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2016-2017 Offseason: Pre-Draft Catch Up And Other
Considerations
- May 6,
2016
At 11:05 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
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- The 2016 NFL Draft came and went –
with some teams hitting the jackpot . . . and others barely making a
dent.
There was plenty of the typical fanfare with the now common booing
and hissing at the sight of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell . . .
where fan sentiment for the league’s judge, jury, and executioner
continues with a theme of “go to hell.”
“He Who Must Be The NFL Bad Guy” . . . has a well-documented history
of proactive punishments for players. He is all about zero tolerance
and leaves no room – on anything – for an “Oops! My Bad!” allowance.
He has also been inconsistent enough for fans to join some
(seemingly disenfranchised) players in asking . . . no – insisting
“Why?”
“Teflon Roger” also knows NFL fans – as most pro sports fans will
and can – want their cake and to eat it, too. He knows fans want
league rule breakers (from beaters to deflators to PED takers) to be
dealt with firmly – until it is one of their own, which makes them
hypocritically squirmy . . . and demanding that “with this star
player, you dare not screw!”
He could have been flippant or cute – with draft pick announcements
– rather than performing his typically stoic and resolute selection
pronouncements. He wisely decided against dropping the mic . . . as
already agitated fans would have certainly yelled “take a hike!”
The NFL’s (most?) exciting event – of course – is far less about
what Darth Vader may say or do . . . and far more about the latest
crop of a team-invigorating and talented who’s-who.
Renew With Who?
Youth and fresh-if-raw talent is what pro sports teams consistently
need . . . while asking aging veterans to continue to bend but not
(entirely) bleed. It takes a careful balance of both – from those
with gills so green to those with wooly personal growth.
Fans thought they knew – through all the (standard) offseason
misdirection – with whom their beloved Dallas Cowboys would and
should renew . . . without fear of window-closing course correction.
Fans – those within the myopic masses who view the impossible
through coke bottle glasses – always think in the blink of an eye .
. . the Cowboys – whenever necessary – can magically make trades
with gullible GMs to get their guy. Older members of Cowboys Nation
know that in 2012 former Minnesota Vikings GM Mike Lynn passed away
. . . headed into the great beyond still completely ill over the
October 12, 1989 blockbuster Herschel Walker deal that never went
his way. The entire NFL – since that infamous time – remains on high
alert . . . wary of being caught and hurt on the wrong end of that
draft day play (no matter how good a given player looks in his
prime).
Everyone – after seeing particularly poor passer depth cream Dallas’
deeper playoff dream – expected “America’s Team” to do something
super QB critical . . . rather than merely talking all offseason
about it, going a different direction, and looking horribly
hypocritical.
The newly-minted Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles
blinked – to the surprise of no one (save for nervous Cowboys fans
desperate to see Jerry Jones get a franchise QB deal done). The Rams
traded with the Tennessee Titans for the first pick, and zeroed in on getting
Jared Goff inked. The Eagles traded with the Browns for the second
pick in hopes of getting someone, ANYONE capable of erasing painful
memories of past (and present if you count Sam Bradford) QB clowns.
While the Eagles clutched Carson Wentz, any QB behind their
semi-Swiss-cheese offensive line is doomed to suffer some dents.
After the second pick, the already palpable tension – in “war rooms”
across the league – was so thick . . . you could cut it with a saw.
Cowboys Nation was waiting with baited breath – or looking for table
legs on which to gnaw . . . to see if the San Diego Chargers were
going to select Joey “(D) Line Liberator” Bosa, Ezekiel “Emmitt
Emulator” Elliott, or Jalen “Secondary Savior” Ramsey.
Waiting is never easy . . . and the Chargers’ selection of Bosa left
some fans unnervingly queasy.
The mortified masses saw America’s Team stand pat while the Rams and
Eagles each selected potential Romo successors . . . and saying
bye-bye to Bosa turned them into strategic second guessers.
Renew with who? What to do? What to do?
Let us circle back – in a moment – on the results of the Cowboys’
strategic draft attack.
