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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 -- Phil Costa was the Cowboys' starting center to begin 2012, but back problems and an ankle injury forced him to miss nine games last season. The Cowboys started three different centers -- Costa, Ryan Cook and Mackenzy Bernadeau -- in 2012.

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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 interior of the offensive line was an issue last season and it prompted the Cowboys to draft Wisconsin center Travis Frederick with the 31st pick of the first round Thursday night.

Does this mean the end for Costa and Cook?

"I think they're all competing," team executive vice president Stephen Jones said Thursday night. "Frederick can be a guard. We're gonna put our five best guys on the field. I think what it means, everybody expected us to improve ourselves in the interior of the offensive line and it's going to be a battle there for everybody. But I think we're going to put our five best guys (there). If Costa wins the starting center job and if we think he's one of the best five, we might play Frederick at guard."

The first round of the draft saw three offensive tackles go in the top five and five more offensive linemen go after that. Jones said the number of offensive linemen picked in the first round had no bearing on the trade the Cowboys made with San Francisco to move down, or their selection.

"We had a handful of players we would have taken at 18," Jones said. "If they had been there, we would have taken them. When they weren't there, we felt like our best value for our team, long term, to improve ourselves, was to move the pick when we had the opportunity."

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 -- Well, I'm not going to rip the pick. I made a promise, and I'm keeping it. I wrote for weeks and weeks that the Dallas Cowboys needed to come out of the first round of this year's NFL draft with an offensive lineman, and they did. So I'm not getting on their case for it.

But man, did the Cowboys play the first round strangely.

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Nate Newton joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the first round of the NFL draft. Listen

First of all, they traded their pick, No. 18 overall, to the 49ers for the 31st pick and the 74th pick (which is the 12th pick of the third round). Then, with the 31st pick, they selected Wisconsin center Travis Frederick, who was … not a guy anybody was talking about.

Who is Frederick? Well, Scouts Inc. ranked him the top center in this year's draft (which is good) and the 70th player overall (not so good, if he went 31st). Among offensive linemen, he ranked 12th in this draft, according to Scouts Inc., and he was the ninth one off the board. Those still on the board who got higher Scouts Inc. grades included tackles Menelik Watson and Terron Armstead and guard Larry Warford.

Couple that information with the fact that the traditional NFL trade-value chart says the Cowboys should have been able to get more than just an extra third-rounder for that No. 18 pick, and it's easy to say they overpaid for Frederick. You might even be able to argue that they could have had him in the second round if they'd waited.

But I don't know. Maybe it's the music here at Radio City Music Hall or the fact that the weather's getting nicer outside or that I finally feel like I'm getting back in shape after a couple of years of overeating and under-exercising. I'm looking at this pick, and I'm thinking these very positive things about it:

• They needed interior offensive line help more than any team in the NFL needed anything in this entire draft, and this guy is an interior offensive lineman. He can challenge Phil Costa for the center's job or either starting guard for his.
• He's a giant -- 6-foot-3⅝, 312 pounds -- and known as a physical presence in the run game. Run blocking might be a higher priority for the Cowboys in their ongoing hunt for line help than pass protection is, since left tackle is the one spot at which they're set and Tony Romo is pretty good at protecting himself and making plays on the run.
• Just because Scouts Inc. ranked Warford 53rd and this guy 70th doesn't make the pick ridiculous. You pay your scouts to find guys who fit what you want to do, and then you trust them. All week, everybody told me the Cowboys needed to trust their board, and it appears what happened here was that they didn't have anyone they liked at 18 so they snagged an extra pick and moved down to take a guy they did like. If you think all that's left to you is second-rounders, then why not just start the second round two picks early and add a third-rounder that might help you maneuver into that second round Friday night?

As I always say, I can't predict the way these guys will play, and neither can the Cowboys or anyone else. And if you want to argue that they didn't get great value for their first-round pick, I really don't have a response. But this was a weird year for the first round. The top six offensive linemen went in the top 11 picks -- something that hadn't happened in the history of the NFL draft. Clearly, this was a year in which offensive linemen were being overvalued, so this pick kind of lines up with that.

Had they stayed put at 18 and picked Justin Pugh or Kyle Long, who went at 19 and 20, respectively, to the Giants and Bears, that might have felt like a reach, too. There was not a lot to like about this year's first round. And while they might have been clumsy about it, the Cowboys came out of it with something they apparently do like and definitely need. Can't rip it.

