EMMANUEL WILLIAMSFT WORTH, TX
Do you guys see re-signing Dwayne Harris as a priority with the emergence of Cole Beasley? Will Dallas look somewhere else (the draft) , or is the replacement on the roster?
Bryan: To me Harris and Beasley are two different players, so I wouldn't say sign one or the other. There are so many things that Harris does for you when you take him to the game, I think he would be difficult to replace. If you look at past history they have managed to pay one guy to handle the things that he has been able to do on special teams so it will be interesting to see if they continue down that path. Beasley is a restricted player so pulling him away from the squad would be likely difficult.
David: Like so many other of the Cowboys' free agents, I really think it depends on what other teams are willing to give him. Harris is a valuable asset on special teams, but he didn't play a role in the offense in 2014. Someone else might be willing to pay him more to assume a larger role. He wouldn't be very high on my list of priorities, given the number of other players to re-sign before him. If he does leave, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cowboys add a receiver – but not with a valuable pick. Harris himself was a sixth-round pick, after all.
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BOBBY BERMEAPORTLAND, OR
What are the chances this season was a fluke? After all, we won the division and a playoff game back in 2009 and then, nothing. Romo's older, Murray might be gone, in any case, both he and Dez will be 27, on the back end of their prime years and the cap is still an issue. The defense, a lot was done with a little bit. What are the chances we go back in the tank?
Bryan: For the first time in a long time, this front office has a clear plan in the way they need to operate. As long as they continue to add quality players through the draft and spend their dollars wisely this squad will be competitive for years to come. There are just too many quality pieces in place not to allow it to have success.
David: Maybe I'm just an optimist, but I'd hardly call an 8-8 record "the tank." Ask Jacksonville and Oakland fans what "the tank" looks like. But to answer your point more directly, yeah – it's the NFL. The parity in this league makes it incredibly hard to predict what's going to happen from year-to-year, as we just saw from this very team. If I had to make an argument for why the Cowboys will continue to contend in the next few years, it'd be that the crucial pieces – Romo, the bulk of the offensive line, Dez and Witten – aren't going anywhere in the near future. It's a big task, but the way the front office has been able to revitalize the offensive line has to give some hope that they can do it with the defense. Who knows if the Cowboys can win 12 games again next year, but they look positioned to be in the playoff conversation for at least the next two or three years.
