DMN Blog: ETAs on draft picks' development into starters... Mosley Post #6

[WoodysGirl]

9:56 AM Wed, Apr 29, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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The Cowboys' draft is being questioned because they didn't select enough potential starters with their dozen picks.

The guys who were in the War Room would tell you that they picked several potential starters who can make an immediate impact on special teams.

Let's take a look at the timetable on when these picks could crack the starting lineup:

LB Jason Williams (third round, 69th overall): If Williams develops as the Cowboys anticipate, he should be a starter by his third season. Keith Brooking will be 35 years old when his two-year contract expires. The Cowboys need Williams to be ready to take over the weakside inside linebacker job when that happens.

G/T Robert Brewster (third round, 75th overall): The Cowboys want competition for Kyle Kosier this summer. They'll need replacements for Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo in the not-too-distant future, although both tackles have several years remaining on their contracts. The Cowboys say Brewster can all four guard or tackle positions, but it's difficult to envision a guy who played right tackle in college protecting Tony Romo's blind side. Left guard is his best chance to crack the starting lineup within the next two seasons.

QB Stephen McGee (fourth round, 101st overall): With Tony Romo and Jon Kitna, the Cowboys can be patient with their developmental QB. The best-case scenario is that Romo stays healthy and goes to a few more Pro Bowls while McGee develops into a starting-caliber QB the Cowboys can flip for premium draft picks. If Romo has health problems or falters as the franchise QB, McGee could have a chance to be the Cowboys starter in 2012 or so.

OLB Victor Butler (fourth round, 110th overall): The Cowboys are counting on DeMarcus Ware dominating for a long time. Former first-round pick Anthony Spencer will have to be a disappointment for a starting OLB job to become available. Butler was drafted to be a rotational pass-rusher.

OLB Brandon Williams (fourth round, 120th overall): Ditto.

FS/CB DeAngelo Smith (fifth round, 143rd overall): It will be very difficult for a rookie to beat out Gerald Sensabaugh, who signed a one-year deal to replace Roy Williams. The job could be wide open next season, especially if the rookies' development convinces the Cowboys that Sensabaugh doesn't need to be re-signed.

FS Michael Hamlin (fifth round, 166th overall): Ditto.

K/special teams dude David Buehler (fifth round, 172nd overall): Unless Nick Folk loses it or gets hurt, Buehler won't be scoring points for the Cowboys.

ILB Stephen Hodge (sixth round, 197th overall): If the converted safety develops into a starter, that'd be a pleasant surprise. The Cowboys hope he can have a Bill Bates-like career as a special teamer.

Virginia TE John Phillips (sixth round, 208th overall): Jason Witten is the league's best all-around tight end. Martellus Bennett might have more talent. It'd be stunning if Phillips ever starts.

CB Mike Mickens (seventh round, 227th overall): Even if his knee isn't an issue, Mickens is a long shot to ever become a starter. The Cowboys drafted Mike Jenkins in the first round last season. Orlando Scandrick was one of the top rookie corners in the league last year.

WR Manuel Johnson (seventh round, 229th overall): Seventh-rounder Patrick Crayton or undrafted Miles Austin will start at receiver for the Cowboys this season, so Johnson has a shot to someday develop into a starter. But it's a long shot.

 

[Kangaroo]

Something i think they failed to address with the article about CB a you need a guy that can be a great nickel cb in this league now days and you can turn a CB into draft picks since they are in high demand see guys like Deanglo hall keep getting chances

 

[TNCowboy]

I thought that Holland played very well at times last year. There were times when he had did some devastating blocking at LG. It looked to me like he was a bit inconsistent and blew some assignments, but there were also occasions where he destroyed the DL across from him.

Yet it seems everybody wants to have Brewster challenge Kosier, not some other position.

There's a reason the OL play was inconsistent and often downright bad last season, and Proctor wasn't the only reason. Andre Gurode wasn't very good. Flozell often played poorly, whether that's the fault of his injured arm or not. L. Davis wasn't very good for long stretches, and sometimes looked to me like he wasn't really trying. I can't accuse Columbo of not trying, but against good athletes, he's often overmatched.

Point is, this OL needed some competition. Something to give them a kick in the pants. And all we got was a 5th rounder drafted 2 rounds too early.

 

[theogt]

And our first (and third) round pick went to an immediate starter.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

it would be awesome if Stephen McGee lit it up in every preseason

 

[WoodysGirl]

Handicapping the Cowboys' draft picks
April 29, 2009 12:19 PM


Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Tim MacMahon of the Dallas Morning News has taken a look at the Cowboys' 12 draft picks and projected when some of them might see the field. He thinks linebacker Jason Williams out of Western Illinois has an opportunity to start in his third season, which would probably coincide with Keith Brooking's retirement party. MacMahon says guard/tackle Robert Brewster out of Ball State could compete with Kyle Kosier at starting left guard within the next couple seasons. For everyone else, it sounds like a crapshoot.

An AFC scout told me Tuesday thatBrewster failed his club's physical at the combine. Brewster has been described as "fleshy" by some scouts because he lost so much weight in college. He reportedly showed up on campus weighing 360 pounds, but he quickly dropped the pounds. In Brewster's defense, he was a 50-game starter in college. And he played through a knee injury early in his senior season.

