Dallas Cowboys: 6 Veterans Who Should Be Looking over Their Shoulder

In recent seasons the Dallas Cowboys were thought of as a Super Bowl contender. In fact, around 18 months ago, many questioned whether or not the Cowboys would become the first team to play host to a Super Bowl in their own stadium. That’s about a year and a half is all.

Heading into 2012 the Cowboys know who they are and, most importantly, who they are not. You can’t possibly enter this season following the previous two while still clinging to the belief that you are just a player or two away from greatness.

Dallas is several players away, but it seems the problem areas are being focused on with more intention than in recent seasons. The Cowboys are far from rebuilding, but there is significant renovation underway and this means competition at numerous positions prior to opening the season against the New York Giants on Sept. 5, 2012.

No, the names Tony Romo and Anthony Spencer do not appear on this list because their respective positions are far from a question mark—at least at this point in time.

I don’t see too many battles for the obvious skill positions on offense and likely not very much on defense either, but as the Cowboys get younger at an accelerated rate, the competition will be fierce if you know where to look.

Following the upcoming NFL draft beginning April 26, yet more position battles will emerge, but as the Cowboys sit right now, here are six veteran players who could very well not be team by summer’s end.

6. Phil Costa, C

After releasing veteran center Andre Gurode just prior to the start of last season, the Cowboys had higher hopes for his potential replacements. As we’ve learned recently, owner Jerry Jones rolled the dice in a higher-risk, less-reward scenario that he’s accustomed to.

If Costa’s brief NFL career fits any analogy, he’s basically a young antelope heading towards a pride of Lions waiting to pounce. Simply put, some of the young will not survive in the NFL wilderness and this is just how it is.

A top priority this offseason is to better protect Tony Romo. It’s true the defense will get some attention, as it already has in free agency, but the offensive line will be addressed heavily.

Costa was not exactly NFL ready as a second-year player in 2011 and he wasn’t much more than depth as a rookie in 2010. The reality is that Costa has to show dramatic improvement in order to retain a spot on the roster in 2012.

Kevin Kowalski will enter his second season, presumably right behind Costa on the depth chart. I can’t say Kowalski is a better player than Costa, but expect a serious battle here as the Cowboys will give Kowalski every opportunity to win the starting job.

Finally, the Cowboys could very well draft a center with an early pick if they really think that a given prospect might be better than the two unproven candidates they have on the roster now.

Either way, Dallas will be seeking to intentionally upgrade at the center position and Costa had better not miss a snap in the meantime.

5. Kenyon Coleman, DE

Defensive end Kenyon Coleman was brought back to Dallas at the request of new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan during the abbreviated offseason of 2011. Like the rest of the defense, Coleman never really seemed to make much impact upfront.

Coleman was involved in other ways and nobody should confuse him with a pass-rushing specialist that aims for double-digit sacks each year. Turning 33 years of age on April 10 and with just one year remaining on his current contract, Coleman might be kept around in the same spirit the Cowboys decided to keep Anthony Spencer.

In the end, Coleman is not the reason the defense suffered, especially against the passing game. The question is exactly how much the Cowboys think he can help moving forward. At the very least Coleman is high-quality depth—as he is healthy.

However, what if Dallas decides to move Jay Ratliff back to defensive end, his more natural position? Don’t know how likely this really is, but if it does end up becoming standard operating procedure then suddenly the defensive end position is a bit more crowded, which is good.

A worst-case scenario for Coleman would be for Dallas to move Ratliff and then draft a player like Michael Brockers of LSU or perhaps Devon Still of Penn State with the 14th selection.

Now consider the presence of young and massive Clifton Geathers and Sean Lissemore also jockeying for jobs. In this case, a crowded position with some youth, experience and athleticism might put the squeeze on Coleman.     

4. Kevin Ogletree, WR

In the very limited action I have seen from Kevin Ogletree, he seems to have the skills to be a legitimate wide receiver in the NFL. Entering his fourth season in the league, the time has simply come to put up or shut up.

There is a degree of disappointment that Ogletree was not able to take better advantage of the expected release of Roy Williams just prior to last season. Like much of the offense, Ogletree never caught any kind of groove and the biggest reason for this no longer on the roster and will not be in 2012.

Laurent Robinson took the money and ran to Jacksonville on the strength of an out-of-nowhere performance in 2011. I would venture to argue the Cowboys might be suspect Ogletree could fill a similar role this coming season.

This is not to say Ogletree is a better receiver than Robinson, but I would stop way short of saying he could not be.

Either way, the only sure things at wide receiver in Dallas are Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.

