1. The huge move up to get Darren Mcfadden. It has been said Jerry Jones covets Mcfadden mostly because they both are Aransas alums, but what people dont realize is Jerry Jones has never drafted a player from his University. He has had 19 years to do this, he has selected about 135 players, but no players from Arkansas. Id say moving up to get the “Hog” is purely hogwash. Not to mention having to give up both 1st round picks and Marion Barber in the deal. But still, I would never hold anything beyond Jerry. Ill give this deal a 5% chance of happening.

2. Moving one of the first round picks(probably more) for a Pro bowl caliber Reciever. Cinncinati’s Chad Johnson, Arizona’s Anquan Boldin and Detroit’s Roy Williams have all been part of trade rumors. The Cowboys are interested in all 3, but one stands more likely than the other two. That would be Roy Williams. Besides his connection to the state of Texas, behind the scenes Roy is said to be pretty unhappy about Calvin Johnson getting the huge contract and the Lions lack of success. Chad Johnson would love to come to dallas but Cinncinati isnt interested in trading him just yet and I would hope Jerry Jones knows not to rattle Terrell Owens cage like that. Anquan Boldin would be another great fit, but Arizona seems even more unlikely to trade than the other two teams. If they make a deal for one of these guys tomorrow, it will be Roy Williams. Obviously one of the 1st rounders would be the base of the deal, what else is included is your guess. 1st round picks look alot better to teams when it’s on the clock and they see what player they could get. Especially for a team like the Lions with so many holes. The Cowboys will give them a good offer, because they desperately want a young star reciever next to T.O. Ill give this deal a 20% chance of happening.

3. Moving the 28th overall pick to a team looking for a QB. 28 can become really valuable to a team like the Falcons, Ravens, or Chiefs when they see Brian Brohm and Joe Flacco still on the board. Lets say the Cowboys draft RB Felix Jones with the 22nd pick and at 28 there is no one they need worth the value. They could move back 10-15 spots and pick up a CB they really like in Brandon Flowers and pick up an additional 3rd rounder or future pick. Not a huge deal, but I’m not sure if Jerry can go a draft without making some type of deal. Ill give this deal a 35% chance of happening

That leaves a 40% chance of the Cowboys staying put in the first round. If they do stay put, these are the players they would realistically target:

At the 22nd pick overall
RB Felix Jones- It’s no secret the Cowboys love this player as a possible compliment to Marion Barber. Almost every mock you see, the Cowboys like him at 22. He is a speedy back with good cutback moves and great hands. The type of player you can move all over the field, I would call him a less explosive but bigger(5-10 210 pounds) Reggie Bush.

CB Antoine Cason- Possibly the most underrated player in the draft. He has good size (6-0 190 pounds), good ball hawking skills, and great instincts. Maybe the most NFL ready corner in the draft. He played against top talent in the Pac 10, but the knock on him is he ran a 4.5 40 yard dash.

CB Mike Jenkins- A great all around corner that might slip to the boys at 22. He has solid size(5-10 200 pounds) and is a great athlete. He ran a 4.4 40 yard dash and has good returner ability. The knock on him is he didnt give his all every play.

WR Limas Sweed- A big reciever(6-4 215) with great hands and good athletic ability. He also has the Texas connection, the reason teams might shy away is his injury and similar recievers (Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett) have proved to be busts.

At 28
CB Brandon Flowers- The toughest, hardest hitting Corner in the draft. A little small(5-9 190 pounds) but he plays alot bigger. He is an all around playmaker that is also a pretty smart player. The knock on him is his 4.58 40 yard dash, even though scouts say he plays faster than he times.

CB Aqib Talib- Once considered a top 10 pick, he is falling now. Mostly because of multiple failed drug tests and the notion he is going to be a complete star or a complete bust. He likely wont make it to 28, but if he does the Cowboys wont pass.

