Wulfman
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The Wulf Den: Aftermath
Well, the draft has come and gone, and the Cowboys went in a way that I don’t think anyone anticipated on the first night of the draft. I know there were a lot of conversations about the Cowboys’ potential interest in moving up to get a specific player, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought it would be Mo Claiborne. Heck, the Cowboys didn’t even expect it to be possible. But the changes in the rookie salary structure have made it much easier to move around at the top of the first round—something I wasn’t so sure would happen. As a result, the “perfect storm” that the Cowboys needed to have a shot at Claiborne actually happened, and they jumped on the opportunity. But as much as that move set the tone for the rest of the draft, I believe the impetus was put in place well before the Colts ever went on the clock. So let’s take a look at the results of the draft, as well as crop of undrafted signees, as a precursor for the rest of the offseason workouts.
Draft Preparations
As I’ve covered in my last couple of articles, the Cowboys did some of their best preparation for the draft during the first few weeks of the free agent period. By targeting and bringing in what they perceived to be quality football players at a variety of positions, the Cowboys addressed the majority of their need areas and, in their opinion, improved their ball club. By doing so, they eliminated the “need” factor from unduly affecting their draft board, and gave themselves the flexibility to go in just about any direction with each pick in the draft.
The second step of their preparation really began before the first, as the collection of data from their scouts is an ongoing task. But it really kicked into high gear as the front office personnel sat in the war room day after day with the coaching staff and the scouts, reviewing and dissecting each and every eligible player. From these conversations and film study, they developed their draft board, ranking players and eliminating some altogether. This is the area where Head Coach Jason Garrett’s mantra of getting the “right kinds of guys” plays a huge role, as those who don’t fit that description find themselves down-graded or removed from the board altogether, while the team captains and team leaders with high motor and work ethic get moved up. Eventually, the board contains groups of guys whom the Cowboys are comfortable with taking at particular points in the draft, as well as pretty good indication of who they want to contact immediately following—or even prior to—the conclusion of the draft and sign as undrafted free agents.
The third major step of preparing for the draft was done in laying the groundwork for possible trades. Teams were on their phones non-stop for several weeks before the draft, as well as throughout the draft itself, gauging other teams’ interest in moving down from their pick or moving up to take the Cowboys’ pick instead. In fact, it is this groundwork that ultimately culminated in the trade up with St. Louis to acquire Claiborne. They had spoken with the Rams to set some parameters in the event that things went as they did and Claiborne would somehow be available at #6, and had agreed long before the draft to the second round compensation. Of course, the Rams tried to get an extra pick out of the Cowboys when the time came, but the 'Boys refused to change the agreement they had made earlier, and St. Louis eventually agreed. If the groundwork had not been laid previously, it would likely have cost the Cowboys their fourth round pick as well, and it doesn’t appear they would have been willing to make that trade at that price.
Of course, these three items are broad generalizations, and don’t contain all of the nuances of preparing for the NFL draft. But they do show the Cowboys’ determination to be in the right place at the right time to get the players they had targeted, whether fans or analysts agree with either who is targeted or where they have then ranked.
Draft Reflections
I stated in my Draft Special that I believed the Cowboys had addressed most of their pressing needs in free agency, allowing them to approach the draft with as much of a pure “best player available” mentality as possible. I have outlined their approach to doing so, above, and whether individual fans agree or not, the Cowboys believed themselves to be in the perfect position to go in any direction in the draft and come out of it with quality players that could immediately contribute.
Of course, nothing could have really prepared them for the one guy being available at #6 that they thought was worth trading up for despite losing their second round pick in the trade. Oh sure, they had speculated, and rated him. But he had been rumored to go as high as third overall to Minnesota, and very few people thought he would make it past both Cleveland and Tampa Bay. It ultimately took the action of the team sitting at #7, the Jacksonville Jaguars, moving up with Tampa to take WR Justin Blackmon that made it possible. And when the opportunity presented itself, the Cowboys pounced. This is a blue chip prospect, and I expect him to be a perennial pro-bowler.
