Cowboys Draft...forget everything you've read

[Chuck 54]

Lies...Lies...and more lies.

Even the beat writers are lied to and force-fed false-leads. Sitting at 9 is not about which players you say you covet; it's about getting other teams to think you covet players that you don't so that no one moves ahead of you and hopefully the draft falls the way you hope it will.

Fairley and Amukamara are, I believe, the players Dallas wants most at #9.
1. Forget the bull on Fairley...the guy dominated every game this past season and was unblockable in the NCAA championship game. So now he's gone from possible #1 pick overall to "we wouldn't take him in the 2nd round"...anyone who watched Auburn this year has to laugh at the notion that Rob Ryan would rather plug in JJ Watt or Cameron Jordan at 3-4 DE than find ways to turn Fairley loose in the other teams' backfields.

After the season and the combine, Fairley was head and shoulders above Watt or Jordan...now some stories about "one year wonder" and "taking plays off" makes us think he wouldn't be a great pick for the Cowboys at 3-4 DE??? This wasn't a guy who was squatting in a hole every play...he was all over the field, in backfields, dropping RBs for losses and sacking QBs despite teams trying everything to block him...if the guy needed a blow now and then, I'll let that slide.

2. The Cowboys may need a CB more than they need a DE, and it's not often that you get a chance to draft a CB with the skill set of Amukamara. Size, strength, physical in run support, good hands and ball skills, runs like a RB with the ball...so his INTs were down this past year? So are most players in both college and the NFL when teams refuse to throw at them. Peterson is the physical specimen that hasn't been seen very often, but some are already wondering if safety isn't his best position because it's hard to imagine him playing CB at 220, despite his speed. Amukamara may be the best cover man in the draft other than Jimmy Smith whom we wouldn't touch, I'm sure.

All the mocks had us taking Prince early on, but the expectation is that he'd never get past SF...I believe much of our posturing on OTs and trading down has a lot to do with hoping to mislead others and hope other teams question taking Prince.

*** I find it very hard to believe that in a draft that is supposedly very deep on the DL and OL (despite lack of blue-chippers on OL) that we would take a RT at #9 or a 3-4 DE like Watt or Jordan...neither of these guys even have the grades of Spears coming out of college.

We can find a very good OT in round two at #41. We can find plenty of 320 lb. OGs and OTs who need to move inside to OG in rounds 3-4.

If Prince Amukamara and Nick Fairley are still on the board when the Cowboys pick at #9, I think the war room will be ecstatic, and Rob Ryan will be dancing around Jerry begging for that pick to be used on defense. Amukamara could start at CB immediately, possibly moving T.Newman to the slot or even to FS in passing situations...that's assuming Jenkins doesn't suck as badly as he looked last season.

If not Prince, think of the competition Fairley dominated from game 1 through the championship game...this isn't a workout warrior or a kid who dominated at a lower level. Marcel Dareus may be a safer pick, but Fairley pushed him into the shadows during the season. I think Ryan will have many more ideas for using Fairley's skills than just asking him to plug a gap and keep the LBs free. When a DL makes his way into the offensive backfield, seldom do you hear complaints that he should have been squatting in the hole, nor will you see him being replaced by Spears or Olshanski. The crap I've read about Fairley reminds me of the crap I read last year by so called experts who thought McCray might be a better DT than Suh after they studied everything to death and decided Suh wouldn't be as much of a penetrator...lol.

Forget the misleading worries you've been reading and remember that these two players are still near the top of most draft reports, both had great post-seasons and combine workouts. The Cowboys won't pass on Fairley or Amukamara for an OT rated below the guys who were first rounders last season or for another 3-4 DE with no pass rush.

Option 1: Prince
Option 2: Fairley
Option 3: trade down

My guess on order, regardless of players:

Pick 1 goes for CB or DE
Pick 2 = OL
Pick 3 = DB or OL
Pick 4 = ILB or DL

[Romo 2 Austin]

I wouldn't be against Fairley.

[diehard2294]

sorry I dont believe it... we will go OL with our first pick

unless Peterson drops and we can go get him

[visionary]

you may be right but i can only hope that you are wrong

my 2 big concerns with this scenario would be:

1. OL is our biggest need and a guy who could start at RT day 1 and move to LT if needed (in a year or so) is sitting there and we dont take him, would be almost criminal. it would be just another example of out-smarting ourselves.

2. what you say about fairley is true but you put him on the line with an undersized penetrator like ratliff at NT, that is asking for trouble. teams will run at them and wear them out. dont you remember that all last year once spears went out, our run defense suffered? this was because in WPs scheme the NT penetrates (becasue of ratliffs unique skill set) so the DEs have to hold point, fairley is not made for that.

[Shinywalrus]

If what you're saying is true and it's just the pundits pushing things down, then Fairley shouldn't be available to us.

It's not like we're the only team out there that has the opportunity to take advantage of misinformation from the media.

[Chuck 54]

Originally Posted by visionary

you may be right but i can only hope that you are wrong

my 2 big concerns with this scenario would be:

1. OL is our biggest need and a guy who could start at RT day 1 and move to LT if needed (in a year or so) is sitting there and we dont take him, would be almost criminal. it would be just another example of out-smarting ourselves.

2. what you say about fairley is true but you put him on the line with an undersized penetrator like ratliff at NT, that is asking for trouble. teams will run at them and wear them out. dont you remember that all last year once spears went out, our run defense suffered? this was because in WPs scheme the NT penetrates so the DEs have to hold point, fairley is not made for that.

See I actually think CB is our biggest need with OL/DE running 2nd. Besides, will Jerry draft based on need alone? Despite Columbo's off year, our offense was still among the best in the NFL, and that's without Romo.

Our defense was awful with stats to prove it...seems to me defense should be the priority, especially if the defenders are rated higher than the OTs. And we're not running WP's scheme any longer...Ryan wants playmakers...he'll figure out how to use them best. I don't think Phillips scheme was to have a penetrating nose...that wasn't the case in SD...the problem was that our DE's weren't any good, including Spears.

[Wimbo]

I read your post and... I am still forgetting everything I ever read about this draft.

[tm1119]

Originally Posted by diehard2294

sorry I dont believe it... we will go OL with our first pick

unless Peterson drops and we can go get him

You do realize Jerry has never picked an O-lineman in the 1st round right? And this is certainly not the worst our o-line has ever been. So how can you be so confident that o-line in the 1st?

And I would love Fairley by the way.

[Sasquatch]

Originally Posted by wayne motley

Lies...Lies...and more lies.

Even the beat writers are lied to and force-fed false-leads. Sitting at 9 is not about which players you say you covet; it's about getting other teams to think you covet players that you don't so that no one moves ahead of you and hopefully the draft falls the way you hope it will.

Fairley and Amukamara are, I believe, the players Dallas wants most at #9.
1. Forget the bull on Fairley...the guy dominated every game this past season and was unblockable in the NCAA championship game. So now he's gone from possible #1 pick overall to "we wouldn't take him in the 2nd round"...anyone who watched Auburn this year has to laugh at the notion that Rob Ryan would rather plug in JJ Watt or Cameron Jordan at 3-4 DE than find ways to turn Fairley loose in the other teams' backfields.

[View Full Quote]After the season and the combine, Fairley was head and shoulders above Watt or Jordan...now some stories about "one year wonder" and "taking plays off" makes us think he wouldn't be a great pick for the Cowboys at 3-4 DE??? This wasn't a guy who was squatting in a hole every play...he was all over the field, in backfields, dropping RBs for losses and sacking QBs despite teams trying everything to block him...if the guy needed a blow now and then, I'll let that slide.

2. The Cowboys may need a CB more than they need a DE, and it's not often that you get a chance to draft a CB with the skill set of Amukamara. Size, strength, physical in run support, good hands and ball skills, runs like a RB with the ball...so his INTs were down this past year? So are most players in both college and the NFL when teams refuse to throw at them. Peterson is the physical specimen that hasn't been seen very often, but some are already wondering if safety isn't his best position because it's hard to imagine him playing CB at 220, despite his speed. Amukamara may be the best cover man in the draft other than Jimmy Smith whom we wouldn't touch, I'm sure.

All the mocks had us taking Prince early on, but the expectation is that he'd never get past SF...I believe much of our posturing on OTs and trading down has a lot to do with hoping to mislead others and hope other teams question taking Prince.

*** I find it very hard to believe that in a draft that is supposedly very deep on the DL and OL (despite lack of blue-chippers on OL) that we would take a RT at #9 or a 3-4 DE like Watt or Jordan...neither of these guys even have the grades of Spears coming out of college.

We can find a very good OT in round two at #41. We can find plenty of 320 lb. OGs and OTs who need to move inside to OG in rounds 3-4.

If Prince Amukamara and Nick Fairley are still on the board when the Cowboys pick at #9, I think the war room will be ecstatic, and Rob Ryan will be dancing around Jerry begging for that pick to be used on defense. Amukamara could start at CB immediately, possibly moving T.Newman to the slot or even to FS in passing situations...that's assuming Jenkins doesn't suck as badly as he looked last season.

If not Prince, think of the competition Fairley dominated from game 1 through the championship game...this isn't a workout warrior or a kid who dominated at a lower level. Marcel Dareus may be a safer pick, but Fairley pushed him into the shadows during the season. I think Ryan will have many more ideas for using Fairley's skills than just asking him to plug a gap and keep the LBs free. When a DL makes his way into the offensive backfield, seldom do you hear complaints that he should have been squatting in the hole, nor will you see him being replaced by Spears or Olshanski. The crap I've read about Fairley reminds me of the crap I read last year by so called experts who thought McCray might be a better DT than Suh after they studied everything to death and decided Suh wouldn't be as much of a penetrator...lol.

Forget the misleading worries you've been reading and remember that these two players are still near the top of most draft reports, both had great post-seasons and combine workouts. The Cowboys won't pass on Fairley or Amukamara for an OT rated below the guys who were first rounders last season or for another 3-4 DE with no pass rush.

Option 1: Prince
Option 2: Fairley
Option 3: trade down

My guess on order, regardless of players:

Pick 1 goes for CB or DE
Pick 2 = OL
Pick 3 = DB or OL
Pick 4 = ILB or DL

I believe this.

[RS12]

Sorry Wayne, I think both Fairley and Prince are there at 9, and neither ends up in Dallas.

[Wimbo]

I am not opposed to Prince, but not at 9.

[big dog cowboy]

Not a fan of either at 9.

[diehard2294]

Originally Posted by tm1119

You do realize Jerry has never picked an O-lineman in the 1st round right? And this is certainly not the worst our o-line has ever been. So how can you be so confident that o-line in the 1st?

And I would love Fairley by the way.

I'm well aware that JJ has never picked a 1st round O lineman... He also has NEVER fired a head coach mid season...

Gutt tells me this is the way we are going and barring a trade out of 9 I still believe the pick will be Smith

[supercowboy8]

If your thinking Fairly or Prince then your going to be in for a bad awaking.

Fairley doesn't fit the 3-4. sorry you can talk about size all you want, or how he played in college. The way he plays is in a attacking style, he is a one gap penetrating 4-3 DT. He doesn't hold up blocks and clog lanes.

[Hostile]

Forgetting this already. Sorry WM, you're way off.