Howard Jones LB Shepherd coming in for private workout

[RS12]

 

[RS12]

Looks like they are going to shoot for the stars with those six 7th rounders

 

[tm1119]

We got 6 of em.....might as well do some due diligence

 

[morasp]

Possible edge rusher.

Analysis
Strengths
Muscular build with long arms. Intriguing athleticism. Outstanding straight-line speed and leaping ability. Explosive edge burst. Displays good balance, body control and agility as a rusher. Dips inside suddenly. Closes fast and shows striking ability. Flashes power potential. Has special-teams experience. Durable four-year starter.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/howard-jones?id=2543645

 

[Alexander]

This is good.

 

[CowboysLaw87]

I know nothing about him but I actually have seen "Twitter scouts" talk about him as a 3rd-5th round possibility. Incredibly unfair, having not seen a snap of his film, but already shades of Jason Williams running through my head.

 

[DFWJC]

No chance we actually use all 6 of those picks in the 7th. okay, maybe 1% chance. My guess is we end up picking in the 6th round at some point.

But this is good choice as one to take a closer look at.

 

[xwalker]

I know nothing about him but I actually have seen "Twitter scouts" talk about him as a 3rd-5th round possibility. Incredibly unfair, having not seen a snap of his film, but already shades of Jason Williams running through my head.

He was a pass rusher in college. He played DE in the NFLPA game.

The fact that he is coming in for a visit probably eliminates the Jason Williams issue which was a poor mental makeup. The Cowboys have been much better in evaluating the mental makeup of players since Garrett became the Head Coach. He even had them hire an outside company that assists with the mental makeup evaluation.

The Cowboys have generally had success with the player that they drafted that had visited Valley Ranch or that they had otherwise met with privately.

Callahan spent significant time with Frederick prior to the draft; however, nobody on the Cowboys actually talked to Morris Claiborne prior to his draft.

 

[Idgit]

Sounds like we'd Like to Get To Know Him Well.

 

[CowboysLaw87]

He was a pass rusher in college. He played DE in the NFLPA game.

The fact that he is coming in for a visit probably eliminates the Jason Williams issue which was a poor mental makeup. The Cowboys have been much better in evaluating the mental makeup of players since Garrett became the Head Coach. He even had them hire an outside company that assists with the mental makeup evaluation.

The Cowboys have generally had success with the player that they drafted that had visited Valley Ranch or that they had otherwise met with privately.

Callahan spent significant time with Frederick prior to the draft; however, nobody on the Cowboys actually talked to Morris Claiborne prior to his draft.

All good points. Strangely enough, I am starting to gain some confidence in our drafting. It's been pretty solid since that infamous 2009 draft (2012 possibly excepted), and if we put a star on this kid's helmet, then I'm 100% on board.

Here's the only video available of Howard Jones on draftbreakdown... http://draftbreakdown.com/players/howard-jones/

 

[visionary]

All good points. Strangely enough, I am starting to gain some confidence in our drafting. It's been pretty solid since that infamous 2009 draft (2012 possibly excepted), and if we put a star on this kid's helmet, then I'm 100% on board.

Here's the only video available of Howard Jones on draftbreakdown... http://draftbreakdown.com/players/howard-jones/

not realy, we have really only the 2013 draft to talk about in that vein and it may well be a head-fake that indicator of real direction change. you have to put together a few solid drafts in a row to develop the necessary depth and need to focus on having a balance and building the trenches

if we have a solid draft this year and focus on front 7 and OL and avoid the shiny picks, then i would agree that the winds may be beginning to but memories of trading up for a middle of the pack CB like Claiborne speak of poor talent evaluation AND a very poor sense of how the draft should work

 

[Idgit]

All good points. Strangely enough, I am starting to gain some confidence in our drafting. It's been pretty solid since that infamous 2009 draft (2012 possibly excepted), and if we put a star on this kid's helmet, then I'm 100% on board.

