jday
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 9,321
- Reaction score
- 13,284
There was a time in the not-so-distant past that the Cowboys faithful’s hopes and dreams hinged on a back. Very little has changed. Now those same hopes and dreams depend on a Dak. Unlike much of the national media, I do not look at 2017 as one big test that Dak failed miserably…it was by no means a sophomore slump. Had it been, the Cowboys would certainly be picking higher than 19 in the upcoming draft. No, 2017 was a tale of two Dak’s: Dak before the Falcons game and Dak after he was sacked 10 times in one contest. That was the turning point…and to be honest, I blame the coaches more than I blame Dak…at this point.
That said, 2018 Dak has certainly been put on notice: Will the real Dak please stand up? The 2016 Dak may have been a slight aberration; too many things went right for the Dallas Cowboys to expect a repeat of that at any point in Dak’s career going forward. But following that infamous Falcon’s game, Dak noticeably regressed to a dink & dunk QB, who rarely looked for deep options to back off the oppositions secondary and because of that the once high-powered 30 points per game offense, became a sputtering shell of its former self that hoped a collection of field goals would be enough to narrowly escape losses.
That view, however, does lack context. There were reasons why Dak was forced to exhaust the underneath passes beyond a lack of ability to throw the ball deep. Simply put, Dak did not enjoy the same time in the pocket that he became used to in 2016. 1. Tyron Smith’s undependable back in 2017. 2. Ezekiel Elliott missed 6 games due to suspension. 3. The retirement of Doug Free and the loss of Leary to Free Agency the previous offseason meant that the Cowboys did not have the same resources to plug and play offensive linemen without missing a beat. Alfred Morris and Rod Smith did enough to win in most games they were featured in Zeke’s absence but not enough to scare opposing defenses to the extent of devoting secondary resources to stopping the run game. These three aforementioned factors combined, I suspect, made a lot of difference in how Dak could run the offense and it showed in miserable fashion.
However, if you were one of those that got hung up on the fact that Dak was drafted in the fourth round with a compensatory pick, or were disappointed by the Cowboys inability to land Wentz instead, what happened was probably all the proof you needed to proclaim at the end of 2017 that the Cowboys have not found their franchise QB of the future; context be damned. If that is you, the rest of this is not for you.
Moving forward, the first thing I’d like to see happen is for the Cowboys fans as a whole to get a freaking grip; a 9 & 7 season in the NFL is nothing to sneeze at. The Cowboys did control their own destiny up until week 16, which is more than what we can say for more than half of the teams the NFL is comprised of. If you decided to become a fan yesterday and had no former knowledge of what happened in 2017, you would think the Cowboys were winless last year in consideration of how our fellow fans are reacting now. They act like Philadelphia has already punched their ticket to the next Super Bowl, in consideration of their “now” genius head coach and front office. I place special emphasis on “now” because from one season to the next a team’s front office and coaching personnel are defined by their last season.
In 2016, just for instance, Jason Garrett won coach of the year honors…and in the following offseason leading up to the 2017 season, I don’t think I’ve had more fun on the various blogs as we salivated over what should have been the Cowboys champion year in 2017. Following a 9 & 7 (and still winning) season in 2017, most believed it was time to find the next head coach of the Cowboys. Allow me to be clear…I, too, was expecting a new coaching regime. There was certainly a serious collection of what I deem to be unforgivable moves (and lack thereof) in 2017, nothing more worse than sitting there and watching their Quarterback get sacked 6 times by the same dude going up against the same Chaz Green. I’m no strategy expert, but I’m certain the meltdown we witnessed that day (and the games that day seemed to bleed into) was mostly due to coaching and since Garrett is the head coach, he is ultimately culpable.
But rather than cleaning out the cupboard completely and starting anew, the front office decided to clean out everyone not named Garrett, Marinelli and Linehan. Some have interpreted that as another indication of the scapegoating that tends to happen following a disappointing season for the Cowboys; after all someone has to be blamed. I’m not so sure of the accuracy of that assessment mostly because no one within the organization has deigned fit to truly point a finger at any of the coaches. The most we’ve heard is the acknowledgement that “we have to get better…in all three phases…from the ball boy all the way up to the top….needs to get better.”
