2001 COWBOYS
	Emmitt Smith will have to carry a lot of the load.
	Head coach: Dave Campo (2nd year). 2000 record: 5-11. NFC East finish: 4th. 2001 preseason: 1-3. Season opener: Sept. 9 vs. Bucs. Schedule | Depth chart

For the past five seasons, the Cowboys swung for the fences, annually taking "one last shot" at winning yet another Super Bowl. Their thinking was always in the present, never looking toward the future. That "now" thinking ruled the draft and what they did in free agency, whether it was the players they signed or the players allowed to leave.

And what did this "Super Bowl or bust" thinking get them? Two winning seasons, one playoff victory, $24 million in "dead money" for 2001 and a team on the brink of rebuilding.

With the release and subsequent retirement of quarterback Troy Aikman, only running back Emmitt Smith, offensive guard Larry Allen, safety Darren Woodson and center Mark Stepnoski are left from the glory days. And if all that were not bad enough, owner Jerry Jones decided to rid himself of whatever quarterback experience the team might have had to begin grooming rookie Quincy Carter.

Talk about starting from scratch.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Possibly not since the Cowboys' inaugural season of 1960 has the quarterback position been so void of experience, and it reached that point when Jones and head coach Dave Campo decided to forgo a season with sixth-year veteran Tony Banks and released him. Instead, they decided to fast-forward and groom Carter, the Cowboys' second-round choice in the 2001 draft. He is pea green, and whatever help he gets growing up will come from quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson, not one of his teammates. It's bad enough Carter has yet to play an NFL regular-season game. But it's worse when you consider that his backup, Anthony Wright, has all of two NFL starts in his three seasons, and the No. 3, Clint Stoerner, has played in two games. Disaster looms.
Grade: D.

Running backs: Logically, the Cowboys will rely on Smith. But two issues crop up. First, how much more can the Cowboys rely on the 32-year-old, considering he averaged 314.0 carries over the past three seasons, and that was with Aikman at quarterback? Second, will opposing defenses load up to stop the rookie quarterback or the running back just 1,560 yards behind Walter Payton's all-time NFL career rushing record? They'll likely load up against Smith. So while Smith still appears worthy of a 1,300-yard season, there likely will be little room to roam until Carter begins making plays. Fullback Robert Thomas will once again block for Smith. The backup situation is as green as the quarterback deal, with no proven backup available if Smith goes down.
Grade: B-minus.

Receivers: Reconstructed knees will determine the fate of the passing game, with both starters, Joey Galloway and Raghib Ismail, returning from torn anterior cruciate ligaments that sidelined them for much of 2000. Both appear to have regained their speed and should be ready to start the season. But should they go down, it could be a bigger disaster than in previous seasons when the Cowboys lost starting wideouts. Wane McGarity is the slot receiver in the nickel offense, but he's not big enough to be an every-down guy if one of the starters goes down. After that, it's a collection of unproven receivers, including Jason Tucker, Damon Hodge, Chris Brazzell and a bunch of wannabes. The tight end position is in worse shape after the Cowboys released David LaFleur because of back problems. That leaves the tight end chores to 33-year-old Jackie Harris and 1999 seventh-round pick Mike Lucky, who is coming off reconstructive knee surgery.
Grade: C-plus.

		The key is the evolution of rookie quarterback Quincy Carter. The Cowboys have made the commitment, and I don't mind it. The Cowboys are not going to be a good team this year and are going with Carter. I never mind when a team puts a young quarterback on the field, where the bullets are flying. Carter will learn on the run. It's going to be a tough year for Dallas, so this year is about the development of Carter. Can he at least hold it together to stay in the games and not do so badly that the Cowboys have to put Anthony Wright in the game? If Carter can do well enough and make progress, then it will be a good thing for the Cowboys. Although they won three Super Bowls in the '90s, the Cowboys and their fans may have to put up with some down years. If Carter gets experience and timing, it may turn out to be a good thing for Dallas down the road.

Offensive linemen: This could be the strength of the team, but it all depends on too many factors. Can Stepnoski play an entire season at age 34? Can first-time starter Kelvin Garmon hold down the right guard spot? Will left tackle Flozell Adams' sprained knee suffered in training camp hamper him all season? And can Solomon Page step up to the starting ORT task? The Cowboys still have perennial Pro Bowl guard Larry Allen on the left side. However, they have very little depth, though seventh-round pick Char-ron Dorsey has gotten valuable playing time during the preseason because of injuries.
Grade: B.

Defense
Defensive linemen: This would be the "think we can" bunch -- a collection of first-round picks and free agents trying to improve the league's worst run defense in 2000. The former first-round picks, Greg Ellis and Ebenezer Ekuban, are the defensive ends, both from North Carolina. Ellis appears to be fully recovered from a broken leg he suffered in 1999, and is back on the strong side. Ekuban must prove he was worth a first-round pick and especially must step up against the run. The middle will be manned by free agent Brandon Noble, former fourth-round pick Michael Myers ('98 draft) and converted DE Dimitrius Underwood, a former first-round pick of the Vikings. Underwood is the key here. He has the size (6-6, 320) and talent to play like Leon Lett, and the Cowboys will need that kind of performance since two of the three defensive tackles drafted (Willie Blade and Daleroy Stewart) will not be ready to start the season.
Grade: C-minus.

Linebackers: The main question here is, can Dat Nguyen be an every-down middle linebacker in the NFL? If he can, the trio of Nguyen, Dexter Coakley and Darren Hambrick can be decent. Coakley will play all around the formations - the weak side, strong side, and middle on change-up defenses. Hambrick, finally out of Campo's doghouse, is serviceable on the strong side. The Cowboys have worked hard with their schemes and formations -- they will use a nose tackle at times this year -- to keep offensive linemen off the undersized Nguyen and Coakley. Fourth-round pick Markus Steele is the only backup of note.
Grade: C.

Defensive backs: The Cowboys' top four cornerbacks this season have little to no starting experience. Larrimore started the first four games last year as a rookie but had yet to work with the first team in training camp. That distinction has gone to second-year Cornerback Mario Edwards and converted safety Izell Reese, who never has played cornerback in three seasons. Now, Duane Hawthorne is the only other backup of note since last year's top draft pick, Dwayne Goodrich, is out for the season with a torn Achilles. Goodrich had manned a spot on the first nickel defense. Veteran safeties Darren Woodson and George Teague will oversee this kiddie corps. Second-round pick Tony Dixon will be in reserve.
Grade: C-minus.

Special teams
This also could be the strength of the team, if a long-snapper is found. Placekicker Tim Seder will be solid, and Micah Knorr continues to improve as a punter and holder. But the long snapper's job was still up in the air, and the Cowboys seemed to be leaning away from calling back veteran Dale Hellestrae, who was released to save a little cap space and find a more versatile snapper. The Cowboys already had dismissed Ryan Collins and were interviewing tight ends Johnny Huggins, who just learned to snap, and Rickey Brady, who arrived the final week of camp. McGarity will handle punt returns, but kickoff returner was a fluid situation, with the Cowboys still looking at Tucker, John Avery, Michael Wiley and late addition Reggie Swinton.
Grade: B-minus.

Mickey Spagnola covers the Cowboys for DallasCowboys.com.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com