Here's the only video available of Howard Jones on draftbreakdown... http://draftbreakdown.com/players/howard-jones/

I think so, too. Not just the draft picks, obviously, but also the job we've done in college free agency during that time. We're at least methodical about addressing positions of need, and we've shown a willingness to bring in a ton of resources at once to address problem areas.

 

[visionary]

I think so, too. Not just the draft picks, obviously, but also the job we've done in college free agency during that time. We're at least methodical about addressing positions of need, and we've shown a willingness to bring in a ton of resources at once to address problem areas.

2013: scouts rated floyd #5, jerry traded down taking less value on apparently kiffin's say so but all indications are that coskowski and garrett wanted him and were upset

in hindsight it turned out well but that clearly speaks to a VERY bad draft selection process

2012: glaring needs at OL and DL and we trade up to pick Mo, a player we had not even had a pre-draft visit with which led to a bad pick, poorly evaluated by the FO and bad talent evaluation since he has not turned out to be anywhere close to worth a #6 overall pick. clearly speaks to a fractured draft process

Mo, crawford, wilber, and johnson is not exactly a draft that indicates that we are doing well

both drafts highlight VERY significant issues with the draft process

you will be happy with anything the cowboys do, the logical among us would like to wait for real evidence

 

[JD_KaPow]

2013: scouts rated floyd #5, jerry traded down taking less value on apparently kiffin's say so but all indications are that coskowski and garrett wanted him and were upset

in hindsight it turned out well but that clearly speaks to a VERY bad draft selection process

2012: glaring needs at OL and DL and we trade up to pick Mo, a player we had not even had a pre-draft visit with which led to a bad pick, poorly evaluated by the FO and bad talent evaluation since he has not turned out to be anywhere close to worth a #6 overall pick. clearly speaks to a fractured draft process

I agree that the first-round fiasco this past year raised some concerns about their process. I disagree about 2012. They were prepared to make the move they wanted to make, the trade up was very cheap, the player was highly regarded by everyone including the Cowboys scouts, and they were focused on BPA instead of need (as they should be). The fact that it hasn't worked out to date is another issue. It looks to me like a good process in 2012 with a poor result (hopefully that gets turned around) and a bad process in 2013 with a good result. I'll take the good process every time. I'm hoping the 2013 stuff was the anomaly.

 

[visionary]

I agree that the first-round fiasco this past year raised some concerns about their process. I disagree about 2012. They were prepared to make the move they wanted to make, the trade up was very cheap, the player was highly regarded by everyone including the Cowboys scouts, and they were focused on BPA instead of need (as they should be). The fact that it hasn't worked out to date is another issue. It looks to me like a good process in 2012 with a poor result (hopefully that gets turned around) and a bad process in 2013 with a good result. I'll take the good process every time. I'm hoping the 2013 stuff was the anomaly.

they were so prepared they did not even bring Mo in for a pre-draft visit
this is a guy who had a wonderlic of 8, if you want to use your rd 1and 2 picks to take him dont you have any concerns and would evaluate him properly?

i consider that a bad process of evaluation and draft selection

 

[Idgit]

...you will be happy with anything the cowboys do, the logical among us would like to wait for real evidence

My post history clearly suggests the opposite as I'm openly critical of the team in several areas that actually affect winning and losing. But your fantasy in this regard is, at least, consistent.

I've said in other threads that I look at both the draft and CFA collectively for an offseason since they combine to represent the collective effort of the scouts and management to evaluate the rookie talent pool. We know for a fact, for example, that the Cowboys will not select a player they have a mid-round grade on in some cases if they expect that player will make it to college free agency and thus be available without a pick. This is because the teams in this league approach the rookie talent pool as a whole and don't just look at adding talent with their actual picks.

