Am I Alone?

[jday]

Am I Alone? I have no handle on what is going to happen in the upcoming draft. Of the players being discussed to go to the Cowboys in the first round, none truly make sense for a variety of reasons.

All the rage as of late has been T.J. Watt. Some say he is a linebacker. Others say he would be excellent as a spot duty pass rusher. Either way, a 1st round pick would seem a bit steep for mostly part-time positions. You certainly wouldn’t want a 250 pound player matched up against a LT in a running situation, and at the same time you wouldn’t want him on the field attempting to cover a TE or RB in passing situations. So, as a 1 down a series passrusher or 2 down a series run stopper when in their base 4-3 defense as a linebacker, a first round pick seems steep. And, honestly, I could care less who his brother is. That is in no way an indication of who TJ Watt is…or will be. If he is to become the next JJ Watt, it will take at least 3 years to get his body and mind in a place where he could realistically be anything close to his older brother.

I like Obi Melinfonwu, but he strikes me as a project in much the same way Byron Jones has been a project. Given 3 years of seasoning (like Watt) and the Cowboys might have a helluva player. Which is why I could certainly see the Cowboys dropping a 2nd round pick on him. But for a first round pick, you really want a guy who can make an immediate impact in year 1…and not just an impact transpiring from spot duty (like I believe Watt would have). Maybe that’s asking a bit much considering where the Cowboys are picking in the first round, but if that is the case, trading out of the first day is beginning to look like the more attractive option. Especially if the Cowboys could secure a high 2nd round pick with their missing 5th round pick.

Adoree Jackson certainly has the stats and the physical prowess the Cowboys look for. But I do wonder how well his play translates to the NFL considering his somewhat diminutive size of 5’10” 186 lbs. Not that there is anything wrong with having that guy on your team; the problem is that is pretty much the average of what the Cowboys have presently. As of right now, Byron Jones is the only guy that looks the part of someone who can keep up with the big bodied receivers the Cowboys face on a game to game basis and that is not ideal considering he is the Cowboys FS. If the Cowboys go corner, you have to think they are looking for a guy with some size matched with the ability to run toe-to-toe with the NFL monster WR’s. Don’t get me wrong, I like Adoree Jackson…I suspect, though, we already have his like on the team in Scrandrick and Brown. More of him would be a waste of a first round pick. Furthermore, I’m not crazy about the idea that the only reason he is going in the first round is due to two corners initially graded above him being injured during the evaluation process.

Derek Barnett is interesting. Of the players discussed, he may actually make the most amount of sense. Having said that, he still doesn’t strike me as an every down DE and he certainly doesn’t look to have the flexibility to play every position along the line, which is something Marinelli tends to look for. I’m not saying Barnett doesn’t belong in the first round conversation; I’m just not sure he is someone the Cowboys will value as a first round commodity. Similarly, Takkarist McKinley is in this same conversation as Barnett. And for largely the same reasons I believe the Cowboys pass on Barnett, I suspect they’d pass on Takk at 28, as well. Bear in mind, I’m not an insider in any sense and as I mentioned before, I haven’t the slightest idea who the Cowboys are targeting this year. But given their system and what they typically look for, neither Barnett nor Tak or in the same mold.

Solomon Thomas, on the other hand, could play any position along the Cowboys line with his ridiculous size to athleticism ratio. My problem with announcing him as the target is two-fold: 1. Many believe the ultra-talented D-lineman will be gone by the time the Cowboys are on the clock. 2. I’m the only one that seems to think he’d be a perfect fit for what the Cowboys are looking for. But since he really hasn’t been in the conversation of first round targets, I only mention him here because I’d be giddy like a school girl if the Cowboys shocked the draft watching world by selecting him. Of the players already discussed, for me, Solomon makes the most amount of sense. But that’s just my opinion.


Thoughts?

 

[xwalker]

Am I Alone? I have no handle on what is going to happen in the upcoming draft. Of the players being discussed to go to the Cowboys in the first round, none truly make sense for a variety of reasons.

All the rage as of late has been T.J. Watt. Some say he is a linebacker. Others say he would be excellent as a spot duty pass rusher. Either way, a 1st round pick would seem a bit steep for mostly part-time positions. You certainly wouldn’t want a 250 pound player matched up against a LT in a running situation, and at the same time you wouldn’t want him on the field attempting to cover a TE or RB in passing situations. So, as a 1 down a series passrusher or 2 down a series run stopper when in their base 4-3 defense as a linebacker, a first round pick seems steep. And, honestly, I could care less who his brother is. That is in no way an indication of who TJ Watt is…or will be. If he is to become the next JJ Watt, it will take at least 3 years to get his body and mind in a place where he could realistically be anything close to his older brother.

