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Semi-Official Loose Cannon
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When we concluded part one of this analysis, it was at the end of the first day of the proceedings, which is to say the end of the third round. This time, we'll take a look at what the Cowboys might do on Sunday, rounds four through seven.
As things stand right now, the Boys don't have a fourth round pick, but of course trades could change all of that. However, I won't hazard a guess as to whether they'll trade to get a 4th rounder, and if they did, what they'd have to give up for it, so I won't project any trades here. I'll just work with the picks they currently have. But it is possible that the first couple-three players I mention for 5th round consideration could fall in that 4th round range, so they'd be viable candidates for that round if the Boys do secure a pick in that range.
One thing I am going to do is offer two distinct scenarios for the 5th round pick-- one that assumes the Cowboys did not pick up a wideout on the first day (either because they didn't trade down the way I projected, or because they went elsewhere with the extra pick acquired), and one that assumes they have already drafted a receiver. Other than that, I'll be going strictly BPA available, with one minor exception; I do think the Boys need to pick up a massive, run-stuffing NT to back up Jason Ferguson at some point on the second day.
Again, if an asterisk appears after a player's name, that means the Cowboys have shown some particular interest in the player in question.
FIFTH ROUND (if no WR is drafted on the first day)
Marques Colston* 6-4 230 WR Hofstra 4.55 sec. 40
Miles Austin 6-3 216 WR Monmouth 4.55 sec. 40
Jeff Webb 6-2 210 WR San Diego State 4.4 sec. 40
Reggie McNeal* 6-2 210 WR/KR (QB) Texas A&M 4.4 sec. 40
Cory Rodgers* 6-1 186* WR/KR TCU 4.6 sec. 40
Brandon Marshall 6-4 225 WR Central Florida 4.55 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- If the Cowboys wish to add some new blood to the mix at WR, and they haven't done so on the first day, it's pretty much imperative that they do so in the 5th round, because by the time that round's over, there won't be much left worth having. I firmly believe that even with the acquisition of Terrell Owens, the Boys need to add some new blood at this position. As things currently stand, they have Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton and not much else. They would be in some serious trouble if one of those three went down for any extended period of time.
Colston, Austin and Marshall are large wideouts, possession types with mediocre speed. Colston seems to be drawing a lot of attention these days, it may well work out that he'll be off the board by the time the Boys pick in this round. Austin and Marshall would be a bit more likely to still be on the board here. Webb has good size too, just not quite the same size as the others already mentioned, but he is significantly faster than any of them. McNeal would be an intriguing conversion project from quarterback, I think, and should offer a team nice potential as a kick returner while he gets his receiving game up to NFL speed. Rodgers' worth is mostly as a punt returner, he's quite good in that area.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- The guy who really intrigues me here is Webb, his combination of size and speed are impressive, and as I noted in my first day analysis, the Boys are on record as wanting to add some more deep speed to their receiver corps. When I read the assorted scouting reports on him available on the web, I find myself wondering why he isn't rated higher on most draft boards.
FIFTH ROUND (if a WR is drafted on the first day)
Brandon Guillory 6-4 255 DE/OLB Louisiana-Monroe 4.55 sec. 40
Jason Hatcher 6-6 286 DE Grambling State 4.7 sec. 40
Marvin Phillip 6-1 306 C/OT Cal 5.25 sec. 40
Joe Toledo* 6-5 340 OT Washington 5.1 sec. 40
Isaac Sowells* 6-3 340 OG/OT 6-3 340 5.3 sec. 40
Will Allen 6-5 306 OG/C Texas 5.35 sec. 40
Matt Bernstein* 6-1 260 FB Wisconsin 4.9 sec. 40
Will Montgomery 6-3 310 C Virginia Tech 5.0 sec. 40
Kevin Boothe* 6-5 316 OG/OT Cornell 5.35 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- AT the top of the list above you'll find a hybrid DE/OLB type (Guillory) with good speed for the position, and a pure DE with some size (Hatcher) that I think would make a good DE in the 3-4 scheme. Both have been productive rushing the passer in college, both would be solid additions in this stage. A little further down the list is Bernstein, perhaps the best pure blocking fullback in this draft. I'd personally like to see the next Moose Johnston brought in, but Parcells doesn't seem to share my affinity for that kind of player, he seems to prefer a Richie Anderson type receiving fullback. At the same time, the Boys have worked Bernstein out, so maybe the ol' coach is developing a new set of criteria for what he's looking for in a fullback.
