Dallas Cowboys' Full 2011 Offseason Report

So far, the 2011 offseason has been full of bark with little bite for Dallas. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had his eyes on prized free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, but the floor fell out from under him when Nnamdi chose Philly over Dallas.

The Cowboys are still in the running for safety Michael Huff, but at this point, all moves made by Dallas have been pretty quiet, at least on the signing front.

Though the team has failed to nab any big named players, they have made plenty of waves with the number of veterans they chose to drop.

With the departure of key names like Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis, will the Cowboys have enough to compete in the NFC East?

So far, I think the Cowboys deserve a C grade for their moves.

Let’s take a look at how the Cowboys offseason has gone so far.

Dallas Announces Rob Ryan as New Defensive Coordinator

Former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was the team’s defensive coordinator when he roamed the sidelines, but once offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was hired the team had to find a guy to run the defense.

Former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was hired by the ‘Boys in early January to bring a new level of toughness to Dallas.

Ryan’s defense is aggressive, rough and complex, but should help the Cowboys improve their standing as the league’s 23rd best defense.

Rex’s twin brother is a little off kilter at times, but brings an intensity that should serve Dallas well as they prepare for a tough division schedule.

Jason Garrett’s Interim Tag Removed

On February 1, 2011 Jason Garrett was officially named head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The interim tag was officially removed, and Garrett took full rein of the team.

Garrett guided Dallas to a 5-3 finish in 2010, and it would have been hard for Jones to justify hiring someone else after Garrett connected so well with the team.

Jason ridded the team of the relaxed atmosphere it had become accustomed to under head coach Wade Phillips and brought needed intensity that helped to guide Dallas to key wins against the Colts, Eagles and Giants.

Cowboys Draft Tyron Smith and DeMarco Murray

Dallas was expected to go after an offensive lineman or a cornerback in the first round of the draft, and they chose to draft a tackle.

Former USC standout Tyron Smith was taken off the board at No. 9 to help anchor their offensive line for the next decade.

Dallas had more than a few issues upfront in 2010, and this was Jerry’s solution to the problem. Jones also picked up speedy Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray in an effort to bolster an already healthy set of running backs.

As soon as Murray was taken by the ‘Boys, running back Marion Barber knew that his days as a Cowboys player would soon come to an end.

Murray will not bring the same type of running style to the Cowboys as Barber, but it will add a new element of elusiveness and speed to the Cowboys offense and special teams.

Dallas Releases Key Veterans

As soon as the lockout ended, the Cowboys started to cut players in an effort to get under the cap. Jerry Jones also knew he needed to add talent to stay competitive, as their defensive line was weak, the secondary was less than ordinary and the safety position had a serious element of ineptness.

The Cowboys released running back Marion Barber, offensive linemen Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis, kicker Kris Brown and wide receiver Roy Williams.

Letting go of Colombo was expected, as he graded as the Cowboys worst offensive lineman in 2010, but some thought that Jones would hold on to Davis. Leonard had his problems last season, but the Cowboys have enough issues upfront that Davis would at least stay around as a contingency plan.

But Jones let him go, and now the Cowboys offensive line will look totally different in 2011. Rookie lineman Tyron Smith will be thrown in the fire immediately, and veteran Montrae Holland will more than likely ascend to the position of starter.

The absence of Davis and Colombo may prove to be too much for Dallas to overcome, but Jerry knew he had to do something different if Dallas has any chance of making a serious run at a Super Bowl.

Cowboys Re-Sign Marcus Spears

Re-signing defensive end Marcus Spears was probably the mild surprise of training camp for many fans. Spears was as good as gone once the 2010 season ended.

Fans and pundits, including me, thought that Dallas could either draft or sign a free agent who would perform better than the former LSU stand out.

But double J signaled on a local Dallas radio station a couple of days ago that the team seriously undervalued Spears, and they realized that once the free agent signing period started. Of course, their assessment of Spears probably changed once they realized that Spears would be as good as it would get.

Free agent Stephen Bowen decided to sign with the Redskins over the Cowboys, and defensive end Jason Hatcher isn’t expected back either.

Fans can either look at this as a sign that the Cowboys will have some continuity heading into the new season, or the ‘Boys are in trouble.

Dallas Fails to Sign Nnamdi Asomugha

Jerry Jones really thought he had a shot at signing Asomugha, and hearing news that the star cornerback decided to go with Eagles must have felt like a punch in the gut.

Dallas was atrocious in the secondary last season, and signing Nnamdi would have at least shocked a few opponents enough not to throw to his side of the field.

The Cowboys still have glaring holes at the safety position, and who knows how corners Terrance Newman and Mike Jenkins will respond in 2011. With Asomugha now in the same division as the Cowboys winning, the NFC East just became that much harder.

Kyle Kosier Re-Signs with Dallas

Some fans wanted to see Kosier go to the offensive line's instability last season. But Kosier actually played pretty well last season, and he served as a mentor to upstart tackle Doug Free as he switched from the right to the left side of the line.

Kosier also helped to call plays on the line, and bringing him back was key if Dallas had any plans of achieving stability upfront this season.

I think that signing Kosier to a mid range deal, three years for $9 million, was good enough for Kosier to stay and cap friendly enough for the Cowboys in the end.