Hostile
The Duke
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- 119,565
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Everywhere you look today the talking heads around the NFL will be grading the Draft. You're going to discover that these sites do not all grade the Cowboys the same. Some of the grades are going to thrill you as you read the glowing reports. Some of them are going to piss you off as you see their grade as a diss. I have some advice for you.
Embrace the hatred. That's what all of this boils down to folks. You gotta let that stuff go. You need to see it for what it is, an expressed opinion and not a written in stone fact. Savor it, relish it, or soak it up, whichever works for you. But you absolutely can't let it get to you.
I love the hatred. On a cold day it keeps me warm. On a warm day it stokes the fires of passion. The hatred is a good thing. Make that a great thing. Want some evidence?
Take a good look at the National TV Schedule for the games in 2007. Notice that the reigning Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts do not dominate the National coverage in 2007. Everyone loves the winner right? So why aren't they the draw? Because everyone loves the straw that stirs the drink more. That's the Cowboys and it is going to drive the fans of other NFL teams nuts.
Ah, it's as refreshing as a nice cold glass of lemonade when the temperature outside is in the triple digits. Give me more and let me bask in the nice warm glow.
Okay, so how did the Cowboys really do in this draft? It's a fair question and I'll do my best to give it a fair answer. Let's analyze what the biggest failures of the last few years have been for this team. What things have we as fans been concerned about?
Anyone remember the GROZ movement? What was that about? Don't search for responses, I'll tell you. It was about the fact that we played a read and react style of defense that put limited emphasis on pressuring the QB and more emphasis on closing running lanes. We wanted more pressure on the QB.
Guess what? Brian Stewart and Wade Phillips are here to make you forget GROZ. Saturday they decided to get a compliment to DeMarcus Ware and found their guy in a kid named Anthony Spencer from Purdue. Purdue has turned out several DEs who have made the transition to LB in the NFL including our own Akin Ayodele. They've also sent Roosevelt Colvin and Shaun Phillips to the big boys. Per Joe Tiller of Purdue, the kid we just took is better than any of them. That's high praise folks. Why would he say it? Just look at the stats line. 93 tackles by a DE. Unheard of. That means he sheds blockers and attacks the ball. of those 93 tackles, 26.5 of them happened behind the line of scrimage. Of that 26.5 10.5 of them put the QB on his backside.
I got 3 words for you about the potential of this pick. Make a wish. That's what he and Ware are going to try and do. Get to the QB and treat him like a wishbone. Other fans are going to hate it and we're going to love it.
The second gripe we've had has been not addressing the Offensive Line and when we have addressed it...we've paid too much. Next in line for a big pay day is Flo. Not if we did our homework and I have a good feeling we did. I hear people asking some questions. What about Proctor? What about Berger? What about McQuistan? My question is all inclusive. What about them? If they can beat out Marten and Free, great. If they can't goodbye. Are we married to those guys? What about loyalty you say. Well, what about it? What are we loyal to, the team or some players who haven't taken the starting job away from the entrenched starters? You think they have shown something? I say what they've shown isn't enough that they should feel their job is safe. Go back to work and don't look in the rearview mirror.
Like many of you, I wanted a WR in this draft. Didn't get one, but maybe we did. Isaiah Stanback played WR at Washington before moving to QB. I've seen him play a lot and the best thing I can tell you about him is that he has serious wheels. Now you're going to hear all kinds of whining about him being a project at best. So what? Our starting QB was once a project. Sometimes projects pay off. He talked about being a kick returner as well. So now the talk is what about Miles Austin? What about Tyson Thompson? Check that marriage certificate again. Do you see their names? What about them? If they are better than him simple. Beat him out. It wouldn't surprise me to see him given a shot at RB because he ran some out of the option at UW.
Oh yeah, one more thing, bet he's the new holder on PATs and FGs. He will be dangerous on fakes.
That brings me to the freaking kicker. Yeah, we took a kicker in the draft and I hate it. But make no mistake about it, this kid was the best kicker in this draft. You're going to hear some people mention Mason Crosby. They've read that name for years and have never heard of Folk. That makes Crosby better right? Give me a huge break. Folk has a stronger leg. On kickoffs he can put the kicks out of the back of the endzone. Not into the endzone, out the back. No returns. Immediately our coverage units benefit. Immediately our defense benefits by making the offense have to go 80 yards. If McBriar were to get hurt this kid can also punt. He averaged 50 yards per punt in 2006. He missed 5 FGs in 2006 all from beyond 45 yards, and no PATs. Bottom line, I still hate kickers, but this kid is a potential weapon for many years.
We drafted a FB. Now you know I'm going to love this pick because he's a FB right? Yeah, well I will also openly admit to you that he wasn't at the top of my FB man crush lists. Perhaps I didn't do my homework as thoroughly as the Cowboys did, because ever since last night every word I have read on this kid (outside of some legal entanglements) has been glowing. No one loves Lousaka Polite as much as me. None of you. I got it bad. I know that. It makes for a good joke at my expense. That's all fun. On the football field this kid is all about dead serious. I gotta tell you, that pumps me up. Ask LaDanian Tomlinson how valuable Lorenzo Neal is to him. Ask Emmitt Smith how valuable Moose was. By the end of the year it's quite possible that Julius and Marion will feel that way about Deon Anderson.
