Barron or Decastro

[Teague31]

If we stay at 14, I really think it is down to these two (Cox will be long gone- I am seeing mocks that have him going as high as #6). The debate between Barron and Decastro is fascinating. The arguments seem to be as follows:

1. There is the Hos school of thought that says you take Decastro. The theory being that if you can dominate on one side of the ball you can mask problems on the other side. Adding Decastro to Tyron gives you two young studs that will be dominant for a decade. You help keep Romo healthy in his final years and hopefully improve your run game inside the 20. Dude is about as safe a pick as you can have.

2. The other side argues that our offense was plenty good last year as it was and left the field with the lead on numerous occasions only to see our defense (particularly our secondary) cough it up (see the first gints game). Given that our safety position has been a wasteland for going on 10 years, Barron should be the pick. He comes from Saban, is a captain on the field and would start from day 1. Along with Carr, it turns our secondary from a weakness to a strength in one offseason.

There you have it. If you pick at 14, who do you take?

[canters]

Both are going to be players in the NFL.

OGs are avaialable in round 2-I say take Barron if he is there in round one and then take a OG later.

[Macnalty]

Both are going to players in the NFL.

OGs are avaialable in round 2-I say take Barron if he is there in round one and then take a OG later.

If we can get the kid from Midwestern Amini Silatolu in the second then I am fine with Barron. Otherwise I like the option of gathering some more 2nd-4th rd selections. I do agree with Hos we can have the offense fixed this year with a good draft. We will be a handful with a great OLine and our skill players. Remember this does not preclude getting some help on the D side as this draft is very deep.

[Everson24]

I say take DeCastro. If the scouts are right and he is the best guard to come out in a decade, then you are getting a prerenial Pro Bowl player and maybe even Hall of Fame type player. It seems that there are Barren type safetys in every draft. I agree with Hostile's case for the O-line 100%. A dominant line will help our defense more than most people realize. A dominant O-line also maximizes the talent you have at WR, TE and RB. All positions that are already highly paid.

Another thought that I have is this: If your head coach is an offensive minded coach and you have a potentially short term defensive coordinator, invest the more premium picks to that side of the ball. As long as Garrett is head coach we will be running the same type offense for years to come. Who knows what defense we will be running three years from now. We have changed defensive coordinators/schemes six times now since 2003. How can our scouts have any idea if the player they draft this year will fit a new scheme in a couple of years? One good year from our defense and Rob Ryan will be moving to another team and we are starting all over again. Draft DeCastro if he is there and build your defense with free agents and later round picks.

[DBOY3141]

I go with Barron. I believe Livings/Bearadeu/Arkin/Nagy will solidify the guard positions.

We averaged 23 points last year and will be improved just by having those 4 guys in our system for a whole off season.

Our defense is trash. Both Mayock and Casserly have Barron as a top 10 player in this draft. So I don't believe the thought that there are "barron type safteties" in every draft. If that's the case, then their are "DeCastro" type guards in every draft.

We can win with the offense as it stands today. We can't win with this defense.

Give me:

Barron
Reyes
Blake

in the 1st 3 rounds and I would be inclined to put us in the NFC Championship game this year.

[CATCH17]

Im not thrilled about getting a Safety like Barron in the 1st. I'd like for him to be dominant at something other than just solid at everything.

Plus with the guys we already have in place id rather have an Earl Thomas type of safety instead of another guy that fits the mold of a SS.



With that said I think this draft is deep at guard and very shallow at Safety so i'll go with Barron.

[cowboy_ron]

Between the two I would go ahead and continue solidifying the OL with DeCastro

[ABQcowboyJR]

Decastro and its not even close. I'm not even a big proponent of taking Decastro. However, Decastro is a far better player than Barron. You stick to the board on this one and take Decastro.

