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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.

IRVING, Texas – The company line is that Cowboys first-round pick Travis Frederick will compete for a starting job this season.

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Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema, who coached Travis Frederick at Wisconsin, joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what kind of player the Cowboys got with their first-round pick in the NFL draft. Listen

The reality is that the coaching staff just needs to figure out whose job Frederick will take.

“I had hoped we could come out of this thing with a legitimate starter, a legitimate starter, and he will start,” owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. “He will start. First-rounder and not starting? I know coach wants there to be competition and should be, and we all know that’s the way it is.”

Jones cited the interior offensive line as the Cowboys’ most glaring weakness. Center Phil Costa struggled in his first season as a starter in 2011 and missed almost all of last season due to injuries. Guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau were disappointments in their first season in Dallas after signing eight-figure deals as free agents.

The Cowboys ranked Frederick as the No. 22 player on their board. They had 19 players with first-round grades but, according to Jones, they determined that there was more value in trading down to No. 31 and adding the No. 74 overall pick.

Jones acknowledged that the Cowboys considered trading up if guards Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack slid. That, however, was off the table after the two guards went in the top 10.

“I don’t know if I would have wanted to give up a 3 to have rather had a player we might have moved up for than to have Frederick and gained a 3,” Jones said. “We’re two 3s better off by having not moved up and picked another guard.”

So will the 6-foot-3 5/8, 320-ish-pound Frederick begin his NFL career at guard or center? That’s something the coaches need to determine as quickly as possible after full-team offseason workouts begin next month.

“We’re going to put a base in there where you don’t have a knock-back issue,” Jones said. “[Offensive coordinator] Bill Callahan is a big center guy. After your left tackle, he likes the center position as far as the best players on the offensive line. Well, we’ve got Costa. We’re pretty proud of Costa, frankly. Well, can this guy play guard? You bet he can.”

Added head coach Jason Garrett: “Because he has position flex and has played a full season at either spot, we feel good about maybe plugging him in at either spot and having him compete with the guys on our roster. We haven’t made that determination right now. We like competition, as you guys know, and he’ll certainly be very much in the mix.”

NEW YORK -- Three NFC East teams picked in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night, and the combined weight of the three players they picked is 922 pounds. Finally, they're paying attention to what's important.

Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys each picked an offensive lineman in this year's first round. And while that had something to do with the oddity of a first round that included one quarterback, no running backs and nine offensive lineman, it also says a lot about how badly this division as a whole needs to address this long-neglected need.

Tackle Lane Johnson, tackle/guard Justin Pugh and center/guard Travis Frederick, the 2013 first-round picks of the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys, are no cosmic coincidence. They are medicine, ordered with a purpose by teams that have figured out where they're lacking and that they all need to muscle up in the short-term and long-term.

I am of the belief -- and have written at length on this blog -- that one of the main reasons the NFC East is in a down cycle is division-wide offensive line decay. And yes, the division is down. Over the past three seasons, the division's combined record is 97-101 (yes, counting postseason and the Super Bowl). No NFC East team has won 11 games since 2009, which was also the last year in which it fielded more than one playoff team. Two years ago, the Giants won the division with a 9-7 record. This past year, the Washington Redskins won it at 10-6. Bleh.

The NFC East has superstar talent at quarterback and running back and wide receiver and pass-rusher. But with the exception of a magical six-game run the Giants made at the end of the 2011 season, excellence has eluded its once-feared teams. And the consistent issue that seems to be holding them back is the offensive line. To wit:

The Giants have basically been getting by with an aging, patchwork group. Former second-round pick Will Beatty emerged as a star last year when finally healthy, but veterans Chris Snee and David Diehl are fading and Kevin Boothe and David Baas aren't special. Until Thursday night, the Giants hadn't taken a first-round lineman since Luke Petitgout in 1999. You can try and hit on free agents and second- and third-rounders for a while, but eventually you need to add some top-end talent to the mix. Enter Pugh, a college tackle who may project as a pro guard and offers versatility in the short-term and a possible long-term answer at any one of several positions.

