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Player Power Rankings: Top 25 Dallas Cowboys For Week 16

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With this week's closing of the Pro Bowl Balloting, a lot is being made of the fan's impressions of who is putting in that work on the field. What better time to revisit the individual player power rankings!

I'll attempt to slot the Top 25 players based on several factors: overall career performance, season performance, recent performance and probably most importantly, overall worth to the team.  Again, these are completely subjective, but to balance that out, I'll include their Pro Football Focus cumulative grades. PFF breaks down film of each play for every player in the NFL and assigns it a grade ranking from -2.0 to +2.0. A players individual grade is the accumulation of every snap he's taken for the 2011 season.

Here's a look at one man's opinion on the pecking order inside the Dallas circle and at the dinner table. Who deserves the big piece of chicken?

Position Player Prev. Rank (Week 14)
PFF Cumulative 2011 Snaps PFF Position Rank Note
1 Tony Romo 1 +11.4 927 8 (QB) 22 TDs and 4 INTs since the Lions game. Masterful.
2 Tyron Smith 7 +18.7 944 2 (OT) The best rookie tackle since Jake Long
3 DeMarcus Ware 2 +24.4 792 5 (3-4OLB) Stinger is hurting him, but when healthy he's the best.
4 Jason Witten 3 +7.2 944 8 (TE) Tough year in blocking for The Senator.
5 Jay Ratliff 4 +13.5 661 13 (DT/NT) Rib injury hurting, but still a monster in the middle.
6 Sean Lee 5 +9.1 755 16 (ILB) Get Chuck Norris some help in the middle, please.
7 Dez Bryant 6 +10.0 679 10 (WR) One of the most gifted athletes in the league, how hard is he working to improve his routes?
8 Miles Austin 9 +2.8 444 35 (WR) Getting ready to return to elite threat.
9 Felix Jones 18 +6.2 322 25 (HB) Showing first round talent, but dinged up again.
10 Laurent Robinson 11 +5.2 510 21 (WR) Best FA scrap-heap pickup in team history?
11 Mike Jenkins 15 +1.7 524 38 (CB) Quietly having resurgent year amidst numerous injuries.
12 Anthony Spencer 10 +10.6 815 10 (3-4OLB) No respect Anthony.
13 Sean Lissemore 12 +13.0 253 6 (3-4DE) Lisssssyyyyy! This year's Stephen Bowen.
14 Gerald Sensabaugh 13 +3.8 872 12 (S) Had a couple questionable performances since contract.
15 DeMarco Murray 8 +9.4 390 17 (HB) Sorely missed, would have given Dallas best back combo?
16 Jason Hatcher 16 +6.2 362 13 (3-4DE) Hit or miss 3-4 DE
17 Dan Bailey 17 +15.2 N/A 17 (K) The return of Mr. "Split'Em"?
18 Montrae Holland 19 +8.0 587 16 (OG) Lumpy Returns and performs admirably.
19 Victor Butler NR +5.6 212 14* (3-4OLB) [not enough snaps] Doing well in subbing for injured Ware.
20 Kyle Kosier 24 -1.0 950 33 (OG) We thank you for your service, but will be looking elsewhere.
21 Doug Free 25 -3.4 950 31 (OT) Get ready to return to the right side, Doug.
22 Terence Newman 21 -5.2 714 82 (CB) It's so haaarrdddd… to say good-byeeeeee….
23 Tony Fiammetta 22 -6.8 204 29 (FB) Had a horrible game against the Bucs, cost Felix.
24 Orlando Scandrick 23 -1.6 573 52 (CB) Still trying to explain his early extension.
25 Mat McBriar 14 +11.6 N/A 17 (P) Recent kicks say he's still injured but not letting on.

For more coverage of Dallas, check out SB Nation's Cowboys blog, Blogging The Boys.

Photographs by jamesbrandon, jdtornow, phlezk, flygraphix, mcdlttx, tomasland, and literalbarrage used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.