The rest of the players mentioned above are offensive linemen. Even though I think the Boys are highly likely to draft a blocker on the first day, I think the need on the offensive line is sufficiently great that they could justify drafting another here (or even later in the draft). There is quality depth on the offensive line to be found even in the 7th round, so it's not like they'd be reaching if they went offensive line here. The key would be to draft a different kind of lineman from what they added the first day-- if they drafted a tackle, then they should look at an interior linemen, a center-guard type. The candidates in that case would be Phillip, Montgomery or Allen. Some scouts think that Phillip can play OT in the pros, and some scouts think that Allen can play guard or center. Montgomery is a pure center.
On the other hand, if the Cowboys drafted a center/guard type on day one, they should look for a tackle here. That would be Toledo or Boothe, both players they've demonstrated an interest in.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- I think that Hatcher would fit in nicely in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme.
SIXTH ROUND
Steve Fifita 5-11 325 DT Utah 5.05 sec. 40
John Chick 6-3 265 DE/OLB Utah State 4.65 sec. 40
Dennis Roland 6-9 325 OT Georgia 5.3 sec. 40
Bobby Iwuchukwu* 6-1 245 OLB Purdue 4.6 sec. 40
Jason Hunter 6-4 235 OLB Appalachian State 4.55 sec. 40
Jeromy Clary 6-6 306 OT Kansas State 4.9 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- At this point, Fifita would fill a rather glaring team need (backup NT) quite nicely. Basically, he's a stubby wide load with a very low center of gravity, who should be hard to blast out of the middle. He has some fair agility too. Chick, Iwuchukwu and Hunter are all OLB prospects (though Chick will be making a switch from DE) with pass-rush potential and fair speed for the position. The Boys have brought in Iwuchukwu for a workout, or are about to do so.
Roland is the offensive equivalent of Too Tall Jones, some sources list him at 6-10, some at 6-9... he has a massive wingspan, which is always helpful for a tackle. Clary is another of those converted tight ends that Parcells always seems to find, and his 40 time is very, very impressive. I have a hunch that he's on the Cowboys' radar screen.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- Fifita would be a nice fit in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme.
SEVENTH ROUND
Josh Huston* 6-1 195 K Ohio State No 40 time
Chris Kuper* 6-4 306 OG North Dakota 5.1 sec. 40
Shawn Willis* 6-1 260 FB Oklahoma State 4.85 sec. 40
Jeff Littlejohn 6-2 316 DT Middle Tennessee State 5.1 sec. 40
TJ Rushing* 5-9 186 CB/KR Stanford 4.3 sec. 40
Trevis Coley 6-1 225 FS Southern Mississippi 4.45 sec. 40
Reed Doughty 6-1 210 FS Northern Colorado 4.6 sec. 40
Rodney Thompson 6-2 325 DT North Dakota State 5.05 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- This late in the draft, I'm offering you a mix of some late round types the Cowboys seem to have some interest in, and some of my own Super Sleeper Specials. Throughout this exercise, I've tried to give some priority to players the Cowboys have looked at, but like anybody else, I've got some guys I really like, but haven't heard the Cowboys feel the same way. This seems like a good time to mention a few of them.
The Boys have looked at more kickers than just Huston (Stephen Gostkowski from Memphis is apparently high on their list, Connor Hughes from Virginia and Jon Scifres from Missouri State as well), but I picked Huston for one simple reason-- he's the best kickoff guy of the bunch. All of the kickers except Hughes are good kickoff men, but I don't think anybody in the NCAA was better last year at kicking off than Huston. I read that of his 77 kickoffs in the course of his career, 54 went for touchbacks, right at 70 per cent. With Mike Vanderjagt signed, the need is for a kickoff specialist, and Huston would be my pick.
Of the players that the Cowboys have worked out or interviewed, Kuper is an intriguing guard who moves pretty well, and seems to have the potential to add another 15-20 pounds in the NFL. Willis is another good blocking fullback, not quite as good as Bernstein, but no slouch his own self. Rushing is a BLAZING fast cornerback/kick returner, who reportedly has clocked a number of 4.25 second 40s in practice.
