Analyzing Day Three

[Galian Beast]

Damien Wilson kind of fits, but in the 4th round it does throw up some question marks. Why I'm okay with this selection: Linebackers get hurt. For a while I figured you needed 4 good linebackers. Right now I think you need between 5 or 6. I think Wilson makes 4. Especially with the injury history of our linebackers.

I never thought Kyle Wilber fit on this team once we moved away from the 3-4, and I'm thinking his days are numbered. I think there will be a lot of competition for that 5th and 6th linebacker spots, and hell we may keep 7 total. Competition is a good thing, especially when you have to deal with all of these injuries.

That actually takes me to linebacker Mark Nzeocha in the 7th round. I doubt he has a great chance to make this roster, and I really feel that Ifo Ekpre-Olomu who was taken 5 picks later could potentially be a great slot corner in this league. A lot of people thought he had 1st round talent. I understand him dropping because of the ACL, but at some point he should have had value to a team in desperate need of help at cornerback. Claiborne might not even play this year and if he does who knows how badly he will play... Carr should be a June 1st cut. This leaves us with Jones a rookie and Scandrick a player on the verge of a holdout... Yet we only taken one corner in the draft.... BPA? We'll definitely see.

Ryan Russell in the 5th round... a strong side end... maybe he has a role on this team. Doesn't say much for how they feel about Gardner who they just drafted in the 7th last year or his recovery, I'm not really mad at this pick, but he better make this team.

Chaz Green, I didn't like this pick at first, but it does make sense. That swing tackle position is very important. Even more reason why I think this team needs to make a strong aggressive play for La'el Collins. Having both Collins and Green would give us a lot more flexibility. I think we come release Weems, and we have a lot of potential with John Wetzel and Donald Hawkins. The money we could save by cutting Doug Free in 2016 and 2017 would be significant.

Laurence Gibson is another player who just doesn't make sense. With the number of tackles/guards we already have, this guy is going to struggle to make the team. And you have to ask yourself is he that much of a talent that you think he is going to be a practice squad type player that you can slowly develop. Is he that much better than Wetzel or Hawkins? Because there is no way this guy makes the 53....

Geoff Swaim, actually makes more sense than you would think at first glimpse. We only have 3 tight ends on the roster, and while that might be the standard, you have to think they would like to develop a 4th tight end who is more of a blocking tight end, especially with Hanna probably leaving next year in free agency. Swaim is an excellent blocker, but has some athleticism that suggests he could develop if used in the passing game. He is 6'5 242 and runs a 4.61 40. He has a vert of 35.5.

To compare that to Hanna and Escobar

Hanna is 6'4 was 252, not a great blocker, but has developed into a much better one, ran 4.49 and had a 36 inch vertical, but hasn't really developed much in the passing game. I'm sure he will be a starter in this league in 2016 on another team.

Escobar is 6'6 was 254, but not a great blocker, and runs a 4.84 and has only a 32 inch vertical.

Swaim can develop on this team as the 4th tight end for now. I would say that we should look to keep Escobar long term as Witten's replacement and hope that Swaim can develop into a nice 2nd tight end for us. Well worth the 7th round pick if he develops.

So as much as I didn't like the 3rd day, there are only a couple picks that are serious head scratches and those are Gibson and Nzeocha. Maybe Nzeocha can win that 5th or 6th spot, but given the competition already there with veterans, I think we definitely should have drafted the cornerback there. If someone wants to sell us on Gibson and Nzeocha, I'd love to hear it. The only thing I think about Gibson is that he is really raw, and they think he could be a great player in our system with some work. Nzeocha is another long term project type player who has the athletic ability, but doesn't have the experience to put it to use.

 

[Gaede]

Good write up, very even handed.

I'll go in the opposite direction and say that only 3 of these guys make the roster, and that, of those three, only one gets playing time (the back up back up TE)

 

[unionjack8]

i dont see the german even sniffing the final 53

lee
mcclain
brinkley
gachkar
hitchens
rivers
watson
wilson(4th rhd pick)

who does he beat out?

that doesn't include
james anderson
cam Lawrence
troy davis

 

[Kaiser]

I think the team has very good depth at most positions and the picks after Wilson in the 4th were taken with the idea of them having a good developmental year on the Practice Squad and being a factor the following year. Last year Gardner, Ken Bishop and Chris Whaley were all in that mode so the picks this year in rounds 5 - 7 were taken to develop for a season before they contribute in 2016.

