With the draft and free agency (mostly) behind us, it's probably time for another way-too-early look at where the Dallas Cowboys stack up with the rest of the NFL.

Over at the SBNation mothership, Joel Thorman gives his latest NFL power rankings, with the Cowboys checking in at No. 9:

9. Dallas Cowboys (8-8, LW: 13): The Cowboys felt they were one player away from making a serious run. Morris Claiborne is that player.

Dallas came into the off-season needing to upgrade their secondary, and they certainly paid a hefty price to acquire the top CB in free agency (Brandon Carr) as well as the draft (Claiborne).

Now, on paper, the Cowboys seem to have all the pieces in place to make a deep run in the playoffs. They'll certainly find out how they stack up with the NFL's elite early in 2012, as they face the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in Week 1 in the Meadowlands.

For all the latest news and notes about the Cowboys off-season, check out the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Blogging The Boys.