ESPN

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

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

PODCAST
Did Jerry Jones call out Tony Romo? Fitzsimmons & Durrett react to exclusive audio of Jones talking about the quarterback's increased role, who will be calling plays for the Cowboys and the Peyton Manning-like time he anticipates Romo putting in. Listen

But is it really?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys draft is over but not forgotten, so there’s no time like now than to wonder about things that did and did not happen.

On to 5 Wonders:

** If the Cowboys are going to be a predominantly two-tight end team, like they say they are, then I wonder if they should have taken Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert at No. 18 and risked the chance that Travis Frederick would be there at No. 47. If they had gone that route, they would have had the best tight end and best center in the draft with their top two picks. The Cowboys had their eyes on Justin Pugh with the No. 31 pick, but he went to the New York Giants at No. 19. They felt Frederick was the final offensive lineman in the draft capable of being a Day 1 starter and did not want to risk losing him or waiting until the second round. That’s a draft for need, which is OK at that point, but Eifert will be somebody worth watching for the next few years.

** I wonder if the Cowboys will alter how they will evaluate defensive lineman after what happened with Sharrif Floyd. He was among the top-10 players on their board, perhaps the highest rated defensive player, and he was staring them in the face with the 18th pick. And they passed on him. Then you hear about the kid’s arm length and lack of sacks. Well, those were things everybody knew before the draft. What it came down to was scheme fit and Floyd wasn’t deemed to fit in what the Cowboys wanted in 4-3 tackles. Had they stuck with the 3-4, then I can almost guarantee they would have selected him. If a player is not a scheme fit, then he just can’t be that high on their draft board.

** I wonder if Jerry Jones understands how even in points of praise he can also hurt. Take Tony Romo as an example. On Friday, Jones said Romo played a part in the selections of Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams in the second and third rounds. Jones was attempting to show Romo was all-in. Well, what about the current players on the roster at those positions. Should they now think Romo didn’t like them as much? And then Jones said part of the quarterback’s new megadeal meant he had to spend “Peyton Manning time” at the facility. For those who questioned Romo’s commitment, that was all they needed to further their belief that Romo was not fully vested when Romo has always been a “football junkie.”

PODCAST
Did Jerry Jones call out Tony Romo? Fitzsimmons & Durrett react to exclusive audio of Jones talking about the quarterback's increased role, who will be calling plays for the Cowboys and the Peyton Manning-like time he anticipates Romo putting in. Listen

**Over the last two years every team in the NFC East has looked at a quarterback-of-the-future/present in the draft. Washington did it last year with Robert Griffin III and also took Kirk Cousins. Philadelphia traded up for the top pick of the fourth round to take Matt Barkley a year after they took Nick Foles. The New York Giants grabbed Ryan Nassib in the fourth round. And the Cowboys chose to pass on the position. Again. Romo turned 33 recently. Kyle Orton is signed through 2014. I wonder if next year is the year the Cowboys look to the quarterback position. No, I do. Really. I had no problem with the club not taking a QB this year, but had Barkley, Nassib and Tyler Wilson dropped to them in the fourth round, I wonder if they would have pulled the trigger this year. Since they passed on Landry Jones, I think we know he wasn’t their guy. Is it too early to think about A.J. McCarron or Aaron Murray or any other QB? And, yes, I realize Johnny Manziel could be draft eligible. A quick aside: For those wondering why the Cowboys didn’t go after Tyler Bray, think about it. His coach, Derek Dooley, is on this staff now. Don’t you think the team would need to know all (stress all) there would be to know? And if the kid panned out at Tennessee, then Dooley would still be the Vols coach.

** I hope Marcus Lattimore turns into a great success. His story would be a terrific inspiration for everybody. But he wasn’t what the Cowboys needed. I wonder if people realize San Francisco was able to take a flier on Lattimore, who is coming back from a horrific knee injury, because it had so many picks. The Niners had the opportunity to offer up a redshirt year for Lattimore. The Cowboys, who entered the draft with six picks and added one through a trade with the Niners, didn’t. They needed a running back to help right now and they got Joseph Randle in the fifth round. If Lattimore becomes a star, then good for San Francisco but I would not use that as a knock on how the Cowboys ran their draft.

