FN: How the Dallas Cowboys blew their 2016 draft

[ConceptCoop]

The dude champions himself as a tennis enthusiast and a big Bob Dylan fan.

Internet-created, self-important nobody.

It doesn't say a lot about your argument that you resort to attacking the messanger, rather than the message.

 

[DBOY3141]

Just like his loyalty to Arkansas players. When's he's only drafted 1.

 

[Solution]

I wanted Bosa, but once we drafted Elliot the homer in me "made" me see the logic in it. I'm excited for Elliot, though people are acting like there was no risk in the pick and that just is not the case.

Regardless, the one thing that I said before the draft that was also mentioned in this article, is how nonsensical the argument is that Elliot was drafted to help the defense. If you're worried about the defense, then you simply take the best defender on the board and move on. I get the fact that a great run game helps the defense, but to argue that Elliot is more valuable to a defense than an actual defensive player (who is a stud, since we're all assuming Elliot is a stud) simply does not compute.

All in all this draft makes me excited for the offense (elliot), excited for the future (Smith), and excited for the D-line (3rd/4th round picks). I came away pretty happy, which now that I think about it sort of worries me...

 

[ConceptCoop]

Only Jerry Jones could contantly be accused of going splash over substance when in actuality you have only drafted 3 first round skill players in the last 25 years.

He wanted to draft Johnny Manziel a year after giving Tony Romo $108M. I think it's fair to say that Jerry has been better about trusting the process, but is drawn towards splash when he doesn't. My worry is that this year was an example of him not trusting said process. Elliott and Smith were both "splash", as trading up for Lynch would have been.

ETA: Jerry even called the selection of Martin over Manziel a move that would keep the team at 8-8.

 

[superonyx]

As opposed to......MSNBC? Please.

I didn't mention any network bias because the article was written by a fox sports writer not a msnbc sports writer.

You found the internet so you can also find the truth. No need to point you anywhere.

 

[superonyx]

yea, lord known CNN would NEVER write opinion pieces citing their preferences and NEVER utilize what gets them hits.

Yes they would...and they do...
But I didn't mention them because they didn't write this piece.
2 wrongs don't make a right...but to lefts do.

Don't be so defensive of Fox News...they spin and lie just like all the networks.

 

[DandyDon52]

It all depends on how dallas uses EE and how he does, and how the team does.

If this gets them past the div round then it was a good move.

But unless they win a SB some will say it was wrong move.

 

[DFWJC]

Caring what Fox sports says is like getting your news from Fox News.

Just clock bait stories to try and prey on people's worst emotions.
It's the corporate culture at Fox I guess.

Or MSNBC

Anyway, pretty sure Fox Sports and Fox News don't have same programmers.

But yeah, if we do like the draft then that guy is wrong

 

[Scandri100]

Lol i don't blame them one bit with the lack of talent in the top 10..Once Bosa was gone we were toast.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I like our draft selections but the picks definitely had that unconventional Jerry feel to them. My only objection is that we were making risky unconventional picks when we didn't need to. The draft was funneling players to us, no need to reach or roll the dice, just take the highly rated player still sitting there on the board. In the end Jerry is Jerry,,, he loves to gamble and good enough is never good enough.

 

[robjay04]

It's yet another example of what the mediocre-to-awful Cowboys of the last 20 years do best: putting star power and skill positions ahead of needs, consequences be damned.
l

Stopped reading here.

I love Zeke but I understand the argument against him. Regardless, this is an uninformed "point". We invested heavily in Roy Williams and Joey Galloway but besides that, we are damn conservative with our first round pick.

We spent a low to mid first on Felix Jones and a first on Dez. One of those worked out, regardless the point is we rarely heavily invest in "skill positions". I can think of an OT, CB, OG, C, CB being taken with our first over the past several years. Hardly skill position players. I can't even think of the last second round pick we have spent on a "skill position".

 

[robjay04]

As opposed to......MSNBC? Please.

It's all trash, research your own news to make your options. If you're getting your new from opinion articles on fox sports or Fox News opinion shows or msnbc opinion shows, you're likely uninformed.

I watch some opinion news, it's actually quite nice to hear what you want to hear but I won't go around quoting it.

 

[erod]

It doesn't say a lot about your argument that you resort to attacking the messanger, rather than the message.

It's a half-baked opinion designed to get people to talk about him. It's like arguing with a 3rd grader.

 

[erod]

I didn't mention any network bias because the article was written by a fox sports writer not a msnbc sports writer.

