CF74
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Just came from the draft room. This is an important time for us. This is a deep draft and we can do some good in it.
I’ll take questions:
Release of Flo and Hamlin?
We have had a security blanket there with Flo for many seasons, but this move was all about Doug Free. We’re glad we got to see him have some playtime during the season. We’ve spent a lot of time looking at his tape to make sure he had what we’re looking for and comparing it to tape of other tackles in the league and college. So I can’t address Flo without talking about Doug. I will say you won’t have a player who gives you more confidence than Flo did. We planed on moving Larry Allen to LT before we drafted Flozell, and Flo eliminated that. He provided security and confidence that he could handle the job of a left tackle, and he did it. The real world is at this juncture on our team with a cap system, we’ve invested significantly in our OL with Davis and Gurode. If you want highly paid skill players, then you need young players at other positions to come along who can compete and have compatible cap numbers. You know the pressure guys and cover guys and big play guys are going to make a lot of money, so you can’t pay the line guys all market money.
Have you put a finger on why you haven’t been more successful drafting and developing OL guys in the mid rounds?
You got to play those guys. We got a guy Peterman who is starting in Detroit who we drafted. It’s my job to put the emphasis on the coaches to play the young guys. Coaches like their security blankets, and that’s how it should be. But I told our OL coaches last year that we need to see what these young guys can . Usually they get play time due to injury, and that’s how Free got his. But when we draft 3rd round players we got to get those guys on the field, and that’s my fault for not emphasizing that.
Do you think maybe the reason you don’t develop offensive line well is you don’t take the premium talents in the 1st round and always wait until the midrounds?
Philosophically that’s fair. The real world is in the 1st rounder that I have other considerations . The success we’ve had is finding Flozell and Gurode who we’re first round guys who slid into the 2nd round. Its okay to pay a premium left tackle. What’s hard to justify is a line full of salaries that you pay at left tackle. If you have a QB and skill players who have a high level, it’s hard to justify. It’s We’re at 27, close to the 2nd round. So we might look more at offensive line there. It’s unlikely that we’ll move up. I don’t see that happening. If a quality offensive lineman there it’s a real consideration.
Do you think it’s important to increase your number of picks?
Not really. I’d like to have more than 6, but to get more picks you have to give up something. A draft pick or a player. You may have the chance to stay where you are and find value at each pick. It depends to the value on position and the grouping at each position and what happens when it comes your way. If you see a group thining out and you have a chance to move up you got to do it .
The 3 day format?
It makes the picks at the top of the 2nd round more valuable than they would have been. More people will be offering more to get those picks after the break. The beginning of the 4th round will be more valuable too. You would like to think that with all year long to prepare that you wouldn’t overreact the night between between rounds. But when it’s all your looking at is what’s left you have a different mindset. Its human nature.
Draft a kicker?
I’m pat with where we are with our kickers?
Interested in WR’s in the 1st round if the top one slips?
Unlikely. I like where we are at WR.
If you were interested in trading a current player for draft picks, would you have been done it already?
Not necessarily. It can be done on the clock … but it doesn’t happen very often. You’ve usually already had some discussion there, especially when contract negotiations are involved. I’ve entertained it right on the clock, especially on the first couple of rounds.
Fielded any interest in your players?
Yes. I won’t say which ones.
Do you have a hard time putting enough value on kickers to draft one?
Not if they get touchbacks everytime they kick the ball.
FS?
Ball is a consideration there. Sensabugh is being counted on. Mike Hamlin is someone who has a chance to help us there. He’s a year along. I ask myself as we evaluate these safeties to compare them to a Hamlin or a Ball. We aren’t hostage to any position in this draft. If you look at our numbers, then you say we need to draft safety. We will miss Ken Hamlin’s quarterbacking, but I think we have some of that in place. It would be a lot to ask of a rookie to be the quarterback of your defense, but it can be done.
Do you think more likely to move down than move up?
I can’t say for certain. Some teams might be willing to move down and offer the pick at lesser value than normal. This is a unique draft compared to money, especially at the top. There is an unknown relative to leverage getting these picks signed with no labor agreement. I think there is more emphasis this year on getting players signed at the top. That might hurt the value of the top picks.
Any alterations to the stadium for Year 2?
