2006 NFL Preview: Dallas Cowboys

Last Year

Forget Quincy Carter, Vinny Testaverde, Tony Romo, or Drew Henson — the 2005 Dallas Cowboys were Drew Bledsoe's. As they solidified a position that had ailed them in the 2000s, they found out that although Bledsoe can still make all the throws, he's only as successful as the offensive line in front of him. Now America's team has rounded out their roster and this veteran unit is ready to make a serious run to the Super Bowl.

What We Learned From Last Year

Drew Bledsoe has had an up and down career in the NFL, but he is far from an enigma. With him it's simple: protect him and you'll have a cherry; don't protect him and you'll have a lemon.

Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, who previously coached Bledsoe in New England, was conscious of this, but was helpless as the team's offensive line started to limp midseason.

The big blow was dealt in Week 6 versus the New York Giants. Left tackle Flozell Adams, who protected Bledoe's blind side, tore his ACL and was lost for the season.

Prior to the injury, Bledsoe had enjoyed being upright for two of the first six games, in which he wasn't sacked at all. He was dropped an average of 2.2 times per game while Adams was around, but that total skyrocketed to 3.9 as he was sacked 39 times in the final 10 games.

Rookie Rob Petitti was much maligned for his performance and his play also declined when Adams succumbed to injury because the team was not able to help him out with extra blockers. Guard Marco Rivera, who was an excellent signing from Green Bay, played very well, but he too was hindered by a herniated disc.

The game versus the Giants proved to be costly on the injury front, as the Cowboys also lost promising sophomore Patrick Crayton to an ankle injury. Although it wasn't expected, Crayton was a valuable receiving weapon out of the slot, racking up 272 yards in six games. Just like Adams, he proved to be irreplaceable.

Running back Julius Jones suffered directly because of poor blocking up front, but was also limited because of injuries. He has missed 11 games in the past two season and questions about his durability started to mount.

While he was out, rookie Marion Barber provided some tough inside carries, but he is not an explosive threat like Jones.

The receiving corps for the Cowboys became a unit to reckon with, but still wasn't fully exploited to its potential. Although Terry Glenn saw a spike in his production, most likely because he finally played a full season, Keyshawn Johnson and Jason Witten dropped off a little bit.

Johnson's slip was mostly because of his skills deteriorating, more specifically his speed, while Witten was just looked over.

Personnel-wise, the offense was more complete than the defense as the Cowboys were banking on a couple of defenders to step right in.

First-rounders Marcus Spears and DeMarcus Ware were standouts. Ware was a beast, tying with Greg Ellis for the team lead in sacks, with eight. The Cowboys got a lot of pressure from many different players, but still only finished with 37 sacks.

On the line, fourth-round pick Chris Canty eventually put Ellis on the bench right next to La'Roi Glover, who was pushed out of a job thanks to Jason Ferguson. Ferguson wasn't spectacular, but he should improve in his second season in Dallas.

Linebacker Bradie James more than doubled his tackle total from the previous season and was the steady hand at the second level. Dat Nguyen was hampered by injuries and age, which curtailed his final season. Aside from James and Ware, the Cowboys really didn't get any worthwhile minutes from Scott Fujita and were short one solid inside and outside linebacker.

Although most people best remember the Cowboys' secondary getting torched by Santana Moss a couple of times on Monday Night Football, the trio of Anthony Henry, Terrence Newman, and Aaron Glenn is very good. Safety Keith Davis struggled in coverage and really should just stick to special teams.

The Cowboys have rounded out their roster, improving their overall depth and first-string quality in hopes of a playoff run. Unfortunately for them, so have the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants.

This Year

While the signing of Terrell Owens was supposed to be a protracted process — allegedly — the Cowboys wasted no time in plucking the vocal wide receiver off the market.

It was not the first time the Cowboys took on a wideout who was previously suspended midseason by his team, as Bill Parcells took on Keyshawn Johnson after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers deactivated him in 2003.

Terrell Owens may be emotionally unstable, greedy, and self-centered, but the bottom line is there is no point in speculating if or when he will self-destruct. We have to go with what we know right now, and what the Cowboys have is an immense upgrade at the wide receiver position.

The Cowboys didn't exactly achieve their goal of getting younger at the wideout position, but Owens will improve the speed, outside game, and explosiveness of the offense. With Terry Glenn, who has never played back-to-back 16-game seasons, the Cowboys have a very seasoned starting tandem. Glenn facing single coverage could be a real problem for opponents.

Patrick Crayton should return healthy and once again be a viable option out of the slot and with rookie speedster Skyler Green, the Cowboys probably won't see such a drop off if he is forced into the lineup.

Green figures to give the Cowboys a big boost on special teams and has the potential to be a dynamic returner. But the special teams will get their biggest dose of Red Bull from the signing of Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history. He should single-footedly propel the Cowboys to the playoffs, especially suffering through so many disheartening losses due to waiver-wire kickers.

Depth and skill was addressed on the offensive line as the Cowboys added tackle Jason Fabini and guard Kyle Kosier to the starting rotation. The Cowboys might miss Larry Allen a little bit at guard, but Fabini, whom Parcells drafted at an earlier coaching stint, is a steep upgrade at right tackle. The Cowboys have some depth with Marc Colombo, Andre Gurode, and Rob Petitti, but would rather not test it.

The Cowboys have added a few more ingredients on defense and now have the bakings of a complete defense.

On the line, Chris Canty and Marcus Spears seem set to anchor the end positions for the distant future, while Ferguson should only improve in his second season at the nose of the 3-4 defense. The linebackers were two bricks short of a load last year, but appear to be rounding into shape with the signing of Akin Ayodele and the drafting of Bobby Carpenter.

One caveat about Ayodele is that his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, were never thrilled with his performance. His name might be penciled into the starting lineup for now but Rocky Boiman, Al Singleton or Kevin Burnett could erase his name in training camp.

The strong secondary returns and the Cowboys added a couple of players who might be able to upgrade the safety position next to Roy Williams. Veteran Marcus Coleman is being used at both corner and safety but he would probably get the first chance to replace Keith Davis. The second player is fifth-round pick, Pat Watkins, but he is much more of a longshot. Aside from free safety, possibly an inside linebacking position and depth at a couple of places, the Cowboys don't really have any holes.

Although the Eagles are expected to compete, the Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys will be vying for the number one spot in the NFC East. Finally equipped with a top-notch kicker, the Cowboys should be the team who finishes on top.

Over/Under: 9.5

For the Cowboys to make the playoffs, they would have to win 10 games, so if you are a believer, the over looks solid here. They are in a dog-eat-dog division and have a testing schedule, but they know have proven playmakers on offense and an experienced kicker to help them win those close games. They play: @JAC, WAS, @TEN, @PHI, HOU, NYG, @CAR, @WAS, @ARZ, IND, TB, @NYG, NO, @ATL, PHI, and DET.

Fantasy Sleeper

Julius Jones was supposed to be a breakout running back in fantasy football last season, but injuries curtailed his production. He is focusing on shedding the "fragile" label and if he does, you will want this player who has 12 touchdowns and has averaged 95 yards per game in his two-year career. All signs point to a breakout season.

This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].