Dallas Cowboys Re-Tooling: "Big D" Making Key Personnel Moves

The NFL free agency frenzy has started, and moves have been made by players and teams all over the league.

The Dallas Cowboys are one of those teams, having already brought in free agents to make their team better than the team that missed out on the playoffs in 2008 after beginning the year with so much promise.

Bringing in quarterback Jon Kitna via a trade was a smart choice by the Cowboys, especially after what happened when Romo went down with his broken finger last season.

Kitna will be a backup quarterback, but unlike last year with Brad Johnson, Kitna will at least keep the ball moving forward.

The only negative thing that I could see coming out of the trade for Jon Kitna would be the locker room talk between Kitna and Cowboys defensive linebacker Bradie James. Kitna and James have a history together, beginning in 2006 when Kitna was a member of the Detroit Lions.

With the signing of Jon Kitna, Brad Johnson was released, so I look for Johnson to retire.

Dallas also brought in help on the defensive side of the ball by signing long-time Atlanta Falcons middle linebacker Keith Brooking. Brooking was probably brought in to replace Zach Thomas, who was released by the Cowboys.

Brooking's play isn't eye-popping, but it's consistent every week.

Dallas also signed linebacker Matt Stewart. Stewart didn't play in 2008, but before that, he spent his career in Atlanta and Cleveland.

The free agency period hasn't been all good for the Cowboys, however, especially for their defense. Defensive end Chris Canity signed a six-year deal with the New York Giants, and the loss of Canity will be felt on the defensive line.

To fix that problem, Dallas might want to contact Jason Taylor's agent about him signing with the Cowboys.

Also, the trade for Kitna meant that cornerback Anthony Henry was traded in return. If they can't get someone to replace Henry's talent, the secondary could be in trouble.

Safety Roy Williams, meanwhile, made it clear on Tuesday that he wanted to either be traded or released by the Cowboys.

So far, Dallas hasn't met either of his demands.

Dallas still has some issues that they need to work out before the kickoff of the new season. One is the locker room mess that involves Jason Witten, Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, receiver Roy Williams, and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

They are going to have to coexist to win.

If if comes to it, releasing Terrell Owens would be smart before June. If they release him before, Dallas won't have to pay Owens his $3 million dollar roster bonus.