WR James Hardy- A huge WR (6-6 215 pounds) that ran a 4.45 40 yard dash. He needs to become a better route runner but you cant deny how productive he was in college. He would be an immediate red zone threat and would help Romo tremendously.

WR Desean Jackson- A wow type of player. Electrifying reciever and return man. Ran a 4.35 40 yard dash, a true home run hitter. The knock is that he is 5-10 170 pounds and not very strong or physical. Probably just a slot man. Is he Ted Ginn Jr. part 2? we’ll see.

My prediction?
They stay put and take Felix Jones at 22 and Brandon Flowers at 28. But its obvious they have alot of options, it will be a very exciting draft.

OVERVIEW: An NFC East showdown where a win would virtually guarantee Dallas a playoff birth. Washington has lost three of its last five, while Dallas has just one loss on the season, that coming to the mighty Patriots. Dallas is a perfect 6-0 in the conference while the Skins are 3-3.

QUARTERBACK: Tony Romo plus a shoddy Washington passing defense should mean another big game as Romo continues in his quest to rewrite the Cowboys’ passing records.
Tony Romo 22 completions, 269 yards, 2.8 TD, 0.7 INT

RUNNING BACK: Washington’s run defense is respectable, and Dallas will probably do most of their damage through the air, but that does not mean that the running game won’t get working. Unfortunately, they may be without Leonard Davis, who has a high ankle sprain.
Marion Barber: 11 carries, 48 yards, and 0.4 TD along with 3 reception for 18 yards
Julius Jones: 14 carries, 57 yards, 0.2 TD as well as 1 reception for 8 yards

WIDE RECEIVERS: Witten looks to get back on track and Owens and Crayton hope to continue their impressive seasons. Thankfully, they will try to do this against a Washington secondary lacking FS Sean Taylor. Expect good things.
Terrell Owens: 6 receptions, 90 yards, 1.1 TD
Patrick Crayton: 4 receptions, 58 yards, .5 TD
Jason Witten: 4 receptions, 44 yards, .3 TD

SPECIAL TEAMS: Nick Folk continues his strong season, as he continues on his way toward 130-140 points this season. Matt McBriar continues to be one of the most impressive punters in the NFL. Finally, the Cowboys return game remains solid to good. Redskins’ Rock Cartwright is a kick returner who must be watched.

DEFENSE: The Redskins have a solid 1-2 punch at the RB spot, but a poor passing game. Washington’s offensive line does a surprisingly good job of run blocking and pass protecting so Dallas could have some troubles putting pressure on QB Jason Campbell. Dallas, but I expect them to come through as they wear down the o-line late in the game.
Defense: 2.2 Sacks, 1.2 INTs

PREDICTION: Beware, Cowboys fans. It is easy to expect a blowout, but I expect Washington to hang around early. In the end, however, Tony Romo’s passing and Dallas’s defense will tire the Redskins.
Cowboys 31
Redskins 20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu_2MgMtCts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPbiJmtJnlw

Video fly-through of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium being built in Arlington, Texas. The stadium is due to be completed in time for the 2009 NFL season.

Despite 4 interceptions by Tony Romo, the Cowboys win in dramatic fashion with 0:02 seconds left as Nick Folk drills a 53 yard field goal.

The Cowboys were down by 8 with 40 seconds remaining before scoring a touchdown. The failed 2 point conversion lead to an onside kick, which was recovered by the Cowboys around mid-field.

Three pass plays lead to the first of 53 yard field goal attempts, which was good, but erased by a Bills time out call just prior to the snap. The attempt was repeated, and again good.

The 53 yeard field goal is Nick Folk’s record long make, exceeding the prior 47 long.

