With all Jerry Jones' talk of 'dominating' the second day of the draft, It sure doesnt seem like that is what he did.
Our first two picks were guys from small schools that people know virtually nothing about. Jason Williams was not even invited to the combine. It also seems like every pick of ours was either a linebacker or a defensive lineman. To say the least, this draft certainly lacked excitement and reminds me more of the drafts from the dark ages (the early 2000's).
I do like the pick of Cincinnatti's pair of corner backs, and I think that Mike Mickens was a steal, with the only reason he fell due to his injured knee.
This draft seemed to lack impact players for us, with Jerry seemingly going for depth rather than talent. Hopefully he knows what he is doing, but for now it does not look good.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Draft is coming up
With the draft almost upon us, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at what we can expect to find when we make our first selection at number 51.
Now with the fact that the Cowboys have 11 picks in this draft, do not expect Jerry Jones to make 11 picks. This is a stacked team, whether or not you want to believe the hype, there are not really that many holes to fill, thus making it almost impossible for 11 draftees to realistically make the roster. Look for trader Jerry to possibly move up in the second if someone he likes is there, and probably trade picks for futures since this year's draft class is rather weak.
So with the 51st pick in the draft, look for the Cowboys to go either with a safety or a wide receiver. Now, most of the exceptional receivers (if you can call any receivers in this draft other than Michael Crabtree exceptional) to be gone by the 51 pick.
There is a strong possibility that Brian Robiskie will be available when we pick, or close enough to when we pick that Jones may want to trade up and get him. Robiskie is a great receiver, whose father, Terry Robiskie is a recievers coach for the Atlanta Falcons. This is good because Brian should be ready for the NFL mindset, as he has grown up with the NFL in his home and he has been around NFL type personalities for the majority of his life.
He has good size, as he is listed at 6'3" and weighs in at 209 pounds, making him big enough and strong enough to go up and get the ball. He did not run a great 40 yard dash at the Combine, clocking in at 4.59 seconds. However he is shifty and could make it work in the NFL.
If the Cowboys go safety with their first pick odds are they are going to be looking at Western Michigan Free Safety Louis Delmas. He is arguiably one of the best cover safeties in the draft. His height is a bit of a concern, being listed at 5'11", but he should be able to pack on some muscle at the next level to make him big enough to withstand facing Brandon Jacobs atleast twice a year. He is fast enough to cover tight ends and running backs in the slot, and can hit hard enough to make people fear him. He has been to The Ranch for a private workout, so don't be suprised to see Jones trade up and go after him.
If the cowboys go reciever in the second, look for them to target Alabama safety Rashad Johnson in the third. He is a good hitter with good coverage instincts, and should be ready for the NFL after being coached by Nick Saban.
I like them to take a linebacker in the fourth, possibly South Carolina's Jasper Brinkley. Brinkley is huge, weighing in at over 250 pounds. He is a shade slow, running a 4.72 second 40 yard dash, so he is not a three down linebacker, but he is a potent run stuffer and monster hitter that would be great to pair up with Bradie James for the foreseeable future.
After the fourth round its a bit hard to predict who will still be available and how the Cowboys may have dealt their picks, but expect them to target some depth along the offensive line, possibly a cornerback with some punt return skills (Victor Harris could still be available in the fifth, or if Jones feels he could trade up into the fourth and get him), and probably a quarterback to groom behind Tony Romo.
Not having a first round pick this year makes the whole mocking thing a bit less exciting, but in my opinion I am glad the Cowboys do not have a first round pick this year. The draft class is rather weak and most teams only have first round grades on no more than 18 players, thus making the Cowboys reach at pick number 20 where Detroit is now picking.
Hopefully Jones listens to his scouts and doesnt go rogue like he is known to do. Results show that when he listens to his scouts (last years stellar draft) the Cowboys are able to find talent in the later rounds and make the team stronger through depth. Next weekend is certainly an important two days for the future of the Cowboys.
-Tucker
Now with the fact that the Cowboys have 11 picks in this draft, do not expect Jerry Jones to make 11 picks. This is a stacked team, whether or not you want to believe the hype, there are not really that many holes to fill, thus making it almost impossible for 11 draftees to realistically make the roster. Look for trader Jerry to possibly move up in the second if someone he likes is there, and probably trade picks for futures since this year's draft class is rather weak.
