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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.

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.

Where they're picking: No. 18

Conventional wisdom tells us the top six offensive linemen will be gone by 18, depriving the Cowboys of the chance to address their most significant short-term and long-term need. The mock drafts in which this happens have the Cowboys taking a defensive tackle such as Sheldon Richardson or Sylvester Williams at No. 18, and some are still connecting the Cowboys with Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro, since safety is a need as well. Everybody seems to agree that the Cowboys' dream scenario is that they get one of the draft's top two guards, either Chance Warmack or Jonathan Cooper, but no one seems to think either will fall to 18.

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History tells us that the conventional wisdom is wrong. The last time six offensive linemen went in the top 17 picks was 1966, when the league only had 15 teams in it. Guards don't tend to go early, since most teams don't assign top-half-of-first-round value to that position. History tells us the Cowboys will be able to get offensive line help if they want it in the first round. But history also tells us that the Cowboys tend to pick out a guy they really like in the first round (Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith and Morris Claiborne are the recent examples) and do what they can to get him.

They probably won't end up with Vaccaro. First of all, it's possible he goes earlier than 18 (say, to St. Louis at 16). Second of all, their needs on the lines and the comparative value at those positions likely will push them to take a linemen of one sort or the other in a draft whose second round is packed with starting-caliber safeties. Sure, it's possible Vaccaro is this year's Jerry Jones crush and there's nothing anyone else in the braintrust can do to talk him out of it. But I'd be surprised if they end up with the Texas safety.

They could shock us by taking a tight end. The Blogfather, Matt Mosley, says he's been hearing the Cowboys love Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert, and if that's the case they could be making plans to move up to get him. While that would seem silly with Jason Witten still in place and at the top of his game, it's not completely crazy to find another weapon for Tony Romo in the passing game. If Eifert is the Cowboys' best player available, they could go for it. It would be foolish, and would leave them too short in too many other areas, but I'm not sure that would stop them.

My prediction: I'm leaning on history here and saying the mocks are all wrong and the Cowboys are going to be able to get one of those guards. Since we're making a pick, I'll say it's Chance Warmack who falls either all the way to 18 or at least into the 14-15 range that would allow them to make a sensible, cost-effective trade-up to get him. Not like last year's trade for Claiborne, which cost them their second-round pick, but maybe for a later-round pick or even a 2014 one.

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Todd Archer ran some numbers, and his conclusion is that the Dallas Cowboys struggle with the draft. Here's some of his data:

Since 2007, the Cowboys have drafted 47 players and only 18 remain. That’s not good. After a quick perusal of the NFC East, it’s the worst percentage (38.3%) of any team in the division. From 2007-12, Philadelphia has 28 of 59 picks left (47.5%); Washington has 24 of 48 picks (50%) and the New York Giants have 24 of 46 picks left (52%).

...

In the last three years, which should be the core of a team, the Cowboys have 15 of 21 picks left. The Eagles are the worst with 23 of 33 picks. Washington is the best at 21 of 27 and the Giants have 16 of 22 picks remaining.

The point of entry for Todd's analysis was a discussion about whether they should have moved down in the 2011 draft, when they stayed put and took Tyron Smith at No. 9 and whether they were wise to move up in 2012, when they used their first-round pick and their second-round pick to draft Morris Claiborne. Todd thinks last year's move and 2011's non-move were mistakes. I agree, as I think most of you know, about last year. Because I think Smith will be a franchise left tackle, I don't hold the 2011 decision against them.

But what I see here is a clue about how the Cowboys play the top of the draft, and it's a discouraging one. It appears to me that Jerry Jones, who ultimately makes these decisions, falls in love with a player and does what he can to get him, the rest of the draft be damned. And a roster as thin with top-level talent as Dallas' has been for the last couple of years needs to make the second, third and fourth rounds more productive than the Cowboys usually have.

