Chat: George: Cowboys scouting department more on ‘same page’ in draft room

[WoodysGirl]

George: Cowboys scouting department more on ‘same page’ in draft room, but Jerry Jones still ‘the wildcard’

Cowboys beat writer Brandon George answered reader questions during a live chat Tuesday. Here are some highlights:

Looking back to what might have been, I remember the 49ers moving ahead in the draft to snag Jerry Rice away from the Cowboys while Landry and Tex Schramm fiddled. And, I remember the Boys passing on Randy Moss (thanks Chan Gailey - ever wonder why you are out of work) thus letting him slip through their hands. But, I also remember the trade with Seattle that allowed them to draft Tony Dorsett. So, what about 2013? Will Jerry listen to his scouts or will he concoct some trade scheme where he bids against himself and gets snookered?
Brandon George: The two final decision-makers in the Cowboys' draft room are Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys scouts believe the team has taken a step forward in everyone understanding their philosophy of drafting the best player available. Jason Garrett is still a young coach in the NFL, and still tends to lean somewhat to drafting to fill needs over taking the best player available. And then you have Jerry Jones, the wildcard and final decision-maker. He likes to make a splash and could always go after a higher-profile player in higher rounds of the draft instead of sticking with their picks.

In my opinion, the state of the Cowboys is caused by the miserable drafting over the past decade. Do you see any indications that the Cowboys are improving on the quality of their drafts?
Brandon George: As I said earlier, I think the Cowboys' scouts and personnel department is more on the same page now about drafting the best player available. But, you still have Garrett and Jerry as the final say-so and that doesn't always lead down the same road.

What is making the Cowboys have inconsistent quality games wich leads to no playoff apperance?
Brandon George: To me, the Cowboys' biggest issue has been lack of depth for several years now. The Cowboys' top five to eight players are among some of the best in the league, but there's not much quality depth behind them. Sure, you'll say that's a problem across the league but I think it's a bigger issue in Dallas and some of that has to do with this team's poor drafts during Wade Phillips' tenure.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dal...e-wildcard.ece