So with the 51st pick in the draft, look for the Cowboys to go either with a safety or a wide receiver. Now, most of the exceptional receivers (if you can call any receivers in this draft other than Michael Crabtree exceptional) to be gone by the 51 pick.
There is a strong possibility that Brian Robiskie will be available when we pick, or close enough to when we pick that Jones may want to trade up and get him. Robiskie is a great receiver, whose father, Terry Robiskie is a recievers coach for the Atlanta Falcons. This is good because Brian should be ready for the NFL mindset, as he has grown up with the NFL in his home and he has been around NFL type personalities for the majority of his life.
He has good size, as he is listed at 6'3" and weighs in at 209 pounds, making him big enough and strong enough to go up and get the ball. He did not run a great 40 yard dash at the Combine, clocking in at 4.59 seconds. However he is shifty and could make it work in the NFL.
If the Cowboys go safety with their first pick odds are they are going to be looking at Western Michigan Free Safety Louis Delmas. He is arguiably one of the best cover safeties in the draft. His height is a bit of a concern, being listed at 5'11", but he should be able to pack on some muscle at the next level to make him big enough to withstand facing Brandon Jacobs atleast twice a year. He is fast enough to cover tight ends and running backs in the slot, and can hit hard enough to make people fear him. He has been to The Ranch for a private workout, so don't be suprised to see Jones trade up and go after him.
If the cowboys go reciever in the second, look for them to target Alabama safety Rashad Johnson in the third. He is a good hitter with good coverage instincts, and should be ready for the NFL after being coached by Nick Saban.
I like them to take a linebacker in the fourth, possibly South Carolina's Jasper Brinkley. Brinkley is huge, weighing in at over 250 pounds. He is a shade slow, running a 4.72 second 40 yard dash, so he is not a three down linebacker, but he is a potent run stuffer and monster hitter that would be great to pair up with Bradie James for the foreseeable future.
After the fourth round its a bit hard to predict who will still be available and how the Cowboys may have dealt their picks, but expect them to target some depth along the offensive line, possibly a cornerback with some punt return skills (Victor Harris could still be available in the fifth, or if Jones feels he could trade up into the fourth and get him), and probably a quarterback to groom behind Tony Romo.
Not having a first round pick this year makes the whole mocking thing a bit less exciting, but in my opinion I am glad the Cowboys do not have a first round pick this year. The draft class is rather weak and most teams only have first round grades on no more than 18 players, thus making the Cowboys reach at pick number 20 where Detroit is now picking.
Hopefully Jones listens to his scouts and doesnt go rogue like he is known to do. Results show that when he listens to his scouts (last years stellar draft) the Cowboys are able to find talent in the later rounds and make the team stronger through depth. Next weekend is certainly an important two days for the future of the Cowboys.
-Tucker
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
What to do in the Off Season
As the off season is officially upon us, with the Cowboy releasing Adam "Pacman" Jones, there comes to mind a list of certain things that I feel need to be done by the team in order to begin the climb back towards the top of the NFC's elite. Since the team did not fire Wade Phillips like I had hoped, I am left with a strong sense of doubt about this season, however there are some off season moves that we could make to allay my fears and perhaps actually make us respectable.
1. Avoid big name free agents:
- Everyone is talking about how Ray Lewis could make an immediate impact as a leader in our locker room, but for how long? A leader is good, but you can not just come to a new team and expect to take the reigns as a leader, as Zack Thomas stated early into last season. In my opinion, we should be going after a Raven free agent, just not Ray Lewis. That man's name would be Jim Leonhard. Yes I am talking about the Ravens strong safety who is to be a free agent. Watching him in the Dolphins game, and several other games this season gave me all the information I need to know about him. He has incredible range, speed, and great instincts. To me he would be the ultimate compliment to Ken Hamlin, who must bounce back from a sub par 2008 performence. He would also come cheap, so seriously Jerry, take a look at him.
2. Cut T.O.
- This seems to be a hot topic amongst Cowboys fans, as people are either for him or against him. In my opinion T.O. must go (pardon the rhyme). His skills are declining rapidly, especially to the point where he has trouble beating simple press coverage as exposed in the first Redskins game. He is too big of a distraction and as RW1 recently stated, he creates a horrible impression on younger players. Cutting him would be great for our chemistry, and finally give Miles Austin a chance to be that second reciever; a role I think he would flourish in.