The Eagles had a fine line in 2011, but four of their five starters missed significant time due to injury in 2012, and they finished 4-12 and changed head coaches. Enter Johnson, this year's No. 4 overall pick, who likely starts at right tackle right away, moving Todd Herremans inside to guard and serving as an eventual replacement for left tackle Jason Peters.

The Cowboys' neglect of the offensive line had reached epidemic proportions before they took tackle Tyron Smith in the first round in 2011, and if you watched them last year you came away thinking they needed to upgrade every one of the starting line positions but his. Enter Frederick, who was a surprise first-rounder, but not as much of a reach as he initially looked. With four tackles and the top two guards gone in the top 11 picks, the Cowboys decided to trade down from 18 and get the guy they wanted at the tail end of the first round. Quibble if you want with the return they got on their trade. And sure, maybe Frederick would have been there when they picked again Friday night at 47. But (a) maybe not, since offensive lineman are going faster than ever and (b) so what? The Cowboys' short-term and long-term needs at offensive line were significant enough that they needed to come away from this year's first round with an upgrade. Frederick is almost certain to be an upgrade over one or more of Phil Costa, Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau, and the Cowboys were absolutely right to make this need a priority on this night.

The Redskins' line played fine in 2012 and has a superstar in left tackle Trent Williams. But a lot of its success has to do with the help it gets from its mobile quarterback. The Redskins remain unsettled at right tackle. They didn't have a first-round pick this year as a result of last year's deal for Robert Griffin III, but don't be surprised if they too look to address the line once they start picking Friday and Saturday.

This seems obvious, of course. It's a long-held NFL adage that the best way to build teams is through the lines. Consistent, reliable offensive line play helps you control games and maximize your skill-position talent. Deficient line play helps you squander your skill-position talent, or worse, make it more susceptible to injury. But while it may seem obvious from the outside, the NFC East's teams have let the line play lapse. Thursday was a clear sign that they have realized this and plan to address it moving forward. I don't think these three will be the last offensive linemen taken by NFC East teams in this year's draft, but each is vital to the division's effort to regain its status as one of the toughest in the NFL. Because thanks to the decay of its offensive lines over the past few years, the fact is that it has not been.

IRVING, Texas – In an ideal world the Cowboys would love to see Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack be available with the No. 18 pick in the first round.

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Randy Galloway, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss some of the players the Cowboys should be looking at in the upcoming NFL draft. Listen

Some might call that a fantasy world.

So do the Cowboys trade up, even a smidge, to get one of them in tonight’s first round?

With so many teams reportedly looking to move down, the cost might not be so prohibitive. I’ve been fairly strong in my belief that the Cowboys need as many early picks as possible, but if it costs a fourth-rounder to move up a couple of spots I could be talked into it.

But there is also this to remember from last year’s draft: high-level people with the team last year felt taking guard David DeCastro at No. 14 was too high. Pittsburgh took DeCastro with the No. 24 pick.

If they felt No. 14 was too rich for the best guard in last year’s draft, then does it make sense to trade up higher than that for this year’s top guards?

Some believe DeCastro was a better prospect than Cooper and Warmack. Others believe differently. It’s not clear how the Cowboys compare the players. An element to the decision has to be the position. Rightly or wrongly safeties and guards are not as valued as other positions.

Unlike last year’s draft, this year’s crop of players does not have the top-end skill players. Perhaps that has pushed Cooper and Warmack up the boards of many teams. Perhaps that’s why DeCastro was available at No. 24 last year.

Last year the Cowboys had just paid decent money to Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau in free agency before the draft. Why take a guard in the first round when you just gave Livings a $3.5 million signing bonus and Bernadeau a $3.25 million bonus?

This year the Cowboys know what they have in Livings and Bernadeau, which could make them more inclined to go the guard route this year even if it costs them a little bit more.

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Several current and former Dallas Cowboys players gathered Sunday night at the Gaylord Texas to support the Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Cowboys Tailgate Party.

