DAN IACHINI
PALMYRA, PA
If Tony Romo gets hurt this year (and Kyle Orton does not play), is this offensive line suited to protect Brandon Weeden? Romo scrambles around to buy time, but does Weeden?
Rowan: I think this offensive line is good because it's good, not because it can block for a mobile quarterback. It's suited to block for anyone. Obviously, having a mobile quarterback helps out when mistakes are made, and maybe Weeden ends up taking more sacks than Romo, but I think most quarterbacks should benefit from having an offensive line that includes three first-round picks.
David:I think the addition of Zack Martin helps a lot in that regard. With first round picks playing at center and guard, the Cowboys should be able to maintain a pretty clean pocket against pass rushes coming up the middle this [embedded_ad] season. For a guy with limited mobility, having an offensive line that can slow pass rushers up the middle should be a huge benefit. That'll be a welcome addition for either Romo or Weeden.
MATTHEW DRAB
LEAGUE CITY, TX
From what I read, in OTAs its seems like that some undrafted free agents made noise and that a lot of positions have healthy battles. Is it safe to say there may be more depth this season?
Rowan: I think the wide belief is that the starters on this roster have more questions than in years past, particularly on defense, while the backups should be more capable than in years past. We've heard all offseason about the waves of players on the defensive line. I agree that there will be more depth than in past years throughout the roster – the question will be whether the starters can step up.
David: I think you can break it down into offense and defense. Defensively, I think the backups and third string players are better than they have been in recent years. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on the starters – especially with developments like the injury to Sean Lee and the release of DeMarcus Ware in the offseason. This offense, however, seems pretty stacked. The Cowboys have Pro Bowl starters on offense and quality backups at most positions.
