Is it smart drafting the year?

[atlantacowboy]

Granted the draft is always a crapshoot........but more so this year than previous years. I'm pondering a quote from one NFL scout at the senior bowl who said the draft process this year is more akin to meeting someone behind the plexiglass of jail while going through a speed dating process. Can we really know these guys without having gone through the traditional processes? Maybe the best move is to trade out of these positions whenever possible for future draft picks. Just a thought

 

[JoeKing]

Granted the draft is always a crapshoot........but more so this year than previous years. I'm pondering a quote from one NFL scout at the senior bowl who said the draft process this year is more akin to meeting someone behind the plexiglass of jail while going through a speed dating process. Can we really know these guys without having gone through the traditional processes? Maybe the best move is to trade out of these positions whenever possible for future draft picks. Just a thought

Being a student to the game tape really matters these days. It reveals a great deal. One-on-one interviews with the players still happen so I disagree with your suggestion that the scouts can't get to know these players. They should absolutely go through with the draft this year.

 

[blueblood70]

umm no the league is a year to year IMHO

the old way of thinking about building for the future is overrated..

the draft there to help fix what you feel you need for this year to be the most successful..

not sure how this differs at all even with no combine you have film, you have pro days, you have interviews, you have games played for showcasing skills like senior bowls etc and frankly the combine tended to overate and make teams overthink because of the shorts syndrome, combine heroes are created with crazy athleticism but these dudes dont play in shorts..

lastly busts happen every year , many in the first 2 days even the old way so i dont believe it will have much effect on this year..

you take players you feel improve you team NOW.. screw developmental picks, picks for the future ie will get better, go after skillsets that can play day 1..we cant afford to PASS on this years crop of talent, we have holes especially on defense..

so take the player not the picks, whats guarantee next years players are better?

 

[fivetwos]

Granted the draft is always a crapshoot........but more so this year than previous years. I'm pondering a quote from one NFL scout at the senior bowl who said the draft process this year is more akin to meeting someone behind the plexiglass of jail while going through a speed dating process. Can we really know these guys without having gone through the traditional processes? Maybe the best move is to trade out of these positions whenever possible for future draft picks. Just a thought

Good point. Very good point actually.

I think this is an overall weak draft anyway. Throw in those extra unknowns and we will likely see more first round busts than ever.

We also will likely see some later round guys develop into top players...

More so than usual that is.

Fact is however that the Dallas Cowboys need help NOW, so no one is going to get on board with the patience for the overall good, even if it does make full sense....and that includes the FO.

Jerry has another bad season and things could turn against him quickly with those casual fans.

It seems (by the FA activity anyway) as though they are still patting themselves on the back over last draft, and are counting on that happening yearly.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Player tape should be 90% of your consideration anyway. Interviews can be just as effective virtual.

In person workouts aren't really that important.

The most damaging aspect in players who's season got cut short, thus limited tape.

 

[fansince68]

Granted the draft is always a crapshoot........but more so this year than previous years. I'm pondering a quote from one NFL scout at the senior bowl who said the draft process this year is more akin to meeting someone behind the plexiglass of jail while going through a speed dating process. Can we really know these guys without having gone through the traditional processes? Maybe the best move is to trade out of these positions whenever possible for future draft picks. Just a thought

I just mentioned this on another thread. Tough to evaluate this class. Trade our 3rd for another teams 2nd next year etc. Caleb Farley didn't play yet he has back surgery? Crap shoot on that evaluation. Besides, I don't think we have the players to improve significantly on defense this year which is gonna put us drafting in the top 15 again next year because we can't draft key defensive players to improve.

 

[fivetwos]

umm no the league is a year to year IMHO

the old way of thinking about building for the future is overrated..

the draft there to help fix what you feel you need for this year to be the most successful..

not sure how this differs at all even with no combine you have film, you have pro days, you have interviews, you have games played for showcasing skills like senior bowls etc and frankly the combine tended to overate and make teams overthink because of the shorts syndrome, combine heroes are created with crazy athleticism but these dudes dont play in shorts..

lastly busts happen every year , many in the first 2 days even the old way so i dont believe it will have much effect on this year..

you take players you feel improve you team NOW.. screw developmental picks, picks for the future ie will get better, go after skillsets that can play day 1..we cant afford to PASS on this years crop of talent, we have holes especially on defense..

so take the player not the picks, whats guarantee next years players are better?

The amount of early entrants can also affect the strength of a draft one way or another..... a good one often follows a bad one and vice versa.

Very, very generally speaking that is, but last year was a top end draft talent wise.

As one example, look at the 2009 draft. Not just us, but the whole league.

Then look at 2010. Wow. One of history's best.

These weren't secrets at the time....

All the other factors are the original point, but this draft is definitely not 2010 either.

In the end, we can all think what we want, but this FO is going to try to improve right now....they have to.

 

[conner01]

Some guys played less football last year, a few played none
But really most of this process hasn’t been much different
The 40 times I think are probably a bit off but drafting on 40 times is dumb anyway
The scouts still have film on the guys and really other than not seeing them in person as much, most of the rest is the same

 

[CATCH17]

Granted the draft is always a crapshoot........but more so this year than previous years. I'm pondering a quote from one NFL scout at the senior bowl who said the draft process this year is more akin to meeting someone behind the plexiglass of jail while going through a speed dating process. Can we really know these guys without having gone through the traditional processes? Maybe the best move is to trade out of these positions whenever possible for future draft picks. Just a thought

I look at it different.

