CowboyJoe's Analysis of the Cowboys Draft & our undrafted players we signed

[cowboyjoe]

Analysis of The Boys Draft & Undrafted Players Signed


First, let me say that after the draft, I was underwhelmed by the boys picks, but after I restudied them

I came away with, ok, not totally what I expected, but it’s a safe decent draft. From reports and some of my

Friends I knew that the Cowboys weren’t going to draft Manziel and that was ok with me to. I knew that we liked

Barr the possibly next new Demarcus Ware type player that is going to break all kinds of records, then the Cowboys

Liked Donald who I really wanted. I knew about Shazier OLB from OhioState (who I was skepetecial of with his

Hamstring issues. All the while I was praying to the LORD that the Cowboys had the best draft they have had in years,

Even better than the 75 draft with the dirty dozen or the 92, 93 drafts by Jimmy Johnson. In honest truth I think we

Got that now with the players we drafted and the undrafted players we took.

I knew about the trade offer with Cleveland, even the trade offer with Buffalo on the table. Yet, like Jerry Jones

Said we didn’t get the offer that blew us off to trade down. So, taking Zach Martin, was a really good thing. Some of you don’t know this, the Dolphins, Kansas City and another team tried to trade back up in the draft and take Martin, so let that swirl around in your mind for a moment, chew on it, if 3-4 teams were trying to trade up to get Martin, Think

About this for a moment and let it sink in. The 49ers built their team first with the 3 offensive linemen they have with those three number one’s on their line. Next, they drafted some linebackers, and basically had a team set, when

Harbaugh came in, the team was basically built, just needed direction and a tough coach. The Dallas Cowboys now have 3 offensive linemen on the line, with Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and now Zach Martin. We may, just may

Have some super young offensive linemen to go along with that, 2 that I will go further into on the undrafted players. We have a very good linebacker set now, with Sean Lee (granted if Lee can stay healthy), Carter gets his act together, if you listened to the talk from flus, our linebackers coach, who was coached by the great Bilichiek from the Patriots on defense. If you have doubts think about Hollman, was flus that found us Hollman. Flus said he got onto Carter, getting onto his butt to quit making excuses and man up, I loved it. We now have the start of a young defensive line, with a very good cb tandem now that Carr, and Claiborne are getting their act together. We now can run, with Murray and the fullback we acquired in undrafted players, with Copenland from LSU, will talk about that later. So, all in all, we are slowly resembeling the 49ers all except their young QB, which I feel the Cowboys will draft a QB in high round next year.

So, lets get on with it for our draft picks and undrafted players.

With Martin now, who not only can play ROT, LOT, ROG, LOG, but even Center to. This will enable us to run now like we should have more. If you heard our offensive coordinator Linehan talk, he told Martin to get ready because the Boys are going to use him a lot. This will only make our OL better, to possibly have the making of the 2nd Great OL in Dallas. Here is where I think we are going to excel and fast forward with these 2 other young offensive linemen we chose as undrafted players. Read what is said about them:

Diamond in the Rough: OG Brian Clarke, Bloomsburg
Posted by Daniel Jonsson on

September23rd,2013 |

Categories : Diamonds in the RoughProspects

 

[cowboyjoe]

2013) @Kutztown

Clarke was very solid in hook, and drive blocks. He is a Nasty blocker, who consistently opened up holes for Quiteh. He likes to hop back when pulling and is a quick puller. Clarke’s favorite block is definitely the cut block, which he used in all over the field. He had great pad level the whole game and won every run snap. On several plays, he Stood up defensive lineman with his strength and great anchor ability. Clarke demonstrated Good explosion and hip flexibility out of his stance and gets to the second level very quickly. A play that stands out was when Clarke used a Cut block to an off play linebacker in second level to iso Quiteh downfield. Quiteh reached the endzone on the play, but was called back on a holding penalty. On another play, Clarke pushed a defensive lineman off the line to open running lane, but let the defender disengage to make the stop. The best part about Clarke’s game was that he became a nastier and more dominant blocker the longer the game went on. He also showed his great upper body strength with a huge punch between the shoulder pads on a defender, knocking him to the floor. Overall, Clarke helped Franklyn Quiteh gain 178 yards and 2 TD’s on the day.

Highlights:

Clarke was part of an offensive line that helped Franklyn Quiteh gain 1,192 yards in 2011 and 2,121 yards in 2012. After three games, Quiteh has gained 583 yards. Clarke is a highly accomplished lineman. Amongst other acknowledgments, Clarke earned 2011 & 2012 First Team All-PSAC, 2011 Second & 2012 First Team Daktronics All Super Regional, and 2012 Second Team All-American by D2football.com. Clarke is currently listed as a 2013 pre-season 1st team All American by D2football.com and BSN. Additionally, Phil Steele cites Clarke as the #1 offensive lineman in Division 2, and the 11th overall football player currently playing division 2 football.

Verdict:

Brian Clarke definitely has a future at the next level. He is a very polished run blocker, who has dominated opposing defensive lineman in Division 2 football. Clarke’s strengths are his tremendous quickness and agility, football intelligence, strength, and above all, his nastiness in the trenches. Although Clarke is very strong, he is not merely a mauler on the line. His play style favors polished technique and speed as opposed to out muscling the guy in front of him. Teams like Houston, Washington, Philadelphia, and the New England could pique interest in Clarke.

I would like to see Clarke finish his drive blocks through the whistle, and while his run blocking is a thing of beauty, his pass blocking game could use a little work. Additionally, standing at 6’3” 290 lbs, Clarke will be criticized for being slightly underweight when compared to the +300 pound blockers who currently populate NFL offensive lines. However, his size likens to current Commanders Guard, 6’2”, 292 pound, Kory Lichtensteiger, who signed a 5 year, 17.5 million dollar deal in March.

For now, I view Clarke as being a prospect who could see himself get drafted in the sixth or seventh rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft, but regardless of when he is selected, I expect him to be on an NFL training camp roster come next summer.