IRVING, Texas – Lawrence Vickers picked the wrong time to need back surgery, not that there’s a good time to need back surgery.

The Cowboys’ decision to draft tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round, coupled with the never-ending discussion of the offense’s renewed use of the “12 personnel” grouping has put Vicker’s job in doubt as well as the long-term future of a true fullback.

“You certainly have to ask that question both in your roster makeup as you go to training camp and as you get into the season,” coach Jason Garrett said when asked about the long-term prognosis of the position given what happened during the three-day draft. “We like two-back runs like everybody in the league likes two-back runs. How do you get there? That’s something that’s going to be determined. Lawrence Vickers has done a nice job for us at the fullback position. We like using him. Fullbacks are harder to come by because not many play there in high school and not many play it in college. It’s been an issue for us for a number of years. Typically one or two get drafted every year.”

The Cowboys have used their tight ends at fullback in the past, but it’s interesting to note that New England, an offense that the Cowboys could attempt to emulate in 2013, did not have a traditional fullback on the active roster.

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

PODCAST
Cowboys second-round draft pick Gavin Escobar joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his strengths as a tight end, the stress of the draft process and the thrill of working with Jason Witten and Tony Romo. Listen

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

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

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

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

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

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

IRVING, Texas – Historically the Cowboys have never shied away from small-school players.

They found Hall of Famers at Fort Valley State (Rayfield Wright) and Sonoma State (Larry Allen) and a Ring of Honor player from Ouachita Baptist (Cliff Harris). You can add Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois) and Miles Austin (Monmouth) to the list of recent small-school successes.

But the recent run on small-school defensive backs has not paid off. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (Indiana, Pa.) never got a footing, and Matt Johnson (Eastern Washington) was not able to get on the field last year. The jury is still out on Johnson, who will have the opportunity to compete for a starting spot this year.

On Friday the Cowboys drafted safety J.J. Wilcox in the third round from Georgia Southern and on Saturday they took William & Mary cornerback B.W. Webb in the fourth round. Wilcox and Webb played in the Senior Bowl and showed they could handle the jump.

“You want to evaluate them against the best competition you can in a game setting,” coach Jason Garrett said. “You probably weigh those games more than others. But again, it is the whole package of evaluation that you are trying to do. Certainly the smaller school guys, almost by definition, have further to go and thus become a little more risky. But if you can get your arms how they played against bigger competition and how they stack up physically, I think you pull the trigger on them if you like the player.”

IRVING, Texas – Over the years the Cowboys have excelled in landing undrafted free agents that make the 53-man roster, so it stands to reason a few of the 15 signings will make the club in 2013.

Last year, Cole Beasley, Ronald Leary and Ben Bass spent time on the active roster.

Here is the up-to-date list:

LB Brandon Magee, Arizona State
QB Dalton Williams, Akron
S Jakar Hamilton, South Carolina State
RB Kendial Lawrence, Missouri
CB Devin Smith, Wisconsin
CB Dustin Harris, Texas A&M
LB Cameron Lawrence, Mississippi State
WR Greg Herd, Eastern Washington
FB Paul Freedman, Virginia
LB Tank Reed, SMU
DB Jeff Heath, Saginaw Valley State
K Spencer Benton, Clemson
WR Eric Rogers, Cal Lutheran
CB Xavier Brewer, Clemson
LB Deon Lacey, West Alabama

Interesting to note the Cowboys did not sign an offensive lineman. Perhaps some could come in on a tryout basis for the May 10-12 rookie mini-camp. One tryout player, who is expected to sign is tight end B.J. Stewart from Cumberland.

IRVING, Texas – When Terrance Williams, Joseph Randle and DeVonte Holloman return in two weeks for the Cowboys’ rookie mini-camp they won’t have to take long to get re-acquainted with the area.

