The Dallas Cowboys are one of several NFL teams beginning organized team activities this week. The OTAs are non-contact, three-days-a-week practices over the next three weeks. These practices are not in pads, nor are they mandatory.
The Cowboys' projected starting defensive line is Anthony Spencer, Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware. Three of the four starters -- Hatcher, Ratliff and Ware -- are in their 30s, and Spencer and Hatcher are entering the final year of their contracts.
The Dallas Cowboys' signing of defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove on Thursday got buried under the at-long-last resolution of the Doug Free matter. But as Calvin Watkins writes on ESPNDallas.com, it says something about where the Cowboys are in terms of their defensive line.
The Thursday signing of Anthony Hargrove to a one-year deal adds depth to the Dallas Cowboys' defensive line, but not youth. Currently, three of the four projected starting linemen are at least 30, and defensive end Anthony Spencer is 29.
IRVING, Texas – The rooms along the hallway inside the Cowboys’ Valley Ranch practice facility are labeled the way you would think they would be labeled: tight ends, offensive line and so on.
The defensive line is a position of strength for the Dallas Cowboys. Just ask Jerry Jones. The Cowboys owner/general manager made that declaration after the first round of the draft, when Dallas decided to pass on Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, opting to give more weight to the opinions of two prized new assistant coaches than the scouting department.
IRVING, Texas – If we’ve learned anything about the Cowboys, it’s that they love their defensive line. “We believe the defensive line is a strength,” became a default position for just about everybody in the organization during the NFL draft.
IRVING, Texas – Over the last few years, the Cowboys’ top-30 visitors before the draft have been a good indicator into who they end up selecting. Guys like Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Tyrone Crawford and Matt Johnson, among others, visited Valley Ranch and ended up getting picked by the team.
Missing the playoffs again isn't an acceptable notion around Valley Ranch for the Dallas Cowboys. There are many questions surrounding this draft class, but the Cowboys can't miss here. The Cowboys have to find a starter or a significant contributor in the first two rounds, regardless if they trade up or down.
ESPN's NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. predicts the Cowboys will select offensive and defensive linemen in the first three rounds. It's not something I hear mentioned often, but the age of the Dallas defensive line has crept up.
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