You ever get the feeling you've pulled one over on someone? Meet Courtney Brown, CB, Cal Poly. He's 6'2", 205 pounds. He runs a 4.32 time in the 40 and has a 41.5" vertical leap. Why did he fall to the 7th round? Who did Cal Poly play in 2006? What conference do they play in? Hell, what is their mascot name? Most will not know. Let me tell you about him. In 2005 this kid did not allow a TD and he swiped 7 passes. In 2006 no one threw the ball at the guy he was covering. Therefore it looks like he has no stats. Doesn't matter, the kid has skills.
At first glance at Alan Ball, our last pick, all you look at is his weight. I will admit, the dude needs to seriously step away from the salad bar. Mix in a few steaks. Chicken fried with lots of gravy isn't a bad idea. Add a biscuit or two. If that's all you focus on you might miss the fact that he was a 4 year starter at Illinois. That's in the Big 10 folks. Maybe, just maybe, the kid can play a little bit. I admit it won't be easy for me not to call him SlimFast, but I'll give him some credit. 4 year starter for any college team is amazing. For a school in a big conference even more so because they can recruit anyone they want. At his weight, it's downright phenomenal. Translation, somewhere in that skinny frame this kid can play football. Okay, so he should sue his legs for non support. Anyone want to measure his heart? I do.
I'm not going to talk about the #1 pick next year, or the fact that we moved up a lot of places in the draft to acquire these players. I want to talk about this class alone and what kind of impact they can have on 2007. That's the true litmus test right? Let's add it up.
We got help in QB pressure, depth for O-line, a potential starting FB, a WR/KR with serious track speed, 2 CBs to push the guys on the roster and one who might be a very real steal, and a kicker who can pin teams deep, is deadly on FGs inside 40 yards and has the leg strength to hit from much further out, and who in an emergency could spell the punter.
I'll give this draft a B+ right now and feel good about it. You are more than free to hate this analysis and believe whatever you want. Me, I'm going to smile and embrace your hatred, because that's what Cowboys fans do. Work yourselves into a lather if you want to. All that lather does is activate the soap and clean up the mess.
Kudos from me to Jerry, Wade, Jeff, Stephen and all the coaches and scouts at Valley Ranch. I think you did real well. Not everyone is going to agree. Myopia is often the backbone of hatred. Long live myopia.
Embrace the hate.
Embrace the hatred. That's what all of this boils down to folks. You gotta let that stuff go. You need to see it for what it is, an expressed opinion and not a written in stone fact. Savor it, relish it, or soak it up, whichever works for you. But you absolutely can't let it get to you.
I love the hatred. On a cold day it keeps me warm. On a warm day it stokes the fires of passion. The hatred is a good thing. Make that a great thing. Want some evidence?
Take a good look at the National TV Schedule for the games in 2007. Notice that the reigning Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts do not dominate the National coverage in 2007. Everyone loves the winner right? So why aren't they the draw? Because everyone loves the straw that stirs the drink more. That's the Cowboys and it is going to drive the fans of other NFL teams nuts.
Ah, it's as refreshing as a nice cold glass of lemonade when the temperature outside is in the triple digits. Give me more and let me bask in the nice warm glow.
Okay, so how did the Cowboys really do in this draft? It's a fair question and I'll do my best to give it a fair answer. Let's analyze what the biggest failures of the last few years have been for this team. What things have we as fans been concerned about?
Anyone remember the GROZ movement? What was that about? Don't search for responses, I'll tell you. It was about the fact that we played a read and react style of defense that put limited emphasis on pressuring the QB and more emphasis on closing running lanes. We wanted more pressure on the QB.
Guess what? Brian Stewart and Wade Phillips are here to make you forget GROZ. Saturday they decided to get a compliment to DeMarcus Ware and found their guy in a kid named Anthony Spencer from Purdue. Purdue has turned out several DEs who have made the transition to LB in the NFL including our own Akin Ayodele. They've also sent Roosevelt Colvin and Shaun Phillips to the big boys. Per Joe Tiller of Purdue, the kid we just took is better than any of them. That's high praise folks. Why would he say it? Just look at the stats line. 93 tackles by a DE. Unheard of. That means he sheds blockers and attacks the ball. of those 93 tackles, 26.5 of them happened behind the line of scrimage. Of that 26.5 10.5 of them put the QB on his backside.
I got 3 words for you about the potential of this pick. Make a wish. That's what he and Ware are going to try and do. Get to the QB and treat him like a wishbone. Other fans are going to hate it and we're going to love it.
