2013 Official Dallas Cowboys Thread (1 Viewer)

[bill bates hits hard]

Predraft article on Randle. I'm happy with this pick. They need to light a fire under Murray's ###.

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1590474-2013-nfl-draft-joseph-randle-is-best-fit-at-running-back-for-cincinnati-bengals

 

[Wu-banger]

You're generous ....too generous.

The players we got I can live with but we over drafted our first two picks.

C at best

 

[Routilla]

The rest of the NFC East can suck it.

Signed- NFC Champion Dallas Cowboys!!!

 

[Bankerguy]

We could have had an A but the trade and the second pick knock it down for me. I say B-.

I like every player we took, just didn't like where the first were taken. I really want a new RT through FA. If we do that I will be satisfied.

 

[Ridgelake]

One benefit of taking Frederick at 31 is that he will sign a 5 year contract, not a 4 year like all the other picks. Jerry mentioned that and I think it was very smart. They see him as a mainstay, a building block, and they got him for another year on a rookie deal.

I've certainly been hard on Jerry and Co on occasions. But that was a very shrewd long term move.

 

[Manster]

I'm still not a huge fan of the Escobar pick. But, I'm warming to it a bit more. Its obvious the Cowboys were thinking Jimmy Graham, Gronk/Hernandez, type matchup problems. Gavin looks like a pass catching machine, and once on the move he covers some ground with those long legs. He could be a very nice redzone target for Romo as well. I gotta admit, I'm a little excited to see this kid on the field. Of course, I'll temper my expectations, as I remember how excited I was to see two TE sets with Witten and MartyB.

This holloman kid is intriguing. Some are saying he's the best pick of the Cowboys draft, value-wise.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I'm still not a huge fan of the Escobar pick. But, I'm warming to it a bit more. Its obvious the Cowboys were thinking Jimmy Graham, Gronk/Hernandez, type matchup problems. Gavin looks like a pass catching machine, and once on the move he covers some ground with those long legs. He could be a very nice redzone target for Romo as well. I gotta admit, I'm a little excited to see this kid on the field. Of course, I'll temper my expectations, as I remember how excited I was to see two TE sets with Witten and MartyB.

This holloman kid is intriguing. Some are saying he's the best pick of the Cowboys draft, value-wise.

I thought they were going to revolutionize the double tight end offense. I still think that running a double TE set would be the most potent offense in the league as you can run and pass out of it, motioning the TE to the FB or next to the other TE - so versatile. (See the Patriots)

 

[Texasmouth]

B-

I love the Frederick pick but I hate when and how we got him. Totally ripped off in a trade. Picked at least a round too high.

Escobar- I understand the justification but this seems like a luxury pick and would have been better served getting a guy on the line. Either side of the ball.

Williams I friggin LOVE. Three WR sets with double TE sets will be scary.

How did we not come away with a couple, not one, but a couple of young DL??

 

[Faust]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000165019/article/tony-romo-will-log-peyton-manningtype-time-at-qb

Tony Romo will log 'Peyton Manning-type time' at QBBy Marc Sessler

Around the League Writer

When Tony Romo inked his six-year, $108 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys, the deal included $55 million in guarantees from the team -- and a guarantee from the quarterback that he'd put in more hours.

As part of the heady contract, owner Jerry Jones received an assurance from Romo that he'd spend "Peyton Manning-type time" at the team facility, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.

Jones didn't suggest that Romo previously had dodged his responsibilities, but he wants his quarterback knee-deep in game-planning this season. The Cowboys have yet to name an offensive play-caller for 2013, but whoever assumes those duties will work alongside Romo to craft an attack that caters to his strengths.

"Tony is more involved in the finished product," Jones said Saturday after his post-draft news conference. "He is more involved, unequivocally. I'm counting that in. That ought to produce some success. It will produce some success. I'm talking about the kind of plays we run, a lot of what we do offensively."

ESPN reported that Romo will have his stamp on "every play in each game plan" after working with coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Bill Callahan.

Romo occasionally has been criticized for not being an obsessive, all-in signal-caller in the mold of Manning or New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, but Jones appears determined to pull those qualities to the surface.

"Tony is going to have more time, more presence," Jones said. "Not only ... in the offseason but when the season starts, beginning Mondays, assuming we played Sundays, he's going to have more time on the job. A part of what we agreed with, was extra time on the job, beyond the norm. That doesn't mean that he didn't have a lot of time on the job, but extra time on the job, Peyton Manning-type time on the job."

Jones -- a fellow with no edit button -- would have done well to keep these orders in-house. What he's asking from Romo is reasonable, but trumpeting his request publicly does little to help the uneven public perception surrounding one of the NFL's most embattled passers.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

I've been a Cowboys fan since 1971 so I hope what a lot of you guys are saying turns out to be the case. Personally I think it was a terrible draft overall.

For those interested, check out NFL. Com, there are 3 different draft analyses (Winners/Losers type articles). Now obviously, we all know the usual refrain-which I agree with-that you can't really judge a draft until 3 years or so have passed. So there is that hope. The writers on NFL. Com panned the Cowboy's draft. I think the most positive eval was one where they fell into the "Only time will Tell" category, which is basically a euphemism for "Your draft sucked".

One of the Rotoworld writers gave them a "D".

It's inevitable that someone will respond, who cares what the talking heads say? True enough. Hope they are all wrong. But I agree with them. Jerry Jones has too much input, from what I've read, the TE pick was his brainchild.

