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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.

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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 – Over the last few years, the Cowboys’ top-30 visitors before the draft have been a good indicator into who they end up selecting.

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Guys like Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Tyrone Crawford and Matt Johnson, among others, visited Valley Ranch and ended up getting picked by the team.

Here is the list of this year’s invites to keep handy for the next three days:

S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
S Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International
S Eric Reid, LSU
G Chance Warmack, Alabama
RB Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State
RB Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
DL Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
RB Knile Davis, Arkansas
G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
OL Justin Pugh, Syracuse
DT Kawann Short, Purdue
DT Jordan Hill, Penn State
C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
S Phillip Thomas, Fresno State
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson
LB Sio Moore, Connecticut
LB Gerald Hodges, Penn State
CB B.W Webb, William & Mary
WR Charles Johnson, Grand Valley State
RB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
OL Kyle Long, Oregon
S J.J. Wilcox, Georgia Southern
LB Brandon Magee, Arizona State
TE D.C. Jefferson, Rutgers
TE Dion Sims, Michigan State
WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State
S Jakar Hamilton, South Carolina State
DT Bennie Logan, LSU

Missing the playoffs again isn't an acceptable notion around Valley Ranch for the Dallas Cowboys.

There are many questions surrounding this draft class, but the Cowboys can't miss here. The Cowboys have to find a starter or a significant contributor in the first two rounds, regardless if they trade up or down.

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"We can say what we want about what we believe in as a coaching staff, but ultimately what we believe in is reflected most by the players we have," coach Jason Garrett said Monday. "In this case, the players we draft. I think we’ve done a good job over the last couple of years bringing the kind of guys in who we think reflect the way we want to play. And we want to continue to do that. You want drafted players to play as quickly as they can play."

The Cowboys found starters in the first round in the last three draft classes, and second-round picks in 2010 (Sean Lee) and 2011 (Bruce Carter) have also become starters.

However, outside of Morris Claiborne in the first round, the Cowboys didn't get much from the rest of the 2012 draft class. Tyrone Crawford (third round) and James Hanna (sixth round) showed some encouraging signs, but Kyle Wilber (fourth rounder) and Matt Johnson (fourth rounder) were disappointments.

"We’ve been fortunate the last couple of years. Mo Claiborne was an instant starter for us and Tyron Smith was an instant starter for us," Garrett said. "We’ve had some guys come in and play early and really be contributors to our team. You want to be able to do that again.

"I think one of the things we feel good about in our organization is we had two really good contributors last year, Claiborne and Tyrone Crawford, but we had some other guys who got banged up early last year and weren’t able to contribute as much as we wanted them to (in) fourth-round picks Wilber and Matt Johnson. James Hanna was a guy who emerged for us towards the end of the year. But we have guys from last year’s draft that we feel like we haven’t even seen yet because of injury, so we expect some things from them in terms of competing with players on our team, competing for roster spots, competing for playing time."

ESPN's NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. predicts the Cowboys will select offensive and defensive linemen in the first three rounds.

It's not something I hear mentioned often, but the age of the Dallas defensive line has crept up. By the time the season starts, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher and DeMarcus Ware will be 32, 31 and 31, respectively.

You have to be an ESPN Insider to get the complete three rounds for every NFL team. Kiper also has the Cowboys taking a guard and another defensive lineman in Rounds 2 and 3.

Kiper makes a valid point regarding the line. If the Cowboys draft North Carolina's Sylvester Williams, it could make Ratliff expendable. However, the team might keep Ratliff and create competition for what could be a young, deep defensive line.

Under the new 4-3 alignment, Anthony Spencer and Ware will move to defensive end, where they haven't played since college. The Cowboys also will move Hatcher to tackle, keeping double-teams off Ratliff.

Sean Lissemore, Tyrone Crawford, Rob Callaway and Ben Bass are young players who also will compete for playing time.

IRVING, Texas – With the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer for the second straight year, the short-sighted view is to say the Cowboys can push defensive line down the list of needs when it comes to the draft.

Wrong.

The Cowboys can’t afford to be so short-sighted.

The projected starting defensive line is DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher and Spencer. By the time the season starts Ware will be 31, Ratliff will be 32, Hatcher will be 31 and Spencer will be 29.

Ware is coming back from shoulder surgery, but the feeling is he will continue his Pro Bowl run in the new scheme. Ratliff has had his sack total decrease every year for the last five years. Hatcher and Spencer (at least for now) are on one-year deals.

