On The Tape: Travis Frederick

[CATCH17]

He might only be an average athlete, but I can live with that. What this team needs is a guy who can move the guy in front of him out of the freaking way. That's what he'll do.

I can live with it too, as long as he is a solid player, but you just don't take an interior linemen high in the draft unless they are the total package.

This guy is not the total package.

 

[Future]

I can live with it too, as long as he is a solid player, but you just don't take an interior linemen high in the draft unless they are the total package.

This guy is not the total package.

I don't really disagree that it's a reach, but the total package, for a C, doesn't necessarily have to be a great athlete.

He's smart, tough, and strong. For me, those are more important for a C than his ability to get to the second level. If he's not a great athlete, he can learn proper technique, and more often than not, that will be sufficient.

 

[Doomsday101]

Everything I have seen in Fredrick I like. He is a physical player and he is a smart player. Has good zip on the shotgun snaps and does not get pushed back. Wis loved running the ball right behind him and I hope to see Murry and Randle be able to do the same in Dallas. I do think Dallas selected him a bit early but the draft is done so now is the time to focus on the player themselves.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

That makes Tony Romo a better QB.

YES IT DOES, the 2nd pick at 47 and the WR with the 74th. Escobar and Terrance Williams, DO TOO!

 

[mmillman]

too slow to be elite

I think, like most people, he was a reach in the first round.

I woudn't have minded him mid 2nd or 3rd but Floyd, Eifert or Reid would have been picks with much more upside at that spot. If they didn't like anyone at 31 after trading down then trade down again.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

too slow to be elite

I think, like most people, he was a reach in the first round.

I woudn't have minded him mid 2nd or 3rd but Floyd, Eifert or Reid would have been picks with much more upside at that spot. If they didn't like anyone at 31 after trading down then trade down again.

They liked him @31 and you will too if you'd bother looking at college film or better yet watching the Cowboys games.

 

[Doomsday101]

They liked him @31 and you will too if you'd bother looking at college film or better yet watching the Cowboys games.

I agree. The more I watch tape of him the more I like him. We can argue how much of a reach he was but with the 31st pick if you felt he was a 2nd rd guy then it is not much of a reach and you got the guy you wanted which Gil Brandt use to say "Did you get the guy you wanted?"

With all the other top OL players off the board the Cowboys evidently liked Fredrick and was not willing to lose him.

 

[CATCH17]

We'll see how Shariff Floyd and Frederick / Escobar do because we most likely could've had Floyd & Frederick and on paper as of today that looks a lot better.


Now if Frederick turns out to be an above average player and Escobar looks anything like the next Gronkowski than this might've been the right move.

 

[Doomsday101]

We'll see how Shariff Floyd and Frederick / Escobar do because we most likely could've had Floyd & Frederick and on paper as of today that looks a lot better.


Now if Frederick turns out to be an above average player and Escobar looks anything like the next Gronkowski than this might've been the right move.

Only interested in how Fredrick and Escobar do, Floyd is not a concern at least for me. I tend to worry about ours not theirs.

 

[TNCowboy]

No amount of sugarcoating will change how poor the 1st round went for Dallas. Frederick would've been a solid late 2nd round pick. They made a horrible trade down, only getting a 3rd rounder, and then overdrafted Frederick. We would've been better off with what NE got for their pick - several spots later - and still been able to get Frederick.

What you'll see if you watch his games against the better teams they played is a guy a guy who was physically overmatched. He's not a dominant football player by any stretch.

He's not a bad player either, but they passed on some high caliber prospects at 18, especially front 7 players. The draft isn't just about making your team better, it's about making your team better relative to the rest of the league. The "he'll start immediately" argument is nonsense. So what? That's only a testament of how pathetic the existing interior linemen were, not Frederick's ability.

Which is a shame because I believe most of the rest of the draft was solid for Dallas. I thought Philly killed it, but then they did have a top 5 pick. I thought the Commanders' draft was uneven. To me, the NYG draft was a lot like Dallas, an overdrafted OL in the 1st round, but then solid picks thereafter.

 

[CATCH17]

Only interested in how Fredrick and Escobar do, Floyd is not a concern at least for me. I tend to worry about ours not theirs.

Floyd is relevant because he was on the board, he was the highest rated on our board, made the most sense to draft, and he was at a need position.

So the non Floyd pick does matter.

 

[Doomsday101]

Floyd is relevant because he was on the board, he was the highest rated on our board, made the most sense to draft, and he was at a need position.

So the non Floyd pick does matter.