Williams, a Dallas native anyway, Randle and Holloman spent their time before the draft training at Athletes Performance in Frisco.

“I know them very well,” said Holloman, the sixth-round pick. “Terrance is a real cool dude and so is Joe.”

The workouts got spirited with some friendly trash talking.

“We’ll find a way to get it settled in rookie camp,” Holloman said.

In a way they were teammates in the offseason, and now they are teammates for real.

“We never did, but we were real close and we’re good friends and this is a dream come true,” Randle said.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys still aren’t ready to announce their offensive play-caller, but one thing is clear about that process.

Quarterback Tony Romo will have much more input on which plays are in the game plan.

PODCAST
Did Jerry Jones call out Tony Romo? Fitzsimmons & Durrett react to exclusive audio of Jones talking about the quarterback's increased role, who will be calling plays for the Cowboys and the Peyton Manning-like time he anticipates Romo putting in. Listen

Owner/general manager Jerry Jones said part of his agreement with Romo, who signed a seven-year, $119.5 million contract extension this offseason, was the quarterback would spend “Peyton Manning-type time” at the facility.

That isn’t meant to imply that Romo hadn’t been appropriately dedicated in the past. The point is that Romo will have extraordinary responsibility in helping to create game plans in the future.

“Tony is more involved in the finished product,” Jones said. “He is more involved, unequivocally. I’m counting that in. That ought to produce some success. It will produce some success. I’m talking about the kind of plays we run, a lot of what we do offensively."

The logic is that the Cowboys want to tailor the game plans to Romo’s skills and preferences as much as possible. Every play in each game plan will essentially have Romo’s seal of approval.

Romo will work alongside head coach Jason Garrett, offensive coordinator Bill Callahan and the other offensive coaches during hours when the vast majority of the roster isn’t at Valley Ranch.

“I can speak for Jason in this respect: Everything he is about wants more buy-in and more participation from the player,” Jones said. “So if Tony, for instance, would be here Monday through Saturday and be here from seven in the morning to six o’clock at night all over this place, then that’s better than the way it’s been. We’ll have more success, and Jason believes that. It’s certainly at quarterback but he believes it at the other positions, too.

“Tony is going to have more time, more presence. Not only is having in the offseason but when the season starts, beginning Mondays, assuming we played Sundays, he’s going to have more time on the job.

“A part of what we agreed with was extra time on the job, beyond the norm. That doesn’t mean that he didn’t have a lot of time on the job, but extra time on the job, Peyton Manning-type time on the job.”

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent, who is awaiting a Sept. 23 criminal court case, has been visiting the practice facility in Valley Ranch.

Brent was placed on the Reserve/non-football illness list by team officials after he was charged with intoxication manslaughter the result of a car crash that led to the death of teammate and best friend Jerry Brown on Dec. 8.

The Cowboys have not banned Brent from the facility since the voluntary offseason workouts have started and he's allowed to workout if he wants.

Jones said he didn't have an answer regarding Brent's status with the NFL. The league hasn't determined if it will suspend Brent because of his arrest.

"I can't answer that out of fairness to what he's got ahead of him," Jones said.

The Cowboys are being sensitive to Brent's legal situation and want to support him away from the field, but are mindful of the seriousness of his crime.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

IRVING, Texas -- With Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib, Tyler Wilson and Landry Jones available in the fourth round Saturday, it looked like the Cowboys could have had to chance to do something they don’t do often and draft a quarterback.

By the time they picked at No. 114, only Jones was available and he went to Pittsburgh with the next pick.

Barkley went No. 98 to Philadelphia, Nassib went to the New York Giants at No. 110 and Wilson went to Oakland at No. 112.

The last quarterback the Cowboys drafted was Stephen McGee (fourth round) in 2009. Since 1990 the Cowboys have drafted only three quarterbacks: Bill Musgrave (1991), Quincy Carter (2001) and McGee.

