As mentioned, the Cowboys are a team trying to pull everything together with its current core in an attempt to win a title without a complete roster overhaul. Dallas is also beginning to look toward the future, though, as all teams should.

The Cowboys drafted seven players in April and only one of them wasn’t a captain, Oklahoma tight end James Hanna. There was a reason Garrett wanted each of those players. Actually, there were two.

These rookies were leaders in college, so they already have experience making plays when needed by their team. That helps the Cowboys both in the long- and short-term plan.

For a team trying to win right now, the Cowboys need rookies who will make big plays right off the bat, i.e. Morris Claiborne, and ones who will play consistently when called upon, i.e. Kyle Wilber.

Dallas doesn’t need all seven draft picks to be instant superstars; these players simply need to do their job and not make silly mistakes, which is what leaders do and something the Cowboys have had a problem with in recent years.

For example, Wilber won’t leave a running back out of the backfield wide open in the flats, which is something that absolutely killed the Cowboys in 2010 and 2011 specifically. That’s not something that only a superstar would do, but it is something a leader always does.

Likewise, guys like Wilber will build on little things like that and become a leader at the pro level like they were in college. That helps the Cowboys in the long run because even though stars like DeMarcus Ware haven’t hit 30 yet, they won’t be around forever.

Adding rookies who are leaders is far more important than adding rookies who are talented, but immature. Even though six of Garrett’s seven draft picks weren’t flashy, they’re the kind of guys who should get the job done on a consistent basis, which is what the Cowboys’ skipper has been preaching for quite some time, but it’s just now becoming clear to everyone else.

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The surgery required to repair the tear in Bernadeau’s right hip is unfortunate in that he’ll miss time and will get behind in leaning the Cowboys’ offense, but it’s a good thing in that Dallas’ coaching staff will be forced to remember another young guard who turned heads at a break-neck pace last year.

Second-year guard Bill Nagy was a stud as a rookie in 2011, starting three of his first four games before breaking his ankle and missing the remainder of the season. He showed an explosive first step at the snap and the suaveness and footwork of a five-year veteran. Nagy should now be a starting guard for the Cowboys and compete with Bernadeau for that spot when he returns.

The fact Bernadeau was handed the starting spot after four decent years with the Carolina Panthers is absurd. That’s not to say he won’t win the job, because he very likely could, but just pretending like Nagy doesn’t exist anymore is incredibly ignorant by Jason Garrett and the Cowboys’ coaching staff.

Another second-year offensive lineman who deserves a shot at a starting spot is Kevin Kowalski. In limited work last year, Kowalski was very impressive snapping the ball and then protecting Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. The same can’t be said for current starter Phil Costa, who was arguably the worst starting center in the NFL last season.

In short, Dallas needs to re-evaluate its youth on the interior offensive line because ignoring these promising young players is not something a team truly intent on contending for a title does.

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“You try not to think about the window,” Witten said. “But obviously, we’re realists. We understand where it’s at. I feel great and we’re playing great. But it’s about now. I think that’s how this whole organization thinks, from owner to head coach to veteran players to rookie players. That’s the way this league works.”

Indeed it is. While teams like the Indianapolis Colts are rebuilding with a new franchise quarterback and a roster spring cleaning, franchises like Dallas are trying desperately to find the final pieces of the puzzle to put together a serious title run.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Cowboys addressed several areas of absolute need through free agency and the draft, adding veterans and promising rookies to try and fill gaping holes in the lineup. Dallas owner Jerry Jones likes to compare his approach and his team to his quarterback, Tony Romo.

“It’s a little like Romo – you want to basically be able to get it in a way that is sound and wins ballgames,” Jones said.

Indeed, the Cowboys are trying to get to a point where the team consistently plays “sound” football, which leads to wins. However, Jones has been advocating such an approach for years since Dallas’ last Super Bowl, but never acted upon it until now.

Jones traded up in the 2012 NFL Draft to select LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, the top defensive back (and arguably the top defender) in the draft. Jones also signed several veterans to aid in the title chase, including cornerback Brandon Carr, linebacker Dan Connor, fullback Lawrence Vickers and guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau. Notable Cowboys like Witten have taken notice.

