Dallas Cowboys: 5 Positions the Cowboys Need to Upgrade

The 2011 season ended in disappointment for the Dallas Cowboys, with several positions showing to be lacking in talent throughout the year.

The Cowboys have already started to make coaching moves this offseason, with John Henderson coming over from the Browns to coach the secondary and Bill Callahan named as the new offensive coordinator.

While it's great to see the 'Boys making coaching staff moves, and good ones at that, there are five positions that are in desperate need of new talent. Here are the top five positions the Cowboys need to upgrade this offseason.

Backup Quarterback

While it may not be the most pressing of needs, the backup quarterback position is now vacant, as Jon Kitna has made the decision to retire after a solid 15-year career in the NFL.

The 2011 season is a perfect example of why teams need a reliable backup quarterback, with starters like Jason Campbell and Matt Schaub suffering serious injuries.

With Kitna gone, Stephen McGee is penciled in as the No. 2 QB. As much as the kid deserves a chance to prove himself, the team should seriously consider signing a Byron Leftwich or David Garrard-caliber backup in case of something happening to Tony Romo.

Defensive End

The Dallas Cowboys have waited and waited for defensive end Marcus Spears to live up to his first-round pick back in 2005, but the time has come to move on.

Spears was actually dethroned as the starter this season, with Jason Hatcher taking the job at right end and Kenyon Coleman starting on the left.

While all three players have shown flashes of brilliance and Coleman was handpicked by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, it's time Dallas found an enforcer to lineup next to Jay Ratliff.

If the Cowboys could get consistent pressure from Ratliff and even one of the defensive ends, it would free attention from DeMarcus Ware and give the defense the kind of penetration they couldn't create this year.

Center

I realize that center Phil Costa has been in the NFL for all of two seasons, but it's easy to see why he went undrafted back in 2010.

Costa was constantly overpowered and never mastered the necessary art of a quality snap of the football.

How many times did Cowboys fans have to watch Tony Romo receive a low or high snap from their center this year? Too many.

Center is the most crucial position on the offensive line because they are the only ones besides the quarterback who touch the ball every play. If the center messes up the snap, then there's little chance the play can be salvaged.

Dallas needs to find a quality starting center in free agency and then draft a center to groom for the years to come.

Left Guard

The Cowboys were forced to make some tough cuts when the new salary cap was released last offseason, with the offensive line losing Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis due to financial reasons.

With the loss of almost half of their 2010 starters, the Cowboys were forced to start cheap signings such as Derrick Dockery and former backup Montrae Holland at left guard this season.

That resulted in too many occasions where quarterback Tony Romo ended plays on his back. Romo was sacked almost half a dozen times against the New York Giants in Week 17, and some of that responsibility falls at the feet of the left guard.

The Cowboys need to address more than a few issues up front on the O-Line, one of which is bringing in a capable left guard who has a track record for protecting his quarterback.

Cornerback

This photo of the Dallas secondary chasing after opposing wide receivers became all to familiar for Cowboys fans in 2011.

Terence Newman was torched in the Giants game and showed his age all season. The veteran cornerback has seen his best days go by him, and while I appreciate his contributions to the franchise, it's time to move on.

Not all the secondary issues fall on Newman, however. With Mike Jenkins constantly injured throughout this season after a miserable 2010 campaign, it's difficult to know what his true talent level is at the position.

Names like Cortland Finnegan, Brent Grimes and Brandon Carr are all unrestricted free agents heading into this offseason, so it's time owner Jerry Jones breaks out the checkbook and signs Dallas a big-name cover corner.