TheCount's Scenario Mock 2: Tavon Austin

[NeonDeion21]

In honor of the WR in the 1st round mock, I decided to do my own.

1. Tavon Austin WR West Virginia

2. Larry Warford OG Kentucky

3. Phillip Thomas FS Fresno St

4. Devin Taylor DE South Carolina

5. Zac Stacy RB Vandy

6. Michael Williams TE Alabama

A little light on defense, but I think Thomas starts day 1 at safety and Taylor can be another pass rusher to spell Spencer. Austin provides explosiveness to an offense that desperately needs it. And Warford is a nasty OG that brings toughness to this team.

 

[CashMan]

Not sure what that even means

Bush at 18 would have been fine. He's a matchup nightmare

I think what I was saying was, he has skills, just not the skills to be dominant and be a 1st rd pick. I think if he was taken in the 2nd rd, he would be worth it.

 

[jnday]

There's only so many footballs to go around. The diminishing returns of adding another playmaker are overwhelming for this particular team. And given the Cowboys' other gaping holes in need areas that for sure will prevent them from getting better, using the 18th pick on a WR seems like borderline luncacy.

That is saying nothing bad about Tavon and who's to say Dallas does not part with Miles in a year.

But ...
1) unless ALL reasonable options are gone,
2) there are no good trade downs, and
3) assuming we did not help our lines greatly in FA,
the old saying of insanity (doing the same things and making the same mistakes over and over) really does seem to apply here.

Good post. I think your post covers the situation well.

 

[Rack]

Although I know we need guys in the trenches...If those main guys are gone and Tavon is clearly the best player there I would have no problem taking him. Biggest Tavon homer on the board so I would be happy anyway.

Tavon isn't one of the top 18 players in the draft so it's not possible he'd be the bpa at 18.

 

[JBS]

Tavon isn't one of the top 18 players in the draft so it's not possible he'd be the bpa at 18.

depends who you ask...maybe not according to you

broaddus seems to think otherwise

 

[NeonDeion21]

depends who you ask...maybe not according to you

broaddus seems to think otherwise

Right. I have him 11th on my board.

 

[Questfor6]

In honor of the WR in the 1st round mock, I decided to do my own.

1. Tavon Austin WR West Virginia

2. Larry Warford OG Kentucky

3. Phillip Thomas FS Fresno St

4. Devin Taylor DE South Carolina

5. Zac Stacy RB Vandy

6. Michael Williams TE Alabama

A little light on defense, but I think Thomas starts day 1 at safety and Taylor can be another pass rusher to spell Spencer. Austin provides explosiveness to an offense that desperately needs it. And Warford is a nasty OG that brings toughness to this team.

If that was our draft I'd walk away extremely happy, there might not be a DT in there but I'd take that draft in a heartbeat & be pleased.

 

[jnday]

If that was our draft I'd walk away extremely happy, there might not be a DT in there but I'd take that draft in a heartbeat & be pleased.

I have low expectations for the draft, so I would be happy with this. Jerry would get his sexy pick, the fans would get their lineman and the safety position is took care of. I might would change the 5th and 6th tound picks, but I would take it.

 

[tm1119]

I'm fine with drafting Tavon Austin if the top 3 DT's and top 2 guards are gone (not going to happen but I'll play along), but I'm on the phones trying to trade Miles Austin like a madman afterwards. Even if we can only get a 4th back I'd be happy.

And no way in hell I'm trading a 4th to get Shamarko Thomas. He's not at all what we should be looking for in a FS. We need a rangey cover 1st guy. Thomas isn't even close to that. We should be looking to acquire more picks in that 3rd/4th round range, not giving them away.

Overall I'd be pretty upset with this draft honestly.

 

[Picksix]

Tavon isn't one of the top 18 players in the draft so it's not possible he'd be the bpa at 18.

Maybe not according to you, but that really doesn't matter. I would imagine if this were the case, the phone would be ringing from a team looking to trade up.

 

[TheCount]

So we leave this draft with no DT, a G/C who is vastly overrated and has an injury issue right now, and no true free safety. I love Thomas as a core special teams player and a sub LB and even a starting strong safety if we didn't have church.. But I don't think he has the size or the coverage ability to play free safety.