Regardless of the reasons behind these moves, I do believe we fans can look forward to some changes in schematic approach going into the 2018 season and you need look no further than the types of players they are looking at in the upcoming draft. The Cowboys have expressed interest in improving the following positions: WR, OL (both Guard’s and Offensive Tackles), DT, LB and S. They have also coined a new phrase that may very well assist in defining where they will ultimately lean when they are on the clock at the end of April: Dak-Friendly.
Dak-friendly can actually mean a lot of different things, and should not necessarily mean they will take a WR first overall. Dak-friendly could mean giving him more time in the pocket. However, given that the Cowboys double-dipped in Free Agency at both OL and WR, Dak-friendly may mean something completely different. What if Dak-friendly means giving him more opportunities in-game to lead the offense down the field:
Defense
A Vita Vea could help with that. Some of you may ask how a predominantly 2-down player (which is debatable, mind you) helps Dak. Ask not how many plays a player can give you in a given game; ask, instead, the quality of those downs where he plays. It is my belief that a Vita Vea increases the number of 3rd down and longs, which should in turn increase the number of 3rd down and outs. Regardless of his apparent lack of pass-rush moves beyond a potent and often times unstoppable bull-rush, Vita is still a force in the middle that by default of his 345 lb massive yet athletic frame forces runs originally designed to go through the middle to the outside where the Cowboys linebackers can make plays on the ball.
Other options that may actually be available at 19 (though not as impactful as Vea) would be Da’Ron Payne and Taven Bryan. All three DT’s have either scheduled or completed visits with Dallas according to the reports I am reading. Taven would be my least favorite option by a country-mile. Taven reminds me a lot of Tyrone Crawford; he’s solid, but unspectacular by any measure. I expect a similar career in the NFL (if not a total bust, dependent on where he goes).
For largely the same reasons (stop the run at all cost), a Rashaan Evans can also help you in that cause. Recently I dropped a comparison between Leighton Vander Esch and Rashaan Evans. In it, I boiled down why you take a Rashaan over Leighton, stating further that I believe the Cowboys should be more focused on shutting down the oppositions run over the pass in 2018. Some took that as an assertion that LVE is predominantly a coverage linebacker whereas Rashaan is principally a run-stopping linebacker, which is not necessarily the case. In that, I was merely pointing out taking one over the other could provide an idea of where the Cowboys believe they need the most help.
LVE has the stats to support that he is better in the coverage-capacity than Rashaan. But stats absolutely do lie because they notoriously dismiss very important context. The context I speak of is how a player is used by his coach, the level of competition they face in the opposition, and the level of competition they are surrounded by to get to the ball-carrier. For all we know, Rashaan may very well be good in coverage, but because of his explosive athleticism and ability to sift through traffic to head-hunt the ball carrier, Nick Saban (Head Coach of Alabama’s Crimson Tide) may have valued that aspect of his game over the alternative. And considering that Alabama secondary, one could hardly blame him.
Barring a costly trade up by the Cowboys, Derwin James may be unattainable at 19, but he too could also help in the run-stopping arena. Athletic enough to replace Byron Jones at Free Safety, Derwin’s best fit for the Cowboys in my opinion would be as an in the box strong safety, who also has the range to cover deep on passing downs. This move would be made all the more attractive if the Cowboys once again skimp on addressing 1-tech DT with a fat guy nobody has ever heard of.
Dependent on how the Cowboys view their offensive line and wide receiver Free Agent acquisitions and, of course, how the draft plays out in the picks leading up to 19, the Cowboys may instead opt to do something that is directly Dak-friendly by drafting one of the former positions first overall. In the following, I’ll break down my impressions of the options, most of whom the Cowboys reportedly had in for a visit that they may target in the first and/or second round:
Offensive Line
In my opinion, there really is only one offensive lineman worthy of the 19th pick overall – Quenton Nelson. Earlier this year, he was being described as the best player in the draft period; the surest pick a team could select. But, of course, need often times dictates what teams will do over best player available and that happens to be truest of teams that need a QB. So, there is a chance (albeit not a very pronounced one, mind you) that he falls within striking distance for the Cowboys. They do have 10 picks after all and 10 rookies are not making this team, I think we can all agree. It may seem wasteful to throw another first rounder at an offensive line that already sports 3 first rounders (and a guy being discussed in the first round before being unfairly associated with a murder case; La’el), but if your team goes as your run game goes, I can’t blame the front office should they address the most important position to the run game aside from maybe the runner himself. The good is that you will find very little bad things to say about the 6”5’ 325 lb beast that is Quenton Nelson; he reportedly does everything well.
