Draft analyst Rick Gosselin (Goose) discusses Dallas Cowboys draft needs & tendencies

[cowboyjoe]

Gosselin: If Stanford QB Andrew Luck is available the Cowboys should draft him
Posted at 9:00 AM on Fri., Dec. 3, 2010 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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The Dallas Morning News NFL columnist Rick Gosselin answered your questions in a Thursday morning chat. Here are the questions and answers that related to the NFL Draft.

On who the Cowboys should select if they have the No. 5 pick:

Gosselin: If I don't draft a quarterback in the Top 5, I go big. I take the best offensive or defensive linemen. You win up front in this league. The Cowboys can use some help on both edges of the line. You can find a quality corner in the second or third round. You don't find that kind of quality in the later rounds up front. I'd probably go with the Alabama DL (Marcellus Dareus) if I had a top 5 pick. Look how Ndamukong Suh has changed the defensive front of the Detroit Lions. That team will be a playoff contender in 2010.

On how the Cowboys should draft in the first round if they have a top 10 pick:

Gosselin: When you're drafting in the Top 10, you can never go wrong taking the best player on your board. In the second, third and fourth rounds I'd try to address needs. But never, ever, ever pass up a blue-chip player at the top of a draft to fill a need with a lesser player at a need position. You win championships with blue-chip players. You get them in the Top 10 of drafts.

On if the Cowboys will draft LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson:

Gosselin: If the Cowboys are drafting in the Top 10, he'd be a possibility. I'm not sure the Cowboys will be drafting that high, though. I also think there are other, possibly more pressing issues. Safety and offensive tackle come to mind.

On who to take in the draft that is almost sure to be a top ten pick:

Gosselin: Stanford QB Andrew Luck. Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have proven you can play right away at that position. I love the new wave of quarterbacks that have come into the league in recent seasons. If I was running an NFL team, I'd want my own young quarterback. I'd want Luck. But unless you have the first overall pick of this draft, you're not going to get him.

......

 

[TheCount]

Goose likes Dareus as a Top 5 pick? Quite the endorsement.

 

[UnoDallas]

yea but I don't think he has ever hit on a Cowboy pick

we will see this spring

 

[SDogo]

We need Defensive Back help and Offensive Line help. The rest is luxury. Easy discussion.

 

[Randy White]

a) Goose: stick to reporting, not giving your opinion. You've proven time and time again that you have no clue when it comes to evaluating talent OR how to put together a draft strategy.

b) It was probably typing error, but the Lions are not playoff contenders THIS year, which is 2010. He probably meant 2011 and although Suh is one of my favorite players, and good start on a HOF career, he's not the difference between a playoff contender and a doormat. As a matter of fact, Megatron ( Calvin Johnson ) who has more of a say in that regard, since he, unlike a defensive tackle, actually catches the ball, has proven that HE is not the difference. Matthew Stafford is.

 

[realtick]

Gosselin: When you're drafting in the Top 10, you can never go wrong taking the best player on your board. In the second, third and fourth rounds I'd try to address needs. But never, ever, ever pass up a blue-chip player at the top of a draft to fill a need with a lesser player at a need position. You win championships with blue-chip players. You get them in the Top 10 of drafts.

I do agree with Gosselin regarding this...

 

[TheCount]

yea but I don't think he has ever hit on a Cowboy pick

we will see this spring

Well he did have us taking Dez last year.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Goose likes Dareus as a Top 5 pick? Quite the endorsement.

His reasoning is sound but his premise is faulty. Dareus is no Ndamukong Suh.

 

[TheCount]

His reasoning is sound but his premise is faulty. Dareus is no Ndamukong Suh.

I agree, just found it interesting that he would even put those two in the same sentence.

 

[tyke1doe]

His reasoning is sound but his premise is faulty. Dareus is no Ndamukong Suh.

Nick Fairley is better than Dareus anyway. Meaner too.

 

[dbair1967]

His reasoning is sound but his premise is faulty. Dareus is no Ndamukong Suh.

co-signed

not even close IMO...I think Dareus is a good player, but if he's drafted in the top 10 I think people are always going to be disappointed. He's not that explosive.

 

[cowboyjoe]

I do agree with Gosselin regarding this...

me too, the goose pretty well knows about the draft and top players though, every year he contacts gms, and scouts from each team, and puts his top 100 together and makes his mock draft

its generally pretty well close to where players are drafted too, i do agree about taking best player available too, regardless of position, you never ever reach on your board, thats when you get in trouble

 

[cowboyjoe]

Nick Fairley is better than Dareus anyway. Meaner too.

true about fairley, but he has a shoulder injury too, he may drop in draft some, not awhole lot, but maybe down to 17th pick or so

 

[JeffInDC]

co-signed

not even close IMO...I think Dareus is a good player, but if he's drafted in the top 10 I think people are always going to be disappointed. He's not that explosive.

I think Dareus would be more explosive at NT than DE in the 3-4. In a 4-3, he could play either spot. Fairley is just a beast that could probably play anywhere on any D-Line. I just think he is more versitile than Dareus. but, I wouldn't be mad with either wearing the star.

 

[burmafrd]

Goose just reflects the mistakes that GM's and the others make. That is why his board resembles the draft so much. Its very close as regards where players will be drafted but other than that it means nothing.

 

[tyke1doe]

I think Dareus would be more explosive at NT than DE in the 3-4. In a 4-3, he could play either spot. Fairley is just a beast that could probably play anywhere on any D-Line. I just think he is more versitile than Dareus. but, I wouldn't be mad with either wearing the star.

Word is that coaches were really disappointed in Dareus. He was expected to step up his game this year and didn't. I wouldn't take him unless it were lower in the first round, if I took him in the first round at all.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Dareus and Fairley havent impressed me

Not enough to pass on Peterson or Prince.



I was keying on Dareus very early in a game, maybe even the 1st drive, and he literally stopped his pass rush after a second or two. He just leaned on his guy until the play was over. Passaro

 

[realtick]

Dareus and Fairley havent impressed me

Not enough to pass on Peterson or Prince.



I was keying on Dareus very early in a game, maybe even the 1st drive, and he literally stopped his pass rush after a second or two. He just leaned on his guy until the play was over. Passaro

Lol, which game did you watch that Fairley didn't impress you? Dareus I can understand being very underwhelmed by, Fairely, not even close.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Lol, which game did you watch that Fairley didn't impress you? Dareus I can understand being very underwhelmed by, Fairely, not even close.

I watch mostly SEC but actually only started looking at him specifically the past few weeks. He seemed to be a guesser. He would hit one side or the other real quick but if he guessed wrong he was out of the play.


That is not even close to Suh, who throws linemen at the ball carrier.

 

[realtick]

I watch mostly SEC but actually only started looking at him specifically the past few weeks. He seemed to be a guesser. He would hit one side or the other real quick but if he guessed wrong he was out of the play.


That is not even close to Suh, who throws linemen at the ball carrier.

That's ridiculous... a "guesser?"