After a walkthrough this morning at The Alamodome, Dallas headed north and will tomorrow night begin its four-game exhibition season against the Broncos in Arlington. Ready or not, tackle football is back.
The Cowboys took with them several questions to camp. After a two-week stay, what kind of answers did they get?
5. Kicker? Um, notsomuch. Free agent Dan Bailey was more consistent on field goals, but incumbent David Buehler much better on kickoff touchbacks. I'd say the competition is open heading into pre-season games and that the re-calling of a veteran like Kris Brown still isn't out of the equation. If the Cowboys had a 37-yard field goal to save their season this afternoon, I'd feel only about 68 percent certain they have a kicker who would make it.
4. Dez Bryant? Yessir! He caught everything thrown his way, signed more autographs than any player and stopped blaming the media. Grew up right before our eyes.
3. Rob Ryan? His presence might have been the story of camp. The long, flowing gray hair. The exercise ball stuffed under his XXXXXXL T-shirt. The constant obscenities. Remains to be seen whether Ryan can coach different results from the same talent, but his stamp is already all over this team. At times, even more than Jason Garrett's.
2. Tyron Smith? Yep, the dude can play, and at a Pro Bowl level. Against anyone not named DeMarcus Ware he was dominant in camp. And he was a tireless worker, always out early and staying late to work with offensive line coach Hudson Houck on his technique.
1. Free-agent Splash? Not even close. Dallas' pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha was foreplay without a satisfying climax. Other than draft choices and Ryan, the Cowboys' freshest impact face will be Abe Elam. Yawn.