Behind Nelson, there are only a few offensive lineman still worthy of a first round pick, however, selected at 19 might be considered a reach dependent on what team the player goes to. Please take notice of the caveat there whilst perusing the following possible selections: Billy Price, Isaiah Wynn, Will Hernandez, Mike McGlinchey, Connor Williams and Kolton Miller are all potential options at 19 and, in my view, not really worthy of the 19th overall pick. I’d prefer a trade down (alla Travis Frederick) and then pick the cream of that crop at the bottom of the first if not top of the second, dependent on how the draft shakes out up to that point.
But note the caveat once again: It’s not about what the player can and can’t do, it’s about what that particular player does for the team he goes to. Regardless of how scouts value these guys nationwide, if he shores up the Cowboys line in his rookie year and returns that line to its 2016 form, I might just take him first overall. Evaluating offensive lineman is not my forte, but of the bunch (excluding Nelson, who is likely not an option anyway) I like both Will Hernandez and Isaiah Wynn. They seem to better fit what the Cowboys like to do in their run game, particularly when it comes to pulling guards.
Wide Receivers
Calvin Ridley – The Good: He is perhaps the best route-runner in the whole draft, with the speed to make defenses pay should he find space. Whether this is fair or not, he reminds me of a taller OBJ. The Bad: He is already 24 and his slight size may pigeon-hole him to predominantly Z and Y receiver; in other words, I don’t see him as a potential Dez replacement. But that selection would make moving Allen Hurns into Dez’s vacated spot (be it by trade or being cut in the aftermath of the draft) a bit more palatable for the Cowboys front office and fans alike.
Courtland Sutton / Equanimous St Brown – These are your potential Dez replacements, which is the good you could say about them both; they both possess Dez-like qualities. The Bad: For Courtland there are questions about the strength of competition he faced. For Brown, his draft stock has suffered as a result of shoddy QB play last year at Notre Dame. Both are beast physically, however, route-running is a question being asked about both among scouting circles. Since poor route-running are among the listed reasons the Cowboys are looking for receiver help, neither of these acquisitions seem likely, unless the front office truly believes they need a Dez-like player to be Dak-friendly. Personally, I’d vote no to both because I don’t believe Dez-like equates to Dak-friendly.
DJ Moore / Christian Kirk – These are the potential replacements for Beasley. Before you quickly fact check whether or not Beasley is still on the team, allow me to quickly explain. If the Cowboys target either of these players, it is my guess that they’d do so given the following scenario: If the Cowboys draft anything but receiver with the 19th overall pick, receiver will be the second pick, in my opinion; if they wait until later than the second round (81st overall or later), the question then must be asked will that player ever see the field competing against the likes of Bryant, Hurns, Williams, Beasley, Switzer and Brown. However, most of the Cowboys receiver draft-targets will likely be off the board by 50 (the position of their current 2nd round pick), so what if they used Beasley packaged with picks to move back into the first round, if not to at the very least reach the top of the second round. DJ Moore or Christian Kirk, in my opinion, would still be there and be the perfect remedy for a Beasley-less slot.
Some may argue that of the Dak-friendly receivers currently on the team, Beasley is the friendliest. To that point, I absolutely agree. However, the most you can typically ask of Beasley is to get the first down. With DJ Moore or Christian Kirk that first down has the potential to turn into a touchdown….and you don’t really get much friendlier than that. Add to that that Beasley is currently 29, has the most trade-friendly salary, is a member of a crowded receiver room as it is, and seems to be more concerned about his rap career than getting better at his craft and you see what may be a recipe for Beasley finishing his career elsewhere.
The good: Speed to match mostly crisp routes, though there may be an adjustment-period for both of them in the pro’s as they attempt to learn the playbook and get on the same page as Dak. The bad: Both would likely be pigeon-holed to the slot for life in Dallas. For those of you say players like OBJ and Antonio Brown proves that smallish receivers can win on the outside, I absolutely agree…which is why I said that would happen only if they were drafted by Dallas; a town seemingly lacking in the creativity necessary to use them in any other way. But who knows, with the new receiver’s coach that might be an affliction of the past. If so, DJ Moore without question would be my top pick.
