Just for the record, my initial Cowboys mock draft...

[5mics]

FA:
LeCharles Bentley (C)
Kevin Barry (OT)
Ryan Longwell (K)

Draft:

1> Manny Lawson (OLB)
2> Kai Parham (ILB)
3> Pat Watkins (FS)
5> Drew Olsen (QB)
6> Jason Hunter (OLB)

Why?

I'm taking Jerry at his word when it comes to FA (that he's going all out). That means paying a bunch for Bentley. He is a big, strong (young and mean) Pro Bowl center who would cement our OL. Barry is big, young and good with a ton of upside, and he'll be relatively cheap. He comes in to battle with Petitti on the right side. Longwell has been reliable for years kicking in Green Bay conditions. He'll kick 90% in Texas Stadium.

My theory on the 2006 draft is two-fold: 1) we are a playmaking linebacker and a good coverage free safety away from dominance. I'm a huge Bobby Carpenter fan but I'm not drafting any injured players in the first round. If he's there when we pick in the second, he's the guy. Anyway. Lawson is the athletic playmaker we need opposite Ware. He's big, fast and ridiculously athletic. One thing most people don't know about him is that he's also very strong. Parham has been a stud ILB throughout his college career. He's played mike in Groh's 3-4 for the past three years and would start from day one. I'm really torn between Watkins and Anthony Smith. I chose Watkins for his freakish athleticism. We need a QB of the future and Olsen put up better numbers than Leinart did against roughly the same competition. He's deadly accurate, throws a nice long ball and makes great decisions. He doesn't have a huge arm, but ya can't have everything. Hunter was a hellion in the App State defense. At 6-4 and 235, he has good size and a frame to grow on. He had *101* tackles from his DE position (14 for a loss), 13 sacks, 4 passes defensed and an INT.

The second part of my draft theory is that you can't fix everything in one year. No WR here, and we'll soon need a replacement for Allen, but Key and Glenn are playing well and Gurode played well at guard subbing for Rivera. Next year's WR class looks to be a good one. We'll focus on WR and NT in '07.

So lets look at this:

We have an OL composed of Adams, Allen, Bentley, Rivera and Barry/Petitti. We've greatly improved OL depth with Al Johnson behind Bently, Gurode moving to full-time guard and probably Petitti backing up the tackles. I'd like to see Tucker try guard.

On the defensive side we've added three starters: an athletic SS OLB, a big, instinctive ILB and a coverage safety. This defense is big, young and full of playmakers.

Agreed. This seems like a weak WR class so no reason to force it. Draft best player available since we have many needs anyway. I could more than live w/ Lawson as our #1; Bentley would be a coup and very doable considering the NO situation, it would take $$$ but we could get him.....

 

[Clove]

Agreed. This seems like a weak WR class so no reason to force it. Draft best player available since we have many needs anyway. I could more than live w/ Lawson as our #1; Bentley would be a coup and very doable considering the NO situation, it would take $$$ but we could get him.....

One day I would like to complete a 3 portion Draft/Fa list. In other words, three possible scenarios in what direction we (fake GM's : ) could go in.

Like possibility 1. These FA/Draft pics. 2. These FA/draft pics... etc...

The reason is, you never know who other teams will pursue in FA/ or on the draft board. Plus it will make the time get closer to the draft, and it would be fun.

 

[junk]

FA:
LeCharles Bentley (C)
Kevin Barry (OT)
Ryan Longwell (K)

Draft:

1> Manny Lawson (OLB)
2> Kai Parham (ILB)
3> Pat Watkins (FS)
5> Drew Olsen (QB)
6> Jason Hunter (OLB)

Why?

I'm taking Jerry at his word when it comes to FA (that he's going all out). That means paying a bunch for Bentley. He is a big, strong (young and mean) Pro Bowl center who would cement our OL. Barry is big, young and good with a ton of upside, and he'll be relatively cheap. He comes in to battle with Petitti on the right side. Longwell has been reliable for years kicking in Green Bay conditions. He'll kick 90% in Texas Stadium.

My theory on the 2006 draft is two-fold: 1) we are a playmaking linebacker and a good coverage free safety away from dominance. I'm a huge Bobby Carpenter fan but I'm not drafting any injured players in the first round. If he's there when we pick in the second, he's the guy. Anyway. Lawson is the athletic playmaker we need opposite Ware. He's big, fast and ridiculously athletic. One thing most people don't know about him is that he's also very strong. Parham has been a stud ILB throughout his college career. He's played mike in Groh's 3-4 for the past three years and would start from day one. I'm really torn between Watkins and Anthony Smith. I chose Watkins for his freakish athleticism. We need a QB of the future and Olsen put up better numbers than Leinart did against roughly the same competition. He's deadly accurate, throws a nice long ball and makes great decisions. He doesn't have a huge arm, but ya can't have everything. Hunter was a hellion in the App State defense. At 6-4 and 235, he has good size and a frame to grow on. He had *101* tackles from his DE position (14 for a loss), 13 sacks, 4 passes defensed and an INT.