We viewed last year as the beginning. I spent a lot of money so we could continue to evolve it and put new things in it. There’s a lot of room in that stadium. That will be alive and well. We’ve been pleased with our tours and stepped up our efforts to invite sports and architecture fans to tour it. The whole stadium is a museum and Hall of Fame. So we’ll continue to put more art in it. We want to make it an interesting.
If a guy is the 15th guy on your board but not a position of need, do you have to take him if he’s there at 27?
It depends. What if the 17th guy on your board is also there and he’s a better position of need? So maybe you take a lower position on the board, but it’s so close between the two players you go for the bigger need . Maybe there isn’t that much separating between the two players. People say “You aren’t honoring the board”, but there is a degree of judgment in honoring the board that I don’t believe anyone in this room might see a scenario where you don’t take the 15th best player . Then you get another team calling that wants the 15th player at 27, and they want to give you a 3rd round pick for just moving down a few spots and there’s a group of players there that you like.
New Orleans winning the Superbowl with a backup left tackle. Does that effect your decision?
Yes, and there is talk that Brown might be on the block. But yes, it’s a case in point that now you got a young guy in there who got a chance and he proved himself. Free has enough experience we think has enough skills to to play the left tackle position. We think he’ll be good pass blocking and good at run blocking and blocking on the backside.
Last year you drafted for depth and special teams. Do you still look at that as a philosophy heading into this year?
Because we didn’t get that draft class on the field … an amazing percent of them got hurt … we got basically a college red shirt draft class that are coming into the equation next year to go with what we do in this draft. I do think between these two groups we’ll see an impact on special teams who weren’t able to get on the field last year because of injuries.
Are you saying if you get thorugh this draft without a left tackle or safety you woulnd’t be concerned?
No, I’m not saying that. I realize that next year would be one concern and the future would be another concern. But we can’t be hostage to that. We got to make trades that are available. Ideally we would have players of value to drop to us at positions that make sense.
Miles Austin and Sensabaugh contracts?
Can’t get into that. We want both of them signed long term and to be long term Cowboys. Let me be real clear about that.
http://absolutecowboys.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=16522#147517
Video:
http://www.dallascowboys.com/multimedia/multimedia_center.cfm?id=17338A16-FCAB-4EEA-A9898286AEF77294
I’ll take questions:
Release of Flo and Hamlin?
We have had a security blanket there with Flo for many seasons, but this move was all about Doug Free. We’re glad we got to see him have some playtime during the season. We’ve spent a lot of time looking at his tape to make sure he had what we’re looking for and comparing it to tape of other tackles in the league and college. So I can’t address Flo without talking about Doug. I will say you won’t have a player who gives you more confidence than Flo did. We planed on moving Larry Allen to LT before we drafted Flozell, and Flo eliminated that. He provided security and confidence that he could handle the job of a left tackle, and he did it. The real world is at this juncture on our team with a cap system, we’ve invested significantly in our OL with Davis and Gurode. If you want highly paid skill players, then you need young players at other positions to come along who can compete and have compatible cap numbers. You know the pressure guys and cover guys and big play guys are going to make a lot of money, so you can’t pay the line guys all market money.
Have you put a finger on why you haven’t been more successful drafting and developing OL guys in the mid rounds?
You got to play those guys. We got a guy Peterman who is starting in Detroit who we drafted. It’s my job to put the emphasis on the coaches to play the young guys. Coaches like their security blankets, and that’s how it should be. But I told our OL coaches last year that we need to see what these young guys can . Usually they get play time due to injury, and that’s how Free got his. But when we draft 3rd round players we got to get those guys on the field, and that’s my fault for not emphasizing that.
Do you think maybe the reason you don’t develop offensive line well is you don’t take the premium talents in the 1st round and always wait until the midrounds?
Philosophically that’s fair. The real world is in the 1st rounder that I have other considerations . The success we’ve had is finding Flozell and Gurode who we’re first round guys who slid into the 2nd round. Its okay to pay a premium left tackle. What’s hard to justify is a line full of salaries that you pay at left tackle. If you have a QB and skill players who have a high level, it’s hard to justify. It’s We’re at 27, close to the 2nd round. So we might look more at offensive line there. It’s unlikely that we’ll move up. I don’t see that happening. If a quality offensive lineman there it’s a real consideration.
Do you think it’s important to increase your number of picks?