“Every year you’re more and more motivated,” Witten said. “You realize that time is now for a lot of key players. You need to take advantage of that.”

Witten, who just turned 30, has quietly become arguably the game’s best tight end while setting several league and club records for his position, including becoming the fastest tight end to 600 career catches and most recently passing Ozzie Newsome for third-most all-time receptions for a tight end. However, the humble superstar will tell you he’d much rather have the team titles than the individuals. It’s time the entire Cowboys’ organization embodied that mindset and if this off-season is any indication, it looks like that might finally be happening.

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Crawford participated fully in the Cowboys’ rookie minicamp and isn’t expected to miss any time with his condition, but Claiborne and Wilber will be sidelined until training camp begins in July.

Claiborne had surgery on his wrist following his final season at LSU and went through the latest part of the procedure on Wednesday, tweeting about his excitement beforehand:

Well Im up this morning about to get surgery. Yes i get my hand bk today!!! #MOMO17 to 24COWBOYS

May 9, 2012 7:21 am via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@MoClaiborne

Morris Claiborne

Claiborne will switch from a hard cast on his left wrist to a soft cast that will allow him to move on from walkthroughs to full-blown conditioning workouts. He’s been scheduled to take the field during training camp since the draft, so he’s right on schedule for that deadline.

Wilber fractured his finger during Dallas’ rookie minicamp and will miss the remainder of the workouts as well as the off-season conditioning workouts, but is expected to report with the rest of the Cowboys’ rookies to Oxnard, Calif., for the beginning of training camp on July 25. Wilber was considered the “talk of Valley Ranch” during the rookie minicamp, but now will have to prove his worth all over again once training camp starts.

All three rookies are expected to play big roles in the Cowboys’ defense in 2012 and beyond, so their health is imperative and Dallas is taking proper precaution in making sure Crawford, Claiborne and Wilber are ready to go once the season rolls around.

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Crawford’s agent, Dr. D.S. Ping, said Wednesday his client was originally diagnosed with the heart murmur at the NFL Combine and the Cowboys knew about it before selecting him in the third round. Ping said the heart murmur had nothing to do with when Crawford was drafted or his play going forward.

“Never affected anything,” Ping said. “No doubt.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is usually quick to make colorful comments on situations like this and he didn’t fail to live up to expectations.

“The heart murmur issue is one that I’m satisfied is okay for us,” Jones said.

As mentioned, Crawford participated in the Cowboys’ rookie minicamp and reportedly performed very well as he’s expected to challenge Kenyon Coleman and Jason Hatcher for their starting jobs in Ryan’s variable 3-4 scheme. In recent weeks, Crawford has frequently been labeled as a “prototype 5-technique” 3-4 defensive end, a position of which the Cowboys are in desperate need.

As often mentioned here at RantSports.com, the Cowboys’ weakest position in 2011 was defensive end, not the popular picks of cornerback and safety. While Dallas has made drastic improvements in the secondary through the 2012 NFL Draft and free agency, Crawford is the only new face at defensive end, so he’ll face a lot of pressure to succeed quickly at the next level despite his heart murmur.

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Jerry says there's no plan to trade Mike Jenkins, calling him a vital part of the team short-term and long-term.

May 9, 2012 2:24 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@robphillips3

Rob Phillips

This is another load of horse radish because reports were confirmed over the past two weeks the Cowboys made and received calls to other NFL teams regarding a trade for Jenkins. When Dallas traded up to draft LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the writing was on the wall for Jenkins and no one inside the Cowboys’ organization denied that.

However, now Jones is making it appear he thinks Jenkins is a part of Dallas’ long-term plans, which he should be, but that can’t be true. There’s not enough room on one football team for three cornerbacks like Jenkins, Claiborne and new free agent signee Brandon Carr and those players know that as well as Jones.

Now keeping all three players would be the ideal situation for the Cowboys and if you’re a loyal RantSports.com reader, you know that’s been preached a lot here lately. However, the fact Dallas has already tried to trade Jenkins means he’s not part of the long-term plan, especially since he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season.

