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by Peter Schrager
Peter Schrager is a frequent contributor for FOXSports.com. You can e-mail him at PeterSchrager@gmail.com
Updated: April 11, 2008, 12:33 PM EST Comment add this RSS blog email print Sixteen years ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the top two overall picks in the 1992 NFL draft.
Yep, No. 1 and No. 2.
Want to know about the next generation of NFL stars? We've got you covered as the clock ticks down toward the 2008 draft. This was before free agency, before every person with a keyboard had a mock draft up on the Internet, and before, well, the Internet itself. April of '92. A Clinton was running for the White House, the Commanders were kings of football, and Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" was No. 1 on the charts. Times were certainly different.
With those two picks, the Colts opted to beef up their defense, a unit that surrendered 381 points in a dismal 1-15 campaign the year before. Steve Emtman, a dominant defensive tackle out of Washington, went No. 1, and Quentin Coryatt, an All-American linebacker out of Texas A&M, went No. 2.
Though both had decent NFL careers — injuries plagued Emtman and Coryatt was never the star Indianapolis front office brass had hoped he would be — they were out of the league by 1999 after a combined zero Pro Bowl appearances. In that '92 draft, the Colts passed up future NFL greats Jimmy Smith, Darren Woodson, Rod Smith, Sean Gilbert, Dale Carter and Troy Vincent.
The No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks. Can you imagine the media buzz around such a situation today? Sixteen years ago, there were no talking heads on eight ESPN networks screaming about what Indy should do with their picks 24 hours per day, every day for the entire month leading up to the draft. There were no RSS feeds from 10 different web sites pumping out rumors by the minute, and no second TV network with a second set of experts covering every minute and every pick of draft weekend.
Today if a team had the top two picks in an NFL draft, it'd be all you ever heard about. America's in an economic crisis? The Dolphins have the top two picks in the draft! Job cuts are at an all-time high? The Dolphins have the top two picks in the draft!
In truth, the Cowboys have two first-round picks in the 20s this year — No. 22 and No. 28 — and "What's Dallas going to do" has become one of the main plotlines, if not the main plotline, three weeks ahead of draft day. Early speculation had the 'Boys trading both the picks to a team with a top 3 pick — potentially even Miami's No. 1 — to grab Arkansas running back Darren McFadden (Jerry Jones has an affection for those in Fayetteville). As the weeks passed and a McFadden trade seemed to no longer be a realistic possibility, rumors had the 'Boys swapping either the 22nd or 28th pick for an All-Pro caliber receiver. Names tossed around were Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin, and Roy Williams.
Now, coming out of the owners' meetings, it seems as though those rumors have died down a bit, too. That leaves us with these two most likely Cowboys draft day scenarios:
Scenario 1: The Cowboys hold on to both picks, opting to use one on a cornerback and the other on either a receiver or running back. It's no secret that the Cowboys are thin at CB. Terence Newman and Anthony Henry are backed up by a host of unproven commodities including legendary names like Alan Ball and Tyler Everett. Their third corner in '07, Jacques Reeves, who wasn't exactly Darrell Green anyway, is now with the Texans, and fellow backup Nathan Jones is now a Dolphin.
The '08 draft is rich with first-round cornerback talent, and the 'Boys can likely scoop up a future starter with Arizona's Antoine Cason, South Florida's Mike Jenkins, or Virginia Tech's Brandon Flowers at 22.
If the Cowboys were to stay put and keep their second first-round pick, they'd likely look to bolster an aging receiving corps or scoop up a change-of-pace back to combine with Marion Barber. Potential first round-caliber receivers that may still be around at 28 are LSU's Early Doucet, Michigan's Mario Manningham, and Indiana big man James Hardy. Each prospect brings a unique skill set to the table and would serve as a suitable understudy to veteran wideouts Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton and Terry Glenn in their first years in the league.
As for available running backs, Felix Jones — the other Razorback HB — seems to have Dallas Cowboys written all over him. On top of the Arkansas connection, Jones, a lighting-fast game-breaker who works best in the open field, would serve as a nice complement to Barber's bruising rushing style. Jones could also add another dimension to the Cowboys' kick and punt return games. Jamaal Charles and Jonathan Stewart — though both fine prospects in their own right — might not fill the role as the lightning to Barber's thunder quite as well as Jones.
Some mock drafts (not mine) have Stewart off the board before either Dallas pick. If Dallas were to go running back at 28, I'd see Jones as the desired choice.
