Draft what-if: RB Dalvin Cook instead of Taco?

[xwalker]

The question is only about RB Dalvin Cook. Obviously there were other options besides Taco & Cook.

DE: Was a a position of need.

RB: They had just used the #4 overall pick on Zeke the previous year.

At the time fans/media would have lambasted the Cowboys if they had picked Cook.

• Zeke held out prior to the 2019 season.
• Despite some injury issues Cook had wowed enough to be considered a legit starter going into 2019.
  • The Cowboys would have let Zeke hold out with Cook as the starter for 2019.
  • In 2019 Cook had 1135 yards with a 4.5 average and 53 catches for 519 yards.
  • The Cowboys would not have been giving in to Zeke with Cook as the starter.
• Either Zeke would have signed a reasonable contract or they could have traded him.

Instead the Cowboys drafted Taco and cut him at the beginning of the 2019 season (He was a healthy scratch for 2 games before they cut him).

 

[CowboyRoy]

The question is only about RB Dalvin Cook. Obviously there were other options besides Taco & Cook.

DE: Was a a position of need.

RB: They had just used the #4 overall pick on Zeke the previous year.

At the time fans/media would have lambasted the Cowboys if they had picked Cook.

• Zeke held out prior to the 2019 season.
• Despite some injury issues Cook had wowed enough to be considered a legit starter going into 2019.
  • The Cowboys would have let Zeke hold out with Cook as the starter for 2019.
  • In 2019 Cook had 1135 yards with a 4.5 average and 53 catches for 519 yards.
  • The Cowboys would not have been giving in to Zeke with Cook as the starter.
• Either Zeke would have signed a reasonable contract or they could have traded him.

Instead the Cowboys drafted Taco and cut him at the beginning of the 2019 season (He was a healthy scratch for 2 games before they cut him).

It was TJ Watt instead of Taco was the huge blunder they made.

 

[xwalker]

It was TJ Watt instead of Taco was the huge blunder they made.

Thank you Captain Obvious!

 

[EDub22]

Cook has never played a 16 game season dating back to college. It would be hard to rely on him.

 

[garyo1954]

The question is only about RB Dalvin Cook. Obviously there were other options besides Taco & Cook.

DE: Was a a position of need.

RB: They had just used the #4 overall pick on Zeke the previous year.

At the time fans/media would have lambasted the Cowboys if they had picked Cook.

• Zeke held out prior to the 2019 season.
• Despite some injury issues Cook had wowed enough to be considered a legit starter going into 2019.
  • The Cowboys would have let Zeke hold out with Cook as the starter for 2019.
  • In 2019 Cook had 1135 yards with a 4.5 average and 53 catches for 519 yards.
  • The Cowboys would not have been giving in to Zeke with Cook as the starter.
• Either Zeke would have signed a reasonable contract or they could have traded him.

Instead the Cowboys drafted Taco and cut him at the beginning of the 2019 season (He was a healthy scratch for 2 games before they cut him).

Good post!

 

[Shane612]

So tired, tired, tired of "WHAT IFs".
.
"If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candies and nuts, we'll all have a merry Christmas.
~Don Meredith.

 

[cowboygo]

The question is only about RB Dalvin Cook. Obviously there were other options besides Taco & Cook.

DE: Was a a position of need.

RB: They had just used the #4 overall pick on Zeke the previous year.

At the time fans/media would have lambasted the Cowboys if they had picked Cook.

• Zeke held out prior to the 2019 season.
• Despite some injury issues Cook had wowed enough to be considered a legit starter going into 2019.
  • The Cowboys would have let Zeke hold out with Cook as the starter for 2019.
  • In 2019 Cook had 1135 yards with a 4.5 average and 53 catches for 519 yards.
  • The Cowboys would not have been giving in to Zeke with Cook as the starter.
• Either Zeke would have signed a reasonable contract or they could have traded him.

Instead the Cowboys drafted Taco and cut him at the beginning of the 2019 season (He was a healthy scratch for 2 games before they cut him).