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

I like Barron a lot, but I wouldn't even consider him over DeCastro. Are we drafting the best player available? If so it's not possible to pass DeCastro at 14. I've got him in the top 10 players available in this draft and rate him above Cox and Coples. I'd be thrilled with Barron and I believe he's a top 15 player, but he's not as valuable as DeCastro. I draft DeCastro at 14, move him to center (yes center) day one, and go defense for most of the remaining draft. There will be pass rusher like Curry and Irvin available in later rounds.

[CATCH17]

Decastro and its not even close. I'm not even a big proponent of taking Decastro. However, Decastro is a far better player than Barron. You stick to the board on this one and take Decastro.


As good as Decastro is he still played in a weak defensive conference so he is going to look more dominant.



Barron was the team captain of the national championship defense and played for Nick Saban.


Plus Decastro is a guard and i'd rather have a combo of Barron and someone like Brandon Brooks than any Decastro / Safety combo

[supercowboy8]

Barron, I like DeCastro but I like to look at the depth per position.
OG is deep this year. I can still get Brooks, Zeitler, or Silatolu at 45, those 3 are graded alot closer to DeCastro than any safety is to Barron.

Cox and Barron are going to be the targets at 14 and if both are gone by 14 then I think they try and trade back a few spots to get Gilmore, Kirkpatrick, or I hate to say Brockers.

If they can't trade back then I think they take DeCastro or Gilmore at 14.

There is a very good chance Cox, Barron, and DeCastro are all gone by 14.

[JackWagon]

Decastro ... how do you pass on a possible hall of famer definate 1st round solid pick for a Safety that "might" be a descent player ... just cause you need a safety/DB help?

Its a no brainer as far as im concerned. 1st round you take the solid pick ... after Decastro you can take all the flyers you want to.

[ABQcowboyJR]

As good as Decastro is he still played in a weak defensive conference so he is going to look more dominant.



Barron was the team captain of the national championship defense and played for Nick Saban.


Plus Decastro is a guard and i'd rather have a combo of Barron and someone like Brandon Brooks than any Decastro / Safety combo

I just don't have Barron ranked very high. Surrounded by supreme talent and played a lot in the box. I just don't have a great feeling with him. I have no doubt Decastro is a good player. He will be a solid starter in the nfl. Given the choice between these two I take decastro. Ultimately I would go a different direction.

[Hostile]

It's real simple.

A. Phil Costa (The likely starter from last year who still has a job if we don't fix OL.)

B. Brodney Pool (The guy brought in to take Elam's spot.)

[Hostile]

Im not thrilled about getting a Safety like Barron in the 1st. I'd like for him to be dominant at something other than just solid at everything.

Plus with the guys we already have in place id rather have an Earl Thomas type of safety instead of another guy that fits the mold of a SS.



With that said I think this draft is deep at guard and very shallow at Safety so i'll go with Barron.Barron is your new DeMarco Murray huh?

Maybe we should take him then. :D

[dantheman41]

I just don't see the value of safeties on nfl anymore. Not many teams have great safeties. The giants and patriots certainly didnt. I am all in on DeCastro! Barron is going to get overdrafted because he's only quality safety in draft

[Macnalty]

Consider reading about this Amini Solotulu G from Midwestern his floor is lower than DeCastro but his ceiling is higher. Taking Barron in the first and him in the second makes us much stronger as the next guy in line at Safety is like going from Darren Woodson to Allan Ball. This Amini is a beast in attitude like Larry Allen was when he played guard.

[a_minimalist]

i'm all for overhauling the defense but i don't think it would be wise to pass on DeCastro and let someone else get him if he is available at 14. i'm betting that konz and zeitler are gone by the time we get our 2nd pick. no one seems to take that into account.

[CATCH17]

Barron is your new DeMarco Murray huh?

Maybe we should take him then. :D


The odds of me being so wrong about a player 2 years in a row is very low :).


Watch Barron come in and get 8 picks a year.