While elated with that addition at the top of their draft class, however, there was a sense of uneasiness in the fanbase, and in the war room as well. Jerry Jones stated that he would “walk from here to New York” to get that second round pick back, and in Jerry’s case, that kind of talk can bring a unique kind of concern. Would Jones target some player that he just had to have in the second round—someone they thought had first round talent and was sliding—and be willing to trade next year’s draft picks to get back into the second round? Speculation was rampant, and everything from trading CB Mike Jenkins to using next year’s first-rounder were thrown out by fans as possibilities. Of course, many fans weren’t interested in mortgaging any of the Cowboys’ future picks. But we know Jerry Jones, and no one will wheel and deal more than he will with the possible exception of Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
Thankfully, in my opinion, they opted to sit tight and let the draft come to them. And in the third round, they nabbed DE Tyrone Crawford from Boise State. There were some understandable reactions to the pick, as many fans were not overly familiar with Crawford. But those who have been clamoring for the Cowboys to take a DE to bring some youth to the defensive line, as well as to potentially help improve the pass rush, should be excited. Crawford has a more limited football background than many of the other potential choices at DE. But in a way, that’s a good thing, as he already shows some considerable ability, and he’s nowhere near reaching his potential. The other thing is that he’s one of those “right” kind of guys, someone whose work ethic is one of the first things his coaches and teammates talk about, and whose non-stop motor is evident as you watch him on tape. He’s a little under-sized for playing DE in a 3-4 scheme, but they’re going to get him up to about 285 (an addition of about 10 lbs.) and see how he holds up at that weight. His best aspect coming out of college was his pass-rushing ability, and considering they’re lining him up on the right side where he’d be bracketed by Ratliff on the inside and Ware on the outside, he should find his fair share of opportunities to show it.
In the fourth, the Cowboys had two picks: their own regular pick and then the last pick in the round as a compensatory pick. Ironically, their board showed two guys that they really wanted, and they lived with the reality that they likely wouldn’t get them both. So with their own pick in the fourth, they took LB Kyle Wilber from Wake Forest. They had an offer to trade down a significant number of spots and pick up a couple of additional later round picks, but wanted to make sure they at least got one of the guys they had targeted. For his part, Wilber is an OLB who began as a DE, and has shown the ability to not only rush the QB, but drop into coverage at times as well as helping the run game. He, too, will likely need to add some weight, as 249 lbs. is a bit light for the outside in a 3-4 scheme. This year, however, he will likely be used primarily as a situational pass rusher, as well as a special teams cover guy. With a year in the weight room and a full offseason under his belt, we may not see what he really has until next year.
As the rest of the round unfolded, the Cowboys watched as the other player they had targeted remained on the board. Somewhat to their disbelief, when they went on the clock for their compensatory pick, there was S Matt Johnson of Eastern Washington still available. They turned his card in immediately, pleased that they had been able to acquire both the players they had been targeting. For his part, Johnson will likely see the field as a part of every special teams unit. But the Cowboys were eyeing him not just as a special teams player, but as a ball-hawking safety who shows not only leadership on and off the field, but instincts and a high football IQ as well. In watching the film of him, I noticed that he repeatedly read the play and reacted instinctively, taking a good angle and then pursuing. He appears to be a sure tackler in the run game, and, despite not being one of those “seek-and-destroy” hitters, can lay some wood on receivers who come across the middle. He was likely not rated as highly as many other safeties both because of the size of the school he attended as well as because his performance in his senior season was not as productive as the previous year. This was due in large part to playing through a biceps injury significant enough that, according to Garrett, it would have kept a lot of guys from playing at all. Johnson’s reason for not sitting out with the injury? He didn’t want to let his teammates down. Definitely one of the “right” kind of guys. If his ability translates at all well in training camp, and Johnson shows that he might be able to do for Dallas what he did for Eastern Washington, he could make Brodney Pool’s position VERY tentative.
