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The Dallas Cowboys

Prior to the 2010 season, the Dallas Cowboys had super expectations; their sole mission was to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy at their brand-new Cowboys Stadium in front of thousands of their hometown fans. What happened instead was a disaster, as the Cowboys lost seven of their first eight, some by humiliating margins, and ultimately fired then-head coach Wade Phillips.

Entering the 2011 season, media and expert expectations are tempered, and America's Team is very much at a crossroads.

Questions nag on about just about almost position on the depth chart. Can quarterback Tony Romo take a definitive step towards being among the NFL's truly elite at the position? Will running back Felix Jones deliver on his high potential which warranted a first-round selection? Will receiver Dez Bryant be able to keep his head on straight and deliver on the elite talent he flashed in his rookie season? Can cornerback Mike Jenkins bounce back to Pro Bowl form after a catastrophic 2010 campaign? Is it time for veteran Cowboys such as cornerback Terence Newman, defensive end Igor Olshansky, or linebacker Keith Brooking, to move on from the club? Who will fill the holes on the depth chart left by the departures of offensive guard Leonard Davis and running back Marion Barber? Will anyone step up and be the complementary pass rusher for the defense to open up opportunities for Demarcus Ware to truly dominate? Who at all will play free safety?

The questions obviously go beyond the players. Can new head coach Jason Garrett build off of the success of his 5-3 record as interim head coach of the Cowboys in the second half of the 2010 season? Can new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan turn around a defense which dramatically fell off in 2010 from its 2009 performance level? Can Jerry Jones show more restraint and prudence when making personnel decisions?

As an outspoken former top Cowboys' wide receiver once said, "get your popcorn ready" because these are certainly interesting times in Valley Ranch. The window of opportunity for this team is now, and yet much work must be done in order to take advantage of this time. Though the 2011 season has nary begun, it may already be a climax to the story for many players on this roster, whether that end be good or bad. It's zero hour for the Dallas Cowboys.

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Game: Madden NFL 12
Platform: XBOX 360
Difficulty: Variable

Re: The Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys 2011 Preseason Depth Chart

</span></td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td align="center"colspan="5">Offense</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="8%"></td><td width="23%">STARTER</td><td width="23%">2ND</td><td width="23%">3RD</td><td width="23%">4TH</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>WR</td><td>Miles Austin-Jones</td><td>Kevin Ogletree</td><td>Dwayne Harris</td><td>Teddy Williams</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>TE</td><td>Jason Witten</td><td>Martellus Bennett</td><td>John Phillips</td><td>Martin Rucker</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>LT</td><td>Doug Free</td><td>Jermey Parnell</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>LG</td><td>Montrae Holland</td><td>David Arkin</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>C</td><td>Andre Gurode</td><td>Bill Nagy</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>RG</td><td>Kyle Kosier</td><td>Phil Costa</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>RT</td><td>Tyron Smith</td><td>Sam Young</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>WR</td><td>Dez Bryant</td><td>Jesse Holley</td><td>Manny Johnson</td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>QB</td><td>Tony Romo</td><td>Jon Kitna</td><td>Stephen McGee</td><td>Chris Griesen</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>FB</td><td>Chris Gronkowski</td><td>Shaun Chapas</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>HB</td><td>Felix Jones</td><td>Tashard Choice</td><td>Demarco Murray</td><td>Lonyae Miller OR Philip Tanner</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td align="center"colspan="5">3-4 Defense</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="8%"></td><td width="23%">STARTER</td><td width="23%">2ND</td><td width="23%">3RD</td><td width="23%">4TH</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>LDE</td><td>Igor Olshansky</td><td>Jason Hatcher</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>NT</td><td>Jay Ratliff</td><td>Josh Brent</td><td>Sean Lissemore</td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>RDE</td><td>Marcus Spears</td><td>Clifton Geathers</td><td>L.P. Ladouceur</td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>LOLB</td><td>Anthony Spencer</td><td>Victor Butler</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>LILB</td><td>Bradie James</td><td>Leon Williams</td><td>Kenwin Cummings</td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>RILB</td><td>Keith Brooking</td><td>Sean Lee</td><td>Bruce Carter</td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>ROLB</td><td>Demarcus Ware</td><td>Brandon Williams</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>CB</td><td>Terence Newman</td><td>Orlando Scandrick</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>SS</td><td>Abram Elam</td><td>Alan Ball</td><td>Danny McCray</td><td>Andrew Sendejo</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>FS</td><td>Gerald Sensabaugh</td><td>Barry Church</td><td>Akwasi-Owusu-Ansah</td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>CB</td><td>Mike Jenkins</td><td>Bryan McCann</td><td>Josh Thomas</td><td></td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td align="center"colspan="5">Special Teams</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="8%"></td><td width="23%">STARTER</td><td width="23%">2ND</td><td width="23%">3RD</td><td width="23%">4TH</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>K</td><td>David Buehler</td><td>Dan Bailey</td><td>Kris Brown</td><td>Shayne Graham</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>P</td><td>Mat McBriar</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>H</td><td>Mat McBriar</td><td>Tony Romo</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>PR</td><td>Dez Bryant</td><td>Bryan McCann</td><td>Terence Newman</td><td>Kevin Ogletree</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>KR</td><td>Bryan McCann</td><td>Dez Bryant</td><td>Kevin Ogletree</td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>LS</td><td>L.P. Ladouceur</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></table></body></html>