They love Claiborne as a keystone piece for the future, and that's fine. But had they held onto that second-round pick, they might have been able to come out of the first two rounds with, for example, Fletcher Cox and Peter Konz. (Yes, they'd have had to move up for Cox, but likely not with a second-rounder in the deal.) Two starting pieces instead of one. This is the approach Dallas needs to take this year -- finding a new starting offensive lineman in the first round and then looking for immediate contributors, on either line or at safety, in Rounds 2 and 3.

When they dealt away their second-round pick last year, a lot of Cowboys' fans said that was OK because they always mess up the second round anyway. But 2011's second-rounder was Bruce Carter and 2010's was Sean Lee. They also got DeMarco Murray in the third round in 2011. These are players on which they're attempting to build their future core, and it would be wise to keep in mind the value those picks (and those that follow them) have when things get hot and heavy tomorrow night and the temptation to grab a player they love overrides the value of the pick or picks needed to get him.

Remember, when we critique a draft in progress on this blog, we're not making predictions about how guys will play, because we can't and neither can anyone else. We're looking at the value of the picks and how they were used -- whether they could have waited until the fifth or sixth round for a guy they took in the fourth, for example. That's what you'll find here Thursday night through Saturday night, and we'll have a close eye on the Cowboys, of course, since this is a gigantic draft for them and they can't mess it up.

IRVING, Texas – On Tuesday I upset some people when I questioned the philosophy the Cowboys chose in 2011 and ’12 to select Tyron Smith and Morris Claiborne.

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I believe they left too much on the table by not taking a trade with Jacksonville in 2011, and then by giving up their second-rounder to move up to get Claiborne. To justify their non-move and move, Smith and Claiborne have to be close to all-world in my view.

I believe the more picks you have, the better off you will be. Jimmy Johnson showed that. But I want to add this obvious nugget: the more early picks (top two rounds), the better off you’ll be.

But that was yesterday’s debate.

So now I present to you the argument as to why many of you believe the Cowboys did the correct thing in staying put for Smith and trading up for Claiborne: The Cowboys struggle drafting.

Since 2007, the Cowboys have drafted 47 players and only 18 remain. That’s not good. After a quick perusal of the NFC East, it’s the worst percentage (38.3%) of any team in the division. From 2007-12, Philadelphia has 28 of 59 picks left (47.5%); Washington has 24 of 48 picks (50%) and the New York Giants have 24 of 46 picks left (52%).

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Now, teams will have fewer players left from 2007-08 because most of those players have moved on to second contracts.

As we all know the Cowboys don’t have a player left from the 2009 draft, but that was a year in which they didn’t have first- or second-round picks. The Giants have five of nine picks left from ’09. The Redskins have one of six picks left from ’09. The Eagles have two of eight picks left from ’09.

In the last three years, which should be the core of a team, the Cowboys have 15 of 21 picks left. The Eagles are the worst with 23 of 33 picks. Washington is the best at 21 of 27 and the Giants have 16 of 22 picks remaining.

So am I contradicting myself from Tuesday’s post? No. The Cowboys had a chance to gain an extra second-round pick in 2011 and keep their own second-rounder last year. Four of the Cowboys’ six first-round picks from 2007-12 remain in Anthony Spencer, Dez Bryant, Smith and Claiborne. Two of their three second-rounders from that span remain in Sean Lee and Bruce Carter.

The three departures are Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins and Martellus Bennett. They weren’t busts, but they weren’t hits either. The best thing you can say is they played out their contracts.

IRVING, Texas – Let me start the post this way: I love Dan Graziano’s work. Somehow he keeps track of four teams in the NFC East and seems to be able upset fans of all four at the same time, so he’s doing something right.

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But I think Dan is over the top in the view that the Cowboys must take an offensive lineman with their first-round pick. In today’s #bloggermock, Dan picked Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker with the 18th pick.

Fluker may well be the Cowboys' pick Thursday, but the vibe is they don’t have Fluker that high on their board.

Here’s what the Cowboys should do: take the best player regardless of the position.

If at No. 18 the Cowboys’ draft board has an offensive lineman as the 29th-best player -- and that’s not how they configure their draft board, by the way, but just go with it for now -- don’t reach on that player.

