Dallas Cowboys Thread

[Daedalus]

Holy hell what a roller-coaster of a game. Romo looks like he's picking up where he left off last year. Very clutch to close out the game.

Some painful losses though. Dez needs a screw for a broken bone in his foot (~ 3 weeks). Gregory has the dreaded high ankle sprain. And least concerning Leary sat out the end of the game with a strained groin. Next man up...

Any one other than D make it over yet?

[Witten4hof]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Holy hell what a roller-coaster of a game. Romo looks like he's picking up where he left off last year. Very clutch to close out the game.

Some painful losses though. Dez needs a screw for a broken bone in his foot (~ 3 weeks). Gregory has the dreaded high ankle sprain. And least concerning Leary sat out the end of the game with a strained groin. Next man up...

Any one other than D make it over yet?

Just made the leap. Hopefully things start looking up after the bye week

[JoeJoeBrown]

Originally Posted by Witten4hof

Just made the leap. Hopefully things start looking up after the bye week

Welcome. Oh, and screw the Cowboys.

[Daedalus]

Witten, D, Pocket, ... anyone? Not sure who migrated over lol.

[Witten4hof]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Witten, D, Pocket, ... anyone? Not sure who migrated over lol.

I'm here, I know D pops in on occasion. We need to start some Cowboys chatter, it is crazy how dead our team forum is on this site.

[TheFinisher]

Coming down to picking your poison between these two for me. Goff has physical limitations that will cap his ceiling, if we're going to draft the QBOTF and develop him I want a guy with as many tools in the toolbox.

[Witten4hof]

I'm honestly not in love with any of the QB's enough to pull the trigger at #4. The target group I've locked into is Ramsey, Tunsil, Bosa and Jack, in that order.

Ramsey offers us instant versatility and depth at two positions while the staff find where he fits best. Ultimately, I'd love to see him lined up next to Byron at safety. Having two guys that show the flexibility alternate coverage responsibilities and play multiple ways is something most teams don't have and is a great way to disguise coverages.

Tunsil is probably the best player in the draft and is a one of the "premium positions" teams look for. While tackle isn't an immediate need, he would be hard to pass on if he fell into our laps. Would probabl be an immediate starter over Free on the right side and would cement a young and talented group for years to come. Would also allow Free to shift to swing tackle, added crazy depth considering we bring back Leary or Mac to swing on the inside.

Bosa sures up the questions at DE with Hardy likely gone and Gregory suspended and allows D-Law to move back over to RE to get more pass rush reps. Bosa may not be a pure sack artist but has the motor Marinelli loves. Could be a Chris Long Clone.

Jack is the wildcard, he has all world athleticism for the position and is a thing of beauty to watch in space. If we had a need on the weak side, this would be a slam dunk pick but with Sean Lee locked in, Jack would have to play in the middle. While I think he has the ability to make a big impact either way, his addition would put added emphasis on getting a legit NT imo. I think it would be a mistake to but him in a position to have to come down hill and sort through the garabge on a regular basis. He isn't afraid to take on a block but it isn't his best quality either and doing so over and over may expose him to injury.

[Witten4hof]

Multiple sources, Andrew Billings has only met with one team and it was the Dallas Cowboys. Stated that teams view him as a 1tech and that he would enjoy lining up in a 4-3 scheme that would allow him to get 1v1 matchups. Also, said that 50 reps on the bench is possible and hope to run sub 4.9.

I would absolutely flip my lid if we found a way to land him. The kid is only 20 and is a man amongst men. If he puts up the numbers that he stated his goals were, his stock is going to go through the roof. The only way I could see it is if we move off of #4 and land in the #10 to #15 range.

[Witten4hof]

Speaking of trade down options, I wouldn't be opposed to pulling the trigger on Ezekiel Elliot or Laquan Treadwell if we were to move out of #4. Both guys are immediate upgrades and by far the best players at their perspective positions in this draft.

Zeke put up solid numbers today, and his 4.47o forty yard time pretty much is on par with what he shows on film. He has the speed to get in and out of the hole and separate from the traffic in the second level. Once he is in the secondary there are guys that have the long speed to catch him from behind but he is a threat to break of big chunks because of that initial burst and balance.

Treadwell's speed probably won't wow but as long as he runs in the mid 4.5's it won't be an issue. His game isn't so much about separation as it is about fighting for the ball, which he is excellent at. I'm more interested in his vert and broad jumps, that will show a more telling story about his explosion and ability to high point balls in traffic.

