Quarterbacks
Tony Romo has been anything but spectacular this preseason. The first team offense has a hard time finding the end zone. He is the most important part of this offense and will have to have a good season if the Cowboys are to have any chance of reaching the Super Bowl in Arlington. Last season, Romo was one of the top passers in the league. Only two quarterbacks had more passing yards and surprisingly, he was one of four regular starters to throw less than ten touchdowns. He will have all the same weapons back this year and has added Dez Bryant to his arsenal. He has thrown at least 26 touchdown passes the last three seasons and I think he will be in the mid-thirties this season. As long as he has time to throw and stays in the pocket, he should once again be amongst the top in passing yards. If Romo ever goes down, the backup is 37-year-old Jon Kitna who didn’t even attempt a pass in ‘09. He probably isn’t the player you want to have to depend on for more than a game or two. The best place Cowboy fans can see him is on the sideline holding a clipboard and wearing a visor.

Running Backs
This may be the most talented group of backs in the league. Marion Barber has been tabbed the starter but has failed to reach double digit touchdowns the last two years. He is beginning to lose his edge on the other two in the group after battling injuries the past two seasons. For him to be effective in this offense, he has to return to being Marion the Barbarian. It’s been a long time since you just gave him the ball and watched him bulldoze defenders in his way. He will be used for goal line carries. Felix Jones is the favorite of fellow Arkansas alum Jerry Jones. He will be used as the change of pace runner who, if healthy, is very dangerous in the open field. Last year, he had four runs of 40 yards or more and had an impressive 5.9 yards per carry. I think he will become the starter at some point this season because he is too talented to have on the side lines and can score any time he touches the ball. Tashard Choice seems to make things happen every time he enters the game. He energizes the offense and runs the Wildcat offense from time to time. I think he deserves to be on the field more but apparently is the third man in this talented backfield.

Receivers & Tight Ends
This is another deep and talented group. Miles Austin was the biggest surprise on this team in years. He barely got on the field the first four games, but after he got his first career start against Kansas City, a star was born. In that game he had 10 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns including the game winner in overtime. He went on to make the Pro Bowl after finishing third in the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Dez Bryant was an absolute steal with the 24th pick in this year’s draft. He was a fan favorite in training camp before sustaining a high ankle sprain. I think he will be a big part of this offense and make it impossible for opposing defenses to double up on Austin. He may remind fans of a former receiver who wore #88. Roy Williams must perform much better this season or it will likely be his last one with a star on his helmet. He must develop stronger chemistry with Romo and perform the way he did when he entered the league with the Lions. Jason Witten is about as solid as they come at tight end. The last three seasons he has averaged 90.3 receptions and 1,042 yards. The team will try to get him more involved in the red zone. 

Offensive Line
This is the biggest area of concern for this team. Without a good line, the offensive weapons can’t do much of anything. They are a huge part of the reason the offense has been ineffective this preseason. Last season they were a big reason that Dallas finished second in the league in total offense. Losing left tackle Flozell Adams could prove costly. Doug Free will fill that spot after proving his worth and should do well in run blocking. He had a lot of penalties over the years but protected the blind side of Romo. Marc Colombo had his knee scoped in the middle of August but is set to be ready for the season opener. He is a vital part of this line and must stay healthy. Kyle Kosier suffered a sprained MCL in August and could miss up to the first four games of the season. Big Leonard Davis made his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance following another solid season. Andre Gurode returns at center and has made four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. This season may depend on the health of this unit. If they can keep Romo off his back and create holes for the running backs, this team has as good a shot as anybody to be in the Super Bowl.

Defensive Line
The Cowboys ended the 2009 season with one of the most feared defensive lines in the NFL, helping the team lead the league in sacks with 52 and dominating the stretch run of the season. Since 2005, their 3-4 defense has been anchored at the nose tackle position by Jay Ratliff. His penetration through the line with seven sacks, eight tackles for losses, and 33 quarterback pressures helped him to back-to-back pro bowls and undoubted leader of the D-line. Igor Olshansky, without question, is a beast when it comes to pure strength. As one of the strongest players in the NFL, according to bench press (41 reps of 225 lbs at the 2004 combine; 505lb bench press in college), he had his most productive year in his career after signing a four-year contract with Dallas in 2009. He helped Dallas forget about Chris Canty by setting a career high in tackles with 76, good enough for third on the team. Jason Hatcher completes the defensive line, replacing Marcus Spears as starter. As a third round pick in 2006, Hatcher is being asked to step-up this year as a starter and be a consistent pass rusher. Veterans Junior Siavii and Stephen Bowen will add experience backing up Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher respectively.

Linebackers
It is hard to find a better line backing corps in the NFL with the Cowboys returning all four starters from the 2009 team. Four-time Pro Bowler (2006-2009) and three time All Pro Selection (2007-2009) DeMarcus Ware anchors not only the backers, but the defense as a whole, and has proven to be one of the most dominating players at any position in the NFL. Anthony Spencer showed his full potential in 2009 playing across Ware due in large part to staying healthy and starting every game for the first time in his career. Spencer had fed off of Ware well as an edge rusher getting to the quarterback with his team-best tackles for loss of nine, six sacks and 36 pressures. As long as coaches continue to game plan for Ware, Spencer should get plenty of opportunities to pressure the quarterback and cause havoc in the backfield. Five-time Pro-Bowler Keith Brooking and Bradie James anchor the inside of the linebacking corps. Brooking signed a three year contract with the Dallas in 2009 and showed no signs of slowing down while emerging as a vocal leader on the defense. 

Secondary
The defensive secondary is going to play an extremely important role in the success of the defense as a whole because of a pass heavy NFC East.  With proven veterans Eli Manning, Donavan McNabb, and highly touted first year starter Kevin Kolb in Philly, the secondary could be the difference between a playoff team and non-playoff team. Both free and strong safeties will see changes with rookie Barry Church out of Toledo starting over veteran Gerald Sensabaugh at strong safety and Alan Ball being inserted at free safety for the departed Ken Hamlin. Mike Jenkins seems to be the biggest turnover threat in the secondary accumulating five interceptions in 2009; however, Terrence Newman is the leader of the secondary entering his 8th year, all with Dallas. Orlando Scandrick will assume his role, as been the case since his rookie season, in nickel situations. 

Special Teams
Special Teams will play an important part of the team’s success. David Buehler was a nice find last season and will not only continue his booming kickoff duties but will also handle field goal attempts. Gone are Nick Folk and Shaun Suisham and their inconsistencies. Sure preseason doesn’t have the same pressure as the regular season, but so far Buehler has proven his merit. Australian Mat McBriar returns as the punter. Last season he had 38 punts downed inside the 20-yard line which was a club record. He is also responsible for holding the ball on field goals and extra point attempts. Bryan McCann will take over on kickoff returns and Jamar Wall for punt returns. L.P. Ladouceur returns as the long snapper. Special teams are critical for field position and by doing their job well could be the difference make in games.