3. The Draft
- Here is a sticking point. We need to have success in the later rounds of this years draft like we did last year with Scandrick and Choice. We have 9 picks in this years draft, and the probability that we end up with near 11 is very good. We need to parlay these picks into either moving up in the draft to have more 2nd or 3rd rounders, or to gaining picks for next years draft.
We need a space eating nose tackle first and foremost. I love the Rat, but ideally he would be a quick release D End. Look at the sacks that James was able to accumulate this year. Just imagine what he could have done had he had a Vince Wilfork or Shaun Rogers clogging up the middle for him.
If we can not sign Jim Leonhard, get a safety in the 2nd round, possibly using our extra picks to trade up to the top of the round in order to get a safety, as the general consensus is there will be a run on safeties near the beginning of the 2nd. Rashad Johnson out of Alabama would be my favorite choice. Coming from Saban's defense would leave a small window for transition into the NFL (see Laron Landry) and would allow for the most immediate impact.
We also need to draft O-Line depth, a young backup (im feeling Graham Harrell in the 4th), and possibly some linebacking depth.
These are just my first quick thoughts of the off season. There will be more to come.
-Tucker
1. Avoid big name free agents:
- Everyone is talking about how Ray Lewis could make an immediate impact as a leader in our locker room, but for how long? A leader is good, but you can not just come to a new team and expect to take the reigns as a leader, as Zack Thomas stated early into last season. In my opinion, we should be going after a Raven free agent, just not Ray Lewis. That man's name would be Jim Leonhard. Yes I am talking about the Ravens strong safety who is to be a free agent. Watching him in the Dolphins game, and several other games this season gave me all the information I need to know about him. He has incredible range, speed, and great instincts. To me he would be the ultimate compliment to Ken Hamlin, who must bounce back from a sub par 2008 performence. He would also come cheap, so seriously Jerry, take a look at him.
2. Cut T.O.
- This seems to be a hot topic amongst Cowboys fans, as people are either for him or against him. In my opinion T.O. must go (pardon the rhyme). His skills are declining rapidly, especially to the point where he has trouble beating simple press coverage as exposed in the first Redskins game. He is too big of a distraction and as RW1 recently stated, he creates a horrible impression on younger players. Cutting him would be great for our chemistry, and finally give Miles Austin a chance to be that second reciever; a role I think he would flourish in.
3. The Draft
- Here is a sticking point. We need to have success in the later rounds of this years draft like we did last year with Scandrick and Choice. We have 9 picks in this years draft, and the probability that we end up with near 11 is very good. We need to parlay these picks into either moving up in the draft to have more 2nd or 3rd rounders, or to gaining picks for next years draft.
We need a space eating nose tackle first and foremost. I love the Rat, but ideally he would be a quick release D End. Look at the sacks that James was able to accumulate this year. Just imagine what he could have done had he had a Vince Wilfork or Shaun Rogers clogging up the middle for him.
If we can not sign Jim Leonhard, get a safety in the 2nd round, possibly using our extra picks to trade up to the top of the round in order to get a safety, as the general consensus is there will be a run on safeties near the beginning of the 2nd. Rashad Johnson out of Alabama would be my favorite choice. Coming from Saban's defense would leave a small window for transition into the NFL (see Laron Landry) and would allow for the most immediate impact.
We also need to draft O-Line depth, a young backup (im feeling Graham Harrell in the 4th), and possibly some linebacking depth.
These are just my first quick thoughts of the off season. There will be more to come.
-Tucker
Monday, February 9, 2009
First Post
Hello, for those of you who are here hopefully you have an interest in the Dallas Cowboys, lovingly known as America's Team. If you do not have an interest for them, stick around and maybe I will be able to conjure up a passion for them in you similar to my own. I am a student at the great Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, but my one true love is the Dallas Cowboys. This blog will serve to let me voice my opinions about the team, the direction they are traveling, league news and sometimes just random thoughts. I also want to use this space as a sounding board for others interested in the Cowboys organization where we can bounce ideas off of each other, rant about last weeks game or discuss why we think if we ran the Cowboys there would be no end to the Super Bowl titles. Hopefully you will stick around and enjoy what I have to say.
Thanks for checking in,
Tucker
Thanks for checking in,
Tucker
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