaranteed on a $43 million contract. Hamlin got a $9 million signing bonus on a $39 million contract. The Cowboys got an oft-penalized tackle and a non-playmaking safety.

Barber and Williams played three nonproductive seasons for the Cowboys after getting their rich contracts. Barber’s seven-year, $45 million deal included $16 million guaranteed. About half of Williams’ six-year, $54 million deal, which he signed before playing a down for the Cowboys, was guaranteed.

Newman played four seasons of his six-year, $50.2 million deal, which included $22.5 million guaranteed. He struggled much of the last two seasons, but Newman was still the best buy of the Cowboys’ ’08 shopping spree.

This is the second-part of a 12-part series on the Cowboys roster. Today we look at the running backs.


Players: Felix Jones (signed through 2012), Tony Fiammetta (free agent), Shaun Chapas (signed through 2014), Sammy Morris (free agent), Chauncey Washington (free agent), DeMarco Murray (signed through 2014), Phillip Tanner (signed through 2013).

Top free agents: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears; Arian Foster, Houston Texans; Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns; Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks; Ray Rice, Baltimore

Top draft prospects: Trent Richardson, Alabama; Lamar Miller, Miami (FL); David Wilson, Virginia Tech; LaMichael James, Oregon; Doug Martin, Boise State.

2011 review: The season started off with uncertainty as Jones took over the starting role after Marion Barber was released. An injury to Jones opened the door for Murray, a rookie, who set a franchise record with a 253-yard rushing performance against St. Louis. Murray's season ended with a fractured ankle, but he rushed for 897 yards. He will become the starter in 2012 and Jones will go back to coming off the bench. Murray is the future and has the skills and mindset to have a bigger season. Fiammetta burst onto the scene as a strong fullback that cleared the way for Murray and Jones to pick up big yards. Tanner has a future as Murray's backup but must have a strong training camp to make the roster again.

Offseason preview: Should the Cowboys consider trading Jones this offseason? It's hard to accomplish a trade with Jones entering the final year of his contract. The Cowboys should explore whether a fourth-or fifth-round pick is available for the former first-round pick. The team doesn't trust Jones to become a 20-down back in the NFL. He's a solid backup, which leads us to Tanner. He should compete with Jones for more playing time. If he makes the roster, he should get more game-day carries and special teams snaps. The Cowboys need to re-sign Fiammetta to maintain the chemistry he developed with Murray. Fiammetta was the glue to a solid running attack in the middle of the season. If Fiammetta's health issues (inner ear infection) are solved, then his return should be considered a positive.

Bryan Broaddus' Scout's Eye: Running back will be a position of strength for the Cowboys going into the 2012 season. Murray was outstanding when given the opportunity to start for the club, which allowed Jones to return to the role for which he is better suited -- backup off the bench. Tanner was a nice fit as a third back who contributes on special teams -- a role that Jerry Jones likes.

The learning curve for Murray was not that steep and he was able to do things as a pass protector that allowed him to stay on the field for more than two downs. The Cowboys were a different offense with Murray in the lineup, and Garrett was a better playcaller. If the Cowboys try to upgrade the position, it will most likely be for Tanner, but he will be tough to replace. I don't see the club using a draft pick on this spot unless it's late and it's a height, weight and speed player with high-quality traits.

Need meter (0-5): 2.

New York Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty still has fond memories of his time with the Dallas Cowboys. He spent four seasons with the Cowboys before leaving in free agency, signing a six-year $42 million deal with $16 million guaranteed.

The Cowboys weren't going to spend that money on a defensive tackle/end they didn't deem an elite player.

So, Canty moved to the Giants, a team looking for a run stopper.

"They’re known for drafting pass rushers and here they are signing a run stopper," Canty told reporters at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis on Wednesday. "It’s like what am I doing here? It’s a tremendous opportunity to come and be part of a great organization, a great defensive line and a great football team. When I had the opportunity to come from Dallas, I had to take advantage of it."

Canty is still close with several of his teammates with the Cowboys including Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware. The Cowboys defensive line is a close-knit group, much like the offensive linemen. When Canty signed his new deal he said it was difficult, yet, it was a business and there were no hard feelings.

"When I initially came in, it was different because I was drafted to the Cowboys. I came in with a rookie class of DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Jay Ratliff and Marion Barber," Canty said earlier in the week.