And then there's my Super Sleeper Specials. First up, we have Jeff Littlejohn and Rodney Thompson, either one of whom might be solid backups for Jason Ferguson at NT. They have the size for the position.
Last but not least, there are a pair of free safeties that intrigue me greatly, one of whom I know a good deal about, the other doesn't have the same kind of info out there, at least that I could find. I could go on and on about Doughty, I learned about him early on this past season and have been following him closely. His 40 times aren't the greatest, but he averaged 14.5 tackles a game his senior year (over 10 tackles a game for his career), so his instincts are apparently about 4.4 fast. He also has fair range in coverage, racking up 14 career interceptions and 32 passes defensed in the course of his college career. In addition, he's an academic All-American, so he's highly intelligent. I could see him some day being the quarterback of the secondary for some NFL team, the guy who calls the defensive signals.
Then there's Coley, who makes my list strictly on the strength of his impressive size-speed ratio. There's just not many 225 pounders out there running 4.45 second 40s. Even if the Boys draft a free safety on day one, as I expect they will, I could certainly justify adding either of these two in the last round. And if either or both manage to go undrafted (a fair possibility), I'd want the Boys to try to get their names on a contract right after the draft ends.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- Huston's kickoffs would help Parcells with his field position game.
BEAR'S SECOND DAY MOCK:
5) Jason Hatcher 6-6 286 DE Grambling State 4.7 sec. 40
6) Steve Fifita 5-11 325 DT Utah 5.05 sec. 40
7) Josh Huston 6-1 195 K Ohio State No 40 time
This second day addresses the need for a backup NT for Jason Ferguson, a kickoff specialist for Mike Vanderjagt (who might develop into a quality field goal kicker down the line, when Mike V is ready to call it a career), and adds some quality depth at DE in the 3-4.
Well, gang, that's all I've got for now. Somewhere over the next week or so, I'm thinking I'll do a briefer piece about my sleepers out there, talk about some guys the Cowboys might want to look at signing as priority undrafted rookie free agents.
Time now for your thoughts on what I've just written. Be gentle...
As things stand right now, the Boys don't have a fourth round pick, but of course trades could change all of that. However, I won't hazard a guess as to whether they'll trade to get a 4th rounder, and if they did, what they'd have to give up for it, so I won't project any trades here. I'll just work with the picks they currently have. But it is possible that the first couple-three players I mention for 5th round consideration could fall in that 4th round range, so they'd be viable candidates for that round if the Boys do secure a pick in that range.
One thing I am going to do is offer two distinct scenarios for the 5th round pick-- one that assumes the Cowboys did not pick up a wideout on the first day (either because they didn't trade down the way I projected, or because they went elsewhere with the extra pick acquired), and one that assumes they have already drafted a receiver. Other than that, I'll be going strictly BPA available, with one minor exception; I do think the Boys need to pick up a massive, run-stuffing NT to back up Jason Ferguson at some point on the second day.
Again, if an asterisk appears after a player's name, that means the Cowboys have shown some particular interest in the player in question.
FIFTH ROUND (if no WR is drafted on the first day)
Marques Colston* 6-4 230 WR Hofstra 4.55 sec. 40
Miles Austin 6-3 216 WR Monmouth 4.55 sec. 40
Jeff Webb 6-2 210 WR San Diego State 4.4 sec. 40
Reggie McNeal* 6-2 210 WR/KR (QB) Texas A&M 4.4 sec. 40
Cory Rodgers* 6-1 186* WR/KR TCU 4.6 sec. 40
Brandon Marshall 6-4 225 WR Central Florida 4.55 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- If the Cowboys wish to add some new blood to the mix at WR, and they haven't done so on the first day, it's pretty much imperative that they do so in the 5th round, because by the time that round's over, there won't be much left worth having. I firmly believe that even with the acquisition of Terrell Owens, the Boys need to add some new blood at this position. As things currently stand, they have Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton and not much else. They would be in some serious trouble if one of those three went down for any extended period of time.