When you reach, you’re taking a lesser player and end up with a lesser roster overall.

In a draft that does not have the “sexy” skill players, I don’t see one of the team’s top line targets making it to No. 18.

The Cowboys have taken one offensive lineman in the first round since 1981 and that was Tyron Smith two years ago. They have found players like Larry Allen, Flozell Adams and Andre Gurode in the second round.

But the Cowboys' problems along the offensive line are not because they haven’t taken enough first-round picks. The problem is they can’t identify offensive lineman in the early and middle rounds where other teams have.

Despite the last year-plus, Doug Free (fourth, 2007) had a decent enough run, but the Cowboys have received nothing or next to nothing from David Arkin (fourth, 2011), Robert Brewster (third, 2009), James Marten (third, 2007), Jacob Rogers (second, 2004) and Stephen Peterman (third, 2004).

For months the Cowboys agonize over their draft board. They try to fit everybody in where they believe they should go. If you just skip that process on draft day, then you have wasted energy, time and money.

There is no doubt that the Cowboys have a need along the offensive line. There’s no doubt they should take an offensive lineman at No. 18 -- if he's the best player.

But “should” and “must” are two different things.

Here’s my must: stick to the board.

IRVING, Texas – Jerry Jones views himself as something of a gambler when it comes to the NFL draft. The Cowboys owner and general manager is willing to take some risks that others may not make.

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With their first-round picks the last two seasons, the Cowboys appeared to skip the risky route with Tyron Smith and Morris Claiborne.

Smith was considered the top offensive tackle available in 2011, and Claiborne was the highest-rated defensive player on the Cowboys’ board last spring.

That the Cowboys were able to score both players should be viewed as a positive.

Looking back on those drafts, I wouldn’t have selected either player. It’s not an argument against the player, but an argument against the philosophy. For Smith, the Cowboys left too much on the table. For Claiborne, the Cowboys gave up a lot.

In 2011, I would have made the trade with Jacksonville, giving up the No. 9 pick for picks Nos. 16 and 49. The Cowboys could have had tackle Nate Solder and had an extra second-round pick, in addition to Bruce Carter, whom they took with their own No. 2 selection.

In 2012, I would not have traded with St. Louis to get Claiborne. The Cowboys swapped first-round picks and gave up their second rounder to move up eight spots. Staying at No. 14 would have allowed them to take defensive end Michael Brockers and, so they said, linebacker Bobby Wagner, who excelled as a rookie in Seattle.

If we’ve learned anything from those nonstop AT&T commercials here lately it’s that two is always better than one.

The Cowboys could have had two second-round picks in 2011 instead of one. They could have had first- and second-round picks last year instead of just a first rounder.

It’s not that I don’t believe Smith and Claiborne can develop into top players at their positions. It’s just that they MUST develop into top players at their positions to justify the reasons why the Cowboys went the routes they went the last two years.

Smith has to be better than just solid. He has to be a perennial Pro Bowler, one of those no-doubt top tackles in the NFL. He played well as a rookie at right tackle. He was good last year after moving to left tackle. He needs to be better in 2013.

Because the Cowboys traded up for Claiborne, he has to be better than just solid. He has to be a perennial Pro Bowler, one of those no-doubt top corners in the NFL. He had moments as a rookie, but did he have a signature lock-down play last year? His interception against Carolina was a nice play, but there needs to be more of that. He needs to be better in 2013.

The Cowboys got quality in Smith and Claiborne, but this has been a roster in need of quantity.

IRVING, Texas -- ESPN NFL draft experts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have offensive linemen going early in this week's draft.

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McShay has three of the top five picks going to the offensive line and Kiper has seven going in the first round.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones agrees.

"But there’s also cap reasons why these offensive linemen are going to be going early in this draft," Jones said during a news conference Monday. "Because they fit in a free agent (spot) that could play to that level. And figure what it might cost you to have one of those guys that are that, relative to what that first-or-second-round pick makes. So you forgo the idea of getting the big skill players early. You forgo that idea to actually go in there and get guys that are going to be doing the blocking for them, which traditionally have been lesser guys relative to where they’re taken in the draft."

