Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: Is A Strong Offense Enough To Win In The NFL?

Is a strong offense alone enough to win in the NFL? - Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas
Archer answers mailbag questions again, one of them about whether the Cowboys can win with "just" a strong offense.

@toddarcher: Sure you can. I know everybody loves the "defense wins championships," adage, but if you're defining winning as only taking home a Super Bowl then I think that's a little narrow view. The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers are carried by their offenses. They've won. Would you take that kind of winning around here with the Cowboys? Sure. The Saints won the Super Bowl in 2009. The Packers won it in 2010. The Patriots last won one in 2004 but have gotten to the big game. The Broncos lost in it in 2013. Since the Cowboys have won one playoff game in 475 years (has it been that long?), I think fans would take the winning those teams have had with offensive-oriented teams.

Unit Analysis: Best QBs are more than passers | Lindy's Sports
This article provides a rundown of the QB situation of evey team and commendably writes that the concern in Dallas is not about the starting QB, but the backup spot. Lindy's proves that it is possible to write a position review without resorting to tired and overworn clichés.

Romo should be ready to go for training camp after being limited in the offseason due to December back surgery. It was his second back surgery in as many seasons. But unlike last year when he did not do anything in the offseason and came into camp out of shape, he is ahead of schedule and the Cowboys have actually held him back to be on the safe side. The Cowboys remain committed to Romo, which is why they passed on Manziel in the NFL draft. They believe he has many more years left and can build off last season’s strong performance when he had 31 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions thanks to an influx of new ideas from new play-caller Scott Linehan. The training camp concern in Dallas is the backup quarterback. Orton has boycotted the entire offseason and wants to retire. They liked what they saw from Weeden in OTAs and minicamp and believe he can handle the job after being a first-round bust in Cleveland. But they want Orton to return $3 million in bonus money if he retires. He wants to be cut so does not have to pay anything back.

In Rod we trust? Cowboys believe 'guru' Marinelli can spark defensive revival | Rainer Sabin, DMN
I don't know what the question mark is doing in this headline, but Sabin delivers a solid story about Rod Marinelli and the challenges he faces with the Cowboys defense this year.

"Football is like a religion to him," defensive end Anthony Spencer said. "You can tell in the way he talks about it. He is like a preacher. He believes in it so much. He believes that if you do the right things on the football field you also become a good person off it."

"I believe in everything about it," Marinelli said. "I believe it really helps men. You help people this way. To come out and see men compete for jobs and try to help them be what they want to be, it’s something that is so important. That ability to compete every second of every day — I don’t know if you can ever live without that."

It’s that hunger — that nagging desire to "prove" something — that Marinelli said will help the Cowboys defense climb out of the gutter.

Henry Melton needs to be a charm at 3-technique DT spot | Brandon George, DMN
As part of an ongoing position series, George looks at what the Cowboys have got at the 3-technique spot, but doesn't mention any players outside of Henry Melton and Terrell McClain.

20 things fantasy owners should know before drafting - NFL.com
Michael Fabiano suggests you make DeMarco Murray a first-round pick in your fantasy draft. Here's why:

DeMarco Murray is worth a first-round fantasy pick. No one can predict injuries, but numbers are often times a different story. Murray, who ranked seventh in fantasy points among runners in 2013, is in a great position to succeed once again. Not only is he entering a contract year, but Murray is also in an offense that produced two top-17 fantasy running backs (Reggie Bush, Joique Bell) just one season ago under offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. At the age of 26, Murray is entering the prime of his career.

Ex-Cowboy Jim Ridlon achieved dream of becoming artist, teacher | Kevin Sherrington, DMN
Sherrington offers up a nice profile of Jim Ridlon, who played for the Cowboys in 1963 and 1964, and went on to become a nationally recognized art teacher at Syracuse.

Teams installing new goal posts in wake of 'Tucker Rule' - NFL.com
Teams across the NFL are replacing their goal posts after the "Tucker Rule" was passed in the offseason, requiring the goalpoasts to be five feet higher.

The whole process is financially exorbitant. The New York Times reported that a set of new posts will run teams and stadium operators $10,000 and up. Teams must also install the new posts at their practice facilities. Things get even more expensive if teams are forced to replace the foundations that fasten the goal posts into the ground. Thanks, Belichick.

The league divided six billion dollars in revenue among its teams last season. In this context, "exorbitant" is probably not the correct adjective.