7. OG Brian Clarke, Bloomsburg

Clarke is a tough player who might be undersized at 6’2, 299 pounds and lacks the ideal body type but he is strong and a very good player. His toughness and mean streak along with very impressive athleticism (5.1 40, 4.60 short shuttle, 29 inch vertical, 8’10 broad jump) make him someone who will be tough to cut and should play 5-8 years in the NFL. Expect him to be a priority free agent but could sneak into the 7th round.



http://nfldraftdiamonds.com/diamond-in-the-rough-og-brian-clarke-bloomsburg/

 

[cowboyjoe]

Name:Brian Clarke(+) Coming off Jan 2014 Hamstring INJ
College: Bloomsburg Number: 77
Height: 6-2Weight: 299Position: OG Pos2:Class/Draft Year: Sr/201440 Low:4.9940 Time:5.1040 High:5.26Projected Round: http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/value.php?projected=&draftyear=2014&sortorder=tsxpos&order=ASCStock:
01/02/14 - 2013 ASSOCIATED PRESS LITTLE ALL-AMERICAN FIRST TEAM: OL Brian Clarke, senior, 6-3, 290, Bloomsburg,...Clarke makes his second straight appearance on the AP Little All-America squad, placing on the first team just as he did following the 2012 season. He also finishes his Bloomsburg career with a long list of awards after taking first team Daktronics and BSN All-America accolades.

The offensive guard made 38 career starts and was part of an offensive line that helped Bloomsburg be the fifth-ranked rushing offense in the nation at over 313 yards rushing per game. The offensive line also powered an offense which broke the school records for points in a season (474) and total offense (5,895 yards) and finished second in school history in rushing yardage (3,762 yards) and touchdowns scored (63). He also finished third in the final national voting for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. - Bloomsburg football


12/02/13 - 2013 GENE UPSHAW DIVISION II LINEMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALIST: Brian Clarke G 6-3 290 Sr. Hanover, Pa./Bloomsburg...Clarke anchored an offensive line that has powered the fifth-ranked rushing offense in the nation this season with over 317 yards on the ground per game, a school record, while only allowing 11 sacks on the year. Clarke and the rest of the Bloomsburg offensive line guide the nation's leading rusher, Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) who has 1,987 yards rushing on the year. The Huskies also rank third in the nation in red-zone efficiency with a 94 percent success rate and have posted 500 or more yards of total offense seven times this year, a new school record, while rushing for more than 350 yards in a school-record six games this season.

"Brian is a blue collar player; he puts the hard hat on and comes to work every day. He has a workman-like attitude and leads by example," Bloomsburg offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Brian McBryan said. "Brian is extremely aggressive in his blocking style and is tremendously consistent. He has been a leader in our offense and is just as dominant 30 yards down field as he is at the point of attack." - Bloomsburg football


11/28/12 - GENE UPSHAW DIVISION II LINEMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALIST: Brian Clarke (Hanover, Pa.), an All-PSAC East First Team selection for the second consecutive year, paved the way for Harlon Hill finalist Franklyn Quiteh and the nation's fifth-ranked rushing offense (315.75 yards per game). Clarke's Huskies set the PSAC single-season rushing record with 3,789 yards, and Quiteh led the nation in rushing. Clarke's offensive line became the first in PSAC history to produce two 1,000-yard backs in back-to-back seasons. His unit surrendered just two sacks in Bloomsburg's final seven games and ranked seventh in the nation with 0.67 sacks per game. - Gene Upshaw Award

--> [Brian Clarke TSX Player News Log]...
NFL Draft Interview: Cincinnati’s Andre Cureton

Name:Andre Cureton
College: Cincinnati Number: 79 Height: 6-5 Weight: 311
Position: OT Pos2: OG Class/Draft Year: rSr/2014
40 Low: 5.14 40 Time: 5.2440 High:5.35Projected Round: Stock:


Joe Gaiter: What are your biggest strengths on the field?

Andre Cureton: My biggest strength on the field would have to be my mind & that comes with hours of preparation. The game even though it is a physical brutal sport is very mental. If you know what your opponent is going to do what their tendencies are during particular down & distances that makes your jibe even easier.

Joe Gaiter: What were your stats from the last year?

Andre Cureton: As a unit we didn’t keep stats such as pancakes or what have you. The one true stat that we cared about was winning each game & for the most part we accomplished that. With that being said we were acknowledged for how few of sacks we gave up & we were top in our conference in rushing yards.

Joe Gaiter: Why should any NFL team give you a chance?

Andre Cureton: I believe that NFL team should take a chance on me because the eye in the sky doesn’t. Even though my career on the field was a short one I truly believe that I took full advantage of it. You see my tenacity, my footwork, me being able to play more than one position on the field at any given moment & to be able to be my size and to move the way I can that’s just not something that you see every day or at least I haven’t come across him.

Joe Gaiter: How will you elevate your game to the next level?

Andre Cureton: The one thing I hear from all the alumni that played at the University of Cincinnati that had the opportunity to go to the next level say the speed of the game is on a whole other level. I’d have sharpen my mechanics, know my tendencies and disguise them because I know the little things that I got away with in college won’t fly in the league they’ll eat you alive.


Joe Gaiter: What have you learned about yourself in your college football career?

Andre Cureton: I have learned that versatility is key. At one point in time in my career I was second string for every position was it a heavy yes but I carried it well. You can not accomplish that unless you truly understand the scheme and that comes with countless hours of film study. I’ve learned that just because you’re strong does not guarantee you that you will your individual battle if you don’t give technique you will get beat. I learned how to deal with adversity on higher level. You should only worry about what you can control which is your attitude & work ethic. One of my coaches said everyday you come to practice you should feel like you’re going to Disney world and that’s what ended up being for me.

Joe Gaiter: Describe how you play your position on the field?

Andre Cureton: I played my position tenaciously with relentless effort and reckless abandonment. I never took a play off & when I beat you I’ll let you know I’ll pick you up off the ground and do it again. By the end of the game I wanted the person in front me to not want to be on my side to not want to oppose me I wanted to rip his will out of him and make him quit.

So, saying this I think we hit at least one more good offensive linemen, and think about this, a former player that has evealuated some of these guys, like Leon Lett did on defense. Erik Williams, who was a terror at ROT, may have found

 

[cowboyjoe]

found us another good OL, besides Zach Martin.

Now, lets look at our new fullback, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooo! J. C. Copeland, a monster at fullback,

J.C. Copeland, FB
School: LSU | Conference: SECCollege Experience: Senior | Hometown: LaGrange, GAHeight/Weight: 5-11 / 271 lbs.

Projected Ranking

Overall

Position

Proj. Rnd.

