Bill Parcells' retirement following four disappointing seasons with the Cowboys placed the franchise on the hunt for a new head coach this off-season. Owner Jerry Jones had interest in more than a few candidates, in the end deciding on recent San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Phillips has more than thirty years NFL experience, including four prior stints as a head coach. From 1998-2000 he was with the Bills working as Marv Levy's replacement. He took on the task of replacing another legendary coach (Dan Reeves) when he ran the Denver Broncos from 1993-1994. This year he attempts to do what Bill Parcells couldn't accomplish with the Cowboys. Phillips also had brief coaching tenures on an interim basis with the New Orleans Saints (1985) and Atlanta Falcons (2003).

Once hired, Phillips made two key maneuvers with his coaching staff. Jason Garrett, who spent the previous two seasons as the Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach, was hired as offensive coordinator. He also promoted Tony Sparano to the position of assistant head coach. Sparano has been in the NFL for eight seasons, having spent his last four with the Dallas Cowboys. As a member of Bill Parcells' staff Sparano's duties included working with tight ends, the offensive line, and coordinating the team’s running game. He'll continue to work in those areas while Garrett plays a larger role in orchestrating the team’s passing attack.

Given Phillips' defensive background, expect the Cowboys offensive game plan to revolve around a strong rushing attack. With Sparano kept as part of the staff there is reason to expect similarities between what the Cowboys did last year and what they will do this season running the football. With Garrett's short amount of experience in the NFL, along with never having seen him coordinate an offense before, it's difficult to forecast what one should expect from him. If Romo builds off the success he had last season however, the Cowboys passing game will be an effective one. The strength of the defense may be what ultimately dictates the balance we'll see from the Dallas offense in 2007.

Phillip's Impact On The Offense:

Quarterbacks: Tony Romo; Brad Johnson; Isaiah Stanback

Romo started 10 games for Dallas in 2006, finishing the season with 2903 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. He also completed an impressive 65.3% of his passes after replacing an ineffective Drew Bledsoe mid-season and leading the Cowboys to the playoffs. Garrett's two years as the quarterbacks coach in Miami were spent tutoring questionable talent at the position. He worked with Gus Frerotte in 2005 under offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. Frerotte provided mediocre production for the season before following Linehan to St. Louis in 2006 and signing as Marc Bulger's back-up.

With Linehan taking the head coaching position with the Rams, Miami hired former Pittsburgh Steelers coordinator Mike Mularkey to run their offense in 2006. Daunte Culpepper was acquired during the off-season with expectations he would provide Miami much needed stability at the QB position. After a few early starts, it became apparent Culpepper wasn't fully recovered from the knee injury that cost him much of the 2005 campaign. With the one time Viking sidelined, Garrett was left to work with Joey Harrington as his starter and got mixed results. The former first round pick had some solid outings, but his overall performance left much to be desired.

Expect Romo to have a solid season as a starter in fantasy leagues, though it may not be wise to base his projections on last year’s performance alone. In 2006 he averaged 264.1 passing yards per start. If he duplicated that feat over a full 16 games he'd finish with more than 4000 yards. With the coaching change that has taken place in Dallas, expect Romo to finish this season with 3600-3800 passing yards and 20-24 touchdowns.

Running Backs: Julius Jones; Marion Barber; Tyson Thompson

Given the fact Tony Sparano was kept as part of the Dallas coaching staff, there's good reason to believe Julius Jones and Marion Barber will be used in much the same fashion they were in 2006. Sparano first worked with Dallas as their tight ends coach, but has taken on the responsibility of working with the offensive line, as well as coordinating the team’s rushing attack during the last two years. Barber may have the opportunity over the course of the pre-season to take on a larger role than he had in 2006, but expect Julius Jones to continue seeing his fair share of carries throughout the year.

The main development that takes place in the Dallas backfield will revolve around which RB is viewed as the primary ball carrier. At the moment, Jones appears to have the edge, so expect another 900-1000 yards rushing from him while Barber continues stealing touches at the goal line. Barber should also see enough carries during the course of the year to reach 650-750 rushing yards. He'll surpass 1000 if assumes the starting role early in the year. Should that happen, Jones production would likely drop to no more than 750 yards rushing and a few touchdowns.

Wide Receivers: Terrell Owens; Terry Glenn; Patrick Crayton; Sam Hurd; Skyler Green

With the same cast of receivers returning, there is good reason to expect similar production at the position for Dallas this year. Owens played with an injured finger in 2006, which led to more than a few drops and lost touchdown opportunities. Despite the miscues, he still led the team with 85 receptions and 1180 receiving yards. His 13 touchdowns were second on the team, ranking slightly behind Marion Barber's 16 overall scores. With his finger healed, Owens is a safe bet to match the statistics he posted last season. If Dallas is behind in games more often than expected, Owens is a reliable threat to record 1200-1300 yards. He'll also finish with another 10-15 touchdowns.

Terry Glenn has posted back-to-back thousand-yard seasons in his last two years with the Cowboys. While the mark is one he could reach for a third consecutive year, don't go into the season expecting it from him. Bank on the 12-year vet posting 800-950 receiving yards and reaching the end zone 5-7 times. Crayton may prove useful during bye weeks, but only warrants serious consideration if Owens or Glenn is lost to injury.

Tight Ends: Jason Witten; Anthony Fasano; Adam Bergen

As with the running backs, Sparano has also played a role working with the tight end position since joining the Cowboys in 2003. Witten entered the NFL as a rookie that season and finished with 35 receptions for 347 yards. In the three seasons since then he has averaged 72 receptions, 830 yards, and 4 touchdowns. After a slow start in 2006, Witten became much more involved in the offense once Romo was starting. He finished the year with 64 receptions, 754 yards and 1 touchdown. With Romo expected to start all 16 games this season, Witten should at least match his totals of a year ago.