In the fifth round, the Cowboys addressed the perceived need for a third wide receiver after WR Laurent Robinson’s departure for Jacksonville via free agency. After all, it’s all well and good for them to talk confidently about re-signing Kevin Ogletree or what they expect from unproven players like Andre Holmes or Raymond Radway. But Cowboy fans had every reason to want to see someone that could potentially be more than any of these undrafted free agents. Enter WR Danny Coale from Virginia Tech, a quality receiver who can play both inside and outside—something a third receiver needs to be able to do—as well as potentially return punts. While his name might not be as much of a household word as some that fans were throwing around, I can tell you being from Virginia that I saw a lot of games over Coale’s college career, and I was very happy to see the pick go in. Assuming he doesn’t get injured, the rest of the candidates for the third receiver position are going to have their hands full beating Coale out for the job. His natural position flexibility and the fact that he enjoys working the middle of the field will allow the Cowboys the luxury of using either he or Miles Austin in the slot without giving up anything outside. There were balls that Coale didn’t catch at Virginia Tech, just as there were in the rookie mini-camp. But the vast majority of the incompletions at both Virginia Tech and at Valley Ranch were a result of poor QB play, rather than any inability on his part. A very solid pick in the fifth round.
In the sixth round, the Cowboys drafted TE James Hanna from Oklahoma, a player that many of us who did mocks had them taking in the fifth round. Since I had him rated as a legitimate pick in the fifth round, getting him in the sixth was even better. He’s not an in-line blocker, so although I’m sure they’ll use him as a blocker at times, expect it to be more of a chip-block to assist another player before releasing on a route rather than a line-up and “handle the guy across from you” set-up. Not saying he can’t learn the technique to at least be functional in this area. But he doesn’t have the natural size necessary for the job, and hasn’t shown a lot of proficiency at it in college. What he can do, however, is get downfield, as he possesses better than average speed. He’ll have to work on his hands, as he struggles at times to catch balls that should be routine for a pro receiver. But considering that he grew up a Cowboy fan and looks to Jason Witten as what he wants to be, I think he’ll develop just fine as an all-around TE. If the Cowboys think they need a true blocking TE, however, they may have to look at one of the undrafted tight ends that were signed.
The last pick the Cowboys made addressed yet another vacancy on their roster, and with another hard-working guy whose instincts and ability to contribute on special teams may mean more than his inherent physical ability to play his position as a rookie. LB Caleb McSurdy from Montana immediately becomes a contender for the fourth ILB position behind Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, and Dan Connor, and will fight with last year’s practice squad member, Orie Lemon, for what may be the last interior LB position. Of all of the draft picks, McSurdy is the most likely in my opinion not to make the roster, and it has nothing to do with being the last draft pick, but rather because he is, to my mind, a detriment on the field in passing situations—something we see more and more in the NFL. He is an instinctual and effective run-stuffer, but his lack of height will potentially cause him trouble if he’s on the field and has to cover NFL tight ends. He’ll have to not only contribute well on special teams, but show that he can contribute more to the defense than Lemon in order to secure a spot on the 53-man roster. Considering Lemon has a year or more with the Cowboys and Ryan’s defensive scheme, McSurdy could be fighting an uphill battle.
The Undrafted Class
The Cowboys signed 21 undrafted rookies in the hours following the draft, headlined by G Ron Leary from Memphis, who would likely have gone as high as the third round of the draft had it not been for a degenerative knee condition that could significantly shorten his career. The Cowboys, however, saw the ability that he possesses, and have decided to bring him in, willing to take good production from him for however long they can get it. They seem to think that he has a legitimate shot at making the roster, so he will certainly bear watching in training camp.
As for the remainder of the signees, there are a number of interesting prospects, some of whom are already flashing signs of ability during the rookie mini-camp. Among them are LB Adrian Hamilton, a pass-rush specialist from Prairie View A & M who had 22.5 sacks last year, but who has questions about being able to stop the run (at only 248 lbs.) or drop back into coverage. He’s shown a bit more athleticism in the coverage department early on than I think a lot of people were expecting, but it’s way too early to tell at this point. Another interesting prospect is Aston Whiteside from Abilene-Christian, a DE who us actually being used as an ILB early on. If he shows good position flexibility, it could make it more likely that he can work his way onto the 53-man roster.
Of course, any of the undrafted rookies could potentially make the roster. The Cowboys have a reputation around the league as a team that makes the most of finding quality contributors from the undrafted ranks, with Tony Romo and Miles Austin leading the charge among a group that made some significant contributions last season who also were undrafted (Barry Church, Danny McCray, Kevin Kowalski, Phil Costa, and Dan Bailey, among others). As such, don’t be surprised to see anywhere from one to a handful of these guys with a legitimate shot at making the roster when training camp winds down…especially if there are injuries to players ahead of them on the depth chart. They will, of course, be hoping to show enough to at least make the practice squad coming out of camp, or to potentially get picked up by a team with less depth at their particular positions. One thing is for certain, however—a player’s draft status will likely NOT influence who will make this team going into week 1 against the Giants.
