Three Questions 1. Will Romo thrive? This sounds like an annoying refrain, but for Cowboys fans, it’s serious business. Unless Romo can deliver in big games and big situations, Dallas isn’t going to win, and at some point owner Jerry Jones is going to sacrifice coach Jason Garrett because of it. Jones said that he almost drafted Johnny Manziel, not the biggest vote of confidence for Romo. 2. Can the defense improve? Rod Marinelli gets a chance to fix the NFL’s worst D, and he’ll try to go where several others couldn’t go before him. The loss of Sean Lee in the middle makes a shaky outfit even more susceptible. Cutting DeMarcus Ware loose wasn’t the best way to take a step forward, either. A makeshift defensive line has to coalesce, and a generous secondary must get stingier. 3. Is this Jason Garrett’s last hurrah? Jones has been extremely patient with Garrett, absorbing a trio of 8-8 seasons in the hope that better things were on the horizon. Another dose of mediocrity may just send Garrett to the firing line. Garrett likely needs a playoff appearance and possibly a postseason victory to survive. Spencer returns from injury at the end spot. Nick Hayden is solid at one tackle, and rookie Demarcus Lawrence will be asked to provide pass-rushing push from the other end position. Lee’s job could belong to Justin Durant, who made just 24 tackles in 10 games last year, although Iowa rookie Anthony Hitchens could be there before too long. Bruce Carter is productive at the weakside linebacker position, while DeVonte Holloman and Kyle Wilber will fight it out on the strong side. The defensive backfield needs some help, despite a pretty good year from free safety Barry Church, who led the team with 107 tackles last year. Brandon Carr had three picks from the cornerback position last season, but other projected secondary starters Morris Claiborne and J.J. Wilcox combined for one. Defensive Player to Watch Rookie Demarcus Lawrence made some headlines when he announced that his goal this season was double-digit sacks from his end position. That may be a bit of a stretch, since not even DeMarcus Ware could put that kind of production together last year. But give Lawrence points for confidence, and that’s important to have. The 6-3, 251-pounder picked up 20 sacks during his two seasons with Boise State, good for sixth all-time in the Mountain West Conference. Although Lawrence wasn’t considered a big-time recruit coming out of high school, he finished his career with 34 tackles behind the line, including a conference record 20.5 in 2012. He may not reach his stated total this year, but one has to imagine Lawrence will be a good piece of the puzzle before long. Cowboys Special Teams This is a definite area of strength for the Cowboys and should be good for a win or two this year. Kicker Dan Bailey made 28-of-30 kicks last year, including 16-of-17 from 40 and beyond and 6-of-7 from 50 and longer. That’s about as good as it gets. Chris Jones isn’t a dominant punter, but his 45.0-yard average is robust TEAM ROSTER COWBOYS DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QB Tony Romo Brandon Weeden RB DeMarco Murray Lance Dunbar FB Tyler Clutts J.C. Copeland WR Dez Bryant, Dwayne Harris Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley TE Jason Witten Gavin Escobar LT Tyron Smith Darrion Weems LG Mackenzy Bernadeau Ronald Leary C Travis Frederick Ronald Leary RG Zach Martin Uche Nwaneri RT Doug Free Jeremy Parnell DEFENSE DE Demarcus Lawrence George Selvie DT Henry Melton Terrell McClain DT Nick Hayden Ben Bass DE Anthony Spencer Jeremy Mincey OLB DeVonte Holloman Kyle Wilber MLB Justin Durant Anthony Hitchens OLB Bruce Carter Cameron Lawrence CB Brandon Carr B.W. Webb CB Morris Claiborne Orlando Scandrick SS J.J. Wilcox Jeff Heath FS Barry Church Matt Johnson SPECIAL TEAMS K Dan Bailey P Chris Jones KR Dwyane Harris
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