More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Roy Williams talks with Tony Romo about where to draft Jason Witten in their fantasy football league, and whether coach will let him keep his jersey number.

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Mike Jenkins is the number two player listed on Matt Bowen's article at NFP, "Five defensive players who may surprise".

Jenkins will start opposite fellow cornerback Terence Newman in his first year as a full-time player, and although I expect Newman to draw most of the tougher match-ups in the NFC East, expect Jenkins to see plenty of action on his side of the field.

One thing we have to remember about the Cowboys is that they’re a pressure team that sends players after the quarterback, and in return, they count on their secondary to play a lot of man-to-man coverage in blitz packages. The Cowboys totaled 59 sacks in 2008, and they should continue to be a defense that relies on pressure to create plays. Because of this, Jenkins will have plenty of opportunities to make some plays on the ball, and if Newman can continue to play at a top level, opposing offenses will look to try and exploit Jenkins. Lots of opportunities for Jenkins, and I believe he has the talent to get it done.

Hat tip to APerfectStar for the FanShot.

Bowen also lists Patrick Crayton as his number two surprise offensive player.

I have always liked Crayton’s game at the wide receiver position, and with the departure of Terrell Owens, I expect him to play a major role in the passing game for the Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo. Yes, we can all agree that Romo’s No. 1 target in any down-and-distance situation will be TE Jason Witten, but the ‘Boys still need a receiver who can make plays down the field on first and second downs.

Crayton averaged more than 14 yards a catch in ’08, and although WR Miles Austin might be the ultimate deep threat for this Cowboys team, he’s still a No. 3. Crayton should fit nicely into the No. 2 role and might even be more productive by season’s end than expected No. 1 Roy Williams.

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More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

The Barbarian, who was drafted in the 2nd round of a recent fantasy draft, taunts Tony Romo, who lasted until the 6th round.

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Tony Romo did a live chat today on NFL.com. Thanks for not answering any of my questions, Tony. Anyways, he had a little to say about Roy Williams, more to say about Jason Garrett, and even shared some thoughts on Free Reign.

Roy has worked really hard this offseason. Think it’s shown so far in OTAs and minicamps. He’s going to have a good year this year. He’s been very good so far this offseason.

On Garrett:

I think that Jason has a great feel for the game. He’s a very intelligent individual, and he still maintains a certain level ... There needs to be good, open lines of communication between the QB and the coordinator and the QB coach. They need to trust you as a QB, and you need to be able trust the coaches.

I think we have a great relationship in that regard. He allows me to voice my opinions, and i always like it when he’s coaching me up and we’re doing the things that we need to do to get better as a group. That’s the key -- to improve collectively as a group. He’s an ex player, so he looks at himself through my perspective. He’s always going to try to improve the same way that I do as a player.

I’m lucky to have him around me -- he’s helped make me a better player.

On metal:

Free Reign? Those are some good guys. They love music, and they love getting out there and jamming to hard rock. I think they’re a bunch of good guys. I like it. They do have some good songs ... but they’re still young. They’re still growing.

More VRR after the jump.

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More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

I'd bet T-New's already thinking about the Bucs game.

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Is it too soon to talk about Tampa?

Obviously, we’ve got training camp to get through. We’ve got players to waive (down to 75 on Sept. 1st; 53 by Sept. 5th), perhaps players to acquire, and almost assuredly will have injuries (hopefully minor) to account for. The fine-tuning will begin in Oakland (Aug. 13th); then, for the first game in Cowboys Stadium against the Titans (Aug. 21st). The next game against the Niners (Aug. 29th) should allow us a real look at the starters for much of the game, and then a preseason wrap-up in Minnesota (Sept. 4th) will define the roster.

Sunday, September 13^th, will be Cowboy Kickoff Day. The defense will do its best to limit those pirate cannons from firing at anytime other than during the halftime show. Mike Jenkins will have the opportunity to avenge his infamous missed tackle on new Buccaneer back Derrick Ward. Gerald Sensebaugh’s return to Florida will be tested by the talented, yet oft-injured Kellen Winslow and the former towel-thrower, Antonio Bryant. Will it be Byron Leftwich trying to make the offense forget about Chucky?

More after the jump.

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Pete Prisco of CBSSports ranks the top 50 players in the NFL. He places DeMarcus Ware just behind QBs Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

3. DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Cowboys: One number says it all: 20. That's his sack total from 2008. He's the best pass-rushing linebacker in football.

Jason Witten also made the list.

33. Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys: He's a great threat in the middle of the field and has improved as a blocker. Tony Romo loves him and with T.O. gone he might be even more of a factor.

Just a bit outside were Tony Romo and Andre Gurode.

Mike Perrin at The Birmingham News agrees with Prisco's ranking of Ware.

If Prisco's list weren't intended to spark arguments, then you might not argue his choice. Ware had 20 sacks last season for Dallas, his fourth in the NFL after earning All-America honors for coach Larry Blakeney's Trojans.

The Cowboys are doing a top 50 list of their own, counting down the best players in their history to celebrate the 50th anniversary season. Ware is No. 23 on that list - which is at No. 21 today.

