SAN ANTONIO -- Five observations on the 2003 Dallas Cowboys, gleaned from training camp practices of July 26-27:

1. Coach Bill Parcells has told friends that if he can get solid play from the quarterback and tailback positions, the Cowboys will be competitive, and that might be the case. It is also a pretty big if, given the relative inexperience of the candidates at each of those critical spots. What would help hasten progress even more would be an effective offensive line and here are two names to watch: second-year veteran Tyson Walter and rookie Al Johnson, the team's second-round draft choice. One of those players figures to be the starting center and how the winner of the competition for the No. 1 job performs, along with the health of the line, could well determine how productive the Dallas offense really is in 2003. The success of either Walter or Johnson would permit second-year veteran Andre Gurode, who bounced between center and guard in '02, to stay at the right guard spot and possibly mature into a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Gurode was probably the best rookie this reporter saw, at any position, in training camp last year. But his debut campaign was unsettling at times, largely because of the unsettled nature of the Cowboys line, a unit that rarely started the same quintet in consecutive weeks. Dallas had nine different starting combinations last season, a league high, and 14 different linemen logged significant play time. The projected starters -- left tackle Flozell Adams, left guard Larry Allen, Tyson or Johnson at center, right guard Gurode and right tackle Ryan Young -- aren't without talent. But keeping all five starters in one piece, and developing the kind of cohesiveness it was impossible to have a year ago, will be a key. The Cowboys were wise to retain Adams, who many felt was earmarked for departure in free agency this spring, since quality left tackles don't just fall out of trees. A seven-time Pro Bowl performer, Allen isn't the player he was a couple seasons ago, but is still among the top guards in the league. Notable is that Allen actually reported to camp about seven pounds lighter than his assigned weight and conspicuously led many of the drills on the first day. Young suffered through injuries in Houston last season, but he played for Parcells with the New York Jets, and certainly knows what is expected of him. No doubt, Parcells wants an aggressive, power-blocking group, one that comes strong off the ball. If this line can measure up, it will make things at least a bit easier for the quarterback and tailback, who are going to come under close scrutiny.

	Quincy Carter, right, reportedly has the nod over Chad Hutchinson at quarterback.

2. Uh, speaking of those two key skill-position spots: As much as Parcells would prefer to settle on a quarterback and then have him go the distance through the entire season, don't count on it. Whether it is Chad Hutchinson or Quincy Carter who wins the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, the position probably won't be a stable one. The team is determined to develop a viable quarterback from within, to avoid investing big money in a high-round pick or a high-profile free agent, but there are going to be some rocky spots. Neither was particularly scintillating over the weekend (they combined for three fumbled snaps in the Saturday morning practice alone) and the dearth of consistency figures to be maddening to Parcells. For much of the offseason, the perception was that Hutchinson held an advantage, but that does not seem to be the case. While he probably has the stronger arm, Hutchinson is a big target for pass rushers, often holds the ball too long, is awkward when he rolls away from pressure and not very accurate on the run. Word is that Parcells likes Carter's athleticism and potential to create plays in improvisational situations. But we felt Carter was a much improved player in camp last year, then he regressed, and eventually lost the starting job. Then, much to his dismay, Parcells might be forced to employ a committee approach at the tailback spot. "None of them is Emmitt Smith," the coach replied wryly after the first camp session. Fact is, at times, the tailbacks resembled some of those Emmitt Smith wannabes on the popular credit card commercial. The heir apparent, Troy Hambrick, figures to serve as a human pin cushion for Parcells' needles, especially if he doesn't get his weight down and begin running harder. He is the most experienced back, relatively speaking, of the candidates. But the fourth-year veteran didn't exactly seize the bull by the horns in the offseason and there is an underlying current of discord with his work ethic, or lack thereof. The second back on the depth chart, Michael Wiley, has some outside speed, as reflected in a career average of 6.3 yards per carry. But he had just 80 rushes in his first three league seasons and might be typecast now as simply a change-of-pace sort of back. The player to watch might be Aveion Cason, a two-year veteran who was acquired from Detroit in a seemingly innocuous trade, and who has recorded just 37 regular-season rushes. Dallas added Cason mostly on the recommendation of offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, who was his running backs coach in Detroit. Most teams have viewed Cason as just a special teams player. But he is stronger than when he first entered the league, seems to naturally find room to the perimeter, and just might steal away playing time if neither Hambrick nor Wiley steps up.