The scout I talked to thought safety Michael Hamlin out of Clemson was a solid pick in the fifth round and that kickoff specialist David Buehler out of USC was "the best pick in the Cowboys' draft." I still think picking the kicker was ridiculous, but we've already been over that.

In other news, the AFC scout thought fourth-round pick Stephen McGee would struggle because he has "self-confidence" issues.

"He really gets down on himself," said the scout. "We just thought he was a bit fragile to play that position for us."

 

[gimmesix]

I think DeAngelo Smith would have a better chance of eventually starting for Hamlin at free safety than at strong safety. Since the positions are sort of becoming interchangeable, I can understand projecting him to Sensabaugh's spot, but it seems to me that he's a better fit as more of a center fielder who doesn't have run support as his primary duty.

 

[reddyuta]

Mcgee has self-confidence issues????

mosley is an idiot.

 

[speedkilz88]

Mcgee has self-confidence issues????

mosley is an idiot.

He's either quoting Parcells or one of his minions.

 

[RS12]

I thought that Holland played very well at times last year. There were times when he had did some devastating blocking at LG. It looked to me like he was a bit inconsistent and blew some assignments, but there were also occasions where he destroyed the DL across from him.

Yet it seems everybody wants to have Brewster challenge Kosier, not some other position.

There's a reason the OL play was inconsistent and often downright bad last season, and Proctor wasn't the only reason. Andre Gurode wasn't very good. Flozell often played poorly, whether that's the fault of his injured arm or not. L. Davis wasn't very good for long stretches, and sometimes looked to me like he wasn't really trying. I can't accuse Columbo of not trying, but against good athletes, he's often overmatched.

Point is, this OL needed some competition. Something to give them a kick in the pants. And all we got was a 5th rounder drafted 2 rounds too early.

Am I the only one that thinks the biggest problem here is LT?

 

[ENGCowboy]

Mosley has picked up on this kicker and will not let it go. What happens when Folk wants to be paid like the Pro Bowler that he is next season and we can't afford it?

That is what JJ meant when he said "keeping ahead of the hounds"

We have only PAID a kicker once and look what happened when we did that, can't see JJ wanting to go through that again. So instead of having a special teams coach who develops kickers for fun I think he's decided we will just draft a promising kicker every 2/3 years and either trade or release the previous one. Sounds like smart business sense to me especially at a spot where you don't necessarily need to spend the cash.

The other picks all project as prospects for the next few years - funny that do a similar assesment of any other decent teams draft and I wonder how many other teams second day picks will be a "crap shoot" to be a starter in the next few years. Sometimes he really needs to think before he types this rubbish!

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Mcgee has self-confidence issues????

mosley is an idiot.

He didn't say it, he reported a scout said it. There is a difference.

 

[speedkilz88]

He didn't say it, he reported a scout said it. There is a difference.

Correct, but Mosely is an idiot.

 

[fortdick]

Mcgee has self-confidence issues????

mosley is an idiot.

I don't think so. A lot of loud, arrogant sounding people are really just covering for self esteem issues. You would never hear Witten or Ware saying that they were the best at anything. They don't have to say it.

McGee lost me with his mouth already. If he was the first round talent he think he is, he would have been picked a lot earlier. If he was as great coming out of High School as he thinks he was, he wouldn't have had to go to A&M and to a scheme that didn't suit him.

He will be a career back up. He has the tools to be something good, but he needs to shut up and sit down. If he does that, and learns from those around him he might be Romo's replacement, but from what I heard so far, he is too mad that he isn't instantly rich and famous.

I see this guy self destructing in about 3 years.

 

[ShiningStar]

I don't think so. A lot of loud, arrogant sounding people are really just covering for self esteem issues. You would never hear Witten or Ware saying that they were the best at anything. They don't have to say it.

McGee lost me with his mouth already. If he was the first round talent he think he is, he would have been picked a lot earlier. If he was as great coming out of High School as he thinks he was, he wouldn't have had to go to A&M and to a scheme that didn't suit him.

He will be a career back up. He has the tools to be something good, but he needs to shut up and sit down. If he does that, and learns from those around him he might be Romo's replacement, but from what I heard so far, he is too mad that he isn't instantly rich and famous.



I see this guy self destructing in about 3 years.

You are mad at a young person for being a young person? When we are that age, yes we think we are on top of the world. People forget its not easy getting drafted and forget that the gap between college and pro is really really wide.

Yes he got drafted by a media covered team, yes he got drafted, hes young, words and emotions are going to fly.

 

[Chief]

Am I the only one that thinks the biggest problem here is LT?

Nope. That's a weak spot ... along with wherever Procter lines up when he gets on the field.

 

[lspain1]

Mosley has picked up on this kicker and will not let it go.

You know, I didn't see it before....but it makes perfect sense! Hostile is Mosley! :laugh2:

 

[Zimmy Lives]

Is it just me or is Mosie starting to sound like a Bayless starter kit?

I find it amazing that he can even find a platform to speak from considering he never picked up a football except to play touch-touch.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Mosley said this on GAC and they immediately asked him about it since McGee was on the show a couple of weeks ago and sounded extremely confident in himself. This scout, whatever his Ireland name is, said McGee hung his head too much after bad plays. That's it.

I wish we played the Dolphins this year...

 

[ENGCowboy]

You know, I didn't see it before....but it makes perfect sense! Hostile is Mosley! :laugh2:

GENIUS why didn't I spot that?