 

[Galian Beast]

I mean a lot of the people you mentioned aren't stunners, and are older and more expensive than Nzeocha. That gives him an advantage. I think he might end up being a PS player this year though.

 

[RS12]

I never thought this was a particularly strong draft past the first 100 players. Somehow getting La'el Collins would bring it way up for me.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Obviously Dallas saw an upgrade along the Oline with the choices of Offensive Linemen Chaz Green and Laurence Gibson.

For some reason I trust them on OLine picks.

 

[Plankton]

i dont see the german even sniffing the final 53

lee
mcclain
brinkley
gachkar
hitchens
rivers
watson
wilson(4th rhd pick)

who does he beat out?

that doesn't include
james anderson
cam Lawrence
troy davis

The German was originally a safety. Not that I think he ends up there, but it's a position he has played.

 

[Galian Beast]

On one hand you have to take prospects in the draft. On the other hand I'm sure some of these guys probably would have gone undrafted and the Cowboys always seem to avoid taking players who were at least scouted pretty favorable but slid for one reason or another. Players who are more apt to becoming starters.

I have to question the Cowboys ability to develop late round draft picks into starters. They've done it about two times in the last 6 or 7 years...

 

[Nova]

I think the team has very good depth at most positions and the picks after Wilson in the 4th were taken with the idea of them having a good developmental year on the Practice Squad and being a factor the following year. Last year Gardner, Ken Bishop and Chris Whaley were all in that mode so the picks this year in rounds 5 - 7 were taken to develop for a season before they contribute in 2016.

I just disagree a bit with depth at all positions and LB is one I'm pretty confident in.

I can't remember a bad LB we've picked up since Barbie, and we have ateast ) on the roster already--
I'm betting they all do their jobs fine at a position with little less impact than the guys in frint of them.

DL is different. Few and far between for good players that we've drafted there. Specifically at tackle. Therefore, to me, I'd like to see more fort thrown that way.

They see the importance of the OL... DL may be more important.

 

[Idgit]

The German was originally a safety. Not that I think he ends up there, but it's a position he has played.

And he's got good speed. He's a ST pick. I'm looking forward to seeing him, actually.

If you get past the fact that we didn't pick a RB and that we seemed to go for athletic ability in those late round picks instead of football players, I don't have much problem with what we did today overall. I like the direction we've taken this offseason. I think a lot of these players have a chance to be upgrades for us. We're adding a lot of depth at key positions on defense and finally creating some competition there. With a good team, we're going to be releasing some players who can actually play from here on out.

We got lucky with the 1st round CB. We got our pass rusher and our swing tackle. One we like quite a bit, to hear them talk. We have another option at LB who could fill a hole in that position group if McClain leaves after his one year deal here expires. The other guys are basically players who can push for the bottom of the roster or the PS.

I was surprised we didn't take a QB. We better like Vaughan a lot, because it sure feels like we have a hole at backup QB.

I've always thought the team was ok with its RBs. There were some good backs in this draft, but several of them aren't significant upgrades over Joseph Randle.

About the only thing that didn't make sense to me was the TE, because we don't carry 4 of them. That means he's either stashed on the practice squad, in which case, why bother coughing up next year's pick. Or he knocks the HB off the roster, which seems strange since they just signed a couple of them in VFA.

 

[gmoney112]

And he's got good speed. He's a ST pick. I'm looking forward to seeing him, actually.

If you get past the fact that we didn't pick a RB and that we seemed to go for athletic ability in those late round picks instead of football players, I don't have much problem with what we did today overall. I like the direction we've taken this offseason. I think a lot of these players have a chance to be upgrades for us. We're adding a lot of depth at key positions on defense and finally creating some competition there. With a good team, we're going to be releasing some players who can actually play from here on out.

We got lucky with the 1st round CB. We got our pass rusher and our swing tackle. One we like quite a bit, to hear them talk. We have another option at LB who could fill a hole in that position group if McClain leaves after his one year deal here expires. The other guys are basically players who can push for the bottom of the roster or the PS.

I was surprised we didn't take a QB. We better like Vaughan a lot, because it sure feels like we have a hole at backup QB.

