2010 NFL Draft: Cowboys Draft Pick Needs

Cowboys Offseason

Sportsbook Super Bowl Odds (for XLV): Cowboys +1215

NFC Odds (5Dimes Reviews): Cowboys +685

Who are the Cowboys looking at in the Draft?

This is a busy time of year as the March madness odds rolls on, and the concerns about the NFL draft begin to pile up. There has always been a gap between what the teams are looking at in the draft and what fans feel their team needs to win. But just like March madness odds can sometimes miss the mark on predicting a winner, the fans do not always get what they want in the NFL draft.

The Cowboys consider their place kicking problem more than just a minor inconvenience. Last season their kickers cost them games and cost them the playoffs. While Jerry Jones has never been excited about kickers, he certainly does not want a kicker derailing the 2010 season. The Cowboys could conceivably use their third or fourth round pick on a kicker to give David Buehler a reason to excel in training camp. Considering the Cowboys do not have any extra picks in the 2010 draft, choosing a kicker in the third or fourth round could be a very big deal. Read more

Dallas Cowboys Offseason & Draft Needs

Cowboys Offseason

Sportsbook Super Bowl Odds (for XLV): Cowboys +1215

NFC Odds (5Dimes Reviews): Cowboys +685

Where do the Cowboys Need Help?

Let’s face it, the Dallas Cowboys are pretty stacked. When you have the monetary resources that the Cowboys have you can put together a pretty solid team. But there are holes in that armor, and Jerry Jones is looking to address those holes in free agency while building for the future in the draft. So after you place your bet on March madness you can spend some time evaluating where the Cowboys need some help.

Tony Romo took a lot of flack last season for the team’s offensive performance. The team ejected Terrell Owens so that Romo could run his offense without any interference. As the season wore on the glaring holes in the offensive line started to show. On the left side of the line, tackle Flozell Adams was less than reliable and tackle Marc Colombo on the right side is still recovering from injury. Romo has no reliable protection on the interior of the offensive line, and that is what caused the offensive problems for the Cowboys last season. With weapons such as Miles Austin and Roy Williams to throw to and Felix Jones on the ground, the Dallas offense is two tackles away from being potent.

Believe it or not the Cowboys actually need a place kicker. The Cowboys went for it on fourth down in the regular season and the playoffs when they should have been able to rely on their kicking. But Wade Phillips opted to go for the first down rather than the sure points and it cost the Cowboys games. There are plenty of kickers to choose from in free agency this year including Neil Rackers and Dan Carpenter if their respective teams do not re-sign them.

The Cowboys secondary may need some patching up as well. Ken Hamlin is not performing up to his contract at safety, and backup Alan Ball has not shown that he has what it takes to be an NFL starter. Look for the Cowboys to let Hamlin go and replace him with someone like Brodney Pool in Cleveland. The problem is that Pool, like most of the desirable safeties in free agency this year, is a restricted free agent. The Cowboys want nothing to do with a restricted free agent in the year before an uncapped season, so look for the Cowboys to be aggressive with trades during the draft. The Cowboys are not known for starting drafted rookies in their first season, so it would be unusual for them to pick a safety in the draft with the intention of making that draft pick a starter.

It was a smart move for the Cowboys to pick up Jon Kitna last season because there were questions as to what the team would do if Romo got hurt. The team has confidence in Kitna and they have no hesitation in handing the ball to the former starting quarterback if Romo should get seriously injured.

There are only a few places where the Dallas Cowboys need to improve to make themselves a playoff contender. One would be getting a little bit svelte and quick on the offensive line, which could means that the Cowboys will need to quickly get some tips to lose body fat fast. It will be interesting to see if Jerry Jones has the patience to address some of his issues in the draft, of if the Cowboys become active in free agency and through trading.