218

3

6-7

Combine Results

40 Yd

20 Yd

10 Yd

225 Bench

Vertical jump

Broad

Shuttle

3-Cone Drill

4.95

2.69

1.71

23

28 1/2

9'3"

4.58

7.68


Workout Results

40 Yd

20 Yd

10 Yd

225 Bench

Vertical jump

Broad

Shuttle

3-Cone Drill

4.90

2.78

1.69

-

-

-

-

-

Strengths Weaknesses
STRENGTHS: Thickly-built throughout and carries a lot of weight on his frame. Long arms and big hands. Hungry ballcarrier and the type of runner defenders don?t enjoy tackling. Keeps his pads low and legs churning to power through and over bodies. Truck in short-yardage and goal line situations. Blows up defenders and constantly looking for the big hit. Highly competitive with a non-stop aggressive play style. Plays angry and tenacious, bringing an intimidation factor to the field. Quality teammate with a likeable personality.

WEAKNESSES: Extreme weight fluctuation with a playing weight between 250 and 290 pounds the past few seasons. Not a technically sound blocker and looks to de-cleat instead of engaging. Too often goes for the knockout blow instead of sustaining and driving his man out of the play. Needs to keep his intensity under control post whistle ? several personal foul penalties on his resume and plays like a volcano ready to erupt. Plays tight and won?t easily turn directions. Inconsistent ballskills with questionable ball security. Only 7 career catches with inconsistent hand-eye coordination and deficient route running ability. Minimal college production with only 92 career rushing yards and 7 scores.

--Dane Brugler

Player Overview
A three-star defensive end recruit, Javoddron Reon Holloway ?J.C.? Copeland was committed to Tennessee for almost a year before switching his allegiance to LSU on signing day. The Tigers? coaching staff moved him to fullback as a true freshman, spending most of 2010 and 2011 as a reserve blocker. Copeland set career-bests in 2012 as a junior with 21 carries for 67 yards and 4 touchdowns over 12 starts, falling just short of those numbers in 2013 as a senior. He is well strapped together and is built like a bowling ball, but needs to find his consistent playing weight and lose some bad pounds. Copeland is an adequate athlete with average speed, but is at his best when he stays low to the ground and uses his natural momentum and balance to propel him forward with his intense on-field temperament. Humble teammate off the field with a gentle giant persona. He has similar blocking intensity as 2010 5th round pick John Conner, but isn?t the same type of athlete and won?t have the same impact on special teams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ukFo47V4g0w, so now we have our offensive line built with a true fullback, that we haven’t had since the days of the Moose. Wooooooooooooohoooooooooooo! Granted Copeland needs to be down to about 270 range and stay at that weight to be more effective.


Moving on, as you all know, we drafted Demarcus Lawrence as our 2nd round draft pick. I wasn’t to happy with giving up our 3rd round pick to get him. Lawrence reportedly was wanted by the Falcons, so being the only highly rated RDE on the boys board, the 3rd the boys as you know moved up and selected Lawrence. This kid is more quick, has a twitch, very heavy handed, which means, very strong in the hands, to knock the linemen off of him, fast enough at DE to rush the passer. I worry about him being alittle smaller, but basically was same weight that demarcus ware was when he came out of college at 251, but just alittle shorter. Not as fast as ware was, but more than capable enough.

Moving on we have our 4th rounder in Anthony Hitchens, our linebacker from Iowa who really hits people, was a team captain. Yes, he is another right kind of guy Jason Garrett was talking about. The cowboys went after players that were captains of their team, like Zach Martin, Lawrence, Hitchens, Street, Gardner, Ahmad Dixon, that’s at least 6 team captains. So, their team players and leaders, again something this team needs. Back to Hitchens, this player will yell at you or at his teammates if their not doing their job. Some of you were surprised at this selection, but most of you don’t knnw is this, Seattle, the 49ers and one other team were trying to trade up to get him. Keep that in mind. Flus, our linebackers coach who was coached by the best in Bilicheck the Patriots head coach, looked for the ability of linebackers to go to the ball, the quickness to get their quickly and strike a hit, that’s one of the traits he looks for. Hitchens has that ability, the cowboys are going to try him at middle linebacker and take it from there. A little side note if some of you are skepticlal still on this pick, Flus was our linebackers coach that found Holloman. So, that should help some of you with this pick. As Jason garrett said in his press post draft conference, the boys wanted to find a capable backup for sean lee, if need be, plus Hitchens is a good special teams player. The boys plan of for Hitchens to loose alittle weight, to get down from 240 to about 232 or so, so he can be alittle quicker in pass coverage and his drops. Flus and Sean Lee can help tutor him.

Moving on were looking at our 5th round pick in Devin Street who broke Pittsburgh receiving records. Our WR coach worked him out, and Cooley said after a few routes, take a break, but Street said, no, let keep it up, while running the routes on all the tree. The boys feel that with his knowledge of the wr routes, wont take long for Street to make an impact for the boys. Street is very smooth in his route, at 6-3, 193, who ran a 4.46 at his pro day, is fast enough to play all the WR routes, even the slot. The boys had a 3rd round grade on Street to. So, he is a steal at this pick, that’s why we traded up for him, giving up a 7th pick.

Now, this should get you all pumped up about our offense, but wait, hold it, lets look at one of our other WR undrafted players we took.

Now, this should get you all pumped up about our offense, but wait, hold it, lets look at one of our other WR undrafted players we took.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Name:L''Damian Washington
College: Missouri Number: 2 Height: 6-4 Weight: 195
Position: WR Pos2: KR Class/Draft Year: rSr/2014
40 Low: 4.35 40 Time: 4.3840 High:4.55Projected Round: 5 Stock:
Strengths Weaknesses
STRENGTHS: Tall, athletic frame with easy joint flexibility...long arms and extends well to reel-in off-target throws...easy acceleration and release, wasting little time getting vertical with long strides - shows a second gear on downfield patterns...some lower body suddenness to burst out of his breaks...nice downfield adjustments, using his body well to gain position with natural body control and lean...legit deep threat and averaged 17.9 yards per catch as a senior...known as a team leader and pushes himself...good senior production with a team-best 893 receiving yards and double-digit receiving scores.

WEAKNESSES: Very thin-muscled and leaner-than-ideal for his height...needs to continue and get stronger, not as physical as he looks - added only 10 pounds since arriving in Columbia...not a natural hands-catcher and too many throws bounce off his mitts...displays some hip tightness and struggles to dip in/out of his breaks or be a consistent threat after the catch...struggles with the nuances of the position, including raw route running and poor field awareness - too many mental errors with his footwork along the sideline or at the top of his route...late to locate the ball and doesn't always appear on the same page as his QB or teammates - too much miscommunication...only average career production for a two-year starter with 100 career catches

--Dane Brugler

So, as you see the knock on him is his thin frame, something the Boys can fix with offseason weight conditioning. His story of being homeless for awhile, losing his mom, where the brothers stayed together, if moving and will touch you. This guy wants to be the best and improve, but he must show it in the weight room, studying film. Alittle of his problem was in my mind the poor QB his team had. If he is willing to work hard, listen to Cooley, Dez, Tony the sky is the limit, he is what I said awhile back what this team needs, a player with elite speed that can stretch the defense, with deep balls and touchdowns. Needs work on his catching and dropping balls, but the potential is there.