Colston, Austin and Marshall are large wideouts, possession types with mediocre speed. Colston seems to be drawing a lot of attention these days, it may well work out that he'll be off the board by the time the Boys pick in this round. Austin and Marshall would be a bit more likely to still be on the board here. Webb has good size too, just not quite the same size as the others already mentioned, but he is significantly faster than any of them. McNeal would be an intriguing conversion project from quarterback, I think, and should offer a team nice potential as a kick returner while he gets his receiving game up to NFL speed. Rodgers' worth is mostly as a punt returner, he's quite good in that area.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- The guy who really intrigues me here is Webb, his combination of size and speed are impressive, and as I noted in my first day analysis, the Boys are on record as wanting to add some more deep speed to their receiver corps. When I read the assorted scouting reports on him available on the web, I find myself wondering why he isn't rated higher on most draft boards.
FIFTH ROUND (if a WR is drafted on the first day)
Brandon Guillory 6-4 255 DE/OLB Louisiana-Monroe 4.55 sec. 40
Jason Hatcher 6-6 286 DE Grambling State 4.7 sec. 40
Marvin Phillip 6-1 306 C/OT Cal 5.25 sec. 40
Joe Toledo* 6-5 340 OT Washington 5.1 sec. 40
Isaac Sowells* 6-3 340 OG/OT 6-3 340 5.3 sec. 40
Will Allen 6-5 306 OG/C Texas 5.35 sec. 40
Matt Bernstein* 6-1 260 FB Wisconsin 4.9 sec. 40
Will Montgomery 6-3 310 C Virginia Tech 5.0 sec. 40
Kevin Boothe* 6-5 316 OG/OT Cornell 5.35 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- AT the top of the list above you'll find a hybrid DE/OLB type (Guillory) with good speed for the position, and a pure DE with some size (Hatcher) that I think would make a good DE in the 3-4 scheme. Both have been productive rushing the passer in college, both would be solid additions in this stage. A little further down the list is Bernstein, perhaps the best pure blocking fullback in this draft. I'd personally like to see the next Moose Johnston brought in, but Parcells doesn't seem to share my affinity for that kind of player, he seems to prefer a Richie Anderson type receiving fullback. At the same time, the Boys have worked Bernstein out, so maybe the ol' coach is developing a new set of criteria for what he's looking for in a fullback.
The rest of the players mentioned above are offensive linemen. Even though I think the Boys are highly likely to draft a blocker on the first day, I think the need on the offensive line is sufficiently great that they could justify drafting another here (or even later in the draft). There is quality depth on the offensive line to be found even in the 7th round, so it's not like they'd be reaching if they went offensive line here. The key would be to draft a different kind of lineman from what they added the first day-- if they drafted a tackle, then they should look at an interior linemen, a center-guard type. The candidates in that case would be Phillip, Montgomery or Allen. Some scouts think that Phillip can play OT in the pros, and some scouts think that Allen can play guard or center. Montgomery is a pure center.
On the other hand, if the Cowboys drafted a center/guard type on day one, they should look for a tackle here. That would be Toledo or Boothe, both players they've demonstrated an interest in.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- I think that Hatcher would fit in nicely in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme.
SIXTH ROUND
Steve Fifita 5-11 325 DT Utah 5.05 sec. 40
John Chick 6-3 265 DE/OLB Utah State 4.65 sec. 40
Dennis Roland 6-9 325 OT Georgia 5.3 sec. 40
Bobby Iwuchukwu* 6-1 245 OLB Purdue 4.6 sec. 40
Jason Hunter 6-4 235 OLB Appalachian State 4.55 sec. 40
Jeromy Clary 6-6 306 OT Kansas State 4.9 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- At this point, Fifita would fill a rather glaring team need (backup NT) quite nicely. Basically, he's a stubby wide load with a very low center of gravity, who should be hard to blast out of the middle. He has some fair agility too. Chick, Iwuchukwu and Hunter are all OLB prospects (though Chick will be making a switch from DE) with pass-rush potential and fair speed for the position. The Boys have brought in Iwuchukwu for a workout, or are about to do so.
Roland is the offensive equivalent of Too Tall Jones, some sources list him at 6-10, some at 6-9... he has a massive wingspan, which is always helpful for a tackle. Clary is another of those converted tight ends that Parcells always seems to find, and his 40 time is very, very impressive. I have a hunch that he's on the Cowboys' radar screen.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- Fifita would be a nice fit in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme.
