Ro suspension & Jack

[DFWJC]

Not to say for sure that's what I would have done, but If the discussion is about a direct replacement for McClain, then Reggie Ragland would have been a safe bet in round 2.

1st round (and healthy) talent in the 2nd round.

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

Jaylon Smith was a visionary pick never intended for this season. Get over it. Hitch will do for now. In the coming years you will be so glad Jaylon is on this team.

And that's the rub, right? Romo has at best a few years left. Yet, the vision for our first round pick (this year) did not match the vision for our second round pick (future). I just think the FO lacks a CLEAR vision.

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

and I always liked Stephen Tulloch well we should have some insight with Linehan

he was always around the ball

depends on his knee

just as stop dap

I would be happy with him

 

[bodi]

Not to say for sure that's what I would have done, but If the discussion is about a direct replacement for McClain, then Reggie Ragland would have been a safe bet in round 2.

1st round (and healthy) talent in the 2nd round.

I don't know how there wasn't any discussion - I would have been all over Ragland - forget about getting another 2 nd round "HURT LB er "

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

McClain wasn't any sort of world-beater last year... He was OK.

Hitchens performance won't be that far off from McClains.

I think McClain brings an element of physicality that none of our LBs do. Hitchens is OK, but it will be a dropoff at the point of attack

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

If you are drafting with only the next season in mind, you're doing it wrong

I think you could have drafted for this season and the next 3 with Jack and gotten blue chip production

 

[Manwiththeplan]

I think you could have drafted for this season and the next 3 with Jack and gotten blue chip production

maybe, we don't have all the information that the Cowboys had, but between the two LBers, we should have first decided who we liked better based off film, then used the medical information to decided the likelihood of either player returning to their pre-injury form.

Who would be ready sooner, should not have factored in.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

I think you could have drafted for this season and the next 3 with Jack and gotten blue chip production

Jack will eventually need microfracture knee surgery; nobody knows when. He could play three years or three games before needing it. By taking Jaylon Smith instead, the Cowboys basically know they (hopefully) will have him in 2017 with no more surprises down the road.

Plus, every draft pick is a risk. Three of them last year (Dante Fowler, Kevin White, Breshad Perriman) got hurt before the season and never played a down. I really have no problem with Dallas' draft. They went instant impact with Zeke and then went best player available with Smith.

 

[big dog cowboy]

the vision for our first round pick (this year) did not match the vision for our second round pick (future). I just think the FO lacks a CLEAR vision.

You draft for the future not this year and both our first two picks have the potential to be All-Pro type players who should get 2nd contracts pretty easily and both play pretty important positions. Seems like pretty clear vision to me.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Ragland couldn't cover in college. I don't know why people think he would help us other than looking at draft rankings that got him wrong in the first place as evidenced on him being passed on repeatedly.

 

[AbeBeta]

The NFL usually gives teams a heads up prior to the draft of upcoming suspensions. If that was the case with Ro, it makes the choice of a redshirt LB, Jaylon Smith, over a healthy blue chip LB, Myles Jack (albeit one that might not get a second contract) even more disappointing.

Questionable that we would have known 2.5 months ago.

Also, dumb to let 10 games affect long-term decisions

 

[JDSTAR]

Jack not being picked didn't bother me so much (though he was in all my 1st round mocks). Hindsight, I wished we had double dipped the LBs with Jatavis Brown later. Having him and Jaylon as our future would have been a treat.

 

[TrailBlazer]

Jack is not a middle linebacker.

Jaylon Smith is more of a Will, too. IMO.

 

[Galian Beast]

With the suspension of McClain, I have to admit I'm no longer as enamored with the Jaylon Smith pick. Should have been Jack if they had any idea this was coming.

 

[Maxmadden]

Questionable that we would have known 2.5 months ago.

Also, dumb to let 10 games affect long-term decisions

The OP original premise is based on a hypothetical and basically comes off as trolling. Or to put it more lightly, "stirring".

 

[Galian Beast]

Jaylon Smith is more of a Will, too. IMO.

I would 100 percent move him to will if he's ever healthy to play. Doesn't make sense at the mike in my opinion.

 

[RoboQB]

McClain hasn't been a high performance guy in a while.

He wasn't trash, but he wasn't dominant like he was for stretches in 2014.

All I seem to remember about him last year was that he nearly took Sean Lee out every week... collided with Lee constantly.

 

[bodi]

Ragland couldn't cover in college. I don't know why people think he would help us other than looking at draft rankings that got him wrong in the first place as evidenced on him being passed on repeatedly.

Thumping inside linebacker with throwback size and tone setting mentality. Ragland is a confident and capable early starter in league who has the temperament to become one of the premier run-stopping inside linebackers in the pro game. Ragland has some coverage and speed limitations, but his instincts and overall awareness should be able to mask those issues

an did Ro ever cover anybody ?

Ro"s times
10 1.7
20 - 2.9

Raglands time
10 yd 1.65
20 - 2,7

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Thumping inside linebacker with throwback size and tone setting mentality. Ragland is a confident and capable early starter in league who has the temperament to become one of the premier run-stopping inside linebackers in the pro game. Ragland has some coverage and speed limitations, but his instincts and overall awareness should be able to mask those issues

an did Ro ever cover anybody ?

Ro"s times
10 1.7
20 - 2.9

Raglands time
10 yd 1.65
20 - 2,7

Anticipation isn't going to get Ragland outside in time for a wheel route then up the field. He's giving up a completion. I agree that Ro wasn't very good in coverage and was limited to short zones. He and Church's lack of speed have been a big problem. Add Wilber who runs even worse with Wilcox and the end of the CB depth chart playing in the slot and it was a trainwreck.

Raglands ability to take short zones and struggle in space doesn't help. We need people that can handle man calls. Guys that can run under routes in the middle of the field and try to make plays on the ball out of zone looks.

Hitchens can go out there and get you 8+ tackles a game if you're looking for tackling; Wilber and Wilson are big long arm guys that can thump on blocks too. We got them in the 4th+. Smith has exceptional ability in space; nevermind he's an accomplished blitzer too. Lee, Nzeocha, and Gachkar all have plus range.

Watch Nzeocha v Whitehead.



Ragland can play SAM I guess; he runs as well as Wilber. He'd likely be better than Carter was there. Then again, Carter made people pay a bit for picking on him with some picks of his own.

 

[JoeKing]

And that's the rub, right? Romo has at best a few years left. Yet, the vision for our first round pick (this year) did not match the vision for our second round pick (future). I just think the FO lacks a CLEAR vision.

So it's the FO's fault you don't see their vision? I understand because of Romo their should be a sense of urgency to win now and drafting for future years doesn't jive with that script but you also have to understand the post Romo years don't have to hurt so bad if we plan accordingly. We should always be forward thinking when it comes to the roster. Not doing that, sunk the ship last year.