Moving on, now we will address our defense with our other picks we made in the 7th round.


Ben Gardner is a bigger version of Kyle Wilber, and just as fast as Anthony Spencer, so you had better bring you’re a game Spencer. This in turn will help George Selvie at LDE, keeping him fresh and if Spencer can show something we have the making of a very decent defensive line. We will have Selvie, Gardner, and Spencer at LDE, Crawford will play our 1 technique, with Nick Hayden, who got played way to much last year, along with Ken Bishop at 1 technique and at NT in certain situations. Henry Melton will play 3 technique, with Terry McClain helping him, and our 2nd round pick Lawrence at RDE, with Jeremy Mincey helping him get rest at RDE. We now have players that can rotate, with Marreleni defense, of sending fresh players at you, and wearing you out. Granted most of this depends on Henry Melton being healthy and ready to go.


Our next draft pick is Will Smith who is very fast at OLB< 4.59 in the 40. Speed, something that the tampa bay defense needs. Our next draft pick is a player that I liked and will hit you. Ahmad Dixon,

Go listen to his video if you haven’t heard it before, will make you pull for him in a big way.


http://www.dallascowboys.com/multim...ion_Call/12367ccd-5b58-4b98-84a7-0f05a324f997




For his Baylor career, Ahmad made 288 carehttp://www.dallascowboys.com/multimedia/videos/Secret_Audio_Ahmad_Dixon_Selection_Call/12367ccd-5b58-4b98-84a7-0f05a324f997er tackles, 12 pass breakups, four interceptions, was invited to play in the 2014 Senior Bowl, and was a member of the senior class that played in four straight bowl games for the first time in school history. Dixon’s 2013 team also won Baylor’s first Big 12 Championship and BCS Bowl berth.

A physical player, the 6 foot, 205-pound Dixon excels playing at the line of scrimmage and stuffing the run. He will lower the boom on opponents and plays with a mean streak, not afraid to stick his nose into the pile to make a tackle. Some say he’s a little too nasty on the field. One example of his aggressiveness is that he was suspended for the first half of Baylor’s game against Texas because he was ejected from the previous game for targeting the head of TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin.

In addition to being an explosive hitter at the line of scrimmage, Dixon is an extremely fast player who’s been timed at 4.39 in the 40 yard dash and has shown good coverage skills. In my exclusive interview on Sunday, I asked Dixon about his abilities in the secondary and he said,

“I can cover sideline to sideline no problem.” He continued, “I like to use my quickness to undercut receivers and get the interception.”

During the Senior Bowl this past January, coaches had him playing both safety and free safety. Baylor does not run much man-to-man coverage, so Dixon is very comfortable in a zone defensive scheme and would fit well in Cowboys defensive coordinate Rod Marinelli’s zone coverage Tampa-2 defense.

Dixon is projected to go anywhere between the second and fourth rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft, and when I asked where he felt like he would be drafted he chuckled saying, “I want to of course go in the first round, but I will be blessed if I go in the second or third round too. I will be happy to be drafted into the NFL. Playing in the NFL is my number one goal.”

The prospect of being a Dallas Cowboy brought a smile to Dixon’s face when I queried about what it would mean to him and his family if the Cowboys drafted him. He replied, “My late grandma Thelma Scott was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan. She loved the Cowboys. I think if I was to be drafted by Dallas, she would be looking down from heaven and smiling.”

http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/02/11/exclusive-interview-with-baylor-safety-ahmad-dixon/

While the Cowboys need to focus on rebuilding their defensive line in the draft, the prospect of a hard hitting, tough-minded, sub 4.4 40 safety guarding Dallas’ secondary is an appealing notion to many Cowboys fans. If Ahmad Dixon were to fall to the third or fourth round and Dallas grabbed him, he might be the type of impact player who could immediately improve the Cowboys defense.

Our next player is one I mentioned alittle about above, Ken Bishop. This guy was highly touted by our scouting department during all of the 7th round, till he was chosen. Bishop is a smaller clone of a Jay Ratliff, very quick, powerful hands. Here is alittle more about him for you.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Name:Ken Bishop(+) Coming off Foot INJCollege: Northern Illinois Number:93Height: 6-0Weight: 306Position: DT Pos2:Class/Draft Year: Sr/201440 Low:5.1240 Time:5.2340 High:5.35Projected Round: 7 Stock:
05/11/14 - A closer look at the Cowboys' picks: Round 7/251 -- Ken Bishop, DT, 6-0, 301, Northern Illinois...The Cowboys see him as a potential plugger at nose tackle. He was named to the 2013 first team All-MAC after totaling 70 tackles, including seven tackles for a loss as a senior. He is not a pass rusher but he is expected to be solid against the run. Hard to move. - The Sports Xchange




12/06/13 - 2013 ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM: Down Lineman - Ken Bishop, Northern Illinois...Bishop, who ranks fourth on the Huskie team in tackles with 59 from his defensive tackle spot and has been a force in the middle for NIU all season, is a first-time honoree. - Northern Illinois football




12/06/13 - PLAYERS TO WATCH: Defensive tackle Ken Bishop ranks and impressive fourth on the Huskie team in tackles with 59 after making a career-high 11 stops at Toledo, and his 5.5 tackles for loss are tied for third on the team. At UMass, Bishop stepped in front of a screen pass for his first career INT and finished with nine tackles to earn his second MAC West Defensive Player of the Week Award. Bishop was also honored versus Idaho.