Interesting tid bit, the team also had an official meeting with DeForest Buckner. I'm thinking it was just due diligence because I don't exactly know if he is a fit scheme wise. Broaddus had mentioned him as a fit at 1t but I think he could possibly play jumbo end if we chose employ 5t on the strong side in the Seattle mold. Can't really see the team pulling the trigger at #4 and don't see him getting out of the top #8 so not sure what to make of it.

[Daedalus]

If it's pick your poison I'll take Lynch. I don't see Garrett switching from Air Coryell to WCO so in my mind that severely undercuts Goff's value. In any case I don't like any QB enough to spend the 4th pick in the draft.

Tunsil is a beast. No reason he doesn't go top 3. Wouldn't mind taking him if the teams above us don't want to have an elite OT.

Still love Bosa. As a pure DE sure I can buy the 6-8 sack estimate. However you don't draft a guy with his power, and subsequent lack of major bend/burst, and not kick him inside. He is doubled, or tripled, on the majority of the plays on tape and he still wins. Strongside end in base. Kick him inside on passing downs and watch the interior defense get shredded. Still my #1.

Ramsey I love ... AT SAFETY. If we plan to play him at corner I'd rather go pretty much any of the other options.

If Jack wasn't injured he'd be at Bosa's level for me. Elite, top tier, talent at a position not typically valued. I'll be extremely happy to land him, Bosa, or Ramsey (safety).

Outside of the above I also would love a trade down if we win the trade value wise. A bunch of candidates if we were to trade down to the 8-14 range.

[Jas]

Can't access the other page so I'll give my take on the draft here.

Zeke - Easily my favorite player in the draft for us. Like it or not, he should elevate this offense to levels we haven't seen. There were other backs we could've gotten later but this is a 3 down potential rushing leader, with incredible blocking skills. So, although the value of the running back position has dwindled in the nfl, with a healthy Romo we could be a playoff team. With Zeke running behind that Oline. We could be more than that. Makes the most sense from a Romo friendly perspective. McFadden and Dunbar can return kicks an back him up, always hurt anyway and neither can carry the load. Alf can hang for insurance or not. - A +

Jaylon Smith - Gamble but with the two best DE prospects off the board( ty browns and titans, I wish you many more yrs of sucking, lol) why not? Maybe you go spence but clearly they'd rather take a shot at a player with an injury over a character issue. I don't blame them and from looking at what they wanted, he was too small for them. If and when Jaylon recovers you have a stud at LBer. They could've taken a shot on ward or alexander here. Time will tell.
NA - injury. Could be an F could be an A+

Maliek Collins - Like this one. A true under tackle 3 tech. Quick and powerful. Should push the pocket and for playing time early. Crawford is vastly overrated by this organization and doesn't really fit the position. Also smart move bringing in Gregory's former team mate. Hopefully it helps. Potential starter. B+

Tapper - Has excellent speed/size ratio. A work in progress. C+

Dak - I don't know, I'm not sure about this guy. Competitor, but I wish his accuracy and arm strength were a little better. Maybe the accuracy issues can be fixed. I see him as a back up with long shot potential to develop into more. But in the 4th that's what you get. C+

Brown - Aggressive, great speed, potential. Stays with his man and good in zone. Can get beat gambling and has some PI issues that need to be adjusted. Special teams. B

Frazier - Prototypical box SS type. He has some experience in single high coverage but that's not where I see him if he makes it. Aggressive hitter, decent coverage skills. Barry Church clone. Special teams. C+

Jackson - Didn't see the reason for this one. Good production but could've taken a shot on someone else here. I think they may see a future dunbar type here. C+

Gathers - Intriguing project. Who knows. Athleticism is there. C+

[Witten4hof]

Some interesting tid bits that have surfaced during/after the draft:

Some reports have surfaced that the team was actively engaging in talks to move around in the draft, most of which have been confirmed by either Jerry or Stephen.

Stephen stated there was a team in the top ten that wanted to come up to #4. It was later reviled through media talk that the team was the Baltimore Ravens. The apple of their eye was Zeke and once Dallas found out that was their target the trade was rejected. I haven't seen any article that stated what type of compensation would have been involved but staying put was the right move. As we now know, that move would have cost us both of the top rated prospects on our board.

The team was also in active talks attempting to move back into the late first round to land Paxton Lynch. The best the team could offer without over grossly overpaying was #34 (Jaylon Smith), #101(Charles Tapper), #189(Anthony Brown). A deal was close to being made before Denver up their deal to Seattle with #31 and #94 which was a slight over pay but got them the player they wanted. Lynch in the late first would have been nice to have with the extra year of eligibility but it would have cost us the opportunity to improve the defense at several spots.