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.

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. 5 offensive lineman: Travis Frederick

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 330 pounds

School: Wisconsin

Why he's on the radar: Despite signing Phil Costa to a new contract and restructuring Ryan Cook's deal, the play from the Cowboys' centers was average in 2012. Costa and Cook dealt with health problems last season and that can't happen again if the Cowboys expect some consistency along the interior of the line.

Projection: Second round

Stretch Truths: Started all 13 games at center his senior year and played at guard some as a junior. ... Lacks good balance and feet and is top-heavy. He gets yanked out of his chair when trying to pass protect (sit and anchor). ... While playing guard as a junior, lacked feet to get to the second-level block. That concerns me as a center. ... Doesn't show power in his lower body. ... Not real strong with his punch in pass protection.

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."

» NFC Free Agency: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

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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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.

If the Dallas Cowboys don't pick an offensive lineman in the first round of next month's NFL draft, their fans officially have permission to quit.

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Seriously, this would be last-straw territory, folks. It's an excuse to follow through on all those threats you've made over the years while pulling out your hair and wondering what Jerry Jones was thinking. You would be free to exercise any form of peaceful fan revolt. Boycott the season. Picket the games. Throw out all of your blue-and-silver gear and go be a Redskins fan. Robert Griffin III played college ball in Texas. You could sell it to your friends and family. And they'd have to understand. You just can't keep throwing your heart and soul and disposable income behind a team that insists on refusing to get it.

The decision earlier this week to designate defensive lineman Anthony Spencer as their franchise player crystallized the Cowboys' most significant need at this point. Before that, you could have made the case for a pass-rushing defensive end, or even a defensive tackle, at No. 18 of the first round. I'd have disagreed with you, believing that the offensive line was the more pressing of the two lines for Dallas to address, but I'd have had to acknowledge that you had a case.

Not anymore.

Offensive line is the No. 1, 2 and 3 need for the Cowboys right now. Heck, you can make a strong argument that they need to upgrade at four of the five starting spots; 2011 first-round draft pick Tyron Smith at left tackle is the only one about whom you feel good for the present or the future. And that's the key thing to remember here -- that picking an offensive lineman in the first round is vital not just for the 2013 season but for the long-term health of the Cowboys.

What you see on the Cowboys' line now is decay, a result of years of neglect. Smith was the first offensive lineman they picked in the first round since 1981. I did the math on that. That's 30 flippin' years. If you go 30 years without drafting an offensive lineman in the first round and offensive line is consistently one of your most crippling weaknesses, eventually the light bulb's going to go on, right? This is not something the Cowboys can keep patching together without eventually adding some elite talent. If you do that, you end up having to give Phil Costa a two-year deal and deciding whether it's worth giving Mackenzy Bernadeau another season to show you something. That's not a pleasant situation.

Adding another first-round-caliber talent on the line, be it at guard or right tackle, would be a critical step in an important new direction for the Cowboys. They have, for several years now, boasted elite-level skill-position players on offense but have been unable to get the most out of them because of poor line play. They are squandering the prime years of players like Tony Romo, Miles Austin and Jason Witten -- and so far at least one otherworldly year from Dez Bryant -- by persistently failing to address this glaring need. The Smith pick in 2011 showed that maybe some things are changing, and that maybe this is becoming the priority it needs to be. Picking an offensive lineman again on April 25 would go a long way toward backing up Cowboys fans' hope that such is the case.

The opposing argument right now appears to be safety, because they also cut Gerald Sensabaugh the day they franchised Spencer, and because it looks as though Texas' Kenny Vaccaro might be there at No. 18. But come on. They aren't using four substandard players at safety on every defensive play. They are using four substandard offensive linemen on every offensive play. It's the far greater need, and again -- not just for this season, but for the long term. You build through the draft and you build through the lines. The Cowboys have to do both, and they have a good chance this year to do so.

People have been asking me all week, as I've preached this first-round-lineman gospel, why the Cowboys should "reach" for an offensive lineman if one isn't there at 18. My answer is that they won't have to. There are five offensive linemen -- three tackles and two guards -- in the top 10 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest Big Board . Only once in the past 15 years -- 2008 -- have five offensive linemen been taken in the first 17 picks. One of these guys will fall to 18, or far enough that the Cowboys can move up a spot or two without sacrificing their second-round pick this time. And if not, Mel's got Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker at 21. Not exactly a "reach," especially considering how vital is the need.

