The Cowboys made a good move by re-signing punter Mat McBriar.  He had an outstanding season last year for the Cowboys as he averaged 48.2 yards on 56 punts last season with a net of 38.6 yards.  He also pinned the opposing team inside the 20 yard line 22 times (39.3%)!  McBriar was a bargain at 5 years for $8.5 million bucks.

The Cowboys didn’t use their TEs around the end zone but they did a lot of the heavy lifting across the middle of the field.  The Cowboys TEs caught 78 passes for 880 yards and 1 TD.  Jason Witten was the best TE on the team.  He played in 16 games (15 starts) and he caught 64 passes for 754 yards (11.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  For his career, Witten has played in 63 games (53 starts) and he has caught 252 passes for 2,838 yards (11.3 avg) with 14 TD grabs.

Rookie Anthony Fasano played in 16 games (5 starts) and he caught 14 passes for 126 yards (9.0 avg).

The Cowboys interviewed 10 head coaching candidates and then decided that Wade Phillips was the man for the job.  Phillips was the Chargers Defensive Co-ordinator last season and he did a good job for them in that capacity.  Phillips has been a head coach in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos.  He also was an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.  Phillips has a career record of 48-39 (55.2%) over his career and he’s 0-3 in the playoffs.  The Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game in 10 years now, so Phillips will have pressure on him to do something he’s never done as a head coach…..win a playoff game. 

I don’t know if Bill Parcells or Jerry Jones was picking the players in April…but whoever it was did a horrible job for the Cowboys.  Here is a breakdown:

In the first round the Cowboys drafted OLB Bobby Carpenter.  He played in 13 games and made 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks and defensed a pass.  He has the look of a career backup/special teams player and you can’t make a pick like that in the first round of the draft.

In the 2nd round the Cowboys drafted TE Anthony Fasano.  He played in all 16 games (5 starts) and he caught 14 passes for 126 yards (9.0 avg).  One again the Cowboys did a poor job as Fasano looks like nothing more than a backup.

In the 3rd round the Cowboys selected DE Jason Hatcher.  Hatcher played in 14 games and made 15 tackles and had 2.5 sacks.  Once again, another player that projects as a backup player in the NFL.

4th round pick Skyler Green (WR) didn’t even make the team and that’s pathetic for a 4th round pick.

In the 5th round the Cowboys made their best selection.  FS Pat Watkins played in 14 games and made 36 tackles, had 3 interceptions, defensed 4 passes, forced 2 fumbles and he recovered a fumble that he returned 53 yards for a TD.  He is the only potential starter out of this draft for the Cowboys.

In the 6th round the Cowboys selected DT Montavious Stanley who played 3 games and made 4 tackles, 1/2 a sack and forced a fumble.

In the 7th round the Cowboys selected OT Pat McQuistan who appeared in one game and Center E.J. Whitley who didn’t play a down for the Cowboys.