Scenario 2: The Cowboys use one of the picks and trade down with the other in exchange for a few additional picks, either later in this year's draft or in a future one. Dallas has a long history of draft-day deals, and this year could be no different. Last year the 'Boys traded their original pick for Cleveland's 2008 first-rounder, only to then trade up with Philadelphia to get the guy they coveted all along — Purdue's Anthony Spencer.
If Brian Brohm's still on the board at 28 — as he very well might be — that opens the door to a host of possibilities. In the same way that the Cowboys traded last year's 23rd selection to Cleveland for a chance at Brady Quinn, Dallas could swap the 28th pick for a pair of later-round selections from potentially interested parties looking to land Brohm. Three teams — the Dolphins, Falcons, and Ravens — come to mind. Whether in a trade involving the rights to Brohm or not, if Dallas opts to ship one of their two picks elsewhere, it's safe to assume that they'll use their remaining pick on defense and pick up receiver and running back help in later rounds. It's worth noting that Jerry Jones has not drafted an offensive player in the first round since 1997, when the Cowboys took LSU tight end David LeFleur 22nd overall. That's 10 years.
Each and every Dallas first-round pick since 1997 has been spent on a defensive player:
2007: Anthony Spencer, DE, Purdue
2006: Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio St.
2005: DeMarcus Ware, DE, Troy
2005: Marcus Spears, DE, LSU
2004: No selection
2003: Terence Newman, CB, Kansas St.
2002: Roy Williams, S, Oklahoma
2001: No selection
2000: No selection
1999: Ebenezer Ekuban, DE, UNC
1998: Greg Ellis, DE, UNC
What will Dallas end up doing come April 26? My NFL draft Magic 8-Ball sees a shiny new cornerback in training camp, working out with Newman and Henry. Other than that, there's a clouded question mark hovering over a young receiver, Felix Jones, or a few other draft picks in the later rounds.
Yep, a Magic 8-Ball. I know, how 1992.
The Eric Wright Effect
Entering last year's draft, draft pundits near and far agreed that cornerback Eric Wright had first-round talent written all over him. A starting corner at USC who dominated during his one year at UNLV, Wright's draft status took a major hit because of his dismissal from Southern Cal. Though the details were murky, teams shied away from the ultra-talented Wright, thinking it wasn't worth the hassle in the still-young Roger Goodell Era.
Wright slipped all the way to No. 53, where the Browns gladly scooped him up. By the end of the season, he was starting for a team in the AFC playoff hunt, and making plays on a weekly basis.
Wright wasn't the only player who slipped last year because of off-the-field issues. Marcus Thomas, a menacing defensive tackle while on the field at Florida, slipped to the fourth round, where the Broncos made him the 121st pick overall. Thomas started the last four games of the 2007 season for Denver and is thought to be one of their defensive cornerstones of the future. The Giants' seventh-round pick, Ahmad Bradshaw, had some off-the-field issues during his time at both Virginia and Marshall, too. He fell all the way to No. 250.
Of course, this is nothing new. Whereas Lawrence Phillips was still drafted No. 6 overall despite a rap sheet a mile long, NFL stars Randy Moss, Warren Sapp, and Laveranues Coles all fell in their respective drafts because of off-the-field concerns.
Who are some guys who might fall victim to the Eric Wright Effect this year? Here are just a few:
Adarius Bowman, WR, Oklahoma State: Despite all the physical gifts in the world, Bowman may go undrafted. Though he put up fantastic numbers at OSU, teams will be gun shy about spending a draft pick on a player who left North Carolina after some off-the-field stuff in '05 and was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession just a few weeks before the NFL draft.
Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan: Manningham's got the skills, the talent and the speed to be a real star at the next level. He does come with a bit of baggage, though. He was suspended in '07 for the Eastern Michigan game because of a violation of team policy, and there was an incident involving the cops last April. He's since come clean about the suspension and apologized, showing maturity in the process — but some teams may stay away, anyway.
Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech: Though nothing's been confirmed, there have been some rumors swirling about Flowers' off-the-field activities, as some suspicious photos appeared on his Facebook page and then leaked to TheBigLead.com in January. Yes, his Facebook page. The 2008 NFL Draft, folks!
Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State: Shirley was suspended three times last season, with the last one being for an indefinite amount of time. Not exactly the type of stuff you want highlighted at the top of your resume. Shirley most likely won't even be drafted. Surely.
James Hardy, WR, Indiana: Hardy, the 6-foot-6 wide receiver out of Indiana, was arrested back in '06 and suspended for two games during his sophomore season. Though some teams will trust Hardy's matured in those two years, some may think they're better off just staying away.
