Twitter: Fisher draft leftovers re: Hitchens, Ealy, and Crichton

[WoodysGirl]

 

[Staubacher]

Backup to Lee is very important, seeing as Lee is the QB of the defense and misses a lot of games every year.

 

[ThreeandOut]

In my opinion, the Cowboys primary objective during the first two days of the draft was to come out of the draft with a starting RDE. There were only two realistic candidates, Barr and Lawrence. They were going to do everything they could to get one of these two players.

 

[BigStar]

Sooo, we drafted a back up....specifically? I doubt it, they just want to be sure he has the talent before moving Lee. It would protect him playing WLB and would allow him to flow to the ball easier. Might be our own Derrick Brooks. Still makes me wonder why Carter could flow to the ball better as a MLB in a 3-4 as opposed to the prized WLB position in a 4-3? How was he able to shed/disengage as Mike in a 3-4 but not as the WLB who is supposed to have protection from OL? Maybe the smarter move is to move Carter back to Mike to see if that doesn't rejuvinate his play. His speed makes him an ideal coverage back @ SLB but not so much to shed blockers (which is his knock @ the moment).

 

[Alexander]

Sooo, we drafted a back up....specifically? I doubt it, they just want to be sure he has the talent before moving Lee.

I guess it makes people feel better about the choice to pretend we did not pick a reserve. Jerry Jones has said it, Stephen Jones has said it, practically every source has stated that Lee is not moving anywhere.

 

[BigStar]

I guess it makes people feel better about the choice to pretend we did not pick a reserve. Jerry Jones has said it, Stephen Jones has said it, practically every source has stated that Lee is not moving anywhere.

Even if that is the case, you don't see Hitchens starting over the mighty Carter and Durant tandem if he shows the ability? I went off on the Lee tangent bc it's something I've thought could lengthen his career more so than the team would follow course.

 

[Alexander]

Even if that is the case, you don't see Hitchens starting over the mighty Carter and Durant tandem if he shows the ability? I went off on the Lee tangent bc it's something I've thought could lengthen his career more so than the team would follow course.

I do not think he even comes close to unseating either, including Kyle Wilber who should compete more with Durant. He will end up being the primary reserve behind Lee and unfortunately may get pressed into service way before he is ready.

 

[Tobal]

I'm fine with it if the guy was the top player on the board.....or even in the top 5 players on the board... I seriously doubt he was though

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Virtually every player drafted is initially thought of as a back-up... granted there are some in the 1st and 2nd rounds that were chosen to fill an empty or nearly empty void on the roster, but most are coming into a situation where the drafted player is at least initially playing behind an established player of some capability.

And when you get to the 4th round? Yeah, all the players chosen are back-ups to one extent or another.

 

[Alexander]

I'm fine with it if the guy was the top player on the board.....or even in the top 5 players on the board... I seriously doubt he was though

I would be curious to see the board, but I believe it does not leak this year like it has in the past.

 

[Alexander]

Virtually every player drafted is initially thought of as a back-up... granted there are some in the 1st and 2nd rounds that were chosen to fill an empty or nearly empty void on the roster, but most are coming into a situation where the drafted player is at least initially playing behind an established player of some capability.

And when you get to the 4th round? Yeah, all the players chosen are back-ups to one extent or another.

There is one thing to be a backup competing with someone on the roster on shaky ground. Lee will not be fighting for his job, so this pick was legitimately for a reserve role. I don't even think he can see the field in subpackages as a nickel linebacker over Lee in the middle.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

There is one thing to be a backup competing with someone on the roster on shaky ground. Lee will not be fighting for his job, so this pick was legitimately for a reserve role. I don't even think he can see the field in subpackages as a nickel linebacker over Lee in the middle.

If Lee had a reputation as a "Iron Man" I would say, "Yeah, this guy's not going to sniff the field"... But given Lee's history... Hitchens is probably going to be starting 3-5 games a season. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on goal line/short yardage situations also.

 

[Alexander]

If Lee had a reputation as a "Iron Man" I would say, "Yeah, this guy's not going to sniff the field"... But given Lee's history... Hitchens is probably going to be starting 3-5 games a season. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on goal line/short yardage situations also.

That is understood, but he is strictly a reserve if and until the inevitable missed time from Lee.

 

[dargonking999]

If we are drafting imm starters in the fourth round doesnt that speak worse about the state of the franchise, then if we were drafting someone to come in and back-up a player and be able to sub into certain packages, or step in a play for a few games if a injury was to occur?

Personally I find that drafting players who have potential and keeping them as a back up is what smart franchises do, in order to provide not only competition during camp but also to alleviate the impact of injuries. But hey I guess if you think poorly enough of a team, every thing they do can and will be stupid.

 

[Alexander]

Personally I find that drafting players who have potential and keeping them as a back up is what smart franchises do, in order to provide not only competition during camp but also to alleviate the impact of injuries.

Wait, so Hitchens is going to "compete" with Sean Lee? No. He will compete with everyone else to be the injury replacement.

If the idea was to enhance "competition" there would have been someone taken capable of battling it out with Carter.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

That is understood, but he is strictly a reserve if and until the inevitable missed time from Lee.

Yes.

And that's OK by me... I think he's better equipped to play the middle than any other LB on the roster (other than Lee).

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

That is understood, but he is strictly a reserve if and until the inevitable missed time from Lee.

And then you listen to Garrett at his presser where he says that they will start him at mike but they expect him to come in and compete from day 1. They also said they were no longer in the business of drafting backups and special teams players. That they were looking for positional players and developmental prospects that could also play special teams.

 

[BigStar]

I guess it makes people feel better about the choice to pretend we did not pick a reserve. Jerry Jones has said it, Stephen Jones has said it, practically every source has stated that Lee is not moving anywhere.

Trust me, was no fan of the pick when announced, I didn't even know the player tbh. Just about any DL/OL/RB would've been a wiser choice, but to come out and say we drafted a back up? That seems like pretty poor PR,even from the Jones clan. I also think the OLBs can be supplanted if he shows the ability; they are just JAGs @ this point (Durant) and a more athletic version of Bobby Carpenter (Carter).

 

[big dog cowboy]

Glad to read that about Ealy. Really did not want him.

 

[cowboyfan4life2]

They could have had hitchens later on, why not go safety, or even perhaps a rb at that point.