If the Cowboys do not address receiver in the first round and do not trade up into the second round to snag someone they covet, they very well may be able to stay put at 50 and snap up a nice consolation prize in Anthony Miller. I’m no draft expert, but dependent on the run that happens (or doesn’t happen) on receivers in the first 2 days of the draft, they may even be able to snag him at 81 (the current position of their third round pick).
Wrap It Up
If you assumed based on the order of my evaluations that I am leaning towards the Cowboys addressing defense over offense on day one, regardless of how the front office defines Dak-friendly, you are absolutely right! I want defense! Having said that, using the 2017 draft as my model for how the Cowboys like to conduct business, I only see them drafting a defender given the following scenario’s: every offensive lineman and receiver they would use on 19 is gone and they are simultaneously unable to find anyone who would like to trade up – then, and only then, will the Cowboys select the best defender available left on their board. At a guess, that’d be none other than my linebacking pet cat Rashaan Evans or the future Bobby Carpenter of America, Leighton Van Esch (I really, really don’t like this guy being considered in the first round; especially considering his combine performance alone put him there).
With that said, the reason the Cowboys will likely address offense in the first is not just because of their Dak-friendly mantra but moreso due to the fair projection that every offensive lineman they like and that could start in their first year on the Cowboys team will most likely be gone by the time they are on the clock again in the second round. Meanwhile, my guess is, there will still be solid defenders and receivers to be had as late as the fourth round and if they are going to draft an offensive lineman and they are doing so to get better than what they already have currently on the roster, they will have to do so in the first round…and even then, they may come up short, dependent on who they select.
Also keep in mind, that if they don’t address receiver in the first, I am projecting it as an almost foregone conclusion they will be looking for their receiver in the second. Largely for the same reason they must address offensive line first; there options that could compete with what they already have on the roster (Dez, Hurns, Williams, Beasley, Switzer, Brown) will likely be dried up after the second round. It is not necessarily accurate to say that offensive talent is deeper than defense, but I suspect the Cowboys believe they can get by with what they have on the defensive side of the ball. They still have David Irving and Maliek Collins at DT. They still have Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith and Damien Wilson at linebacker. They haven’t officially moved Byron Jones from Safety to Corner, though I can certainly understand why they would consider it, but evenso, they still have Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier, and Xavier Woods.
So I could easily see the Cowboys front office and coaches alike asking the question when they are on the clock: Can we win with what we already have at that position? If the answer is yes, they may very well address the offense in its stead.
Thoughts?
That said, 2018 Dak has certainly been put on notice: Will the real Dak please stand up? The 2016 Dak may have been a slight aberration; too many things went right for the Dallas Cowboys to expect a repeat of that at any point in Dak’s career going forward. But following that infamous Falcon’s game, Dak noticeably regressed to a dink & dunk QB, who rarely looked for deep options to back off the oppositions secondary and because of that the once high-powered 30 points per game offense, became a sputtering shell of its former self that hoped a collection of field goals would be enough to narrowly escape losses.
That view, however, does lack context. There were reasons why Dak was forced to exhaust the underneath passes beyond a lack of ability to throw the ball deep. Simply put, Dak did not enjoy the same time in the pocket that he became used to in 2016. 1. Tyron Smith’s undependable back in 2017. 2. Ezekiel Elliott missed 6 games due to suspension. 3. The retirement of Doug Free and the loss of Leary to Free Agency the previous offseason meant that the Cowboys did not have the same resources to plug and play offensive linemen without missing a beat. Alfred Morris and Rod Smith did enough to win in most games they were featured in Zeke’s absence but not enough to scare opposing defenses to the extent of devoting secondary resources to stopping the run game. These three aforementioned factors combined, I suspect, made a lot of difference in how Dak could run the offense and it showed in miserable fashion.
However, if you were one of those that got hung up on the fact that Dak was drafted in the fourth round with a compensatory pick, or were disappointed by the Cowboys inability to land Wentz instead, what happened was probably all the proof you needed to proclaim at the end of 2017 that the Cowboys have not found their franchise QB of the future; context be damned. If that is you, the rest of this is not for you.
