Mickey answers some mail.  Short version: Fasano stunk and was about to lose his job to star of stage and screen Tony Curtis so get something for him. More Jones vs. Mendenhall blather, the secondary is improved but no one is sure what the rotation back there will be. And this statement on the ever-popular Roy Williams (the Dallas one).

Again, [Roy] Williams' poor play at times has less to do with his talent and more to do with his preparation. Camps is already working on that, I understand. And with the plethora of cornerbacks the Cowboys might have, pending Adam Jones' reinstatement, the addition of Zach Thomas and the continued good health of Kevin Burnett, Roy very well might be reduced to a two-down safety even more if he doesn't improve.

We’ve got more special teams return guys now than Jerry’s got money. DC.com explores the subject further. 

Here’s a weird tidbit about the Cowboys trying to sign UDFA’s. 

Maurice Purify wished the only bad thing happening to him Sunday was not being picked in the NFL draft.

Purify was under the impression from Dallas-based agent Gary Glick that he would be, at worst, a late-round draft pick. Instead, he was left to find an interested team along with a number of other undrafted former [Nebraska] Huskers. Only there was this little deal with the Dallas Cowboys and a potential free-agent agreement.

"My agent called me and I said, 'Go ahead with it if the contract is good,'" said Purify, the former Nebraska receiver. Purify could live with going to Dallas. Maybe this was meant to be. "We had something set right after the draft with the Cowboys and it fell through," Purify said Monday. "I guess they had a mixup in their organization and didn't know that they had signed a receiver from Stanford."

Mark Bradford got a ticket to Dallas and Purify another restless night.

Peter Schrager from FOX Sports. 

I had Georgia Tech DE Darrell Robertson going 57th overall in the second round. Robertson was not drafted.         

The myth is that it’s better to be an UDFA than to get drafted in the late rounds. Pat Jones, a former NFL assistant, says the reality is that it’s not, drafted players are treated better. Unless you’re a priority free agent like new Dallas cowboy FB Julius Crosslin. 

There are different levels of free agents. A "priority free agent" like Oklahoma State fullback Julius Crosslin, who signed with the Dallas Cowboys an hour after the draft ended on Sunday, has an advantage over other free agents.

"Unless you're a very high-rated free agent, someone you had a fifth- or sixth-round grade, they're just bringing you in to be a body for training camp," Jones said.

A short introduction  to new UDFA Andrew Brecher of Harvard.  

Harvard offensive tackle Andrew Brecher of Needham agreed to a free agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Brecher was an all-Ivy League and all-New England selection in 2007, and was named an FCS All-American by the Sports Network after leading the Crimson to the Ivy League title.

6th-round pick Erik Walden wanted to know about playing OLB in the 3-4 so he asked his coach to show him some film. He thought it wasn’t much different from what he’s already done and his coach agreed.

“We’ve used him as a stand-up guy (as opposed to a down lineman in a three-point stance), and we’ve done some different things with him the last two years with our zone blitzes and dropping him into (pass) coverage,” [Coach] Diaz said. “It’s not much different from (a 3-4 scheme). You rush the passer, play over the tight end and drop into coverage. Erik has done that.”

 He also had this to say about the current Cowboys OLB’s.

 “I take my hat off to them,” Walden said. “DeMarcus Ware is a beast, and so is Greg Ellis. I’m going to take advantage of being around those players and take in whatever they can teach me.
“But I think this is a good fit for me, a perfect fit. And the Cowboys must think so too because they invested a draft pick in me.”

The DMN profiles UDFA Daniel Polk who will be trying to make a QB-to-WR transition like Patrick Crayton and Isaiah Stanback. 

Nebraksa WR Maurice Purify has drawn interest from the Cowboys, but will attend rookie camp in Cincy. 

However, Purify has not signed a free-agent contract with Cincinnati because three other teams — the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans — have expressed interest. A player can attend training camps with more than one team before signing, so at this point, Purify is keeping his options open.

Malcom Kelly is a Redskin now and will have to dump his lifelong allegiance to the Cowboys , just like he did for the Longhorns when he went to Oklahoma. 

Then came another receiver, this one without a nickname, posing for pictures with No. 84. He grew up in Texas, yet played for Oklahoma. And he was a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fans until "about two days ago."

[snip]

"It's not as hard as everyone thinks it is," said Malcolm Kelly, the Longview, Texas, native who's had to abandon loyalties to both of his state's biggest college and pro teams. "You have to play for who you play for."

A short article about UDFA TE Drew Atchison.

Atchison, a walk-on to the program after the 2004 season, played in 26 career games for the Tribe, making 17 starts at tight end. One of the program’s hardest workers, Atchison made the long climb from walk-on to all-Virginia caliber tight end in just three short years. His combination of size (6-7, 260 pounds), speed (4.6 seconds in 40-yard dash) and outstanding hands caught the interest of scouts, while his numbers on the field (34 catches for 475 yards and six TDs) during the 2007 season were among the best at his position, both in the Colonial Athletic Association and nationally. He participated in the East/West Shrine Game this past January. Atchison ended his Tribe career with 46 grabs for 658 yards and eight TDs.

The Dallas Cowboys are the odds-on favorite to win the NFC Championship at 7/2.