Akron Head Coach Terry Bowden came away impressed with the NIU senior, “I don’t think there’s a better defensive player in the league than No. 93 (Bishop). He’s got incredible strength and explosion. Whether it’s against Iowa or us, he has the ability to stick a hand in somebody’s chest and just drive them back. Then he separates with great quickness.” - Northern Illinois football




11/04/13 - WEEK 10 MAC WEST DIVISION DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Northern Illinois DT Ken Bishop...Senior defensive tackle Ken Bishop (Lauderhill, Fla.) made a career-high nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and collected his first career interception in a 63-19 win at UMass. On the interception, Bishop sniffed out the screen and jumped in front of the pass to make the pick and the Huskies scored one play later to take a 28-6 lead early in the second quarter. The Huskies held their opponent under 21 points for the third straight game. Bishop ranks second on the team with 4.5 tackles for loss, and is tied for fourth on the team with 44 tackles, best among Northern Illinois defensive linemen. - MAC football




09/16/13 - WEEK 3 MAC WEST DIVISION DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Northern Illinois DT Ken Bishop,...Senior defensive tackle Ken Bishop (Lauderhill, Fla.) had a career-high eight tackles, six solo stops, and added one tackle for loss in a 45-35 win at Idaho. Bishop recovered a fumble in the first quarter to help set up the Huskies’ first touchdown. Bishop’s work on the defensive line helped free up his defensive linemates for nine quarterback sacks, the most by the Huskies since setting the school record of 10 in 2002. The Northern Illinois defense held Idaho to just seven points and 159 yards in the second half as the Huskies recorded the comeback victory at the Kibbie Dome. - MAC football



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D4glpi1ZGg
now watch his quickness:watch him shed blockers to,
Player Overview
The large interior lineman was a strong presence for Northern Illinois and has the traits to serve as a rotational run defender in the NFL.

"I don't think there's a better defensive player in the league than No. 93 (Bishop). He's got incredible strength and explosion," said Akron head coach Terry Bowden. "Whether it's against Iowa or us, he has the ability to stick a hand in somebody's chest and just drive them back. Then he separates with great quickness."

Bishop arrived at Northern Illinois in 2012 as a transfer from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. In 27 games for the Huskies at nose guard, he posted 125 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a pair of interceptions.

Ken Bishop's best game in 2013 was when he recorded 11 tackles when Northern Illinois visited KentState on 11/30/2012. Ken Bishop recorded 4 solo tackles. He was great at getting into the backfield that game where he had 1 sacks. But came very close to having another couple. Which isn't an easy task at Ford Field, with 65,000 people in the stands watching him. But Ken Bishop has always been great on all fields surfaced in 'FieldTurf'. Ken Bishop only added to the history of this stadium stadium since it opened in 2002.

Ken Bishop is strong and suprisingly quick.

· Our last draft pick is Terramce Mitchell, a sneakly, illusive, smart cb who might be better suited to play safety some in certain situations. Another thing that Mitchell can help us with, he knows the eagles head coach offensive style and can help our players.

·

·

·

Player Lowdown
Combine Results

40 Yd

20 Yd

10 Yd

225 Bench

Vertical jump

Broad

Shuttle

3-Cone Drill

4.59

2.59

1.57

-

34

9'9"

4.00

6.57


Workout Results

40 Yd

20 Yd

10 Yd

225 Bench

Vertical jump

Broad

Shuttle

3-Cone Drill

4.52

2.63

1.53

08

-

10'01"

-

-

Strengths Weaknesses
STRENGTHS: Sports a lean, athletic frame with long arms and a gambling mentality that can result in big plays. Fluid hips to change directions and shows good acceleration out of his turns to run with receivers across the middle or downfield.

Alert defender who reads the quarterback and receiver, responding well when the ball is in the air. Very confident in his ability to close. Will bait quarterbacks, allowing room to receivers and breaking downhill hard to close in a flash. Competes for the football, showing good timing to leap, as well as the hand-eye coordination to battle bigger receivers. Showed significant improvement as an interceptor in 2013, snaring five passes after just two combined over his previous two starting seasons.

Generally reliable open-field tackler, who is cognizant in run support.

WEAKNESSES: A bit high and choppy in his backpedal. Does not appear to possess preferred top-end speed, showing more initial burst and quickness than sustained acceleration. Got away with a lot of hand-play throughout college, frequently extending his arm to cut off receivers as they turn and arriving just before the ball.

Gets his hands on a lot of passes but struggled to turn those opportunities into interceptions throughout most of his career; only seven of 32 career passes defended were picked off.

Not particularly physical in run support. Will make the tackle when necessary but doesn't seem to enjoy the physicality of the game, often dancing around the action rather than getting involved.

COMPARES TO: Greg Toler, Indianapolis Colts - Mitchell is a good athlete whose big plays helped him earn a solid reputation but whose inconsistencies could keep him off the board heading into Day Three. Without more subtlety in coverage, Mitchell could find earning and keeping a starting job in the NFL is much more difficult than at the collegiate level.

--Rob Rang (1/14/14)

Player Overview
Many predicted that following the 2013 season the Oregon Ducks would be losing a cornerback early to the NFL. Most expected that player to be Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, an All-American, who instead made the surprising decision to return to Eugene for his senior campaign.

Mitchell feasted on quarterbacks avoiding Ekpre-Olomu's side of the field in 2013, leading the Ducks with five interceptions, easily the best production of his three seasons as a starter. Rather than risk losing momentum with longtime defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti retiring and Oregon's starting safeties Avery Patterson and Brian Jackson graduating, Mitchell made the decision to leave school early despite a grade from the NFL Advisory Committee that he characterized as "not a fair evaluation."

Mitchell's breakout 2013 season is intriguing, as is his experience and overall athleticism. He'll need to prove his straight-line speed in workouts, however, and cut down on the grabby hands in coverage once he gets his shot in the NFL if he's going to prove that the committee was wrong

Wait, I am not through yet, I know how a buddy of mine doesn’t like kickers or punters, but let me get to my point, I think in this case, my buddy Hos might even like this punter.

Cody Mandell, P

 

[cowboyjoe]

Cody Mandell, P
School: Alabama | Conference: SECCollege Experience: Senior | Hometown: Lafayette, LAHeight/Weight: 6-3 / 216 lbs.

Projected Ranking

Overall

Position

Proj. Rnd.

331

6

7-FA

· Player Profile

·

· News

·

· Stats

·

· History

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Player Lowdown
Combine Results

40 Yd

20 Yd

10 Yd

225 Bench

Vertical jump

Broad

Shuttle

3-Cone Drill

4.84

2.76

1.68

-

27

9'1"

-

-


Workout Results

40 Yd

20 Yd

10 Yd

225 Bench

Vertical jump

Broad

Shuttle

3-Cone Drill

4.77

2.80

1.69

12

-

09'04"

-

-

Strengths Weaknesses
Player Overview
One of the most efficient punters in the nation and a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award ... First team All-SEC (Associated Press) ... Second team All-SEC (Coaches) ... Ray Guy Award Player of the Week after Mississippi State game, averaging 55 yards on four punts with two over 60 yards, two downed inside the 10 and a 53.8 net average ... Leads the SEC in punting at 47.5 in all games and in league games at 48.8 ... Averaging a school-record 47.5 yards per punt, which would be second nationally if he had enough punts to qualify ... Has placed 14 punts (40 percent) inside the opponent's 20-yard line and eight punts (22.9 percent) inside the 10 to rank top 10 nationally ... Has helped Alabama compile best net punting average in the Nick Saban era and best in the nation in 2013 at 42.47 ... Has allowed only 11 punt returns all season, for 52 yards (4.4 yard average).

