SportsDay's Dallas Cowboys beat writers are examining the best draft picks by the team at each position since 1967, the year the AFL and NFL stopped drafting the same players.

Best
Michael Irvin, Miami
1988, first round (No. 11 overall)

Is there any question? The most prolific receiver in club history owns all or part of 20 receiving records. He caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns in a career that was cut short due to a spinal injury.

Irvin was named to the Pro Bowl five times and set a single season NFL record in 1995 with 11 games of 100 or more yards. He retired with seven seasons of 1,000 or more yards. At the time, only Jerry Rice and Steve Largent had more.

Above all, Irvin was an integral part of three Super Bowl champions. He was the soul of those teams and an unquestioned leader.

Jason Witten, Tennessee
2003, third round (No. 69 overall)

He should break Irvin's record for receptions before his career is over. Witten already ranks second in Cowboys history with 523 receptions, and his 5,965 yards is fifth.
Witten has become a Pro Bowl fixture in his seven seasons in the league. He is the first tight end in club history to top 1,000 yards in a season and is also an outstanding blocker.

Tony Hill, Stanford
1977, third round (No. 62 overall)

Dubbed, "The Thrill'', he ranks second in Cowboys history in receiving yards with 7,988. Hill played for the Cowboys for 10 seasons and led the team in receptions and yardage eight times. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Honorable mention: Billy Joe DuPree (first round, 1973), Doug Cosbie (third round, 1979).

Worst
David LaFleur, LSU
1997, first round (No. 22 overall)

Jay Novacek was on his way out and the Cowboys gave up a future first round pick and another pick down the line to move up in the draft and select LaFleur.

It never paid off. LaFleur wasn't the receiver the Cowboys hoped he would become and his lack of athletic ability hurt his run blocking. He played four seasons for the Cowboys, catching 85 passes for 729 yards before he failed an off-season physical and was released.

Dennis Homan, Alabama
1968, first round (No. 20 overall)

Picks this high need to produce, yet Homan started just nine games in his three seasons with the Cowboys. His final totals with the club: 23 receptions for 437 yards and one touchdown.

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At the NFL Scouting Combine owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he wanted his players to be "nervous" in 2010 so as to avoid complacency. Yet when the talk turned to Roy Williams, Jones was protective of the wide out.

How does he reconcile the two options?

You don't need to manufacture things to make Roy nervous, just our situation," Jones said, "and as a matter of fact his ability to handle the things that would make any of us nervous has been impressive to me and is one of the things we're encouraged about. He gets that from enough places but his ability to handle that from enough places is a big plus."

On Sunday tight end Martellus Bennett had some interesting things to say about his role in the Cowboys offense basically saying with more opportunity he would produce more.

He also said he had a long meeting with owner and general manager Jerry Jones. At the end of the season, Jones said it was time for Bennett to mature as a player. Some of his actions this off-season on various social media outlets have frustrated some fans.

Jones would not get into the discussion he had with Bennett, but he is still preaching the maturity theme.

"When you evaluate a player both from a standpoint of skill or a standpoint of the other intangibles when you see him do it, then you know he can do it. We've seen Martellus do everything that it takes to be an All-Pro football player. We've seen that happen. Now just like any real accomplished player, athlete, boxer or whatever, he's got to make it part of his every day makeup. If he does, he'll be a great player for the Cowboys."

Daryl Johnston's also in there. The geniuses at the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee had some fun, and we all benefit. Evan Grant has more here.

Next big thing:
NFL Draft is April 22-24

Cowboys on TV
Front Row with Roger Staubach & Troy Aikman, 2 p.m. CST, Fox Sports Southwest

Cowboys birthdays
Martellus Bennett, tight end (2008-present), born in 1987.
Bill Herchman, defensive tackle (1960-61), born in 1933.
Mark Walen, defensive lineman (1987-1988), botn in 1963.

With free agency closing in on its first week, the Cowboys have not done a thing yet. And that's fine with owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

The New York Giants have signed safety Antrel Rolle and quarterback Jim Sorgi. Philadelphia has re-signed wide receiver Jason Avant and fullback Leonard Weaver and has corner Marlin Jackson in for a visit. Washington has played it slow, too, but signed guard Artis Hicks.

"I watch keenly what they do," Jones said. "I don't get into what they're doing or how they're doing it, but when they add and improve their roster, that gets my attention ... As far as feeling like we're dropping behind those guys, I don't feel that way at all."

Having just arrived back in the country from a tour overseas to visit military personnel in Afghanistan, Jason Witten will be busy next weekend, too, as the honorary starter for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 21.

Witten grew up 15 minutes from the speedway in Elizabethton, Tenn. He was scheduled to be the starter a year or two ago but a scheduling conflict arose.

"This is really going to be so much fun; I'm really excited about it," Witten said in a press release. "It's great to be coming home and I really can't wait to get out to the Speedway. The races in Bristol have always been a big deal and now for me to be able to go back there and be asked to wave the green flag for the Food City 500 that really means a lot."

We mentioned earlier how Manny Pacquiao brought Jerry Jones a bottle of 2007 Caymus Special selection cabernet sauvignon as a gift after Sean Payton took the last bottle Jones had had on reserve with St. Elmo Steakhouse during the NFL Scouting Combine.

Payton wrote a message to Jones on the bottle when the Cowboys arrived for a team meal the next night:

WHO DAT!
World Champions XLIV
Sean Payton

That bottle, however, does not exist anymore. It broke during the dinner with Payton in attendance.

"It's easy for me to see knowing Sean how he could hijack the shipment," Jones said. "He was proud of it and it was amusing ... I said, 'Whatever you do, I want that bottle. That's one thing that's going back in the archives.' They put it in a special spot and I'll be damned that it got broke right three in front of us. You would've thought we had destroyed the Lombardi Trophy. We all just shook our head."

Jones was thinking of Tom Benson not long after Payton made the joke.

"What will be interesting is when Benson gets the bill because he had not idea how much I spent for that," Jones said. "It was a lot."

He wouldn't say how much is a lot, but if Jones is saying a lot, then it must be a lot.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones was not ready to make any announcements Tuesday regarding the Cowboys training camp, but look for their summer to be split between San Antonio's Alamodome and Oxnard, Calif.

"It's got a good chance of happening," Jones said.

The plan would be to open training camp in San Antonio around July 24 because of the team's inclusion in the Aug. 8 Hall of Fame Game, and then travel to Oxnard for two weeks.

A final decision will likely be made when the preseason opponents are announced. The Cowboys would like to play at least one game on the West Coast if they move their operations to Oxnard.

"There are several logistical things to weight, but I'm optimistic about it," Jones said.