“I thought Dez made great strides this year on the football field,” Irvin said. “He has a lot of room to continue to grow, but he made great strides. When Dez really locks it all in, understands it, Dez will be the best receiver in the NFL.”

At certain times during the 2011 season, it certainly looked like Bryant was in the discussion of the NFL’s best receiver. He wears No. 88 in honor of Irvin, who endorses Bryant as the ‘next big thing’ in Dallas. Bryant made acrobatic, leaping catches over defenders in the end zone on multiple occasions this year, displaying allusions of the kind of play that earned Irvin the nickname “The Playmaker”.

Bryant’s hands are some of the best in the NFL. He posted the lowest drop rate among all NFL receivers in 2011, dropping only one pass while catching 63. That’s even better than the Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald, who has long owned the title of the best hands in the NFL.

Bryant’s sheer playmaking ability is almost unrivaled in the NFL, but his inconsistency masks the elite quality of his play. At times, it seemed as if Bryant disappeared in games after making a tremendous touchdown grab or two.

If the Oklahoma State product is to reach his full potential, it will require a healthy body and attitude. Bryant has yet to play a full 16-game season in his short NFL career while his morale and work ethic are constantly questioned by critics. Fixing those problems would lead to much greater numbers than the 63 receptions, 928 receiving yards and nine touchdowns he posted in his sophomore season.

Irvin, for one, believes it’s not a question of “if” but “when” Bryant gets to that point in his career. The Cowboys could desperately use an Irvin-like Bryant in 2012 after yet another disappointing season in 2011. The Playmaker believes in Bryant, but it will take consistent, elite performances on the field for the rest of the football world to follow suit.

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“I give it to the Giants,” Ware said. “It’s all about defense for me and I feel like their defense is a little bit better.”

The Giants’ defense was awful this year statistically, but really came alive toward the end of the season and has been absolutely incredible thus far in the playoffs. The Patriots’ defense has also played better since the postseason began, but not nearly to the level of the Giants’.

“[The Giants] didn’t start of well, but they stayed in the pack, stayed a little bit consistent at the end and then got that momentum and went forward,” Ware said.

The Giants’ pass rush will get to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady like they did in Super Bowl XLII four years ago and the result of the game will be the same, just as Ware indicated.

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Over a dozen former players are now suing the NFL for various reasons all encompassed in one theme: the league simply does not take enough precaution regarding concussions, regardless of what spokespersons say. This groups of players is headlined by Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett, who recently sat down to explain his stance regarding the case.

“Yeah, I understand you paid me to do this, but still yet, I put my life on the line for you, I put my health on the line,” Dorsett said. “And yet when the time comes, you turn your back on me? That’s not right. That’s not the American way.”

Dorsett and the other plaintiffs argue that the NFL did not take do enough to warn them about the dangers of concussions. Dorsett suffered multiple concussions in his 11-year NFL career, but none worse than a hit he took in 1984 that he’ll never forget and one that he says is the hardest hit he ever absorbed in his football career.

“They thought I was half-dead,” Dorsett said.

The NFL has already been questioned regarding concussions this season regarding instances with Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, to name two.

The NFL drew especially harsh criticism after Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison delivered an illegal, helmet-to-helmet hit on McCoy during a Thursday night game in December. Harrison was suspended one game for the hit, but McCoy was allowed to return to the game by the Browns’ coaching staff.

McCoy still doesn’t recall that hit, which ended his season even though he returned to the game. In fact, the Browns’ coaching staff didn’t even test McCoy for a head injury on the sideline; it wasn’t until after the game he was informed he would miss the rest of the season due to a concussion that kept him from any sort of physical activity for nearly a month.

That’s enough to make the NFL pay closer attention to concussions, but now retired players like Dorsett are adding fuel to the fire.

“I don’t want to get to the point where it turns into dementia, Alzheimer’s. I don’t want that,” Dorsett said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that what I went through as a football player is taking an effect on me today. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about that. I’m just hoping and praying I can find a way to cut it off at the pass.”

Dorsett went on to say that opposing players would go to the Cowboys’ sideline and tell the Dallas coaching staff to get Dorsett out of the game. The Hall of Famer resents that staff for always telling him to “go to the training room, get some ice and heat and come on back out here.”

