My thoughts on the draft.

Once again I will disclose I wrote this elsewhere but it pertains to his blog as well.

Ok, like most arm chair GM's out there I have my own thoughts on what the Cowboys -should- have done in the draft and what they actually did do. As worthless as those thoughts are, here goes...

What I wanted:

Trade one of those first rounders (along with maybe a 3rd rounder) for an established veteran WR. Seemed to be a few who might be available in Chad Johnson, Roy Williams, or Anquan Boldin

What Happened:

By most accounts the Boys tried to do exactly that but couldn't find anyone willing to deal. Can't dance without a partner, I guess.

What I wanted:

Use the other 1st rounder to draft a starting quality cornerback.

What happened:

They moved up from #28 to #25 to grab Mike Jenkins. #1 or #2 corner on most teams boards. The guy has the size, speed, and hands to be a receiver. Might be something special at CB. Love this pick.

What I wanted:

In a draft deep at the RB position, I was hoping after the first two on my wish list came true the Cowboys would be able to snag a speed back to compliment Marion Barber in the second round. 

What happened:

Obviously the Cowboys valued this need even more than I did. Not only did they use the #22 pick in the draft to snag Felix Jones, they passed up Mendenhall (who NOBODY though would fall that far) in the process. Apparently the team has a ton of faith they will be able to sign MBIII to a long term contract. As long as that's true, then Jones was the best choice here since he provides the homerun threat they are missing with MBIII and gives them a helluva kickoff return guy on special teams. IF, however, Barber doesn't re-sign they will regret passing on Mendenhall. No way Jones is an every down back in the NFL.

In the 2nd round they took a TE who should be the perfect compliment to Jason Witten. Very similar in style and ability. Great pass catcher and good blocker. Might see more two TE sets next year if they don't come up with a vet receiver via trade and Terry Glenn can't go. 

What I wanted:

The Cowboys came into this draft as a deep team in most areas. I wanted 2 CB's, 2 RB's, and a TE to replace Fasano who was traded just before the draft.

What happened:

That's exactly what they did.  2 RB, 2 CB's and a top grade TE.

Bonus: Trader Jerry came into the 2nd day of the draft (rounds 3-7) with but 3 picks left. He managed to parlay those three by virtue of 6 trades into several more picks including a 3rd and a 4th round pick in next years draft.  

Side note: A lot of Cowboys fans wanted to see a WR drafted. Not me. I wanted no part of this class of WR. Look at the Redskins...what did they draft? 4 or 5 pass catchers hoping to find ONE worth a damn? The Cowboys didn't need to throw darts at a position and hope to hit on one. And even Jerry was reined in when he WANTED to move up to take a receiver but the rest of the war room said NO. After 20 years, he's finally learned to listen to the experts he hires. ;-)  

All in all I'd grade this draft as a definate A for Jerry. Turns into an A+ if he's able to ink Marion Barber to a long term deal in the near future.

What do you think?

The following is a blog I wrote on the subject of the Pacman trade over at cnnsi.com Fan Nation . Thought I'd share it here, as well:

This trade is going to evoke a lot of anger, joy, and general interest among football fans everywhere.

Eagles, Skins, and Giants fans will outwardly point and laugh, claiming the Cowboys are in full self destruct mode just as they did when T.O. and Tank Johnson first donned a star on their respective helmets. Inwardly, however, this move scares the crap out of them. Pacman is an all-pro talent at both CB and KR/PR and Dallas just snagged him dirt cheap. IF it works out, the Eagles will look silly for paying all that money to Samuel. 

High risk move by Jerry Jones? Absolutely. But at the same time, not really. He reportedly gave up a 4th round pick this year and a conditional pick next year depending on Pacmans performance in 2008. But he also added an insurance policy to the deal. If Pacman isn't re-instated, or if he screws up again, the Titans must give the Cowboys a draft pick next year in an undisclosed round.

High reward? Unbelievably high. Adam Jones is an all-pro corner who also happens to be one of the more dangerous return men in the game when he's actually on the field. The 13-3 Cowboys two biggest weaknesses last year? Yep. The secondary and kick/punt returns. How scary is the thought that arguably the best team in the NFC just potentially fixed both of their glaring weaknesses for the cost of a 4th round pick? Asante' who?

For Pacman himself there probably isn't a better place for him in the NFL. Dallas, as far as I'm aware, is still the only franchise that has an entire department devoted to helping troubled players turn their life around. Headed up by Calvin Hill, one of the highest integrity men in the game, they put tremendous resources into helping players who want it. Pacman will be made fully aware upon reinstatement that this is his last, last chance. Jerry Jones is a big believer in second chances, but he's also a big believer in people turning their lives around and provides the resources to assist. IF Pacman is redeemable, he's going to the right place.

The Titans get, well, shafted. But there was no other option for them. After 6 arrests since joining the team and their complete inability to rein him in, Pacman was an embarassment they could no longer afford to keep around. Just like the Bears with Tank Johnson last year, the Titans hands were tied. The guy was a public relations nightmare for them no matter how good he was on the field. To get back a 4th rounder and some change for a guy you chose with the #6 overall pick in the draft and who was an all-pro in your secondary has got to sting. 

So everyone except the Titans wins with this trade. The Cowboys plug two gaping holes with one acquisition, fans who hate the Cowboys get something to laugh at...for a while...Adam Jones gets an opportunity to staighten his life out under the tutulage of perhaps the best in the business, the sports pundits get a second story to write endlessly about on Americas team, T.O. gets those pundits off his back a little, and the NFL gets yet another story line to promote their biggest money maker ratings wise.

UPDATE:

This deal keeps getting better for the Cowboys. The USA Today is now reporting that if Pacman isn't re-instated, the Cowboys get the Titans 4th round pick in 2009. Almost certainly higher than the Cowboys pick this year. If he is re-instated and gets suspended for a different matter then the Cowboys get the Titans 5th rounder next year. Talk about Jerry covering all the bases on this one. This news, if accurate, takes almost ALL of the risk out of the deal for the Cowboys. On the other hand, if Pacman is available for all 16 games next year, the Titans will receive the Cowboys 6th rounder in 2009. This is either a complete steal for the Cowboys or a wash. They can't lose.

OK, I know history has zero bearing on Sundays game but it's interesting, anyhow.

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Bill Belichick actually gave the Cowboys props.

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This was the most impressive game Romo has played, to date.

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