Re: The Dallas Cowboys

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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="475"><tr class="masthead_alt"><td bgcolor="#0D254C" colspan="5"><span style="color:#FFFFFF">Dallas Cowboys 2011 Preseason Schedule</span></td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="20%">DATE</td><td width="60%">OPPONENT</td><td align="right" width="20%">RESULT</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Aug 11</td><td>vs Denver Broncos<td align="right"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Aug 20</td><td>vs San Diego Chargers<td align="right"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Aug 27</td><td>at Minnesota Vikings<td align="right"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Sep 1</td><td>at Miami Dolphins<td align="right"></td></tr></table></body></html>

2011 PRESEASON STORYLINES

As football finally returns following a prolonged battle in the courtrooms between the NFL owners and NFLPA concludes, the Dallas Cowboys' coaching staff may finally turn their attention to the more competitive decisions regarding the team's roster. Starting now until Kickoff Weekend, starting positions are up for grabs for some, and jobs are on the line for many.

POSITION BATTLES

Starting Left Guard: open competition. Kyle Kosier will slide over to right guard to not only help fill the void left by the departure of Leonard Davis, but also to take rookie tackle Tyron Smith under his wing with understanding protections and line calls. That move, however, leaves a hole at Kosier's former slot at left guard, with no obvious replacement. Candidates include veterans Montrae Holland and Phil Costa, as well as rookies David Arkin and Bill Nagy. The early edge likely belongs to Costa, who started a game at center for the Cowboys last season and recently received the endorsement of Jerry Jones himself. Holland seems likely to reprise his role as the primary reserve offensive lineman, regardless as to who is ahead of him. It's unclear just how much noise rookies Arkin and Nagy can make in just four games of action, but never count a hungry rookie out.
Secondary Halfback: open competition. Felix Jones is the undisputed starter, but Jason Garrett will likely look to ease the load on him a bit in order to preserve his stamina over the course of the season. Common sense says Tashard Choice is the logical candidate to fill this hole, but he seems to have fallen out of favor with his new head coach, and rookie Demarco Murray arrives onto the team with a fair amount of buzz, being a local product and former Big XII standount. Rookies Lonyae Miller and Philip Tanner could throw their own wrenches into the mix; Miller in particular is having an impressive training camp himself thus far.
Starting Fullback: open competition. It's likely that incumbent Chris Gronkowski will retain his job. That said, his missed block that led to Tony Romo's broken collarbone combined with the drafting of Georgia product Shaun Chapas has to at least have him prepared to fight to keep his position. It's extremely unlikely that the Cowboys carry two fullbacks in their final 53.
Primary Slot Receiver: open competition. This was Dez Bryant's job last year, but Bryant is now running with the ones given that the maligned Roy Williams is now gone. No clear-cut favorite exists to win this spot; Kevin Ogletree and Jesse Holley start out both listed as the slot wideout on the Cowboys' first depth chart, but Manny Johnson and rookie Dwayne Harris could be every bit as capable. Look for Teddy Williams, the fastest player on the team, to also at least make things more interesting.
Secondary Tight End: Martellus Bennett vs John Phillips. Last season, John Phillips was primed to win this job away from Bennett, until a torn ACL robbed him of his playing ability for the season. A year removed, Bennett has created a bit more separation than he had last year, but this will still be a battle.
Starting Left Defensive End: Igor Olshansky vs Jason Hatcher. Rob Ryan wants pass rushers in his 3-4 defensive scheme, and although Olshansky is overall the more proven player, he offers nothing in terms of getting to the quarterback compared to even Hatcher, who has done reasonably well generating pressure in rotation efforts the past few seasons. The scheme change alters the rules of the competition, and into Hatcher's favor.
Starting Safety: Abram Elam vs Alan Ball. Ball was the primary player scapegoat for the maligned Cowboys' secondary last year, and the Cowboys recognized they had to improve there somehow. They did not draft a safety, but free agent Abram Elam was brought in as a guy who has played in Rob Ryan's defensive scheme. Given his familiarity and Ball's struggles in 2010, Elam is the currently-listed starter, though don't give up on Ball yet. The winner of this position battle will also affect how the defense is deployed; Elam
Starting Kicker: open competition. The NFL kickoff placement rule change minimizes the value of David Buehler's leg strength. As such, he clearly has to improve his kicking accuracy to keep his job. Three other kickers are present to push him, those Dan Bailey, Kris Brown, and Shayne Graham. The Cowboys haven't had long-standing loyalty to a kicker for at least a decade, so Buehler's tenure with the team holds no bearing on how he fares the competition; he either will make the kicks or be himself kicked out of Valley Ranch in favor of someone who does.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB Tony Romo. Romo obviously will have limited reps in the preseason, but it will be worth watching whether he can fully rehabbed from breaking his collarbone. If he's rusty, the Cowboys are in trouble.
RB Felix Jones. Marion Barber isn't here to split carries anymore, so it appears that Jones will have an honest crack at being the guy for Dallas. Can he handle the workload of being the primary ballcarrier?
RT Tyron Smith. Smith arguably became a starter the day he was drafted by Dallas, and most certainly did when the Cowboys cut Marc Colombo. Smith will be commissioned with protecting his quarterback's front side, which he was more than capable of at the college level at USC; how quickly can he translate his ability to the faster, stronger NFL game?