[egn22]

damn, so many fantastic arguments here. i'm truly torn between the two. i'd be happy with either.
i'm starting to lean toward decastro because i keep hearing he's a sure thing, but when you hear the way they talk about Barron, the potential there seems amazing for us.
i think i'd take Barron, but would be perfectly okay with Decastro

[DFWJC]

I like both!

I'm not sure Cox would be there (doubt it) but if he was it'd make it even more interesting.

My thoughts on DeCastro have less to do about Romo that it does the fact that we scored a lousy 5 TDs on the ground last season. If he becomes a Pro Bowl level guy, we really updrade the run game--so we help our QB on two levels.

Baron would be good too, but I'd take DC, for now.

[burmafrd]

As good as Decastro is he still played in a weak defensive conference so he is going to look more dominant.



Barron was the team captain of the national championship defense and played for Nick Saban.


Plus Decastro is a guard and i'd rather have a combo of Barron and someone like Brandon Brooks than any Decastro / Safety combo


Ware played in a weak conference so what is your point?

[burmafrd]

Consider reading about this Amini Solotulu G from Midwestern his floor is lower than DeCastro but his ceiling is higher. Taking Barron in the first and him in the second makes us much stronger as the next guy in line at Safety is like going from Darren Woodson to Allan Ball. This Amini is a beast in attitude like Larry Allen was when he played guard.


There is no way to say that his ceiling is higher. No way at all.

[Zaxor]

Barron and I am not convinced that guard is that big of a problem Center now is a different thing but I assume you mean DeCastro as a guard

[a_minimalist]

Barron and I am not convinced that guard is that big of a problem Center now is a different thing but I assume you mean DeCastro as a guard

No, I'm fairly certain DeCastro would be center.

[jimnabby]

DeCastro for me, and it's not close. It's not just about this year or next year (though he would help enormously in that time frame). It's a general philosophy.

The OL should always be one of the strengths of a team, because the QB is unquestionably the most important player on the team. Yes, it may be 5 years before we have to replace Romo and break in a young QB, but you never really know. And putting a poor OL in front of a young QB is a recipe for disaster. He's more likely to get hurt, less likely to develop into a quality player, and before you know it, a huge investment has gone down the toilet.

If the OL isn't right, fix it, and fix it right. You don't pass on the "best OG prospect in a decade" because the position "isn't important enough." And you certainly don't pass on him for a player who isn't the best prospect in years at his position.

I don't think Jerry is really all that bad at getting decent value from his draft picks (2009 excepted). What's been lacking is a consistent overall organizational philosophy about how to build a team for the long haul. It doesn't have to be an OL-first philosophy - there are lots of ways to build a successful team - but that's definitely where I'd start.

[iRepDatStar]

Since defense is the problem.. i dont see the logic in drafting offense

[cowboy_ron]

The odds of me being so wrong about a player 2 years in a row is very low :).


Watch Barron come in and get 8 picks a year.
:laugh2:

[Doomsday101]

I like Barron but DeCastro is one of the highest graded player in this draft. Yes he plays Guard that does not change the fact he is looked as one of the top player in the entire draft

[Zaxor]

No, I'm fairly certain DeCastro would be center.

I like Decastro at center way more than at guard it would be a much tougher call for me than

[JackWagon]

If you keep tony upright and clean in the pocket, add Murray for a full year with a new Fullback ... i think we have a shot at making noise in the playoffs and maybe even a SB ... even with a crappy D (see Saints, Patriots). Defense now a days is much like defense in the NBA ... its about getting stops at the right times (4th quarter). Im saing we go all in and bet on Tony Romo playing out of his mind this year.

[a_minimalist]

Since defense is the problem.. i dont see the logic in drafting offense

there are still 7 other picks

[Cajuncowboy]

DeCastro. You don't win football games with your QB on his back all game long. He is the most valuable asset on the team and you have to protect him. In addition, the running game can be stellar if the running lanes are opened up properly and adding DeCastro to the mix does that.

One of our problems last year was that ur Offense couldn't stay on the field long enough. Our Defense collapsed late in games because they were exhausted. They had no legs. Making the offense better makes the defense better.

