i got this off of sporting news war room, thought id share it with you
Cowboys' team report: Day 1 passes without a pick
April 26, 2009 Print it
By Sporting News staff reports
War Room scouts and Cowboys' correspondent Jean-Jacques Taylor offer their analysis from the NFL draft:
Overview
This draft has a bad feel to it because the Cowboys traded out of the second round and spent so much time talking about finding special teams contributors. While special teams are important, you wonder if they spent so much time talking about special teams contributors they forgot to look for football players who could help them this season. It's tough to look at the players they acquired and find guys who can step on the field and help them this year on first, second and third down, which is something Jerry Jones said needed to happen. For a club with 12 draft picks, the Cowboys didn't use any of their picks to move up until the fifth round.
Quotable:
"We drafted Stephen McGee because a quarterback for the future is something we need. Green Bay did it for a long time in their championship years. It's good to have a young quarterback that you feel good about." -- coach Wade Phillips
3rd round, No. 69 overall pick: Jason Williams, OLB, Western Illinois
Scout's take: Williams was an athletic and productive player at Western Illinois, but he's a bit stiff and straight-lined. He had a good postseason, which helped elevate his status. He will fit as an outside backer in the Cowboys' 3-4 defense and may be able to rush the passer with his speed.
Correspondent's take: The Cowboys will use him at inside linebacker on the weakside where he won't have to fight through so much traffic to get to the ball-carrier.
3rd round, No. 75 overall pick: Robert Brewster, G, Ball State
Scout's take: Brewster lacks the quick footwork to be a productive starter in the NFL. He is very raw and will need time to develop and improve his technique. He plays too upright and will also need to improve his leverage.This is another reach that we don't believe will develop into a productive player at the next level.
Correspondent's take: An eventual replacement for Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo. He'll have time to develop.
4th round, No. 101 overall pick: Stephen McGee, QB, Texas A&M
Scout's take: Some speculated that Dallas would look for a quarterback on day two, so this pick does not come as a great surprise. McGee does not have much experience in a pro-style offense, but elevated his stock in the postseason by showing the physical skills to be able to develop into an NFL quarterback. McGee gives Dallas some insurance and someone to develop for the long term, without putting extra pressure on Tony Romo.
Correspondent's take: McGee is only the second quarterback drafted in the past 15 years by the Cowboys. Dallas can bring him along slowly with Tony Romo and Jon Kitna on the roster.
4th round, No. 110 overall pick: Victor Butler, LB, Oregon State
Scout's take:While we feel that this pick is another stretch, it is clear that Bobby Carpenter may be on his way out in Dallas. Obviously 3-4 teams are always looking for depth with their linebacking corps, and Dallas hopes Butler can develop into a solid contributor.
Correspondent's take: An undersized defensive end in college, the Cowboys will convert him to linebacker in hopes he can develop into a another pass rusher.
4th round, No. 120 overall pick: Brandon Williams, DE, Texas Tech
Scout's take:Williams made his name this year with an excellent performance against Michael Oher from Mississippi. He is quick and athletic, and should develop into a decent pass rusher while playing OLB for the Cowboys.
Correspondent's take: At only 261 pounds, he's another undersized defensive end in the 3-4, so look for him to be moved to outside linebacker.
5th round, No. 143 overall pick, DeAngelo Smith, CB, Cincinnati
Correspondent's take: The Cowboys need depth with the departure of Adam Jones and Terence Newman's recent injury history. Smith has the versatility to play cornerback and 6safety.
5th round, No. 166 overall pick, Mike Hamlin, S, Clemson
Correspondent's take: Dallas filled a significant need at safety with a player it considered taking much earlier in the draft.
5th round, No. 172 overall pick, David Buehler, K, USC
Correspondent's take: Although he has a powerful leg that could make him a kickoff specialist, Dallas will give him an opportunity to have a large role on special teams because he also played linebacker and running back in college.
5th round, No. 197 overall pick, Stephen Hodge, OLB, TCU
Correspondent's take: He will play inside linebacker for the Cowboys, and they're looking for him to be a terrific special teams player like he was at TCU.
5th round, No. 208 overall pick, John Phillips, TE, Virginia
Correspondent's take: A solid blocker, who has good receiving skills, in part, because he began his career as a receiver.
7th round, No. 227 overall pick, Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
Correspondent's take: An aggressive play-maker who could provide depth at cornerback because he's good in coverage. He has had some injury issues.
7th round, No. 229 overall pick, Manuel Johnson, WR, Oklahoma
Correspondent's take: Adequate receiver who has some toughness and decent hands.
Unfinished business
The Cowboys still need some help at receiver, so don't be shocked if they make a run at former Jacksonville receiver Matt Jones in free agency. He was in the midst of his best season as a pro last year -- 65 catches, 761 yards and two touchdowns -- before being suspended for the final three games of the year for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He would give the Cowboys some speed on the outside, but they want to see how the commissioner will handle the situation before they make a decision on how hard to pursue the player Jerry Jones coveted when he was at Arkansas.
Given what the Cowboys think about their roster, there's no reason to think they're going to add any other players of note in free agency.
