Dallas Cowboys 2005 season preview

Updated: September 2, 2005, 11:25 AM ET

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THE BOTTOM LINE

By John Clayton, ESPN.com

The Cowboys are heading in the right direction on defense with their switch to the 3-4. Demarcus Ware will compete against Derrick Johnson of the Chiefs for defensive rookie of the year. He should have a eight to 10 sacks this season as the pass-rushing linebacker. He has good instincts, quick reactions and great closing speed.

Once Marcus Spears heals from his knee injury, the Cowboys' DE-tandem of the future should come together. Chris Canty is a natural at left end, and Spears is a more natural fit in the 3-4 than Greg Ellis. Kevin Burnett looks good at outside linebacker. The sleeper acquisition might be cornerback Anthony Henry, who is a tough tackler at corner and is good enough in coverage to challenge Terence Newman.

The Cowboys dropped from No. 1 to No. 16 on defense last year, and the improvements during the offseason should put them between those numbers.

Coach Bill Parcells is gambling Drew Bledsoe can be the difference on offense. Bledsoe comes to the Cowboys with a chip on his shoulder. He didn't like the way the Bills and the Patriots gave up on him for younger quarterbacks. Bledsoe played his best football under Parcells and is hoping this brings back the fountain of youth.

There are problems, though. Last year, the inability to find a cornerback hampered the defense. This year, the right tackle situation is a mess because, basically, the Cowboys don't have one. If they can't find a right tackle, the offense might be poisoned the way the defense was last year. Other than Terry Glenn, the Cowboys don't have speed at receiver, which could cause Bledsoe to hold onto the ball too long. Quincy Morgan is losing the third receiving job to Patrick Crayton.

Still, the Cowboys' offense is helped by the running of Julius Jones and the play of TE Jason Witten, one of the league's best.

ESPN's TAKE

By Joe Theismann, ESPN.com

The Big Question?
Can the Cowboys assimilate into the 3-4 defense in one season? Bill Parcells has the defensive scheme that he wants and brought in the pieces necessary to make it work, but is it possible to successfully bring it up to speed in just one season?

FANTASY TAKE

By Scott Engel, ESPN.com

Sleeper: WR Terry Glenn
He has been reunited with Drew Bledsoe, and while both are past their primes, Bledsoe still can fire the ball downfield enough to make Glenn look good. If he can stay healthy, Glenn still has the ability to get open against lesser defenses. With a familiar veteran throwing him the ball, Glenn could have a few big games that will make him a decent fantasy starter when the matchup is right.
Bust: Defense/special teams
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is hoping to get better results out of the 3-4, but the personnel isn't there to make the unit consistently perform at a high level. Rookie DeMarcus Ware is a nice add to a mediocre LB corps, but he will have some struggles as well as flashes of promise as a rookie. There are depth issues in the secondary, and there also are no real threats to break big plays in the return game.

From ESPN the MAGAZINE

The Big Number

61.8 Despite four games vs. the 'Skins and Giants -- both in the bottom quarter of NFL passing teams last season -- Dallas foes completed 61.8 percent of their throws, highest in club history.

STRENGTH --> LOVE JONES

A fractured left shoulder blade delayed his emergence as a rookie, but Julius Jones is the future. In the last seven games of 2004, the 5-10, 205-pounder rushed for 819 yards and showed both inside toughness and the acceleration to be a home-run threat. His improved pass-blocking should keep him on the field more; expect him to catch more balls. With questions at QB and the wides, Dallas will ride Jones all season.

WEAKNESS --> THE D (ALL OF IT)

Last season's miserable disappointment forced a facelift, and while the free-agency additions of NT Jason Ferguson and CB Anthony Henry will help, there will be some scarring. The unit will need time to gel, and coordinator Mike Zimmer, who prefers speed over size in his 4-3 approach, can't be happy ceding control to Bill Parcells, who's bulking up the unit while switching to a 3-4.

PROSPECTS

Your enemy's enemy is your friend. That's why Dallas snagged Henry (left) from Cleveland this offseason. In a division of super-size receivers like Terrell Owens and Plaxico Burress, the 'Boys need the 6-foot-1, 205-pound corner. "Anthony's a big, physical guy with long arms," Keyshawn Johnson says. "He gives me headaches in practice."

He also gives hard-hitting S Roy Williams a license to roam. Henry is not the only new face: FAs Ferguson and Aaron Glenn (at nickel corner) and first-round draft picks Ware and Marcus Spears (a backup DE for now) came to revive a D that sank from first in 2003 to 16th last season.

If it works, it won't matter as much that a 33-year-old QB who has been sacked 140 times in three seasons (Bledsoe) relies on a rookie sixth-rounder (Petitti) for protection.

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