Jean-Jacques Taylor

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So Marty B. is frustrated because he doesn't have a role in the Cowboys' offense. Who cares?

He hasn't earned a role. When he does, then he'll get opportunities.

Until then, Martellus Bennett just needs to work harder at maximizing his talent.

Bennett is the perfect example of a player who has always been such a superior athlete that he didn't have to pay attention to the details because he was better than everyone else. That's no longer the case, and he hasn't figured out how to handle it.

The sooner he does, the better.

Seriously, do you think there's a reason Jason Garrett wouldn't want to put Bennett in a position to succeed? He wouldn't want to use a 6-6, 260-pound athletic tight end with soft hands and the ability to make big plays?

That's just silly.

Garrett has certainly found a way to use Jason Witten over the years. And he certainly found a way to use Miles Austin last year. And he developed roles for all three running backs last season because he didn't want to waste any offensive talent.

Did Bennett forget that everyone in the Cowboys' organization spent last off-season and training camp fawning over the tight end and his immense potential? They were disappointed that he didn't produce once the season began.

He caught just 15 passes for 159 yards and no touchdowns last season. As a rookie, he caught 20 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns.

Actually, it's Jerry Jones who should be mad that he didn't take the first-round pick Cincinnati reportedly offered him for Bennett last year at the trade deadline.

Q: Last summer we discussed Matt Moore. I was still angry the Cowboys let him go, but you felt he couldn't be an effective backup to Tony Romo. Do you feel Moore progressed or was it smoke and mirrors?

R. Doug Olsen

TAYLOR: We still don't know what Moore is because he hasn't played enough. He made five starts at the end of last season and did a good job – with eight touchdowns and one interception – earning the Panthers' trust. He will be their starter this season, and a lot of questions will be answered about his ability. The mistake the Cowboys made regarding Moore is that they cut him to keep safety Nate Jones on the roster. You don't cut quarterbacks you like to keep journeyman safeties, even though Jones has made a nice career for himself. Quarterback is the more valuable position, so you always err on the side of caution. Moore hasn't done enough for you to be angry about letting him go. After all, it's not like he was ever going to start here. The good news is Dallas learned a valuable lesson.

Q: Given the way Dallas' line was manhandled by the Vikings, I am really concerned about this aspect of the team. Can you elaborate on the following statement and why you're optimistic about the offensive line?

Steve Kreipe, Madison, Ala.

TAYLOR: That's easy. Leonard Davis, Andre Gurode and Kyle Kosier are each good players. Doug Free looks like a good player and should have a chance to start at right tackle this season, which would make Marc Colombo an outstanding backup. Dallas had a bad game against Minnesota, but it's a good, not great, offensive line. Flozell Adams is nearing the end of his career but remains a solid player. What Dallas needs to do is draft some quality linemen, so they can replace Adams and Kosier in the next couple of seasons without having to use free agency to do it.

Q: I don't understand what an uncapped year means. Can all teams just spend whatever they want?

Robert Halverson, Wichita Falls, Texas

TAYLOR: There are a lot of rules, and I'm going to suggest you Google the topic because I don't have the space or the desire to go over all of them. This much you should know: Just because teams can spend whatever they want doesn't mean they will. Actually, they're really doing the opposite. They're using the uncapped year to get rid of players with large contracts without the salary-cap penalties they usually incur.

Q: Is it somehow in Roy Williams' mind that now he has to worry about things he never worried about in Detroit because he's in Dallas and played at Texas? Does he feel more pressure?

Charles Forbes, Rockwall, Texas

TAYLOR: I don't think so. There's no good way to say this: He's just not that good. He's an average player who relied on his superior athletic ability for so long that he never learned the nuances of the game. He can still contribute in the right role, and the Cowboys need to spend the off-season making sure they find ways to maximize his talent.

Q: In 2006, Dallas beat the eventual champion Colts. In 2007, they had double-digit wins twice over the Giants before losing the playoff game against them. In 2008, a fourth-quarter collapse stopped them from beating the eventual champion Steelers and in 2009 they beat the then-unbeaten Saints, who eventually won the Super Bowl. What do we make of this?