Heed The Need?
As “The Tortured Cowboys Fan” stated in pre-draft comments . . .
Dallas has clear needs – from defensive end to cornerback to safety
to QB to linebacker to running back – to add the quality talent AND
trustworthy depth they seriously lack.
Former Detroit Lions quarterback castoff and late-season signee –
Kellen Moore – could, in fact, be good enough to settle the infernal
backup QB score . . . if, IF he can shake the stigma of last season
that left fans so incredibly sore. While Brandon Weeden failed to
stop the bleedin’ and Matt Cassel proved not worth the hassle, Moore
showed signs of being able to, well, deliver more . . . as a backup
who would rather put up than shut up.
After relieving Cassel during their season’s second-to-last game
day, Kellen’s only start coincided with last season’s finale against
the Washington Redskins and – in his own way – Moore performed
similarly to none other than one Antonio Ramiro Romo from his very
own first game display. Neither of them waited around for their
teammates to raise from their season-long malaise and become
proactive. They both showed guts and came to play. They both brought
energy so attractive.
While Moore made early mistakes (surely shaking lose game day
jitters, primitive practice time with primary personnel, or playbook
cobwebs), he spent the rest of the contest firing with a fearless
flow and suffering few remaining ebbs. Moore may have been facing
the Redskins team that was eager to snap the neck of their age old
foes, but he did plenty to keep them on their toes. Kellen was
killin’ it and might have been able to pull out the win . . . if two
other teammate turnovers had not effectively pulled the pin. Adding
to offseason fan anxiety – over the future of the Cowboys’ backup QB
– may be that Moore loosely resembles Steve Young . . . a fact over
which older fans (still stung by a 1994 NFC Championship fricassee)
might have chosen to be hung.
Cowboys Nation should – as usual – expect Jerry Jones and Co. to
investigate all reasonable alternatives towards an upgrade . . . but
fans should not be entirely surprised if Moore – already a 4-year
veteran and Linehan disciple – makes the grade.
Fans (some but not all) have been screaming at Jerry – until blue
and silver in their faces – that bolstering the Cowboys’
malnourished defensive line would be the only way to get back in
their good graces.
Jerry LOVES him some risk, and while he gave it a heartfelt go with
Greg Hardy (no average Joe) . . . the talented-yet-troubled
defensive end found life with America’s Team a tough road to hoe.
Hardy’s one-year stay ended with plenty of finger-pointing . . .
among frustrated players on a team so many fans and prognosticators
had spent the previous preseason anointing. The four-game absence of
Randy “Puff” Gregory and DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence could very well
expose “Marinelli’s Men” to some replacement rookies that – to some
offensive linemen – could be a real treat . . . like milk and
cookies.
(In) Rod (We Trust) Marinelli has shown an uncanny ability to take
almost any frontline defensive player and turn him into at least a
reasonably productive component of his defensive unit . . . but
eerily-timed injuries and unsurprisingly stupid suspensions have
prevented him from finally putting it all together and really owning
it.
Speaking of lines, while the Cowboys boast “one of the best
offensive lines in the NFL” . . . fans would do well to remember it
takes but one injury to that solid unit to make life for Romo a
living hell. The promising emergence of La’El Collins would seem to
have reduced Leary to an unaffordable luxury, but the only immediate
reason Ronald should be removed is his well-publicized degenerative
knee. Leary – at best – could remain on the regular season roster
(against his own will, as is his current bitter pill) . . . or he
could become trade bait (as expected injuries pile up) before late.
Fans know all too well – no matter how swell the network television
deals have become and no matter how hard Cowboys Nation beats that
drum – teams cannot afford to keep everyone. Dallas could dial up
yet another offensive line pick before the draft is officially done.
Those titanic television treasures are tied to CBA (Collective
Bargaining Agreement) triggers to adjust roster payroll ever higher
. . . but not so much that salary caps are eclipsed, everyone gets
what they want, and there is no one to cut or fire. If Chaz Green
(who lost his chance to join last year’s ‘line dance’ due to early
preseason injury) can remain in the mix, he may yet provide a
similar depth fix . . . allowing the Cowboys to focus elsewhere with
their potential draft day tricks.
