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Gosselin: Cowboys have a lengthy grocery list when it comes to the NFL Draft

SportsDay columnist Rick Gosselin hosted a chat Monday to talk all things D-FW sports. Here are some of the highlights:

Question: Isn't there a compelling case at this point for the Cowboys to tank the season? Just put Tony Romo on IR, because we are not going to make the playoffs. This season is a mulligan. There are a number of things that a top-10 draft pick could do for the cowboys.

Gosselin: The Cowboys have played five games and the smallest crowd has been 90,300. If you tank a season, fan interest goes down. Remember Jerry Jones -- and this entire new breed of NFL owner -- are businessman first, sportsmen second. They want to win -- but it's mandatory that this become a successful financial endeavor. As long as the Cowboys are drawing 90,000, it's going to be a successful financial endeavor. The return of Romo will help keep those crowds coming. Sitting him would just give fans reason to stay away from these games and these prices. So when Romo is ready, he'll be back on the field. It's a business decision as much as a football one.

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Question: There are only two teams in the NFL with a worse record than the Cowboys. Isn't it about time to plan for the future with a high draft pick for Romo's successor? It's obviously not Kellen Moore or he'd be playing right now instead of Weeden and Cassel.

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Gosselin: I've been of the belief that the Cowboys should have been drafting a quarterback every year -- not necessarily with a high pick but somewhere in the later rounds. Then invest a few years to develop him, like they did Romo. If you don't draft one, you can never get lucky. That's what happened when the Patriots drafted Tom Brady. They didn't envision him as a guy who would go out and win four Super Bowls. They envisioned him as a project that would need a couple years of NFL seasoning. That said, the Cowboys don't believe in drafting quarterbacks -- only two since winning their last Super Bowl in the 1995 season. When the time comes, I believe Jerry will go out and buy one in free agency or trade for one.

Question: With Romo and Bryant being injured and the Hardy situation, how do the Cowboys assess the greatest need when draft time roles around from your prospective?

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Gosselin: McFadden is older and still has that fragile label. Running back would still be a primary concern. Sean Lee's inability to stay healthy and the erratic play of Rolando McClain would make linebacker a concern. I still think this team needs a dominant, inside pass-rushing defensive tackle and I would draft another offensive linemen. Move Collins to right tackle in 2016 and plug in a rookie guard. Cornerback remains a concern. When you're 2-6, there's a lengthy grocery list. And I haven't even mentioned quarterback.

Click here to read the full chat transcript