12/11/13 - 2013 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM: P - Cody Mandell, Alabama, 6-3, 213, Sr,...Has been selected First Team All-SEC for the 2013 college football season by the Associated Press. - Alabama football




12/11/13 - 2013 ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM (COACHES): P - Cody Mandell, Alabama...Has been selected Second Team All-SEC for the 2013 college football season by the SEC Coaches. - Alabama football




11/21/13 - WEEK 12 SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cody Mandell, P, Alabama...Punted four times in windy conditions for 220 yards and a 55.0 average, which was a career-best...Booted punts of 63 (career-long) and 61 yards, one out of bounds at the 2 and other downed at the 3...MSU returned just one of the four punts for a loss of 15 yards...Three of four punts were over 50 yards...Mississippi State’s average starting field position following Mandell’s punts was their 11.5-yard line...Mandell is now averaging a school-record 47.3 yards per kick on 33 punts to rank 2nd in SEC...Tied for the SEC lead in conference games only with an average of 48.6 yards per punt. Would be tied for second in NCAA if he had enough punts to qualify (3 shy). - SEC football




09/14/13 - PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Cody Mandell was honored by the coaching staff as one of the special teams players of the game against Virginia Tech. Mandell punted nine times, averaging 46.4 yards per kick, and downed four of them inside the 20-yard line. He had four punts of 50 yards or more, helping the Tide maintain a field position edge. - The Sports Xchange




08/26/13 - 2013 PRESEASON ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM (COACHES): P - Cody Mandell, Alabama,...Mandell joined the Crimson Tide as a walk-on in the summer of 2010 and earned the starting job ... has improved his production each season at the Capstone, turning his best season to date in 2012 with a school-record 44.3-yard average … started 39 games and averaged 41.2 yards per punt in his career. - Alabama football



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vLCgtkt-fA


remember how many times our punter couldn’t pin the opponent deep in their territory, would bounce on in to the endzone. This kid excels at that, plus in cold windy areas, he excels at punts to. Hey, look at it this way, cody could beat out our punter and then we could trade Chris Jones, even if for a 6th or 7th round draft pick.




01/18/14 - FIVE STANDOUTS FROM NFLPA COLLEGIATE BOWL: QB Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M (6-4, 234, #10)...Quarterbacks always generate the hype and all-star games are no exception. While South Carolina's Connor Shaw dominated the pre-game buzz for this contest, West Texas A&M's Dustin Vaughan caught the attention of scouts throughout the week of practice and delivered a handful of passes Saturday afternoon to carry over his positive momentum. Scouts like Vaughan's frame, as well as his functional mobility in the pocket and big arm. He showed the ability to check down to secondary targets, as well as good touch on two deep passes to FresnoState wideout Isaiah Burse. While the stat-book wasn't impressive (2/5 for 38 yards), it would have been better if not for an ugly drop from Burse, who otherwise enjoyed a strong game as a receiver and returner, himself. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com




01/03/14 - 2013 LONE STAR OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (J.W. ROLLINS AWARD): Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M ...Vaughan, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas/Calallen High School, continues to rack up the accolades. In addition to being a Harlon Hill finalist, Vaughan earned the prestigious honor of being an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-America selection and was named National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete.

He went 447 of 675 for a 66.2 average with 5,401 yards and 53 touchdown passes in 2013. Vaughan is the only quarterback at any level to pass for 5,000 yards this season as he led the nation in passing and was second in passing yards per game. His 53 touchdown passes also led the nation and was the most in conference history in a season, as well as being third-most all-time in Division II. - West Texas A&M football




01/02/14 - 2013 ASSOCIATED PRESS LITTLE ALL-AMERICAN FIRST TEAM: Quarterback - Dustin Vaughan, senior, 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, West Texas A&M.,... Vaughan went 447 of 675 for a 66.2 average with 5,401 yards and 53 touchdown passes in 2013. Vaughan is the only quarterback at any level to pass for 5,000 yards this season as he led the nation in passing and was second in passing yards per game. His 53 touchdown passes also led the nation and was the most in conference history in a season. - West Texas A&M football




01/01/14 - 2013 AFCA DIVISION II COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM: QB Dustin Vaughan, Sr., West Texas A&M,...Vaughan, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas/Calallen High School, continues to rack up the accolades. He went 447 of 675 for a 66.2 average with 5,401 yards and 53 touchdown passes in 2013. Vaughan is the only quarterback at any level to pass for 5,000 yards this season as he led the nation in passing and was second in passing yards per game.

His 53 touchdown passes also led the nation and was the most in conference history in a season, as well as being third-most all-time in Division II. His 5,401 passing yards are the most all-time in Division II. Vaughan is a two-time LSC Offensive and Academic Player of the Year and was the LSC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2012-13. He owns the school and conference record for career passing yards (13,525), total yards (13,608) and touchdowns (123). - West Texas A&M football




12/09/13 - 2013 HARLON HILL TROPHY FINAL THREE: West Texas A&M quarterback Dustin Vaughan, from Corpus Christi, Texas, finished fourth in the 2012 Hill Trophy voting. This season he completed 447 of 675 passes for 5,401 yards and 53 touchdowns this fall. He led West Texas A&M to an 11-3 record and into the quarterfinals of the Division II Playoffs.

He leads Division II in total passing yards (5,401), passing touchdowns (53) and points responsible for (326). He is second in passing yards per game (385.8), second in completions per game (31.9) and third in total offense (399.3). In three seasons at West Texas A&M, Vaughan has thrown for 13,525 yards and 123 touchdowns. - Harlon Hill Trophy





By: Josh Keatley, @Keatdawg27

Every year we see prospects labeled as system guys and no position sees this happen more often than the one behind center. The average football fan witnesses the statistics that guys like Sean Mannion, Connor Halliday, and Bryce Petty put up and they think it translates into NFL success, but that is rarely true. Not only was Vaughan a part of a helpful statistical system, but he also played division two football. Evaluating him is a puzzle, because scouts will have to take in account not only his offensive system, but the large step down in competition.

Dustin Vaughan, QB

School: West Texas A&M

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 235 lbs.

