In addition to signing coach Wade Phillips to a new three-year deal, owner Jerry Jones said offensive quality control coach West Phillips, assistant linebackers coach Dat Nguyen and safeties coach Brett Maxie will be back next season. All three of their contracts had expired at the end of the season.

Thanks to the NFL rules regarding uncapped seasons, the Cowboys have only unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason -- G Montrae Holland. S Gerald Sensabaugh, WR Miles Austin, DE Marcus Spears, DT Stephen Bowen, OG Corey Proctor, G Duke Preston, WR Sam Hurd were slated to be unrestricted but now are restricted free agents.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

--P Mat McBriar had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Jan. 20.

QUARTERBACKS
Starter -- Tony Romo. Backups -- Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee.

Tony Romo entered the season with the tag of playing his worst football in big games. He put up big hollow numbers but didn't show up when his team needed him most. In 2009, Romo became more than a quarterback who put up gaudy statistics. He became a leader who redefined his image with great play late in the season to lead the Cowboys to the NFC East title and their first playoff win in 13 years. He started and played every snap in all 16 regular-season games.

RUNNING BACKS
Starters -- RB Marion Barber, FB Deon Anderson. Backups -- RB Felix Jones, RB Tashard Choice.

Barber led the team with 214 carries for 932 yards, although he battled knee, quad and thumb injuries for much of the season. He remained the lead dog in the three-headed rushing attack, although Jones took over as the star of the group by season's end. He rushed for 685 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Jones got stronger as the season went on. His best game was a 148-yard effort in wild-card playoff victory against the Eagles. Choice was the third-down back and the point man in the Wildcat offense. He rushed for 349 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. He will be looking for a bigger role next season.

TIGHT ENDS
Starter -- Jason Witten. Backups -- Martellus Bennett, John Phillips.

Witten was again Witten, leading the Cowboys with 94 catches for 1,030 yards. He earned a sixth straight trip to the Pro Bowl. He is the fourth tight end in NFL history to have six straight seasons of 60 or more catches. Bennett was supposed to be a breakout star after an impressive training camp, but he didn't live up to expectations. He had problems with focus and dropped passes. Phillips was a more trusted pass catcher than Bennett, who had 20 catches and five touchdowns last season and 15 catches and no touchdowns in 2009.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters -- Miles Austin, Roy Williams. Backups -- Pat Crayton, Sam Hurd, Kevin Ogletree.

Roy Williams was given a $9 million annual salary to replace Terrell Owens as the team's go-to receiver. Williams, however, didn't live up to expectations because of a litany of dropped passes and an inability to get on the same page as quarterback Tony Romo. Williams caught just 38 passes for 598 yards and seven touchdowns. Austin had a breakout season to more than make up for Williams' lack of production. He caught 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl selection. His touchdowns were seventh in team history. He holds the league record for receiving yards in a player's first three starts. Crayton was solid as a third receiver. The Cowboys have high hopes for Ogletree for next season.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- LT Flozell Adams, LG Kyle Kosier, C Andre Gurode, RG Leonard Davis, RT Marc Colombo. Backups -- G Corey Proctor, T Doug Free, T Pat McQuistan, G Montre Holland, C Duke Preston.

Davis and Gurode again led the way up front and earned their third and fourth selections to the Pro Bowl, respectively. Adams caught a lot of grief for penalties and fines earlier in the season but overall he had one of his better seasons and by the end he had even cut out the penalties. Kosier made a successful return following a foot injury that sidelined him in 2008. Colombo was solid early but missed the final seven games of the regular season with a fractured foot and a high ankle sprain. Free filled in nicely for Colombo and could be in the mix for the starting job next season.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- LE Marcus Spears, NT Jay Ratliff, RE Igor Olshansky. Backups -- DE Jason Hatcher, DE Steven Bowen, T Junior Saivii.

Ratliff proved again why he might be the best player on the entire defense. He controls everything up front. He had seven sacks this season, earned his second Pro Bowl bid and first All-Pro nod. He led the team with four fumble recoveries and had a career high 83 tackles. Spears had his best season as a pro and Olshansky proved to be a more than capable replacement for the departed Chris Canty. Bowen and Hatcher were solid contributors as nickel pass rushers.

LINEBACKERS
Starters -- OLB DeMarcus Ware, ILB Keith Brooking, ILB Bradie James, OLB Anthony Spencer. Backups -- Bobby Carpenter, Steve Octavian, Victor Butler, Jason Williams.

Ware was named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl after racking up a team-high 11 sacks. He was especially inspirational when he battled back from a neck injury to record two sacks and two forced fumbles against the Saints. James was the other known commodity who came through big for the Cowboys with 181 tackles, leading the team for the fifth straight season. He teamed up with newcomer Brooking to form a solid inside linebacker duo. Brooking, who came over from Atlanta, had a career high in sacks with four. He also chipped in 156 tackles. He was the team's emotional leader and was a steadying force in the locker room. Spencer finally shed his label as a bust with a breakout season. He had seven sacks in the last six games and was playing as well as any defensive player on the team.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters -- CB Terence Newman, S Gerald Sensabaugh, S Ken Hamlin, CB Mike Jenkins. Backups -- CB Orlando Scandrick, CB Alan Ball, S Pat Watkins, S Mike Hamlin.

Newman was solid if not spectacular and became an injury replacement to the Pro Bowl. Jenkins, however, developed into a difference maker in the secondary. He was the team's best defensive back and was the shutdown corner at times, the one some thought Newman would become. Ken Hamlin was again solid as the quarterback of the secondary even if he didn't make a lot of impact plays. He was the key to the communication back there and got everybody lined up. Before a clueless play in divisional playoff loss to the Vikings, there was no quibble with anything Sensabaugh did. He was a huge upgrade over the departed Roy Williams with 81 tackles and 10 pass deflections despite playing most of the season with a fractured thumb.

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Shaun Suisham, P Mat McBriar, LS L.P. Loudaceur, PR Pat Crayton, KR Felix Jones, K David Buehler.

Suisham was no solution to the team's kicking woes after being signed to replace the slumping Nick Folk. He missed three field goals in the last three games. McBriar and Buehler were weapons on punts and kickoffs and helped the Cowboys control field position. Crayton returned two punts for touchdowns in what was his best season as a returner. Jones handled the bulk of kickoff returns until he took a larger role in the offense at running back, paving the way for Kevin Ogletree to handle the kickoffs.

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