The second part of my draft theory is that you can't fix everything in one year. No WR here, and we'll soon need a replacement for Allen, but Key and Glenn are playing well and Gurode played well at guard subbing for Rivera. Next year's WR class looks to be a good one. We'll focus on WR and NT in '07.

So lets look at this:

We have an OL composed of Adams, Allen, Bentley, Rivera and Barry/Petitti. We've greatly improved OL depth with Al Johnson behind Bently, Gurode moving to full-time guard and probably Petitti backing up the tackles. I'd like to see Tucker try guard.

On the defensive side we've added three starters: an athletic SS OLB, a big, instinctive ILB and a coverage safety. This defense is big, young and full of playmakers.

Good take and I could live with that. Not sure about Kevin Barry, but I do think they go the vet route at T unless someone is there later in the draft.

 

[Clove]

I agree with your assessment. But if Santonio Homes or Jay Cutler is still there on our theoritical number 1, we have to make that pick. Holmes is going to be the next Terry Glenn. If Gleen would go down, Holmes would get the start not Crayton. We need someone else with speed at WR in case Glenn goes down. We can still get a very good tackle in the 2nd round, recievers are on short demand this year.

There would be a parade in Dallas if the Cowboys selected Jay Cutler 1st overall, and I would lead the parade.

But I don't think he slips that far, and I don't think BP wants the distraction towards Bledsoe. He's not going to sit there and listen to fans boo Bledsoe and beg for Cutler when Bledsoe does something wrong.

 

[5mics]

16 days 'til the draft!!! I guess I'll be more realistic than my initial top-3 picks. Here goes.....

1. Manny Lawson (6-5, 241), OLB, N.C. State - DWare & Manny would be awesome!
2. Pat Watkins (6-4, 211), FS, Florida State - immediate starter at FS
3. Jonathan Scott (6-6, 315), OT, Texas - future starting OLT, needs developing initially
5. Leon Williams (6-2, 250), ILB, Miami (FL) - ST terror, provides depth at ILB w/ upside
6. Brad Smith (6-2, 212), WR, Missouri - another Ronald Curry/Patrick Crayton?
7. Troy Reddick (6-4, 330), OG, Auburn - mauler for the inside, adds depth w/ upside, could eventually start

What do ya'll think?

 

[tm1119]

Round 1- Jimmy Williams S/CB VTech
Round 2- Demeco Ryans LB Bama
Round 3- Best available O-lineman(Spencer, College, O'Callahan, etc..)
Round 5- Elvis Dumervil DE/Lb Louisville
Round 6- Steve Fifita NT Utah
Round 7- BPA

 

[Sasquatch]

16 days 'til the draft!!! I guess I'll be more realistic than my initial top-3 picks. Here goes.....

1. Manny Lawson (6-5, 241), OLB, N.C. State - DWare & Manny would be awesome!
2. Pat Watkins (6-4, 211), FS, Florida State - immediate starter at FS
3. Jonathan Scott (6-6, 315), OT, Texas - future starting OLT, needs developing initially
5. Leon Williams (6-2, 250), ILB, Miami (FL) - ST terror, provides depth at ILB w/ upside
6. Brad Smith (6-2, 212), WR, Missouri - another Ronald Curry/Patrick Crayton?
7. Troy Reddick (6-4, 330), OG, Auburn - mauler for the inside, adds depth w/ upside, could eventually start

What do ya'll think?

Better than the first try. I'm not sure I like this one, though, because the risk factor would be very high with Lawson (some report he had difficulty picking up LB responsibilities), Scott (motivation issues), and Smith (switching to a new position). Maybe I'm conservative, but I would prefer a draft with players who have produced a little more at their respective positions and who possess outstanding character.

 

[Sasquatch]

Round 1- Jimmy Williams S/CB VTech
Round 2- Demeco Ryans LB Bama
Round 3- Best available O-lineman(Spencer, College, O'Callahan, etc..)
Round 5- Elvis Dumervil DE/Lb Louisville
Round 6- Steve Fifita NT Utah
Round 7- BPA

You really think Ryans will be available in the Second?

 

[tm1119]

You really think Ryans will be available in the Second?

i think he will go in the second, but now that i look at it, not as late as our pick. Either him or Thomas Howard should fall to us though and i would get one of the two.