The Cowboys normally don't take offensive linemen in the first round.

Tyron Smith was the ninth overall selection in 2011 and the first offensive lineman drafted in the first round since Jones purchased the team in 1989. Before then, the last offensive lineman taken by the Cowboys in the first round was in 1981 when tackle Howard Richards was the 26th overall selection.

The Doug Free watch continues with no news in sight.

Maybe no news is good news for the Cowboys right tackle. Or maybe it's bad news.

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Free struggled last season, and now it appears his status is under closer evaluation as we approach the NFL draft.

The Cowboys' front office knows it has to do something with Free, especially after he split playing time with Jermey Parnell during the 2012 season. When you compare Free to other tackles across the league, his financial numbers don't match the quality of play.

He's got the fourth-highest salary cap number for 2013 at $10.02 million. In 2014, if he's still around, his cap number jumps to $11.020 million, second-highest in the league at his position.

The Cowboys haven't said how they will rectify Free's status. However, the Cowboys could release Free, making him a post-June 1 cut and save $7 million. The team did this with defensive end Marcus Spears and saved $2 million that won't be on the books until June 1. However, if Free is released, the Cowboys will have $7 million in dead money to carry on their salary cap for 2014.

It's a high price to get rid of an underachieving player.

The flip side to keeping Free is to offer him a cut in pay, something he could accept to salvage his time with the franchise. Free could decline the paycut and enter a free-agent market that has been slow for veterans who hope to find new teams and big money.

"I think there's more to it without trying to talk in riddles," Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said at the NFL owners meetings recently. "There's more to it. That implies a decision after the draft on Free, and we may be doing things there with our offensive line before the draft, relative to Free."

The Cowboys had a discussion regarding free agent tackle Eric Winston but no visits or contract talks have occurred. Winston said recently on Sirius/XM radio he's looking for a contract worth $3 million to $4 million annually.

If that's the case, you might as well keep Free for that amount of money.

Of course, the Cowboys could wait until the draft and see if they can find someone willing to compete for a starting job with Parnell. There's nothing wrong with using young talent at the right tackle spot. The Cowboys are doing this now with Tyron Smith on the left side.

But at some point, a decision has to be made regarding Free.

"His skill is left tackle, as far as a lot of his value is concerned," Jones said of Free. "I could see us staying with him at his (salary cap) number. It’s not impossible, but I could see us staying at his number and sitting there with him or Parnell penciled in as the swing with Smith at left tackle and then going on out from there with the rest of the offensive line."

Todd Archer wrote a compelling column the other day about the pressure to win being on GM Jerry Jones.

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Archer writes: "Jones has to do more for Romo besides just writing some handsome checks. Jones has to get better players around Romo, and not just at the sexy positions."

The pieces are here.

The pressure shouldn't be on Jones, it should be on Romo.

Romo has an elite tight end in Jason Witten, two standout wide receivers in Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. He has a rising running back in DeMarco Murray and a young talented left tackle in Tyron Smith.

You could say the rest of the offensive line struggled at times last season, but it's strange how the offensive line wasn't an issue when Romo went on a seven-game stretch where he threw 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions and his team went 5-2 to remain in the playoff picture. Romo was sacked an ungodly 20 times during those seven games.

But all sacks can't be placed on the offensive line, much like all interceptions can't be placed on the quarterback. Can Romo throw the ball away sometimes? Anytime?

On defense, nobody questions the elite status of DeMarcus Ware and the talented young players in Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and Morris Claiborne. Brandon Carr, Jason Hatcher, Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff are solid playmakers.

Kicker Dan Bailey is solid.

The pieces are in place.

The Cowboys have the No. 18 overall pick in the draft and should find a starter who will make an impact.

What Romo's contract has done is raise the stakes even higher. Yes, the Cowboys want Romo to deliver a championship before he signed his new contract last week. But the Cowboys could have moved on without Romo and still cleared out salary cap space without restructuring his deal. The free-agency market for the Cowboys was going to be tight regardless of whether the Cowboys lowered Romo's salary cap figures.