Apparently the team attempted to jump to the lead of round two in an attempt to get Emmanuel Ogbah to bolster the pass rush. Ogbah is an interesting piece because on film he is power rusher who is still putting together technique and awareness but then he hits the combine and put up explosive numbers. That freakish athleticism didn't always show up on tape but would have been nice to build upon. The Browns ultimately stuck in their spot and pulled the trigger on Ogbah for themselves. The likely compensation would have been #34(Jaylon Smith) and #189(Anthony Brown). I am a fan of the trade not happening; imo Ogbah isn't a finished product and we were able to pull down a similar yet less productive prospect in Charles Tapper, two rounds later. Also, Jerry and Stephen confirmed, had that move happened the team would have attempted to get back in the second to get Jaylon Smith, which would have cost us Collins and what ever pick #101 would have been if we hadn't addressed DE in the second.

Cleveland also spurned the teams attempts to move to the to of the 4th round to secure Conner Cook, who ultimately went to the Raiders in a trade up. Again, #189 likely would have been the pick used to entice the Browns to jump but it was not enough. Tapper, Dak + Brown > Cook and #135 uncertainty all day.

[Jas]

Jerry himself said that in the post selection press conference after round 1, regarding the baltimore situation. Yeah, they tried a lot moves in the first 3 or 4 rounds and in the end had to stay where they were.

Since this draft ended, there's been a lot of talk by media pundits about how the organization ignores defense in the draft and in general. I find it amusing and ignorant of them, what team are they looking at?
Carr was signed. Mediocre results.
Claiborne was drafted high in a trade up. Dissapointing.
Lawrence was a trade up in the 2nd. Shows flashes.
They signed both mcclains.
Last years draft, 1st and 2nd rounders on defense.
Picking up Hardy.
Sign thorton and mayowa this off season.
The hell are these idiots talking about?
What they've done for the offense lately is drafted olinemen high and they did a great job there, and picked up recycled rbs.

Its like the snubbing of ramsey and getting beat out in the 2nd round has caused some kind of amnesia in these writers.

[Witten4hof]

Other then Jaylon Smith, who won't help us this season, every defensive pick in this years draft has a chance to contribute.

Collins is going to get a chance to be the primary back up to T Crawford and should get plenty of snaps early with some of they other guys filling in at end over the first couple of games.

Charles Tapper is in the same boat and should get plenty of rotational snaps at both end slots until Gregory/D-Law return.

Anthony Brown should be in line to challenge for the 4th CB and Frazier could fight for snaps at SS toward the end of the season.

[Jas]

Something I saw on our other boards from D regarding our pick of Collins over Calhoun.
I kind of agree as I was pulling for Calhoun there and don't think much of Tapper. Yeah, Collins may've been there in the 4th but that being said, maybe Collins is the more important pick.
Dlaw and Gregory will be back. And it seems like they were looking for LDE prospects. Even Ogbah and Dodd are bigger players. So, I'm kinda glad they went with Collins when they did.
You can swing Crawford out and replace him with Maliek in the short term. And long term he could be the guy we've been missing at the 3 tech spot.
we got hammered vs the run last year and I know some circumstances led to that(tired defense, injuries)but we needed this player more than we realize.
Just hope he turns out well. He does have melton type potential.
If he can occupy doubles, it'll open up things for the ends and backers. We don't get much outta Crawford there imo.

Looking at his film, he did collapse sh@# quiet a bit and had a direct impact on Gregory's success. He struggled a bit in 15' because he faced doubles and didn't have that threat from the outside. Plus new coach and he got a little heavier so Rod will have to keep him at optimum weight.

P.S. its lonely over here. Thanks wit for stopping by lol.

[Jas]

Calhoun could've been good insurance if Gregory gets himself in trouble again. I think you swap Dlaw over there in that case. We have the bodies to rotate at LDE.

[Daedalus]

Issue with drafting Calhoun is the in pros he was probably going to be limited to the weakside. Gregory is already our undersized option for rushing the weakside and in all honestly Lawrence is best suited to that side as well. While I agree I think Calhoun has plus pass rushing ability I think he also is borderline topped out when it comes to potential. The main critique you can have of the guy is that he is CONSTANTLY upright. He isn't a power guy to begin with but that technique means anytime an offensive line gets a hand on him he's screwed at the pro level. Tapper is probably a strongside DE for us to begin with and if he develops the quick first step he could easily play either side. Unlike Calhoun he is nowhere as good as his individual measurements which should mean a higher ceiling.

