2003 COWBOYS
	The Cowboys are Bill Parcells' fourth team.
	Head coach: Bill Parcells (1st year). 2002 record: 5-11 NFC East finish: 4th Season opener: Sept. 7 vs. Falcons Schedule | Depth chart

They said it could never be done, but for the past seven months everyone has watched with their own eyes as Bill Parcells, a coach's coach, has run the Cowboys in his old-school manner, working hand-in-hand with lightning-rod owner Jerry Jones. And everything is running just fine.

Although Parcells might not have all the personnel he needs to immediately turn this franchise around, he is busy instilling discipline and accountability -- necessary commodities that have eroded over the years along with the talent level. His biggest challenge in refurbishing a team that has gone 5-11 in the past three seasons will be to juice up a stagnant offense, one that's heading toward the season opener without an established quarterback or running back now that Emmitt Smith works in Arizona.

Offense
Quarterbacks: It's never a good thing when a team heads into its third preseason game without establishing a starting quarterback. That was the case with the Cowboys, as they were still trying to decide between Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter. Carter appeared headed for the scrap heap but re-established himself with a fine second quarter in the second preseason game and then a decent showing vs. Pittsburgh. That was good enough to earn Carter the starting gig. Hutchinson got his chances but has been ordinary. Parcells knows his inexperienced quarterbacks aren't marquee players, so he wants Carter to be an effective game manager. Parcells also reserves the right to change his mind at some point. Veteran Clint Stoerner was released, meaning intriguing rookie free agent Tony Romo is the No. 3 guy. Grade: D-plus.

Running backs: More of the same here. Parcells has subscribed to the "show-me" adage here, and because the team severed ties with the league's all-time leading rusher, Parcells' eyes are still wide open waiting. Troy Hambrick appears to be the leading candidate to replace Smith, but Parcells still wasn't convinced that Hambrick could handle the full-time load as the team was ready to break camp. That's one reason Parcells is trying to resurrect Adrian Murrell, who ­hasn't played in two seasons. Evidently, he trusts Murrell more than Hambrick at this point. And there is a good chance that fullback Richie Anderson will be more of a runner than fullbacks have been in Dallas the past decade. Parcells trusts Anderson and he likes Aveion Cason's speed and elusiveness as the third-down back -- Michael Wiley's former job. Grade: C-plus.

Receivers: This could be the deepest group on the team. Right now, wide receiver Antonio Bryant is a sure starter and could develop into this team's go-to receiver. But there's some nice competition going on for the other starting job between Joey Galloway, who held the job last year, and Terry Glenn, a Parcells favorite brought in during the offseason. Galloway has struggled catching the ball consistently, and that's one thing Glenn does. Both have great speed, and if the team can run a little and protect up front, the deep ball could become its biggest weapon. After that, it's a dead heat for the other two, maybe three spots. Randal Williams might finally be maturing into the big receiver (6-3) the Cowboys have been searching for and will be battling Reggie Swinton and Ken-Yon Rambo for the final spots. Special-teams play might become the deciding factor. The tight end position has been upgraded with the addition of free agent Dan Campbell and third-round draft choice Jason Witten. Grade: B.

Offensive linemen: This unit depends on Larry Allen. Is he the Larry Allen of old, or is he an old Larry Allen, who just received a $12 million signing bonus last year? As the Cowboys were heading to Pittsburgh for their third preseason game, they just didn't know and weren't sure when that answer would be coming. Allen has looked rusty all summer and has not played to his previous standard. Even after returning from what was termed a "puffy ankle," Parcells has him working with the second unit. Without Allen, the team doesn't have a Pro Bowl-caliber lineman. On top of that, it already has lost second-round draft choice center Al Johnson (knee surgery), who had been working with the first team. So now, they must rely on left tackle Flozell Adams, right tackle Ryan Young, right guard Andre Gurode and likely Gennaro DiNapoli at center. If Allen doesn't come around, Tyson Walter is likely the left guard. Grade: C-plus.

Defense
Defensive linemen: There was one question here heading into training camp: Could they find a starting-quality nose tackle. The answer seemed to be coming up yes when Willie Blade finally began showing he was a player. Then he sprained his left knee, likely missing the first two games, so the question remains unanswered with Michael Myers, John Nix and Sean Smith the possible solutions. If they can hold the fort down next to Pro Bowl defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, and there is a consistent pass rush from DEs Greg Ellis and Ebenezer Ekuban, the starting four could be fairly strong. This unit likely will be good against the run but must improve its pass rush; the team netted only 24 sacks in each of the past two seasons. Grade: B-minus.

Linebackers: Although Parcells likes his 'backers bigger than what he has, this unit might be the least of the team's worries if healthy. Middle linebacker Dat Nguyen is solid, and weakside linebacker Dexter Coakley is the outside playmaker. The Cowboys more than patched a hole by signing strongside linebacker Al Singleton away from Tampa Bay and then drafting Bradie James, who has "future starter" written all over him. There are a bunch of playmakers, but because of their size, the defensive line must keep opponents' offensive linemen from getting on these guys. Grade: B.

Defensive backs: Not long ago a weakness, now this could be a team strength. In the past two drafts, the team has added three potential starters: Free safety Roy Williams and cornerbacks Terence Newman and Derek Ross, provided Ross wins the battle with incumbent starter Mario Edwards. Not only that, they picked up nickel back Donald Mitchell in free agency and think they've hit on second-year cornerback Pete Hunter, currently recovering from a fractured forearm. Then add veteran strong safety Darren Woodson into the mix, and for a change the Cowboys might not get lit up as long as the youngsters mature quickly. Grade: A-minus.

Special teams
The only question that remains is whether they have an adequate kicker. Signing veteran P Toby Gowin in the offseason took care of three chores: punting, holding and kickoffs. Veteran long snapper Jeff Robinson returns to deep snap after missing last year with a torn ACL. So that leaves kicker, and at this point it appears Parcells will go with second-year pro Billy Cundiff. And because Parcells stresses special teams so much, returns must supplement the team's questionable offense. And that could mean roster spots for a couple of return guys: sixth-round pick Zuriel Smith and converted free safety Woody Dantzler. But if they really want someone special, watch out if Newman, their first-round pick, is allowed to return kicks. The guy can scoot. Grade: B.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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