I think if you are gonna take Austin with the 1st pick you take the best Safety available in round 2 whether it be Cyprien or Swearinger and then you hope a guy like Pugh falls do you in round 3 or you can take a guy like Alvin Bailey out of Arkansas

I think if we had this draft we would leave with a great player in Austin but would still have wholes at safety, DT, and the O-Line. I think Jones is a 4th round talent with an injury problem who is being boosted up because hes a great kid off the field and played for Alabama.

I originally had a free agency section, but I removed it because I think it's fair to assume that the positions we don't address via the draft will be addressed via FA, and probably bargain basement FA's.

I'm not one of those people that thinks we're going to plug every hole on this team in one draft.

I hear ya though, there were definitely some needs I didn't address via this particular mock.

Believe it or not, he used both our 3rd and4th rounders on Shamarko.

I'm not sure how else you're supposed to trade up if not by spending another pick and the pick you have in that round. No one is going to give you a high 3rd round pick for just a 4th rounder.

I am not a fan of taking a WR in the first, and I dont really like Austin as much as everyone else.....however, I will go along with this draft for the most part....change a few things

Trade down in the 6th and add a 7th

1 - WR Austin
2 - OT Armstead
3 - S Thomas/Rambo
4 - OG Bailey
5 - DE Bass
6 - CB Josh Johnson
7 - DT Chris Jones

I think Rambo is off the Cowboys' board, so that's a moot point but I do like Bailey. Armstead I'm still iffy on. Bruce Campbell blew up the combine in 2010 and hasn't done much since. He was a guy that people were bumping up their wish lists after the combine, some as high as the first round. But even Al Davis didn't bite till the 4th. I didn't see Armstead on ANY wishlists before the combine, that throws up red flags for me.

I'm fine with drafting Tavon Austin if the top 3 DT's and top 2 guards are gone (not going to happen but I'll play along), but I'm on the phones trying to trade Miles Austin like a madman afterwards. Even if we can only get a 4th back I'd be happy.

And no way in hell I'm trading a 4th to get Shamarko Thomas. He's not at all what we should be looking for in a FS. We need a rangey cover 1st guy. Thomas isn't even close to that. We should be looking to acquire more picks in that 3rd/4th round range, not giving them away.

Overall I'd be pretty upset with this draft honestly.

I think Thomas is a gamer, but I'm not going to say the guy I like is better than the guy you like, because neither has played a down. The point was to come away with a safety capable of contributing from opening day. Feel free to plug in your favorite name.

The trade up was a necessity. Draft history shows that the drop off for safeties hits very hard after the 2nd round. There simply aren't very many 3rd and 4th round safeties starting, and playing well, in the NFL.

 

[jnday]

Count makes a great point about Armstead. I have read about his amazing body and how well he performed in his underwear. I have yet to read a solid article that breaks down his play. Power or finesse? What type of run blocker or pass blocker is he? Does anybody have any info on him other than combine numbers ( which are useless in this case)? I did read eome mid-season blurbs about his body being compared to Tyron. That is great if you like body building, but it doesn't mean he can play football. With that being said, some team will fall in love with him and draft him higher than he should go.

 

[XxTDxX]

I originally had a free agency section, but I removed it because I think it's fair to assume that the positions we don't address via the draft will be addressed via FA, and probably bargain basement FA's.

I'm not one of those people that thinks we're going to plug every hole on this team in one draft.

I hear ya though, there were definitely some needs I didn't address via this particular mock.

It's not so much about trying to plug every hole because I don't think that is possible.. It's more the players that you chose for the position you DID address.

Tavon Austin: If Cooper/Warmack/Richardson/Vaccaro are all gone and Austin is the top guy on our board then you go ahead and take him. Kid is extremely explosive and can be a game changer.


Barret Jones: Here is where the big problems with this draft begin for me. Jones is probably a 4th round talent.. He is RKG for sure but the fact that he is a great kid and played for Alabama is a key factor in why his stock is so high. I am not opposed to guys who are "winners" and "RKG" but I am opposed to taking a guy 2 rounds too early for his talent level because hes a good guy.