Like Littlefinger said in Game Of Thrones... Chaos is a ladder.

There is opportunity here to get some steals imo. Players took years off, they can't meet with guys, and there is just a million different ways a player could go unnoticed this season.

The good team is going to capitalize on this situation and get players in rounds 3,4,and 5 that should have gone higher.

 

[conner01]

I just mentioned this on another thread. Tough to evaluate this class. Trade our 3rd for another teams 2nd next year etc. Caleb Farley didn't play yet he has back surgery? Crap shoot on that evaluation. Besides, I don't think we have the players to improve significantly on defense this year which is gonna put us drafting in the top 15 again next year because we can't draft key defensive players to improve.

Rather trade our later picks to move up in the second again this year
There will be pro bowlers, all pros and likely a HOF player or two from this class
The only real difference is some played less games last year

 

[atlantacowboy]

Rather trade our later picks to move up in the second again this year
There will be pro bowlers, all pros and likely a HOF player or two from this class
The only real difference is some played less games last year

The difference is the draft evaluation process after the season. Normally teams get to spend a lot more time with these guys.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

I can't emphasize too much how you want "football players" and that is in evidence, as @JoeKing emphasized, in tape and interviews. Football character matters here. Add that to metrics and the evaluation tools are there.

I also heard what Gil Brandt said in that this year's draft is somewhat a crap shoot. (Or something relating to the many players that didn't play or had limited exposure due to the hectic 2020 "Pandemic"). I don't necessarily agree with that thought. Maybe in Brandt's mind where he's looking for that concrete metric that the old Cowboy organization liked in the 1960's-1970's.

This year will put the coaching staff in the crosshairs in that they'll have to do some teaching, or more teaching, with the players to develop them into NFL talents. Get the athlete who devours the game, has the metrics, has some film, and solid picks can be made!

 

[atlantacowboy]

I look at it different.

Like Littlefinger said in Game Of Thrones... Chaos is a ladder.

There is opportunity here to get some steals imo. Players took years off, they can't meet with guys, and there is just a million different ways a player could go unnoticed this season.

The good team is going to capitalize on this situation and get players in rounds 3,4,and 5 that should have gone higher.

Littelfinger was smarter than anyone in the cowboy front office. Our FO is more like Eddard Stark. Very brave but dumb.

 

[jazzcat22]

A few things that effected players rankings, the biggest one being the Combine or lack of. so 3 years from now we may find more than usuals, the steals and the busts.
As well, in person interviews. As I believe you still get much more from that than on a video chat. Dallas usually flies in a group of about 20 players, which is the allotted amount I believe, plus host local players.

However, I agree with above, it is still player tape they get a lot of evaluation from. They did have regional combines to go too.
I don't think it effected the evaluations too much though. I think we fans may over rate the info that comes out of that at times.
So a player and his agent or representative at the time should have put together a workout video, doing all the stuff they do at the combine, which could help. Maybe they do all of that at the regionals.

 

[CATCH17]

Littelfinger was smarter than anyone in the cowboy front office. Our FO is more like Eddard Stark. Very brave but dumb.

Hodor's with money.

 

[Vinnie2u]

The way I look at it is..everyone says this is a weak draft.. guess what.. weak or not they are all gonna play. So the whole league is watered down. Good teams will find and develop talent.

 

[Future]

The idea of "we got to know him really well during the draft process" is the greatest myth that both executives and analysts perpetuate. There's no water to it.

 

[Flamma]

Hodor's with money.

Tyrion Lannister with a yacht. What's their official saying? Hear me roar. Something like that.

 

[Loso86]

Granted the draft is always a crapshoot........but more so this year than previous years. I'm pondering a quote from one NFL scout at the senior bowl who said the draft process this year is more akin to meeting someone behind the plexiglass of jail while going through a speed dating process. Can we really know these guys without having gone through the traditional processes? Maybe the best move is to trade out of these positions whenever possible for future draft picks. Just a thought

Umm..no lol. Just because it's that way doesn't mean there are no good players in this draft. You trust the tape and let these scouts actually show their worth

 

[Verdict]

I don't know how you "evaluate" that which does not exist. There were a lot of players who either played fewer games, or none at all. The evidence that would have been gained from being able to watch that film, and cross reference it against other players is lacking. The smaller the sample size, the less accurate the conclusion drawn (good or bad) will be.

I think its VERY reasonable to infer that the draft process will be more of a crap shoot than ever before (in modern draft era). There will just not be enough information for teams to make concrete opinions on some players. Some will go too high, or too low as a result.

All teams have the same conditions to operate under. If Dallas feels very strongly about its evaluation process of players, then Dallas might gain an advantage over other teams this year. On the other hand if this is just a roll of the dice for everyone, a team might want to defer picks into future years. That is a strategic decision.

If a guy was a potential first round pick, and opted out, a team would be hard pressed to take that player in the first round with the uncertainty surrounding that player. Likewise there will also be some real bargains that will fall due to that uncertainty. There will be some cheap bargain basement draft picks that will seemingly over achieve simply because they were a late bloomer and there was not enough tape for teams to find them, or not at all.