dbair1967
04-21-2011, 07:17 AM
Gosselin: You can always bank on Jerry Jones looking to trade out By SportsDayDFW.com
Related items SportsDay writer Rick Gosselin was interviewed on 1310 The Ticket on Wednesday to discuss the Dallas Cowboys and the 2011 NFL Draft. Here are some highlights:
In your first mock draft, you gave the Cowboys USC’s Tyron Smith. Do you think that’s solid?
Me and the rest of America. I think he’s a really good pick at No. 9.
Is there enough difference between Smith and a few players just beneath him so that the Cowboys could talk a small trade down if the opportunity presented itself?
Not if you want Tyron Smith. I don’t think you could trade down and expect to get him. And again, we talk about those few weeks back, what I really like about Tyron Smith is he’s a three-contract guy. He can walk in as a starter at 20-years of age and he’ll be able to sign a third contract when he’s 29. He can play 14 years for you. Not many guys – not many especially offensive linemen – can you say that about. You can say this about this guy.
You can trade down. You can hope to get one of those defensive linemen. I think though that the teens are going to be the heavy defensive line area of the first round. If you want a defensive lineman, I think you can move back. But, I think you lose Smith, you may lose [Anthony] Castonzo and you may lose a couple of those top flight offensive linemen in the process.
The next best offensive lineman after Smith is Anthony Castonzo from Boston College. How far down could the Cowboys move and still get him?
Not very far. Again, there are some teams that have Castonzo ahead of Smith. This is a very good player. This is perceived as a very safe player. He’s a guy that can walk in as a starter; he can play right or left side; even in the Senior Bowl, he played some guard. He’s a universal piece on an offensive line. That’s one thing that works against [Nate] Solder. I think he has the best upside of all of them but he’s strictly a left tackle. Smith has played both; Castonzo has played both and guard. I think both those two tackles are both gone by 12 or 13.
Because of the lack of quality quarterbacks in this draft beyond the top five, do you predict some teams scrambling for quarterbacks in the late first/early second round, leaving the Cowboys with players that normally would have been taken?
I think they’re going to benefit from that. I can see five quarterbacks going before 40. I could see that happening: a couple of those guys getting into the first. These five guys don’t belong there; I have [Ryan] Mallett and [Jake] Locker in the second there; [Andy] Dalton more late second, high three; [Colin] Kaepernick is a high three. If these guys all clear before 40, that’s pushing down good players; basically, good defensive linemen.
There are eight quarterbacks in this draft. Six of them could probably start in a pinch this year, with Dalton being the last. You may have up to 12 teams looking for a quarterback in the first three rounds. There are eight to get; there are 12 looking. Just figured the numbers out; there’s going to be a frenzy.
How far is Mark Ingram , the running back from Alabama, falling because of a perceived knee problem?
He’s the first running back and he’s the only running back in the first round. I don’t think he is going to slide like people are saying. He may, instead of going 15 to 20, he may go 20-25 but again, he’s the one running back in the first round. You’ve seen what he can do; he’s a power runner, an inside runner. He’s been compared to Emmitt Smith and he’s going to be the Rookie of the Year. Whoever wants an A for the draft is going to take Mark Ingram.
Have you heard anything about a possible Cowboys’ trade scenario?
Yea, you can always bank on Jerry Jones looking to trade out. That’s his history; he doesn’t want to draft; he doesn’t want that pick; he’d rather have quantity than quality. You can bank on the Cowboys at least looking around to trade down. That’s their history; that’s the history with Jerry Jones as the general manager. Again, we’ve talked about this: I think they’re crazy if they trade down out of No. 9. I think they lose out on a blue-chip player if they do that. But, that’s their history. You’re safe in saying that.
Where do you see LSU’s cornerback Patrick Peterson going in the draft?
I think he can fall down to five or six, possibly seven. The one little nick on Peterson: at 220 lbs, people think he’ll be safety inside of three years. So, if you’re thinking you’re drafting a shutdown corner with the first or second pick of this draft, you may be getting a shutdown safety. I think that’s the one nick on him; historically, cornerbacks don’t go that high.
