The VRR: Cowboys Defensive Linemen Have All Signed Tenders; Just Five Restricted Free Agents to Go

Dallas DE Stephen Bowen signed his restricted free agent tender today. Now the Cowboys have more than half of their RFAs signed.

Bowen received the second round tender worth $1.759 million for 2010--the same as Jason Hatcher and about $500,000 more than the starter at defensive end, Marcus Spears, who received the original draft pick tender.

With DE Jason Hatcher and backup NT Junior Siavii signing their tender offers yesterday, the Cowboys are, for now, rather deep at defensive line. While Bowen should continue to come in as a situational pass rusher in various packages, Hatcher might have something to prove this year if he wants to succeed Marcus Spears as the starting DE opposite Igor Olshansky.

Hatcher was the third-round draft choice by Dallas in 2006, and has 113 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks in 62 regular-season games. He appeared in all 16 games last season as part of a defensive line rotation, finishing with 29 tackles.

Just these five RFAs remain: Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Duke Preston, Gerald Sensabaugh, and Patrick Watkins. They have until April 15 to sign their tenders.

More VRR after the jump.

Matt Bowen says that the "Cowboys must look at drafting a free safety".

Looking at the Cowboys, there’s no doubt they can play that man-free pressure defense because of their corners. I’m a big fan of Mike Jenkins. Love his technique and his ability to plant and drive on the ball. Terence Newman is also one of the better man corners in the league. They’re two guys who are accountable and can play at top level. However, that hole at free safety needs to be corrected in the draft.

The Cowboys have a championship-level defense when they can pressure. Having that free safety allows them to play some more man-free, use outside leverage and force routes to the safety in the middle of the field.

He looks at two names, Earl Thomas and Morgan Burnett, for the team's first round pick. Although he doesn't think Thomas will drop that low, he sees Burnett as a "sleeper" pick.

However, the sleeper at the free safety position later in the first round could be Morgan Burnett from Georgia Tech. He doesn’t have the big name like Mays or Thomas, but he’s an ideal safety who can use his range to get over the top of vertical routes and locate the football in the air. Bunting calls him the best "center-field" safety in the draft.

What about Taylor Mays? Rick Gosselin thinks he will make a fine NFL safety.

I think Taylor Mays will be a better safety than he was at Southern Cal because the NFL will ask him to do more. He has the measurables to do whatever you ask of him with that size (6-3, 230) and speed (4.34).

But comparisons to Roy Williams seem to have some NFL teams running scared. So Mays has a sliding value right now. But I think some team is going to get a really good player at a great value when he finally comes off the board.

Some of you may have seen Peter Schrager's NFL Mock Draft: Version 5.0. Is Indiana O-lineman, Roger Saffold, a reach at this spot?

27. DALLAS COWBOYS Roger Saffold, OT/OG, Indiana

The Flozell Adams Era is officially done in Dallas. Drafted in 1998 as a second-round selection, Adams was a fixture for 12 seasons on the Cowboys’ offensive line. Mark Colombo will work one tackle spot in 2009, while promising youngster Doug Free is the apparent starter at the other one. Beyond Colombo and Free, four-year veteran reserve Pat McQuistan is the only other veteran on the roster with experience at tackle.

Saffold is rapidly climbing draft boards. He was a standout at both the combine and the East-West Shrine Game. A surprise to some, he’ll add some depth to the Dallas offensive line. He’d be the first offensive lineman taken by Dallas in the first round since 1989.

Schrager also mocked the second and third rounds. At 59, he had the Cowboys taking Illinois WR Arrelious Benn, sandwiching the pick between the Cardinals (58) taking Virginia DB Chris Cook and the Seahawks (60) taking LSU safety Chad Jones.

In the third (90), he picks West Virginia OT, Selvish Capers, right before the Chargers take CB Kevin Thomas from USC. Thomas recently told SIRIUS radio the Cowboys have been contacting him "alot".

Fact or Fiction? Some "NFL insider" said the Cowboys secretly love UT wide receiver Jordan Shipley.

Cowboys Stadium draft party! Woohoo! 3D anyone?

The Cowboys have announced that they will host an NFL Draft Party on Thursday, April 22nd at Cowboys Stadium. Doors will at 5:30 p.m.

The ESPN guys are running a Stadium Flashback series. Calvin Watkins reflected upon the proverbial torch passing from Drew Bledsoe to Tony Romo.

We knew Bledsoe was struggling, but there was such an unknown about Romo. Michael Strahan tipped his first pass, which Antonio Pierce picked off. The Giants scored as a result of the turnover to take a 19-7 lead. When the night was over, the Cowboys were beaten, 36-22, and Romo had thrown three interceptions. There was plenty of turmoil around the Cowboys then.

Parcells said he didn't know what he was going to do at quarterback. Owens didn't care which quarterback was back there.

Then there was Bledsoe.

I remember walking with him out of the locker room with another reporter. There's this tunnel outside of the Cowboys locker room that leads players to their cars. Bledsoe was looking sick. I'm sure he was thinking he was going to get benched. I'm sure his memories of how Tom Brady took over for him in New England were seeping into his brain.

We had gotten to the tunnel when Bledsoe said, "Just a bad decision."

When asked who made a bad a decision?

"Bill," he said as he walked to his car.

A Philadelphia columnist ranks Romo as the league's seventh best quarterback respectively behind Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Brett Favre. Donovan McNabb comes in behind Romo at number eight.

After imploding Texas Stadium Sunday morning, the city of Irving plans to utilize the highly visible area.

For the next six to seven years, the site will serve as a staging area for the Texas Department of Transportation as it builds a High Five-type interchange in the area.

At 7AM EST on Sunday, you can watch the implosion live on ESPN360.com

TiVo alert! The NFL Network will replay the Miles Austin breakout game (Week 5 @ KC) at 1PM EST on Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs (10/11/09) - In his first career start, Miles Austin scores the winning 60-yard TD in overtime as Dallas escapes Kansas City with a 26-20 victory. The reception pushes Austin to 250 yards receiving on the day, breaking Bob Hayes' mark of 246, set in 1966.

And just a friendly reminder that you can click below to support the BTB 2010 Training Camp Fundraiser!