Was drafting Spears a mistake?

[cowboys41fe]

I look back now and I'm thinking the Cowboys should have gone another route that year. Of course I would have preferred Merriman at #11 and Ware at #20 but that didn't happen. But what the Cowboys needed more was offense. So many years have passed by with the Cowboys failing to take a offensive player in the first round.

With players such as Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Aaron Rodgers, Roddy White and Heath Miller still on board one can only imagine how the team would differ. Let's consider Spears, we were able to land a starter in Canty who came at the bottom of the 4th round. We still had Greg Ellis... We knew going into the draft that Keyshawn was going into his last year. Funny how BP drafted Fassano when a Heath Miller could have started the 2 TE system a year earlier... Even more a QB in grooming such as Aaron Rodgers or Jason Campbell could have been learning behind Bledsoe... Matt Jones; QB or WR... The best of both worlds... Hopefully Spears will work out, but I have the feeling that when we took Greg Ellis and passed a Randy Moss that we may have missed out on someone special...

 

[Yeagermeister]

In a word.....no

 

[Scotman]

I think I've got to agree with yeagermeister. No. Spears is solid and is only in his second year.

 

[peplaw06]

I look back now and I'm thinking the Cowboys should have gone another route that year. Of course I would have preferred Merriman at #11 and Ware at #20 but that didn't happen. But what the Cowboys needed more was offense. So many years have passed by with the Cowboys failing to take a offensive player in the first round.

With players such as Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Aaron Rodgers, Roddy White and Heath Miller still on board one can only imagine how the team would differ. Let's consider Spears, we were able to land a starter in Canty who came at the bottom of the 4th round. We still had Greg Ellis... We knew going into the draft that Keyshawn was going into his last year. Funny how BP drafted Fassano when a Heath Miller could have started the 2 TE system a year earlier... Even more a QB in grooming such as Aaron Rodgers or Jason Campbell could have been learning behind Bledsoe... Matt Jones; QB or WR... The best of both worlds... Hopefully Spears will work out, but I have the feeling that when we took Greg Ellis and passed a Randy Moss that we may have missed out on someone special...

Another draft mistake thread?? ... yawn

Your basic premise is why draft Spears when we got Canty in the 4th... When we drafted Spears we didn't know we were going to get Canty, so the entire point is moot.

 

[austintodallas]

No way. Spears is a beast. He will be an anchor on the d-line for years to come.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

you have to understand that Spears was the foremost player Dallas wanted to have, because they needed to find pieces for the 3-4, and which they only had 2 for the Dline, an average COleman at DE, and Ferg, in essence it was a "need" pick, but it was necessary since they committed to the switch to the 3-4, and he's a hell of an athlete too, he has the makings of a very good 3-4 DE, and his play on the field is satisfactory, he's still young, so he has time to grow

 

[superpunk]

:shootme:

 

[Vintage]

No....but registering for this site to post that might have been....

 

[Stautner]

I look back now and I'm thinking the Cowboys should have gone another route that year. Of course I would have preferred Merriman at #11 and Ware at #20 but that didn't happen. But what the Cowboys needed more was offense. So many years have passed by with the Cowboys failing to take a offensive player in the first round.

With players such as Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Aaron Rodgers, Roddy White and Heath Miller still on board one can only imagine how the team would differ. Let's consider Spears, we were able to land a starter in Canty who came at the bottom of the 4th round. We still had Greg Ellis... We knew going into the draft that Keyshawn was going into his last year. Funny how BP drafted Fassano when a Heath Miller could have started the 2 TE system a year earlier... Even more a QB in grooming such as Aaron Rodgers or Jason Campbell could have been learning behind Bledsoe... Matt Jones; QB or WR... The best of both worlds... Hopefully Spears will work out, but I have the feeling that when we took Greg Ellis and passed a Randy Moss that we may have missed out on someone special...

First, Ware would not have been available had we tried to push him to the 20th pick. Ware was our top priority and we had to take him at 11.

