Dallas Cowboys: What Recent Cuts Mean for 2011

On Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys released 26 players in order to get to the mandatory 53-man roster limit rule set by the NFL. Defensive end Igor Olshansky, fullback Chris Gronkowski, and linebacker Brandon Williams are among those who didn’t make the team for 2011.

No surprising names on the list, but embedded within the list of cuts reveals something about the upcoming season for Dallas.

Dallas is secretly rebuilding.

I say secretly because Dallas hasn’t exactly announced that there is a rebuilding effort going at Valley Ranch. The Cowboys still need safety help, the secondary position is still of concern and the defensive line is a work in progress.

Dallas released rookie cornerback Josh Thomas but kept four rookies on the offensive line with two who will start, Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy.

Along the defensive line, the Cowboys will start Kenyon Coleman in place of Olshansky and Victor Butler replaces linebacker Brandon Williams on the depth chart.

But the offensive line is where I would like to focus. Last season, Dallas had major concerns up front as they couldn’t protect Romo or Kitna at times, and the running game got off to a slow start.

Former Cowboys offensive lineman Marc Colombo graded as the team’s worst offensive lineman and back-up Alex Barron was almost run out of town after the season opener last year.

Center Andre Gurode was let go, and so was guard Leonard Davis. The men responsible for keeping quarterback Tony Romo upright, or down depending on who you ask, are now gone.

The ‘Boys revamped offensive line should consist of left tackle Doug Free, left guard Bill Nagy, center Phil Costa, right guard Kyle Kosier, and right tackle Tyron Smith. Only two starters from 2010 remain, which is probably a good thing for Dallas.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is still searching for a Super Bowl, so the rebuilding project isn’t massive but subtle. A new offensive line is an obvious concession that last year’s group didn’t get the job done.

In the defensive backfield, Dallas has a new strong safety in Abe Elam, and the team just signed cornerback Orlando Scandrick to a five year, $26 million contract extension.

Two things are obvious in Big D: There is a slow rebuilding process afoot, and Dallas is committed to a youth movement.

That should serve them well moving forward, but it may not play out that way in 2011. With games against the Jets, Patriots, and the best from the NFC East, there may be some growing pains as the Cowboys carve their path to the promised land.

After the jump, check out a few now-former Cowboys players who were staples in Dallas.

Check out my previous article:

Complete Grades For Every Cowboys’ Projected Starter

Linebacker Brandon Williams

Williams was drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft,and former head coach Wade Phillips had high hopes for the Texas Tech product.

Unfortunately, he fell behind the learning and playing curves in 2011 and was let go by Dallas on Saturday.

Defensive Back/Special Teamer Akwasi Owusu-Ansah

There was hope for Akwasi but the rules didn't really work in his favor this year. Due to the recent change in kickoff rules Akwasi's kick return ability became void.

He's best known for his speed and kick returns to most fans but he was drafted to play safety. It didn't work out this year so Dallas let him go.

Defense End Igor Olshansky

Shank was being pushed around by opposing offensive lineman and he was simply outplayed by new defensive end Kenyon Coleman. Coleman is also familiar with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's defense making Shank dispensable.