If your interest is in the draft then sure, mine is on football and the Cowboys I don't dwell on who we did not get only on those we did. Many teams passed on Floyd as well maybe they know something we don't know? I wish him the best but he is not a concern of mine

 

[Future]

Unless Floyd turns out to be a great passrusher, which he might not, then passing on him was the right move. You don't want to draft a run stuffer in the first round.

Only time will tell, but I think the combination of Frederick/Esco will prove to be more productive than Floyd. You can argue about the reach for a C, but in the end, where they were actually drafted won't matter.

 

[jobberone]

Floyd is relevant because he was on the board, he was the highest rated on our board, made the most sense to draft, and he was at a need position.

So the non Floyd pick does matter.

You and others are so hung up on this. If they had wanted the guy more than an OL then they would have drafted him. Obviously they felt the need pick was ok at that point and was more value to the team than taking the BPA on the board at a position they didn't have to get.

So it is a non-issue unless you're going to get hung up on pure BPA or value charts. This helped the team incredibly more than another DL who would rotate with the rest of the guys.

 

[Deep_South]

Romo's 40 time was over 5. Does the center really need to be faster than the QB?

 

[TNCowboy]

You and others are so hung up on this. If they had wanted the guy more than an OL then they would have drafted him. Obviously they felt the need pick was ok at that point and was more value to the team than taking the BPA on the board at a position they didn't have to get.

So it is a non-issue unless you're going to get hung up on pure BPA or value charts. This helped the team incredibly more than another DL who would rotate with the rest of the guys.

It's a huge issue. If players we passed on outperform the ones drafted, you need to make personnel department changes. This has been and remains the team's #1 problem. The roster just isn't good enough.

 

[likofloathe]

The question becomes what do you do with Free? His cap cost is virtually locked in, hopefully he sees the benefit in reducing his salary by a few million and extending his stay in Dallas. I could see him moving inside to RG and filling in if needed at OT. That money plus savings from cutting Cook and either Kowalski or Costa, could bring Eric Winston or Tyson Clabo in on a 1 or 2 year deal. That would help solidify the line a bit. Smith - Livings - Frederick - Free- Winston doesn't look to bad.

 

[CATCH17]

You and others are so hung up on this. If they had wanted the guy more than an OL then they would have drafted him. Obviously they felt the need pick was ok at that point and was more value to the team than taking the BPA on the board at a position they didn't have to get.

So it is a non-issue unless you're going to get hung up on pure BPA or value charts. This helped the team incredibly more than another DL who would rotate with the rest of the guys.

True, if that was the guy they wanted then fine.

I just feel like they still could've drafted Frederick and got Floyd as well.


I still think D Tackle is a position of need BTW. Hatcher has 1 year left and Ratliff is older and breaking down.

 

[dogberry]

If we only had 19 players with first round grades, then Frederick likely had a grade in the twenties.

#18 is worth 900 pts.

If Frederick and Williams had mid 20s values, the combined values would be around 1400 pts.

We done good. Plus got someone for the middle of the offensive line.

 

[Bware_Dware]

No amount of sugarcoating will change how poor the 1st round went for Dallas. Frederick would've been a solid late 2nd round pick. They made a horrible trade down, only getting a 3rd rounder, and then overdrafted Frederick. We would've been better off with what NE got for their pick - several spots later - and still been able to get Frederick.

What you'll see if you watch his games against the better teams they played is a guy a guy who was physically overmatched. He's not a dominant football player by any stretch.

He's not a bad player either, but they passed on some high caliber prospects at 18, especially front 7 players. The draft isn't just about making your team better, it's about making your team better relative to the rest of the league. The "he'll start immediately" argument is nonsense. So what? That's only a testament of how pathetic the existing interior linemen were, not Frederick's ability.

Which is a shame because I believe most of the rest of the draft was solid for Dallas. I thought Philly killed it, but then they did have a top 5 pick. I thought the Commanders' draft was uneven. To me, the NYG draft was a lot like Dallas, an overdrafted OL in the 1st round, but then solid picks thereafter.

I am curious as to which games you are referring to that he was physically overmatched? I would have to argue and say that is his strongest trait, that he doesn't get overmatched at all. His weakness would be when he attacks the second level, tends to look lost and doesn't pick up or misses a block.

The "He will start immediately" aspect is FAR FROM NONSENSE. If you come through the draft with an Immediate starter, then you have already improved your team which is excellent.

I have a feeling you would be the same person writing "Why didnt get draft O Line in the first 2 rounds when we needed an Immediate Starter!"

The argument is moot, could we have gotten him with our 47th pick? Who knows, no one knows. We wanted him and we figured by taking him 16 picks ahead of our 2nd was well worth it.