Moving forward, the first thing I’d like to see happen is for the Cowboys fans as a whole to get a freaking grip; a 9 & 7 season in the NFL is nothing to sneeze at. The Cowboys did control their own destiny up until week 16, which is more than what we can say for more than half of the teams the NFL is comprised of. If you decided to become a fan yesterday and had no former knowledge of what happened in 2017, you would think the Cowboys were winless last year in consideration of how our fellow fans are reacting now. They act like Philadelphia has already punched their ticket to the next Super Bowl, in consideration of their “now” genius head coach and front office. I place special emphasis on “now” because from one season to the next a team’s front office and coaching personnel are defined by their last season.
In 2016, just for instance, Jason Garrett won coach of the year honors…and in the following offseason leading up to the 2017 season, I don’t think I’ve had more fun on the various blogs as we salivated over what should have been the Cowboys champion year in 2017. Following a 9 & 7 (and still winning) season in 2017, most believed it was time to find the next head coach of the Cowboys. Allow me to be clear…I, too, was expecting a new coaching regime. There was certainly a serious collection of what I deem to be unforgivable moves (and lack thereof) in 2017, nothing more worse than sitting there and watching their Quarterback get sacked 6 times by the same dude going up against the same Chaz Green. I’m no strategy expert, but I’m certain the meltdown we witnessed that day (and the games that day seemed to bleed into) was mostly due to coaching and since Garrett is the head coach, he is ultimately culpable.
But rather than cleaning out the cupboard completely and starting anew, the front office decided to clean out everyone not named Garrett, Marinelli and Linehan. Some have interpreted that as another indication of the scapegoating that tends to happen following a disappointing season for the Cowboys; after all someone has to be blamed. I’m not so sure of the accuracy of that assessment mostly because no one within the organization has deigned fit to truly point a finger at any of the coaches. The most we’ve heard is the acknowledgement that “we have to get better…in all three phases…from the ball boy all the way up to the top….needs to get better.”
Regardless of the reasons behind these moves, I do believe we fans can look forward to some changes in schematic approach going into the 2018 season and you need look no further than the types of players they are looking at in the upcoming draft. The Cowboys have expressed interest in improving the following positions: WR, OL (both Guard’s and Offensive Tackles), DT, LB and S. They have also coined a new phrase that may very well assist in defining where they will ultimately lean when they are on the clock at the end of April: Dak-Friendly.
Dak-friendly can actually mean a lot of different things, and should not necessarily mean they will take a WR first overall. Dak-friendly could mean giving him more time in the pocket. However, given that the Cowboys double-dipped in Free Agency at both OL and WR, Dak-friendly may mean something completely different. What if Dak-friendly means giving him more opportunities in-game to lead the offense down the field:
Defense
A Vita Vea could help with that. Some of you may ask how a predominantly 2-down player (which is debatable, mind you) helps Dak. Ask not how many plays a player can give you in a given game; ask, instead, the quality of those downs where he plays. It is my belief that a Vita Vea increases the number of 3rd down and longs, which should in turn increase the number of 3rd down and outs. Regardless of his apparent lack of pass-rush moves beyond a potent and often times unstoppable bull-rush, Vita is still a force in the middle that by default of his 345 lb massive yet athletic frame forces runs originally designed to go through the middle to the outside where the Cowboys linebackers can make plays on the ball.
Other options that may actually be available at 19 (though not as impactful as Vea) would be Da’Ron Payne and Taven Bryan. All three DT’s have either scheduled or completed visits with Dallas according to the reports I am reading. Taven would be my least favorite option by a country-mile. Taven reminds me a lot of Tyrone Crawford; he’s solid, but unspectacular by any measure. I expect a similar career in the NFL (if not a total bust, dependent on where he goes).
For largely the same reasons (stop the run at all cost), a Rashaan Evans can also help you in that cause. Recently I dropped a comparison between Leighton Vander Esch and Rashaan Evans. In it, I boiled down why you take a Rashaan over Leighton, stating further that I believe the Cowboys should be more focused on shutting down the oppositions run over the pass in 2018. Some took that as an assertion that LVE is predominantly a coverage linebacker whereas Rashaan is principally a run-stopping linebacker, which is not necessarily the case. In that, I was merely pointing out taking one over the other could provide an idea of where the Cowboys believe they need the most help.