Re: The Dallas Cowboys

I'll be following :)

Re: The Dallas Cowboys

I'll be watching too. I'm actually doing a Cowboys dynasty in the future, so hopefully we'll both have good topics.

Re: The Dallas Cowboys

Thanks for the follows :)

Just a heads-up that I'll be getting this underway in earnest on Tuesday; I didn't buy the Season Pass because I'll be in Seattle this weekend for PAX Prime (I'm actually flying out today), and thus have no use for it.

Re: The Dallas Cowboys

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COWBOYS INK SCANDRICK, CUT GURODE

VALLEY RANCH, TX - A day before the start of the preseason, the Dallas Cowboys announced two headlining roster moves that all but ensure an emphasis on the team's previously-observed youth movement.

The Cowboys and CB Orlando Scandrick, a fifth-round draft selection out of Boise State in the 2008 NFL Draft, agreed to terms on a five-year, $27M deal, with $10M of guaranteed money. Scandrick has predominantly filled the role of nickel back in his four years in Dallas, has played in all 48 games he's been eligible for, and started nine. The move indicates that head coach Jason Garrett and his staff have a starting spot in the secondary for Scandrick clearly in their plans.

In addition to this move, the Cowboys announced the release of C Andre Gurode. Gurode, a two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, had struggled with injury issues both last season and this past offseason, and his level of play significantly declined towards the later portions of last season. Combined with the obvious youth movement across the Cowboys' organization, the move, though a big one, comes as little surprise. Phil Costa, a second-year player from Maryland, is expected to fill the starting role on the offensive line for now.

Re: The Dallas Cowboys

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DALLAS COWBOYS 2011 TRAINING CAMP INVITATIONS

VALLEY RANCH, TX - The Dallas Cowboys filled out their training camp roster with the following player signings. All players were signed to one-year undrafted rookie free agent deals.

Teryan Nix - 6'4", 262 lbs - OLB - Citadel
Cejay Sherman - 5'11", 258 lbs - DT - Clemson
Nicholas Barnett - 6'7", 310 lbs - LT - Michigan
Risean Flemming - 6'4", 254 lbs - LOLB - Oregon
Olen Whitmore - 6'6", 307 lbs - RT - Oregon
Bryce Fogerson - 6'4", 300 lbs - C - Penn State
Shane Pederson - 6'4", 324 lbs - LG - California
Asa Calhoun - 6'1", 202 lbs - CB - Texas
Brennan Ewing - 6'0", 197 lbs - K/P - Portland State