But this wasn't any normal party. Proceeds from the event went to the North Texas Food Bank. The Cowboys have raised more than $1 million and more than four million meals for needy families in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

The event was hosted by DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher.

"This means a lot," Hatcher said. "I've heard about this event in the eight years since I’ve been in the league. It’s one of those things I can relate to. I was one of those kids who would leave school in the summer and say, 'Man, I can’t get two meals.' That’s why I’m here today. I’ll put any time and effort I got into a situation like this I can relate to."

Among the current and former Cowboys in attendance: Nate Livings, Caleb McSurdy, Brandon Carr, Rob Callaway, Tony Casillas, Nate Newton, Preston Pearson and Daryl Johnston.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and secondary coach Jerome Henderson also supported the event.

To help preview who might be on the Dallas Cowboys’ board for the NFL draft, ESPNDallas.com has identified five players at five key positions that we’d like to learn more about. Along those lines, we’ve asked former Cowboys assistant coach Glenn “Stretch” Smith – the official scout of Galloway & Company – to study tape of each player and give his thoughts.

No. 2 Offensive lineman: Chance Warmack

Position: Guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 317 pounds

School: Alabama

Why he’s on the radar: The Cowboys signed Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau in free agency last year but still want to upgrade the interior of the offensive line. Warmack is considered one of the top guards in the draft and probably will be off the board when its time for the Cowboys to select at No. 18. Warmack doesn't have the position flexibility the Cowboys normally want, but he's a solid player who has the potential to be a starter for the next 10 seasons.

Projection: First round

Stretch Truths: Played all four years at Alabama. … Has strong punch and power to press a defender in pass protection. … Good lower body to anchor, and balance that matches. … Has excellent feet to get to second-level blocks and run his feet through contact. … Is comfortable with a tackle over his nose. … I only question his true foot speed after running 40 in 5.49 seconds. … He’s the top guard in the draft and has a real nasty side. … Overall opinion: Take him if he's there with the 18th pick.

PHOENIX -- Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the team is continuing its discussions with quarterback Tony Romo on a contract extension and that he believes they will eventually reach an agreement. Jones acknowledged it would be nice to reduce Romo's very high 2013 salary-cap cost, but he did not indicate any particular deadline or hurry for reaching a deal.

"There's never really a start or stop time with Tony," Jones said in the lobby of the Arizona Biltmore. "I do think it will get done."

The Cowboys would like to lock up Romo long-term before his contract expires at the end of the 2013 season. Reducing this year's cap cost by spreading out signing-bonus money from a new deal over future years would be one benefit of that, but that's not the sole motivation. The Cowboys like and believe in Romo as their starting quarterback and want him around for a long time. Asked which was a higher priority, Romo's new deal or a new long-term deal for defensive end Anthony Spencer, Jones didn't hesitate.

"Tony's," he said. "Quarterbacks take precedence."

Jones didn't make much of the extent to which the team's salary-cap concerns have limited its ability to maneuver this offseason -- even as he revealed that the team had re-signed linebacker Ernie Sims to a veteran minimum deal and was down to "five figures'" worth of cap space.

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Ed Werder joins Galloway & Company to discuss what moves the Cowboys might still make in free agency and much more. Listen

"We were never going to be big players in free agency this year," Jones said. "We played there last year, and we felt like we did some good things, and we've got to see what the end results are. A big focus for us is on this draft. We need to draft well."

They do, indeed. Jones said he thinks that offensive linemen such as Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau and Doug Free will play better in 2013 than they did in '12. And he said the team thinks it has its two starting safeties already on on the roster, citing Barry Church and Matt Johnson. He acknowledged that the Cowboys can't count on Johnson, who was a midround pick last year and missed the whole season due to injuries, and he said he wouldn't be surprised if they added a veteran safety. But the draft is the Cowboys' only significant means of filling the holes on their roster right now, and they need to find 2013 starters in the early rounds. Especially on the offensive line.

In terms of line specifics, Jones said no decision has been made on Free, who would save the team $7 million in salary-cap space as of June 1 if cut.

"I think he improved last year," Jones said of the Cowboys right tackle. "Obviously, toward the end of the year, when the competition got going there, he played some of his best games."