Shamarko Thomas: Here is a pick that I am conflicted about because I love the player but hate him as a pick for us. He plays with attitude and confidence which we need desperately.. Sadly I think he projects as a strong safety which is what Church is going to be for at least a few years whether people like it or not. If/When we draft a safety it needs to be someone who can take sensabaughs place as the "Center Fielder" Kiffin has stated they will be playing a lot of single high safety and if we had Church and Thomas we would have no one to fill that spot

4th round pick traded: Not opposed to trading up for your guy but now we have traded away our 4th to get a guy (Thomas) who is going to be a special teams monster but not much else as long as Church is on the team. We are now about to head into round 5 with 1 player who can contribute for sure in year 1 - Austin.. Not confident at all that Barrett Jones would beat out Costa or either Livings/Bernardeau for a starting spot.. So 5 rounds in with 1.5 Starters

David Bass: I like Bass here.. Don't have a problem with this pick but by this point the draft is a failure

Zac Stacy: Can't say I have a huge problem with this pick.. Can't be too picky in round 6 but I think there are guys with much more upside that you can probably get in round 6

Obviously all this is just my opinion and I appreciate you even taking the time to make a mock.. I love sharing opinions on here. Hopefully we get a draft that we can all be excited about

 

[Biggems]

I originally had a free agency section, but I removed it because I think it's fair to assume that the positions we don't address via the draft will be addressed via FA, and probably bargain basement FA's.

I'm not one of those people that thinks we're going to plug every hole on this team in one draft.

I hear ya though, there were definitely some needs I didn't address via this particular mock.



I'm not sure how else you're supposed to trade up if not by spending another pick and the pick you have in that round. No one is going to give you a high 3rd round pick for just a 4th rounder.



I think Rambo is off the Cowboys' board, so that's a moot point but I do like Bailey. Armstead I'm still iffy on. Bruce Campbell blew up the combine in 2010 and hasn't done much since. He was a guy that people were bumping up their wish lists after the combine, some as high as the first round. But even Al Davis didn't bite till the 4th. I didn't see Armstead on ANY wishlists before the combine, that throws up red flags for me.



I think Thomas is a gamer, but I'm not going to say the guy I like is better than the guy you like, because neither has played a down. The point was to come away with a safety capable of contributing from opening day. Feel free to plug in your favorite name.

The trade up was a necessity. Draft history shows that the drop off for safeties hits very hard after the 2nd round. There simply aren't very many 3rd and 4th round safeties starting, and playing well, in the NFL.

Actually I have been talking up Armstead since before the bowl season.

 

[Biggems]

Count makes a great point about Armstead. I have read about his amazing body and how well he performed in his underwear. I have yet to read a solid article that breaks down his play. Power or finesse? What type of run blocker or pass blocker is he? Does anybody have any info on him other than combine numbers ( which are useless in this case)? I did read eome mid-season blurbs about his body being compared to Tyron. That is great if you like body building, but it doesn't mean he can play football. With that being said, some team will fall in love with him and draft him higher than he should go.

I got to see him in one game during the season. He is tall, lean, and athletic. He did very well in pass protection. He did well in run blocking. He wasn't flawless by any means, but he did a good job. Also, for someone who looked so lean, he displayed a good bit of power and strength (I expected him to be all finesse, but he definitely surprised me with his power game).

Now of course the level of competition was not the same as some of the other top OL in the draft, but he was dominant against the people he lined up against. Also, in the all-star game, he did a great job against top level competition. Then he blew up the combine and his pro day.

I want him on this team.

 

[TheCount]

It's not so much about trying to plug every hole because I don't think that is possible.. It's more the players that you chose for the position you DID address.

Tavon Austin: If Cooper/Warmack/Richardson/Vaccaro are all gone and Austin is the top guy on our board then you go ahead and take him. Kid is extremely explosive and can be a game changer.


Barret Jones: Here is where the big problems with this draft begin for me. Jones is probably a 4th round talent.. He is RKG for sure but the fact that he is a great kid and played for Alabama is a key factor in why his stock is so high. I am not opposed to guys who are "winners" and "RKG" but I am opposed to taking a guy 2 rounds too early for his talent level because hes a good guy.