I like Obi Melinfonwu, but he strikes me as a project in much the same way Byron Jones has been a project. Given 3 years of seasoning (like Watt) and the Cowboys might have a helluva player. Which is why I could certainly see the Cowboys dropping a 2nd round pick on him. But for a first round pick, you really want a guy who can make an immediate impact in year 1…and not just an impact transpiring from spot duty (like I believe Watt would have). Maybe that’s asking a bit much considering where the Cowboys are picking in the first round, but if that is the case, trading out of the first day is beginning to look like the more attractive option. Especially if the Cowboys could secure a high 2nd round pick with their missing 5th round pick.

Adoree Jackson certainly has the stats and the physical prowess the Cowboys look for. But I do wonder how well his play translates to the NFL considering his somewhat diminutive size of 5’10” 186 lbs. Not that there is anything wrong with having that guy on your team; the problem is that is pretty much the average of what the Cowboys have presently. As of right now, Byron Jones is the only guy that looks the part of someone who can keep up with the big bodied receivers the Cowboys face on a game to game basis and that is not ideal considering he is the Cowboys FS. If the Cowboys go corner, you have to think they are looking for a guy with some size matched with the ability to run toe-to-toe with the NFL monster WR’s. Don’t get me wrong, I like Adoree Jackson…I suspect, though, we already have his like on the team in Scrandrick and Brown. More of him would be a waste of a first round pick. Furthermore, I’m not crazy about the idea that the only reason he is going in the first round is due to two corners initially graded above him being injured during the evaluation process.

Derek Barnett is interesting. Of the players discussed, he may actually make the most amount of sense. Having said that, he still doesn’t strike me as an every down DE and he certainly doesn’t look to have the flexibility to play every position along the line, which is something Marinelli tends to look for. I’m not saying Barnett doesn’t belong in the first round conversation; I’m just not sure he is someone the Cowboys will value as a first round commodity. Similarly, Takkarist McKinley is in this same conversation as Barnett. And for largely the same reasons I believe the Cowboys pass on Barnett, I suspect they’d pass on Takk at 28, as well. Bear in mind, I’m not an insider in any sense and as I mentioned before, I haven’t the slightest idea who the Cowboys are targeting this year. But given their system and what they typically look for, neither Barnett nor Tak or in the same mold.

Solomon Thomas, on the other hand, could play any position along the Cowboys line with his ridiculous size to athleticism ratio. My problem with announcing him as the target is two-fold: 1. Many believe the ultra-talented D-lineman will be gone by the time the Cowboys are on the clock. 2. I’m the only one that seems to think he’d be a perfect fit for what the Cowboys are looking for. But since he really hasn’t been in the conversation of first round targets, I only mention him here because I’d be giddy like a school girl if the Cowboys shocked the draft watching world by selecting him. Of the players already discussed, for me, Solomon makes the most amount of sense. But that’s just my opinion.


Thoughts?

DeMarcus Ware was 6-4, 251 when drafted. Would you pass on him because you run a 4-3?

The RDE in Marinelli's defense is very similar to WOLB in the Wade Phillips 3-4 in terms of pass rush and run defense. They line up in a similar spot on the field because the D-Line is shifted to the right. The LDE is more head-up on the RT (shifted right) which shifts everyone else right and ends up with the RDE shifted further outside the LT. Compare this to the Giants 4-3 where the DEs are aligned the same on both sides.

Marinelli helps the RDE in run defense often with a LB but requires the LDE to hold his own. That's why he moved Crawford from DT to LDE when they started the season getting gashed by the run.

In theory, it is one of the big advantages of this scheme. You can use smaller players at RDE but they still don't have to drop into coverage. Randy Gregory would have been the perfect example if not for the weed issue. He was too small for the Giants 4-3 but didn't have coverage skills desired by 3-4 teams.

The Cowboys just need to take the BPA. Get a great player and things will workout regardless of position. Get 10 mediocre DEs and you don't really improve the team much.

 

[Melonfeud]

I'd pass on TJ Watts, I could be wrong, but believe he'll spend more time rehabbing than playing for whom ever drafts him.

On Solomon Thomas? That would be a solid yes in my view, also.
Where is Jabrill Peppers projected at? I feel he'd be another solid multi tool who could even replace #13 on kick/ punt returns, having him go offense in the return game will only make him that much more of a ball hawk as a defensive back,either of those two versatile players at pick 28 is good with me.
Yet,in trading back for the extra pick(s) ,the percentage of a player panning out suffer a steep decline, I think I read a 5th and 7th rd are at 11% that they stick/contribute for the team that year(or any year)

 

[jday]

I'd pass on TJ Watts, I could be wrong, but believe he'll spend more time rehabbing than playing for whom ever drafts him.