3. Despite an undersized front seven, coordinator Mike Zimmer did a nice job in 2002, shepherding the Cowboys to a respectable No. 18 statistical ranking in overall defense. Even though it appeared Dallas would have problems stopping the run, the Cowboys were a surprising 15th in that category. But the front four certainly isn't a mesh with the kind that Parcells prefers and The Tuna is going to have to adjust some of his defensive philosophies to meld with what's on hand. Of the top five linemen, only John Nix weighs more than 300 pounds and, even if the 313-pounder wins the starting nose tackle job over Michael Myers, the Cowboys will average just 285 pounds upfront. If Myers earns the nod at nose tackle, Dallas won't have a lineman at more than 292 pounds and ends Greg Ellis and Ebenezer Ekuban are just 277 and 265, respectively. The line unit's best player, "under" tackle La'Roi Glover, is a speed/quickness guy and weighs only 285 pounds. Parcells is accustomed to mammoth space-eaters manning the front four spots and to bigger linebackers as well. He won't find any of the latter in his locker room. Two of his projected starters, Dat Nguyen in the middle and Dexter Coakley at the weak-side spot, are 5-feet-11 or shorter. You can't just turn over the entire front seven in a year, so Parcells is going to pretty much have to live with this bunch until he can begin importing his mold of player next season. The positive on all this is that, for the most part, the front seven is a veteran bunch and nearly intact from 2002. The lone newcomer is strong-side linebacker Alshermond Singleton, one of the Tampa Bay Bucs solid but unheralded defenders of a year ago. And rather than come in and disrupt continuity by dramatically altering all of the schemes, Parcells has largely had Zimmer carry over the design already in place. One glaring deficiency, though, is the lack of a pass rush. The Cowboys generated just 24 sacks in 2002 and only Arizona, with 21, had fewer. Only two players, Ellis (7½) and Glover (6½), had more than two sacks and Ekuban had just one in 15 starts.

4. If the front of the Dallas defense might present a few concerns, Parcells can't be too unhappy with the backside unit. The team's last two first-round picks, free safety Roy Williams in 2002 and cornerback Terence Newman this year, both have Pro Bowl-type potential. It is just a matter of time, it seems, until Newman jumps into the lineup. To help facilitate that, Dallas coaches slyly moved Derek Ross, expected to be the other starter, from the left to the right side. And they flipped Mario Edwards to the left side, because that's where Newman played in college, and the former Kansas State star is expected to oust the veteran from the top perch on the depth chart. The cornerback spot in general is one of the Cowboys' few inarguable strengths. In just 12 starts last year, Ross had five interceptions and, teamed with Newman, should provide Dallas a super tandem for a long time. Edwards is more than functional and Donald Mitchell, acquired from Tennessee as an unrestricted free agent, has been a successful "nickel" player in the past. Of the quartet, Edwards is the elder statesman, and he's just 27. Besides fetching water for Parcells, which he did during the first break of the Saturday morning practice, the charismatic Newman demonstrated strong closing ability. Sure, Parcells would have preferred to have gotten a defensive lineman with the fifth overall choice in the draft -- he coveted Dewayne Robertson and seriously considered choosing Kevin Williams -- but he won't have many regrets about making Newman his initial No. 1 pick in his fourth head coaching job. Roy Williams will get increased chances to utilize his range in '03, as Zimmer will back him away from the line of scrimmage a lot more often. The venerable Darren Woodson, the leading tackler in franchise history, will go back to a more conventional strong safety role. It's not a bad secondary, not bad at all, but could use some help with at least the semblance of a pass rush.

5. The popular theory going into this year's draft was that Parcells and owner Jerry Jones, realizing they needed quantity almost as much as quality, would be particularly active in maneuvering for additional choices. After all, both have strong track records as willing draft day dealmakers, and the pairing of the two figured to produce a frenetic flurry of moves up and down the draft board. But, surprise, the Cowboys didn't burn up the phone lines. Parcells and Jones didn't pull the trigger on a single swap. And the ironic result: At first blush, it appears that standing pat served the Cowboys pretty nicely, as the team's top four selections look like players who will all contribute as rookies. Newman will, at some point early in the season (if not in camp), win the starting job at the left cornerback spot. As noted above, second-round pick Al Johnson is competing for the starting center spot. Jason Witten, the former Tennessee tight end whose draft stock plummeted in the weeks preceding the lottery, is a great "value" choice in the third round. Over the weekend, Witten worked primarily as a "move" or H-back and it seemed to be a role he could effectively fill. He represents a huge target between the hashes, catches the ball well, but does not play as strong as his size indicates and doesn't run through would-be tacklers regularly. Linebacker Bradie James, a fourth-round choice, was another guy who lasted deeper into the draft than anticipated. The versatility he demonstrated during his career at LSU eventually will pay off for him. James has the kind of size Parcells is seeking, the Cowboys' current linebacker corps is very small, and the rookie is going to get some playing time. The worst-case scenario is that James plays on special teams and, by his second season, moves into the lineup. The skeptics felt there was no way Jones and Parcells could co-exist in the draft room, but they went counter to their prior instincts, and seem to have assembled a solid draft class.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.