By giving Romo this massive contract, the Cowboys told the NFL, "we expect a championship NOW."

At some point, the Cowboys should have drafted a quarterback for the future. They didn't, so now they're stuck and you can blame Jones for that.

But you can't blame Jones for providing security for his quarterback, which is the right thing to do. And don't blame Jones if his quarterback fails to bring a championship to North Texas.

That's on Romo.

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Here are the Cowboys' latest salary cap figures for the 2013 season.

Quarterback Tony Romo continues to have the highest salary cap figure for the season coming in at $11.8 million. Before Romo signed his mega contract for $119.5 million, his cap number was $16.8 million.

Here are the Top 10 salary cap figures for 2013.

1. Tony Romo, $11.8 million
2. Anthony Spencer, $10.6 million
3. Doug Free, $10.02 million
4. DeMarcus Ware, $8.093 million
5. Brandon Carr, $5.4 million
6. Jason Witten, $4.35 million
7. Jay Ratliff, $4.072 million
8. Morris Claiborne, $3.6 million
9. Miles Austin, $3.58 million
10. Tyron Smith, $3.4 million

Note: Romo's base salary is $1.5 million. The highest base salary for the Cowboys in 2013 is currently Spencer's at $10.6 million but that's his franchise tag number. Doug Free comes in with the second-highest base salary of $7 million. Base salaries of several players were turned into signing bonus money to lower 2013 cap figures. For example, Austin's $6.7 million base salary was turned into signing bonus money to lower his cap figure from $6.7 million to $3.58 million. Austin will earn a base salary of $840,000 this season.

In the wake of the Tony Romo contract extension, Calvin Watkins has a list of five players next in line to get big contracts from the Dallas Cowboys. He lists defensive end, Anthony Spencer, linbacker Sean Lee and Bruce Carter, wide receiver Dez Bryant and left tackle Tyron Smith in that order.

Spencer is the obvious one, as the Cowboys could create 2013 cap relief by extending him long-term and reducing his $10.6 million franchise-tag salary. They seem to believe in him as their long-term solution at defensive end in their 4-3 defensive alignment, so I imagine they'll find a way to get this done.

But the rest of the list, and a list of honorable mentions that includes running back DeMarco Murray and defensive lineman Jason Hatcher, underscores a key point about this Cowboys roster and the need they had to lock up Romo long-term. All this talk about the closing of windows makes no sense when you look at the young core of players the Cowboys have put together. They have a well-earned reputation as a poor drafting team, but their 2010 and 2011 drafts have actually borne fruit and delivered them some players around whom they can reasonably build a successful future.

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The issue with guys like Lee, Carter and Murray is health. I wouldn't rush to lock up any of those guys just yet until I see that they've found ways to get themselves through full NFL seasons free of injury. When they're on the field, they're difference-making players, and the 4-3 alignment should allow Lee and Carter in particular to flourish as playmakers. But they have to stay healthy in order to show that, and until they do extending their contracts would feel rash and unwise. Smith as the long-term answer at left tackle would seem to merit a deal sooner rather than later. And you guys know how I feel about Bryant, who could be the best wide receiver in the entire league before too long. A talent like his is worth at least a conversation right now about what it would cost to sign him long-term. If he's offering a deal, it might be wise for the Cowboys to take it before he has another monster year and his price goes through the roof.

There are enough good players on this Cowboys team to merit optimism, though the offensive line still needs to be fixed or it will sink the offense again as it did in 2012. The issue on defense last year was health, and if the pieces fit the 4-3 as well as it appears they should, this continues to look to me like a Cowboys team headed in the right direction -- if a bit more slowly than the fans would like to head.

Tony Romo's contract is done.

So who'll be next to get paid? Here's the top five Cowboys who are in line to get nice, big contracts:

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1. Anthony Spencer. He's been franchised for $10.6 million and the team wants to keep him long-term. Spencer is coming off a career-high 11 sacks in 2012 and is moving from outside linebacker to defensive end. The Cowboys value him as a run stopper with excellent pass rush skills. By keeping him, the Cowboys won't be forced to draft another defensive end for the future.