On Solomon Thomas? That would be a solid yes in my view, also.
Where is Jabrill Peppers projected at? I feel he'd be another solid multi tool who could even replace #13 on kick/ punt returns, having him go offense in the return game will only make him that much more of a ball hawk as a defensive back,either of those two versatile players at pick 28 is good with me.
Yet,in trading back for the extra pick(s) ,the percentage of a player panning out suffer a steep decline, I think I read a 5th and 7th rd are at 11% that they stick/contribute for the team that year(or any year)


I'd completely forgotten to mention the injury issues Watt has struggled through.​

I don't like Jabrill Peppers at all. I understand the initial appeal, but for him you have to look closer. First, he is not ideally sized to play either Safety position and he struggles in coverage, so corner would be a definite no. He is an awesome athlete, but a liability in just about any position you put him in, in the secondary. If you want him for kick returns and punt returns, that's fine, but you don't draft that guy in the first 3 rounds, in my opinion.

I have a reason I want our 5th round pick back. I really like Donnell Pumphrey to replace Lance Dunbar's role and as another option as returner with Lucky Whitehead. If he is still there in the 5th, you have to take him.

 

[jday]

DeMarcus Ware was 6-4, 251 when drafted. Would you pass on him because you run a 4-3?

The RDE in Marinelli's defense is very similar to WOLB in the Wade Phillips 3-4 in terms of pass rush and run defense. They line up in a similar spot on the field because the D-Line is shifted to the right. The LDE is more head-up on the RT (shifted right) which shifts everyone else right and ends up with the RDE shifted further outside the LT. Compare this to the Giants 4-3 where the DEs are aligned the same on both sides.

Marinelli helps the RDE in run defense often with a LB but requires the LDE to hold his own. That's why he moved Crawford from DT to LDE when they started the season getting gashed by the run.

In theory, it is one of the big advantages of this scheme. You can use smaller players at RDE but they still don't have to drop into coverage. Randy Gregory would have been the perfect example if not for the weed issue. He was too small for the Giants 4-3 but didn't have coverage skills desired by 3-4 teams.

The Cowboys just need to take the BPA. Get a great player and things will workout regardless of position. Get 10 mediocre DEs and you don't really improve the team much.

This is not so much about what I'd do as it is what I think the Cowboys are looking for. Granted, they took a chance on Gregory, but I think that was more about his draft grade versus where the Cowboys had an opportunity to take him. Normally, I think they look for guys closer to the 270 range, but I could certainly be wrong.

 

[reddyuta]

This is not so much about what I'd do as it is what I think the Cowboys are looking for. Granted, they took a chance on Gregory, but I think that was more about his draft grade versus where the Cowboys had an opportunity to take him. Normally, I think they look for guys closer to the 270 range, but I could certainly be wrong.

They are not looking for a RDE at 270,most of the guys we brought in are around 250 with a bunch of LDE types like Taco who are 270 +.

 

[haleyrules]

I'd pass on TJ Watts, I could be wrong, but believe he'll spend more time rehabbing than playing for whom ever drafts him.

On Solomon Thomas? That would be a solid yes in my view, also.
Where is Jabrill Peppers projected at? I feel he'd be another solid multi tool who could even replace #13 on kick/ punt returns, having him go offense in the return game will only make him that much more of a ball hawk as a defensive back,either of those two versatile players at pick 28 is good with me.
Yet,in trading back for the extra pick(s) ,the percentage of a player panning out suffer a steep decline, I think I read a 5th and 7th rd are at 11% that they stick/contribute for the team that year(or any year)

I only wish l knew more about the college kids. All the info in the off season is so over hyped and distorted that l really don't know what to make of it. If you listened to all the NFL Network and Agent driven..."Expert views" on the frontrunning College kids...you would imagine they are all heading to the HoF before they have played a pro game. That is disproved absolutely ever year.

 

[haleyrules]

This is not so much about what I'd do as it is what I think the Cowboys are looking for. Granted, they took a chance on Gregory, but I think that was more about his draft grade versus where the Cowboys had an opportunity to take him. Normally, I think they look for guys closer to the 270 range, but I could certainly be wrong.

I still have some small hope for Gregory. OK...call me a sap..

 

[Bigdog]

If the Cowboys pass on Barnett, than that would be a big mistake. He probably won't get to us but he put up great numbers the past 3 years against very good competition. If he did it in college, mostly likely he will do it on the NFL.

 

[ksg811]

This is not so much about what I'd do as it is what I think the Cowboys are looking for. Granted, they took a chance on Gregory, but I think that was more about his draft grade versus where the Cowboys had an opportunity to take him. Normally, I think they look for guys closer to the 270 range, but I could certainly be wrong.

The prototype RDE for Marinelli's scheme is his biggest success in Simeon Rice and he played most of his career aroind 265 at a time when LTs were a minimum of 320 pounds. LTs have also gotten smaller in the past decade and max out at 320 in order to be more agile so you can probably knock 5-10 pounds from there. So that puts a wide RDE for Marinelli around 255-260.

