Draft Overview: This Was Actually A Solid Draft For Us

[Risen Star]

I am confused. Wasn't this the deepest draft at OL and DL in quite some time? Aren't those units where our biggest needs were heading into the draft? So, how can we be happy coming away from it all with one player from either category? Especially when said player was a phenomenal reach. Just seems like the same old thing. Jerry just went for the shiny objects that sell jerseys and did nothing to solidify the trenches.

It is mind boggling to me that we would come away from this draft with twice as many secondary picks as OL and DL combined.

This team still doesn't get it and never will until the two head seats at that table aren't filled with the Jones twins.

 

[Zordon]

I would not call drafting a center in the first round ignoring the trenches. Its only the 2nd time Jerry has ever drafted an offensive lineman in the first round, Tyron Smith being the other.

If Jerry keeps using first rounders every year on o-line or d-line, he can spend the rest of the picks on whatever he wants the way I look at it.

Wow really? How do you build depth then? Look at the Giants, drafted 2 oline, 2 dline. That's how you do it.

 

[Ren]

If i may interject .My guess is Escobar will produce some TD's this year and 3-4 hundred yards. His presence on the field will take pressure off all the other weapons including Rb.If reports are true about his hands Romo will have another safety value that moves chains. As we all know big chucks of yards are wonderful but consistently moving the chain wins ball games.

They sold the same story when they drafted Fasano and Bennett

 

[NickZepp]

They sold the same story when they drafted Fasano and Bennett

Bennett was a project that never really figured out the passing game in Dallas. He played with an run offense in college. He was athletic, but couldn't catch the ball. This guy has a history of being a receiver in college. Maybe in the NFL he's not as good there and maybe you end up being right. But he looks like our 2nd TE right now.

 

[ThreeandOut]

I wish they had picked up at least one DL in this draft. It's too bad Short was taken before their 2nd round pick and Logan was taken before their 3rd round pick.

 

[respectdatstar]

Frederick probably would've been there at 47. We could've taken Elam who went 32 or Carradine who went at 40. Or we could've taken Watson/Armstead at 31 and Frederick at 47.

 

[Sb or Bust]

When you go back and look at all the pre-draft visits, both 30 national players and local prospects, it becomes clear that the Cowboys identified the type of players they wanted. Then went out and got them. We may disagree with who they picked or didn't pick, and where they picked them. But at least there see a to be a plan. It wasn't Jerry shooting off his hip.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

It is quite possible that Frederick is the only impact player in 2013. The only other assurances are that we have our back-up running back and a TE that we might use if he plays better than Hanna in the preseason.

I'm not saying it was a bad draft, but I am saying that unless an injury occurs it is possible that these guys don't see the field much this year.

 

[ThreeandOut]

It is quite possible that Frederick is the only impact player in 2013. The only other assurances are that we have our back-up running back and a TE that we might use if he plays better than Hanna in the preseason.

I'm not saying it was a bad draft, but I am saying that unless an injury occurs it is possible that these guys don't see the field much this year.

Escobar and Randal will get plenty of snaps this year.

 

[Califan007]

After your less-than-impressive draft pick haul from the trade then picking Frederick at #31, I was all ready to spend the rest of the weekend basking in the glow of another Jerruh head-scratching draft lol...but by the time the draft ended that feeling dissipated. You guys did pretty good, which disappoints me lol ...

 

[IAmLegend]

I think Frederick, Escobar, and Randle are the only 3 that will get significant playing time this year. The other players drafted are for depth and the future, which doesn't help cause this team needs players that can help immediately. But this draft could've been much worse, and for a second there it looked like it was going to be.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

I think we got good value with most of the picks, meaning guys were picked where they should have been. I just don't like the picks. I don't like a TE in the second, don't like another project at safety. We needed to do more along the offensive line.

Says the man with the FAIL Sig.

Grading out this Draft as a B+ very Romo Friendly Draft.

