Top of the mornin’ to ya, lads and lasses, and a Happy St. Patrick’s Day as well. Let's get this day started the right way with a summary of the latest Cowboys headlines:
Cowboys now in must-have mode at cornerback in the draft - Todd Archer, ESPN
Moving from a free agent coming in to a pair that are departing, Dallas finds itself moving on from the two cornerbacks that were the cornerstones of Rob Ryan’s attempt to fit his defensive philosophy into the Dallas Cowboys plans.
Both Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne have signed with other teams, and now the team is faced with a full restructure of its secondary.
As the roster sits right now, the Cowboys must find a cornerback in the draft, and they must find one early.
The good news? It appears to be a strong year for corners in the draft.
The bad news? The Cowboys have struggled in evaluating cornerbacks.
Revamping The Secondary Is Now The Cowboys’ Most Important Need - VAfan, Blogging The Boys
Most fans are focused on adding along the defensive line, and it’s important, but the secondary is the position group that is dangerously thin at the moment, VAfan explains.
If the Cowboys are done in free agency, they must be expecting to fill these holes in the draft. That’s not a terrible strategy. Certainly, the Cowboys need to get younger, and much better, in the secondary, and it’s hard to get much better returning older free agents. But it’s a very risky move, since the team doesn’t know who will be available when they draft, and if they want to draft the best player available, what do they do if a defensive back isn’t the best player when they are on the clock?
The good news is that it’s supposed to be a strong draft for defensive backs. The Cowboys need it to be, so that they can find quality DBs throughout.
Pro Day Tour: Breaking Down Cowboys' Fits Among Clemson's Prospects DallasCowboys.com
One place the Cowboys may be looking in their efforts to fill the shoes vacated by members of the secondary is Clemson. The defending National Champion Tigers have a pair of defensive backs who could catch the eye of the Dallas scouts.
Corner Cordrea Tankersley and safety Jadar Johnson are both good fits for the team and they could be big-time players in Dallas.
Tankersley is especially intriguing for a team in need at a high profile position, Dabo Swinney explains:
“Everybody’s looking for a great corner…and a physical corner; one that doesn’t mind tackling…He’s got good ball skills. Sometimes these guys have good feet and technique, but they’re not finishers. He is a finisher.”
The Clemson products are not the only players that the Cowboys will be looking at in the draft. This year features defensive backs in abundance and the staff at the Dallas Morning News have provided us with a full package of players that the team will be conducting their due diligence on.
Damontre Moore has been his own biggest enemy throughout his professional career, and there are some who feel that his stay in Dallas will be short lived based on his past. There have been times when he flashed his potential to be a solid pass rusher in the NFL, but far too often his attitude has hampered his performance and the way he is perceived.
The Dallas area native seems ready to put it all behind him and start fresh in the city where he dreamed of playing when he was a kid.
“It’s so surreal, you know. It’s a lifelong dream. I think when every little kid is growing up playing little league football, they want to play for their team. I’m just having a surreal moment – kind of like a Victor Cruz moment – right now.”
Now he needs to prove it, and his best chance to do that is with Marinelli.
Cowboys retain Darren McFadden with one-year deal - Todd Archer, ESPN
While the defensive backfield situation might be unresolved, the offensive backfield appears to be pretty well set behind starter Ezekiel Elliott. Darren McFadden will be the chosen one to remain in Dallas while Lance Dunbar will try his luck in greener pastures.
Even after limited action last season, the team feels comfortable with what the reserve back can do for them in that role. Should something happen to limit the other ball carriers the team would expect a repeat of what McFadden was able to do a couple seasons back.
In 2015, McFadden finished fourth in the NFL with 1,089 rushing yards, despite not becoming the Cowboys' full-time back until the sixth game of the season. He had five games with 100 yards or more and two games with more than 90 as he set a career high with 239 rushing
Swaim had a screw inserted into his foot and will miss the entire off-season program, organized team activities and mini-camp.
It's another setback for Swaim, who missed the final seven games of last season after suffering a torn pectoral tendon.
This was another setback for the player who might be fighting for his professional life in Dallas by the time training camp rolls around. Starter Jason Witten is not getting any younger and there is a very real possibility that the Cowboys might bring in his possible replacement in the upcoming draft. Should that happen Swaim could very well find himself the odd man out if Rico Gathers progresses as the team anticipates he will.