Cowboys Mailbag:Mick's Mail: 07/27

How do you see Christian Parker using all the safeties the Cowboys have invested in? Particularly Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, Malik Hooker and Caleb Downs. Will we ever see them on the field at the same time?

Were you as surprised as I was to see the team release Joe Milton after the progress he's made since last season? Do you agree with the thinking there?

What are your thoughts on Broderick Jones being acquired to not just be the swing tackle, but to actually compete for the starting right tackle job? Is he really a threat to Terence Steele?

Any surprises for you with the final cuts, whether it was a guy making the team or being left off?

I'm assuming by now the final roster has pretty much been determined. But who do you think really needs to show something in this last preseason game to get one of those final spots?

I have concerns about DeMarvion Overshown at middle linebacker. Love the guy, but he seems built to play the Will or Edge. So do you think rookie Jaishawn Barham has done enough to start at middle linebacker? He seems like a big hitter who is a better fit for the position.

From year to year, the wide receiver room depth usually depends on special teams. So if they decide to keep only five receivers on the roster, would you rather have KaVonte Turpin's return speed on special teams over Jonathan Mingo's or Camden Brown's size, pursuit and tackling? Why is Turpin considered such a lock? It seems like choosing a luxury over practicality.

Why are we not hearing much about Marist Liufau? I thought he played with an edge – quick, hungry and hard-hitting with intensity. Will there be a place for him on this defense?

As expected, the highest draft choices and incumbent starters get the bulk of the attention during this time of the year. But what about the progress thus far of some of the Cowboys' later draft picks, like Drew Shelton, Devin Moore, LT Overton and Anthony Smith?

We had two of the best defensive tackles in the league for most of last season in Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark and still had a porous run defense. Was it due more to the lack of linebackers coming up quickly to fill in holes rather than the defensive line play? Do you think there's going to be improvement there and with the run defense overall?

For the last two decades, the Cowboys have almost always believed in building through the draft, keeping homegrown talent and signing free agents as fillers. Now it seems like they've decided to be very aggressive in free agency. What has caused the change in philosophy?