SEVENTH ROUND
Josh Huston* 6-1 195 K Ohio State No 40 time
Chris Kuper* 6-4 306 OG North Dakota 5.1 sec. 40
Shawn Willis* 6-1 260 FB Oklahoma State 4.85 sec. 40
Jeff Littlejohn 6-2 316 DT Middle Tennessee State 5.1 sec. 40
TJ Rushing* 5-9 186 CB/KR Stanford 4.3 sec. 40
Trevis Coley 6-1 225 FS Southern Mississippi 4.45 sec. 40
Reed Doughty 6-1 210 FS Northern Colorado 4.6 sec. 40
Rodney Thompson 6-2 325 DT North Dakota State 5.05 sec. 40
COMMENTS-- This late in the draft, I'm offering you a mix of some late round types the Cowboys seem to have some interest in, and some of my own Super Sleeper Specials. Throughout this exercise, I've tried to give some priority to players the Cowboys have looked at, but like anybody else, I've got some guys I really like, but haven't heard the Cowboys feel the same way. This seems like a good time to mention a few of them.
The Boys have looked at more kickers than just Huston (Stephen Gostkowski from Memphis is apparently high on their list, Connor Hughes from Virginia and Jon Scifres from Missouri State as well), but I picked Huston for one simple reason-- he's the best kickoff guy of the bunch. All of the kickers except Hughes are good kickoff men, but I don't think anybody in the NCAA was better last year at kicking off than Huston. I read that of his 77 kickoffs in the course of his career, 54 went for touchbacks, right at 70 per cent. With Mike Vanderjagt signed, the need is for a kickoff specialist, and Huston would be my pick.
Of the players that the Cowboys have worked out or interviewed, Kuper is an intriguing guard who moves pretty well, and seems to have the potential to add another 15-20 pounds in the NFL. Willis is another good blocking fullback, not quite as good as Bernstein, but no slouch his own self. Rushing is a BLAZING fast cornerback/kick returner, who reportedly has clocked a number of 4.25 second 40s in practice.
And then there's my Super Sleeper Specials. First up, we have Jeff Littlejohn and Rodney Thompson, either one of whom might be solid backups for Jason Ferguson at NT. They have the size for the position.
Last but not least, there are a pair of free safeties that intrigue me greatly, one of whom I know a good deal about, the other doesn't have the same kind of info out there, at least that I could find. I could go on and on about Doughty, I learned about him early on this past season and have been following him closely. His 40 times aren't the greatest, but he averaged 14.5 tackles a game his senior year (over 10 tackles a game for his career), so his instincts are apparently about 4.4 fast. He also has fair range in coverage, racking up 14 career interceptions and 32 passes defensed in the course of his college career. In addition, he's an academic All-American, so he's highly intelligent. I could see him some day being the quarterback of the secondary for some NFL team, the guy who calls the defensive signals.
Then there's Coley, who makes my list strictly on the strength of his impressive size-speed ratio. There's just not many 225 pounders out there running 4.45 second 40s. Even if the Boys draft a free safety on day one, as I expect they will, I could certainly justify adding either of these two in the last round. And if either or both manage to go undrafted (a fair possibility), I'd want the Boys to try to get their names on a contract right after the draft ends.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE-- Huston's kickoffs would help Parcells with his field position game.
BEAR'S SECOND DAY MOCK:
5) Jason Hatcher 6-6 286 DE Grambling State 4.7 sec. 40
6) Steve Fifita 5-11 325 DT Utah 5.05 sec. 40
7) Josh Huston 6-1 195 K Ohio State No 40 time
This second day addresses the need for a backup NT for Jason Ferguson, a kickoff specialist for Mike Vanderjagt (who might develop into a quality field goal kicker down the line, when Mike V is ready to call it a career), and adds some quality depth at DE in the 3-4.
Well, gang, that's all I've got for now. Somewhere over the next week or so, I'm thinking I'll do a briefer piece about my sleepers out there, talk about some guys the Cowboys might want to look at signing as priority undrafted rookie free agents.
Time now for your thoughts on what I've just written. Be gentle...
@ Racks animation.
