If LeCharles Bentley becomes available, Jerry would be a fool to pass him up.

[jterrell]

Joel Buchsbaum and Rick Gosselin, two of the best draft gurus around in 2002, both had Gurode going before Bentley in the draft. So did Mel Kiper, Frank Coyle, Dr. Z, Huddle Report, NFL Draft Countdown, Draft Insiders and every other major mock I draft can find from 2002. And most of those had Gurode going in the first round.

And by the way, the Cowboys' draft board put together by Larry Lacewell and crew had Gurode ranked 28th overall and Bentley 35th.

Anyone who watched Gurode play at Colorado CAN NOT complain about drafting him. He was an absolute beast.

Even now physically he is every bit as good as Bentley its the mental stuff beating him up.

 

[jterrell]

Balt, Pitt, ATL, Ariz are likely to want Centers.

Arizona's got a young ugy who was hurt all year and may be in a similar boat to us.

Balt and Pitt probably want to get younger and both teams value OL play a lot.

ATL could use a center.
NO of course would like to keep him.

There are generally regarded as 3 or 4 starting Centers from this draft class so Dallas should have not a ton of competition for the top C available with mnay feeling guys drafted in rounds 2 and 3 can start day 1.
But there will be feelers and Bentley will get paid.

1 potentila snag is teams who feel he can play OG as the numbers of teams needing OGs is double digits.

 

[BIGDen]

If Bently becomes a FA I would not be at all surprised to see this team pass on him. Heck we are passin on a good chance to seriously upgrade at DC with Dom Capers but we dont do it. We keep a guy like Sparano on this staff after what we saw from our OL. So I do not expect anything big like a Bently even if he becomes a FA.

I have the same feeling about Bentley and Capers, but I hope that we're both wrong at least about Bentley. The one thing that gives me a little optimism about signing him is that Parcells has commented in the past about how important the center position is to him. If his eyes are working at all, he knows that we need an upgrade at that position. That signing would be HUGE.

 

[AbeBeta]

Joel Buchsbaum and Rick Gosselin, two of the best draft gurus around in 2002, both had Gurode going before Bentley in the draft. So did Mel Kiper, Frank Coyle, Dr. Z, Huddle Report, NFL Draft Countdown, Draft Insiders and every other major mock I draft can find from 2002. And most of those had Gurode going in the first round.

And by the way, the Cowboys' draft board put together by Larry Lacewell and crew had Gurode ranked 28th overall and Bentley 35th.

This really shows you how much of a crapshoot player evaluation is. With both of these guys there were concerns over the mental aspects of the game. Bentley developed better mentally than Gurode. Physically Gurode stacks well against any guard in the league. He just doesn't understand the game and his assignments well enough.

Though teams use multiple forms of physical measurement, they only use one or two measures of intelligence -- the wonderlic is the big one - a secondary measure would be the "buzz" that scouts get about their smarts. If they measured physical prowess this way, they go into the draft room with height and weight and nothing else.

If the league ever got serious about evaluating intelligence, they could take advatage of any number of tests that would more easily predict ability to grasp a playbook.

 

[Big Country]

I'd be willing to trade them both for Bentley.

They'd never ever do that... NO is hip deep in quality defensive linemen already... that would however be something to send Glover back to where he first excelled. He had 17 sacks one season at DT in NO.

 

[Chief]

Anyone who watched Gurode play at Colorado CAN NOT complain about drafting him. He was an absolute beast.

Even now physically he is every bit as good as Bentley its the mental stuff beating him up.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Gurode went to another team and thrived, developing into a very good starter.

 

[jackrussell]

Dallas is not the only NFL team.


Other teams will be after Bentley too. FYI

Earth breaking, insightful, informative, and profound. Thanks for yet another scoop. How DO you do it?

