News: BTB: Four compensatory picks give Cowboys 10 total picks in 2018 NFL Draft

[NewsBot]

The Cowboys played their cards right in free agency and got four comp picks in return, but can they get value from those picks?

One day after the official start of free agency in March last year, I wrote that the Cowboys would likely end up with four compensatory draft picks in the 2018 NFL draft.

In any case, there's a good chance the Cowboys could net up to four comp picks in the 2018 NFL draft, and those picks will probably be in the fourth and fifth rounds of the draft, a slightly better haul than the four comp picks they got in the 2016 draft.
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Today, as the 2017 season has come to a close, it is clear that the Cowboys played their cards right and are going to have four compensatory draft picks in the 2018 NFL draft.

The Cowboys will be awarded the maximum of four comp picks (per OverTheCap.com) for the losses of

• Ronald Leary (4th round compensatory pick)
• Barry Church (4th)
• Brandon Carr (5th)
• Morris Claiborne (5th)

In addition to the four comp picks, the Cowboys still have six regular picks in the draft (they traded away their 2018 5th-rounder to the Jets for a 2017 6th-round pick, which they used on Xavier Woods).

That currently gives the Cowboys 10 picks in the 2018 draft as follows

• 1st rd: 1
• 2nd rd: 1
• 3rd rd: 1
• 4th rd: 3 (of which two are comp picks)
• 5th rd: 2 (both comp picks)
• 6th rd: 1
• 7th rd: 1

Unlike the last time the Cowboys were awarded comp picks, these comp picks can now be traded just like any other draft pick. That gives the Cowboys a lot of options during the draft.

The key question for the Cowboys is, can they get value from all those extra picks?

The last time they had four comp picks (in 2016), they lucked into their future franchise quarterback, which is about as much value as you can get from these picks. Here's their comp pick haul from that year:

• 4th: QB Dak Prescott
• 6th: S Kavon Frazier
• 6th: RB Darius Jackson
• 6th: TE Rico Gathers

With four comp picks in 2018, the Cowboys continue to solidify their position as one of the most successful teams at garnering comp picks. Since 1994, the first year that compensatory draft picks were awarded, the Cowboys will have received 37 comp picks, the third most in the league. The table below shows the total comp picks by team since 1994, including OTC's projection for the number of comp picks in 2018.

Continue reading...

 

[Sydla]

I wouldn’t say they played their cards right in FA when they ended up cutting or losing their three top FAs they signed before November.

Hopefully the extra picks allow them some flexibility to move around if need be.

 

[Stash]

I find it hilarious that anyone can refer to what the Cowboys did in free agency in 2017 as "playing their cards right".

 

[coach steele]

I wouldn’t say they played their cards right in FA when they ended up cutting or losing their three top FAs they signed before November.

Hopefully the extra picks allow them some flexibility to move around if need be.

Agreed. They either need to sign a top tier free agent or just almost avoid it altogether. It’s hard for me to point to one player who the Cowboys have signed who is is still with the team (other than Johnathan Cooper).

 

[big dog cowboy]

I wouldn’t say they played their cards right in FA when they ended up cutting or losing their three top FAs they signed before November.

I'm guessing Paea, Carroll and Blanton are the 3.

Those players weren't signed to be long term players for the Cowboys. They were bandaids until the young guns could take over.

 

[gimmesix]

I'm guessing Paea, Carroll and Blanton are the 3.

Those players weren't signed to be long term players for the Cowboys. They were bandaids until the young guns could take over.

I can understand that thought for Carroll and Blanton, but who was the young guy supposed to take over for Paea? He and Thornton were supposed to be the 1-tech rotation. Instead, we ended up having to play Collins there and bring up Ash from the practice squad.

 

[Stash]

I'm guessing Paea, Carroll and Blanton are the 3.

Those players weren't signed to be long term players for the Cowboys. They were bandaids until the young guns could take over.

They also weren't signed to play less than half the season, one game, or not even make the team.

In no scenario was that ever "the plan".

 

[Stash]

I can understand that thought for Carroll and Blanton, but who was the young guy supposed to take over for Paea? He and Thornton were supposed to be the 1-tech rotation. Instead, we ended up having to play Collins there and bring up Ash from the practice squad.

There was nowhere where what happened was ever part of anything planned.

 

[CWR]

I find it hilarious that anyone can refer to what the Cowboys did in free agency in 2017 as "playing their cards right".

