The only scenario I would consider trading up is if a surefire impact player drops to about #9 or #10.
Dallas #18 pick = 900 points
Dallas #49 pick = 410 points
The toal of these two picks is 1310 points.
The #10 pick = 1300 points
The #9 pick = 1350 points
So basically for the cost of a first and second pick we could move into the top 10 of the draft. The only reason I support doing this is our annual habit of picking a bust in the latter part of the first round and the second round. Our track record has been much, much better in the top 10.
Need some proof - here are our last picks in the top 11 (to include Ware):
DeMarcus Ware
Terrence Newman
Roy Williams
Greg Ellis
Here are our picks in the latter half of the first round over the last several years:
Marcus Spears
Shante Carver
Here are our second round picks:
Kevin Burnett
Julius Jones
Jacob Rogers
Al Johnson
Antonio Bryant
Andre Gurode
Quincy Carter
Tony Dixon
Dwayne Goodrich
Soloman Page
Flozell Adams
It looks to me like we seem to get more bang for the buck trading up here if there is a player who falls to #10 that we really, really like. We have consistently demonstrated an inability to find good talent later on in the upper two rounds of the draft.
To put it in more concrete terms, who would you rather have: Demarcus Ware or Marcus Spears and Kevin Burnett.
The player that I am looking at who I think could fall and would be a dynamite player in a 3-4 defense is Ngata. I don't think he would get by Cleveland and Crennel.