 

[sago1]

NO has another road they can use to keep Bentley or at least make it more difficult for another team to sign him away. Don't remember what the designation is but it requires the Cowboys (in this case) to trade to NO their first & second round pick. No way can Cowboys afford to do that.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

There may not be a better free agent signing for the Cowboys in this year's free agency crop. If the Saints don't franchise him (C'mon Payton, help your former team out!), just think of how many problems it solves:

- Turns 27 at the end of next year's 2006 season. Still very young and able to lock up a position for the Cowboys for years.

- Former Pro Bowler who can match the intensity of Larry Allen, Marco Rivera (what we thought we were getting), and any vets who depart. Greatly improves our biggest weakness last year, the offensive line.

- Saints are 8th in the NFL in running up the middle, and that's with Deuce McAllister out most of the season! Gives us the physical presence we don't have with Al Johnson.

- Can play center or guard. With Al Johnson's future starting status for this team still not set in stone, and Allen and Rivera very near retirement, he can solve 3 questionable positions.

- Saints financial status in limbo. Even if they decide they want to franchise him, they may not have the money to give him a huge signing bonus and long-term salary.

- No injury problems. A reliable starter.

- No offensive tackles in the market that have the accolades of a LeCharles Bentley at their position. The only guard that can compete with Bentley would be Steve Hutchinson on the Seahawks, and I've already spelled out why Bentley would be a better signing.

It seems to me that this is a no-brainer and Jerry should jump into the bidding war if the Saints let Bentley go. We may have two highly paid guards, but they won't be on this team much longer! I can't think of a better, more guaranteed success story in free agency for the Cowboys. I don't know why the heck the Cowboys passed him up in favor of Andre Gurode. He was higher on all the draft boards I read. It must have been one of those "hunches" Jerry used to have in the draft before Bill took over. Time to correct past mistakes and grab this hog pronto!

all for naught, Bentley's getting franchised; Deuce got a new deal, Horn got a new deal, and they can't franchise Darren Howard anymore

noone of merit outside of Bentley is a FA, and a new coach isn't going to want to lose someone of that caliber

 

[Bob Sacamano]

They may try to lock him up long term, but I don't think there is anyway they franchise him. I believe the franchise tag does not differetiate between C, G and OT it is just based on OLineman pay. Therefore to franchise him they would be in essence paying him like a top 5 LT about 9-10 mill

they'll probably franchise him to keep him off the market, then give him a deal

 

[Bob Sacamano]

btw, what makes you guys think Parcells is going to give up on Al Johnson before his 3rd year?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

If Bently becomes a FA I would not be at all surprised to see this team pass on him. Heck we are passin on a good chance to seriously upgrade at DC with Dom Capers but we dont do it. We keep a guy like Sparano on this staff after what we saw from our OL. So I do not expect anything big like a Bently even if he becomes a FA.

:jerk:

it's called managing the cap, we already did our splurging, now it's time to keep the draft pipeline and developing the draft picks that we already have

notice how only one team has interviewd Capers?

 

[Nors]

Earth breaking, insightful, informative, and profound. Thanks for yet another scoop. How DO you do it?

Thanks - its common cents. Just trying to interject some reality into this discussion. Back to regular programming on Lecharles Bentley to Dallas chatter.

 

[Hostile]

Thanks - its common cents. Just trying to interject some reality into this discussion. Back to regular programming on Lecharles Bentley to Dallas chatter.

Or sense even. Since that is the proper use of the word. Just my 2 cents.

:wink2:

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Or sense even. Since that is the proper use of the word. Just my 2 cents.

:wink2:

BAH with these common cents! I need well-to-do cents

 

[Nors]

Some just have a nate ability to see the big tree through the shrubs.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Some just have a nate ability to see the big tree through the shrubs.

don't you mean, "innate" ability?

 

[BIGDen]

Some just have a nate ability to see the big tree through the shrubs.

That was a joke right?

 

[Hostile]

don't you mean, "innate" ability?

No, he meant Nate. Professional Gardner. They may do a reality show about him.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

No, he meant Nate. Professional Gardner. They may do a reality show about him.

ahh...