Fans also realize – as another solution to their annual pre-draft
anxiety attack – the Cowboys are extremely aggressive in the
post-draft free agent pool . . . where they inevitably pick up
talented, draft-material players with the hunger to prove every
doubter a significant fool.
Would the Dallas Cowboys heed the need? Would familiar fan intensity
for one player over another plant the seed?
Great Selections Or Poor Projections?
The Cowboys dove into this year’s draft missing two back end
selections due to previous personnel transactions. Having lost more
free agents than they acquired this offseason, the NFL awarded
Dallas and other teams in the same situation with an offset . . . of
four compensatory picks to counter those losses with which they were
beset.
Fans may recall the Cowboys trading away their fifth-round pick (in
this year’s draft) – during last season – to the Oakland Raiders for
Brice Butler and the Raiders’ own sixth-round pick (again, in this
year’s draft). The Cowboys forfeited their own sixth-round pick (in
this year’s draft) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the
opportunity to draft Geoff Swaim in the 2015 draft. Dallas also
dealt their seventh-round pick (in this year’s draft) to the Seattle
Seahawks for Christine Michael . . . who proved – regardless of team
– he was still mailing it in and not worth the investment at all.
The compensatory picks ultimately equate to a very timely business
bailout and – for that – Cowboys Nation should happily shout.
What was that? “Get on with the selections and enough with the
build-up reflections?”
Ok . . . have it your way.
Without further ado, the Dallas Cowboys 2016 draft results for you:
Round 1 - Pick 04: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Fans wanting defense took extreme offense . . . which is what the
Cowboys will enjoy if their scoring stars suffer no further injury
dents.
Still other fans – prescribing to great offense curing a bad defense
– were far less on the fence . . . about Elliott being an excellent
follow-up to Emmitt. No disrespect to dearly departed DeMarco.
Dallas was unwilling to grant Murray more of the money he clearly
had earned and – with negotiations leaving him feeling burned – he
chose to go.
While still other fans might not question Elliott’s draft night
passion, they were perplexed by his “In Living Color” fly girl
fashion. Fans – some but not all – will recall Emmitt (on his own
draft day) also dressed in his own unique way . . . that became an
unimportant memory with the arrival of his first official game day.
Round 2 - Pick 03: Jaylon Smith, OLB, Notre Dame
Fans wanting immediate relief along the defensive line – rather than
a delayed talent for future play – collectively began guzzling
bottles of wine . . . expecting the misery to last all day.
Round 3 - Pick 04: Maliek Collins, DT, Nebraska
Fans screaming for defensive line help were finally rewarded with a
two-dimensional-but-athletic nose tackle who has the wrestling
background to grapple . . . but still other fans who wanted a future
quarterback were on the verge of a fatal heart attack.
Round 4 - Pick 03: Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma
Fans who still saw a bare cupboard at defensive end . . . were
granted another raw talent – Sooner than later – with which
Marinelli may magically help the Dallas defense mend.
Round 4 - Pick 37: Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
Fans who could only wonder what could have been had Jerry offered
more to trade up for Memphis’ Paxton Lynch . . . had to seemingly
settle for a long-term project who (with a continuation of the
Cowboys' 2015 luck) may not be ready (to chuck or duck?) when next the
Cowboys find themselves in a Romo injury pinch. Conventional wisdom
always has a team pursuing the more highly-rated guy but – having no better
remaining choice on their draft board – Jerry and Co. felt
obligated to give Prescott a try (after failing to trade for a
player they so reportedly adored).
Round 6 - Pick 14: Anthony Brown, CB, Purdue
Fans who had their worried eyes affixed on the Cowboys’ savaged
secondary . . . saw Dallas select yet another raw-but-aggressive
player that (with some back-to-formula molding) may allow them – on
passing downs – to feel a bit less wary. Orlando Scandrick may be on
schedule (with his recovery from offseason knee surgery) for a
triumphant return but – until then and with a salary cap on ration –
someone has to take his turn, learn, and show some passion.
