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          NFL Nation

          Mailbag: Real Super Bowl contenders?

          • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterJun 14, 2015, 12:00 PM ET
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              Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
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          IRVING, Texas – Part 2 of the Dallas Cowboys’ Twitter mailbag is ready.

          If you want to see Part 1, click here.

          Away we go:

          @toddarcher: It is early and we don't know how the rest of the offseason and training camp will go as far as injuries and things like that, but I do think the Cowboys can be contenders, yes. Right now I'd put the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks above them in the NFC and that's it. So if you're in the top three, you're a contender. Again, it's early. I think Joseph Randle will be fine at running back. I think the defense will be better. I think a lot of things, but the schedule will be more difficult. But I also think the Cowboys remain the best team in the NFC East even if there seems to be a lot of love for the Philadelphia Eagles at the moment. @toddarcher: Are you thinking 60 catches? Then I would say no. More than the 37 he had last year? Yes. Terrance Williams' stats might not correlate to how well he's playing. They might correlate more to who he plays with. We know Dez Bryant will be in the 80- to 90-catch range. We know Jason Witten will be in the 60- to 70-catch range. I think we know Cole Beasley will be in that 40- to 50 catch range. The running backs might not catch 57 passes as a group to make up for DeMarco Murray's absence, so that could be where more production from Williams comes into play. I think Williams could move into that 50-catch range and that's less than a catch more a game than he had last year. It's just hard to put mega numbers up as a receiver with Bryant and Witten on the field, too. @toddarcher: You've got the depth chart down. Devin Street is No. 4 right now. He has benefited from the work he has received this spring with Dez Bryant not taking part in the offseason program. He has improved. The coaches like his development. Tony Romo has been complimentary as well. But go read my answer to the Williams' question. There will be only so many passes to go around. Do I think he'll catch more than two passes on the year, like he did as a rookie? Yes, but do I think he'll have 30 to 35 catches? Only if there are injuries. @toddarcher: It depends on what you want to call upgrading. Will they find a star player so much better than Nick Hayden, Ken Bishop or anybody else they will use in that spot? Probably not. And I don't know how much losing Josh Brent hurts. He played in one game last year. But I do think you will see the Cowboys study defensive tackles over the summer during preseason games that might be a little bit better than what they have. I've said this before, but I think Hayden is an underrated player. Superstar? No. Good enough? Sure. And with how they employ their nickel defense, Hayden's playing time should decrease with the versatility they have with guys such as Jeremy Mincey, Greg Hardy and Tyron Crawford. @toddarcher: Come one, come all. So far this offseason we haven't seen much kick return work, mostly punts. We've seen Cole Beasley, J.J. Wilcox, Lucky Whitehead and Nick Harwell do some of it. Maybe we'll see more kick return stuff next week in the minicamp. I think Wilcox is an intriguing choice. He has a running back background, so he's used to the ball being in his hands. He's big so he might be able to withstand the hits. I look at Beasley more as a punt catcher, but he has some make-em-miss to him as a receiver. I can't wait to see Whitehead in the preseason. I think he might be able to be a difference-maker.