Another player involved in the lawsuits is former Miami Dolphins receiver Mark Duper, who cites the use of painkillers to mask concussive symptoms. Now that’s taking its toll on players like he and Dorsett, who fear their minds will deteriorate faster than the average human’s.

“I try not to take medicine. I don’t want to be a zombie,” Duper said. “What little left I’ve got in my brain, I want to keep it normal.”

The NFL continues to release statements that include phrases like “the NFL has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so”. That’s a big load of horse radish and the league knows it. Coaching staffs want their players to be on the field, regardless of the health risks that may present.

Playing football is dangerous, but little things can be done to preserve the sanity human beings’ minds. Not testing a player for a concussion after a brutal hit is a situation that could have left someone like McCoy paralyzed for the rest of his life. Maybe that’s what it will take (or something worse) for the NFL to wake up.

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Staubach is predicting the New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl in 2012 because Boston has an office vacancy rate of 20.5 percent. That number almost doubles New York’s 10.4 percent.

“We hit it on the money last year with the Packers and I’m confident that we’ve got it right again this time with the Patriots,” Staubach said. “I said it last year and I’ll say it again, this vacancy rate hypothesis is the real deal.”

Staubach and the firm have used this approach to predict Super Bowls for more than a decade now with a 66 percent success rate. Turns out the former Navy Midshipman can do more than throw a football.

I don’t have a unique way of predicting the winner of the 2012 Super Bowl, but I still disagree with Staubach, even though I have the utmost respect for the Hall of Famer. As you’ll see in this Super Bowl XLVI video, Rant Sports director of content Dan Parzych and I also disagree on who will win the Super Bowl.

The Giants have a better team than the Patriots and New York is on a hot streak. Throw in the record-breaking clutch performances by Eli Manning this year and my money is on the G-Men. Guess we’ll see if office vacancy rates can continue to fuel Staubach’s Super Bowl predictions.

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Allen and DeCamillis coached together with the Atlanta Falcons under Dan Reeves from 2002 through 2005 and talked about coaching together again. However, both men also wanted to become head coaches, something Allen has now accomplished.

Cowboys assistant coaches are now allowed to speak with the media during the offseason, so DeCamillis has not commented on the matter and it’s unknown of whether he will try to receive permission to speak with the Raiders about the assistant coaching position.

The Cowboys’ special teams play has been up and down over the past few years with DeCamillis at the helm, but some consistency was finally accomplished with rookie kicker Dan Bailey in 2011. Dallas still doesn’t have a true, primary punt and/or kick returner, but that is sure to change if DeCamillis remains in Dallas in 2012. The Cowboys will find it difficult to replace a special teams coach as committed to his work as DeCamillis.

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“I’m only looking at DBs,” Ryan said. “Nothing else. DBs.”

The secondary isn’t the Cowboys’ only problem on defense, but it’s by far the most critical. The Cowboys ranked 23rd in the NFL this season, giving up 244 passing yards per game. Even though that ranking is up three spots from 2010, the Cowboys’ pass defense was statistically worse this year.

Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones always promises big things in the offseason following these disappointing seasons, but never comes through on them. Ryan has taken it upon himself to make sure the Cowboys at least draft some help at cornerback and safety, even if Jones doesn’t bring in veteran help via free agency.

Ryan is specifically interested in Iowa State cornerback Leonard Johnson, who is projected to be taken on the second day of the draft, in either the second or third round. Of course, Jones makes the final call on who the Cowboys draft, so Ryan can only plead his case and hope Jones selects Johnson after taking a high-profile pass rusher in the first round.

The Cowboys have no hopes of drafting a cornerback in the first round after Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick was arrested for possession of marijuana. LSU’s Morris Claiborne is the only other defensive back who will be taken in the first half of the first round of the draft and he’ll be gone way before the Cowboys are on the board with the No. 14 overall pick.

That means Johnson is the man on day two of the draft if Jones listens to Ryan about his team’s needs. No guarantees there, but Cowboys fans should keep their fingers crossed nonetheless.

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After graduating from Lincoln High, Kitna went on to earn his degree in math education from Central Washington University. He was a pretty good football player there, too; the Wildcats won a share of the 1995 NAIA national championship with Kitna at quarterback.

Kitna will use his degree to teach math at Lincoln High while also coaching the football team. This new job could have been his in 2009; he was offered the gig then, but turned it down to continue his NFL career with the Cowboys. Kitna was introduced at Lincoln High on Thursday.