The Rest of the Story
It’s a little early to make too many predictions about what we might see in training camp, much less in the regular season. But that’s what I do, so here we go with my most anticipated camp battles to watch for:
QB – The battle here, to my mind, is less about who the third QB is going to be, and more about proving that you can offer enough to force the Cowboys to keep a third QB on the roster. Unless McGee or Carpenter show something really significant in camp, I can see the Cowboys only keeping Romo and Orton on the 53-man roster, with a third QB being signed to the practice squad.
RB – The real battle at this position will be for the third RB position. I see little to no chance that the Cowboys keep four, so this should ultimately be a competition between last year’s third RB, Phillip Tanner, and two undrafted rookies: Lance Dunbar and Darrell Scott. Tanner showed some grit and determination as a between-the-tackles runner last year before going on IR with an injury. Dunbar is explosive and very quick, and could contribute as a return man. But his lack of size could make pass protection very difficult at this level, and that’s something that a third down back has to be able to do. Scott has the size to potentially give the Cowboys a goal-line threat—something they’ve been missing in recent years. He’s got nimble feet for a big guy, but he’ll have to show that he’s not only healthy, but still has some of the ability that had him so highly rated coming out of college.
FB – Last year’s draft pick, Shaun Chapas, could make the practice squad again if they see enough improvement from last year. But to my mind, the signing of Lawrence Vickers means that Chapas has no chance at making the roster, barring injury.
TE – With Jason Witten getting older and John Phillips more of an H-back, the addition of Hanna in the draft was very necessary. Unfortunately, it did not address the need for an in-line blocker at the tight end position. As such, the two undrafted rookies they brought in—Andrew Szczerba of Penn State and George Bryan of North Carolina State—have their best chance of making the roster if they show the ability to block as well as catch the ball. I personally like Szczerba better, as his 6-7 frame enables him to potentially add a few more pounds as well as being a big target around the endzone. But their play will ultimately determine if they can either beat out someone out or force the Cowboys to keep a fourth TE.
WR – Everyone knows that Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are the starters. Beyond that, however, I don’t think there are any guarantees. It seems that everyone on the coaching staff immediately goes to Kevin Ogletree when the third receiver question comes up, and they say that he’s done well with his limited opportunities. What I say is that if he had shown any ability to be the third receiver in last year’s camp, they wouldn’t have gone looking for Laurent Robinson. The Cowboys said that they had a conversation with Ogletree before they re-signed him. My translation: this is your last chance—either step it up and show that you can reach the potential we think you have or you won’t make it out of training camp. As I mentioned, I think Coale is a given to make the team, barring injury. As such, I believe Ogletree and last year’s sixth-round draft pick, Duane Harris, are fighting with not only Holmes and Radway from last year, but the undrafted guys this year for what will likely be only 2 or 3 spots. Among the undrafted guys brought in, Saalim Hakim (legitimate 4.28-4.3 speed), Tim Benford, and Cole Beasley have flashed at times, although each also has their negative aspects. Their best hope may be for the practice squad, as they’ll have a hard time over-taking the guys who have already been in Dallas and have a feel for the system.
OL – At OT, it’s unlikely that Smith, Free, or Parnell are in any danger of losing their jobs. If the undrafted OTs want a job, they’re going to have to prove to the Cowboys that they need to keep a fourth OT on the roster. Considering that Leary played LT at Memphis, that job may be even more difficult despite the fact that the Cowboys view him as a guard. Speaking of the interior line, it’s ultimately going to be an interesting battle. Expect Costa, Kowalski, and Nagy to battle it out at the center position, with Bernadeau, Livings, Arkin, and Leary initially figuring in at guard. However, the coaches have made it clear that the interior guys are going to be cross-trained to play either both sides as a guard or as both a guard and a center. I don’t expect them to keep more than six interior O-linemen, though, so if Leary makes the squad, someone else is going to get squeezed out.
