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The Cowboys' second of three 4th round draft picks (#110 overall) actually goes by the name Victor Strong-Butler. I found this video that shows Strong-Butler explaining why he changed his name (not sure if he's made a legal name change, so this name may not appear on the back of his Cowboys" uniform). He did it to honor his stepfather, Elvester Strong, who came along in his life at age six and was instrumental in molding Victor into the man he is today.
Strong-Butler played left DE for Oregon State, meaning he wasn't facing what is usually an opponents' top tackle (LT) each week. He racked up 4 sacks in the Beavers' scintillating 3-0 win over Dave Wannstedt's Pitt Panthers in the Sun Bowl, which you can view here. That means that he got a third of his 12 sacks his senior season in one game. And, in viewing that video, it looks like they were coverage sacks rather than Strong-Butler making a move to get to the QB.
He's 6-2, weighed 248 pounds at the combine, but dropped down to 239 at his pro day just three weeks later. The weight loss dropped his 40 time from 4.76 to 4.72 (a 1.60 10 yard split). Watching his highlights, he reminds me of former Cowboy Akin Ayodele, who also played DE in college but then moved to a 3-4 inside LB here and now with the Miami Dolphins. And, if he plays at 6-2, 240, his dimensions are very similar to Ayodele (6-2, 245). Ayodele dropped weight to play LB in the pros after weighing 257 pounds coming out of Purdue, posting a 4.81 40 (1.65 10y split), with 26 bench reps, 35 vert, 10-1 broad, and very quick 4.12 shuttle, and 7.00 cone drill. In comparison, Butler had 24 bench reps, 33 vert, 9-11 broad, 4.40 shuttle, 7.21 cone. Don't be surprised if Butler eventually migrates to an ILB role in the Phillips 3-4.
Watching the Strong-Butler interview, he looks like he's just the type player the Cowboys targeted in this draft--possessing a strong work ethic and character with a passion for the game. However, he only started one season in college (he did rack up 10.5 sacks as a reserve his junior year). I will be very interested to see how his NFL career compares with that of a couple of other Pac 10 players who were much more productive in college but for some reason weren't drafted until the 7th round-- Zack Follett of California and Nick Reed of Oregon.
Zack Follett was an ultra-productive LB at Cal with an endless highlight reel of QB sacks and bone-crushing tackles. This guy is virtually the same size as Butler (6-2, 236) and played LB in a 3-4 defense his senior year. He had 23 tackles for loss his final year with 10.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. Follett had better combine numbers than Butler--a 4.69 40 (1.59 split) and 37 vertical. Inexplicably, Follett wasn't drafted until the 7th round (#235) by Detroit.
Nick Reed was even more productive as a 4-3 DE at Oregon, the same position Strong-Butler played at Oregon State. Reed first caught my eye in the Holiday Bowl when he ran circles around Oklahoma State's highly touted junior LT Russell Okung, who may be a 1st round draft pick next year (unless scouts look at what Reed did to him in the Holiday Bowl!). Reed (6-2, 247) had more than 20 tackles for loss in both his junior and senior seasons and was a 2-time Academic All-America. Only 21 years old, his 40 time was a tad better than Butler (4.71/1.59 split) with a sizzling 6.96 3-cone drill, which accounts for his quickness off the snap. Reed went to Seattle in the 7th round (#247). I would have liked to see the Cowboys draft either Follett or Reed in the 7th round instead of Manuel Johnson, who has little chance to make the team at WR.
Bill Jones
CBS-11/TXA-21 Sports
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The Cowboys' second of three 4th round draft picks (#110 overall) actually goes by the name Victor Strong-Butler. I found this video that shows Strong-Butler explaining why he changed his name (not sure if he's made a legal name change, so this name may not appear on the back of his Cowboys" uniform). He did it to honor his stepfather, Elvester Strong, who came along in his life at age six and was instrumental in molding Victor into the man he is today.
Strong-Butler played left DE for Oregon State, meaning he wasn't facing what is usually an opponents' top tackle (LT) each week. He racked up 4 sacks in the Beavers' scintillating 3-0 win over Dave Wannstedt's Pitt Panthers in the Sun Bowl, which you can view here. That means that he got a third of his 12 sacks his senior season in one game. And, in viewing that video, it looks like they were coverage sacks rather than Strong-Butler making a move to get to the QB.
He's 6-2, weighed 248 pounds at the combine, but dropped down to 239 at his pro day just three weeks later. The weight loss dropped his 40 time from 4.76 to 4.72 (a 1.60 10 yard split). Watching his highlights, he reminds me of former Cowboy Akin Ayodele, who also played DE in college but then moved to a 3-4 inside LB here and now with the Miami Dolphins. And, if he plays at 6-2, 240, his dimensions are very similar to Ayodele (6-2, 245). Ayodele dropped weight to play LB in the pros after weighing 257 pounds coming out of Purdue, posting a 4.81 40 (1.65 10y split), with 26 bench reps, 35 vert, 10-1 broad, and very quick 4.12 shuttle, and 7.00 cone drill. In comparison, Butler had 24 bench reps, 33 vert, 9-11 broad, 4.40 shuttle, 7.21 cone. Don't be surprised if Butler eventually migrates to an ILB role in the Phillips 3-4.
Watching the Strong-Butler interview, he looks like he's just the type player the Cowboys targeted in this draft--possessing a strong work ethic and character with a passion for the game. However, he only started one season in college (he did rack up 10.5 sacks as a reserve his junior year). I will be very interested to see how his NFL career compares with that of a couple of other Pac 10 players who were much more productive in college but for some reason weren't drafted until the 7th round-- Zack Follett of California and Nick Reed of Oregon.
Zack Follett was an ultra-productive LB at Cal with an endless highlight reel of QB sacks and bone-crushing tackles. This guy is virtually the same size as Butler (6-2, 236) and played LB in a 3-4 defense his senior year. He had 23 tackles for loss his final year with 10.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. Follett had better combine numbers than Butler--a 4.69 40 (1.59 split) and 37 vertical. Inexplicably, Follett wasn't drafted until the 7th round (#235) by Detroit.
Nick Reed was even more productive as a 4-3 DE at Oregon, the same position Strong-Butler played at Oregon State. Reed first caught my eye in the Holiday Bowl when he ran circles around Oklahoma State's highly touted junior LT Russell Okung, who may be a 1st round draft pick next year (unless scouts look at what Reed did to him in the Holiday Bowl!). Reed (6-2, 247) had more than 20 tackles for loss in both his junior and senior seasons and was a 2-time Academic All-America. Only 21 years old, his 40 time was a tad better than Butler (4.71/1.59 split) with a sizzling 6.96 3-cone drill, which accounts for his quickness off the snap. Reed went to Seattle in the 7th round (#247). I would have liked to see the Cowboys draft either Follett or Reed in the 7th round instead of Manuel Johnson, who has little chance to make the team at WR.
Bill Jones
CBS-11/TXA-21 Sports
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