Shamarko Thomas: Here is a pick that I am conflicted about because I love the player but hate him as a pick for us. He plays with attitude and confidence which we need desperately.. Sadly I think he projects as a strong safety which is what Church is going to be for at least a few years whether people like it or not. If/When we draft a safety it needs to be someone who can take sensabaughs place as the "Center Fielder" Kiffin has stated they will be playing a lot of single high safety and if we had Church and Thomas we would have no one to fill that spot

4th round pick traded: Not opposed to trading up for your guy but now we have traded away our 4th to get a guy (Thomas) who is going to be a special teams monster but not much else as long as Church is on the team. We are now about to head into round 5 with 1 player who can contribute for sure in year 1 - Austin.. Not confident at all that Barrett Jones would beat out Costa or either Livings/Bernardeau for a starting spot.. So 5 rounds in with 1.5 Starters

David Bass: I like Bass here.. Don't have a problem with this pick but by this point the draft is a failure

Zac Stacy: Can't say I have a huge problem with this pick.. Can't be too picky in round 6 but I think there are guys with much more upside that you can probably get in round 6

Obviously all this is just my opinion and I appreciate you even taking the time to make a mock.. I love sharing opinions on here. Hopefully we get a draft that we can all be excited about

Some good points here and I appreciate the participation.

I am a fan of Jones as a player, I don't know much about him personally. I think the guy is smart at a position where we've had our fair share of dummies.

I don't think being a nice guy and playing on the nations' premiere program should be a knock against him (I know that's not really what you're saying). I think the injury could be a big deal though.

What I really like about Jones isn't neccesarily that he's going to take a guy and block him into next week but that he's tough, versatile and works well in tandem with other members of the offensive line.

 

[XxTDxX]

Some good points here and I appreciate the participation.

I am a fan of Jones as a player, I don't know much about him personally. I think the guy is smart at a position where we've had our fair share of dummies.

I don't think being a nice guy and playing on the nations' premiere program should be a knock against him (I know that's not really what you're saying). I think the injury could be a big deal though.

What I really like about Jones isn't neccesarily that he's going to take a guy and block him into next week but that he's tough, versatile and works well in tandem with other members of the offensive line.

I understand your point about Jones and I think you are right in that he could be a good asset to a line but when your line is already so underwhelming in terms of physical talent you can't really afford to take someone where you are trading talent for intagibles.. If we had 2 good tackles and 2 good guards and you wanted to take Jones to replace Costa in the 2nd I probably wouldn't care but at this point I want the most talented O-Lineman we can get and I don't think in round 2 he fits that description.

As for Guards I prefer Cooper, Warmack, Pugh, Alvin Bailey, Brian Winters.

As for Centers I prefer Schwenke and Travis Frederick.

At our pick in round 2 we should have a shot at everyone with the exception of Cooper/Warmack/Warford.

Definitely nothing wrong with a great guy coming from a championship pedigree but we are not close enough as a team to be taking guys above what their talent indicates because of their intagibles.

Jones could be the perfect guy to cement a line that is already building but with such a lack of talent I really want to get the best guys in here..The injury is just the cherry on top of why I wouldn't want him.. Now if you get to round 3 and he is there I won't complain about it even though Ide rather have Bailey, Winters, or Frederick.

 

[HoosierCowboy]

I like Austin,i just think it's a bad pick for us--we should only draft linemen and one safety--and i do not evaluate any of our DEs according to what they did hippy's 3-4

 

[garyv]

have the Cowboys selecting:

1st Round: Jonathan Cooper OG UNC
2nd Round: Kwane Short DT Purdue

Loved those 1st 2 picks (SOLID as a rock)

 

[DFWJC]

I'm not sure how else you're supposed to trade up if not by spending another pick and the pick you have in that round. No one is going to give you a high 3rd round pick for just a 4th rounder.

.

No big deal ount.
It's just with us only having 6 picks and having so many needs, I had a real hard time giving up two of our top 4 picks for that player. It seemed really expensive, that's all.

It's just a mock and the more mocks around the better as far as I'm concerned. I realize we're just stayng entertained an testng different scenarios at the same time.