"We all kind of grew up together. Coming to a new team as a free agent with no one else, it’s a little bit different dynamic, but this team has embraced me and I love each and every one of these guys. I wouldn’t rather take the field with anyone else other than these guys. It’s just a tremendous opportunity and I’m thankful to play with the New York Giants."

The salary cap is a fluid situation in the NFL.

The Cowboys have $12.6 million under the cap and that's before the team restructures any deals or cuts any of their current players. The team also has $28 million in dead money based on numerous players who were released last summer such as Leonard Davis, Marion Barber, Marc Colombo among others.

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Stephen Jones, the executive vice president, and his staff did a good job of creating cap space so the $28 million of dead money won't bother the Cowboys in terms of making moves when free agency starts in March.

"We've done an outstanding job. I give Stephen a lot of credit," Jerry Jones said. "This is a year we thought it would be Armageddon for us - this year. But we were able to do some things with the cap that gives us a chance to have some room to improve this team this year. And we will use it."

There are other moves the Cowboys can do, including triggers that turn the base salaries of Doug Free and Orlando Scandrick into signing bonus lowering their base salaries and saving the team about $8.6 million. When free agency starts the Cowboys could have nearly $20 million in cap space, enough to sign a highly-priced free agent such as New Orleans' guard Carl Nicks and a veteran backup quarterback.

IRVING, Texas -- As we continue our Fixing the Cowboys series this week, plenty of free-agent options are dancing in fans’ heads as they dream and scheme of ways to spend Jerry Jones’ money.

As executive vice president Stephen Jones said late last season, the Cowboys will be able to do whatever it is they want to do when free agency begins in March.

According to league figures, the Cowboys have $12.6 million in salary-cap room based off the 2011 cap of $120.375 million, and that includes the $28 million (or so) in dead money related to guys like Roy Williams, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo, Marion Barber, Andre Gurode and Igor Olshansky who were cut in 2011.

The 2012 cap is expected to remain flat or go up slightly.

The $12.6 million figure does not take into account the tender amounts the Cowboys have for their exclusive rights and restricted free agents or the space needed for their draft picks, but that will not significantly impair their ability to sign players.

The Cowboys can create more room against the cap by releasing cornerback Terence Newman and saving either $4 million or $6 million depending on whether they would want to count him as a post-June 1 cut.

They have triggers in the deals of left tackle (or right tackle) Doug Free and cornerback Orlando Scandrick that would lower their base salaries to the league minimum, turn the difference into signing bonus and save them about $8.6 million. Re-working DeMarcus Ware’s contract would open up about $3.3 million

All told, the Cowboys could have in the neighborhood of $20 million or so to spend when free agency begins.

That’s not a bad place to be.

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys running back Felix Jones is happy to see DeMarco Murray become a spark for the offense and didn't express any disappointment with losing his starting gig or getting limited touches.

In his first talk with reporters since losing his starting job, Jones said Friday he wasn't upset about getting zero carries in the Thanksgiving Day win over the Miami Dolphins.

"Man, no," he said. "What's the point of tripping or anything like that? We won the game. That’s all that really matters."

Jones touched the ball five times with four kick returns and one reception.

"I think I was doing well," Murray said of the Dolphins game. "I was feeling like I was in a groove and they just left me out there and I think if [Jones] was doing the same thing, he would be left out there too."

Jones opened the season as the starting running back and rushed for 115 yards on 14 carries in a win over Washington in Week 3. But Jones rushed for 69 yards the next two weeks before suffering a high-ankle sprain vs. New England.

Jones missed the next four weeks, and Murray rushed for franchise-record 253 yards against St. Louis in his game as the primary ball-carrier.

In the last six games, Murray has rushed for 761 yards, breaking the franchise mark for yardage over a six-game span set by Emmitt Smith with 744 in 1995.

"He's been looking good," Jones said of Murray. "He's doing good. Once you think about it, he's been doing good since I was hurt and things like that. It's all about friendly competition between us now. It’s always been that. Just going out there and just working hard and trying to get back out there."

This was supposed to be a special season for Jones, who finally was able to take over the No. 1 spot when the team released Marion Barber. All 2011 has done is confirm the durability issues Jones has. He's missed a total six games the last three seasons, but in 2008, his rookie year, he missed 10 games due to hamstring and toe injuries.

The interesting thing about Jones' season is that he played through a dislocated shoulder suffered early in the season.

With Murray running the ball so well, the Cowboys have to find other ways to get Jones touches.

Kickoffs are where Jones could get the bulk of them going forward.

