The Cowboys Would Have Drafted Shazier over Martin

[KDM256]

So glad Pittsburgh beat us to the punch...Didn't really like him as a 1st round talent.

Always thought CJ Mosely was the better LB going into the draft

 

[DFWJC]

So glad Pittsburgh beat us to the punch...Didn't really like him as a 1st round talent.

Always thought CJ Mosely was the better LB going into the draft

I think--but not 100% sure--that Mosley was the last guy left in that tier. If it was no Martin, I assume it would have been Mosley or a trade down.

 

[HellCrowe]

This is all a moot point. All it does is give people unicorn dreams. Haha jk. Well let's see now; we were thinking of a LB last year, who will be there at 27 worth taking that is head and shoulders above what we can get 10 spots each way? Mckinney? Kendricks? Dawson? Perryman? I'd lump them all at in the same tier and be happy with any of them. With that being said, they all should be there so we should definitely try to get more picks and move a few slots into the 2nd.

 

[Cowboys22]

Last year was a perfect example of how you are supposed to draft and I hope it is a sign of things to come. Of course they went in knowing they needed the upgrade the defense. They had 3-4 defensive guys rated really high and hoped one would fall to them. When that didn't happen, they looked at their board and saw a very highly rated player available and pulled the trigger. OL wasn't the biggest need they had but making that move turned a solid unit into one of the best in the NFL. Most people think drafting for need is the way to go but there are some that believe drafting into strength and forming dominant units such as OL, DL, WR is also a good drafting strategy. Blatant needs and weaknesses should be addressed with free agents that have proven they are NFL caliber. Once that is done, BPA even at positions of strength is always the best strategy. It builds depth and gives you the chance to be dominant in some aspect of each game. I hope they will continue to make that type of decision on draft day.

 

[btcutter]

It seems like this dominant offensive line was built partly due to chance.

Fortunately.

Luck is always involved in the Draft. Johnson wanted a LB I think it was Percy Snow out of Michigan St but he was taken so they ended up with Emmitt Smith.

 

[Risen Star]

Broaddus dropped nothing. It's common knowledge. Which is why he knew about it.

 

[xwalker]

Yes, actually. Martin and Frederick were both fall-back picks.

The team put themselves into position to make the right fall back picks.

In the past they were not prepared to do that. In 2009 they were dead set on Drafting Max Unger in the 2nd. When he got drafted ahead of them, they didn't have a fall back plan and scrambled around, traded back and got a big pile of poop while passing on LeSean McCoy.

 

[NeonDeion21]

Broaddus dropped nothing. It's common knowledge. Which is why he knew about it.

The Shazier over Martin, yes. We knew that.

Shazier in top 5 overall and 10 spots ahead of Martin? I think that's somewhat new or I missed it.

 

[DFWJC]

Yes, actually. Martin and Frederick were both fall-back picks.

Unless you are picking at the very top of the draft, pretty much all picks in the entire draft are "fall-back picks"

Not trying to be a smart--- here, just pointing it out

 

[NeonDeion21]

The team put themselves into position to make the right fall back picks.

In the past they were not prepared to do that. In 2009 they were dead set on Drafting Max Unger in the 2nd. When he got drafted ahead of them, they didn't have a fall back plan and scrambled around, traded back and got a big pile of poop while passing on LeSean McCoy.

Right. I didn't mean fall back as a negative. They were prepared.

 

[xwalker]

Luck is always involved in the Draft. Johnson wanted a LB I think it was Percy Snow out of Michigan St but he was taken so they ended up with Emmitt Smith.

James Francis, Baylor, IIRC.

 

[tyke1doe]

Fans may use this story to fuel endless "what if" scenarios and rue the one that got away. But I view it as a positive. The Cowboys had four players (Moseley, Shazier, Donald and Martin) on their board. Each of those players has made a strong impact on their clubs.
That tells me that the Cowboys are doing something right in terms of player evaluations. So this draft, if we miss out on a player who gets taken ahead of our pick, I feel confident we'll find the next best player. Every year, there are guys available in the draft who will become starters or even stars. We just have to find one for our team when it's our pick.