That's pretty impressive.

More VRR after the jump.

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Versatility at the strong safety position is something the Cowboys lacked in last year's starters, Roy Williams and Keith Davis. While both of them are considered better players against the run, former Jaguar Gerald Sensabaugh looks to solidify the secondary with his own balance of coverage and run support skills.

"I’m not really trying to follow Roy," Sensabaugh said. "It’s not a competition between me and Roy. I’m not trying to prove that I’m better than Roy or Roy should have done this or that. I thought Roy was a great player.

"I’m just trying to establish my own name. Then, however you guys (media) feel I play, that’s how it is."

Sensabaugh has been impressive in these organized team activities. Owner Jerry Jones calls the 25-year-old free agent a key acquisition and says the coaches, "brag on him a lot."

Secondary coach Dave Campo is familiar with Sensabaugh from their time together in Jacksonville.

Campo said Sensabaugh is versatile enough to play underneath in the team’s dime package on third down.

"I don’t think it’s a mismatch when a team takes a pretty decent tight end and puts him out wide and gets the safety out there," Campo said.

And how does the fifth-year pro stack up against the run?

"He’s a good run player," Campo said. "I don’t think there’s an issue there. I think he’s a combination safety and can do them both. He’s a solid football player and has strengths in both areas."

The Cowboys' mandatory three-day minicamp will start Monday. Here are some player updates from Todd Archer:

Defensive end Jason Hatcher, who had knee surgery, is expected to practice for the first time this off-season but on a limited basis. Guard Kyle Kosier, who had foot surgery last season, will return during training camp.

Also, outside linebacker Victor Butler and cornerback Mike Mickens, both of them rookies, will get their first taste of full-squad workouts after being unable to attend the OTAs because their colleges were still in session.

Much more VRR after the jump.

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Is Jason Garrett overrated? Not bloody likely, but Dan Parr at Pro Football Weekly writes that Garrett is the most overrated offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Overrated: Cowboys' Jason Garrett Thanks to an intriguing pedigree that fit what NFL owners were looking for in the next hot, young head-coaching candidate and his management of Dallas’ high-powered offense, the hype around Garrett skyrocketed after the 2007 season. He reportedly turned down head-coaching job offers from the Ravens and Falcons. As last year showed, however, this supposed prodigy has a lot to learn. Despite having an abundance of playmakers at his disposal, the Cowboys ranked 13th in total offense and 18th in scoring in ’08. While blame for the unit’s struggles was largely directed at Terrell Owens and a lack of team chemistry, Garrett erred by stubbornly underutilizing a deep, dynamic backfield and ultimately failed to get the most out of a talented group on "O." He may turn out to be a fine coordinator and even a great head coach someday, but people around the league are beginning to wise up that many crowned him king too soon.

Rick Gosselin ranks the Cowboys this off-season at just below average, dropping the team to 17th in the league.

Terrell Owens' departure could and probably should trigger a philosophical shift on offense to the running game. In Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, the Cowboys have the ability to be a top-5 rushing attack. But Dallas needs Roy Williams to flourish on the flank and Anthony Spencer in the pass rush.

Final '08 ranking: 15

More VRR after the jump.

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More sacks? Pressures? Dollars? More Everything! That's what DeMarcus Ware wants from the Dallas Cowboys. Sooner or later, his paycheck has got to reflect his work on the field. From Calvin Watkins:

The contract talks are interesting -- if there isn't a new collective bargaining agreement by next spring, Ware will become a restricted free agent for two additional seasons. If that happens, the Cowboys could franchise him.

Ware on the contract negotiations:

"That's a bad thing on their part if they do that," Ware said of getting franchised. "I don't think anything about the CBA, everybody is going on the regular schedule and thinking we'll get a deal done and keep moving."

[snip]

"I hope they do," said Ware about whether or not people recognize him as an upper-echelon player. "But there are still guys out there that are better than me, and probably aren't getting recognized, that are working just as hard as me. It doesn't bother me at all. I worked for it, and at the end of the day, when you work for something, it's deserving."

Ware breaks into Peter Schrager's Top 10 NFL players, coming in at #6.

6. DeMarcus Ware, DE/LB, Dallas Cowboys: A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Ware is only getting better with every passing year. The loss of free-agent DE Chris Canty could hurt, but the addition of former Falcons LB Keith Brooking may actually free up Ware even more.

More VRR after the jump.

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Defense wins. Offense loses. That was the theme of today's organized team activity. The passing game looked, as Roy Williams said, "sloppy". There were some center-quarterback exchange problems and blown assignments on the O-line.

On the other end of the offense's miscues, the defensive backs came up big--particularly Courtney Brown and Alan Ball. Brown showed his cornerback skills by swatting away a couple of passes. Ball, who subbed in for Ken Hamlin (personal business) as the 1st-team free safety, picked off a Jon Kitna pass and provided the defense with some nice center-fielding skills.

Make the jump for today's practice observations from Tim MacMahon, Josh Ellis, and Matt Mosely.

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