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          NFL Nation

          Dallas Cowboys Twitter mailbag, Part 1

          • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterMar 27, 2015, 09:00 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 1 of the Dallas Cowboys Twitter mailbag is ready.

          In it we discuss:

          Away we go:

          @toddarcher: If we base it on what the NFL has allowed in the past, he will be able to take part in the offseason program, organized team activities and June minicamp as well as training camp and the preseason games provided he is not on the commissioner’s exempt list. Last year Orlando Scandrick was suspended for what turned out to be the first two games of the season, but was able to take part in training camp and the preseason games. When the regular season started, he was not allowed at the facility and had to work out on his own.

          @toddarcher: Usually you hear teams say, “You can never have too many cornerbacks.” Well, I would submit for the Cowboys you can’t have too many linebackers either. McClain is a good player. He has issues that coaches and teammates have to deal with, but on Sunday he will play. So if you can get that guy at a good rate, even with a four-game fine and the next failed test leading to a four-game suspension, you try to work something out. Sean Lee has yet to play a full season. Anthony Hitchens had a better-than-expected rookie year. The Cowboys added Jasper Brinkley too. It might seem that they have enough linebackers, but since injuries always pop up, you need extra guys to get through a season.

          @toddarcher: I think the odds are very good. I don’t see how there is any way Dallas will pay him $8 million in 2015. Carr’s agent, Ben Dogra, said at the NFL owners meetings that his client would not accept a pay cut. Hey, I wouldn’t give in so easily, either, but there will come a time when job opportunities and cap space elsewhere will be limited. It’s all part of the negotiation. What is Carr worth? At present, his price can remain high, especially when you see the deals some cornerbacks have signed in free agency. In May and June that might not be the case. The Cowboys can afford to slow-play this. If he doesn’t take a pay cut, I think they'll just cut him and gain cap space in 2015 but absorb a hit in 2016.

          @toddarcher: If we’re talking about on the field, I would agree. I wondered last year if what RB Joseph Randle did in small doses makes the Cowboys believe he might be as effective with a larger role in 2016; his success might have played into the departure of DeMarco Murray. The Cowboys' lack of faith in Randle isn’t so much what has happened on the field, although they do have pass-protection concerns. Personally, I think we in the media and fans sometimes overrate pass-protection issues as some sort of way to show we “know the game.” Yes, it’s important, especially when you have a quarterback with a bad back, but I don’t think it is too difficult to figure out who to block as a running back if you just pay attention. As much as I was a Murray fan, he wasn’t perfect in pass protection, either. But Randle's two arrests in less than six months play a part in the Cowboys’ apparent lack of faith. He could still be punished by the NFL even if he is not punished legally.

          @toddarcher: The easy answer is: Rod Marinelli better have confidence. I do get the sense that Marinelli’s message to the front office is, “I’ll coach up whoever you give me and we’ll be OK.” Now, I do think the Cowboys need to look at the defensive line in the early rounds. The only legit contributor at defensive end under contract for 2016 is DeMarcus Lawrence. I think Ken Bishop has a chance to be a solid part of the rotation along with Terrell McClain. The coaches soured some on Davon Coleman as last season went on, which played a part in why his re-signing took so long. Ben Gardner is coming back from surgery, so it’s hard to expect much from him. We also need to remember that Bishop and Gardner were seventh-round picks and Coleman was undrafted. You like these kinds of success stories, but I’m not sure you should stop looking to get better than those guys, either.