Related items SportsDay writer Rick Gosselin was interviewed on 1310 The Ticket on Wednesday to discuss the Dallas Cowboys and the 2011 NFL Draft. Here are some highlights:
In your first mock draft, you gave the Cowboys USC’s Tyron Smith. Do you think that’s solid?
Me and the rest of America. I think he’s a really good pick at No. 9.
Is there enough difference between Smith and a few players just beneath him so that the Cowboys could talk a small trade down if the opportunity presented itself?
Not if you want Tyron Smith. I don’t think you could trade down and expect to get him. And again, we talk about those few weeks back, what I really like about Tyron Smith is he’s a three-contract guy. He can walk in as a starter at 20-years of age and he’ll be able to sign a third contract when he’s 29. He can play 14 years for you. Not many guys – not many especially offensive linemen – can you say that about. You can say this about this guy.
You can trade down. You can hope to get one of those defensive linemen. I think though that the teens are going to be the heavy defensive line area of the first round. If you want a defensive lineman, I think you can move back. But, I think you lose Smith, you may lose [Anthony] Castonzo and you may lose a couple of those top flight offensive linemen in the process.
The next best offensive lineman after Smith is Anthony Castonzo from Boston College. How far down could the Cowboys move and still get him?
Not very far. Again, there are some teams that have Castonzo ahead of Smith. This is a very good player. This is perceived as a very safe player. He’s a guy that can walk in as a starter; he can play right or left side; even in the Senior Bowl, he played some guard. He’s a universal piece on an offensive line. That’s one thing that works against [Nate] Solder. I think he has the best upside of all of them but he’s strictly a left tackle. Smith has played both; Castonzo has played both and guard. I think both those two tackles are both gone by 12 or 13.
Because of the lack of quality quarterbacks in this draft beyond the top five, do you predict some teams scrambling for quarterbacks in the late first/early second round, leaving the Cowboys with players that normally would have been taken?
I think they’re going to benefit from that. I can see five quarterbacks going before 40. I could see that happening: a couple of those guys getting into the first. These five guys don’t belong there; I have [Ryan] Mallett and [Jake] Locker in the second there; [Andy] Dalton more late second, high three; [Colin] Kaepernick is a high three. If these guys all clear before 40, that’s pushing down good players; basically, good defensive linemen.
There are eight quarterbacks in this draft. Six of them could probably start in a pinch this year, with Dalton being the last. You may have up to 12 teams looking for a quarterback in the first three rounds. There are eight to get; there are 12 looking. Just figured the numbers out; there’s going to be a frenzy.
How far is Mark Ingram , the running back from Alabama, falling because of a perceived knee problem?
He’s the first running back and he’s the only running back in the first round. I don’t think he is going to slide like people are saying. He may, instead of going 15 to 20, he may go 20-25 but again, he’s the one running back in the first round. You’ve seen what he can do; he’s a power runner, an inside runner. He’s been compared to Emmitt Smith and he’s going to be the Rookie of the Year. Whoever wants an A for the draft is going to take Mark Ingram.
Have you heard anything about a possible Cowboys’ trade scenario?
Yea, you can always bank on Jerry Jones looking to trade out. That’s his history; he doesn’t want to draft; he doesn’t want that pick; he’d rather have quantity than quality. You can bank on the Cowboys at least looking around to trade down. That’s their history; that’s the history with Jerry Jones as the general manager. Again, we’ve talked about this: I think they’re crazy if they trade down out of No. 9. I think they lose out on a blue-chip player if they do that. But, that’s their history. You’re safe in saying that.
Where do you see LSU’s cornerback Patrick Peterson going in the draft?
I think he can fall down to five or six, possibly seven. The one little nick on Peterson: at 220 lbs, people think he’ll be safety inside of three years. So, if you’re thinking you’re drafting a shutdown corner with the first or second pick of this draft, you may be getting a shutdown safety. I think that’s the one nick on him; historically, cornerbacks don’t go that high.