We added Carr to that side of the ball so hopefully that will help. And who's to say we can't get another DB in the second or third round?

[MonsterD]

This is ridiculous between them. Your choice when they were entering the NFL, Dewan Landry or Steve Hutchinson.

[Gaede]

As much as I would prefer to get a safety over a guard, I'd still go with Decastro.

To make it simple, he's the better prospect.

[CATCH17]

If you keep tony upright and clean in the pocket, add Murray for a full year with a new Fullback ... i think we have a shot at making noise in the playoffs and maybe even a SB ... even with a crappy D (see Saints, Patriots). Defense now a days is much like defense in the NBA ... its about getting stops at the right times (4th quarter). Im saing we go all in and bet on Tony Romo playing out of his mind this year.

Even if we do a better job at blocking we still gotta make sure players know where to line up and what routes to run.

We have to be one of the most poorly coached offenses in the league. Its just chaos at times.

[CATCH17]

DeCastro. You don't win football games with your QB on his back all game long. He is the most valuable asset on the team and you have to protect him. In addition, the running game can be stellar if the running lanes are opened up properly and adding DeCastro to the mix does that.

One of our problems last year was that ur Offense couldn't stay on the field long enough. Our Defense collapsed late in games because they were exhausted. They had no legs. Making the offense better makes the defense better.

We added Carr to that side of the ball so hopefully that will help. And who's to say we can't get another DB in the second or third round?

We all know the value of the OL.

It's about the value of an offensive guard plus the other very solid prospects that are in this draft.

I'll take Barron and Zeitler over any any Decastro / Safety combination.

[Corleone]

I definitely want DeCastro, have for a while because we didn't really address it, unless the guys we signed are legit and better than we think.

I'm still trying to get sold on Barron because we have needed a safety for a long time. I'd also be cool with Cox and Coples.

[Deep_Freeze]

It's real simple.

A. Phil Costa (The likely starter from last year who still has a job if we don't fix OL.)

B. Brodney Pool (The guy brought in to take Elam's spot.)

Both stunk last year and a case can be made for either of them being cut.

If I had a choice in the desert between food and water, I choose water cause I need it every 3 days or I die. You can go a month without food so I can wait on it, and basically we can wait on a guard in this draft, but we can't wait at safety cause of the paper thin draft class.

Noone knows how they are rated by the Cowboys, only thing we can quote are some website wanna be experts or sources that aren't our actual ratings. I like both, but if the Cowboys rate them pretty close, there is noway they should take DeCastro over Barron, its just not logical.

[Mash]

No, I'm fairly certain DeCastro would be center.

Interesting....I thought I read that he struggled at center.

[Mash]

It seems Decastro would anchor the line for 10 yrs...and might be a pro bowler.

I dont know about Barron. If he can be our Woodson then....Im all over it.

If I needed to pick one at 14....I would probably go Decastro.....but with my luck ...the Eagles would then take Barron and he would tormet us for the next 10 yrs

[a_minimalist]

Interesting....I thought I read that he struggled at center.

Really? I haven't read or heard a single thing about that. All I've heard is that he could probably play center and they used him snapping to Andrew Luck at the Stanford Pro day as an example.

[fortdick]

Even if we do a better job at blocking we still gotta make sure players know where to line up and what routes to run.

We have to be one of the most poorly coached offenses in the league. Its just chaos at times.

What you meant to say was:

Dez Bryant can't get it together. He doesn't understand formations or routes.

[Mash]

Really? I haven't read or heard a single thing about that. All I've heard is that he could probably play center and they used him snapping to Andrew Luck at the Stanford Pro day as an example.

It would be a bonus if he could be a center too.......Im really hoping its either DeCastro or Cox as our pick. But I still would be happy with Barron.

[JackWagon]

What you meant to say was:

Dez Bryant can't get it together. He doesn't understand formations or routes.