Hands: 8 7/8”

Arm Length: 33”

40- Yard Dash: 4.95 seconds

Vert Jump: 29”

Broad Jump: 108”

3- Cone Drill: 7.25 seconds

20- Yard Shuttle: 4.43 seconds

Vaughan was not a highly touted recruit coming out of CalallenHigh School in Corpus Christi, Texas. Most scouting services did not even have the gunslinger ranked, and this might be why he ended up at Division II West Texas A&M. He did however receive some success as a Senior when he earned All-Metro, All-South Texas, and first team All-District 31 AAAA as both a quarterback and punter. His high school academic record is impressive as well. While being a member of the National Honor Society he earned academic All-State and eventually graduated in the top ten of his class. He also played basketball and baseball, helping to guide his baseball team to the AAAA state championship and earning basketball newcomer of the year.

When Vaughan arrived on campus he received a redshirt, and the next season he was still the low man on the totem pole as the third stringer, but he did see time in four games. He completed seven of 12 passes for 96 yards which equated to a passing efficiency of 125.53. He only ran four times for nine yards. He saw the most time in the Southwestern Oklahoma contest where he completed five of ten passes for 63 yards, which includes his longest of the season for 29 yards.

Even though Vaughan played in the first game of his sophomore (redshirt) season, he wasn’t given the reins until the second game against #5 Texas A&M-Kingsville. He ended the season completing 227 of 382 for 3,316 yards and 25 touchdowns with six interceptions. His best game came against Central Washington as he ripped them for a career high 430 passing yards, 21 rushing yards, and four touchdowns. He ended the year as an All- Lone Star Conference Honorable Mention.

Vaughan hit stardom as a junior (RS), which was his first year starting every game and also the first year West Texas A&M advanced to the semifinal game. His 4,712 passing yards ranked second in Division II and third in school history, while his 45 touchdowns were also second in Division II and second in school history. He completed 359 of 555 passes with 13 interceptions which gave him the tenth best passing efficiency in Division II at 158.07. He was also tenth nationally in total offensive average (323.4). His most impressive game came against WesternState as he torched for a season high in yards (409) and touchdowns (5). He ended the year with a plethora of conference honors such as Lone Star Conference Player of the Week twice, Academic Player of the Year, first team All- Conference, and Offensive Player of the Year. His great academic standing also earned him Capital One/CoSIDA Academic Player of the Year for Division II. He landed on numerous All- American teams including third team BSN Sports, second team D2Football.com, and second team Daktronics Super Region Four. He was also fourth in the Harlon Hill Trophy race.

The injury bug never affected Vaughan as he again started every game and broke Keith Null’s 2008 single season school records for yards with 5,401 and touchdowns with 53. Besides breaking the schools records he also led Division II in those categories and broke the conference records. He was the only quarterback of any level to throw for 5,000 yards and his 53 touchdowns are third all-time in Division II history. He completed 447 of 675 passes for a completion percentage of 66.2 on the year. He led Division II in points responsible for (326), was second in completions per game (31.9) and passing yards per game (385.8). He was ranked third in total offense per game with 399.3. He ended his final season third in the Harlon Hill Trophy ballet, but winner of the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year and National Football Foundation National Scholar Athlete. He was named to the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All- America Team and the Associated Press Little All- American First Team. He ended his career as the conference’s all- time career leader in touchdowns (123), total yards (13,608), and passing yards (13,525). Besides what was just mentioned, he also owns the school record for attempts (1,624) and completions (1,040).

Vaughan is the definition of a developmental prospect. He has a great body to be an NFL quarterback and there are gigantic bright spots in his game including the ridiculous production that he has shown throughout his collegiate career, but he has played no one and he makes basic mistakes with his form all of the time. He gets away with having an inconsistent throwing motion, because he is so much better than everyone else at this level. His throwing motion is comparable to Tyler Bray’s when he was at Tennessee. His production is impressive, but he is a dink and dunk player who usually throws to the first read. He lacks the arm to take advantage of defenses deep consistently and the pistol offense run by West Texas A&M rarely made him. He has very little to no athletic ability and he refuses to leave or even move the pocket when he feels a rush, but even when the rush comes barreling down he shows no fear much like Russell Wilson did at Wisconsin.

His academic resume speaks for itself, because of his fair share of academic related All- American awards. Intelligence will always be a key factor to the quarterback position and it is usually a pre- requisite to being a prolific leader much like Andrew Luck (Stanford), Drew Brees (Purdue), Chad Pennington (Marshall), and Peyton Manning (Tennessee). All of those QBs had very impressive academic careers as well. Vaughan is not afraid to show emotion which is another good quality in a leader. You can see him take charge when people are slacking or pat his guys on the back when they do well. His size is also a huge plus. He already looks like an NFL caliber player and he has the body type to take a beating. He never missed a game with injury and that shouldn’t change in the NFL, because he is as big as some linemen. He could even lose a little weight as his 235 is not exactly all muscle.

I feel strongly that Vaughan will go undrafted, but I do feel a QB needy team will strongly consider taking him late. He might go in the seventh round just so someone can lock him down. Once he does land with a team he will be an unknown for a while, because going from Division II to the NFL is such a jump he will need time to adjust. Even after he adjusts to the speed and overall skill of the game, I just don’t think he has the goods to be anything more than a third string guy. His biggest asset is his intelligence and he should be able to use this to help the other QBs on whatever roster he lands on. Although he may never see the field he should help immensely off of it with his high IQ.

Former Lion Comparison: Jon Kitna: Vaughan and Kitna both played at small schools and dominated the competition. They both possess impressive size and leadership abilities. Kitna went undrafted, but has been able to hang around in the NFL for a long time. His toughness, durability, and brains make him an excellent guy to keep on the bench. There are plenty of guys that have been able to make a nice niche for themselves, because they are smart enough to make an impact in different ways. Kitna lacks the “it” factor physically for a team to feel confident with him running the offense and that is how I picture Vaughan’s career going down.

Draft Projection: Undrafted Free Agent

 

[cowboyjoe]

Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M

A lot of scouts are torn on the #2 slot here because many believe it should be Jeff Mathews and the media certainly does. Vaughan is bigger (6’5, 230) and is more mobile. He also showed more improvement as a senior than Mathews. He has good arm strength and did very well in a system similar to Garoppolo’s with 5,401 yards and completed 66.2% of his passes . He likely will be a late round pick or priority free agent but should make a 53 man roster as a #2 or #3 developmental prospect.