They learned the hard way when they drafted Felix Jones to complement Marion Barber. We gave Marion Barber that same offseason a big contract. Too many resources on that position.

 

[cowboyec]

for some reason i've been wondering about this very thing.
he...cook...was the only player left who had a 1st rd grade.
cook might mean zeke never holds out.
or....maybe they trade zeke.
maybe the contract is more team friendly.
but i would love to see this re-do play out and see how things might be different.
i have a hard time believing zeke holds out if we have dalvin cook.

 

[xwalker]

They learned the hard way when they drafted Felix Jones to complement Marion Barber. We gave Marion Barber that same offseason a big contract. Too many resources on that position.

No. Both players quickly flamed out.

In 2009 the Cowboys could have picked LeSean McCoy in the 2nd round. He was the only player remaining that they had graded as a 1st round talent.

They passed on McCoy he has been ten thousand time more productive than their entire 2009 draft class...

Meanwhile both Felix and Barber flamed out shortly after that draft.

 

[CWR]

I like Cook as much as the next guy, but he is hurt every season. There are a million different ways things could have worked out better for us.

 

[quickccc]

The Cowboys supposedly had a first-round grade on Dalvin cook but that's about it

why else would they consider drafting cook in first round when they just use the 4th overall pick on Zeke who came away from being the NFL's rushing leader.

I dont see the point of the thread at all unless it's more meant as we should have bypass Zeke with 4th overall period.

BTW the other guy that supposedly was in consideration before Taco, besides TJ Watt was cornerback Kenny king (Packers) whose basically been just a decent serviceable whose battled injuries most of his career.

 

[xwalker]

I like Cook as much as the next guy, but he is hurt every season. There are a million different ways things could have worked out better for us.

Yes, but I'm not asking about the million ways.

Despite injuries Cook would have been more valuable to the Cowboys than Taco.

Cook vs Taco is even more lopsided when you consider that they could have traded way down and still drafted Cook.

The question is really Cook + 3rd round pick or Taco.

They reached for Taco due to need. They had 2 other players available with higher grades per Stephen Jones.

Summary: Picking Lamb over picking player at a "need" position was unequivocally the correct decision. Draft picks are not about the immediate season. Premium draft picks are all about the multi-year outlook.

 

[Creeper]

I like good defense over high powered offense. I would rather they spend their top draft picks on defensive players and use middle round picks on offense. The only exception is left tackle and in some cases QB.

After looking at the Cowboys draft picks since 1991, I decided to look at the Patriots draft picks since 2001. I was too lazy to go back further than that. While the Cowboys have use 0 first round picks for DT, the Patriots have used 4. Maybe it means nothing. But they have been a good team for a long time and they usually have a good defense. If Belichick is picking DTs in the first round, I have to consider that he knows what he is doing. I also looked at the Steelers who always seem to have a good defense. They draft a lot of LBs, but they also took 2 DTs and 2 safeties over that period. They also traded 1st round pick for Fitzpatrick. The Steelers seem to place a high value of the safety position. Just something to consider.

I think fans who focus on RB, WR and other position on the offense, they are playing Jerry's game.

 

[Typhus]

The question is only about RB Dalvin Cook. Obviously there were other options besides Taco & Cook.

DE: Was a a position of need.

RB: They had just used the #4 overall pick on Zeke the previous year.

At the time fans/media would have lambasted the Cowboys if they had picked Cook.

• Zeke held out prior to the 2019 season.
• Despite some injury issues Cook had wowed enough to be considered a legit starter going into 2019.
  • The Cowboys would have let Zeke hold out with Cook as the starter for 2019.
  • In 2019 Cook had 1135 yards with a 4.5 average and 53 catches for 519 yards.
  • The Cowboys would not have been giving in to Zeke with Cook as the starter.
• Either Zeke would have signed a reasonable contract or they could have traded him.

