MITCH MILLER
BROOKINGS, SD
I have loved seeing JJ Wilcox around the ball almost every play in the preseason. Does the staff feel the same about him, and could we expect him to be a starter by the end of the season?
Rowan:The talent absolutely appears to be there with Wilcox, but he just needs more time right now to understand angles and the speed of the game in coverage. He's close to a starting spot, and will be a candidate to replace either of the starters at safety if they go down, but getting some time to learn the position in practice will be good for him. Some of the best starters on this team needed a year to sit and learn and contribute on special teams first.
David: I'd say it's pretty obvious how the staff feels about him, given the amount of plays he's made this preseason and the fact that he's climbed above some more experienced players to reach second string. That said, I think the duo of Barry Church and Will Allen is a pretty strong one, and I have my doubts it's one the coaching staff would want to tinker with unless there's an injury. Wilcox has looked good this preseason, but he has also looked pretty green at times – which is expected.
BRANDON NEWTON
VIDOR , TX
Hopefully all of these linebackers we are getting from waivers can play offensive line. Why are we going so deep at linebacker where we are already solid and not in the trenches?
Rowan: The Cowboys addressed some special teams woes with the linebackers that were brought in. It's also possible one of them shifts in and moves to defensive line, but none of the signings will help in the interior on either side of the line. I'm surprised the Cowboys haven't brought in a tackle on either side of the ball or an interior linemen yet, but there's still time for that. I would be surprised if another lineman didn't join the group by the opener.
David:My guess would be that they've been brought in not so much to shore up the linebacker corps, but to help fix the coverage units. The Cowboys can't afford to let that become a liability, which it certainly looked like in preseason. On top of that, Monday morning's trade of Dante [embedded_ad] Rosario gives the team an open roster spot. My bet is they'll be looking to fill that spot with a lineman.