Of course, Jones could have meant the entirety of the season when he said “long-term,” but one would think just the 2012 season would be considered “short-term.”

The ideal scenario would be for the Cowboys to sign Jenkins to a long-term deal and have a three-headed monster at the cornerback position and that seems like a reality the way Jones is talking these days. However, anyone familiar with Jones knows just because he says Jenkins is “a vital part of the long-term” plan doesn’t mean he actually believes that. In fact, it’s safe to bet a large amount of money that Jones doesn’t believe that.

Now, rumors from Valley Ranch over the past two weeks also stated the Cowboys literally didn’t get a single offer for Jenkins, which is hard to believe at first, but it actually makes sense. Jenkins is coming off shoulder surgery this off-season, so no team is willing to take a risk on him. But don’t be surprised if Jenkins is a starter at the beginning of the 2012 season so the Cowboys can showcase him as trade bait. Then don’t be shocked once Jones trades Jenkins just before the trade deadline. “Part of the long-term” plan…indeed.

Jenkins should be part of the long-term plan, but he’s not.

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Dallas drafted Owusu-Ansah in 2010 out of Indiana Pennsylvania University as a very athletic, smart safety with huge upside as an overall football player. He played some there and as a return man, but was hobbled by injury and eventually was cut. After being picked up by the Jaguars in November, Owusu-Ansah played four games for Jacksonville in 2011, recording 14 tackles.

The Cowboys have several options at safety heading into 2012, but Owusu-Ansah’s value doesn’t come at that position. Coming out of college, Owusu-Ansah was regarded as a safety that was fast enough to play cornerback, which is where he’ll eventually be of the most value to Dallas.

The Cowboys now have four cornerbacks on the active roster in veteran starters Brandon Carr and Mike Jenkins, No. 3 Orlando Scandrick and 2012 No. 6 overall draft pick Morris Claiborne. Carr and Claiborne will be the team’s unquestioned starters by the end of the upcoming season, but Jenkins will be gone by this time next year. That means Dallas needs depth at cornerback for the future and Owusu-Ansah fills that void.

The Cowboys’ eventual secondary depth chart will look something like this:

LCB: Morris Claiborne, Orlando Scandrick

FS: Gerald Sensabaugh, Danny McCray

SS: Barry Church/Brodney Pool/Matt Johnson

RCB: Brandon Carr, Mario Butler

Notice that Owusu-Ansah’s name is not there. That’s because he’ll be able to play anywhere in the secondary and he’ll serve as a backup for all positions. Chuch, Pool and Johnson will fight for the starting strong safety spot this year and the loser of Church and Pool will likely leave via free agency. With Johnson or Church (most likely) manning the No. 2 spot from then on, Owusu-Ansah will be used freely at all four secondary positions and even fifth, sixth and seventh spots in Rob Ryan’s unique scheme.

In short, Owusu-Ansah provides flexible depth in the secondary, which is critical for a team like Dallas that has struggled to defend the pass in recent years. The addition of Owusu-Ansah may not seem important now, but it will.

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“I’m back 100 percent,” Murray said.

Obviously Murray is eager to get back on the football field after his record-breaking rookie season was cut short due to injury and he became one of the Cowboys’ best players. If healthy, Murray could easily be an MVP candidate in 2012 after Dallas brought in full Lawrence Vickers this off-season to lead the way for the young runner.

Cowboys minicamp for veterans begins in June and Murray is expected to participate, which is fantastic news for the Dallas faithful, who watched a porous ground attack in the final three games of the season after the rookie sensation was sidelined. Murray still hasn’t experienced an NFL off-season since last year’s was basically cancelled due to the NFL lockout, so such events are critical to his health and success at the pro level.

Murray has already been working out during the Cowboys’ voluntary conditioning program over the past month and credits Dallas conditioning coach Mike Woicik for his speedy recovery.

“Mike Woicik has been great to work with,” Murray said. “In college, usually everyone did the same type of program. But here it’s more position specific. I definitely feel better prepared.”