 

[Western]

Last year, Hitchens (4th rounder) outperformed Shazier (1st rounder).
A team can found quality players in later rounds even if a targeted 1st rounder player is selected by an earlier team.
Credit the Cowboys scouting department.

 

[Risen Star]

Fans may use this story to fuel endless "what if" scenarios and rue the one that got away. But I view it as a positive. The Cowboys had four players (Moseley, Shazier, Donald and Martin) on their board. Each of those players has made a strong impact on their clubs.
That tells me that the Cowboys are doing something right in terms of player evaluations. So this draft, if we miss out on a player who gets taken ahead of our pick, I feel confident we'll find the next best player. Every year, there are guys available in the draft who will become starters or even stars. We just have to find one for our team when it's our pick.

I was going to say the same thing. The real story here is it looks like they were 4 for 4 on the first round targets. Shazier got hurt and missed a lot of time in his rookie year or he would have been much more productive.

 

[xwalker]

Last year, Hitchens (4th rounder) outperformed Shazier (1st rounder).
A team can found quality players in later rounds even if a targeted 1st rounder player is selected by an earlier team.
Credit the Cowboys scouting department.

I was surprised that a 3-4 team (Steelers) drafted Shazier that high.

 

[NeonDeion21]

I was surprised that a 3-4 team (Steelers) drafted Shazier that high.

I'm not sure a 3-4 is his best fit. I think they may transitioning to a Tampa-2 defense anyways.

 

[gimmesix]

It seems like this dominant offensive line was built partly due to chance.

Fortunately.

Always the way it works. Sometimes chance works out; sometimes it bites hard.

 

[xwalker]

I'm not sure a 3-4 is his best fit. I think they may transitioning to a Tampa-2 defense anyways.

I see there are some rumors of the Steelers playing a 4-3 but their new DC (Keith Butler) was an assistant under LeBeau for about 12 years.

 

[AsthmaField]

James Francis, Baylor, IIRC.

Correct. Jimmy tried to trade up and get OLB/DE James Francis from Baylor and he was unable to pull it off.

Then, he attempted to move up for DT Ray Agnew from NC State and was unsuccessful again.

Finally, when Emmitt continued to slide, Jimmy traded up to the 17th pick with Pittsburgh to nab E Smith. Johnson knew that he had to get in front of Atlanta who everyone knew was going to take a RB, which is why he traded with the Steelers.

The rest is history. Dallas got the NFL's alltime leading rusher and 3 time super bowl champ and Atlanta got RB Steve Broussard, lol.

Dallas had Emmitt ranked in the top 5 of the draft (4th overall if I remember correctly) but had signed RB Terrence Flagler away from San Francisco in Plan B free agency and felt that they had bigger needs than RB. Once he was unable to get the players he had targeted, Jimmy went back to his board and drafted for good value.

It is just another bit of proof that drafting for need instead of BAP will get you a less talented roster than if you just stick to your board (within reason). Had Dallas ended up with Ray Agnew instead of Emmitt Smith, who knows how different things would have been.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Sometimes you just get lucky. As it looks so far, Zack Martin is a top 5 guard. Shazier isn't anywhere near a top 5 LB as of right now. In fact, I think Zack Martin is the best player of the 2014 draft so far.

The player I really wanted the Cowboys to take was Beckham Jr. The Cowboys draft war room was pretty upset when he went off the board.

And the Lions could have had Beckham Jr, Donald, or Zack Martin and instead, took TE Ebron. Major failure on their part. Three of their DL are FAs this year and may walk. WR Calvin Johnson is nearing the end and may be a cap casualty. And their OL could have really used Martin this year. If the Lions draft either Beckham, Martin or Donald, I think they walk into the super bowl this year.

A lot of the draft is just plain luck. If the Cowboys would have lost the coin toss with the Ravens, Martin would be a Raven today.