In his rookie season, Jones averaged 27.1 yards per return and scored on a 98-yarder. Jones returned 30 kicks in 2009, but none last year.

"I love kickoff returns," he said. "Kickoff returns is where I got started at and I’m having fun with it. Just getting back used to it."

It still has to be disappointing for Jones to return to a supporting role with the team. He played this role at Arkansas behind Darren McFadden, and when he was drafted by the Cowboys the goal was for him to back up Barber.

Jones was supposed to emerge into an offensive threat, but it hasn't happened on a consistent basis for the Cowboys. And now the former first-round pick has lost his starting job.

"It's just unfortunate," he said. "Just got to deal with that and overcome it."

DeMarco Murray’s emergence doesn’t make Felix Jones irrelevant. Far from it.

It affords the Cowboys the luxury of using Jones as they originally intended.

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It’s easy to point out all the running backs with much better numbers that were selected after the Cowboys took Jones 22nd overall in the 2008 draft. But the Cowboys’ major misevaluation at the time was believing that Marion Barber would be a long-term lead horse. They were right that Jones would be a weapon as a complementary back.

Murray’s production as a rookie has been phenomenal. He has rushed for 674 yards on the first 100 carries of his career.

Believe it or not, Jones rushed for 716 yards on his first 100 career carries. It just took him a lot longer (17 games and change) to hit that total.

This is the best-case scenario for the Cowboys’ backfield. Jason Garrett can keep feeding Murray without worrying about overworking him while picking his spots to use Jones as the dynamic playmaker he was earlier in his career.

IRVING -- Running back Tashard Choice was picked up by the Washington Redskins on Monday afternoon after getting waived injured by the Cowboys.

Choice spent four seasons with the Cowboys and never received a bigger opportunity he craved playing behind Marion Barber and Felix Jones. But this season, the Cowboys drafted DeMarco Murray in the second round with the goal of challenging Choice for playing time.

With Jones out with an ankle injury, Murray broke out with a franchise record 253 rushing performance vs. the St. Louis Rams two weeks ago. It was clear coach Jason Garrett wanted to see if Murray could produce and when Choice injured his shoulder, it meant more time for the rookie.

So when the Cowboys released Choice, who was nursing a shoulder and hamstring injury, on Saturday morning it didn't quite surprise him.

"It's a blessing," said Choice, who was about to catch a flight for Washington on Monday night. "I wanted to be there and they wanted to go a different route. It's time for me to make my mark [with another team] and it's time for me to take advantage of my opportunities."

Choice said he watched the Cowboys 34-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night and voiced disappointment with the result.
"We didn't come to play," Choice said of the Cowboys. "They got the best of us and I'm pissed. I thought it would be a close game. I felt bad for my teammates."

Choice rushed for 1,139 yards on 250 carries with eight touchdowns in his career. This year might have been his least productive time as he rushed for just 75 yards on 28 carries and no touchdowns. It's the first time Choice finished a season with the Cowboys with no touchdowns. Choice did start the game vs. the St. Louis Rams but got only two carries. He fumbled on the second carry where he suffered a subluxation of his shoulder.

He then pulled a hamstring in practice last week and underwent a MRI to determine further damage if any. Choice said he won't play this week for the Redskins, who need running backs on their roster, but expects to be ready the following week when the Redskins go to Miami.

IRVING, Texas -- It appears DeMarco Murray is the new starting running back for the Cowboys, at least until Felix Jones comes back from a high ankle sprain.

Tashard Choice, the No. 2/3 back for the Cowboys, has accepted his role as the third-down back, but he's not upset about that. He's disappointed in a third-quarter fumble in which he injured his right shoulder.

"It's on me," Choice said of the fumble. "I can't fumble. I don't get that many opportunities and I had one bad play. It's frustrating for me because I know opportunities are limited."

Choice suffered what the team's medical staff calls a subluxation, a partial dislocation of a joint in his shoulder. Choice said he's played with something like this before and it shouldn't keep him out of this week's game at Philadelphia.

"When you do that it hurts," Choice said of the shoulder. "It's nothing I ain't played with before."

Choice's fumble and lack of playing time prompted several of his NFL friends to reach out to him. Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and former Cowboys running back and current Chicago Bear Marion Barber sent out text messages to Choice.

"I am livid," Choice said. "I take it all: The good and the bad, and keep pushing. I'm really fighting for my team."

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys’ dilemma is not “fixing” Tony Romo. It is “tweaking” Tony Romo.