You are 100% correct in that the Collins pick is exactly what we need. The heart of a Marinelli defense is 3-tech pressure. Crawford does it well but nowhere near an elite level. With training I think Collins can be an elite pressure 3-tech (granted probably not an elite 3-tech overall though as his skillset is limited).

[Daedalus]

Zeke - If we are grading purely prospect this is an A+. I take a letter off due to positional scarcity - I feel that there were a number of mid round RBs who added to a rotation of Alf/DMC/Dunbar would have more an impact coupled with an elite defender than the alternative. Post-draft is looks like Ramsey was treated as a pure CB which makes the Zeke decision much more palatable to me since I do not believe that was his best position. Grade: B+

Jaylon Smith - Major medical red flag mitigated by our staff completing the surgery and giving an excellent prognosis. Prior to injury he was a consensus top 3 prospect and #1 on quite a few listings. Home run pick and potentially the best in this draft. Grade: A+

Maliek Collins - Pressure 3-techs in Marinelli's scheme are worth their weight in gold. He has nice potential but needs to improve technique and shed some weight. High hopes with this pick. B+

Tapper - Miscast by OU as a 2-gapper with elite measurables (sensing a theme). Needs to develop a pass rushers skillset and explode off the line instead of merely occupying space and containing the play as 3-4 DEs typically are asked. Pick for the future. B+

Dak - Intelligent, consistent growth as a passer, and all the physical tools you could ask for. EXTREMELY RAW. His footwork and essentially his entire mechanics need work. Promising QB selection due to having tools and ability to read the field and run through progressions which is typically where QBs fail. Grade: A-

Brown - Raw with a ton of technique issues that need fixed. High end speed mitigated by technique as his closing speed should be much better. Should be a quality STer from the get-go on all teams (Punt/Kickoff/FG coverage). Grade: B

Frazier - Prototypical box SS type. Problem is the direction the NFL is trending this skillset is less and less valuable unless you have the ideal FS to mask coverage flaws. If Lord Byron continues to trend in this direction Frazier may be useful at SS. Otherwise a solid, but unspectacular, STer. CBS hits the nail on the head with the Barry Church comparison although Frazier is much more reckless especially with pursuit angles. Grade: C

Jackson - SPARQ freak. 97th percentile among all NFL RBs. He needs an imagine to explain:



Used in a variety of formations/plays so potentially a gadget guy. Would love to see his athleticism and open field ability on kickoffs and punt returns but he hasn't had that experience in the past. With Zeke/Alf/DMC/and Dunbar I'm docking the positional value of the pick as well. Grade B- (pick A- if a RB roster spot was more available).

Gathers - Looks to catch lightning in a bottom. Physical freak with all the tools you could ask for on his massive frame. Major demerits for lack of football experience at any level (last played in Junior High). Grade: C+

[Jas]

Thats what I believe decided it too. They, like some didnt see him out there at corner full time. I agree with your assessment pretty much. Im just not as high on dak. He needs so much work at this point I cant give him an A+. I know in the 4th youre looking at projects but I'm not really sure. The mechanics need work. He doesnt read through progressions all that well. He tends to lock on one guy and telegraph what hes doing imo. Im pulling for him though because I'd like to see him progress.

Jackson the player looks alright, hes productive but the pick didnt seem to make sense. Maybe in the future he fills dunbars role. Maybe theyll cut dunbar. Otherwise, I dont think they'll figure out a way to keep him or use him. They've never been very good with gadget guys. They dont employ gadgets enough. I hope he sticks as a return guy.

[Jas]

Another plus we have in this draft, it seems we have very bright kids. Elliott supposedly highest wonderlik ever by a rb. They say jaylon is a brilliant defensive minded player. And dak seems bright so thats a plus.

Another interesting observation regarding the media's treatment of our selection of Smith vs the Jags taking Jack.
Why is the jags pick being hailed as brilliant by a majority of people but ours as a bad move?

What is the logic behind that?
We are in a win now mode, with a more talented roster, so taking a chance on an injured player is horrible. They're a team that's building and they can take a shot on a Jack?

Very strange but imo they should've been taking more criticism for this pick as they may need to make them count more than we do. If you're a lower tier team wouldn't the gamble seem more risky, head scratching even? No, they had an excellent 1-2 pick and we make no sense..lol

People need to understand the thinking here, the cowboy organization feels they're already a contender with a healthy Romo. So Jaylon, while a huge risk, makes sense from their pov.

The jags, a team that clearly needs to get better and improve their roster to compete..on the other hand get praised for perhaps a worse situation, medically with Jack.