Let the season begin...

There's nothing like good draft picks that helps you forget that, despite their game 3 reprieve, the Mavs' season is perhaps the biggest debacle in the NBA this year.

Oh yes, the Stars don't hurt either.

So for those of you are have been following, here are the notable Cowboys off season moves thus far:

• Let an underachieving RB Julius Jones go to Seattle and spare it up there (The Julius Jones experiment ran its course and just leaves everyone wondering exactly why his first two years in this league were so dynamic and his last two years were so underwhelming-- either way, he needed to go for a lot of reasons).
• Traded NT Jason Ferguson, NT Remi Ayodele, and TE Anthony Fasano for draft picks (none of which dramatically impact the production of the team).
• Signed veteran MLB Zach Thomas in free agency ("veteran" is another word for "old" but he can still play productively and they're so deep at that position anyway they're not asking him to shoulder the load, just be a role player-- and at only 1-2 mil a year, it can only make the defense better).
• Signed CB Adam "Pac-Man" Jones--a top 5 cornerback--at a fire-sale of a price because he can't seem to stay out of trouble (Dallas already has one of the best tandem of corners in the league in Terrance Newman and Anthony Henry, adding Pac-Man Jones should really scare opposing quarterbacks, and adds a big-play threat in their punt return game).
• Resigned OT Flozsell Adams, and tendered RB Marion Barber and DE Chris Canty for another year (getting a deal done with F. Adams was HUGE-- just ask Tony Romo who doesn't even know Osi Umenyiora suits up when Dallas plays the Giants; M. Barber is a beast who should be a top 5 back in the league this year, and C. Canty's defensive pressure up the middle is EXACTLY what our D-Line needs when DeMarcus Ware gets double teamed with regularity).

Already, Dallas' off season moves look pretty good, right?

Now the draft in order of their being picked:

• Felix Jones RB (a top 5 RB prospect in the draft, fills the hole at RB that Julius Jones left and adds big-play ability with his speed as complimentary to M. Barber, and should be an effective kickoff returner as well).
• Mike Jenkins CB (perhaps the best cornerback available in the draft which now makes us 4 deep at that position with players any of whom who could easily be any other team's #1 corner--talk about scary good--this also gives us insurance against Pac Man Jones deciding to get involved in another shooting).
• Martellus Bennett TE (perhaps the best TE available in the draft, his athletic ability is on par with Antonio Gates and he was underutilized in Texas A&M's run heavy offense which means you know he can block, which should free up Jason Witten into more receiving opportunities).
• Tashard Choice RB (could be a late-round gem; fills the hole left by RB Tyson Thompson's departure, and should be a very capable 20-25 carry a game RB, should anyone get injured).
• Orlando Scandrick CB (ok, now my comments on how good and deep the Cowboys are at CB are just getting redundant, and if O. Scandrick is a late-round gem, just get the parade route ready).
• Erik Walden DE (what if this player turns out to be just slightly capable of rushing the passer? We'd be stocked with 4 solid pass rushing threats? Are you kidding me? Count 'em up, is there a more valuable pass rusher in the league than DeMarcus Ware? Wait, lets not forget how good Greg Ellis is on the other side-- and then there's the very talented 1st round pick from last year's draft, Anthony Spencer-- like I said, PARADE ROUTE- PLAN IT!).

My thoughts on the Adam "Pac Man" Jones trade:

Is there seriously anyone actually objecting to this? Those must be the same people who said they were done with the Cowboys when Jerry Jones picked up Terrell Owens.

How are all of those feet tasting these days?

Is anyone actually naive enough to think that most NFL Players don't visit Strip Clubs with regularity? Strip Clubbing is nearly a right of passage in the NFL. Now, not all NFL players are involved in Strip Club shootings, but Pac Man wasn't even charged with a crime related to that incident. And for only a 4th round pick and a bargain-basement contract? It's a no-brainer, do the deal, hug it out, bitch.

What was that you said? It's gonna be a distraction? More of a distraction than popcorn-boy Owens and YokoRomo? Hardly. In fact, compared to the perpetual circuses surrounding Jerry Jones, Tony Romo, and Terrell Ownes, don't be surprised if Pac Man Jones just fades into the background (like Tank Johnson did). And if he brandishes a gun at Baby Dolls, no big deal. We drafted two CBs-- one of which was probably the best in the draft and should be NFL ready, and basically lost nothing on Pac Man.

So, let me get this straight, the Cowboys won 13 games last year and basically beat everyone in the NFL that was any good except the New England Patriots. They did so with only two capable corners, both of whom were hurt at various points throughout the year, and their 2nd best receiver hurt the entire year, Terry Glenn.

So, all things considered, this is what Dallas Cowboy fans have to look forward to this up coming season:

• A secondary that is healthy and legitimately 4 deep (means more man-to-man coverage, which means Roy Williams will be in pass coverage less--thank god--which means opportunities for more blitzing and more quarterback pressure).
• A pass rush that is legitimately 4 deep (means teams will have to do more than just double team DeMarcus Ware, and we all know that QB pressure equals turnovers, especially when your secondary is strong to quite strong, and turnovers equal wins).
• A healthy Terry Glenn and improving WRs Sam Hurd and Miles Austin (who had over 1,000 yards receiving his last healthy year).
• An upgrade and big-play threat in the running game (Felix Jones will most undeniably be better than Julius Jones, and there's no reason to think Marion Barber won't be anything but better either).
• A Tony Romo in only his 2nd full season as a starting QB (There's no reason to think Tony Romo won't be anything but better even though he would have been last seasons' league MVP if it were not for Tom Brady having the best year of any QB in NFL history).
• An upgrade in TE from Anthony Fasano to Martellus Bennett (Don't underestimate this move, Tony Romo as the uncanny ability throw the ball to everyone).
• Special teams upgrades with the return capabilities of Felix Jones and Pac Man Jones.
• Did I mention the Cowboys won 13 games last year without these upgrades?

So, bring on the mini-camps, training camps, and preseason--hell, bring on the playoffs! Playoffs? PLAYOFFS!?!? That's right, book it.

It's good to know that at least one general manager in the city of Dallas isn't completely bereft of intelligence. There's nothing like a good Cowboy draft to make me think, Mavs-who?

Now, if we can just get Flozsell Adams to stop his highly untimely false-starts... but maybe now I'm just being greedy...