I still think they'll upgrade at tackle, but since they don't know for sure whether they'll be able to do that with their first-round pick -- and since they can't get the savings until June anyway -- it makes sense for the Cowboys to hold on to Free for now and delay their decision until they know who his replacement will be.

NFL teams are allowed 30 visits from prospective draft picks.

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Former Alabama All-American guard and potential Cowboys draft pick Chance Warmack joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what it would mean to play for the Cowboys and why Larry Allen was his childhood hero. Listen

The Dallas Cowboys are still finalizing their list, but according to a source, the team has scheduled a visit for Alabama guard Chance Warmack.

ESPN NFL Draft expert, Mel Kiper projects Warmack to go to the Cowboys at No. 18 overall.

At Alabama's Pro Day on Wednesday, Warmack didn't lift, but based on reports, did a good job during positions drills.

"I'm athletic and trying to show what I can bring to the table if anybody wants to draft me," Warmack said in quotes released by Alabama. "I'm really excited to just get on a team and get started with football, but just to show what I can do and show what my strengths are."

Adding Warmack upgrades the Cowboys interior which struggled in 2012. Currently, the starters at guard are Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau and the center is Phil Costa.

There are several guards along with Warmack who are seeing their stock rise in the draft as a result of Pro Day and combine workouts.

"I'm really not paying attention to the stock thing so much as just trying to improve myself as a player," Warmack said. "I didn't get a chance to do much at the combine, so I wanted to prove to myself that I could do the drills here, and that's what I did. I'm happy I did it."

ESPN's NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has the Cowboys taking Alabama guard Chance Warmack at No. 18 in his latest mock draft (Insider).

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

It's a logical selection, given the Cowboys' inconsistency along the interior of the offensive line last season.

Cowboys director of pro and college scouting Tom Ciskowski is scheduled to attend Alabama's pro day Wednesday. No word on whether coach Jason Garrett will show up. He attended last year's pro day in Alabama and has a close relationship with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. Now, just because Garrett watches a pro day doesn't mean the Cowboys will draft a player from that particular school.

Garrett doesn't attend a lot of pro days. However, he did attend USC's in 2011 with former offensive line coach Hudson Houck. The Cowboys selected tackle Tyron Smith in the first round that year.

The Cowboys' offensive line is an area of concern this offseason. While the team believes it has a solid left tackle in Smith, the other four positions have issues.

Guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau were signed as free agents last year and had an uneven first season. Centers Phil Costa and Ryan Cook will return, but injuries limited Costa to just three games in 2012.

Right tackle Doug Free shared playing time in the last month of the season with Jermey Parnell.

According to ESPN's Stats and Information, quarterback Tony Romo threw an NFL-high eight interceptions when under duress last season. That can be attributed to the receivers, Romo holding the ball too long and the offensive line.

Whatever it is, improving the offensive line is something that must be done in 2013.

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

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

So what does that mean?

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

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

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

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

A recap of some moves:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

PODCAST
Ed Werder joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Tony Romo's potential contract extension, the Cowboys' plans for Anthony Spencer and how Joe Flacco's final month of the season impacted the Cowboys' offseason. Listen

NFL teams have until Tuesday to get under the $123 million salary cap for the 2013 season.

According to a source, the Dallas Cowboys are close to $6.8 million over the cap.

Several things could happen within the next few days to get the team under the cap:

• Dan Connor will either take a pay cut or get released.
• Tony Romo could lower his $16.8 million cap number by getting a new deal.
• Mackenzy Bernadeau, Kyle Orton, Nate Livings, Orlando Scandrick and Jay Ratliff might restructure their contracts.

The Cowboys have the necessary paperwork to file with the league regarding several players' restructured contracts. The Cowboys could get under the cap without a new deal for Romo or reworking some deals such as Ratliff's or Scandrick's.

Team officials don't seem too concerned about it at this stage of the offseason because they have a plan in place to make sure they get under the salary cap.