 

[Ridgelake]

Interesting Gandalf. I believe it was NFL.com that indicated that all SEVEN draft picks rated either 2nd or 3rd round caliber. Any other team can say that? I can't say that I'm in love with a 2nd round TE. Or that only 1 guy weighted over 260 pounds. But I do think they went off their board from pick 47 onward. And I think they got increasingly better value as they went along. This class potentially could yield as many starters as the 04 class. Perhaps not the elites that class had. But multiple very solid contributors were likely acquired. I'm very encouraged overall.

This is a better and materially deeper team now.

 

[humpback]

ESPN's Ed Werder polled five NFL teams about Cowboys first-round G/C Travis Frederick, and none of them gave him a first-round grade.

None of them even considered Frederick a quality second-day prospect. One club had Frederick in the fourth round, two more had him as a fifth-rounder, one had him in the sixth round, and the final club graded Frederick as a "borderline" sixth- to seventh-round pick. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already committed to starting Frederick as a rookie, probably at center or right guard.

Source: Ed Werder on Twitter Apr 28 - 6:46 PM

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

ESPN's Ed Werder polled five NFL teams about Cowboys first-round G/C Travis Frederick, and none of them gave him a first-round grade.

None of them even considered Frederick a quality second-day prospect. One club had Frederick in the fourth round, two more had him as a fifth-rounder, one had him in the sixth round, and the final club graded Frederick as a "borderline" sixth- to seventh-round pick. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already committed to starting Frederick as a rookie, probably at center or right guard.

Source: Ed Werder on Twitter Apr 28 - 6:46 PM

I really cant take anything Ed Werder says seriously. He's the Skip Bayless of beat reporters.

 

[Faust]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...elying-on-murray-alone-conjures-visions-of-88

Jones: Relying on Murray alone conjures 'visions of 8-8'

By Marc Sessler

Around the League Writer

Jerry Jones insists his Cowboys need more than just DeMarco Murray in the backfield if Dallas is to escape a haze of mediocrity.

"To totally count on that would give you visions of 8-8, because the last two years, we've had games that we didn't have Murray, and we didn't run the ball as well," Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We didn't have as good an offense within it. So if we have somebody that could possibly step up there and give you the respite that you need when you don't have Murray, that's a big deal for us."

Jones, never afraid to speak his mind, raises a legitimate concern for the Cowboys. Murray is a dynamic playmaker, but despite his career 4.8 yards per carry, he's missed nine games over his first two seasons due to injury. Dallas hasn't been the same team in his absence.

The Cowboys, of course, could have done more to address this in the draft, but chose to wait until the fifth round to grab running back Joseph Randle out of Oklahoma State. The only other backs on the roster are little-used Phillip Tanner and Lance Dunbar, a change-of-pace man.

Jones argued that Randle could, indeed, split carries with Murray and called the rookie a potential starter, according to the newspaper.

"We really could envision him coming in and having that many plays a game," Jones said. "One of the advantages, one of the reasons, we wanted him was because he really mirrors a lot of what Murray is, relative to a complete three-down back."

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.

 

[Texasmouth]

I am hoping that having a solid backup will keep Murray a little healthier. The guy is so dynamic but I thought coming into the draft that he had a lot of miles on those tires from all the running in college.

 

[LarryAllen'sJockstrap]

Let's say the Cowboys stayed at 18 and took Floyd.

here are the other linemen off the board before their next pick at 47:

- Justin Pugh (G) - RD1

- Kyle Long (T) - RD1

- Menelik Watson (T) - RD2

Not another OL went in round 2.

Next 3 linemen off the board:

- Larry Worford (G) - RD3

- Brian Winters (G) - RD3

- Terron Armstead (T) - RD3

I think the Cowboys miscalculated the run on offensive linemen.Since so many went so early in round 1, teams focused on other needs in round 2. It's tough for me to believe that Fredrick wouldn't have been there at 47. According to NFL Draft Countdown (one of my fav draft sites), Fredrick and the 3 OL that went directly after hime ranked (overall)

Fredrick - 55

Wordford - 65

Winters - 78

Armstead - 63

It is interesting to see that per DC's overall rankings, Fredrick was the highest rated OL on the board when they did pick him at 31.

 

[Ridgelake]

I have heard from someone who is close to the Titans that Frederick would have been their pick at 34. Yes, they wanted to double up him and Warmack, along with the FA guard from the Bills.

FWIW, Gil Brandt also thought he ranked in that area that Dallas did (early 20s overall) and had him mocked to Green Bay at 24.

If you want to discuss reaches, then bash the Giants for taking Pugh at 19. Or the Rams for pushing Long at 20. Those guys were supposed to be 2nd rounders by all accounts. Dallas had both Frederick and Pugh at equal grade but had a preference for Frederick because he's the better interior prospect. So to me, Dallas made the better play to get the guy they wanted and added an early 3rd roudner who looks like he might be a real player in a year or so.

Bottom line is that I don't think he would have made it to 47. Not by a long shot.

Now if you want to bash Jerry for only getting a 3rd out of SF, then I won't blame you for that. And I still question the TE. But if these guys develop as the team hopes, and these two picks become mainstays for years, then we won't care when they were picked as they'll be worth it.

 

[Bankerguy]

Hearing now that the fighting at 18 was about Eifert, Floyd and trading down. Could you imagine if we took Eifert there? The internet would be broken.

 

[cobalt_27]

I still wonder what if...? Floyd, Warford >>>>Fredrick, Escobar, Wilcox

Oh we'll, until Jerry gives up control, this is the amateurish GM'ing we have been used to for 20+ years. Some guys get it, some never do.

 

[Ridgelake]

Hearing now that the fighting at 18 was about Eifert, Floyd and trading down. Could you imagine if we took Eifert there? The internet would be broken.

I'm also hearing there was anger because some other team backed out of an agreed-upon trade.

The jubilation at the Frederick pick did seem genuine all across the video feed. So whatever happened seemed to work out then.

 

[LarryAllen'sJockstrap]

I still wonder what if...? Floyd, Warford >>>>Fredrick, Escobar, WilcoxOh we'll, until Jerry gives up control, this is the amateurish GM'ing we have been used to for 20+ years. Some guys get it, some never do.

I think it's actually more like:- Floyd- Worford- WilcoxOr- Fredrick- Escobar- Williams- Wilcox

 

[Wu-banger]

I still wonder what if...? Floyd, Warford >>>>Fredrick, Escobar, WilcoxOh we'll, until Jerry gives up control, this is the amateurish GM'ing we have been used to for 20+ years. Some guys get it, some never do.

I think it's actually more like:- Floyd- Worford- WilcoxOr- Fredrick- Escobar- Williams- Wilcox

I'll take column A everyday of the week.

 

[Manster]

ESPN's Ed Werder polled five NFL teams about Cowboys first-round G/C Travis Frederick, and none of them gave him a first-round grade.

None of them even considered Frederick a quality second-day prospect. One club had Frederick in the fourth round, two more had him as a fifth-rounder, one had him in the sixth round, and the final club graded Frederick as a "borderline" sixth- to seventh-round pick. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already committed to starting Frederick as a rookie, probably at center or right guard.

Source: Ed Werder on Twitter Apr 28 - 6:46 PM

This seems crazy. Especially since the Cowboys pulled the trigger on him in the first, because they didnt see him making it back to them in the 2nd. They might've panicked a bit, but no way he's a borderline 6th/7th rounder!

We can speculate all day long about having Floyd or Reid or whatever at 18. But we got a nasty interior O-lineman, who will be starting game one. I hope he's the real deal in the NFL. And we got the extra 3rd and snagged a couple good players there.

 

[Ridgelake]

I still wonder what if...? Floyd, Warford >>>>Fredrick, Escobar, WilcoxOh we'll, until Jerry gives up control, this is the amateurish GM'ing we have been used to for 20+ years. Some guys get it, some never do.

I think it's actually more like:- Floyd- Worford- WilcoxOr- Fredrick- Escobar- Williams- Wilcox

I'll take column A everyday of the week.

My understanding is that Warford was not on their board. I wish he was and had been the pick at 47. But for whatever reason, the team did not like him.

 

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year.

Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

 

[Routilla]

Anyobody want to take a shot at the 2-deep for both OL and DL? Assuming all healthy and no injuries.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year. Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

It's not surprising that most Cowboy fans would like their draft. Some opinions from more objective observers:Sports Illustrated.com: C+Bleacher Report: D+Fox Sports.com: 3 different analysts: C, F, CYahoo.com (Jason Cole): FSporting News.com: CAnd the best grade I've seen, CBSSports.com: B-I also just heard some analyst, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was, say the worst draft in the entire league belonged to...you guessed it...Dallas.I'm bummed, hope everyone but Cowboy fans are wrong.

 

[simmonjm]

They said the same thing last year about the Seahawks draft and that turned out all right for them. I am going to reserve judgment until at least training camp. The way I see it is for the past 4 years we have been begging for interior line help and low and behold we got what appears to be a starting center. No need to be down because Kiper does not approve. If he was really that great he would be employed by an NFL team.

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year. Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

It's not surprising that most Cowboy fans would like their draft. Some opinions from more objective observers:Sports Illustrated.com: C+Bleacher Report: D+Fox Sports.com: 3 different analysts: C, F, CYahoo.com (Jason Cole): FSporting News.com: CAnd the best grade I've seen, CBSSports.com: B-I also just heard some analyst, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was, say the worst draft in the entire league belonged to...you guessed it...Dallas.I'm bummed, hope everyone but Cowboy fans are wrong.

 

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year. Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

It's not surprising that most Cowboy fans would like their draft. Some opinions from more objective observers:Sports Illustrated.com: C+Bleacher Report: D+Fox Sports.com: 3 different analysts: C, F, CYahoo.com (Jason Cole): FSporting News.com: CAnd the best grade I've seen, CBSSports.com: B-I also just heard some analyst, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was, say the worst draft in the entire league belonged to...you guessed it...Dallas.I'm bummed, hope everyone but Cowboy fans are wrong.

I have to be honest with you. I couldn't care less about what "analysts" say. The NFL is littered with players who were "can't miss, highly ranked 1st round prospects" who are being outperformed by guys who were overlooked, undervalued, and critized by the "expert analysts" of every internet site and sports network. Many of them weren't even drafted. People put so much stock into those silly mock drafts and "experts" who for some reason aren't GM's in the NFL. The Cowboys had needs to fill, and they filled the ones that they could with the best players that were available in the draft when it came to them. O-line (especially interior)... clearly their biggest weakness. They got the best Center in the draft, who also plays the Guard position great. Safety... have you seen the film on Wilcox? The man is a stud. I am EXTREMELY excited about him. WR.... clearly we needed a WR. We have a decent WR corps, but Bryant struggles to stay healthy, and Austin struggles to even take the field. We went out and got the most productive WR in the nation. RB... Again... we clearly needed another RB. There was no depth behind Murray and it killed us when he wasn't on the field. Joseph is a great fit for our offense. We really wouldn't have to change a thing about our offensive scheme when he's in and Murray is out. It's a perfect fit. CB.... Webb is a very good corner. He will be perfect as our nickle corner. We definitely needed to add depth there as well. TE... I have been wanting to grab a TE like this for the past few years. I love Witten... and this doesn't take away from him. It only adds to the offense as a whole. Escobar has AMAZING hands. He is going to create a matchup nightmare for defenses. We need this extra added dimension to our offense. Witten is still great, but he isn't getting any younger. Adding a guy like Escobar on the other side will only help Witten to have even more open space in coverage. Between Bryant, Williams, Austin, Witten, and Escobar.... with two very good pass catching RB options as well.... our offense is looking great. Especially with a new man on the interior line who can actually hold a block for long enough that Romo doesn't have to run and spin for his life the moment that the ball touches his hands. We also picked up some decent players to fill up our LB corps. The only place that I felt we had a need and didn't fill it was DT. Oh well... you aren't going to be able to fill every need in the draft. I think that what we did do was more imporant for what we needed. The players that we got should be able to immediately contribute and make our team better. I didn't see any other interior lineman available at #18 or down that was better than Frederick. That is what we needed... and that is what we got. The fact that we were able to get him AND Williams was tremendous, imo.

 

[Manster]

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year. Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

It's not surprising that most Cowboy fans would like their draft. Some opinions from more objective observers:Sports Illustrated.com: C+Bleacher Report: D+Fox Sports.com: 3 different analysts: C, F, CYahoo.com (Jason Cole): FSporting News.com: CAnd the best grade I've seen, CBSSports.com: B-I also just heard some analyst, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was, say the worst draft in the entire league belonged to...you guessed it...Dallas.I'm bummed, hope everyone but Cowboy fans are wrong.

Just a couple more thoughts about the Cowboys draft and subsequent reactions.....

Are these grades really that objective, or are most jumping on the bandwagon of ripping how the 'boys drafted? Most of the reasoning for the bad grades are botching the 1st round trade with SF. And some questioning of the later picks. I've seen little substance to most of the criticism. Seems like overreaction, and piling on to me. Honestly, I'm still not sure how I feel about their draft. I wanna see these guys on the field.

How much influence does JJ have on the picks? Obviously he's deeply involved, but he's paying scouts who have much more scouting knowledge than him..........the Escobar pick just seems like JJ really pushed for it, and now he' in the media squwakin about it.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year. Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

It's not surprising that most Cowboy fans would like their draft. Some opinions from more objective observers:Sports Illustrated.com: C+Bleacher Report: D+Fox Sports.com: 3 different analysts: C, F, CYahoo.com (Jason Cole): FSporting News.com: CAnd the best grade I've seen, CBSSports.com: B-I also just heard some analyst, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was, say the worst draft in the entire league belonged to...you guessed it...Dallas.I'm bummed, hope everyone but Cowboy fans are wrong.

I have to be honest with you. I couldn't care less about what "analysts" say. The NFL is littered with players who were "can't miss, highly ranked 1st round prospects" who are being outperformed by guys who were overlooked, undervalued, and critized by the "expert analysts" of every internet site and sports network. Many of them weren't even drafted. People put so much stock into those silly mock drafts and "experts" who for some reason aren't GM's in the NFL. The Cowboys had needs to fill, and they filled the ones that they could with the best players that were available in the draft when it came to them. O-line (especially interior)... clearly their biggest weakness. They got the best Center in the draft, who also plays the Guard position great. Safety... have you seen the film on Wilcox? The man is a stud. I am EXTREMELY excited about him. WR.... clearly we needed a WR. We have a decent WR corps, but Bryant struggles to stay healthy, and Austin struggles to even take the field. We went out and got the most productive WR in the nation. RB... Again... we clearly needed another RB. There was no depth behind Murray and it killed us when he wasn't on the field. Joseph is a great fit for our offense. We really wouldn't have to change a thing about our offensive scheme when he's in and Murray is out. It's a perfect fit. CB.... Webb is a very good corner. He will be perfect as our nickle corner. We definitely needed to add depth there as well. TE... I have been wanting to grab a TE like this for the past few years. I love Witten... and this doesn't take away from him. It only adds to the offense as a whole. Escobar has AMAZING hands. He is going to create a matchup nightmare for defenses. We need this extra added dimension to our offense. Witten is still great, but he isn't getting any younger. Adding a guy like Escobar on the other side will only help Witten to have even more open space in coverage. Between Bryant, Williams, Austin, Witten, and Escobar.... with two very good pass catching RB options as well.... our offense is looking great. Especially with a new man on the interior line who can actually hold a block for long enough that Romo doesn't have to run and spin for his life the moment that the ball touches his hands. We also picked up some decent players to fill up our LB corps. The only place that I felt we had a need and didn't fill it was DT. Oh well... you aren't going to be able to fill every need in the draft. I think that what we did do was more imporant for what we needed. The players that we got should be able to immediately contribute and make our team better. I didn't see any other interior lineman available at #18 or down that was better than Frederick. That is what we needed... and that is what we got. The fact that we were able to get him AND Williams was tremendous, imo.

I basically agree with you about media analysts. But when there is such an apparent consensus it has to give you pause. I liked the Wilcox pick but I would have preferred one of the other safeties earlier. I won't debate the other picks because it's an exercise in futility, but I hated the Escobar pick. Didn't care much for the Williams pick either. This team needs to invest in fundamentals before skill positions, our skill positions aren't necessarily the problem, and they need to make that investment as efficiently as possible. I'm not sure they did so.Time will tell but I have little to no confidence in outcomes with Jerry Jones so heavily involved in the process. Let's hope he got it right this time.

 

[mlbnfl]

Overall I have come around on the draft somewhat and I am fine with everything but the second rounder. I am sorry, he seems like a good player and there is plenty of talk about 2 TE sets. Thats great, and I understand Jason Witten will not last forever, but TE was simply not a need. I actually like every other pick and I even am ok with the TE pick just because I do think he will be a good player but I just think we would have been better served going DL or OL bottom line (or even safety, although I left them out because if I recall all the fringe 1st round/early 2nd round safetys were gone by our pick). Ideally we take a Safety at 31 and Frederick falls to 47 but I can understand not wanting to take that risk.

All that being said I am excited to see the new guys as it looks like we could have four players on offense that should make a fairly immediate impact with some potential for the defensive secondary in the future.

 

[BigDave]

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year. Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

It's not surprising that most Cowboy fans would like their draft. Some opinions from more objective observers:Sports Illustrated.com: C+Bleacher Report: D+Fox Sports.com: 3 different analysts: C, F, CYahoo.com (Jason Cole): FSporting News.com: CAnd the best grade I've seen, CBSSports.com: B-I also just heard some analyst, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was, say the worst draft in the entire league belonged to...you guessed it...Dallas.I'm bummed, hope everyone but Cowboy fans are wrong.

I have to be honest with you. I couldn't care less about what "analysts" say. The NFL is littered with players who were "can't miss, highly ranked 1st round prospects" who are being outperformed by guys who were overlooked, undervalued, and critized by the "expert analysts" of every internet site and sports network. Many of them weren't even drafted. People put so much stock into those silly mock drafts and "experts" who for some reason aren't GM's in the NFL. The Cowboys had needs to fill, and they filled the ones that they could with the best players that were available in the draft when it came to them. O-line (especially interior)... clearly their biggest weakness. They got the best Center in the draft, who also plays the Guard position great. Safety... have you seen the film on Wilcox? The man is a stud. I am EXTREMELY excited about him. WR.... clearly we needed a WR. We have a decent WR corps, but Bryant struggles to stay healthy, and Austin struggles to even take the field. We went out and got the most productive WR in the nation. RB... Again... we clearly needed another RB. There was no depth behind Murray and it killed us when he wasn't on the field. Joseph is a great fit for our offense. We really wouldn't have to change a thing about our offensive scheme when he's in and Murray is out. It's a perfect fit. CB.... Webb is a very good corner. He will be perfect as our nickle corner. We definitely needed to add depth there as well. TE... I have been wanting to grab a TE like this for the past few years. I love Witten... and this doesn't take away from him. It only adds to the offense as a whole. Escobar has AMAZING hands. He is going to create a matchup nightmare for defenses. We need this extra added dimension to our offense. Witten is still great, but he isn't getting any younger. Adding a guy like Escobar on the other side will only help Witten to have even more open space in coverage. Between Bryant, Williams, Austin, Witten, and Escobar.... with two very good pass catching RB options as well.... our offense is looking great. Especially with a new man on the interior line who can actually hold a block for long enough that Romo doesn't have to run and spin for his life the moment that the ball touches his hands. We also picked up some decent players to fill up our LB corps. The only place that I felt we had a need and didn't fill it was DT. Oh well... you aren't going to be able to fill every need in the draft. I think that what we did do was more imporant for what we needed. The players that we got should be able to immediately contribute and make our team better. I didn't see any other interior lineman available at #18 or down that was better than Frederick. That is what we needed... and that is what we got. The fact that we were able to get him AND Williams was tremendous, imo.

This team needs to invest in fundamentals before skill positions, our skill positions aren't necessarily the problem, and they need to make that investment as efficiently as possible. I'm not sure they did so.Time will tell but I have little to no confidence in outcomes with Jerry Jones so heavily involved in the process. Let's hope he got it right this time.

Yes we definately got hosed on the SF trade back. My assumption was the Boys had Pugh,Long and others all grouped together as late firsts/early seconds. So, I agree to drop back, but should have gotten another pick which we dearly needed.

So Frederick at 31 was a reach. Value = Low & Need = High - I'm now OK with this pick.

Other options could have been:

Draft Reid at 18 then trade him to SF for more than they got Worst case scenario we get a great safety

Draft Floyd - BPA Our D line is not young.

Draft Elam at 31 and hope Frederick was available at 47. If not Warford was there.

OK, so now they made the trade, picked Frederick and then go TE

I would have liked the safety Swearinger much better there. OR even Bell the RB, Bruiser in between the tackles.

I like the remaining picks in Williams, Randle and Holloman.

Time will tell on Jerra's moves. Just been disappointed too many times b4.

 

[jkruppe]

I don't know why people are worried about what some other teams say they felt about Frederick. All you have to do is watch the guy to see that he is a beast on the line. Exactly what the Cowboys needed too. The Cowboys needed him more than anything else. Beyond that.... I don't care if 29 other teams weren't going to draft him before the Cowboys next pick.... the point is that it only takes that one other team who would have. Also, they got a huge value boost by getting Frederick... locking him up for 5 years AND getting Williams with that extra 3rd round pick that they got. I think that the Cowboys had a great draft this year. Frederick is just the kind of nasty, big, strong lineman that the Cowboys need. He will bring an attitude and toughness to the O-line that hasn't been there for a LONG time. Along with the fact that he has great work ethic, not big injury history... he's perfect.

It's not surprising that most Cowboy fans would like their draft. Some opinions from more objective observers:Sports Illustrated.com: C+Bleacher Report: D+Fox Sports.com: 3 different analysts: C, F, CYahoo.com (Jason Cole): FSporting News.com: CAnd the best grade I've seen, CBSSports.com: B-I also just heard some analyst, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was, say the worst draft in the entire league belonged to...you guessed it...Dallas.I'm bummed, hope everyone but Cowboy fans are wrong.

I have to be honest with you. I couldn't care less about what "analysts" say. The NFL is littered with players who were "can't miss, highly ranked 1st round prospects" who are being outperformed by guys who were overlooked, undervalued, and critized by the "expert analysts" of every internet site and sports network. Many of them weren't even drafted. People put so much stock into those silly mock drafts and "experts" who for some reason aren't GM's in the NFL. The Cowboys had needs to fill, and they filled the ones that they could with the best players that were available in the draft when it came to them. O-line (especially interior)... clearly their biggest weakness. They got the best Center in the draft, who also plays the Guard position great. Safety... have you seen the film on Wilcox? The man is a stud. I am EXTREMELY excited about him. WR.... clearly we needed a WR. We have a decent WR corps, but Bryant struggles to stay healthy, and Austin struggles to even take the field. We went out and got the most productive WR in the nation. RB... Again... we clearly needed another RB. There was no depth behind Murray and it killed us when he wasn't on the field. Joseph is a great fit for our offense. We really wouldn't have to change a thing about our offensive scheme when he's in and Murray is out. It's a perfect fit. CB.... Webb is a very good corner. He will be perfect as our nickle corner. We definitely needed to add depth there as well. TE... I have been wanting to grab a TE like this for the past few years. I love Witten... and this doesn't take away from him. It only adds to the offense as a whole. Escobar has AMAZING hands. He is going to create a matchup nightmare for defenses. We need this extra added dimension to our offense. Witten is still great, but he isn't getting any younger. Adding a guy like Escobar on the other side will only help Witten to have even more open space in coverage. Between Bryant, Williams, Austin, Witten, and Escobar.... with two very good pass catching RB options as well.... our offense is looking great. Especially with a new man on the interior line who can actually hold a block for long enough that Romo doesn't have to run and spin for his life the moment that the ball touches his hands. We also picked up some decent players to fill up our LB corps. The only place that I felt we had a need and didn't fill it was DT. Oh well... you aren't going to be able to fill every need in the draft. I think that what we did do was more imporant for what we needed. The players that we got should be able to immediately contribute and make our team better. I didn't see any other interior lineman available at #18 or down that was better than Frederick. That is what we needed... and that is what we got. The fact that we were able to get him AND Williams was tremendous, imo.

This team needs to invest in fundamentals before skill positions, our skill positions aren't necessarily the problem, and they need to make that investment as efficiently as possible. I'm not sure they did so.Time will tell but I have little to no confidence in outcomes with Jerry Jones so heavily involved in the process. Let's hope he got it right this time.

Yes we definately got hosed on the SF trade back. My assumption was the Boys had Pugh,Long and others all grouped together as late firsts/early seconds. So, I agree to drop back, but should have gotten another pick which we dearly needed.

So Frederick at 31 was a reach. Value = Low & Need = High - I'm now OK with this pick.

Other options could have been:

Draft Reid at 18 then trade him to SF for more than they got Worst case scenario we get a great safety

Draft Floyd - BPA Our D line is not young.

Draft Elam at 31 and hope Frederick was available at 47. If not Warford was there.

OK, so now they made the trade, picked Frederick and then go TE

I would have liked the safety Swearinger much better there. OR even Bell the RB, Bruiser in between the tackles.

I like the remaining picks in Williams, Randle and Holloman.

Time will tell on Jerra's moves. Just been disappointed too many times b4.

1. SF not likely to give more to Dallas in a Reid trade. They just pick another Safety -- Cyprien, Elam, etc -- or another player they liked.

2. This was a viable option. Although, if reports are accurate, Frederick would not have been around at 47. Maybe that's just media or other GM gamesmanship, but for whatever reason, Dallas did not believe Frederick would be there at 47. If they wanted him -- and they did -- they'd have to take him with 31.

3. They were never drafting Warford. It doesn't matter how much you or I liked him, Dallas didn't. They made the call that they liked Frederick and Terrance Williams more than they liked just Floyd.

Jerry told us what they were doing in the draft when he made the comment about the Offensive Line not necessarily being the only option for improving the protection for Romo. They beefed up the offense. The defensive improvements over last season come from 7 starters not being lost to injury. And, we still need to hope for Clabo.

 

[Texasmouth]

Take everything out of the equation, the crappy trade, the reach in the 1st, passing on this guy or that guy.....

We came away from the draft with..

1. The best center in the draft who has been called "one of the nastiest guys you will ever meet" by his former coaches.

2. A TE to eventually replace Witten, who gets to learn behind Witten.

3. A WR who lead the nation in receiving in college. A big, fast guy that can play NOW. Austin cant stay healthy. Harris is a different kind of receiver.

4. A backup RB that has the potential to be the starter and keep the team running with no changes in offensive philosophy.

5. A safety that has great ball skills that can come in and compete with our strong vet and young prospects.

6. A TE to give us depth at the nickel.

7. Depth for the LB position.

Take away all the media non-sense and I think this may end up being better than we thought originally. I for one had a pitch fork ready to kill Jerruh after the first two picks but now I think I like what they did. Maybe they didnt get the best value but at the end of the day I think we will be better than last year. I love having Kiffin and Marinelli running the defense as opposed to that wind bag Rob Ryan.

 

[BigDave]

We came away from the draft with..

1. The best center in the draft who has been called "one of the nastiest guys you will ever meet" by his former coaches. OK, but he was not a great value there at 31. Trade back again to the early second and get another pick and still get him.

2. A TE to eventually replace Witten, who gets to learn behind Witten.

This was a Jerry luxury pick when we don't have the luxury. We needed help elsewhere immediately.

He may turn into a stud, but when?

3. A WR who lead the nation in receiving in college. A big, fast guy that can play NOW. Austin cant stay healthy. Harris is a different kind of receiver. Nice pick, nice value

4. A backup RB that has the potential to be the starter and keep the team running with no changes in offensive philosophy. Mixed reviews on him, but like you I like his upside.

5. A safety that has great ball skills that can come in and compete with our strong vet and young prospects.

Lets not jump ahead here. He has the "potential" because of his athletic skills but is raw at the position in college and it's a different ballgame at the pro level for someone without a lot of experience there.

6. A TE to give us depth at the nickel. CB is OK, but I would have liked to see a DT or OT here.

7. Depth for the LB position. Agreed

I love having Kiffin and Marinelli running the defense as opposed to that wind bag Rob Ryan. HELL YES!

 

[cobalt_27]

Well, it's heartening to see the new narrative take shape. Instead of it being awful strategy, reaching before their time, etc....Jerry's selections of Frederick and Escobar now are now being seen as prescient and precise in curing the ailing woes and needs of this team, and doggonit, we got some darn good players here.

I like also how the narrative is totally playing up Frederick here. That nasty streak, in particular.

“Unfortunately, he has an extreme nastiness,” Frederick’s Wisconsin Badgers coach Bret Bielema told KESN-FM in Dallas when asked about his Junior Center after the draft. “I had to get on him a few of times. He broke a couple guys’ arms and wrists by throwing them down on the ground and whacking them a little bit after the play, on our own team. …”

Yeah, that's all well and awesome until he throws down Ratliff in practice and breaks his arm causing him to miss 8 games.

I dunno. I still haven't recovered. This was a terrible draft, saved only by some mid-round selections whom I do like. But, to completely screw up the top end, it's almost worse than way back in eternity, all of 4 years ago, in 2009 when we torched that draft class. In fact, this year might actually be worse because we started in a much better position this year compared to our draft position back then.

Glad we think we now think we brought in good players here and I sincerely hope Frederick and Escobar live up to to said billing. Virtually every team thinks they got good players a week after the draft. It's just too bad that we are the ones who (constantly) have to talk ourselves into believing it.

 

[Ridgelake]

Take everything out of the equation, the crappy trade, the reach in the 1st, passing on this guy or that guy.....

We came away from the draft with..

1. The best center in the draft who has been called "one of the nastiest guys you will ever meet" by his former coaches.

2. A TE to eventually replace Witten, who gets to learn behind Witten.

3. A WR who lead the nation in receiving in college. A big, fast guy that can play NOW. Austin cant stay healthy. Harris is a different kind of receiver.

4. A backup RB that has the potential to be the starter and keep the team running with no changes in offensive philosophy.

5. A safety that has great ball skills that can come in and compete with our strong vet and young prospects.

6. A TE to give us depth at the nickel.

7. Depth for the LB position.

Take away all the media non-sense and I think this may end up being better than we thought originally. I for one had a pitch fork ready to kill Jerruh after the first two picks but now I think I like what they did. Maybe they didnt get the best value but at the end of the day I think we will be better than last year. I love having Kiffin and Marinelli running the defense as opposed to that wind bag Rob Ryan.

All 7 picks were rated as either 2nd or 3rd round guys at NFL.com. I believe that is the group that bases its rankings on polling teams and getting insider feedback. 2nd/3rd round rated prospects are considered to be partial contributors in year 1 and develop into average/above average level starters for the team.

A solid draft gets 4 players to be long term contributors. You do the math on how this group may turn out.

There may not be pro bowlers in this group (though Frederick has me intrigued), but this group could very well form a very solid basis for the team to grow with over the next several years. I have a lot greater hope for these guys than the 09 crew.

 

[Ariakis]

A week later I feel better about it then before and there clearly was a plan.

There was some sort of trade on the table that fell through which probably would have netted a better haul. In a vacuum the picks all make sense.

If the C, the TE, the WR, and the S all show up then this was a VERY good draft. If any of our later picks hit then it will be exceptional. If our core stays healthy this year we should be improved.

Had we stayed relatively healthy we would have been a playoff team last year I really do believe that.

By trading down and losing out on a player graded more likely to be elite then you better be right about the guys you are trading down to take.

If the OL available in the 2nd or 3rd are basically just guys ... that is what we have now.

 

[N Zone]

I like the players we drafted too.

 

[Manster]

Good interview on BTB with UDFA Brandon Magee, LB from ASU. This young man is intriguing. Fast, smart, leader. Self proclaimed "sideline to sideline" guy. Depth is needed at LB. When Lee went out last season, it was the beginning of the end.

 

[Routilla]

Good interview on BTB with UDFA Brandon Magee, LB from ASU. This young man is intriguing. Fast, smart, leader. Self proclaimed "sideline to sideline" guy. Depth is needed at LB. When Lee went out last season, it was the beginning of the end.

Saw him in a few ASU games last year and thought he would be drafted. I like.

 

[Ridgelake]

Here is a link to the best article that I've found discussion what happened in the frist round.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2013/5/2/4291750/2013-nfl-draft-results-cowboys-scouts-take-on-first-round-trade

It appears that there was input from many people about what to do with the falling Floyd. He was ranked #7 on their board. The plan going in to the draft was to take one of Cooper, Warmack, or Vacarro, or if none available to trade down. Floyd falling got lots of discussion going. The scouts all wanted to stick to the board and go DT. Ciskowski did too. As likely did Garrett. However, both Kiffen and Marinelli were NOT in favor of Floyd. Jerry and Stephen sided with Monte and Rod, and Floyd was passed over in lieu of the trade down.

There are more details than what I've just mentioned, especially about the trade down.

To me, it does say that Jerry wasn't running ramshod over everyone. There was active discussion among a number of folks. Now going against both Ciskowski and Garrett seems questionable. But Jerry was most definitely not the Lone Ranger doing what he did.

 

[BigDave]

Here is a link to the best article that I've found discussion what happened in the frist round.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2013/5/2/4291750/2013-nfl-draft-results-cowboys-scouts-take-on-first-round-trade

It appears that there was input from many people about what to do with the falling Floyd. He was ranked #7 on their board. The plan going in to the draft was to take one of Cooper, Warmack, or Vacarro, or if none available to trade down. Floyd falling got lots of discussion going. The scouts all wanted to stick to the board and go DT. Ciskowski did too. As likely did Garrett. However, both Kiffen and Marinelli were NOT in favor of Floyd. Jerry and Stephen sided with Monte and Rod, and Floyd was passed over in lieu of the trade down.

There are more details than what I've just mentioned, especially about the trade down.

To me, it does say that Jerry wasn't running ramshod over everyone. There was active discussion among a number of folks. Now going against both Ciskowski and Garrett seems questionable. But Jerry was most definitely not the Lone Ranger doing what he did.

I read the article on the value chart and linked in to see the "Harvard" chart.

Let me tell you that's way off.

Based on their "values", Jerry trading back was worth a difference of 46.2 points = a 6th round pick on their chart. There's no way anyone drops 13 spots in the 1st for that. The fact we believe a 3rd rounder was not enough and that SF gave a 3rd rounder blows that chart back to Cambridge, Mass. where it can stay.

 

[Manster]

I read that article. Sounds like usual war room disagreement.

After watching some tape on Frederick and Williams, I think we got two very good football players that will contribute. And D-line isnt as weak as it may seem since Ware and Spencer will prolly D ends.

Watch Fred vs. Stanford. He's not perfect, but straight up on his man, he doesnt lose. He secures the middle against a a VERY strong defense. He needs to work on quickness and balance. I'm optimistic Callahan can get this guy in a position to be our anchor on the O-line for a long time.

 

[simmonjm]

I can take any draft or free agent pick up with exception of Tim Tebow. The circus he would bring with him would be 100x worse then when TO was here and spouting off conspiracy theories that no one wanted to throw him the ball. There is no rumor of Tebow to Dallas just putting a pre emptive warning out there.

 

[Faust]

http://Dallas Cowboys reportedly call draft 'most successful'

Dallas Cowboys reportedly call draft 'most successful'

By Marc Sessler

Around the League Writer

The Dallas Cowboys left themselves open to the slings and arrows of fans and pundits when (as most would agree) they reached for Wisconsin center Travis Frederick with the 31st overall pick in the draft.

But Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram spoke to a team source who said, "All in all, it was probably the most successful draft we've had in a while.

"We got a guy in the fifth round (running back Joseph Randle) we had on the board in the third. We got good value on guys instead of reaching as we did in the past. Last year, we needed a safety and might have pumped a little air in (fourth-round pick Matt Johnson). We took him earlier than we needed to. That didn't happen this year, other than maybe the first round," the source said. "We got good value."

Hill's source admits that pockets of team personnel viewed Frederick as a reach (which alone is troubling), but the piece credits Dallas for grabbing tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round, "right where he was projected to go." Last we checked, that's neither a victory nor a defeat.

Team owner Jerry Jones this week gushed over Randle, saying he would be called on to split carries with DeMarco Murray. Jones in the process threw Murray under the bus, saying that leaning solely on his injury-prone starter conjured "visions of 8-8."

Jones has been quick to call out his players this offseason, flaming Murray and hinting that Tony Romo is on the hook to dial up his work ethic, ala Peyton Manning. Where Jones refuses to point the finger is at himself, the true magician behind back-to-back .500 affairs.

While general managers league-wide are held accountable and often fired when their teams struggle, Jones remains untouchable. Despite two decades worth of drafts that reveal Jones as, at very best, a subpar eye for talent, he continues to pick players for a Cowboys franchise that can't out of its own way.

Jones was never trained as a scout, but seems to think he can do the job as well as anyone else, which should make hard-working scouts everywhere red-faced.

In the end, pretty quotes out of Dallas won't erase the core problem faced by this mediocre franchise.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.

 

[cstu]

Team owner Jerry Jones this week gushed over Randle, saying he would be called on to split carries with DeMarco Murray. Jones in the process threw Murray under the bus, saying that leaning solely on his injury-prone starter conjured "visions of 8-8."

If Murray gets injured again this year, does Dallas draft a RB early to replace him? The reason I say that is next year is the last year of his contract. The Cowboys also drafted Murray 3 years after realizing Felix wasn't their bellcow RB.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Team owner Jerry Jones this week gushed over Randle, saying he would be called on to split carries with DeMarco Murray. Jones in the process threw Murray under the bus, saying that leaning solely on his injury-prone starter conjured "visions of 8-8."

If Murray gets injured again this year, does Dallas draft a RB early to replace him? The reason I say that is next year is the last year of his contract. The Cowboys also drafted Murray 3 years after realizing Felix wasn't their bellcow RB.

I think the days of drafting backs early are over. Unless there is a ADP coming out, which it doesn't look like there is one, I don't see it.

 

[Manster]

I wonder if Doug Free is gonna take a pay cut, get cut...........

I'd like to see him take a pay cut, stick around, and play like he did before he got paid! Maybe he needs some more motivation?? Is it possible for him to get better at this point?