You found the internet so you can also find the truth. No need to point you anywhere.

Yeah, you kinda did.

 

[Knotamus]

Whatever... Heard this crappy click poddering articles before about our Cowboys.. I.e. 2013

Travis Fredrick was an awful pick and the parlay pick of Terrance Williams was just down right ridiculous. Smh

Nothing to see here folks.. Moving on

 

[Boyzmamacita]

People keep talking about the risk of taking a RB at #4 but it's a risk no matter what position you draft there. When is the last time we were satisfied with a DB taken in the top 10? T-New? Roy31? We weren't happy with those guys. It wouldn't have been long before Ramsey became public enemy #1 around here while going through the growing pains of a rookie DB. Zeke has a better chance of paying dividends in both the short and long term (at least 5 years I predict) than any corner. He's a special back and I predict that he will make teams covet the position of RB again. It's a copy cat league indeed.

 

[Sydla]

The article is over the top but his point isn't awful.

Drafting Elliott might have been a mistake. I tend to think it was a waste of the 4th pick as I believe this OL is so good the difference between Elliott and say a 3rd round back isn't great enough to justify the use of a premium Top 5 pick on a TB.

Elliott better be the top producing rookie TB this year.

 

[Knotamus]

Sounds to me that most people that aren't Dallas Cowboys fans are just Jealous..lol. They were grinning when Demarco left for the money. Now their just mad that we have the best RB coming out of college to pair with the best OL in football. All I have to say is.. Hahahahahahahahaha..

 

[ghst187]

You cant argue with a lot of what he said here. The problem with his thinking is that pairing Zeke with this Oline I would never call stupid. There is some sound logic in it. The problem I had with it is that in didnt go in line with value and long term success. I have no doubts that the other NFC teams are already having sleepless nights trying to figure out how they are going stop our offense. The problems is that we are having sleepless nights on how to stop anyone.

True but like someone else said, one player wasn't going to change our defense, but I would argue Zeke elevates our team more than any one player could've at four. In fact, you could make a good argument that Zeke helps our defense more than Ramsey would've. So maybe Zeke WAS indeed a defensive pick.
We got panned for not taking sharif and instead took a third rounder at the end of the first. I bad mouth our drafts as much as anyone but we have also had some moves like that which turned out to be absolute genius. I'll admit I wanted Manziel over Martin, but thankfully I was wrong since we took Martin.

 

[ccb04]

It's continually proven to be an exercise in futility to prematurely judge drafts & "free agency winners"...yet many folks just can't help themselves.

The way I see it:

- This draft lacked elite talent overall at the top. This pushed Elliott's value up a bit...and most ranked him as at least a top 10 player.

- Some in the NFL may have devalued RB's...but that doesn't mean every team does. Seattle paid Lynch & ran the ball more than 50% of the time with him. Minnesota hung onto an aging but still productive AP, despite the strained relationship. The Rams took a recovering Todd Gurley in the top 10 despite the previous busts. The Titans traded for Murray, and still drafted Henry in the 2nd. They also have a QB that is a threat with his legs. The identity they want to establish is pretty clear...even more so when listening to their HC.

- Scouts, front office personnel, pundits, etc...seemingly weren't sure on what Ramsey's position should be. But for the purpose of this article, he could be a shutdown CB or a bust. Of course, the bust part could apply to most any prospect. The Cowboys already went that route in the top 7 with former Thorpe Award winner Morris Claiborne. Ramsey's 'elite' athleticism was touted...yet Byron Jones had better numbers, to include breaking a world record. Ramsey (and Elliott), were among very few players I liked if staying at #4. Among the things I liked about Ramsey, was his potential versatility...which could mean he'd have to 'bust' at 3 positions: CB, FS, SS. Wasn't sure about him at CB...but did think he could potentially be a very good safety. But much like RB, how many safeties go top 5 or 10? And the safety many of us liked (Karl Joseph), went well ahead of where most expected him to.

- No single player in the draft was going to 'transform' the defense alone. Wasn't crazy about this group of edge rushers, or the CB class as a whole. I like the potential of Tapper as well as most any DE that could've been had. Collins seems like a solid scheme fit and was typically rated as a 2nd day player in a deeper class at his position.

- Buckner is not the kind of 'edge rusher' the Cowboys scheme looks for...but that was ignored in the article. Also, neither of the rookie sack leaders from the 2015 draft were 1st round picks. Additionally, Bosa was of course not an option.

- If/when healthy, the Cowboys may have gotten one of the best defensive players in the draft in Smith.