 

[Trajan]

I think this draft could have a fair number of contributors over time. Unfortunately, I think it will have almost no impact on next season other than Fredrick. The O-line and D-line again have not been fully addressed and as it takes a few seasons for linemen to mature we continue to fail to build for the future.

It is great that we want to mimic the Pats with our TE's, but if Romo is running for his life again it won't matter how good they are. The D-line concerns me greatly, it isn't a source of strength. Jerry loves his perimeter players, and again this draft reflects that.

 

[big dog cowboy]

They sold the same story when they drafted Fasano and Bennett

Escobar is light years better than Fasano and Bennett couldn't catch a cold.

 

[cowboyschmps3]

I think we are high on Leary

 

[InTheClouds]

I would not call drafting a center in the first round ignoring the trenches. Its only the 2nd time Jerry has ever drafted an offensive lineman in the first round, Tyron Smith being the other.

If Jerry keeps using first rounders every year on o-line or d-line, he can spend the rest of the picks on whatever he wants the way I look at it.

That is not how you build an OL. Unless you're Vinny Ceratto or Matt Millen.

The first round is where you get a cornerstone piece, your LT of the future and such. But you build a great OL by developing a stable system, then signing OL all through the draft, from the mid to late rounds, signing UDFAs, signing low-cost sleepers from other teams, etc. You keep bringing guys in that fit the system, you create competition, and over time, the OL coalesces. The Commanders inherited the worst OL in the NFL.

The reason why you end up with a Doug Free situation is because there's no competition at OL - Free was possibly the worst OL player in football, and he's still gonna get his money and he'll likely be the starter unless you cut him in a move that doesn't save money. The Giants did the same thing - their OL went from Super Bowl caliber to godawful literally overnight because they neglected it for a few years.

You cannot draft a first round OL sometimes - you have to keep investing draft and FA resources into it, even when your line gets good, because OL attrition is such that you have to keep replacing guys. And you have to have a backup plan for when a draft pick like Costa goes bust, when Free gets fat and happy after signing, or whether guys get hurt.

Imo, you should bring in between 2 and 3 OL guys every year regardless of round unless somehow you're so deep you literally can't have them make the team or the practice squad. Whether through the draft or UDFA, and slowly develop them, and always have a next man up. If you're in the position where you're needing one draft pick or one UDFA signing to fix your OL, then you are already screwed. A guy like Frederick is probably a solid starter, but Dallas's OL needed a full overhaul.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

I would not call drafting a center in the first round ignoring the trenches. Its only the 2nd time Jerry has ever drafted an offensive lineman in the first round, Tyron Smith being the other.

If Jerry keeps using first rounders every year on o-line or d-line, he can spend the rest of the picks on whatever he wants the way I look at it.

That's a terrible, terrible way to look at it.

 

[InTheClouds]

Edit to above post: "The Commanders inherited the worst OL in the NFL, and built it into an above-average one with one high pick, a FA backup, a UDFA from Carolina, a castoff from Baltimore, and a backup from Seattle. The Saints built a top OL with a bunch of mid-round guys. I don't think they have a single OL that was taken in R1. Sometimes you can be the Niners who threw a bunch of high picks at the OL, but not every team has that kind of resources."

 

[Idgit]

I would not call drafting a center in the first round ignoring the trenches. Its only the 2nd time Jerry has ever drafted an offensive lineman in the first round, Tyron Smith being the other...

I agree. Not to mention the other work the team's done recently to address the OL problems.

Then again, there are many on this board who believe that games are 'won in the trenches' and aren't going to be happy with a program of allocating appropriate resources to problems and developing OLs the way they normally are developed in this league. They'd much prefer to overestimate the extent of the actual problem and then convince themselves to address the shortcoming by carpetbombing the position group with draft picks without much regard for how many you're going to carry on the actual roster.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

I agree. Not to mention the other work the team's done recently to address the OL problems.

Such as?