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Cowboys: 10 Questions That Need Answers

By Reid Hanson

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Today’s contest against the Minnesota Vikings will serve as the Cowboys 2015 dress rehearsal. Many questions have yet to be answered…

Word out of Valley Ranch is that the real Dallas Cowboys are going to play today against Minnesota. After two sad preseason performances from the backups, the Cowboys are going to remove the bubble wrap from the starters and see what they can do.

"“Saturday night will be a good test for our football team,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “Our starters will play the most in this game than they will in any of the preseason games, so it’ll be a good opportunity for them to get their feet underneath them a little bit and just play some football.”"

Considering Tony Romo has played a grand total of three snaps this preseason, Garrett’s statement leaves a lot up to interpretation. In other words, three quarters for Romo would be considered the “the most” as would four snaps.

Lucky for Cowboys Nation, Tony Romo’s ability is not what is in question this preseason. Here are 10 questions that still need answering:

  • We know Brandon Weeden is the backup, but is there anyone worth keeping on the 53-man roster behind him? So far the answer is “no”. I want to see if Dustin Vaughan and Jameill Showers has anything worth saving a roster spot for.

    • The starting offensive line should be up and running, and we need to see if these runners can succeed in this system. Do they have the patience to wait for creases and do they have the strength for the tough yards?

  • Joseph Randle specifically needs to show he has pass-protection skills. We all know he can carry the rock, but we need to know he’s not a liability protecting Romo. It would be nice to see Darren McFadden get all the carries and Randle get all the pass-protection assignments. Gotta find out sooner or later and the Cowboys are running out of time.
  • Is linebacker Jasper Brinkley and defensive tackle Terrell McClain worth it? Both have guaranteed money coming their way, but both also have younger, cheaper, higher ceiling options behind them. If they aren’t substantially better than their competition, it may be best to swallow the cap hit and cut them loose.
  • Special Teams has been atrocious. Week three of the preseason is usually where we see it all come together since that unit more closely resembles the regular season unit. Will Jeff Heath and Danny McCray do enough to justify roster spots again? Neither has been great as safeties, so this could come down to special teams. Oh yeah, Dan Bailey? Make a field goal because we’d all feel a lot better heading into the regular season if you did.
  • The pass-rush looks like it could be a thing of beauty. Can Randy Gregory continue his sack streak? Can Greg Hardy regain the form from his Carolina days?

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  • Ryan Russell, Ben Gardner, Ken Bishop, and Jack Crawford are all playing for roster spots. They’ve all looked strong in camp and any combination of them could make the team. Maybe all of them make it and the Cowboys go short at another position group to cover it. Will one or two of them separate from the pack?
  • Morris Claiborne has to play. He’s been babied his entire career and now is the time to put in the work. Claiborne has so much skill it’s an absolute travesty we haven’t seen it flash on the field. Show me something, Morris.
  • What is Byron Jones’ role? When the Cowboys first drafted Jones I saw him as a free safety in the single high safety formation, and as a man coverage player assigned to the tight end. I want to see his range and his ability to cover size from the slot. Jones could be a secret weapon.

    • Besides Tony Romo, there are other players I don’t need to see. I don’t need to see Sean Lee. Sean Lee, even with the position shift to weakside linebacker (WILL), is going to be great. Let’s not risk injury.

    I don’t need to see Dez Bryant. Dez is physical and reckless. Two things that endure him to Cowboys Nation, and two things that make preseason play waaaay too risky. We know he has good timing and chemistry with Romo, so risking him in the preseason is nuts.

    Hopefully we can find some answers to these questions and more today against the Vikings. What do you think? Do you have questions about the Cowboys you need answered?

    Next: Cowboys: Who will make the cut?

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