FanPost

My Mock Offseason

Since we're under the cap now, I decided to take a stab at a mock offseason now that I know we have some money.

First off, sign Tony Romo to an extension ~4 years 65 million. Lower his cap number this year to free up about $8 million.

Cut: Doug Free T (June 1), Dan Connor LB, Marcus Spears DE

I don't think I really need to explain these. None of these three guys came anywhere close to last season's expectations, it's time to move on from them.

Sign: Andre Smith T, Eric Frampton S, Sterling Moore CB/S, Ernie Sims LB, Ryan Cook C

Notice that I would let Anthony Spencer walk. While I like him, I don't know if he can replicate last season as a DE and his asking price is too high. I would also like to see what Tyrone Crawford can do. Instead, use that money to fix some of the O-line and gain flexibility in the draft. I also brought back Eric Frampton, Sterling Moore, Ernie Sims, and Ryan Cook because they showed that they can be good backups/role players/special teams players last season.

Next, trade Kyle Orton to the Arizona Cardinals for their second round pick. This draft is deep on the lines and an extra second rounder could be huge.

Then we have the draft:

1) Jonathan Cooper OG, UNC: I think that he could actually be better than Chance Warmack. His 35 reps at the combine answered any questions about his strength and he's a great athlete and very mobile, which should help with a mobile QB in Tony Romo and it would open up the running game a bit more. This pick, combined with the Andre Smith, could very well fix our O-line.

2A) Alex Okafor DE Texas: This guy is an explosive speed rusher that gets to the QB fast. Last season we saw DeMarcus Ware start to wear down, so now would be a good time to start training his replacement. Okafor is better suited for weak side end, but he could probably compete with Crawford for the starting job on the other side, especially in a Kiffin Scheme that values speed over size, and this guy has plenty of speed to spare.

2B) Sylvester Williams DT UNC: If you had to describe Sylvester Williams in one word, it would be versatility. He can play any spot on the line, but his preffered position is DT. Probably best as a 3-technique, Williams can rush the passer with a variety of moves and he's not bad against the run either. I think we've seen the beginning of the end for Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher isn't getting any younger either. Williams could be a force on this line for years to come.

3) Sean Porter OLB Texas A&M: Imagine a linebacking corps of Bruce Carter, Sean Lee, and Sean Porter. That might be the most athletic linebacking corps in the NFL. Porter was a great starter for the Aggies at OLB, recording 79 tackles, 17 for loss, and 9.5 sacks this past season. He was also solid in coverage due to his great athleticisim and speed. Insert him at SAM and I think that Monte Kiffin would be very happy with the speed of the linebackers in his defense.

4) Tyler Bray QB Tenessee: Remember when we traded Kyle Orton? It's because this guy, probably the most gifted passer in the draft, will most likely be available in the 4th round. The knock against him is that he can be a tricky personality to handle and he's fairly undeveloped, but if a Cowboys staff made up of old school coaches and a former QB can knock some sense into him, develop him, and let him sit and watch Tony Romo for a few years to learn the game, his talent and arm strength could make him an elite QB and potential Romo replacement once the time comes.

5) Kenjon Barner RB Oregon: In the middle of this past college season, this guy was in the Heisman conversation. What happened to his draft stock? I'm not sure, his production didn't drop off too bad after originally being at otherworldly, unsustainable levels. He's not a conventional back, probably not a starter in the NFL, but he could very well be the "jitterbug" back that the Cowboys say they're looking for. He was one of the deadliest home run threats last year and the Cowboys could use a few of those in 2013.

6) Brian Winters OG/OT Kent State: And this is where we finally get away from speed and athleticism in our mock draft. Brian Winters is a BIG guy. Like 6'4" 320 lbs big. Nasty blocker that plays until the end of the whistle. Could get stronger (only 9 reps at the combine), but that's why he's a late round pick. The frame, mentality, and work ethic are there, he's just not ready to an NFL starter yet. He could very well develop into a solid RG or RT with good coaching.

So then, our lineup for 2013 would look like this:

Offense:

QB- 1) Tony Romo

2) Tyler Bray

RB- 1) DeMarco Murray

2) Kenjon Barner

3) Lance Dunbar

OT- 1) Tyron Smith

2) Andre Smith

3)Jeremy Parnell

OG- 1) Jonathan Cooper

2) Nate Livings

3) Mackenzy Bernaudeau

4) Brian Winters

C - 1) Phil Costa

2) Ryan Cook

3) Kevin Kowalski

TE- 1) Jason Witten

2) James Hanna

FB - 1) Lawrence Vickers

WR- 1) Dez Bryant

2) Miles Austin

3A) Dwayne Harris

3B) Cole Beasley

5) Danny Coale

Defense

DE - 1) DeMarcus Ware

2A) Alex Okafor

2B) Tyrone Crawford

4) Ben Bass

DT - 1) Jason Hatcher (yes, I do believe Jason Hatcher is better than Jay Ratliff right now)

2A) Jay Ratliff

2B) Sylvester Williams

4) Sean Lissemore

5) Brian Price

OLB - 1) Bruce Carter (WILL)

2) Sean Porter (SAM)

3A) Kyle Wilber

3B) Alex Albright

MLB- 1) Sean Lee

2) Ernie Sims

3) Caleb McSurdy

S - 1) Gerald Sensabaugh (FS)

2) Barry Church (SS)

3) Matt Johnson

4) Danny McCray

5) Eric Frampton

CB - 1) Brandon Carr

2) Morris Claiborne

3) Orlando Scandrick

4) Sterling Moore

They Cowboys front office will probably fill out the rest of the bottom of the depth chart with undrafted free agents like they do every year.

A few quick notes:

For those of you who will inevitably scream "YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AT SAFETY!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Barry Church was extremely impressive in training camp, the preseason, and the 2 1/2 games he played last season. If he can stay healthy, SS will be fine. Sensabaugh was a solid starter last year who actually seemed to develop a knack for the big hit, which i liked. He's being payed solid starter money that's not debilitating to our cap, I don't see why everyone wants us to cut him. Also if Matt Johnson stays healthy and develops into the laser guided ballhawk that the coaches keep saying he is, I don't think we have anything to worry about at FS either.

In regards to the D-line, I really didn't think it was that bad last year. The D-line in a 3-4 is never the main focus of the defense anyway. We need a lot more help on our O-line, so i devoted big free agent money and a 1st round pick there. That then allowed flexibility in the rest of the draft to take 2 good D-Linemen in the next round.

Overall I think that this is a very attainable offseason that would make me very happy and would most likely put the Cowboys at 11+ wins with a potential deep playoff run.

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