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Wednesday, July 18
Updated: August 28, 12:05 AM ET
 
Cowboys: Tough times in Dallas
By Tom Oates
Special to ESPN.com

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is more optimistic than Tony Robbins, but Jones stretched the bounds of credibility when he stated recently that his team will improve from 5-11 to 10-6 this season. Many think a fall from 5-11 to 0-16 is more likely after the Cowboys, mired in salary-cap quicksand, lost Troy Aikman, Erik Williams, Leon Lett and several other household names during the offseason. With $23 million in dead cap money on the books, Jones could do little but stand and watch as his team disintegrated.
 
CAMP AT A GLANCE
 Tony Banks
Tony Banks will begin the season as the Cowboys' starting quarterback.
  Location:Midwestern State, Wichita Falls, Texas
Rookies report: July 21
Veterans report: July 21
Preseason schedule:
 Aug. 4: at Oakland
 Aug. 11: Denver
 Aug. 18: at New Orleans
 Aug. 27: Oakland (Mexico City)
 Aug. 30: Jacksonville

Jones' best hope is that wide receivers Joey Galloway and Raghib Ismail, who had their seasons cut short by knee injuries last year, return in full health and give the Cowboys a deep threat to complement 32-year-old halfback Emmitt Smith, who must feel like The Lone Ranger these days. Of course, that assumes that Jones has a quarterback who can get Galloway and Ismail the ball.

Man in the spotlight
The passing attack ranked 28th in the NFL last year with Aikman. Without him, it might drop out of the ratings altogether. Tony Banks, signed to a one-year, $500,000 contract, is the starter even though he lost starting jobs with the Rams in 1999 and the Ravens in 2000. Banks has a strong arm and good touch on the deep ball, which fits in well with coach Dave Campo's offensive plan, but he's hopelessly inconsistent and has been plagued by turnovers.

Key position battle
Ryan McNeil's departure in free agency and the retirement of Phillippi Sparks left the Cowboys so desperate at cornerback that they moved Izell Reese, a competent free safety, to the outside. Reese has never played cornerback in the NFL but, then again, neither have the other candidates at the position. Indeed, the team's cornerbacks have five career starts among them. Two of last year's three cornerback draft picks -- Dwayne Goodrich and Kareem Larrimore -- haven't shown the maturity needed in the NFL. Goodrich hasn't grasped the complexities of the position and Larrimore has a suspect work ethic. The third second-year corner, Mario Edwards, will probably start, ready or not. Goodrich, Larrimore, Reese and holdover Duane Hawthorne will fight for the other spot.

Biggest adjustment
The Cowboys allowed an NFL-record three 200-yard rushers and finished last in the league in rushing defense. Now the heart of the run defense is gone, with tackles Lett, Chad Hennings and Alonzo Spellman moving on. This year's tackle rotation will include Brandon Noble, Michael Myers and Dimitrius Underwood, all of whom are undersized in an era when offensive linemen are huge. They're not big enough to keep blockers off the small linebackers, so the Cowboys will compensate with more shifting and movement up front. Third-round tackle Willie Blade could also see the field if he overcomes a shoulder injury.

Rookie report
The Cowboys, without a first-round pick due to last year's trade for Galloway, took talented but raw Quincy Carter on the second round and consider him their quarterback of the future. Most scouts had him rated much lower than that. Another second-rounder, Tony Dixon, will be groomed at safety. Fourth-round pick Markus Steele could supplant Darren Hambrick at linebacker if Campo is still mad at Hambrick for bypassing off-season workouts in a contract dispute.

Offseason moves
Players signed Players lost
LB Dexter Coakley (re-signed)
QB Tony Banks (signed as free agent) 		CB Ryan McNeil (released)
RT Erik Williams (released)
DT Chad Hennings (released)
QB Troy Aikman (released, retired)
Dallas' complete offseason moves







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AUDIO/VIDEO
audio
 ESPN's Ed Werder talks with Quincy Carter following an impressive outing against Oakland.
wav: 605 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6

video
 Tony Banks is as surprised as anyone by Dallas' decision to release him.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem

 Dave Campo remains confident that the Cowboys will be able to move the ball in "unconventional" ways.
wav: 154 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6

 Jerry Jones is aware of the possible pitfalls of starting a rookie QB.
wav: 174 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6

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