Does that mean all is good here as the 2009 season approaches? Of course not. I'm not budging from my initial stance that this Cowboys team has a lot of things to prove. They have questions to answer. And they won't be answered . . . until they're answered.
Stuff like, can Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd - oh alright let's throw in Kevin Ogletree, too - can these guys replace Terrell Owens? Regardless of what they've done in the preseason, they haven't replaced him yet. How could they? But that's one of those questions that until they do it, you still don't know.
It's the same with outside linebacker. Greg Ellis is gone and do the Cowboys have enough at this position to fill the void? I'm not talking about Anthony Spencer. He's been here two seasons and it's his turn to take over. But Spencer played last year as the third guy. That means the Cowboys need a new third guy, and for now, it's Victor Butler, who's currently tied with me, you and most of us for regular-season snaps. Nothing against Butler at all; I think he's going to be really good. But, he's green. He hasn't done it yet and the Cowboys are counting on him.
There are questions everywhere. Every spot on the field, every player for that matter, has something he needs to prove.
- For Romo, it's winning in December, and proving he can continue to make more big plays for his team than his opponent.
- Roy Williams needs to prove he can be a No. 1 receiver, on this team or any team.
- The offensive line needs to bounce back in 2009 and once again become that security blanket for Romo. The penalties need to be down, but the nastiness needs to be up.
- Can Keith Brooking, Igor Olshansky and Gerald Sensabaugh provide those missing links on defense, or are we going to see why their previous teams decided to let them go?
- Can this rotating cornerback situation work? Is this race between Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick really that tight or should the team actually make a strong decision and go with it.
- There are other questions on the staff, too. Can the offense function without that playmaking star T.O.? Can they actually play to the strength of running the football and utilizing all three quality tailbacks?
We can go on and on and on and on about the questions surrounding this team. It's our job to provide some answers, and I think we've done the best we can up to this point.
But fortunately, the real answers will come on the football field. Thankfully, our wait is now just a few days away.
