Fisher: Should Cowboys Use 10 Picks Now, Or On Draft

It’s not about getting 10 players with 10 picks. It’s about drafting 10 guys and hoping you find 5-6 studs. What many forget about the early 90’s and the Walker trade is they only hit on around 50% of the picks. Jimmy covered his or the players failures by throwing quantity at it.

I’m not saying don’t package some picks to get the guy you want, but Jimmy did package his picks to get LB Francis, the guy he wanted in round one. He valued quantity, sat pat, and selected Emmitt Smith at #17.

If we drafted 10 players and 5 of them made the team and became starters, that’s a good draft.
 
darthseinfeld said:
Fish asks the question of wheather the extra comp picks would be better served adding veteran talent or to make trades on draft day
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I'm a big fan of trading for picks in the following year. You usually get a draft round bump for waiting a year. Good deal, particularly when we've got a bunch of extra picks and maybe not so many roster spots.
 
Chuck 54 said:
It’s not about getting 10 players with 10 picks. It’s about drafting 10 guys and hoping you find 5-6 studs. What many forget about the early 90’s and the Walker trade is they only hit on around 50% of the picks. Jimmy covered his or the players failures by throwing quantity at it.

I’m not saying don’t package some picks to get the guy you want, but Jimmy did package his picks to get LB Francis, the guy he wanted in round one. He valued quantity, sat pat, and selected Emmitt Smith at #17.

If we drafted 10 players and 5 of them made the team and became starters, that’s a good draft.
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I completely agree with you, but I think we traded up to get Emmitt. I could be wrong, with I think we jumped up like 4 spots.
 
dwreck27 said:
What if someone else doesnt hesitate and pulls the trigger to shore up a position for at least the next 5 years with a former all pro/ pro bowl level safety who will bring leadership and a Superbowl pedigree to their secondary?
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Anyone expecting that out of Earl Thomas at this point of his career is engaged in wishful thinking.
 
Chuck 54 said:
It’s not about getting 10 players with 10 picks. It’s about drafting 10 guys and hoping you find 5-6 studs. What many forget about the early 90’s and the Walker trade is they only hit on around 50% of the picks. Jimmy covered his or the players failures by throwing quantity at it.

I’m not saying don’t package some picks to get the guy you want, but Jimmy did package his picks to get LB Francis, the guy he wanted in round one. He valued quantity, sat pat, and selected Emmitt Smith at #17.

If we drafted 10 players and 5 of them made the team and became starters, that’s a good draft.
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Spot on. Most don't remember Alexander Wright was a high 2nd round pick that didn't make it (at least we moved him to Oakland, but I don't remember for what). And there was a D-lineman taken early in the 4th that didn't even make it out of camp. And too many folks here think the Cowboys' draft failures are unique. Throw out Gregory (which I was on board with btw - thought it was a good risk/reward bet) and J Smith (which I was not on board with, not because of Smith, but the back-to-back 2nd round risks) and they're on par or better than the league average for draft success.
 
we actually draft pretty well when Jerry does not try to be cute (Gregory) or try and replace Witten.

PROBLEM is that our FA failures just about cancel that out. You have to balance FA and the Draft and be good at both to be consistent contenders.

Well that and have a competent coaching staff and FO
 
Let's see, drafting is somewhat like flipping a coin to find the probability of a head or a tail. Flip once and if it comes up heads, you have your answer, the probability of heads with a single coin flip is 100%. Sure, trade all ten for the first pick in the draft, you may get heads. The problem is the probability of coming up heads in a single coin flip is 50/50. Put another way, the more you flip the coin the better the chances of finding out the REAL probability of heads and tails. If you want 4 starters (we'll call them heads in this scenario), which gives you the better probability 10 picks or 6? There are very few surety's in the draft.
 
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Chuck 54 said:
It’s not about getting 10 players with 10 picks. It’s about drafting 10 guys and hoping you find 5-6 studs. What many forget about the early 90’s and the Walker trade is they only hit on around 50% of the picks. Jimmy covered his or the players failures by throwing quantity at it.

I’m not saying don’t package some picks to get the guy you want, but Jimmy did package his picks to get LB Francis, the guy he wanted in round one. He valued quantity, sat pat, and selected Emmitt Smith at #17.