The Cowboys probably won't be in a position to get tackles Luke Joeckel or Eric Fisher, or even Lane Johnson. But wouldn't a guard like Chance Warmack or Jonathan Cooper look good on that line next year? And for the next 10 years? Pick that guy, plug him in and cross one gigantic worry off your list. It's a no-brainer at this point.

The Cowboys have gone 8-8 in each of the past two seasons. They have a lot of needs. And no, they can't address all of them with this year's first-round pick. But they can and must address the biggest. If they don't, it will be impossible to defend their decision.

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.

IRVING, Texas – Set to be a restricted free agent, the Cowboys signed center Phil Costa to a two-year contract worth $2.7 million, according to a source.

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As a restricted free agent Costa would have earned $1.323 million in 2013 and now will count less on the cap with the Cowboys tying him up through 2014.

Costa received a signing bonus of $450,000. His cap number will be $975,000, saving the Cowboys roughly $350,000 this year.

Costa played in only parts of three games in 2012, leaving the season opener at the New York Giants after one series when he aggravated a back injury that sidelined him for of most of training camp. He dislocated his ankle on Oct. 21 at Carolina, and that eventually required season-ending surgery.

He should be able to take part in most of the offseason program.

Without Costa, the Cowboys needed Ryan Cook (11 games) and Mackenzy Bernadeau (two) to start at center last season.

Costa started every game in 2011 after making the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2010.

At the NFL scouting combine, owner and general manager Jerry Jones praised Costa’s smarts and work ethic while also acknowledging limitations. Jones said the Cowboys would need strong guard play on either side of Costa.

“I can see going with Costa at center for several years,” Jones said last week.

The Cowboys will go for at least two more.

Costa is the second player the Cowboys re-signed in the last week, joining long snapper L.P. Ladouceur.

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.

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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.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys medical staff received another honor when the team’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Dan Cooper, was named the winner of the Jerry “Hawk” Rhea Award, which is given to the outstanding NFL team physician.

Associate athletic trainer Britt Brown was named the NFC’s assistant trainer of the year.

The awards are selected by the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society. Rhea was the head athletic trainer in Atlanta from 1969-94.

Dr. Cooper has been the Cowboys’ head physician for the last 13 years since joining the organization in 1992.

The Cowboys had 11 players end the year on injured reserve, including starters Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Barry Church and Phil Costa. Jay Ratliff wasn’t placed on injured reserve but was limited to six games because of ankle and groin injuries. Jason Witten opened the season with a lacerated spleen.

INDIANAPOLIS – As a former offensive lineman, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones knows the offensive line has to play better in 2013 for his team to win more games.

Where the improvement comes from is up for debate.

On Saturday Jones mentioned the possibility of getting better through free agency and the draft along the line but he was not ready to dismiss in-house improvement either.

“We do need to have improvement there, but I think we can get that offensive line with some of the stuff we’re going to do with our offense and coaching,” Jones said. “I think we can get that offensive line with a better report card here this time next year.”

Left tackle Tyron Smith is Jones’ only sure bet, but he liked what he saw at the end of the year from Doug Free and Jermey Parnell. Jones acknowledged the Cowboys “need more,” from free-agent pickups Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau in 2013, and he could see center Phil Costa as the starter “for several years.”

He also touted the futures of Kevin Kowalski and Ronald Leary.

“Now does that make you sleep at night because you know you need depth? We might be talking about your depth there when I’m really alluding two five or six guys, which could be your starters,” Jones said. “I think we’ve got a chance to have a plus from a couple of these young guys, and we’re very likely, through a combination of free agency or this draft to get serious about another guard-center type there.”

Bernadeau started two games at center in 2012 when Ryan Cook was out with a knee injury and Costa was out with an ankle injury that led to him being placed on injured reserve. Costa had surgery and is a restricted free agent. Cook is also signed through 2013.

“A player could get us in better shape than a player ought to relative to what our offensive line is right here,” Jones said. “But again Bill Callahan, I agree with him when he saw more positive and on the come as the year went on as he instituted his coaching. It did make a change and he did do it differently. There was an adjustment.”