Of the backups, only Sean Lissemore, 26, and Tyrone Crawford, 23, should be viewed as potential starters. This does not include Marcus Spears, who turns 30 on Friday, and Josh Brent, whose status is unknown because of the December car accident.

The Cowboys can’t view the Spencer tag as a reason to avoid taking a defensive lineman in the top three rounds.

The draft is not only about 2013. It’s about 2013 and beyond.

When the Cowboys are on the clock for the 18th pick and their highest-rated player is a defensive lineman, take him and be happy.

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

Defensive ends

Who’s on the roster: DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer (franchise tag), Tyrone Crawford, Ben Bass.

Analysis: Ware and Spencer will be moving from outside linebacker to defensive end in Monte Kiffin’s new scheme, but they are not completely unfamiliar spots since they had their hands on the ground as pass rushers in the nickel defenses. The difference will be the play-to-play grind of lining up against tackles, which could wear them down. Crawford showed some promise as a rookie in the 3-4 and plays with an energy that should help him get to the quarterback. The Cowboys have some flexibility with the players on their roster. Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore, Crawford and Bass could play tackle and end if needed.

NFL free agents of interest: Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Osi Umenyiora, Dwight Freeney, Israel Idonije, Amobi Okoye.

Need meter: 7. In the 3-4 scheme, a defense can never have enough linebackers. In the 4-3 scheme, you can never have enough pass rushers. New defensive line coach Rod Marinelli worked with Idonije and Okoye in Chicago and might want to bring them to the Cowboys. Neither will be break-the-bank free agents, which makes them a better fit, and they have the ability to get to the passer. Idonije had 7.5 sacks last year for the Bears and also has some position flexibility. Umenyiora and Freeney are situational pass rushers at this point in their careers. If they understand that, then they could be a fit. However, the price tag could be too steep.

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

Defensive tackles

Who’s on the roster: Ben Bass, Josh Brent, Rob Callaway, Jason Hatcher, Ike Igbinosun, Brian Price, Jay Ratliff, Marcus Spears and Monte Taylor.

Analysis: Ratliff and Hatcher are the starters and there is a hope Ratliff will emerge as an impact player with the move from nose tackle to defensive tackle. There is some concern about Spears' role with the team. Is he a tackle in this scheme? What about Tyrone Crawford, who was drafted as a 3-4 defensive end. Does he move to tackle? Bass showed some signs in training camp he can play a little bit and will be given a chance to prove himself again. Callaway was called up late in the season and, like Bass, will get an opportunity to receive significant playing time.

NFL free agents of interest: Brian Schaefering, Chris Canty, Amobi Okoye.

Need meter: 4. Schaefering will return because he's a exclusive rights free agent. Canty is a former Cowboy who has played in a 4-3 scheme. Canty moved from end to tackle with the New York Giants. Okoye, 25, is a young talent who might be worth looking at. He could have an immediate impact. Of course, the draft will dictate what the Cowboys do in free agency. One thing new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said he wants is speed, speed and more speed. His scheme wants solid pass rushers up front who push the pocket. If you can't do that, don't expect to play for him.

Free agent defensive end Jarvis Moss, a Denton native, has a workout scheduled with the Cowboys on Wednesday, according to a source.

Moss, a 2007 first-round pick by the Denver Broncos, played the last two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He battled injuries, a position change and ineffective play with the Broncos but seemed to bounce back after playing for the Raiders.

Moss, 28, has six career sacks and played in a career-high 14 games last season.

With the Cowboys moving to a 4-3 alignment, it will be interesting to see where Moss would fit if he were to sign. He could be a backup to one of the defensive end spots currently manned by DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer.

If Moss signs, he could join Tyrone Crawford as the backups. If that happens, Marcus Spears, another defensive end, might be released.

Update: Moss confirmed to ESPN's Josina Anderson he's working out for the Cowboys.

IRVING, Texas -- Jerry Jones made perfect use of the franchise tag when the Dallas Cowboys placed it on Anthony Spencer.

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Now comes the difficult part: Jerry needs to tell Spencer's agent, Jordan Woy, that his client isn't getting a long-term deal from the Cowboys.

Spencer, the first player the Cowboys have ever used the franchise tag on twice, will earn $10.6 million from the Cowboys this season, giving him a two-year total of $19.4 million.

Not bad.

