IRVING, Texas – It frustrated former Cowboys offensive tackle Marc Colombo to watch the demise of the running game last season.
He knows the player he'd like the Cowboys to draft at No. 18 to fix that problem.
"I want Chance Warmack out of Alabama," Colombo said Tuesday on 105.3 FM The Fan. "I think he's big, he's tough, he's nasty. I enjoyed watching that Alabama line all year."
A handful of Alabama offensive linemen will get drafted later this month, including D.J. Fluker and Barrett Jones. But Warmack stands above the rest to Colombo, who said the Cowboys' current offensive line hasn't demonstrated the same attitude of years past.
"He's the guy," Colombo said. "I'd do anything to get that guy on the Cowboys."
Colombo said he thinks Warmack, a guard from the Crimson Tide, could be similar to Nate Newton, but with Larry Allen-type strength.
That kind of player could help fix the chemistry, attitude, and run-blocking of the line, according to Colombo. He said the lack of the run game is putting a strain on the tackles. Colombo admitted he might have more of an affinity for the position, but he said any tackle would get beat with the amount of times the Cowboys had to throw the football last year.
Apart from shaken confidence, he said Doug Free isn't the problem.
"I think the offensive line needs to take it upon themselves, like we used to do, and say this needs to get corrected," Colombo said. "I think it's more of an inside problem between the guards and the centers."
Warmack could help the Cowboys fill a position of need if he's still available in the middle of the first round. He was one of a medley of players visiting the Cowboys on an official pre-draft visit Tuesday.
Colombo still remembers his tryout for the Cowboys, after playing four years with the Bears. He said owner/general manager Jerry Jones and then-head coach Bill Parcells sat and watched the entire workout.
"Jerry Jones, that's the type of guy he is," Colombo said. "He wants to be in every decision, and he's real passionate about that. Fans need to know he's a very passionate person, and he really cares about winning. He probably cares about winning more than anyone in Dallas."
Colombo respects Jones and said the owner can make tough choices with due diligence. Colombo holds fond memories of his time with Jones. The former tackle said the owner would come into training camp with the Super Bowl trophy, make all of his players touch it and tell them what it would mean to get another one.
"You could see the passion in his eyes when he spoke to the team," Colombo said. "It's kind of a good way to start off a season when your owner's that passionate to win a Super Bowl." [embedded_ad]
Colombo also remembers his time well with the Cowboys, 2005-2010, along with the spats he had with a current defensive lineman. He said Jay Ratliff is the toughest guy on the team and the two are good friends now after getting in multiple fights during their practice days together. By his count, they probably fought between 50 and 100 times in practice.
"Me and Jay, we have kind of a love/hate relationship," Colombo said. "We were the same type of fiery player. Over time, we developed this kind of relationship where on Sundays we were like best friends, we had each other's backs. It was really cool to see that kind of relationship."