Click here for the GameDay thread

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9YVoYvqe1s

OVERVIEW: Last year, while the Cowboys were licking their wounds from a first round exit from the playoffs, the Bears were licking their chops heading into the Super Bowl. They were promptly exposed and decimated by the Colts. One could say that since then, the teams have gone in different directions a bit. Two wins by Dallas have them at 7-3 over their last 10 regular season games, while Chicago has lost 2 of 3. Okay, that’s not quite fair because Chicago still won 13 games last regular season and made it to the Super Bowl. They’re still loaded on defense and Devin Hester is the most dangerous player in the NFL. There’s a reason this is a Monday night game. Everyone is watching this game to see if Dallas is the team to beat in the NFC or if Chicago has gotten things back on track. The winner of this game gets automatic respect around the league.

QUARTERBACK: When a new QB comes into the game, he is often slow to get respect around the league and quick to be liked by his team’s faithful if he plays well. This is certainly the case with Romo. His gaudy numbers (119.3 Passer Rating and 6 TDs to 1 INT through two games) are unquestionable, and with two straight wins he has run his record to 8-4 as a starter. He is the complete package, with a good arm, good running ability, and an uncanny knack to make things happen. With 7 sacks and 2 INTs, the Chicago D is going to put constant pressure on Tony Romo, so it will be interesting to see if the O-Line can stay firm.
Tony Romo 18 completions, 211 yards, 2 TD, 0.75 (25% chance of two) INT

RUNNING BACK: Okay, so why isn’t Marion Barber starting? I have my own answers, but Barber is clearly outperforming Julius Jones at this point. And actually the duo is still putting up good numbers, propelling the running game to 154 yards per game. Meanwhile, Chicago has arguably the best run defense in the game, holding opposing teams to 73.5 yards per game and just 2.5 per carry. It could be that the running of JJ and MB vs. the Chicago defense is the most important battle of the game. Food for thought: In his only game against Chicago, Julius Jones rushed 33 times for 150 yards and 2 scores.
Julius Jones: 18 carries, 71 yards, 0.7 TD as well as 1 reception for 8 yards
Marion Barber: 13 carries, 66 yards, and 0.9 TD along with 1.7 receptions for 13 yards.

RECEIVERS: The Cowboys haven’t really missed Terry Glenn too much at this point thanks to an amazing start for Terrell Owens. Owens has destroyed Chicago, to the tune of 41 receptions, more than 500 yards, and 5 scores, in the five games he has faced them. Unfortunately, Owens may not get much help against the Bears. Witten could be the key factor in the passing game, but the Cowboys may not be able to spare his blocking.
Terrell Owens: 6 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD
Jason Witten: 3 receptions, 49 yards

SPECIAL TEAMS: Nick Folk is still perfect, at 10/10 on PATs and 4/4 on FG. Tyson Thompson is averaging 28.5 yards per kickoff return, Crayton is at 16 yards per punt return, and McBriar has 4 Inside the 20 compared to no touchbacks at this point. The problem is that Chicago has the best return man in the game. He returned a punt and a kickoff last week, only to see the kickoff return called back. Devin Hester is arguably the best return man ever to suit up, easily the best in years, so he must be contained. I’d rather put the ball in Grossman’s hands on a short field than let Hester cleanly field one kick.

DEFENSE: Dallas is currently in the bottom 10 in the NFL for points, total yards, and passing yards allowed. They looked better against Miami, but Miami doesn’t have much of an offense. Then again, neither does Chicago. Cedric Benson is averaging 3.3 yards per carry as the lead back and Rex Grossman has tossed three INTs to 1 TD this season. Dallas MUST get pressure on Grossman and must play the run tough on first down. Put the game on Grossman’s shoulders and watch him crumple. Every turnover the Cowboys can muster is going to be needed.
Defense: 2 INT, 2.25 Sacks

PREDICTION: Sagarin sees this differently than I do, but I think Dallas is going to take it. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, knowing that Dallas has beaten two unimpressive teams and Chicago’s lone loss was to a very good San Diego team. That having been said, Dallas has looked overpowering at times this season, something Chicago cannot do offensively. If Dallas wins the turnover game and does not allow a return for a TD, Dallas will win. I do think this is going to be one of the most entertaining games of the season.

Cowboys 24
Bears 21

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.