The second gripe we've had has been not addressing the Offensive Line and when we have addressed it...we've paid too much. Next in line for a big pay day is Flo. Not if we did our homework and I have a good feeling we did. I hear people asking some questions. What about Proctor? What about Berger? What about McQuistan? My question is all inclusive. What about them? If they can beat out Marten and Free, great. If they can't goodbye. Are we married to those guys? What about loyalty you say. Well, what about it? What are we loyal to, the team or some players who haven't taken the starting job away from the entrenched starters? You think they have shown something? I say what they've shown isn't enough that they should feel their job is safe. Go back to work and don't look in the rearview mirror.
Like many of you, I wanted a WR in this draft. Didn't get one, but maybe we did. Isaiah Stanback played WR at Washington before moving to QB. I've seen him play a lot and the best thing I can tell you about him is that he has serious wheels. Now you're going to hear all kinds of whining about him being a project at best. So what? Our starting QB was once a project. Sometimes projects pay off. He talked about being a kick returner as well. So now the talk is what about Miles Austin? What about Tyson Thompson? Check that marriage certificate again. Do you see their names? What about them? If they are better than him simple. Beat him out. It wouldn't surprise me to see him given a shot at RB because he ran some out of the option at UW.
Oh yeah, one more thing, bet he's the new holder on PATs and FGs. He will be dangerous on fakes.
That brings me to the freaking kicker. Yeah, we took a kicker in the draft and I hate it. But make no mistake about it, this kid was the best kicker in this draft. You're going to hear some people mention Mason Crosby. They've read that name for years and have never heard of Folk. That makes Crosby better right? Give me a huge break. Folk has a stronger leg. On kickoffs he can put the kicks out of the back of the endzone. Not into the endzone, out the back. No returns. Immediately our coverage units benefit. Immediately our defense benefits by making the offense have to go 80 yards. If McBriar were to get hurt this kid can also punt. He averaged 50 yards per punt in 2006. He missed 5 FGs in 2006 all from beyond 45 yards, and no PATs. Bottom line, I still hate kickers, but this kid is a potential weapon for many years.
We drafted a FB. Now you know I'm going to love this pick because he's a FB right? Yeah, well I will also openly admit to you that he wasn't at the top of my FB man crush lists. Perhaps I didn't do my homework as thoroughly as the Cowboys did, because ever since last night every word I have read on this kid (outside of some legal entanglements) has been glowing. No one loves Lousaka Polite as much as me. None of you. I got it bad. I know that. It makes for a good joke at my expense. That's all fun. On the football field this kid is all about dead serious. I gotta tell you, that pumps me up. Ask LaDanian Tomlinson how valuable Lorenzo Neal is to him. Ask Emmitt Smith how valuable Moose was. By the end of the year it's quite possible that Julius and Marion will feel that way about Deon Anderson.
You ever get the feeling you've pulled one over on someone? Meet Courtney Brown, CB, Cal Poly. He's 6'2", 205 pounds. He runs a 4.32 time in the 40 and has a 41.5" vertical leap. Why did he fall to the 7th round? Who did Cal Poly play in 2006? What conference do they play in? Hell, what is their mascot name? Most will not know. Let me tell you about him. In 2005 this kid did not allow a TD and he swiped 7 passes. In 2006 no one threw the ball at the guy he was covering. Therefore it looks like he has no stats. Doesn't matter, the kid has skills.
At first glance at Alan Ball, our last pick, all you look at is his weight. I will admit, the dude needs to seriously step away from the salad bar. Mix in a few steaks. Chicken fried with lots of gravy isn't a bad idea. Add a biscuit or two. If that's all you focus on you might miss the fact that he was a 4 year starter at Illinois. That's in the Big 10 folks. Maybe, just maybe, the kid can play a little bit. I admit it won't be easy for me not to call him SlimFast, but I'll give him some credit. 4 year starter for any college team is amazing. For a school in a big conference even more so because they can recruit anyone they want. At his weight, it's downright phenomenal. Translation, somewhere in that skinny frame this kid can play football. Okay, so he should sue his legs for non support. Anyone want to measure his heart? I do.
I'm not going to talk about the #1 pick next year, or the fact that we moved up a lot of places in the draft to acquire these players. I want to talk about this class alone and what kind of impact they can have on 2007. That's the true litmus test right? Let's add it up.
We got help in QB pressure, depth for O-line, a potential starting FB, a WR/KR with serious track speed, 2 CBs to push the guys on the roster and one who might be a very real steal, and a kicker who can pin teams deep, is deadly on FGs inside 40 yards and has the leg strength to hit from much further out, and who in an emergency could spell the punter.
I'll give this draft a B+ right now and feel good about it. You are more than free to hate this analysis and believe whatever you want. Me, I'm going to smile and embrace your hatred, because that's what Cowboys fans do. Work yourselves into a lather if you want to. All that lather does is activate the soap and clean up the mess.
Kudos from me to Jerry, Wade, Jeff, Stephen and all the coaches and scouts at Valley Ranch. I think you did real well. Not everyone is going to agree. Myopia is often the backbone of hatred. Long live myopia.
Embrace the hate.
, I just have a different opinion 