If the shoe fits ... *shrug*

the dude is into year 3 ... still havent seen it. *shrug*

As far as Dez goes im Missouri ... The "Show Me" state.

[Sasquatch]

Very tough question. I know it's a copout, but I would go with BPA, and if they're ranked similarly probably go with Barron. I love the idea of Decastro for all the reasons mentioned above, and would be delighted with the pick, but he's not going to set my mind at ease late in the fourth when we're ahead by 3 and need to prevent the opposing team from driving the length of the field.

[mensaone]

it really does not matter where you play DeCastro

if he has a shot at ten year run in the NFL doesn't matter to me how many pro bowls he makes - just as long as hes good enuf to get the job done

you have to pick him

how many games did we lose last year because we could not get a yard or a first down ?

you gotta keep your offense on the field

have them grind it out

[CATCH17]

What you meant to say was:

Dez Bryant can't get it together. He doesn't understand formations or routes.

No I meant everyone outside of Romo and Witten.

All the receivers constantly screw up and when defenses stunt and twist on our oline they are continuously confused.

We are a poorly coached and highly susceptible to mistakes prone on offense.

[Deep_Freeze]

Very tough question. I know it's a copout, but I would go with BPA, and if they're ranked similarly probably go with Barron. I love the idea of Decastro for all the reasons mentioned above, and would be delighted with the pick, but he's not going to set my mind at ease late in the fourth when we're ahead by 3 and need to prevent the opposing team from driving the length of the field.

Yeah, whats really ignored is how bad our secondary actually was last year. In order to even think about having a dominant D, we need a true playmaker at every level of it.

If Barron gives us the chance to have one in our secondary, I'm all for it cause it will allow Ryan to have the protection he needs on the backend so that he can do his creative blitzes.

One thing that shouldn't be ignored is although everyone talks about pass rush, Ryan's system creates pressure, what he does need is some protection on the backend to provide that pressure the chance to actually get to the opposing QB.

[InmanRoshi]

It's real simple.

A. Phil Costa (The likely starter from last year who still has a job if we don't fix OL.)

B. Brodney Pool (The guy brought in to take Elam's spot.)

Yeah, Brodney Pool .. the guy with chronic concussion problems who was nothing but a backup for the Jets, lost Jim Leonhard for the season with injury and had to shell out big bucks for a one legged LaRon Landry. He's the answer. I think he could be our next Willie Pyle.

[InmanRoshi]

Goose thinks Barron will be ranked higher on most team's boards.


Why would the Cowboys pass on what everyone is saying is a sure lock to be a 10-year Pro Bowl/All-Pro guard in DeCastro?

Rick Gosselin: Because the Cowboys signed two guards in free agency they expect to become starters this fall. There is a greater need for a safety than a guard. And I think Barron will be higher on draft boards than DeCastro. The Cowboys have an even more pressing need in the defensive front seven, which is why they'd love to address the pass rush in the first round. Guard is not a premium position. The defensive front is.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20120416-gosselin-why-the-cowboys-wouldn-t-pick-stanford-s-david-decastro.ece


Gosh, I hope Barron is still available at #14, otherwise we might have to settle and reach for a lesser player like DeCastro. :)

[Woods]

Goose thinks Barron will be ranked higher on most team's boards.




http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20120416-gosselin-why-the-cowboys-wouldn-t-pick-stanford-s-david-decastro.ece


Gosh, I hope Barron is still available at #14, otherwise we might have to settle and reach for a lesser player like DeCastro. :)

It would stink if Cox and Barron are both gone by 14.

I think Cox will definitely be gone. I'm hoping Barron will still be there.

[Shotgun Dave]

I take DeCastro all day every day. If I want Barron that badly, I trade up and back into the 20-25 range where I think he will more likely go.

DeCastro next to Tyron for the next 10 years protecting Romo and whomever replaces him down the road is about as "no brainer" as you can get.

More positional value, too (for those who care about that, like me).