What I would do now

[jterrell]

Like the vast majority here I see missteps in how Dez was handled whether you wanted him gone or not.
Pointless to complain at this point because it is what it is. He is gone.

What they did clearly get right was David Irving. He's here and for cheap. Team has exclusive negotiating rights for a full year though they can only act on them in a specific window.

So now what Dallas has now is ample cap space, need for a WR1 plus to cover loss of Hitchens and address general lack of depth we had last year with OL and LB. And of course we moved Byron Jones to CB creating a spot at Safety.

The team doesn't seem all that interested in adding vets. They want to build a young, cheap team around Dak.

Luckily for them I am here for that.

I'd be looking to move in this draft. I have 10 picks and right now I am leaning heavily toward using picks to get out of this draft with 8 but a couple more of them being in the top 150.

The easiest way to do this is TRADE DOWN. Assuming your true R1 targets are off the board by say pick 12 then moving up is not really tenable. And standing pat I don't see a great value really projected to us at 19. I don't see Ridley nor LVE, Evans as true difference makers here year 1. Hurst or Vea would be really nice but the DL is strong and they may be back ups year 1.

Plus if I am moving on from Dez part of that is me saying I am not spending big money at WR anymore. This is now a RPO based trench dominant offense. We will power run, then hit wide open guys when you gotta bring extra physical defenders into the box and take out those pesty nickel defenders.

So at 19 I trade down to 25-31. I still want an R1 but very low is fine.
I'm drafting my BAP at any of 9 positions: FS, DT, NT, LB, WR, OG, OT, TE, SDE/Edge.

50 is likely still my next highest selection after that trade down and I'm going for BAP off the above list again.
My next pick should be above 81 but we will suggest the trade is with JAX: 19 and 137 for 29 and 61.

Using Gil Brandt's draft board: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...randts-topranked-prospects-for-2018-nfl-draft

29: He has Rashaan Evans at 28 and I think tat is my guy but of those below who rises? Ok I see Harold Landry. He's gone as Edge guys go before value. Also see Kolton Miller going higher as this is an OT poor draft. So i'm penciling in Evans here as my guy.

50: Gil's 50th player happens to be Nate Sheppard. He's Jason Hatcher to me and I like him plenty not to argue. He's the guy.

61: In this range my options appear to be Dante Pettis:60, Billy Price:61, Austin Corbett: 62, 65: Fred Warner.
I'm taking Austin Corbett as I like my OC and have an OG spot up for grabs.

Now here's where the real GMing must start. I want to turn some of that lower tier fluff into useful player upgrades.
So I'm trading 173, 208 plus 81 to move up to say 75.

75: Gil just happens to have James Washington at 75. That's my guy. Easy. He's a much shorter and less emotional Dez.

116: is my final top R4 pick and I sit. Not a lot of great options but I like tough running John Kelly at RB out of Tennessee. I will take him here to back up Zeke.

My haul:
Rashaan Evans
Nate Sheppard
Austin Corbett
James Washington
John Kelly

Bummer a safety didn't hit but I like my DB options in rounds 5 and 6.
Can also add a depth LB in there too.

Earl Thomas?
At this point I've avoided Thomas because he wants so much money.
I'd let SEA sweat beyond the draft frankly.
If they want to talk 2019 picks so be it.
I'd give up a 2019 3rd.
I'm playing hard ball now because wants all my Dez money and I have guys coming due for big pay days very soon.

 

[CowboyChris]

What they did clearly get right was David Irving. He's here and for cheap. Team has exclusive negotiating rights for a full year though they can only act on them in a specific window.

I agree with the majority of what you wrote, especially the Earl Thomas part, but I don't agree with the approach with Lawerence and Irving, I feel both of them are going to break out this season which will make negotiating that much more difficult along with re-signing Martin, we have been waiting to assemble a DL around here for a long time, and we could lose both of them after this season. I would've locked these 2 up for the next 3-4 years.

 

[jterrell]

I agree with the majority of what you wrote, especially the Earl Thomas part, but I don't agree with the approach with Lawerence and Irving, I feel both of them are going to break out this season which will make negotiating that much more difficult along with re-signing Martin, we have been waiting to assemble a DL around here for a long time, and we could lose both of them after this season. I would've locked these 2 up for the next 3-4 years.

Keep in mind this is starting from now.
Past screw ups are certainly part of why we are here but we are here and this would be my patch forward now.

 

[glimmerman]

Use these picks. Don’t give any up for a safety. Finish making this D-Line. Get us a quality LB.. WR now that we have dumped Dez. (Bad move IMO without having depth IMO). We can get good players in the first 4 rounds. Build this team. Don’t forget there will be more FA after June 1st.

 

[reddyuta]

This would work is we could sign Bowman.

 

[glimmerman]

This would work is we could sign Bowman.

Would be a good option and help free up a need for LB early in the draft.

 

[Sydla]

I wonder if Bowman is out there still in June, they make a call.

 

[ksg811]

I wonder if Bowman is out there still in June, they make a call.

Why wait until June? He played very well in Oakland last year and fills a glaring need at the Mike. Why not cal him now? He fills a need and crosses off LB as an early need in the draft. Much better to have that transparency now heading into the draft.