What that in mind, 2012 brought us Mo, Leary, Wilber, Crawford, Hannah, Dunbar, Johnson, and Beasley. By my count, that's 4 starters or key role players and three other players who all play significant snaps on offense or defense. And, of course, Johnson, who you guys all dislike for whatever backwards reasons. Apart from Leary, the OL need was addressed in VFA, though you complained about that and were proven wrong in retrospect, too. Not too bad with a fractured process.

The Mo pick was a really good maneuver in that draft, and it's turned out that he hasn't been worth the value we gave up to get him to-date. That might be because he was mis-evaluated, but I'm not so sure that's the case. I still consider him a work in process, but there's no denying he's underdelivered on everybody's expectations.

2013, then, brought us Frederick, Escobar, Williams, Wilcox, Holloman, Heath, and Hamilton. It's too early to evaluate that class as a whole, but it looks like we could have as many as five starters from that group half way through their respective rookie contracts. I have a hard time buying any argument that finds fault with that for no better reason than they didn't like the discussion going on in the draft room at the time the first round selection was made. Then again, I don't have any particular ax to grind when it comes to evaluating what the team does I just try to look at the players who were added and evaluate them based on their relative ability to perform on our roster over time.

 

[robert70x7]

This guy ain't going to last to the 7th.

 

[visionary]

My post history clearly suggests the opposite as I'm openly critical of the team in several areas that actually affect winning and losing. But your fantasy in this regard is, at least, consistent.

I've said in other threads that I look at both the draft and CFA collectively for an offseason since they combine to represent the collective effort of the scouts and management to evaluate the rookie talent pool. We know for a fact, for example, that the Cowboys will not select a player they have a mid-round grade on in some cases if they expect that player will make it to college free agency and thus be available without a pick. This is because the teams in this league approach the rookie talent pool as a whole and don't just look at adding talent with their actual picks.

What that in mind, 2012 brought us Mo, Leary, Wilber, Crawford, Hannah, Dunbar, Johnson, and Beasley. By my count, that's 4 starters or key role players and three other players who all play significant snaps on offense or defense. And, of course, Johnson, who you guys all dislike for whatever backwards reasons. Apart from Leary, the OL need was addressed in VFA, though you complained about that and were proven wrong in retrospect, too. Not too bad with a fractured process.

The Mo pick was a really good maneuver in that draft, and it's turned out that he hasn't been worth the value we gave up to get him to-date. That might be because he was mis-evaluated, but I'm not so sure that's the case. I still consider him a work in process, but there's no denying he's underdelivered on everybody's expectations.

2013, then, brought us Frederick, Escobar, Williams, Wilcox, Holloman, Heath, and Hamilton. It's too early to evaluate that class as a whole, but it looks like we could have as many as five starters from that group half way through their respective rookie contracts. I have a hard time buying any argument that finds fault with that for no better reason than they didn't like the discussion going on in the draft room at the time the first round selection was made. Then again, I don't have any particular ax to grind when it comes to evaluating what the team does I just try to look at the players who were added and evaluate them based on their relative ability to perform on our roster over time.

i can assure you that there are homers like you on the jaguars and browns message boards creating exactly the sort of revisionist history you are to try and make themselves feel better

the 2012 draft has given us a middling CB, bit players in hannah and beasley and (your specialty) "hope and believe" in crawford

both drafts have shown clear evidence of a fractured draft process where coaches and scouts are not on the same page as the GM who makes decisions based on whim and fancy at the last minute without having planned for possibilities

you may be a fan of this process, i am not

 

[JPostSam]

video seems to indicate this guy has no chance going up against tackles. maybe he'd be better off as a 3-4 OLB?

 

[CowboysLaw87]

video seems to indicate this guy has no chance going up against tackles. maybe he'd be better off as a 3-4 OLB?

Agreed. I had heard some hype about him but he looks miserable in this game. He's in the 230's, so not holding up at the POA doesn't surprise me, but does he even look like too great of an athlete as a run and chase player? Nothing stands out.