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Peter Schrager is a frequent contributor for FOXSports.com. You can e-mail him at PeterSchrager@gmail.com
Updated: April 11, 2008, 12:33 PM EST Comment add this RSS blog email print Sixteen years ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the top two overall picks in the 1992 NFL draft.
Yep, No. 1 and No. 2.
Want to know about the next generation of NFL stars? We've got you covered as the clock ticks down toward the 2008 draft. This was before free agency, before every person with a keyboard had a mock draft up on the Internet, and before, well, the Internet itself. April of '92. A Clinton was running for the White House, the Commanders were kings of football, and Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" was No. 1 on the charts. Times were certainly different.
With those two picks, the Colts opted to beef up their defense, a unit that surrendered 381 points in a dismal 1-15 campaign the year before. Steve Emtman, a dominant defensive tackle out of Washington, went No. 1, and Quentin Coryatt, an All-American linebacker out of Texas A&M, went No. 2.
Though both had decent NFL careers — injuries plagued Emtman and Coryatt was never the star Indianapolis front office brass had hoped he would be — they were out of the league by 1999 after a combined zero Pro Bowl appearances. In that '92 draft, the Colts passed up future NFL greats Jimmy Smith, Darren Woodson, Rod Smith, Sean Gilbert, Dale Carter and Troy Vincent.
The No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks. Can you imagine the media buzz around such a situation today? Sixteen years ago, there were no talking heads on eight ESPN networks screaming about what Indy should do with their picks 24 hours per day, every day for the entire month leading up to the draft. There were no RSS feeds from 10 different web sites pumping out rumors by the minute, and no second TV network with a second set of experts covering every minute and every pick of draft weekend.
Today if a team had the top two picks in an NFL draft, it'd be all you ever heard about. America's in an economic crisis? The Dolphins have the top two picks in the draft! Job cuts are at an all-time high? The Dolphins have the top two picks in the draft!
In truth, the Cowboys have two first-round picks in the 20s this year — No. 22 and No. 28 — and "What's Dallas going to do" has become one of the main plotlines, if not the main plotline, three weeks ahead of draft day. Early speculation had the 'Boys trading both the picks to a team with a top 3 pick — potentially even Miami's No. 1 — to grab Arkansas running back Darren McFadden (Jerry Jones has an affection for those in Fayetteville). As the weeks passed and a McFadden trade seemed to no longer be a realistic possibility, rumors had the 'Boys swapping either the 22nd or 28th pick for an All-Pro caliber receiver. Names tossed around were Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin, and Roy Williams.
Now, coming out of the owners' meetings, it seems as though those rumors have died down a bit, too. That leaves us with these two most likely Cowboys draft day scenarios:
Scenario 1: The Cowboys hold on to both picks, opting to use one on a cornerback and the other on either a receiver or running back. It's no secret that the Cowboys are thin at CB. Terence Newman and Anthony Henry are backed up by a host of unproven commodities including legendary names like Alan Ball and Tyler Everett. Their third corner in '07, Jacques Reeves, who wasn't exactly Darrell Green anyway, is now with the Texans, and fellow backup Nathan Jones is now a Dolphin.
The '08 draft is rich with first-round cornerback talent, and the 'Boys can likely scoop up a future starter with Arizona's Antoine Cason, South Florida's Mike Jenkins, or Virginia Tech's Brandon Flowers at 22.
If the Cowboys were to stay put and keep their second first-round pick, they'd likely look to bolster an aging receiving corps or scoop up a change-of-pace back to combine with Marion Barber. Potential first round-caliber receivers that may still be around at 28 are LSU's Early Doucet, Michigan's Mario Manningham, and Indiana big man James Hardy. Each prospect brings a unique skill set to the table and would serve as a suitable understudy to veteran wideouts Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton and Terry Glenn in their first years in the league.
As for available running backs, Felix Jones — the other Razorback HB — seems to have Dallas Cowboys written all over him. On top of the Arkansas connection, Jones, a lighting-fast game-breaker who works best in the open field, would serve as a nice complement to Barber's bruising rushing style. Jones could also add another dimension to the Cowboys' kick and punt return games. Jamaal Charles and Jonathan Stewart — though both fine prospects in their own right — might not fill the role as the lightning to Barber's thunder quite as well as Jones.
Some mock drafts (not mine) have Stewart off the board before either Dallas pick. If Dallas were to go running back at 28, I'd see Jones as the desired choice.
