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COLUMN By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Jason Garrett is off to a good start, but none of us knows if he'll be the Cowboys coach next season.
Part of Jerry's decision will be predicated on the Cowboys' performance during the season's final five games, beginning today against Indianapolis.
Garrett, though, is hardly the only person under scrutiny.
As we move into the final month of the season, a litany of players are right there with him, as they should be, considering this is among the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
This is the time for tough decisions – not feel-good memories. Jerry can't let pride affect his judgment. This is the time for pragmatic decisions about who stays and goes.
You know who we're talking about: Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode , Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo , Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Marcus Spears , Igor Olshansky , Keith Brooking, Terence Newman and Gerald Sensabaugh.
The decisions Jerry makes on those 11 starters will help determine whether the Cowboys rebound from this forgettable season.
It starts with the offensive line.
Kosier is probably the team's most consistent offensive lineman, but he'll be 33 next season and a free agent at the end of this season. He's missed 16 games because of injury the last three seasons, and there's an NFL adage that says older players get hurt more often and take longer to recover.
If his body is already struggling to survive the rigors of a 16-game season, then it seems like the injuries will become more frequent over time – and that's before we discuss the likelihood of an 18-game season.
Gurode, who has a degenerative knee condition, has been average more than he has been good this season. And there's no excuse for the botched snaps. Even if he returns for another season, his time here is nearing an end.
Davis played poorly during the Cowboys' 1-7 start, which cost Wade Phillips his job. But he has played much better over the last few weeks. What Jerry, Stephen Jones and Tom Ciskowski must figure out is whether Davis' skills are diminishing.
You won't find a tougher, more competitive player on the team than Colombo. If he wasn't, he'd already be out of the league, because injuries have robbed him of the skill set that once made him a first-round pick.
Dallas needs a new right tackle next season.
Williams has played well enough to be considered an important part of the team as a third receiver next season, but Dallas isn't going to pay him more than a couple of million to do it. He seems like a prime candidate for a pay cut, as does Marion Barber.
Each has been paid handsomely over the last three years. As is the nature of the NFL, if they don't want to accept a reduced salary, someone else's signature will probably be at the bottom of their paychecks next season.
Jerry must also decide whether Olshansky is worth the money. In the 3-4, defensive ends are role players whose job is to stop the run and make sure the outside linebackers get all of the glory. That is why the Cowboys let Chris Canty leave two seasons ago and why Spears will leave after this season.
Olshansky replaced Canty. Now, it might be time for him to move on, if the Cowboys think Stephen Bowen is ready to take over or they believe they can find a capable replacement in the draft.
Brooking will probably retire at the end of the season, and Sensabaugh will be looking for a new home – unless he wants to sign a club-friendly deal – because he's not a difference-maker most weeks.
The hardest decision will revolve around Newman, who will be 33 next season. He's paid like a star, but the reality is he's simply a good player.
Jerry must examine whether he can get the same production from a cheaper, younger player.
All of these are difficult questions, no doubt. But this has been a wretched season.
No one is above scrutiny, and no one gets a pass.
jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Jason Garrett is off to a good start, but none of us knows if he'll be the Cowboys coach next season.
Part of Jerry's decision will be predicated on the Cowboys' performance during the season's final five games, beginning today against Indianapolis.
Garrett, though, is hardly the only person under scrutiny.
As we move into the final month of the season, a litany of players are right there with him, as they should be, considering this is among the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
This is the time for tough decisions – not feel-good memories. Jerry can't let pride affect his judgment. This is the time for pragmatic decisions about who stays and goes.
You know who we're talking about: Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode , Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo , Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Marcus Spears , Igor Olshansky , Keith Brooking, Terence Newman and Gerald Sensabaugh.
The decisions Jerry makes on those 11 starters will help determine whether the Cowboys rebound from this forgettable season.
It starts with the offensive line.
Kosier is probably the team's most consistent offensive lineman, but he'll be 33 next season and a free agent at the end of this season. He's missed 16 games because of injury the last three seasons, and there's an NFL adage that says older players get hurt more often and take longer to recover.
If his body is already struggling to survive the rigors of a 16-game season, then it seems like the injuries will become more frequent over time – and that's before we discuss the likelihood of an 18-game season.
Gurode, who has a degenerative knee condition, has been average more than he has been good this season. And there's no excuse for the botched snaps. Even if he returns for another season, his time here is nearing an end.
Davis played poorly during the Cowboys' 1-7 start, which cost Wade Phillips his job. But he has played much better over the last few weeks. What Jerry, Stephen Jones and Tom Ciskowski must figure out is whether Davis' skills are diminishing.
You won't find a tougher, more competitive player on the team than Colombo. If he wasn't, he'd already be out of the league, because injuries have robbed him of the skill set that once made him a first-round pick.
Dallas needs a new right tackle next season.
Williams has played well enough to be considered an important part of the team as a third receiver next season, but Dallas isn't going to pay him more than a couple of million to do it. He seems like a prime candidate for a pay cut, as does Marion Barber.
Each has been paid handsomely over the last three years. As is the nature of the NFL, if they don't want to accept a reduced salary, someone else's signature will probably be at the bottom of their paychecks next season.
Jerry must also decide whether Olshansky is worth the money. In the 3-4, defensive ends are role players whose job is to stop the run and make sure the outside linebackers get all of the glory. That is why the Cowboys let Chris Canty leave two seasons ago and why Spears will leave after this season.
Olshansky replaced Canty. Now, it might be time for him to move on, if the Cowboys think Stephen Bowen is ready to take over or they believe they can find a capable replacement in the draft.
Brooking will probably retire at the end of the season, and Sensabaugh will be looking for a new home – unless he wants to sign a club-friendly deal – because he's not a difference-maker most weeks.
The hardest decision will revolve around Newman, who will be 33 next season. He's paid like a star, but the reality is he's simply a good player.
Jerry must examine whether he can get the same production from a cheaper, younger player.
All of these are difficult questions, no doubt. But this has been a wretched season.
No one is above scrutiny, and no one gets a pass.