Spencer was the Cowboys' best defensive player last season, and the franchise tag will give the Cowboys one more year of his services while he's in his athletic prime. Then the Cowboys can turn the position over to Tyrone Crawford, a rookie who earned a spot in the defensive line rotation last season, or someone who's not even on the roster right now.

Perfect.

See, there's zero reason to give Spencer a long-term deal. As long as Jerry understands that and sticks to it, it's a win for Spencer and the Cowboys.

Give Spencer a long-term deal and it becomes a win for Spencer and a lose for the Cowboys.

Read more about Spencer's impact here.

With the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer on Monday, it means, barring any sudden roster moves, the starting defensive line has been set.

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DeMarcus Ware and Spencer will be your defensive ends and Jason Hatcher and Jay Ratliff will be the defensive tackles. Ratliff plays the under tackle position, which means he'll lineup against the guard and avoid the constant double-teams at nose tackle.

Hatcher would move from end to tackle and will line up over the shoulder of the center. The 6-6, 305-pound Hatcher said on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM that he might have to bulk up to play inside.

Ware and Spencer would be returning to their former college positions. Spencer, who was the strongside outside linebacker in the 3-4, will continue to play the strong side as an end in the 4-3. Ware, of course, would line up closer to Ratliff on the weak side.

Everything could change if the Cowboys believe Tyrone Crawford is better suited to play Hatcher's position and/or if the team drafts a defensive tackle.

For now, the Cowboys have their projected starting lineup along the defensive line.

In a 24-hour span, the Dallas Cowboys created roughly $23 million in salary cap space on Thursday.

The Cowboys didn't cut a single player, but that doesn't mean anything. The Cowboys have a pressing need in getting quarterback Tony Romo signed to a long-term deal. He's under contract for the 2013 season, but the team would like to reduce his team-high $16.8 million cap number. Getting Romo's cap numbers down should help the Cowboys make any potential moves in free agency.

Another move regarding the Cowboys centers around defensive end Anthony Spencer. The Cowboys have until Monday to franchise him for $10.6 million. If not, he officially hits the free agent market on March 12.

But to extend Romo and give Spencer a new contract, the Cowboys have to clear more salary cap space.

Releasing fullback Lawrence Vickers and defensive end Marcus Spears clears $3 million combined.

As Todd Archer pointed out on Friday, the Cowboys can get more space re-structuring the deals of guards Nate Livings ($740,000) and Mackenzy Bernadeau ($1 million).

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 salary cap space.

So what happened on Thursday might not be the end of things for the Cowboys in terms of creating salary cap space. When you release players it comes with a financial and on-the-field price. Dead money for some players, such as Doug Free and Spears is carried over to the next year.

Replacing Free in the starting lineup at tackle could be Jermey Parnell. But now you must find a swing tackle.

If you send Spears, a trusted veteran, home, it creates competition at defensive end for younger players. Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore and Tyrone Crawford, all defensive ends, have secure spots in 2013 but finding backups who can play in the new 4-3 scheme are necessary.

Losing Vickers is another interesting problem. The Cowboys value the fullback position and signed Vickers last season over Tony Fiammetta because they thought he was a better player. Well, cutting Vickers after one season, to create cap space, tells you his impact wasn't as big as we thought it would be, given the Cowboys finished 31st in the NFL in rushing.

Finding a younger player at this position wouldn't hurt either.

So while the Cowboys are under the cap, more moves are expected.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Cowboys have six picks in the April draft. In a way, they might end up with a nine-man draft class.

Last year the Cowboys did not get any production from three 2012 draft picks: fourth-round safety Matt Johnson, who was plagued by a hamstring all season, fifth round wide receiver Danny Coale, who spent most of the year on the practice squad before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament and seventh-round linebacker Caleb McSurdy, who suffered an Achilles’ tear in training camp.

“If we can get some guys on the field, add the (2013) draft class, we can do some upgrading,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.

Even from the healthy draft picks last year the Cowboys did not get a ton of help. First rounder Morris Claiborne started 15 games and had one interception. Third-rounder Tyrone Crawford served as a backup defensive lineman.

Linebacker Kyle Wilber saw little to no action on defense, and tight end James Hanna did not become a factor until later in the season. Hanna’s role should increase in 2013 as the backup to Jason Witten.

“Some of those guys who we thought might have a role for us in year one because of injuries they had didn’t show up quite as much,” coach Jason Garrett said. “Now we are in year two. They are coming off injuries so hopefully they can compete at whatever spot they competing at and make us better us better as a football team.”