Tony Clayborne, Kennesaw, Ga.

TAYLOR: It sounds to me like the résumé of a talented but inconsistent team. That's what the Cowboys have been over the years. They can play with the best teams but don't arrive with their A game every week. Let's see if the Cowboys can use the success of last season to find some consistency and play to their potential for an entire 16-game season.

Q: I wanted your opinion of the offensive line last year. I thought they had solved the inability to stop a blitzing defense with their performances against Philadelphia, but then they get totally overwhelmed by Minnesota. As a blitz-stopping offensive line compared with others, are they good, average, or poor?

John Noble

TAYLOR: It's wrong to focus on one game – even though it was a thorough butt-kicking that ended the season. As a whole, the Cowboys ranked second in the NFL in yards gained, while finishing among the top 10 in rushing and passing offense. Their biggest issues were short-yardage situations and some pass-protection issues. Many of those could be solved with some better work by Jason Garrett in those areas. The best defensive coordinators spend their time finding the weaknesses in certain pass protections. Garrett must step up his game in those areas. I know many of you don't want to hear it, but he's only been doing this job for a few seasons. He's still learning. Garrett is a smart guy and he's had success, which is why I think he'll continue to improve. But the Cowboys' window to win a championship is only going to be open for 3-4 years. The time is now.

Q: Chuck Howley deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but he probably never will get in because the anti-Dallas Cowboys bias among certain sportswriters is still out there. Howley is far more deserving than, for instance, Rickey Jackson, or quite a few of the Minnesota Vikings players from the 1970s that have gotten in. The Vikings not only lost four Super Bowls in the 1970s, which were all one-sided, but they never even led in any of them.

Clay Byrom

TAYLOR: I don't know how you can talk about a Hall of Fame bias when Dallas has had five players selected in the last five years and the inductions have included players from the Landry Era as well as the Jerry Era. This is going to hurt, but it's the truth. If the Cowboys split those Super Bowls of the '70s with Pittsburgh or sweep them, then Dallas would have 2-3 more players in the Hall of Fame. That didn't happen, so some guys unfortunately get left out.

Q: I'm curious – is there no chance for Drew Pearson to make it into the Hall of Fame?

Bobby Bermea

TAYLOR: I wouldn't think so. He should be in based on his clutch performances in the playoffs and the fact that no one from the '70s put up huge numbers, because it was a different game then.

Q: I was just curious about your thoughts on Marion Barber. Two years in a row he just hasn't looked the same as the player we were thrilled by when he came into the league. Are the Cowboys in any position to possibly trade him for a draft choice and go after a bruiser like Toby Gerhart from Stanford? Love Barber if he returns to his old self. But one more year like the last two, and you will never get anything for him or out of him. Thoughts?

Eddie Arnold

TAYLOR: If you think he looks broken down and unproductive, what makes you think anyone would trade for him? Barber, I think, can still be productive, but he has to prove it. He's had some nagging injuries the last two years. It would be nice if he could get through a season fairly healthy so we could see what he can still do.

Q: What does a lockout mean and why would the NFL do such a thing? Please help with my confusion.

Don Aguirre, Lincoln, Neb.

TAYLOR: It's the opposite of a strike. Management locks the doors and prevents the players from coming to work until a new contract agreement is agreed upon.

Q: With the troubles Dallas had at kicker this season, do you anticipate any chance of a change in their longtime strategy of developing their own kickers?

Clay Best, Clayton, N.C.

TAYLOR: It's really hard to say because Jerry was clearly scarred by his experience with Mike Vanderjagt, perhaps the worst free-agent acquisition the Cowboys have ever made. Then when he watched the way Nick Folk melted down last year, I don't think he wants to invest big money in a kicker. Matt Stover could be a good fit as a veteran. He doesn't have a big leg, but he's accurate. The Cowboys could also try to turn kickoff specialist David Buehler into their field goal kicker. I don't know what they're going to do, but if I had a championship-caliber team, I'd want a proven kicker.