After that you’ll have guys like Andre Holmes, a very intriguing prospect, and Texas products Raymond Radway and Teddy Williams who will be just waiting for the chance to catch passes in what could be a pretty high-powered offense.

To begin with, the coast is clear for Ogletree to establish an identity.

If he doesn’t do this during training camp then he’ll never make it to Week 1 in New York.

3. Nate Livings, G

Offensive guard Nate Livings just arrived in Dallas as an early free-agent signing less than one month ago—and he is on the bubble already.

A contract like the one signed by Livings certainly suggests starting expectations. I love the fact that Livings is well over 300 pounds and that he should have enough youth and experience to help the talent around him in getting better.

Livings is basically a slightly younger version of Montrae Holland, who comes with more playing experience and a little more athleticism.

It’s hard to figure out exactly who Livings is. Coming from Cincinnati, Livings has been a part of one of the league’s worst franchises that also lost a franchise quarterback in Carson Palmer prior to the trade deadline last season.

However, it is important to note the Bengals went to the playoffs last season with rookie Andy Dalton at quarterback. Livings was apparently a part of a good enough offense to enable a highly experienced college quarterback to function fairly well as a first-year signal-caller.

Signing Livings was not a highly visible move but rather one born out of necessity. Only the tackle positions are a certainty as of right now and I’m only convinced that 2011 first-round selection Tyron Smith will definitely play left tackle.

Every other position has question marks or possibilities that would make it ill-advised for Livings to become comfortable and content as a five-year veteran.

Protecting Tony Romo will be a primary focus of 2012 and if Livings is not up for it then somebody else will be.

The offensive line picture should be very clear following the upcoming draft.

2. Gerald Sensabaugh, S

Last season’s surprise signing of free safety Gerald Sensabaugh to a five-year extension would indicate the seven-year veteran is part of future plans. I don’t disagree with this idea, but I keep thinking to myself that the Cowboys could have better play at the safety position.

Do the Cowboys have an Ed Reed lurking around dark corners?

Does Dallas have an enforcer in the secondary like Troy Polamalu?

Let’s say Dallas does the unthinkable and acquires Mark Barron early in the draft process. You could assume Barron would be penciled at strong safety, but I am not so sure this is the end of it.

What if recent free-agent addition Brodney Poole, a free safety as well, makes an impressive impact during training camp and forces himself into the starting lineup? Remember that Rex Ryan, New York Jets' head coach and twin brother of Rob Ryan, coached Poole the last couple of seasons in essentially the same system.

Poole might have a leg-up on this battle that most haven’t even considered.

Obviously the draft will shed much more light on this part of the depth chart.

This position battle won’t result in Sensabaugh no longer remaining on the roster, but there is the possibility Sensabaugh could see his current starting position snatched out from under him.

1. Bruce Carter, ILB

Right now I can think of no bigger question concerning the Dallas roster than exactly what role will second-year linebacker Bruce Carter play?

Much like the offensive line, aging veterans are being shown the door and fresh, young faces are coming into the mix. This is really important at the inside linebacker positions and veterans Bradie James and Keith Brooking were going to push this defense forward not one inch further.

The Cowboys spent a second-round pick in 2011 on a future project from the University of North Carolina. Dallas knew little could be expected of Carter as a rookie given his injury sustained late in his senior year at Penn State.

Bruce Carter played little during last season and this was only intended to get his feet wet a little before being relied upon in 2012.

Here we are.

Based on his college resume with the Tar Heels, Carter projects quite favorably as an athletic inside linebacker. This guy made some huge plays at Chapel Hill, and if not for his knee injury in late 2010, most feel Carter would have easily been a first-round pick in last year’s draft.

Carter has had his warm-up tosses and now it’s time to take the mound.

Dallas also signed veteran inside linebacker Dan Connor away from Carolina as an insurance policy against Carter’s potential hold-up in grabbing a starting position right away.

Regardless of what he did in school, Carter’s time to shine is now. This is not to say there will not be a learning curve and perhaps some patience required with Carter, but the Cowboys have the highest of hopes for the future of this pick of almost a year ago.     

You could argue the Cowboys essentially have an additional draft choice in the upcoming draft because they have yet to enjoy the fruits of the Carter selection, which will absolutely influence the organization’s thinking at a critical position moving forward.

However, if Carter is slow to the punch, then Connor brings serviceable experience as well as a strong rapport with former Nittany Lion teammate Sean Lee, the only the other starting inside linebacker on the Dallas roster.

This should be a tremendous battle for playing time.