 

[DFWJC]

Am I Alone? I have no handle on what is going to happen in the upcoming draft. Of the players being discussed to go to the Cowboys in the first round, none truly make sense for a variety of reasons.

All the rage as of late has been T.J. Watt. Some say he is a linebacker. Others say he would be excellent as a spot duty pass rusher. Either way, a 1st round pick would seem a bit steep for mostly part-time positions. You certainly wouldn’t want a 250 pound player matched up against a LT in a running situation, and at the same time you wouldn’t want him on the field attempting to cover a TE or RB in passing situations. So, as a 1 down a series passrusher or 2 down a series run stopper when in their base 4-3 defense as a linebacker, a first round pick seems steep. And, honestly, I could care less who his brother is. That is in no way an indication of who TJ Watt is…or will be. If he is to become the next JJ Watt, it will take at least 3 years to get his body and mind in a place where he could realistically be anything close to his older brother.

I like Obi Melinfonwu, but he strikes me as a project in much the same way Byron Jones has been a project. Given 3 years of seasoning (like Watt) and the Cowboys might have a helluva player. Which is why I could certainly see the Cowboys dropping a 2nd round pick on him. But for a first round pick, you really want a guy who can make an immediate impact in year 1…and not just an impact transpiring from spot duty (like I believe Watt would have). Maybe that’s asking a bit much considering where the Cowboys are picking in the first round, but if that is the case, trading out of the first day is beginning to look like the more attractive option. Especially if the Cowboys could secure a high 2nd round pick with their missing 5th round pick.

Adoree Jackson certainly has the stats and the physical prowess the Cowboys look for. But I do wonder how well his play translates to the NFL considering his somewhat diminutive size of 5’10” 186 lbs. Not that there is anything wrong with having that guy on your team; the problem is that is pretty much the average of what the Cowboys have presently. As of right now, Byron Jones is the only guy that looks the part of someone who can keep up with the big bodied receivers the Cowboys face on a game to game basis and that is not ideal considering he is the Cowboys FS. If the Cowboys go corner, you have to think they are looking for a guy with some size matched with the ability to run toe-to-toe with the NFL monster WR’s. Don’t get me wrong, I like Adoree Jackson…I suspect, though, we already have his like on the team in Scrandrick and Brown. More of him would be a waste of a first round pick. Furthermore, I’m not crazy about the idea that the only reason he is going in the first round is due to two corners initially graded above him being injured during the evaluation process.

Derek Barnett is interesting. Of the players discussed, he may actually make the most amount of sense. Having said that, he still doesn’t strike me as an every down DE and he certainly doesn’t look to have the flexibility to play every position along the line, which is something Marinelli tends to look for. I’m not saying Barnett doesn’t belong in the first round conversation; I’m just not sure he is someone the Cowboys will value as a first round commodity. Similarly, Takkarist McKinley is in this same conversation as Barnett. And for largely the same reasons I believe the Cowboys pass on Barnett, I suspect they’d pass on Takk at 28, as well. Bear in mind, I’m not an insider in any sense and as I mentioned before, I haven’t the slightest idea who the Cowboys are targeting this year. But given their system and what they typically look for, neither Barnett nor Tak or in the same mold.

Solomon Thomas, on the other hand, could play any position along the Cowboys line with his ridiculous size to athleticism ratio. My problem with announcing him as the target is two-fold: 1. Many believe the ultra-talented D-lineman will be gone by the time the Cowboys are on the clock. 2. I’m the only one that seems to think he’d be a perfect fit for what the Cowboys are looking for. But since he really hasn’t been in the conversation of first round targets, I only mention him here because I’d be giddy like a school girl if the Cowboys shocked the draft watching world by selecting him. Of the players already discussed, for me, Solomon makes the most amount of sense. But that’s just my opinion.


Thoughts?

I dont think most of thought our 1st round pick would Travis Fredick and Byron Jones recently either.
Just roll with it.

Less than two weeks!

 

[Dallas_Cowboys50]

All I know is Ive never wanted us to trade back as much as this year. Hopefully Jerry and Co. can swing a deal where we can still get one of these guys in the 2nd, plus an extra 3rd, or even 2nd if another team is desperate enough.

 

[Biggems]

Thomas would be the top pick this year if not for Garrett. He is an absolute stud against the run, and pretty good as a pass rusher. Plus, he is versatile, being able to play DE or DT. Add to the fact that he went to Stanford and you know he is an intelligent player.

 

[fishspill]

For some reason I think this will be a boring draft as far as this team goes. Just a steady, unflashy acquisition of talent. My hope is they don't get pulled too far to any one side of the ball that they leave better players on the board. That's how you fail.