Scenario 2: The Cowboys use one of the picks and trade down with the other in exchange for a few additional picks, either later in this year's draft or in a future one. Dallas has a long history of draft-day deals, and this year could be no different. Last year the 'Boys traded their original pick for Cleveland's 2008 first-rounder, only to then trade up with Philadelphia to get the guy they coveted all along — Purdue's Anthony Spencer.
If Brian Brohm's still on the board at 28 — as he very well might be — that opens the door to a host of possibilities. In the same way that the Cowboys traded last year's 23rd selection to Cleveland for a chance at Brady Quinn, Dallas could swap the 28th pick for a pair of later-round selections from potentially interested parties looking to land Brohm. Three teams — the Dolphins, Falcons, and Ravens — come to mind. Whether in a trade involving the rights to Brohm or not, if Dallas opts to ship one of their two picks elsewhere, it's safe to assume that they'll use their remaining pick on defense and pick up receiver and running back help in later rounds. It's worth noting that Jerry Jones has not drafted an offensive player in the first round since 1997, when the Cowboys took LSU tight end David LeFleur 22nd overall. That's 10 years.
Each and every Dallas first-round pick since 1997 has been spent on a defensive player:
2007: Anthony Spencer, DE, Purdue
2006: Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio St.
2005: DeMarcus Ware, DE, Troy
2005: Marcus Spears, DE, LSU
2004: No selection
2003: Terence Newman, CB, Kansas St.
2002: Roy Williams, S, Oklahoma
2001: No selection
2000: No selection
1999: Ebenezer Ekuban, DE, UNC
1998: Greg Ellis, DE, UNC
What will Dallas end up doing come April 26? My NFL draft Magic 8-Ball sees a shiny new cornerback in training camp, working out with Newman and Henry. Other than that, there's a clouded question mark hovering over a young receiver, Felix Jones, or a few other draft picks in the later rounds.
Yep, a Magic 8-Ball. I know, how 1992.
The Eric Wright Effect
Entering last year's draft, draft pundits near and far agreed that cornerback Eric Wright had first-round talent written all over him. A starting corner at USC who dominated during his one year at UNLV, Wright's draft status took a major hit because of his dismissal from Southern Cal. Though the details were murky, teams shied away from the ultra-talented Wright, thinking it wasn't worth the hassle in the still-young Roger Goodell Era.
Wright slipped all the way to No. 53, where the Browns gladly scooped him up. By the end of the season, he was starting for a team in the AFC playoff hunt, and making plays on a weekly basis.
Wright wasn't the only player who slipped last year because of off-the-field issues. Marcus Thomas, a menacing defensive tackle while on the field at Florida, slipped to the fourth round, where the Broncos made him the 121st pick overall. Thomas started the last four games of the 2007 season for Denver and is thought to be one of their defensive cornerstones of the future. The Giants' seventh-round pick, Ahmad Bradshaw, had some off-the-field issues during his time at both Virginia and Marshall, too. He fell all the way to No. 250.
Of course, this is nothing new. Whereas Lawrence Phillips was still drafted No. 6 overall despite a rap sheet a mile long, NFL stars Randy Moss, Warren Sapp, and Laveranues Coles all fell in their respective drafts because of off-the-field concerns.
Who are some guys who might fall victim to the Eric Wright Effect this year? Here are just a few:
Adarius Bowman, WR, Oklahoma State: Despite all the physical gifts in the world, Bowman may go undrafted. Though he put up fantastic numbers at OSU, teams will be gun shy about spending a draft pick on a player who left North Carolina after some off-the-field stuff in '05 and was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession just a few weeks before the NFL draft.
Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan: Manningham's got the skills, the talent and the speed to be a real star at the next level. He does come with a bit of baggage, though. He was suspended in '07 for the Eastern Michigan game because of a violation of team policy, and there was an incident involving the cops last April. He's since come clean about the suspension and apologized, showing maturity in the process — but some teams may stay away, anyway.
Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech: Though nothing's been confirmed, there have been some rumors swirling about Flowers' off-the-field activities, as some suspicious photos appeared on his Facebook page and then leaked to TheBigLead.com in January. Yes, his Facebook page. The 2008 NFL Draft, folks!
Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State: Shirley was suspended three times last season, with the last one being for an indefinite amount of time. Not exactly the type of stuff you want highlighted at the top of your resume. Shirley most likely won't even be drafted. Surely.
James Hardy, WR, Indiana: Hardy, the 6-foot-6 wide receiver out of Indiana, was arrested back in '06 and suspended for two games during his sophomore season. Though some teams will trust Hardy's matured in those two years, some may think they're better off just staying away.
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