The Unmentionables - July '08 Edition

Training camp is here, with preseason knocking on the door and a mere 38 days before the first game of the season arrives. There is little doubt that on paper this Cowboys team should be a serious contender. All of this hinges on the word "if", though.

There are some key players on the team that are quite simply critical for the success of the Dallas Cowboys. Losing one of these players changes the dynamics of the team and their ability to compete, which could turn the team from a serious contender to a "could have been" in a heartbeat.

The first and most obvious is Tony Romo. The expectation is that Romo will be a better, more competent, more confident quarterback. The hope is that he's as elusive and as durable as he's shown himself to be so far. But, if the unmentionable happens and he's injured, what do the Cowboys have in their arsenal for backup? Johnson and Bartel? A has-been kinda sorta and a kid. Gone are the elusive, "make it happen anyway" plays that Romo creates out of thin air often. No matter how good the offensive line is, they won't be able to stop the rush enough to make Johnson look competent. And Bartel so far in training camp has not left us with the warm fuzzies.

There's been talk about trading for Chris Simms, although the asking price at this point seems too high. Health concerns are a dark cloud over Simms at the moment. There's a lot of discussion about this subject at Blogging the Boys. I agree with the general opinion that Brad isn't the answer and that Simms is too expensive of an option at the moment. One thing I do believe, though, is that if Romo goes down, the Cowboys are in serious trouble.

The next obvious one is Terrell Owens. He is such a threat on offense that teams spend a week preparing to defend against him and still he burns them. But he has a history of injuries and missed games. If the unmentionable happens and Owens is injured the Cowboys offense changes immediately and becomes much easier to defend against.

At dallascowboys.com, Jonathan Hazel of Glen Allen, VI asked a question regarding the depth at the wide receiver position. Mickey, Rob and Nick all gave various reasons why the Cowboys didn't grab a wide receiver during the offseason or the draft. Frankly, I believe the Cowboys should have put a higher priority on the situation and hope that their lack of movement on this issue doesn't bite the team in the rear this season. Losing Owens could be a disaster.

The loss of either of those players could potentially be a threat to the season, depending on when it occurs. The loss of both would be monumentally damaging.

Terrence Newman is already down with an injury and missing training camp because of it. Coach Phillips described it as "significant". If it's keeping Newman off the field, give that statement a "well, duhhhh". The Cowboys are ripe with talent at cornerback, so Newman's injury alone, while unwanted, wouldn't necessarily put an end to a great season. But remember, Anthony Henry, the #2 cornerback has a history of being brittle, also. If the unmentionable occurs and both of them go down at the same time, things don't look so ripe anymore. Remember, some of that depth at cornerback is already in jeopardy with an injury to Ball.

An injury to Andre Gurode would be significant. He missed a couple games in 2007. While the Cowboys survived, the concensus of opinion is that the offense is much better with Gurode at Center. I concur. Much of Tony Romo's success hinges on the play of Andre Gurode. If this unmentionable happens, the offense will struggle, at least for a few games.

The Cowboys have a new starting running back. Not new to the Cowboys, but new as starter. Marion "the Barbarian" Barber is currently expected to be the starting running back. The question is, "can he be the main man taking most of the snaps playing at the intensity that is so natural for him?" No doubt that Felix Jones is going to get a share of the snaps and rightfully so. But can Barber stay healthy for an entire season as the primary running back? And if the unmentionable happens and he doesn't stay healthy, can Jones step up to the plate and deliver an effective running attack at the NFL level?

Jason Witten has become to Romo what Jay Novacek was to Troy Aikman. With Terry Glenn missing in action for most of last season, Witten's job became more and more important as the season progressed. He was effectively the #2 wide receiver. The Cowboys haven't hired a wide receiver with the experience and talent Glenn had, so expect Witten's job to be equally important this season. Tony Curtis is Witten's backup. If this unmentionable occurs and Witten goes down, it's a different offense for the Cowboys.

Keeping guys healthy is a priority, as it should be, but it is even more vital this season when the injury to just a couple of key players can make the difference between seriously contending for a Superbowl championship and yet another year of disappointments. Just don't mention it. It's a secret.