Cowboys look to end their run of mediocrity

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is on the spot after signing a 6-year $108-million contract with $55 million guaranteed. Romo’s critics say he must eliminate mistakes at critical times to prove worthy of such a lucrative contract.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is on the spot after signing a 6-year $108-million contract with $55 million guaranteed. Romo’s critics say he must eliminate mistakes at critical times to prove worthy of such a lucrative contract.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Tony Romo is rested and ready. He has a big new contract and new responsibilities.

Now the Dallas Cowboys head to training camp trying to break out of a cycle of mediocrity that dates back to 1997. They’re .500 since the start of that season, including a pair of 8-8 records in Jason Garrett’s first two full seasons as coach.

Dallas hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2009, with each of the past two years ending in a loss to an NFC East rival with a playoff berth on the line.

Even though they were that close to the postseason, the Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and replaced him with Monte Kiffin, 73, the longtime defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,w ho spent the past four seasons working for his son Lane at Tennessee and Souther Cal. They made several other changes to the defensive staff and a couple on the offensive side.

Garrett is giving up play-calling duties for the first time since Owner Jerry Jones hired him as offensive coordinator in 2007.

There won’t be many changes in personnel, though. All the key players are back, first-round pick Travis Frederick looks like the only rookie with a chance to have an impact.

Five things to know as the Cowboys prepare to open training camp with their first practice today in Oxnard, Calif.:

  1. ROMO’S READY: Romo missed all the off season practices after a procedure to have a cyst removed from his back. He is ready to go for the start of training camp, so today’s workout will be his first since signing the richest contract in franchise history. The six-year, $108 million deal has $55 million guaranteed, or about $3 million more than Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco got from Baltimore. Some of the national reaction was less than flattering, considering Romo’s 1-6record in elimination games and a penchant for critical mistakes like a late interception against Washington with a chance to rally and make the playoffs. Jones made it clear the day Romo signed that the nine-year veteran would go into his seventh full season as a starter with a much stronger voice behind the scenes.

  2. LET THE JASON GARRETT WATCH BEGIN: If an overhaul of a coaching staff doesn’t work, the head coach is usually next. That’s part of why this is viewed as a make-or-break season for Garrett. Plus, the perception is he was desperate to keep the job because the hiring of Kiffin and the switching of play-calling duties to Bill Callahan were seen as moves orchestrated by Jones. Garrett disagrees with those views, of course. The only way to show that he hasn’t become a Jones puppet in the mold of Barry Switzer, Dave Campo and Wade Phillips is to win big.

  3. THE SECOND (AND THIRD) OPTIONS AT SKILL POSITIONS: Miles Austin is paid like a No. 1 receiver, but he’s essentially lost that designation because of his troubled hamstrings and Dez Bryant’s breakout season in 2012. If Austin stays healthy, it’s possible the Cowboys could have a “1” and “1A” with a pair of receivers who have proven they can produce. Now it’s time to find out where rookie Terrance Williams of Baylor fits in after the Cowboys drafted him in the third round with the extra pick they got from trading down in the first. There’s no established backup for injury-prone running back DeMarco Murray,but the Cowboys think they found the answer in the fifth round of the draft with Oklahoma State’s Joseph Randle. Thumb surgery sidelined him during the off season.

  4. SAME PLAYERS, NEW DEFENSE: With a switch to the 4-3, all the leaders are holdovers getting used to new roles. DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are ends instead of outside linebackers, and they now don’t have to worry about much besides getting to the quarterback. Sean Lee and Bruce Carter shared the inside at linebacker last year, but now Lee will likely be in the middle and Carter will be at a weakside spot that basically means he will rely on his speed to make plays.Cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne will be closer to the line of scrimmage most of the time.

  5. IT ALL STARTS UP FRONT: Tyron Smith starting at left tackle is the only certainty for the offensive line after one of the worst rushing seasons in franchise history and spotty protection for Romo. If off season workouts are any indication, rookie Frederick is going to start at center, but he can play guard. Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings came in as starting guards through free agency last year, but their jobs aren’t secure. Doug Free had a rough year at right tackle and ended up sharing the spot with Jermey Parnell, but then Parnell sat out most of off season workouts with injuries. Since Jones is intent on finding “that extra half-second for Romo,” the offensive line will be a big priority.

Dallas Cowboys at a glance

OPEN CAMP Today

LAST YEAR Cowboys lost to an NFC East rival in playoffs-or-bust finale for second consecutive year. This time it was the Redskins with an 28-18 victory that extended Dallas’ postseason drought to three years and four of past five. Second consecutive 8-8 season extended remarkable run of mediocrity: Dallas is 128-128 since start of 1997 season.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS Rookies OL Travis Frederick, TE Gavin Escobar, WR Terrance Williams; defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

IMPORTANT LOSSES RB Felix Jones, DT Marcus Spears, WR Kevin Ogletree, S Gerald Sensabaugh.

CAMP NEEDS Cowboys have to decide if first-round pick Frederick is ready to be Tony Romo’s center. Release of FB Lawrence Vickers a week before camp means Dallas will have to refine an offense that often uses two tight ends. That also means establishing pecking order behind Jason Witten with second-round pick Gavin Escobar, veteran Dante Rosario and second-year player James Hanna. Jones’ departure leaves no established backup to RB DeMarco Murray. Switching to 4-3 defense.

EXPECTATIONS Cowboys need to win now. Coach Jason Garrett’s future probably depends on it. With offensive coordinator Bill Callahan taking over play-calling duties, Garrett can focus on game management, an occasional problem in each of his two full seasons. Romo has to show he deserved contract that made him the Cowboys’ highest-paid player with more guaranteed money than Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco got. If Dez Bryant continues to trend upward and Murray can stay healthy, Dallas can contend if the offensive line improves. Kiffin’s defense is simpler than predecessor Rob Ryan’s and is supposed to create more turnovers. Linebackers Sean Lee and Bruce Carter are being counted on as playmakers.

Sports, Pages 34 on 07/21/2013

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