Dallas Cowboys Draft Needs (Part One)

Despite a 9-7 record and being one botched snap away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs, where all bets were off, Dallas has some room for serious improvement as the NFL Draft approaches. This is the first in a series of Draft Needs Analysis.

With the retirement of Bill Parcells and the hiring of Wade Phillips, the Cowboys could see some changes at positions that would otherwise have been cemented under a continued regime. Those are changes that are difficult to foresee often times. On the other hand, the Cowboys have certain glaring needs that anyone, Parcells or Phillips, would have to address in order to put Dallas back in the playoffs in 2007.

For some time, I vacillated between Defensive Backfield and the Offensive Line as the leading candidate for an upgrade. The bottom line is that the Defensive Backfield may need no new personnel in the starting lineup depending upon two key decisions (which I’ll address in a forthcoming editorial). The Offensive Line, which struggled at times for consistency, will need at least one new starter. As a result, it becomes Dallas’s strongest need.

While Dallas’s offense was remarkably well-balanced, put up a lot of yards and a lot of points, there are some significant areas where the team can still improve. The running game underachieved a bit, averaging 3.9 yards per rush (compared to 4.0 for the league average). More serious, however, were the paltry average on rushes off the right tackle (where Dallas ranked 21st in the league in effectiveness) and the lack of pass protection (Dallas was sacked on 6.9% of their pass plays, compared to 6.2% for the league average). So even if the starting unit were returning in tact, there would be room for improvement. This is not the case, however. Two starters from that unit, Andre Gurode and Marc Colombo, are not currently under contract, but backups Jason Fabini and Pat McQuistan are. Rivera, fresh off of back surgery, may not be back with Dallas.

Dallas has just added backup lineman Trey Darilek, who should be a decent backup at possibly all positions on the offensive line. What’s troubling is that Andre Gurode, a Pro-Bowler in 2006, is reportedly asking for a hefty chunk of change in order to return. It will be interesting to see what Dallas does with regards to Gurode. At any rate, the Offensive Line will be Dallas’s most glaring need until they sign or draft someone.