Second, right or wrong, Parcells priority was to build a 3-4 defense and Spears was necessary. We couldn't build a strong 3-4 defense with 270 poind DE's like Ellis. Ware AND Spears were necessary - drafting offense would have left the job only partially done.

Third, yes we could have drafted Miller and had a better start to the 2 TE formation (we actually did start it that year with Campbell), but we wouldn't have even been able to start with the 3-4 defense at all.

Fourth, Parcells obviously believes in Romo, so Rogers or Campbell were unnecessaary picks in his eyes.

I personally thought that WR needed to be an issue in that draft, but in hindsight I like what we did.

 

[cowboys41fe]

Isn't that somthing that we could have gotten via free agency? I mean the year prior the Saints tried to give us Howard for Dat Nguyen and what happens? Dat goes down for the year...

 

[Cochese]

My god, do these people ever stop? Dont even bother responding honestly to this troll.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I mean the year prior the Saints tried to give us Howard for Dat Nguyen...

...and a 3rd

 

[Bob Sacamano]

My god, do these people ever stop? Dont even bother responding honestly to this troll.

he's not a troll, misguided fan, yes, but not a troll, I don't think his intent is to cause trouble

 

[dmq]

I look back now and I'm thinking the Cowboys should have gone another route that year. Of course I would have preferred Merriman at #11 and Ware at #20 but that didn't happen. But what the Cowboys needed more was offense. So many years have passed by with the Cowboys failing to take a offensive player in the first round.

With players such as Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Aaron Rodgers, Roddy White and Heath Miller still on board one can only imagine how the team would differ. Let's consider Spears, we were able to land a starter in Canty who came at the bottom of the 4th round. We still had Greg Ellis... We knew going into the draft that Keyshawn was going into his last year. Funny how BP drafted Fassano when a Heath Miller could have started the 2 TE system a year earlier... Even more a QB in grooming such as Aaron Rodgers or Jason Campbell could have been learning behind Bledsoe... Matt Jones; QB or WR... The best of both worlds... Hopefully Spears will work out, but I have the feeling that when we took Greg Ellis and passed a Randy Moss that we may have missed out on someone special...

Thanks, another Merriman post in disguise.

Spears position isn't a sexy one in the 3-4, but a much needed one. I'll take him. Do you have a preference to Canty in the 4th or Ratliff in the 7th?

 

[Marktui]

Spears was a good choice, you have to remember that DE in the 3-4 defense is not the glamour position like in the 4-3. They have to defend basically two gaps and be head up on the tackle. The person who should be getting all the sacks are the outside linebackers. I think he and Canty are doing a good job, Spears was also a 4-3 guy in college so he is still getting used the technique involved. He will be a player for years to come.

The only one player in your list that I would have liked is Mark Clayton, but we had we needed Spears to be able to convert to a 3-4, so that is moot....

 

[Echo9]

Question to the mods...

Is there a limit to how many people I can put on Ignore?

The list is startin to get a bit large.

 

[Cochese]

he's not a troll, misguided fan, yes, but not a troll, I don't think his intent is to cause trouble

I dont know, every week it seems someone new to the board posts a "Was it a mistake to draft _____________" thread and gets people all riled up.

 

[lspain1]

In terms of game performance, some folks have stated Spears has outperformed Canty in the pass rush role and nearly equaled him against the run. Why would Spears be considered a "bust" (that IS the implication here) at this point? I don't see it.

 

[superpunk]

Thanks, another Merriman post in disguise.

Spears position isn't a sexy one in the 3-4, but a much needed one. I'll take him. Do you have a preference to Canty in the 4th or Ratliff in the 7th?

Trent Cole.

Rue the day. *****es.

 

[Marktui]

Isn't that somthing that we could have gotten via free agency? I mean the year prior the Saints tried to give us Howard for Dat Nguyen and what happens? Dat goes down for the year...

Darrin Howard is not a 3-4 type of defense end, not big enough.