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          NFL Nation

          Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag, Part 2

          • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterNov 22, 2014, 10:00 AM ET
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              Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
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          IRVING, Texas -- Part 2 of the Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag is ready. In it we discuss:

          If you want to see Part 1, click here. Away we go:

          @toddarcher: The simple answer is this: because he doesn't have to. Nor should he respond to any players comments and pay the guy simply because the guy wants more money. Heck, I want more money. You want more money. That doesn't mean our bosses are just going to give it to us. The Cowboys can simply put the franchise tag on Dez Bryant and worry about the future later. It's not the best solution but neither is giving a player what he wants just because he is asking for it. Eventually I believe a deal will get done, but I think the franchise tag is the most likely option right now. If Bryant does not like that, he can blame the union for not getting it out of the CBA. But what will he do, not play? We should all struggle by making in excess of $12 million for a season.

          From Twitter: Have we seen the last of the elite pass-catcher Jason Witten? #cowboysmail
          @toddarcher: To me Jason Witten's numbers are down simply because of opportunity. The Cowboys are a running team and don't throw it as much. But Witten is still playing at a top level. He is still getting open. He is still getting separation. This might be the best he has ever blocked, too. I don't know if you'll see him put up 85-100 catch seasons again because of the way the Cowboys run but that doesn't mean he's not having a fine season. He is. It's normal to wait for the decline in a player that has played as long as Witten has, but the slippage has been minimal. His offseason work is tremendous. His in-season work is tremendous.

          @toddarcher: Good question, Malcolm. I'd go with Doug Free. To me right tackle is a more important position. That's not to knock Ronald Leary. I think he's done a good job. He's a vital part to the Cowboys' success on the ground and in protecting Tony Romo. The Cowboys want to be stout up the middle to protect Romo. But I think Free means more. He is the leader in the offensive line room. He has played fairly well the last two years. I've stumped for the Cowboys to re-sign him a few times. Leary will be an exclusive rights free agent, so the Cowboys have his rights at least through 2016. Free will be an unrestricted free agent and with the voidable years on his current deal he will count against the cap next year whether he is on the team or not. I'd get something done with Free.

          @toddarcher: I don't think so. I know he has said he believes this is one of the best coaching staffs the Cowboys have had in his tenure as owner, but I think there are prices that might be too expensive. And there is another thing to remember: The coaches will be free to sign elsewhere. Despite the happy faces that have been put on the situation, Callahan was upset he was not able to leave in the offeason when Scott Linehan took over as the playcaller. Callahan wants to call plays and will not get that chance here. Maybe another team gives him that shot and he chooses to leave. If Callahan leaves, then the Cowboys can plug in Frank Pollack as line coach. Marinelli's situation is tricky too. He is best friends with Lovie Smith. Things have not gone well for Smith in Tampa Bay and maybe he calls on Marinelli, who has displayed loyalty to Smith in the past by leaving the Bears. The Cowboys don't want to lose either coach, but they might not be in position to do much about it.

          @toddarcher: I like this one. A little off the board here. You won't see throwbacks again unless the Cowboys want to wear their current helmets with the old uniforms. That's why you will see the Cowboys wear their blue jerseys at home on Thanksgiving against Philadelphia. The league does not want teams wearing multiple helmets during the course of the year with the concussion litigation going on. That makes sense. I've wondered why colleges haven't followed suit on that but I guess recruiting wins out. I miss the Cowboys' throwbacks. I thought they looked sharp. But I'll admit this too: I liked the blue jerseys at home on Thanksgiving last year.