Instead the Cowboys drafted Taco and cut him at the beginning of the 2019 season (He was a healthy scratch for 2 games before they cut him).

Drafting Taco was a Marinelli gift,, he screwed the pooch so to speak.
Drafting Zeke at 4 overall was the monumental huge mistake... and funny how the Giants became the followers of bad build model with SB,,,
X it just is rather simplistic it seems,, there are people employed in high paying jobs, that simply have no clue about the very basics on how you build a team.
There are several teams however that actually do understand the process.
This team is not one of them.

 

[gjkoeppen]

The question is only about RB Dalvin Cook. Obviously there were other options besides Taco & Cook.

DE: Was a a position of need.

RB: They had just used the #4 overall pick on Zeke the previous year.

At the time fans/media would have lambasted the Cowboys if they had picked Cook.

• Zeke held out prior to the 2019 season.
• Despite some injury issues Cook had wowed enough to be considered a legit starter going into 2019.
  • The Cowboys would have let Zeke hold out with Cook as the starter for 2019.
  • In 2019 Cook had 1135 yards with a 4.5 average and 53 catches for 519 yards.
  • The Cowboys would not have been giving in to Zeke with Cook as the starter.
• Either Zeke would have signed a reasonable contract or they could have traded him.

Instead the Cowboys drafted Taco and cut him at the beginning of the 2019 season (He was a healthy scratch for 2 games before they cut him).

Those that play "what if" is something that is used to fuel their dreams because they either don't understand or realize that hindsight is always 20/20. Most people do that with themselves asking themselves if they had done this or hadn't done that how things would be different but it doesn't change what actually happened or what reality really is. Let me ask you does playing "what if" make you feel any better about what is actually happening with the Cowboys this season? Does it make the losing hurt less or does it make it hurt more because the Cowboys didn't do your "what if"?
.
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[cowboyec]

Those that play "what if" is something that is used to fuel their dreams because they either don't understand or realize that hindsight is always 20/20. Most people do that with themselves asking themselves if they had done this or hadn't done that how things would be different but it doesn't change what actually happened or what reality really is. Let me ask you does playing "what if" make you feel any better about what is actually happening with the Cowboys this season? Does it make the losing hurt less or does it make it hurt more because the Cowboys didn't do your "what if"?
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you're taking this way too seriously.
its just a question...nothing more.

 

[cowboyec]

"what if's" are fun to speculate about.
no one has to participate.

we here about how tj watt should've been the pick but what about s budda baker.
how different is our defense over the last few yrs with him back there.
but no one had him as a 1st rd prospect at the time tho.

after we pick taco....the only dt worth considering as an option is malik mcdowell who went to seattle in the 2nd rd.
honestly....if its not taco...its watt or cook.

its interesting to think what happens with Zeke if the pick had been cook.

 

[Kaiser]

Despite injuries Cook would have been more valuable to the Cowboys than Taco.

My thing on Taco rueage is always that they had Taco and Tak McKinley rated on a similar level. If Tak had dropped a few more picks or Dallas had given up a #4 pick to move up for him, things would be so much different.

 

[Williamsboys]

I rather have a Burrito instead of Taco.

 

[xwalker]

Those that play "what if" is something that is used to fuel their dreams because they either don't understand or realize that hindsight is always 20/20. Most people do that with themselves asking themselves if they had done this or hadn't done that how things would be different but it doesn't change what actually happened or what reality really is. Let me ask you does playing "what if" make you feel any better about what is actually happening with the Cowboys this season? Does it make the losing hurt less or does it make it hurt more because the Cowboys didn't do your "what if"?
.
.

It has nothing to do with the actual what if. As I stated in a post after the op, I'm making a point about not drafting for need, especially need for the immediate season.

Taco was a need pick.

I'm using Cook as an example because RB would have been considered by fans/media as the position to definitely NOT draft with that pick.

Drafting Lamb was the correct move regardless of who they had at WR because Lamb was a drastically better prospect than any other available players at that spot.