Since he has been the playcaller for the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett has had to find a balance between Romo the gunslinger and Romo the robot. He does not want to take away what makes Romo great and turn him into a manager of the game.

Quarterbacks can’t manage games and be truly successful. They have to make plays on their own at times to win games unless you have an otherworldly defense. The Cowboys don’t have that.

But they don’t need it, either.

Garrett has to take away some of the freedom Romo has on offense until he can trust him again. This is not about taking away the check-with-me options depending on the defensive front or the “smoke” throws when corners are backed off and the safety is in the box.

He has to treat Romo the way he treated Jon Kitna last year and point out to Romo the Cowboys scored at least 26 points in Kitna’s seven starts.

Kitna did it behind an offensive line that was not playing great and led to the release of three starters this year. He did it with a running back (Marion Barber) who struggled and was cut. He did it with a wide receiver (Roy Williams) who struggled and was cut. In three games he did it without Dez Bryant.

Kitna trusted what was in front of him and had a stretch of five games with a completion percentage of at least 67.6. And he was not a robot.

Do you know who that Kitna was? It was the 2009 version of Romo.

After a three-interception game to open Cowboys Stadium against the New York Giants, Romo promised to be better, and he was. He did not have a multiple-pick game the rest of the season. He threw a career-low nine picks and the Cowboys went 11-5 and won a playoff game.

Sunday’s game against Detroit marked the sixth time Romo has attempted at least 47 passes in a game. The Cowboys are 1-5 when he throws it so much. That he threw 47 passes in a game in which the Cowboys had a 24-point third-quarter lead is confusing, especially with how the Cowboys were running the ball.

But that’s another debate for another time.

Garrett does not need to put the shackles on Romo. In ’09, Romo threw the ball a career-high 550 times for a career-high 4,483 yards. The ball was in Romo’s hands a lot and the decisions were his, but Garrett can help him by either changing Romo’s progressions or changing the depth of Romo’s drops to call for shorter, quicker throws.

Once Romo trusts the system, then Garrett can trust him again.

This week's question: Will the Cowboys have a run of 10 yards or more vs. Washington?

Is this a troubling trend that is likely to continue? Or is it a tribute to the two terrific front sevens that the Cowboys faced to open the season?

I’ll lean toward the latter.

Let’s look at a little larger sample size: Jason Garrett’s entire tenure as head coach. The Cowboys had 37 explosive running plays (10-plus yards) while winning five of eight games during Garrett’s interim stint last season. They had at least three such runs in each game.

It’s not as if getting rid of Marion Barber reduced the likelihood of big plays in the running game. He had only five of those 37 runs in last season’s second half. Tashard Choice had four in significantly fewer opportunities. Felix Jones had 18 of them.

It figured that the Cowboys’ running game would be more explosive with an athletically upgraded offensive line, which theoretically would play to Jones’ strength as a perimeter runner. Put that in the category of "to be determined."

But it’d be surprising if the Cowboys didn’t get a double-digit gain in the running game for the third straight week, even with Jones dealing with a dislocated shoulder.

The Redskins don’t have the same caliber of a run-stuffing front seven as the Jets and 49ers. Washington is allowing 4.8 yards per rush so far this season after giving up 4.6 yards per pop last year. The Cowboys should be able turn the corner or create a nice seam between the tackles more than once.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys scored the seventh most points in the NFL last season. Only one team gave up more points.

Yet all five starters who have been shown the Valley Ranch door since the lockout was lifted were offensive players.

“A lot of it has to do with the business part of football, what guys are making and how old they are and what kinds of players you have to replace them,” Jason Garrett said. “We made a concerted effort in the draft and in signing some young college free agents to address some of those areas, and we felt like if those guys were able to compete for some of those spots we could make some of those moves.

“It wasn’t intentional necessarily. You’re trying to create competition throughout your football team and then make the best decisions based on what’s available to you.”

It’s not as if underperforming, high-priced defensive players should feel safe. Defensive end Igor Olshansky is in serious danger of being cut this summer. Cornerback Terence Newman’s time with the Cowboys will probably come to an end after this season.

It’s also not as if the five starters cut by the Cowboys were reasons why Dallas put points on the board last season, although Garrett is too professional to point that out.

The offense moved the ball despite the poor performances of Barber, Williams, Davis and Colombo last season. Gurode was just a guy despite a reputation-based invitation to the Pro Bowl. And all of those players except for Colombo were being paid like an elite player at their position.