Dallas Cowboys Training Camp Preview: Part I

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

NFL fans across the nation are gearing up for what has become a summer tradition for many. NFL training camps are just two weeks away from starting on college campuses and practice fields in a neighborhood near you.

While I, like many, can hardly contain myself with excitement that we are approaching a new NFL season, many NFL clubs have questions that still remain unanswered.

Will Brett Favre come out of retirement again? How will Tom Brady’s knee hold up throughout the season? Can Eli Manning survive without Plaxico Burress? Are the Dallas Cowboys better without Terrell Owens?

The 2008 Dallas Cowboys were nothing short of a disappointment. Injuries dashed hopes of any type of Super Bowl run early in the season when Tony Romo broke his pinky finger and Marion Barber bruised every possible body part.

Owens was made the scapegoat for an underachieving offense as his numbers struggled without Romo calling the signals.

Rookie sensation Felix Jones was amazing before injuring his hamstring, hampering a potent one-two punch anchored by Barber.

But this season will be different for the boys from Valley Ranch.

Owens was released to go roam in Buffalo, safety Roy Williams couldn’t cover the deep ball, so he was allowed to walk as well, and stalwart linebacker Zach Thomas proclaimed after the season that he wouldn’t be back.

Not only are the Cowboys a different team, but they have a different look as well.

This season Romo is the unquestioned leader of an offense that has the potential to rank first in every statistical category.

Romo no longer has the shadow of Owens—or Jessica Simpson, for that matter—hanging over his shoulder in the locker room or in the media.

Jason Witten and second-year man Martellus Bennett are poised to become a potent receiving tandem as the Cowboys look to feature more two-tight end sets than in past seasons.

So what should fans watch for and expect from the Cowboys in training camp and preseason?

1. Can Roy Williams replace the production of Terrell Owens?

The quick answer is no. If you look at the stats for both players, Williams has only logged one 1,000-yard season in his short six-year career, and his career high in touchdowns is eight.

Compare that with Terrell and, Williams cannot hold a candle to his production.

However, Terrell has always had the presence of a great or at least good quarterback behind center. In San Francisco, he had Steve Young and Jeff Garcia. In Philadelphia he had Donovan McNabb

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