So, main knocks on Vaughan are his small school achievements compared to small schools, but we know how tony romo turned out and kurt warner. Next knock is is small hands, which he does have, but compare his hands to romo’s, next knock is his playing styler in the pistol offense, but that can be corrected in time. If you noticed scouts noticed him at the senior bowl and he has a quick release. Very similar to romo’s fast release.

Comparing hand size with height, here's the difference in the r-value (correlation coefficient-the strength of the relationship between x and y) for hand size/height and both AV/season and completion percentage. Basically, I just subtracted the r-value for the hand size correlation from that for the height correlation. If hand size is more strongly correlated with NFL quarterback success and accuracy than height, we'd expect the values to be positive.

Both values are positive, and it's not even that close. There's a much stronger correlation between hand size and both approximate value and completion rate than there is between height and those stats.

This isn't to say that height doesn't matter whatsoever, because it Bales' findings he noticed a trend that the shorter quarterbacks who were successful had functional mobility as well. Bales classifies quarterbacks who are 6'2" and under "shorter". There are some notable quarterbacks who fall under the height requirement or the 9.5" hand size requirement, noting Michael Vick (8.5-inch hands), Colin Kaepernick (9.13 inches), Robert Griffin III (9.5 inches), Daunte Culpepper (9.5 inches), Aaron Rodgers (9.38 inches), and Tony Romo (8.86 inches) as successful quarterbacks falling either 6'2" or shorter and with 9.5 or smaller hands.

Bales attempted to find a way to place a value on quarterbacks which balances their height and hand size and came up with HS/H*100 (hand size divided by height multiplied by 100). The higher the number, the more value you're likely to get out of the quarterback.

Here's how the 2014 class stacked out, and I rounded up to the nearest whole number on height:

Quarterback

Height

Hand Size

Score

Functional Mobility

Blake Bortles

77"

9.375"

12.18

Yes

Teddy Bridgewater

74"

9.25"

12.5

Yes

Johnny Manziel

72"

9.75"

13.5

Yes

Derek Carr

74"

9.125"

12.3

Yes

Zach Mettenberger

77"

9.75"

12.7

No

Jimmy Garoppolo

74"

9.25"

12.5

Yes

A.J. McCarron

75"

10"

13.3

No

David Fales

74"

9.25"

12.5

No

Tajh Boyd

72"

9.625"

13.4

Yes

Jordan Lynch

72"

8.875"

12.3

Yes

Jeff Mathews

75"

10.125"

13.5

No

Stephen Morris

74"

10.25"

13.85

No

Aaron Murray

72"

9.125"

12.7

Yes

Bryn Renner

75"

9.125"

12.2

No

Tom Savage

76"

9.625"

12.7

No

Connor Shaw

72"

9.25"

12.8

Yes

Logan Thomas

78"

10.875"

13.9

Yes

Dustin Vaughn

77"

8.875"

11.5

No

Keith Wenning

75"

10"

13.3

No

So, that’s it, sorry its so long, but thought you might enjoy.

 

[dallasdave]

Good post and info, showed some insight into what are new players are bringing to the table.

 

[Cowboy06]

what a great job recapping and adding some insight. We will see how it works out. At some point the Cowboys need to get cap room and get some multiple picks in the 1st few rounds like the Pats and 49ers have done. I think the draft is how you build your team and I'd like to see perhaps as many as 6-8 picks in the first three rounds in a few drafts. You just have to trade down and be shrewd.

 

[waving monkey]

i'll come back and finish this up. Loads of info which i appreciate.

 

[morasp]

Good point on Holloman and Matt Eberflus. I remember after the first OTAs after the draft Broadus saying Webb looked the most NFL ready and Holloman looked a little lost so you never know. That at least makes me want to wait and see on Anthony Hitchens. Using the CBS draft rankings which to NFL teams means nothing (during the draft Charlie Casserly said GMs do read them but mostly to know what to say during interviews), a lot of teams that picked after us took players that were rated later round picks. Even Kevin Pierre-Louis taken after us by the Seahawks was rated in the 5-6 round range.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Our cap room is fixing to get fixed pretty quickly.
First, Stephen jones said that the boys will cut some veterans loose for the 24 undrafted players we signed and the 9 player we drafted.
Second, we get 5.5 million back I believe when the boys get money back from june 1st cut for miles Austin,
Third, when the boys work out a deal with Tyron Smith for a longer contract, granted the contract will be huge but first couple of years should be friendly.
We have a little over 5 million left I believe, with about 2 million from veterans released, 5 million for june 1st cap cut, we should have about 12 million or so. Granted we have to sign our draft picks, dez, murray & tryon, but we should be able to do that, with about 5 million left over I think.
We might get some money back from the Ratliff deal where we filed suit against him but its doubtful.

 

[ferrispata]

Dez and Tyron will certainly be resigned to some big deals but Murray, IMO remains to be seen. I really like him and feel he is vastly underrated, but in this day and age, unless he agrees to a cap-friendly long term deal when the time comes, the Jones' may opt to draft a replacement RB next year (I don't think Randle is the guy, in fact if he doesn't show marked improvement this year and if an UDFA RB steps up, he may be a cut this season). We shall see.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Dez and Tyron will certainly be resigned to some big deals but Murray, IMO remains to be seen. I really like him and feel he is vastly underrated, but in this day and age, unless he agrees to a cap-friendly long term deal when the time comes, the Jones' may opt to draft a replacement RB next year (I don't think Randle is the guy, in fact if he doesn't show marked improvement this year and if an UDFA RB steps up, he may be a cut this season). We shall see.

I think that the cowboys can show murray now with running backs that were taken lower in the draft, the big money running backs used to get is no longer available now. Plus, in play for the boys has been murray's injury history. I think the boys will give him a decent offer and murray will accept in time. We don't want to go into next year without a decent running back on our roster, since we didn't draft one this year. Granted with our offensive line now, starting to be the next 2nd Great Wall of Dallas, murray will run more, and with j c Copeland, the punisher, as fullback, more holes will be opened up. Yet, at same time, every year, murray has had injuries so that should make the new contract reasonable to me. I think murray has no choice, he has to take what is offered.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Thanks for all the great info.

However just for clarification the WR coach is Coach Dooley, not coach Cooley.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Thanks for all the great info.

However just for clarification the WR coach is Coach Dooley, not coach Cooley.

yeah, I misspelled, didn't proof check, he is the son of a great coach,

 

[Phoenix]

This will only make our OL better, to possibly have the making of the 2nd Great OL in Dallas.

At the very least, I would counter 3rd, not 2nd Great OL. I'm talking about the Four Irishmen and a Scott line.