LVE has the stats to support that he is better in the coverage-capacity than Rashaan. But stats absolutely do lie because they notoriously dismiss very important context. The context I speak of is how a player is used by his coach, the level of competition they face in the opposition, and the level of competition they are surrounded by to get to the ball-carrier. For all we know, Rashaan may very well be good in coverage, but because of his explosive athleticism and ability to sift through traffic to head-hunt the ball carrier, Nick Saban (Head Coach of Alabama’s Crimson Tide) may have valued that aspect of his game over the alternative. And considering that Alabama secondary, one could hardly blame him.
Barring a costly trade up by the Cowboys, Derwin James may be unattainable at 19, but he too could also help in the run-stopping arena. Athletic enough to replace Byron Jones at Free Safety, Derwin’s best fit for the Cowboys in my opinion would be as an in the box strong safety, who also has the range to cover deep on passing downs. This move would be made all the more attractive if the Cowboys once again skimp on addressing 1-tech DT with a fat guy nobody has ever heard of.
Dependent on how the Cowboys view their offensive line and wide receiver Free Agent acquisitions and, of course, how the draft plays out in the picks leading up to 19, the Cowboys may instead opt to do something that is directly Dak-friendly by drafting one of the former positions first overall. In the following, I’ll break down my impressions of the options, most of whom the Cowboys reportedly had in for a visit that they may target in the first and/or second round:
Offensive Line
In my opinion, there really is only one offensive lineman worthy of the 19th pick overall – Quenton Nelson. Earlier this year, he was being described as the best player in the draft period; the surest pick a team could select. But, of course, need often times dictates what teams will do over best player available and that happens to be truest of teams that need a QB. So, there is a chance (albeit not a very pronounced one, mind you) that he falls within striking distance for the Cowboys. They do have 10 picks after all and 10 rookies are not making this team, I think we can all agree. It may seem wasteful to throw another first rounder at an offensive line that already sports 3 first rounders (and a guy being discussed in the first round before being unfairly associated with a murder case; La’el), but if your team goes as your run game goes, I can’t blame the front office should they address the most important position to the run game aside from maybe the runner himself. The good is that you will find very little bad things to say about the 6”5’ 325 lb beast that is Quenton Nelson; he reportedly does everything well.
Behind Nelson, there are only a few offensive lineman still worthy of a first round pick, however, selected at 19 might be considered a reach dependent on what team the player goes to. Please take notice of the caveat there whilst perusing the following possible selections: Billy Price, Isaiah Wynn, Will Hernandez, Mike McGlinchey, Connor Williams and Kolton Miller are all potential options at 19 and, in my view, not really worthy of the 19th overall pick. I’d prefer a trade down (alla Travis Frederick) and then pick the cream of that crop at the bottom of the first if not top of the second, dependent on how the draft shakes out up to that point.
But note the caveat once again: It’s not about what the player can and can’t do, it’s about what that particular player does for the team he goes to. Regardless of how scouts value these guys nationwide, if he shores up the Cowboys line in his rookie year and returns that line to its 2016 form, I might just take him first overall. Evaluating offensive lineman is not my forte, but of the bunch (excluding Nelson, who is likely not an option anyway) I like both Will Hernandez and Isaiah Wynn. They seem to better fit what the Cowboys like to do in their run game, particularly when it comes to pulling guards.
Wide Receivers
Calvin Ridley – The Good: He is perhaps the best route-runner in the whole draft, with the speed to make defenses pay should he find space. Whether this is fair or not, he reminds me of a taller OBJ. The Bad: He is already 24 and his slight size may pigeon-hole him to predominantly Z and Y receiver; in other words, I don’t see him as a potential Dez replacement. But that selection would make moving Allen Hurns into Dez’s vacated spot (be it by trade or being cut in the aftermath of the draft) a bit more palatable for the Cowboys front office and fans alike.
Courtland Sutton / Equanimous St Brown – These are your potential Dez replacements, which is the good you could say about them both; they both possess Dez-like qualities. The Bad: For Courtland there are questions about the strength of competition he faced. For Brown, his draft stock has suffered as a result of shoddy QB play last year at Notre Dame. Both are beast physically, however, route-running is a question being asked about both among scouting circles. Since poor route-running are among the listed reasons the Cowboys are looking for receiver help, neither of these acquisitions seem likely, unless the front office truly believes they need a Dez-like player to be Dak-friendly. Personally, I’d vote no to both because I don’t believe Dez-like equates to Dak-friendly.