This is third in a 10-part series breaking down the Cowboys' free-agency needs, position by position:

Centers/Guards

Who’s on the roster: G-David Arkin, G-Mackenzy Bernadeau, G-Ray Dominguez, G-Kevin Kowalski, G-Ronald Leary, G-Nate Livings, C-Ryan Cook, C-Phil Costa.

Analysis: The Cowboys signed Costa to a two-year deal and, at least for right now, he's the projected starter for 2013. Kowalski and Bernadeau can also play center, which gives the Cowboys position flexibility. The guard position has veterans Bernadeau and Livings, but Leary impressed the coaches as the season progressed, and he'll push to make the active roster this season. It's probably time to see if Arkin and Kowalski can prove to the coaches and scouts that they can play in this league. Both won't replace Livings or Bernadeau, however, and the Cowboys do need quality backups in the interior.

NFL free agents of interest: G-Derrick Dockery, G-Brandon Moore, G-Donald Thomas, G-Kevin Boothe, C-Jeff Faine.

Need meter: 4. The Cowboys might get a guard in the draft, which could push Arkin or Kowalski off the roster. What's left of the roster in the interior needs to improve badly. The Cowboys will most likely pass on Dockery, who filled in when needed last year. Thomas is an interesting pickup and should challenge for a starting job if given an opportunity. Faine had some injury problems last season, but he is a veteran who could provide security if there are problems with Costa and Cook.

The fellas at Pro Football Focus released their annual Performance Based Value list for the 2012 season.

Defensive end Jason Hatcher topped the list as the most undervalued player on the Cowboys team for 2012.

Here's what PFF said in part:

Someone who just looks at sacks for defensive linemen wouldn’t notice it, as he had five in both 2011 and 2012, but he more than doubled his amount of hurries from 14 to 29, and did the same with his run stops from 11 to 24.

Also making the list was Sean Lee, DeMarco Murray, Anthony Spencer, Nate Livings and Tony Romo among others.

However, the player who led the overvalued list was nose tackle Jay Ratliff.

He had such a difficult season with his injuries allowing him to play in just six games but PFF had this to say about him:

Ratliff gets a little bit of a pass since he played in only six games, but not a full one. While he did just fine pass rushing with six hits and eight hurries, he was having more problems getting blocked in the run game than in previous years. He had 10 stops, but in four of his six games he was held to one or zero.

Here's the complete Cowboys list.

IRVING, Texas – By restructuring the contracts of Brandon Carr, DeMarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Ryan Cook, the Cowboys are under the $123 million NFL salary cap.

PODCAST
Todd Archer joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the Cowboys' attempt to clear cap space, Tony Romo's value around the NFL and why the recent Alex Smith trade shows how valuable Romo truly is. Listen

But not by so much that they can be active shoppers when free agency begins March 12 and not enough to where they can place the franchise tag on outside linebacker Anthony Spencer for the second straight year.

The five announced moves Thursday cleared roughly $23 million against the cap, leaving them with about $5 million under the cap. They would have to create another $6 million to fit Spencer's $10.6 million tag under the cap.

The Cowboys have until Monday to tag Spencer.

The $5 million figure does not take into account the restricted free-agent tenders for Phil Costa, Danny McCray and possibly Brian Schaefering at $1.323 million each. It is possible the Cowboys do not tender Schaeferung, a late-season pickup in 2012.

To clarify an earlier report, the Cowboys have the OK to re-work the contract of guard Nate Livings, which would create roughly $740,000 in space, but they have yet to send in the move to the league. They could gain $1 million by re-doing Mackenzy Bernadeau's contract. Because Bernadeau hit on a play-time incentive, his base salary is set to increase to $2.25 million in 2013.

The Cowboys have also talked to the agents of Jay Ratliff and Orlando Scandrick about re-structuring their contracts, which would create another $3.8 million in room.

The moves made Thursday also allow the Cowboys to keep Tony Romo on the books for $16.8 million and Doug Free at $10.02 million in 2013. The Cowboys and Romo's agent have yet to have substantive talks about an extension, but the team is hopeful it can reach one in the near future.