DL – The Cowboys only added one new piece on the defensive line, and his name is Crawford. Considering that they are unlikely to carry more than seven D-linemen, and that they like the versatility of Sean Lissimore, and I believe it’s ultimately going to come down to keeping Clifton Geathers or Kenyon Coleman. And considering Geathers is younger with more upside and a lower salary, I think Coleman is going to have to play a LOT better in camp than he did last year not to be the odd man out.
LB – There are going to be some interesting battles here, both for the depth chart at inside and outside linebacker as well as for special teams. There will be a minimum of four players kept for the inside and the outside, with a maximum of five. With Ware and Spencer as the starters on the outside, last year’s back-ups Alex Albright and Victor Butler are going to have to fight off Wilber as well as Hamilton. Don’t be surprised if the upside of Wilber and/or Hamilton push one or both of last year’s back-ups off the roster. On the inside, there’s really one spot up for grabs, with Lemon and McSurdy as the primary combatants. Whiteside has an outside chance, but considering it’s a position change for him, and he might find himself on the outside looking in.
CB – I don’t think Mike Jenkins is going anywhere unless someone makes an offer that knocks the Cowboys’ socks off. And considering he’s coming off of shoulder surgery, I find that incredibly unlikely. As such, expect Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, and Jenkins to be the top four corners. The battle will be for the fifth spot, especially considering Jenkins may not be ready to go for week 1. The inside track right now belongs to Mario Butler, in my opinion, so the rest will have to show something significant to challenge him. More likely is earning a spot on the practice squad.
S – This position may be the one with the most question marks in terms of what the depth chart will look like. Going into the draft, Pool and Gerald Sensabaugh would likely have been your starters, with Church and McCray as back-ups and special teams aces. Had they added a top safety like Mark Barron, I’d say Pool would be the odd man out. But taking a guy at the end of the fourth round from a smaller program, no matter how instinctual or intelligent he may be, isn’t as clear-cut. Johnson will make the team, and Pool might still be the odd man out. But Johnson will have to show that he has what it takes to start sooner rather than later for that to happen, in my opinion. Also, undrafted safety Eddie Whitley from Virginia Tech has some ability, and if he shows enough on special teams, he could push one of last year’s back-ups. It’s entirely possible that the Cowboys keep five safeties this year.
ST – The Cowboys brought in an undrafted long-snapper considering Ladouceur is coming into his contract year, much the way they did when his last contract was about to expire. And I’m sure they’d love to find that next guy so they didn’t have to pay the higher veteran salary to L. P. But Charley Hughlett from Central Florida is going to have to be P-E-R-F-E-C-T for me not to want Ladouceur back. You just can’t take those solid snaps on special teams for granted. Bailey established himself as the placekicker last year, so any other kickers who are brought in are done to save his leg in camp more than as real competition. At punter, the Cowboys are saying that they’re comfortable going with Chris Jones, who stepped in last year and did a serviceable job when Mat McBriar went down. I still maintain that they’re waiting to see if McBriar can make a full recovery, and that he will be re-signed if he does so. If not, competition will be brought in during camp…and in that case, I think it will be a real competition.
The early, early, EARLY look at my projected 53-man roster:
QB (2): Romo, Orton
RB (3): Murray, Jones, Tanner
FB (1): Vickers
TE (4): Witten, Hanna, Szczerba, Phillips (back-up FB as well)
WR (5): Bryant, Austin, Coale, Holmes, Radway
OT (3): Smith, Free, Parnell
G (4): Livings, Bernadeau, Leary, Arkin
C (2): Kowalski, Nagy
DL (7): Crawford, Ratliff, Hatcher, Spears, Brent, Lissimore, Geathers
LB (9): Ware, Spencer, Butler, Lee, Carter, Connor, Wilber, Albright, Lemon
CB (5): Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, Jenkins, Butler
S (5): Sensabaugh, Pool, Johnson, Church, McCray
ST (3): Bailey, Ladouceur, Jones
Practice Squad: CB Isaac Madison, S Eddie Whitley, RB Darrell Scott, OT Levy Adcock, LB Caleb McSurdy, WR Cole Beasley, WR Saalim Hakim, a developmental QB from free agency
Of course, a number of those decisions are derived from a combination of what I’d like to see and what I think is likely, as well as the fact that we really haven’t seen enough of any of the rookies to know what they’ll bring to the table in training camp. But there’s going to be a lot of good battles when camp comes around…and July can’t come soon enough!
