Can Jones resist temptation to deal?

IndianapolisS - The binder that details the Cowboys thoughts on the players in the draft rests under the right hand of Jerry Jones.

The report will be much thicker a few days from now once club officials return from the Indianapolis combine and update the information. But the Cowboys owner has talked to his scouting department and seen enough 40s to know that he likes that first-round pick at No. 27.

"I'd say probably we're less likely to move around this year," Jones said.

What Jones says now and what he does on draft night in seven weeks could be two different things. History has shown he's inclined to wheel and deal.

But a draft class enriched by an influx of juniors and the Cowboys stance that they don't need to fortify one position over another points to restraint.

The combine is where scouting director Tom Ciskowski and his department bring Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, up to speed.

A preliminary board is in place. There are no grades. Right now, the club has players assigned to general areas in each round - high first, low second, etc. - and will put a more definitive order to the draft in coming weeks.

The Joneses didn't work off a formal interview list in Indianapolis. That comes later. But Ciskowski did point out a few players he thought Jerry and Stephen should sit down with and visit.

Funny, but father and son aren't interested in sharing that list with the media.

This time of year is all about reading between the lines. While Jerry Jones said the club won't focus on one position in this draft, he also said the Cowboys need to make "obvious improvement" in the offensive line.

This is considered a strong draft for offensive linemen.

The owner said he would like to see more turnovers generated by the defense.

Some big-play safeties should be available late in the first round.

But it's premature to say the Cowboys need the draft to find players at these positions. The players they sign in free agency, which opens later this week, impact how they proceed in the draft.

Whatever happens, there is one position the Cowboys won't consider in the first round.

"I'm looking at everything but quarterback," Jerry Jones said. "There's not a position we wouldn't take with that first pick other than quarterback."

This has very little to do with No. 3 quarterback Stephen McGee - the staff hasn't seen enough of last year's fourth-round pick to make a determination about his future - and everything to do with the confidence the Cowboys have in backup Jon Kitna.

And yes, even though the Cowboys are blessed with three quality running backs in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, Jones said he wouldn't hesitate to take another back in the first round if he thought he could be special.

"I thought we had overkill when we drafted Felix Jones and Tashard Choice in the same draft, but we didn't," Jones said of the '08 draft.

The Cowboys got minimal production from last year's draft class. Injuries removed many from the equation before the season ever started.

The club hopes the health of those players entering this off-season, along with the players they will draft in April, gives them a young, energetic boost.

"We're not really losing anybody off what we believe is a really good football team," Stephen Jones said.

"You've got places you'd always like to improve. When we analyzed the 2009 season, there were areas that we'd like to be better. But I certainly don't think that we have any type of needs that would get us to a point where we have to focus on a position, which normally leads to you to have a hell of a draft.

"We'll take the best football player up there in most cases."

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