If we drafted 10 players and 5 of them made the team and became starters, that’s a good draft.
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Excellent post. The law of probability. Try the lottery, the more lottery tickets purchased the higher the chance of winning something and recouping the money laid out for multiple tickets
 
Trading up in first rnd a few spots is not to bad but anymore than that hurts bad
Trading up in the second is much more doable
To me the top of the second in this draft is as pretty good
If I could add a top second and keep 50 I wouldn’t care if the draft brought in much less than 10 players
Quality over quantity
 
Scotman said:
I completely agree with you, but I think we traded up to get Emmitt. I could be wrong, with I think we jumped up like 4 spots.
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Correct. Jimmy was trying to move up from 21 to 13 (KC's pick) to get Baylor LB Francis. It's been written that Jimmy thought he could get by with Plan B free agent Keith Jones at running back. Before the deal was completed, Cinncy took Francis at 12. Then Jimmy tried to swing a trade with Cinncy for Francis, but they wouldn't let him go. Jimmy had already talked to Pittsburg about trading up to 17 for Francis too. So Pittsburg actually called Jimmy and Jerry to make the deal because their guy was lower.

Once Dallas was on the clock at 17, the debate was between taking Emmitt Smith, Darrell Thompson, Steve Broussard, Rodney Hampton or linebacker Tony Bennett (scary, huh?). It's said that Walt Yaworsky, the Cowboys scout, was most responsible for Emmitt winding up in Dallas. Every time they'd discuss another player, Walt wouldn't go away and just kept insisting that Emmitt had to be their guy. The others in the draft room weren't convinced because of his lack of speed. John Wooten, the former long-time Cowboys scout and pro personnel director, says Yaworsky wouldn't go away, and really got up on the table for Smith.

Just go to show that it wasn't all the genius of Jimmy or the gambling of Jerry. Sometimes the scouts make all the difference. (All of this is easily Googled by the way)
 
TwoDeep3 said:
Yes trade down and get a bunch more lesser talent. Never understood this thinking.

I'd rather trade up for Vela.
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Here's the last time the Cowboys went the "trade down" route:

Round/Overall Pick/Player/Position

3 / 69 / Jason Williams / Linebacker

3 / 75 / Robert Brewster / Offensive Tackle

4 / 101 / Stephen McGee / Quarterback

4 / 110 / Victor Butler / Linebacker

4 / 120 / Brandon Williams / Defensive End

5 / 153 / DeAngelo Smith / Cincinnati

5 / 166 / Michael Hamlin / Safety

5 / 172 / David Buehler / Kicker

6 / 197 / Stephen Hodge / Safety

6 / 208 / John Phillips / Tight End

7 / 227 / Mike Mickens / Cornerback

7 / 229 / Manuel Johnson / Wide Receiver



They may as well have sat out that draft entirely.
 
No question, they need a star safety in Earl Thomas. We can't keep worrying about future contracts, especially if Garrett is on hot seat! U better get him some studs, they waste so many draft picks! Look at all the bs they've drafted in the past 20 yrs! AWFUL! I just nearly vomited looking at the past history of our drafts.. We have 10 picks now, and a team is taking offers for the top safety in the league in my eyes, at a position we desperately need! I'm doing what it takes to go get Earl.. I don't trust the guys in the war room. You don't get these kind of opportunities to add one of the best safety's in the game via trade.. Stephen & Jerry have to take advantage of it, grow some balls and go get Earl.. I'm sick and tired of the Gregory/Bennett/Escobar/Carter/Taco/Byron/Jaylon/Fasano picks!
 
stasheroo said:
Here's the last time the Cowboys went the "trade down" route:

Round/Overall Pick/Player/Position

3 / 69 / Jason Williams / Linebacker

3 / 75 / Robert Brewster / Offensive Tackle

4 / 101 / Stephen McGee / Quarterback

4 / 110 / Victor Butler / Linebacker

4 / 120 / Brandon Williams / Defensive End

5 / 153 / DeAngelo Smith / Cincinnati

5 / 166 / Michael Hamlin / Safety

5 / 172 / David Buehler / Kicker

6 / 197 / Stephen Hodge / Safety

6 / 208 / John Phillips / Tight End

7 / 227 / Mike Mickens / Cornerback

7 / 229 / Manuel Johnson / Wide Receiver



They may as well have sat out that draft entirely.
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My eyes! My eyes! It hurts to read that.
Man, I remember that debacle.
 
RoboQB said:
My eyes! My eyes! It hurts to read that.
Man, I remember that debacle.
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Same here, despite my best efforts.

And I also "fondly" remember Super Fans defending it at the time as well. "You have to give it 3 years!" And "how can you criticize them for drafting someone you never heard of in Robert Brewster? They get paid to do this stuff and you don't!"

Good times, good times.
 
The Boys will us all the picks as this is what our Limited Cap designates. Rookies are cheap hence pick-away Jerry and may Gridiron Gods take pity on us ....
 
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