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Spencer is now a free agent and although 2011 was his best season as a pro, he hasn’t exactly panned out as a first-round pick. If Dallas takes Upshaw or another outside linebacker early in the draft, Spencer can pack his bags.

Upshaw is a big fan of Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, so that’s convenient if he’s drafted by Dallas.

“With him playing down at Troy, I kind of kept up with him during his career,” Upshaw said. “The way he gets after the quarterback is kind of something that I try to mold my game after, guys like him who get to the quarterback and who are relentless.”

If the Cowboys stick with the 3-4 defense, Upshaw would be a perfect replacement for Spencer at 6’1″ and 273 lbs. Even if the Cowboys switch to the 4-3 for the 2012 NFL season, Upshaw would be a nice fit opposite Bruce Carter at outside linebacker with Sean Lee manning the middle.

Upshaw’s first step is incredible and his ability to stop the run coupled with his excellent pass rushing skills makes him a complete outside linebacker. That would make all three of the Cowboys’ starting linebackers under 25 years old. Of course, that’s assuming Dallas switches to a 4-3 and Ware goes back to his natural position of defensive end.

Dallas obviously needs help in the secondary, but if a player like Upshaw if available at No. 14, it will be very hard to pass on him. The fact the Cowboys are truly considering drafting an outside linebacker in the first round spells trouble for Spencer. I definitely smell a 4-3 brewing.

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The Cowboys were extremely thin at defensive end last offseason and that didn’t change before the start of the 2011 season. Jones may have signed former Cowboy Kenyon Coleman, but Dallas didn’t add any talent or depth at the position.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s complex 3-4 scheme calls for athletic, talented and intelligent players. Specifically at defensive end, the 3-4 requires big, strong players to occupy offensive lineman without that fourth defensive lineman there to help. In addition, these monsters have to be able to keep pressure off their outside linebackers. To say the least, the Cowboys’ defensive ends didn’t do that in 2011.

To fix this, the Cowboys need to revert back to the 4-3 defense, where smaller defensive ends will suffice. For example, the Cowboys could sign Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis if the team switched to a 4-3. If not, the 6’2″, 245-lbs. Mathis would have to switch to outside linebacker if he came to Dallas.

Of course, every Cowboys fan loves DeMarcus Ware; he’s arguably the best pass rusher in the game. However, he can’t cover the pass to save his neck, especially in zone coverage, and he knows it. Opposing running backs, tight ends and receivers were open in the flats all the time this season and Ware was to blame most of the time. He’d be so much better as a 4-3 defensive end just pinning his ears back and rushing the passer every play. Can you believe those words? “DeMarcus Ware would be so much better.” Can you imagine?

Ware was a beast at defensive end in college; he was a finalist for the Hendricks Award as a senior, an honor designated for the nation’s top defensive end. Pass rushing is his best asset and that’s what he would be doing all the time in a 4-3.

Of course, Ware is only the icing on the cake of a switch to the 4-3. Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee would make a dynamite middle linebacker; have you seen that guy in pass coverage? Have you seen him in run stoppage? Lee is a monster and a switch to the 4-3 would make him the full-time “Mike” linebacker, a role in which he thrives.

Obviously, the best part about this would be the personnel possibilities, like the pursuit of Mathis in free agency. The Cowboys wouldn’t have to target only 6’6″, 300-lbs. defensive ends for the 3-4. Likewise, youngsters like linebacker Bruce Carter would benefit from the switch; he was brought in to start and he’d be able to move to outside linebacker to replace Anthony Spencer in a 4-3 while Lee manned the middle.

Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of a switch to the 4-3 would be Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff. When Ryan arrived in Dallas, Ratliff was moved to the hybrid nose tackle position in Ryan’s brand of the 3-4 and his production took a nosedive this year. He was an All-Pro at defensive tackle and youngsters Sean Lissemore and Josh Brent are coming along nicely. They would greatly benefit from a move to the 4-3 as traditional defensive tackles.

A 4-3 just makes sense for Dallas. Several top NFL teams that ran the 3-4 in the past decade have since switched back to the 4-3. The New England Patriots are one of them; they switched back to the 4-3 this year and, in case you didn’t know, they’re in the Super Bowl. Make the switch, Rob Ryan.

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