Not really. I’d like to have more than 6, but to get more picks you have to give up something. A draft pick or a player. You may have the chance to stay where you are and find value at each pick. It depends to the value on position and the grouping at each position and what happens when it comes your way. If you see a group thining out and you have a chance to move up you got to do it .
The 3 day format?
It makes the picks at the top of the 2nd round more valuable than they would have been. More people will be offering more to get those picks after the break. The beginning of the 4th round will be more valuable too. You would like to think that with all year long to prepare that you wouldn’t overreact the night between between rounds. But when it’s all your looking at is what’s left you have a different mindset. Its human nature.
Draft a kicker?
I’m pat with where we are with our kickers?
Interested in WR’s in the 1st round if the top one slips?
Unlikely. I like where we are at WR.
If you were interested in trading a current player for draft picks, would you have been done it already?
Not necessarily. It can be done on the clock … but it doesn’t happen very often. You’ve usually already had some discussion there, especially when contract negotiations are involved. I’ve entertained it right on the clock, especially on the first couple of rounds.
Fielded any interest in your players?
Yes. I won’t say which ones.
Do you have a hard time putting enough value on kickers to draft one?
Not if they get touchbacks everytime they kick the ball.
FS?
Ball is a consideration there. Sensabugh is being counted on. Mike Hamlin is someone who has a chance to help us there. He’s a year along. I ask myself as we evaluate these safeties to compare them to a Hamlin or a Ball. We aren’t hostage to any position in this draft. If you look at our numbers, then you say we need to draft safety. We will miss Ken Hamlin’s quarterbacking, but I think we have some of that in place. It would be a lot to ask of a rookie to be the quarterback of your defense, but it can be done.
Do you think more likely to move down than move up?
I can’t say for certain. Some teams might be willing to move down and offer the pick at lesser value than normal. This is a unique draft compared to money, especially at the top. There is an unknown relative to leverage getting these picks signed with no labor agreement. I think there is more emphasis this year on getting players signed at the top. That might hurt the value of the top picks.
Any alterations to the stadium for Year 2?
We viewed last year as the beginning. I spent a lot of money so we could continue to evolve it and put new things in it. There’s a lot of room in that stadium. That will be alive and well. We’ve been pleased with our tours and stepped up our efforts to invite sports and architecture fans to tour it. The whole stadium is a museum and Hall of Fame. So we’ll continue to put more art in it. We want to make it an interesting.
If a guy is the 15th guy on your board but not a position of need, do you have to take him if he’s there at 27?
It depends. What if the 17th guy on your board is also there and he’s a better position of need? So maybe you take a lower position on the board, but it’s so close between the two players you go for the bigger need . Maybe there isn’t that much separating between the two players. People say “You aren’t honoring the board”, but there is a degree of judgment in honoring the board that I don’t believe anyone in this room might see a scenario where you don’t take the 15th best player . Then you get another team calling that wants the 15th player at 27, and they want to give you a 3rd round pick for just moving down a few spots and there’s a group of players there that you like.
New Orleans winning the Superbowl with a backup left tackle. Does that effect your decision?
Yes, and there is talk that Brown might be on the block. But yes, it’s a case in point that now you got a young guy in there who got a chance and he proved himself. Free has enough experience we think has enough skills to to play the left tackle position. We think he’ll be good pass blocking and good at run blocking and blocking on the backside.
Last year you drafted for depth and special teams. Do you still look at that as a philosophy heading into this year?
Because we didn’t get that draft class on the field … an amazing percent of them got hurt … we got basically a college red shirt draft class that are coming into the equation next year to go with what we do in this draft. I do think between these two groups we’ll see an impact on special teams who weren’t able to get on the field last year because of injuries.
Are you saying if you get thorugh this draft without a left tackle or safety you woulnd’t be concerned?
No, I’m not saying that. I realize that next year would be one concern and the future would be another concern. But we can’t be hostage to that. We got to make trades that are available. Ideally we would have players of value to drop to us at positions that make sense.
Miles Austin and Sensabaugh contracts?
Can’t get into that. We want both of them signed long term and to be long term Cowboys. Let me be real clear about that.
http://absolutecowboys.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=16522#147517
Video:
http://www.dallascowboys.com/multimedia/multimedia_center.cfm?id=17338A16-FCAB-4EEA-A9898286AEF77294
DAL @ GB