IRVING, Texas – Last week the Cowboys coaches and front office met to discuss the personnel on the roster and players who could leave, such as Anthony Spencer. This week the Cowboys head to the NFL scouting combine to begin in earnest the search for new players.

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The Cowboys will get the chance to meet officially with 60 players during interviews that last 15 minutes apiece. They will hold informal discussions with other players, as well.

The two most important parts of the combine are the interviews and the medical information, with all of the players taking physicals.

The most talked about part of the combine -- and often the most overrated -- will be the workouts. Drills don’t really mean the guy can play (or can’t play) on Sundays.

The Cowboys' needs are pretty clear: Offensive and defensive line, safety, linebacker, cornerback, tight end and wide receiver.

With a sticky salary cap situation, the Cowboys must draft well. The drafts the last three years have been better (Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Sean Lissemore, Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter, DeMarco Murray, Dwayne Harris, Morris Claiborne, Tyrone Crawford, James Hanna), but they don’t make up for the poor ones from 2007-09.

The Cowboys have six picks in the April draft, having dealt their seventh-round pick to Miami for center Ryan Cook. They are not expecting a compensatory pick for losing Laurent Robinson, Martellus Bennett, Bradie James and Abram Elam in free agency.

For the Cowboys to get over the 8-8 hump, they must win the draft. That’s why the combine matters so much.

The Cowboys are expected to move from a three-man defensive front to a four-man front next season in a 4-3 scheme run by newly hired defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

In 2012, the Cowboys rushed four defenders several times for defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and once they fully become a 4-3 defense, they have the personnel to do it.

How the Cowboys produced rushing four defenders last year can be measured in different ways.

NFL quarterbacks completed 66.1 percent of their passes against the Cowboys pass rush while rushing four or fewer defenders according to ESPN's Stats and Information. So you could say that was a bad thing.

The Cowboys tied for the eighth-most sacks in the NFL with 23 when they rushed four or fewer defenders. Chicago led the NFL with 33 sacks. That's productive.

Of course when you talk about the Cowboys rushing four or fewer defenders, outside of the three down linemen, that fourth defender usually was outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware or Anthony Spencer.

Spencer and Ware rushed the passer standing up in most cases, but in 2013, they will do it with a hand down. That is if the Cowboys retain Spencer, who is a free agent.

The Cowboys do have the personnel, minus Spencer, to run an effective 4-3. There are, however, some concerns. The status of nose tackle Jay Ratliff, regardless of whether the Cowboys keep him or not, is a major issue. He faces a possible suspension by the league based on his arrest last week for driving while intoxicated. If you don't have Ratliff, the Cowboys' defensive tackles could be Jason Hatcher and Tyrone Crawford.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said when the team drafted Crawford it saw him as a defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme.

The defensive ends could get a little tricky.

Ware is one end. If Spencer doesn't return, the Cowboys could move Hatcher to the edge and work the draft or free agency to pickup a defensive tackle. Henry Melton of Chicago could be a possibility.

Whatever the Cowboys decide to do with their personnel they have options to make the front four a success.

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Tim Heitman/USA TODAY SportsTyrone Crawford could end up as the Cowboys' starting strong side defensive end if Anthony Spencer does not return.

Tyrone Crawford

Position: Defensive end

How acquired: Third round (No. 81 overall), Boise State

What he did: Crawford developed nicely as the season wore on. He was active for every game but did not record a start. He finished with 33 tackles (18 solo) and five quarterback pressures. He was not able to get to the quarterback as much, but the Cowboys liked his build for the 3-4 and position flexibility at 6-4, 285 pounds. He also saw work on special teams on the kick return unit. The coaches lauded his work ethic and saw a player become more technically sound as the year went on,

Where he fits in the future: It's possible he could be a starting strong side defensive end, especially if Anthony Spencer is not re-signed as a free agent. He has the ability to hold up against the run and also get up the field to provide some pass rush push. Monte Kiffin's strong-side ends during his time in Tampa Bay, like a Greg Spires, were often underrated and benefited from the attention given to other players up front. Crawford will have to learn the craft as he goes, but he will have a tremendous teacher in new line coach Rod Marinelli. In order to make this scheme switch, the Cowboys are banking on players such as Crawford being able to learn on the fly as they alter their preferences in defensive linemen.