Recommended ****Udfa's Thread****

[Sydla]

He's a giant already

Sucks. If they can figure out how to motivate him, he could be a steal.

IMO has a much higher ceiling than Ivey who looks like one of those hard working non-talented DTs that Marinelli loves.

 

[robjay04]

I was hopeful we would have found a tight end in this draft. I think that could potentially be a short term need. You don't know when Witten slips where he is a below average starter. After him, I think we just have JAGS.
I really like the gamble on Rico but he is still a long shot. Ideally you hope he finds a way on the team as a third or fourth TE and finds a small role where he contributes and then over the next two years grows into the role as a blocking, physical and athletic TE in the mold of Marcellus Bennett. But that is still a long shot.

I don't believe the team pays Rico a roster salary to be on the practice squad last year if he was a long shot. I also don't believe the team goes without drafting a tight end his year if he is a long shot. The team obviously loves the guy and everything you hear about him has been great.

There have been stranger things that have happened in the NFL than an athletic freak taking a year to learn the position and excelling in the NFL.

 

[gmoney112]

Sucks. If they can figure out how to motivate him, he could be a steal.

IMO has a much higher ceiling than Ivey who looks like one of those hard working non-talented DTs that Marinelli loves.

I just think they wanted to stay away from most of the buttholes this year.

 

[_sturt_]

I want to see Switzer run that jet sweep this year.

Not sure he's that guy. Maybe he is, but I'm not seeing clips that show that. I think Switzer's punt return talent might be largely a function of his vision. He can accelerate, but it seems to me it's mainly acceleration with him running north-south to some degree.

 

[manster4ever]

Cooper Rush QB

Yeah, Cooper's a good one. He can really sling it around. Of course, he and Frazier played together at CMU. (Central Michigan University) He probably won't make the team, but I can see him sticking on the practice squad. Good kid.

 

[gmoney112]

Not sure he's that guy. Maybe he is, but I'm not seeing clips that show that. I think Switzer's punt return talent might be largely a function of his vision. He can accelerate, but it seems to me it's mainly acceleration with him running north-south to some degree.

I'm just fine with seeing the Jet Sweep go away. If you want to get cute with Switzer, line him up in the backfield so he can run a route out of there or you can flex him wide to take advantage of some slower LBs in space

 

[Nirvana]

 

[gmoney112]

Yeah, Cooper's a good one. He can really sling it around. Of course, he and Frazier played together at CMU. (Central Michigan University) He probably won't make the team, but I can see him sticking on the practice squad. Good kid.

He's also a smartypants. Had like a perfect GPA studying Actuary Science or something. He's like the perfect Brains (along with Moore I guess) to go along with Dak. Smart young QB's studying together is underrated.

 

[_sturt_]

I'm just fine with seeing the Jet Sweep go away. If you want to get cute with Switzer, line him up in the backfield so he can run a route out of there or you can flex him wide to take advantage of some slower LBs in space

It's more the threat of the jet sweep that I love, given the RB we have. But it just became too predictable when Lucky came into the game--we needed to see him produce in other ways so that he wasn't so one-dimensional, and that just didn't happen.

Was hoping that I'd find Switzer is that player, and he yet might be, but you just have to think if that was "a thing" that UNC did with him, we'd see some clips showing him churning up some yards that way.

 

[Rogerthat12]

This guy signed.

It'd be like Jason Garrett gets a second crack at an NFL career.

Can you imagine the disturbing looking sideline chats between the two of them if he sticks and has to play?

 

[gmoney112]

It's more the threat of the jet sweep that I love, given the RB we have. But it just became too predictable when Lucky came into the game--we needed to see him produce in other ways so that he wasn't so one-dimensional, and that just didn't happen.

Was hoping that I'd find Switzer is that player, and he yet might be, but you just have to think if that was "a thing" that UNC did with him, we'd see some clips showing him churning up some yards that way.

Haha yeah. I'm hoping him and Beasley, but mainly him, become the blitz beaters/chain movers. He's more quick than fast, but he's the perfect guy for that role.

 

[tm1119]

I hope Jahad Thomas makes the roster as the 3rd back just for his kick return ability, he makes defenders look silly in space. Him on kickoffs and Switzer on punts would make every return interesting. Pretty obvious the front office felt they needed to upgrade the return game this off season.

I also like Levon Myers going into the draft. 6'5 and pretty smooth and athletic. Could make a nice transition to RT or LG.

 

[gimmesix]

I like what I see and read of JoJo Mathis. I guess the question for him is whether he can get back to the player he was before his injury. He shows good power, speed and bend. It's a surprise to me based on footage that he would go undrafted and only get a minicamp tryout.

 

[gimmesix]

About that jet sweep thing...

So, Switzer gets Lucky's job, and perhaps Thomas gets Dunbar's job, but that particular play gets modified for the RB who can line-up as a receiving threat... ?

I'm not sure there is a Dunbar job. McFadden is every bit the receiver Dunbar is and is faster, so he's most likely to spell Elliott on third downs as well as get a couple of series.

 

[Zordon]

Damn Skins got Paschal....

 

[_sturt_]

About that jet sweep thing...

So, Switzer gets Lucky's job, and perhaps Thomas gets Dunbar's job, but that particular play gets modified for the RB who can line-up as a receiving threat... ?

 

[chicago JK]

I hope Jahad Thomas makes the roster as the 3rd back just for his kick return ability, he makes defenders look silly in space. Him on kickoffs and Switzer on punts would make every return interesting. Pretty obvious the front office felt they needed to upgrade the return game this off season.

I also like Levon Myers going into the draft. 6'5 and pretty smooth and athletic. Could make a nice transition to RT or LG.

Thomas looks intriguing. Definitely has some juice and nice cutting ability. I saw he received sleds carries from junior to senior year. Was he in a rotation or did he miss games?

Also on the highlights he has a lot of long runs but only averaged 4.6 yards per carry both years. I would want to see the runs where there is not much there to evaluate him there too.

 

[_sturt_]

I'm not sure there is a Dunbar job. McFadden is every bit the receiver Dunbar is and is faster, so he's most likely to spell Elliott on third downs as well as get a couple of series.

Hmmmm... I dunno. I think that smaller shiftier good-hands RB role is going to stand pat, but more a matter of if they find someone. And Thomas might be that guy, sounds like.

 

[Kolemmitt]

I like Thomas a lot, I think he can make it as the 3rd RB and special teamer.

 

[Bluefin]

I don't believe the team pays Rico a roster salary to be on the practice squad last year if he was a long shot. I also don't believe the team goes without drafting a tight end his year if he is a long shot. The team obviously loves the guy and everything you hear about him has been great.

Plans For Rico

Jason Witten is 34 years old, and while nobody doubts his reliable hands, speed isn’t exactly an asset for him at this point. Given that, some thought the Cowboys might keep an eye on potential tight end prospects in this year’s draft. But the draft came and went and Dallas never took a tight end to eventually fill the shoes of their future Hall of Famer.

Immediately after the draft, Jerry Jones explained why the position wasn’t really on their radar. Last season they took a chance on Rico Gathers, a converted basketball player out of Baylor. Gathers spent last season on the practice squad, but the Cowboys saw him as a project and they aren’t disappointed with his development.

“Rico is definitely everything the coaches thought he was,” Jones said after the draft.

He also said that the Cowboys will be witnessing the next phase of that project this coming season.

“He will be a contributor this year,” Jones said emphatically.

-Jonathan Auping