Funny how we were expected to believe Collins would replace Leary and that is why we let Leary walk but Collins went straight to RT. So many experts informed me Collins couldn't play tackle. Lol

But I suppose you really cant pay everyone?

The absolute worst thing we did in FA wasnt who we let go. It was signing a bunch of trash in order to save money, when we could have signed a real player or two instead and paid the same. Smh

 

[Pants]

probably the only person that gets excited for these picks (legitimately) is Will McClay...the rest of the Jones group is likely sitting around right now hungover wondering what happened to the season and what they should do next...JJ should be scheduling a presser:

Opening Statement from Jones: "I want to announcer that Jason Garrett has been moved to a position with the team in the FO, and we are searching for his replacement as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys."
mad scramble by the media to raise their hand first - JERRY, JERRY
Media: "Why are you firing him?"
Jones: "As I said, we are not firing Jason, we have moved him to another role with the team"
Media: "So his failures finally caught up with him?"
Jones: "Failures? I don't fail! I mean, Jason had a winning record and was 22-11 in his last 33 games"
Media: "But one of those 11 was his playoff loss, right?
Jones: "Next question"

 

[Stash]

Funny how we were expected to believe Collins would replace Leary and that is why we let Leary walk but Collins went straight to RT. So many experts informed me Collins couldn't play tackle. Lol

But I suppose you really cant pay everyone?

The absolute worst thing we did in FA wasnt who we let go. It was signing a bunch of trash in order to save money, when we could have signed a real player or two instead and paid the same. Smh

Or kept a far better player for slightly more money than what we paid for scrubs.

 

[Risen Star]

I find it hilarious that anyone can refer to what the Cowboys did in free agency in 2017 as "playing their cards right".

It's a fan site.

These are the people that campaigned for Prescott as the MVP of the league last year. Delusional would be putting it mildly.

 

[Risen Star]

People love to talk about draft trades but much like their FA spending the Cowboys have been pretty conservative in recent years trading in the draft. They could easily not do anything and just select where they are.

 

[Stash]

It's a fan site.

These are the people that campaigned for Prescott as the MVP of the league last year. Delusional would be putting it mildly.

I actually like some of their work and a few of their writers. A few of them do their homework and back up their assertions with facts and statistics. Surprisingly, the guy who wrote this "piece" is usually one of them.

But this just comes across as some lame attempt at finding a silver lining at all costs in the mess that was 2017.

 

[FLCowboyFan]

Has anyone ever done any analysis around losing an established veteran vs getting a draft pick in return? I ask because you could see it as "we trade out an old player and get a young guy for the future who is better/not as beaten down" or you could see it as "we lose a player that could help us win now for an unknown".

In this case we wanted to let them go so it's seems like a bonus but I'm curious about it as a strategy. I could see it as a way to trade out older players to keep a stream of young talented guys coming into the team. I wonder if the Patriots use this technique because they always seem to have young guys ready to play.

 

[Aven8]

probably the only person that gets excited for these picks (legitimately) is Will McClay...the rest of the Jones group is likely sitting around right now hungover wondering what happened to the season and what they should do next...JJ should be scheduling a presser:

Opening Statement from Jones: "I want to announcer that Jason Garrett has been moved to a position with the team in the FO, and we are searching for his replacement as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys."
mad scramble by the media to raise their hand first - JERRY, JERRY
Media: "Why are you firing him?"
Jones: "As I said, we are not firing Jason, we have moved him to another role with the team"
Media: "So his failures finally caught up with him?"
Jones: "Failures? I don't fail! I mean, Jason had a winning record and was 22-11 in his last 33 games"
Media: "But one of those 11 was his playoff loss, right?
Jones: "Next question"

Please make it so! Good stuff and a great way to do it!

 

[Rockport]

I find it hilarious that anyone can refer to what the Cowboys did in free agency in 2017 as "playing their cards right".

Of course you do.

 

[Stash]

Of course you do.

I'm glad that you loved free agency.

What a coup!

But then again, "of course you did". It's in your programming.

 

[Richmond Cowboy]

10 picks:

1:super athletic guy with “potential”
2:injured or risky prospect that may or may not play on any given Sunday or any given season
3-7:JAGs
8-10:future amazon prime now delivery dudes

 

[erod]

How different does this season look with Leary, Church, and Carr?