2. Sean Lee. Dubbed "the brains of the defense" last season by then-defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, Lee became the unit's second-most important member behind DeMarcus Ware in 2012. Health is a factor, however, as Lee has yet to play a full 16-game season in three NFL seasons. But his leadership skills and playmaking ability pushes the 26-year-old to the upper echelon of those needing new contracts.

3. Bruce Carter. The Cowboys had a first-round grade on Carter when he came out of North Carolina. Like Lee, he's an emerging talent with the smarts, playmaking skills and leadership qualities this team needs. Carter's pass rush skills at outside linebacker in the 4-3 gives the Cowboys confidence this is one position they won't have to address for sometime.

4. Dez Bryant. His desire, toughness and talent is never a question. Bryant is turning into one of the emotional leaders of this team, and the Cowboys need to take advantage. His off-the-field issues have subsided and you can see with each game his command of the offense is getting better and better. Is Bryant an elite receiver yet? Nope. But he's getting close.

5. Tyron Smith. If you have a chance to lock up a talented tackle, left or right, you do it quickly. Smith struggled early with penalties, but morphed into a solid left tackle in 2012. When Smith said he wanted to be a Pro Bowl player the day he was drafted from USC, it raised eyebrows. Guess what? Smith has the skills to do it.

Honorable mention: DeMarco Murray, Jason Hatcher, Dan Bailey and Dwayne Harris.

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. 3 offensive lineman: Lane Johnson

Position: Tackle

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 303 pounds

School: Oklahoma

Why he’s on the radar: Left tackle Tyron Smith had a good season for the Cowboys last year, but inconsistent play from right tackle Doug Free prompted the team to use Jermey Parnell. The Cowboys need to upgrade the offensive line, and if Johnson is available in the later half of the first round, he would be a good choice. Johnson played both tackle spots at Oklahoma and multiple positions in high school -- from quarterback to defensive end, so athletic ability isn't an issue.

Projection: First round

Stretch Truths: Tall tackle plays with excellent leverage and can play all positions across the line. ... Smart football sense; good punch and power; can reach block; good straight in-line run blocker. ... Has power to sit and stop a bull rush. Also has good balance to recover in pass protection. ... For a big tackle, he can really run, as evidenced by his 4.67 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. ... Take him if he's there with the 18th pick.

When the Cowboys begin the 2013 season, Jason Garrett will see more of the players he's seen drafted under him than when Wade Phillips was the coach.

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There are only six players remaining on the active roster from the Wade Phillips era, 2007 to 2010, and that number could decrease if the team releases starting right tackle Doug Free this summer.

The Cowboys, as of now, are electing to have two former first-round picks, Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins from the 2008 draft, go without fetching another contract from the team.

Garrett was the offensive coordinator in Phillips' last season, 2010, in which the Cowboys drafted wide receiver Dez Bryant with a first-round pick.

But in the last two drafts, the Cowboys have developed four starters, including two from the Top 10 of the draft in left tackle Tyron Smith and cornerback Morris Claiborne.

Jerry Jones didn't spend big money in free agency on any single player under Phillips like he did for Garrett when the team signed cornerback Brandon Carr to a five-year $50.1 million contract last season.

Yes, there are a core group of drafted players from the Bill Parcells years such as Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher, but it seems the Cowboys can't get rid of the players drafted under Phillips fast enough.

Garrett said he feels like this current group of players are his guys.

"Absolutely. That’s why this draft is so critical," Garrett said earlier this week from the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. "You want to be able to continue to add to the culture we’ve developed the last couple years, and a lot of the culture has to do with who you are as a head coach, who your staff is and what they represent. But a lot of it has to do with the people you bring in, the players you bring in, and what they’re all about. We’ve tried to do a really good job of that. We feel good about how we’ve drafted, how we’ve kind of structured our football team, and the kinds of people we’re bringing in."