The Cowboys have Tony Romo, who turned 33 earlier in the week, Kyle Orton and Nick Stephens on the roster and agreed to a deal with undrafted rookie Dalton Williams on Saturday.

“I think every team wants to develop a quarterback,” coach Jason Garrett said. “You want a guy coming along. We feel really good about the quarterbacks we have on the roster right now and what their roles are. If one of those top guys had fallen further we would’ve had another conversation about it. We felt those guys were good players and maybe good value but maybe not for us where we were picking.”

IRVING, Texas – Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team has a plan to sign 15-20 undrafted free agents this year and the process began immediately after the seventh round ended.

The Cowboys have deals in place with Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee, South Carolina State safety Jakar Hamilton and Akron quarterback Dalton Williams.

Magee, a three-time Major League Baseball draft pick, had 113 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two interceptions last season after missing the 2011 season with an Achilles injury. Hamilton transferred to South Carolina State from Georgia but played in only eight games and had 26 tackles. Williams transferred to Akron after playing at Stephen F. Austin. He threw for 3,387 yards with 25 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Magee and Hamilton were pre-draft visitors to the Cowboys and Williams, a Coppell, Texas, native, worked out for the team at Dallas Day.

Updated undrafted agreements:

RB Kendial Lawrence, Missouri
CB Devin Smith, Wisconsin
CB Dustin Harris, Texas A&M
LB Cameron Lawrence, Mississippi State
WR Greg Herd, Eastern Washington
FB Paul Freedman, Virginia
LB Taylor Reed, SMU
DB Jeff Heath, Saginaw Valley

Check back here for updates of undrafted signings.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys brought their top three picks, Travis Frederick, Terrance Williams and Gavin Escobar, to Valley Ranch on Sunday for a meet and greet with the media.

Frederick and Williams were pre-draft visitors to the Cowboys’ practice facility, while Escobar made his first trek to the complex on Saturday.

“Feels great to be here,” Williams said. “This is a place I always wanted to be.”

Williams, a Dallas native, even offered up some advice for his new teammates.

“He already told us the traffic is terrible,” Escobar joked.

Frederick and Escobar are scheduled on flights to leave Dallas tonight. On his American Eagle flight from Madison, Wis., Frederick, all 312 pounds of him, was glad to have an open seat next to him but he wasn’t sure he would be so lucky on the return.

All of the players will be back in Irving for the rookie mini-camp from May 10-12.

Pick: South Carolina outside linebacker DeVonte Holloman, 185 overall

Pros: Does a nice job against the run and displays power when he tackles. Has the ability to play some safety and he can cover tight ends in a pinch.

Cons: Could be stronger and use his hands better when taking on blockers.

Cowboy fit: Currently the Cowboys have Justin Durant as the other starting outside linebacker in their new 4-3 scheme. However, Durant isn't the future at the position and this is where, maybe, Holloman can assert himself. Holloman will have to make the team on special teams but if he can impress the coaches in training camp and in some preseason games, he could move into a role where he gets a few snaps on game days.

Could have had: DE Cornelius Washington, Georgia; ILB Kevin Reddick, North Carolina; DE Mike Catapano, Princeton, T Roger Gaines, TCU.

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

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

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

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

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

IRVING, Texas – Joseph Randle left Oklahoma State with a year of eligibility remaining and slid to the fifth round to the Cowboys.

He was more pleased to be selected by the Cowboys than disappointed that he was selected so late.

“I will use it as fuel to my fire and work harder and remember this day that all these teams passed up on me and stuff like that,” Randle said. “Right now’s not the time but definitely when I hit the weight room again I’m going to be hungry and determined to show my worth and value.”

The immediate value to the Cowboys is as a backup to DeMarco Murray. Randle was productive with 42 career touchdowns, 3,085 yards rushing and 917 receiving yards.

“Being versatile,” Randle said when asked for the best part of his game. “I do everything well, running blocking. I take pride in my blocking, take pride in being able to catch and pride in making tough yards and making people miss one on one. That’s just my game in a nutshell right there.”