DJ Moore / Christian Kirk – These are the potential replacements for Beasley. Before you quickly fact check whether or not Beasley is still on the team, allow me to quickly explain. If the Cowboys target either of these players, it is my guess that they’d do so given the following scenario: If the Cowboys draft anything but receiver with the 19th overall pick, receiver will be the second pick, in my opinion; if they wait until later than the second round (81st overall or later), the question then must be asked will that player ever see the field competing against the likes of Bryant, Hurns, Williams, Beasley, Switzer and Brown. However, most of the Cowboys receiver draft-targets will likely be off the board by 50 (the position of their current 2nd round pick), so what if they used Beasley packaged with picks to move back into the first round, if not to at the very least reach the top of the second round. DJ Moore or Christian Kirk, in my opinion, would still be there and be the perfect remedy for a Beasley-less slot.
Some may argue that of the Dak-friendly receivers currently on the team, Beasley is the friendliest. To that point, I absolutely agree. However, the most you can typically ask of Beasley is to get the first down. With DJ Moore or Christian Kirk that first down has the potential to turn into a touchdown….and you don’t really get much friendlier than that. Add to that that Beasley is currently 29, has the most trade-friendly salary, is a member of a crowded receiver room as it is, and seems to be more concerned about his rap career than getting better at his craft and you see what may be a recipe for Beasley finishing his career elsewhere.
The good: Speed to match mostly crisp routes, though there may be an adjustment-period for both of them in the pro’s as they attempt to learn the playbook and get on the same page as Dak. The bad: Both would likely be pigeon-holed to the slot for life in Dallas. For those of you say players like OBJ and Antonio Brown proves that smallish receivers can win on the outside, I absolutely agree…which is why I said that would happen only if they were drafted by Dallas; a town seemingly lacking in the creativity necessary to use them in any other way. But who knows, with the new receiver’s coach that might be an affliction of the past. If so, DJ Moore without question would be my top pick.
If the Cowboys do not address receiver in the first round and do not trade up into the second round to snag someone they covet, they very well may be able to stay put at 50 and snap up a nice consolation prize in Anthony Miller. I’m no draft expert, but dependent on the run that happens (or doesn’t happen) on receivers in the first 2 days of the draft, they may even be able to snag him at 81 (the current position of their third round pick).
Wrap It Up
If you assumed based on the order of my evaluations that I am leaning towards the Cowboys addressing defense over offense on day one, regardless of how the front office defines Dak-friendly, you are absolutely right! I want defense! Having said that, using the 2017 draft as my model for how the Cowboys like to conduct business, I only see them drafting a defender given the following scenario’s: every offensive lineman and receiver they would use on 19 is gone and they are simultaneously unable to find anyone who would like to trade up – then, and only then, will the Cowboys select the best defender available left on their board. At a guess, that’d be none other than my linebacking pet cat Rashaan Evans or the future Bobby Carpenter of America, Leighton Van Esch (I really, really don’t like this guy being considered in the first round; especially considering his combine performance alone put him there).
With that said, the reason the Cowboys will likely address offense in the first is not just because of their Dak-friendly mantra but moreso due to the fair projection that every offensive lineman they like and that could start in their first year on the Cowboys team will most likely be gone by the time they are on the clock again in the second round. Meanwhile, my guess is, there will still be solid defenders and receivers to be had as late as the fourth round and if they are going to draft an offensive lineman and they are doing so to get better than what they already have currently on the roster, they will have to do so in the first round…and even then, they may come up short, dependent on who they select.
Also keep in mind, that if they don’t address receiver in the first, I am projecting it as an almost foregone conclusion they will be looking for their receiver in the second. Largely for the same reason they must address offensive line first; there options that could compete with what they already have on the roster (Dez, Hurns, Williams, Beasley, Switzer, Brown) will likely be dried up after the second round. It is not necessarily accurate to say that offensive talent is deeper than defense, but I suspect the Cowboys believe they can get by with what they have on the defensive side of the ball. They still have David Irving and Maliek Collins at DT. They still have Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith and Damien Wilson at linebacker. They haven’t officially moved Byron Jones from Safety to Corner, though I can certainly understand why they would consider it, but evenso, they still have Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier, and Xavier Woods.
So I could easily see the Cowboys front office and coaches alike asking the question when they are on the clock: Can we win with what we already have at that position? If the answer is yes, they may very well address the offense in its stead.
Thoughts?
Last edited:
