BTB:Cowboys 2012 Draft: The Case Against David DeCastro

[cowboyjoe]

Cowboys 2012 Draft: The Case Against David DeCastro
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2012/...david-decastro
by rabblerousr on Apr 24, 2012 1:30 PM CDT in Dallas Cowboys 2012 Draft
David DeCastro will give somebody a dependable interior force. It just shouldn't be the Cowboys.

Its been a while since I lived up to my moniker so, with the draft mere days away, I thought I'd offer up a little something to incite the masses. Before you sit down to read, consider grabbing a torch and a pitchfork, 'cause you just may want to storm Castle Rabble when you're through!

For months now, we've been riding high on the wave of David DeCastro's excellence. The Stanford guard has been touted as the best interior offensive guard prospect not only in this draft, but since Steve Hutchinson, the former Michigan standout who was selected 17th overall in 2001. By now, we know the score: DeCastro boasts good size, and great feet. He is a nasty player who prepares meticulously. He flourished in a pro-style offense, doing more or less what will be asked of him at the NFL level. He protected All-World Cardinal QB Andrew Luck and was a key reason the Cardinal rushing game was one of the best in college football.

Thanks to these qualities, the love for DeCastro here at BTB has been through the roof. For six weeks now, the FanPost pages and comments sections have been filled with odes to DeCastro, extolling the various facets of his game as a poet would the various virtues of a lover. Now, lest you think I don't like the player, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I do like him. A lot. I think his tenacity and studiousness will be a big asset to the team, and that he will provide an immediate upgrade at one of the Cowboys positions of weakness.

[Manwiththeplan]

Don't let Hostile see this post

[CATCH17]

But this source does bring up a good point. In a draft with precious few sure things, a Steady Eddie like DeCastro is going to get over-rated.

Ouch...

[stasheroo]

It's times like these when I'm glad that Blogs are blocked on the PC's at work.

[stasheroo]

But this 'gem' deserves comment:

But this source does bring up a good point. In a draft with precious few sure things, a Steady Eddie like DeCastro is going to get over-rated.

So when there are precious few sure things, taking one is somehow akin to over-rating them?

And somehow this is a 'good point'?

[cowboyjoe]

Originally Posted by Manwiththeplan

Don't let Hostile see this post

Whoops, I had better run, uh oh, here comes Hos!

[sago1]

Was OT Tyron Smith overrated last year and didn't we draft him in the first round? Hmm. I think most on this board and many within the NFL think he was one of the best OTs in the NFL last year.

BTW: I do believe that upgrading the trenches on both sides of the ball is a must. And following that old adage, I think/hope the Cowboys draft either a DL or OL in the first round.

[brooksey1]

Guard is not a premium position? I keep hearing that but yet we want to run a zone blocking scheme that takes "Brains" along with athletisicm. Oh but wait Decastro is not athletic according to the blog. Hmm...really? He can only explode off the ball and get to the second level faster then any guard in the country and hit his target with pin point precision time after time. But remember Guard is not a premium position, tell that to Tony Romo, who spends the bulk of his season spitting up blood while he tries to sleep at night. Tell that to Jason Garrett who can't score from the one yard line. Tell that to the NY Giants who have #1 rd picks stacked across their d-line frothing at the mouth to tear into Tony's a**, then the media calls him a choker.

Guard is not a premium position in a pass happy league with a zone blocking scheme? This is not the 80's or 90's when guards in a power running NFC were at best 2nd and 3rd round picks. The league has changed and so has the value of guards and centers. Decastro is not believed to be the best guard in a decade because he is a "safe" pick, it's because if his level of play continues he is the best.

[AmishCowboy]

Every team in our division has a solid defensive line, plus we play the Steelers this year, so I'm all drafting him and I think we can get a Jarod Crick or Cam Johnson in the 2nd.

[Ren]

We had what? 4 rushing TDs last season

Thinking we can go cheap on interior OL all but ensures another season like that.

[Oh_Canada]

Ruh roh...the DeCastro lovers are not going to be happy about this.

[Woods]

I think DeCastro would play OC with the Cowboys. At least initially.

I think he was the top rated OC coming out of high school. He knows the position.

[DFWJC]

I'm on board with his "allocation of resources" comment.
I think we could get a great defensive prospect in the 1st round and still get a 7-8 year starting OG in the 2nd. I don't feel nearly as good about that happening the other way around.

If we took DC, however, I wouldn't complain.

[fortdick]

I don't know who the blogger is, so I can't evaluate his sources, but the ideas are silly. DE is to the defensive line as OG is to the offensive line. If you want to compare, in a 3-4, you have to look at OLB to compare to tackle.

It just seems to me another guy with an agenda. YHe wants to see his pet cat drafted.

As far as a guard not being worth the pick, I thought you took the best player available, regardless of position. At least that is what I have read everywhere. If he is the best player and a guard, why would you not take him over a lesser player at DE?

[InmanRoshi]

Originally Posted by brooksey1

Guard is not a premium position? I keep hearing that but yet we want to run a zone blocking scheme that takes "Brains" along with athletisicm. Oh but wait Decastro is not athletic according to the blog. Hmm...really? He can only explode off the ball and get to the second level faster then any guard in the country and hit his target with pin point precision time after time. But remember Guard is not a premium position, tell that to Tony Romo, who spends the bulk of his season spitting up blood while he tries to sleep at night. Tell that to Jason Garrett who can't score from the one yard line. Tell that to the NY Giants who have #1 rd picks stacked across their d-line frothing at the mouth to tear into Tony's a**, then the media calls him a choker.

Tony was a "choker" because he didn't in a game after putting up a 140 QB rating and 34 points against the Giants, because our horrendous pass defense gave up 37 points.

And the people who have run zone schemes the best are guys like Howard Mudd and Alex Gibbs, and they never take OL highly unless its for a blindside protector. They took mid-late round picks and groomed them in the system. Man on man schemes need higher premium talent, because it requires physical dominators.