I've always thought the team was ok with its RBs. There were some good backs in this draft, but several of them aren't significant upgrades over Joseph Randle.

About the only thing that didn't make sense to me was the TE, because we don't carry 4 of them. That means he's either stashed on the practice squad, in which case, why bother coughing up next year's pick. Or he knocks the HB off the roster, which seems strange since they just signed a couple of them in VFA.

I think the TE pick means Hanna's gone. He's a decent pass catcher, but with Witten/Escobar still on the roster, he's never going to get significant snaps. Supposedly this TE was one of the best blocking TE's in the country. He'll get a decent amount of snaps for that reason alone.

 

[canters]

Overall we had a nice draft. three potential starters in 2015 or 2016-

Jones
Gregory
Green

it seems we started drafting for depth and role players after that and give up on finding starters. I know starters are harder to find. after rd 3, but seem to always go for depth and role players too soon.

 

[morasp]

My thoughts are after the first three rounds roll the dice, this was a weak draft but they picked guys that have measurable and if they're motivated we've got coaches that can help them reach their potential.

 

[jazzcat22]

I think day 3 sucked in a way.
Not so much that we didn't take a RB but sure would have felt better if we did.

I can see Wilson at LB in a way, though I think a bit of a roach at 4th. But he along with the FAs signed will add depth, push Cam Lawrence and Wilber off the roster.
Russell in the 5th, may be a future prospect, but with the DE's we have, and adding Hardy and Greagory, we could have went another position. RB, WR, another DB.

7th round, another LB and a project at that. Has PS all over this one, but most 7ths are anyway. I can see Gobson in a way, as if Green eventually replaces Free, we will need a decent swing tackle still. And who on the roster will be that guy. He can develop for a year or 2 now.
But the trade in getting the TE, when we could have drafted him instead of the LB was just dumb.

I think they could have had a better day 3.

 

[9darter]

I think the TE pick means Hanna's gone. He's a decent pass catcher, but with Witten/Escobar still on the roster, he's never going to get significant snaps. Supposedly this TE was one of the best blocking TE's in the country. He'll get a decent amount of snaps for that reason alone.

I hope they get rid of the FBs.

 

[iceberg]

I think day 3 sucked in a way.
Not so much that we didn't take a RB but sure would have felt better if we did.

I can see Wilson at LB in a way, though I think a bit of a roach at 4th. But he along with the FAs signed will add depth, push Cam Lawrence and Wilber off the roster.
Russell in the 5th, may be a future prospect, but with the DE's we have, and adding Hardy and Greagory, we could have went another position. RB, WR, another DB.

7th round, another LB and a project at that. Has PS all over this one, but most 7ths are anyway. I can see Gobson in a way, as if Green eventually replaces Free, we will need a decent swing tackle still. And who on the roster will be that guy. He can develop for a year or 2 now.
But the trade in getting the TE, when we could have drafted him instead of the LB was just dumb.

I think they could have had a better day 3.

I just do NOT understand the facination with drafting a position. in the 4th or later wgwho was there that would have satisfied the RB crowd? Im more inclined to think that a day 3 rb would be a TOO LITTLE TOO LATE whines instead.

 

[Risen Star]

I don't think they got value with a single pick after the 2nd round. Maybe Gibson, who the OP seems to dismiss.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Laurence Gibson is another player who just doesn't make sense. With the number of tackles/guards we already have, this guy is going to struggle to make the team. And you have to ask yourself is he that much of a talent that you think he is going to be a practice squad type player that you can slowly develop. Is he that much better than Wetzel or Hawkins? Because there is no way this guy makes the 53....

He wasn't drafted to make the final 53 this year. He needs a year of good coaching and will be on the PS learning the pro game. 2016 training camp will be the time to determine if this pick makes sense not now. I did like what Norm said about him after the pick. Also consider players taken this late in the draft have a very very small chance to make any teams final 53. To take a flyer on a critical position such as OT seems pretty logical to me.

 

[mattjames2010]

I just do NOT understand the facination with drafting a position. in the 4th or later wgwho was there that would have satisfied the RB crowd? Im more inclined to think that a day 3 rb would be a TOO LITTLE TOO LATE whines instead.

With Allen and Ajayi still being there in the 4th? Yeah, I would have been very satisfied rather than drafting our 65th LB.