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          NFL Nation

          Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag, Part 1

          May 15, 2015
          • Todd ArcherESPN Staff Writer
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            • Covered NFL since 1997, Cowboys since 2003
            • Previously covered Bengals and Dolphins
            • Lives in Dallas area with his wife and two children
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          IRVING, Texas – Part 1 of the Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag is ready.

          In it we discuss:

          @toddarcher: The Cowboys need Crawford, Lawrence and Mincey to play better than they did a year ago whether Randy Gregory or Greg Hardy were/are on the roster. They view Crawford as a cornerstone type player as the under tackle. They made a big move up to get Lawrence last year because of their belief in his skills. Mincey was viewed as a bridge player but played well in 2014 with six sacks. Rookie pass-rushers generally don't set the world on fire, so expecting huge numbers from Gregory isn't wise. As it stands right now Hardy will have the chance to play in six regular season games, so it's not realistic to expect big numbers from him. To a degree the Cowboys have to view anything they get from those two, under present circumstances, as an extra cookie in the lunch box. If the pass rush is going to improve greatly, Crawford, Lawrence and Mincey have to produce more than the nine sacks they combined for in last year's regular season.

          @toddarcher: The longer this deal with Brandon Carr has gone, the longer I wonder if the team will do anything. I firmly believed he would be cut if he didn't accept a cut in pay when the season ended. I don't necessarily see that right now. It's not like they “need” the cap room. They're all set with that. But I don't think the Cowboys “want” Carr to count $12.7 million against their cap. For all of those who believe otherwise, the Cowboys need him, which also complicates things. I offered up a possible solution this week by signing Carr to a new deal that would give the Cowboys' salary-cap relief in 2015 and '16 while also putting some decent coin in Carr's pocket. If you look at some of the deals signed by corners in free agency, I think there's a pretty easy solution. But back to the question: I think the Cowboys would like to get something done soon, say, before minicamp. That would give them about a month to do something.

          @toddarcher: Let's stick with the cornerback subject with this one. Let me say this: A player should get what he can get when he can get it. Every team wants it both ways when it comes to contracts. If a player asks for more money, they say he's under contract, but they sure are quick to cut or force a player to take a cut in pay when he's under contract. Rant over. Now on to Scandrick. The argument can be made that he was overpaid when the Cowboys gave him his original deal and for the last couple of seasons it has balanced itself out. But Scandrick's $1.5 million base salary is way too low for what he means to this defense. I can't give you a total figure, but I'd put him in the $5 million-$6 million per year range.

          @toddarcher: Cornerbacks for $500, Alex. Jones looked OK to me during the camp. You can see his athleticism right away, but I expected that. I'll be honest: We don't see much at rookie minicamps and they don't really do all that much, so making any judgments -- good or bad -- off three hours on the field for two practices should not be taken as gospel. He looks the part. He acts the part. He listens. He wants to do what the coaches are telling him. We'll see more as the offseason goes along and even more when we get into training camp. I'll have a better feel this summer but I don't think the Cowboys have any second thoughts based on what they have seen right now.

          @toddarcher: You use the word tricky. I'll use the word useless. They don't mean anything. And this is coming from one of the ESPN voters. The polls offer up a chance for debate. Would I pick the Cowboys' 18th? Not a chance. In fact, I had them at No. 6 in our NFL Nation poll, which was good for third in the NFC behind Green Bay and Seattle. Will I be right? Who knows? I wouldn't put too much weight in any polls at this time of year anyway. It's all a projection. I think the Cowboys had a productive offseason even though they lost DeMarco Murray. I think they should have drafted a runner, but I also think Joseph Randle will be a productive back. The key word in those statements is "think." What I think now might not be true when the season starts.