Dallas Cowboys: Which Holes Have the Cowboys Failed to Address?

The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up to face the Denver Broncos this Thursday in their first contest of the preseason. We’ll finally get to see defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s new defensive scheme and if quarterback Tony Romo can still throw a pass.

We’ll also have a chance to see if the Cowboys have mended some of the broken fences on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Last season, the Cowboys finished the season ranked as the NFL’s 23rd best defense. Dallas gave up 234 passing yards per game and over 640 penalty yards for the season.

How will the new look Cowboys measure up to last season’s 6-10 team? Did team owner Jerry Jones and his front office do enough to address the team’s most pressing needs in the off-season and through the draft, or are fans in for another tough, long season?

We’ll have our answers soon enough when the 'Boys lace 'em up and start to crack pads. But is there enough faith in the abilities of the secondary, and will the defensive line put enough pressure on the quarterback this season?

Let’s take a look at a few areas where the Dallas Cowboys still need improvement.

Cornerback—Jerry bet the farm on bringing in cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and he lost it all. I say that because Jones really thought that bringing Nnamdi to Dallas would solve the team’s issues in the defensive backfield. Jones and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will depend on starters Mike Jenkins and Terrance Newman to return to Pro Bowl form in 2011.

They’ll have to if they have any plans of competing in the NFC East. The Eagles signed almost every available free agent, the Redskins are young and eager and the Giants are still, well, the Giants.

Available cornerback: Kelvin Hayden

Safety—I actually liked the move the Cowboys made by signing safety Abram Elam. Jones knew they needed to make a move, and signing Elam was the right one.

Elam is familiar with Ryan’s defense, as he played for him in Cleveland and should serve as a guide for other defensive players on the team.

But I still think the Cowboys should sign another safety for insurance and depth. As of right now, Elam and Gerald Sensabaugh will serve as the starters, but if one goes down with an injury, the team will be forced to call on Alan Ball or Bryan McCann.

The free agent market continues to dwindle with each passing day, and if the Cowboys fail to make a move, they may hamstring themselves heading into 2011.

Available safety: Deon Grant

Defensive Line—The Cowboys have attempted to address their needs on the defensive front by re-signing end Jason Hatcher and free agent Kenyon Coleman.

Coleman is another player who’s familiar with Ryan’s defensive system, as he played for the boisterous coach in Cleveland. Coleman is also akin to Dallas as he played for the 'Boys from 2003-06.

The team also re-signed free agent Marcus Spears. Spears was undervalued by the 'Boys and when they saw their options at defensive end they decided to bring Spears back.

But I still think that Dallas needs more competition on the end. Jay Ratliff will continue to start at the nose and Igor Olshansky will start at the other end. But how will the Cowboys rotate, and is there enough faith in the line after what happened last season?

Sign another player for the remainder of training camp and preseason to see how he works out in Ryan’s scheme.

Available defensive end: Jarvis Green