Those words should be music to the ears of Cowboys fans everywhere as Murray is already nearing ideal health, even though he says he’s “100 percent” healthy. With a full off-season to work with Vickers and the offense, Murray will easily be a 1,000-yard rusher in 2012 and might even contend for the rushing crown.

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Two of the Cowboys’ first three picks in the 2012 NFL Draft were pass-rushers; both Wilber and third-round pick Tyrone Crawford were drafted for one reason: to improve the pass rush. Ryan is a defensive genius and he recently changed the minds of many regarding Dallas outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, but he was a little too kind toward his underachieving players on Tuesday.

“We have the talent there, and we’ll just see how it goes,” Ryan said. “I’m excited about it. I’m not going to say everything I believe, but I’ve got a feeling we will be just fine.”

The Cowboys didn’t have the talent there last season – that’s why defensive ends Jason Hatcher and Kenyon Coleman combined for only 5.5 sacks on the season. Folks, including Ryan, like to say that Cowboys stud pass-rushers DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff were double-teamed “a lot” in 2011, yet the extra attention they received didn’t equal more sacks for Coleman and Hatcher. Therefore, the Cowboys did not “have the talent there” last year.

Dallas might actually have such talent now, but that remains to be seen as rookies Crawford and Wilber each prepare for their first pro season. Ryan said Sunday that Spencer is “a damn good football player,” but that doesn’t reflect the mindset of an organization that spent a fourth-round pick on a highly-touted Day 3 outside linebacker.

Spencer was a free agent before the Cowboys franchise tagged him in March, keeping him in Dallas for at least one more year, so he gets one more shot to prove he’s worth a contract extension. However, he’ll have to compete with Wilber and fourth-year pro Victor Butler for the permanent job. Both players have been praised by coaches and executives alike over the past few weeks; Ryan on Wilber and team owner Jerry Jones on Butler. On Tuesday:

“He’s a smart kid. He plays hard,” Ryan said. “He knows how to cover, which is a hard thing for an outside linebacker. All they do is rush in college. Well, this kid knows how to cover. He’s going to be a lot further advanced than most rookies are. The kid’s got a lot of talent, so we hope he’ll be able to help.”

Almost exactly a month earlier, Jones talked like Butler was a surefire starter.

“We’re high on Butler,” Jones said. “We think Butler is somebody who can really give us the pass rush.”

Yeah, right…and Barry Switzer is the best coach in Cowboys history; get real. The Cowboys may be fond of Butler, and definitely should be, but Jones can’t say that, draft two pass-rushers two weeks later and then expect everyone to believe this horse radish that the Cowboys already “have talent” there.

Thus, it’ll be interesting to see which player gets the boot in 2013 – Spencer, Butler or Wilber. Seeing as how Butler and Spencer are both in contract years and Wilber was just drafted, it’s safe to say it’s a two-man race between Butler and Spencer. A wise bet here would be Butler.

That means Wilber’s role with the team will be very important over the next four seasons. Once he signs his four-year rookie deal, he’ll officially be inserted into the lineup in these unique situations about which Ryan said Wilber can “help” the Cowboys.

Wilber’s effectiveness at the pro level is still a mystery, but Ryan obviously thinks he’s better equipped for the next level than most outside linebackers coming out of college. Since Ryan specifically spoke of pass coverage, Wilber might be used more as a cover linebacker in certain packages, especially as a rookie. If so, then his pass-rushing ability becomes a bonus rather than a necessity, making him the X-Factor of the Cowboys’ pass rush.

If Wilber covers like Ryan says he can and then displays a pass-rushing ability at least equal to Spencer’s then the elder player has signed his last deal in Dallas. Butler and Wilber both have a chance to break out in 2012 while Spencer fights to keep his job, but if he’s used in special packages, which Ryan loves to do, Wilber will have a leg up in the competition.

In short, the Cowboys’ pass rush was not up to par in 2011, no matter what anyone inside the organization says. However, Wilber presents a very interesting scenario in the future of Dallas’ pass rush, one in which likely won’t include Spencer if Wilber is as good as advertised.

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