Round 6 - Pick 37: Kavon Frazier, S, Central Michigan
Fans wary of Barry Church’s increasing injuries and that
star-in-the-making Byron Jones cannot patrol the defensive secondary
alone . . . saw the Cowboys pick up another raw-yet-heavy-hitting
talent with a super special teams bent that – with some trimming of
his technique – may help Dallas improve on J.J. Wilcox and make the
safety situation look not so bleak.
Round 6 - Pick 41: Darius Jackson, RB, Eastern Michigan
Fans – with the knowledge Ezekiel “Zeke” Elliott was entering the
Cowboys’ football fold – were already going “Fantasy Bold,” trying
to decide which of the current roster running backs were prime cut
candidates . . . being either too injury prone or too old.
Why remove the freshly signed Alfred “SAS (Steady And Sturdy)”
Morris who – behind the Dallas line – should look mighty fine? Would
Darren “Run DMC” McFadden be able to pull off another relatively
injury free year? Why wait and subject the team to that ongoing
fear? Will Lance Dunbar make a full recovery from offseason knee
surgery or will he fail and be set free? Rod Smith is a big dude,
but is there a legitimate reason Seattle was not in the mood (and
just to make brother Jaylen happy will Dallas keep this dude)?
Who will beat back the competitive pack, get on the inside track
towards having Zeke’s back, and round out the Cowboys’ running
attack? One thing is for certain. More than one of these members of
Dallas’ running back depth chart must also succeed with special
teams to set themselves apart, as those who cannot multitask could
be hurtin’.
Round 6 - Pick 42: Rico Gathers, TE, Baylor
Fans – while absolutely dedicated to Jason Witten – continue to
wonder when his heir apparent will arrive on the scene to assume the
same immense responsibility of so much blockin', catchin', and
hittin'.
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- Still others – like The Tortured
Cowboys Fan – are curious what it would be like to have another
tough-as-nails tight end who called upon skills from another sport
as a change of pace. Antonio Gates – the undrafted tight end of the
San Diego Chargers – is just such a player . . . who has shown the
ability to be a pass-catching machine while "boxing out (down in the
blocks)" to create space.
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- Like Rico Gathers, Gates played only
basketball in college before joining the NFL (albeit only because
then-Michigan State head coach Nick Saban insisted Gates – a
basketball and football high school star – focus only on
football for the long haul).
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- Gathers is not the first such
out-of-left-field project the Cowboys have adopted but – of any
personnel challenges this year – his success would be just as
impactful as Dallas seeing one of their backup QB's finally get it
into gear. While Gathers demonstrably does not have Gates' two-sport
skill set, he may yet develop along the same line . . . if given the
precious time and rare opportunity to refine.
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- Fans may remember Manny Hendrix . .
. as (formerly) the most recent basketball player in Cowboys’
history to have been signed (albeit as an undrafted free agent) to
see if his AAA, hoop-to-hoop, full court speed would allow him to
glide on the grid iron – reborn as a cornerback ready to pull off
most of the standard defensive tricks.
Prior to Hendrix – Dallas used draft selections to court a variety
of hoopsters (from Cornell Green and Peter Gent to Percy Howard, Ken
Johnson, and Ron Howard). Just like the Oakland Raiders of old, no
one could call the Dallas Cowboys (particularly the immortal brain
trust of Gil Brandt, Tex Schramm, and Tom Landry) afraid to
experiment or draft day cowards.
When Jason Garrett originally became head coach of the Dallas
Cowboys, he spelled out his desire to adopt the
patient-and-persistent / slow-and-steady / meaningful message
approach of Bill Belichick coaching tree descendant, Nick Saban (the
college coach, not the pro cockroach) . . . with risky personnel
moves no longer a regular part of the plan. It has also been clear –
since Garrett became head coach – the Cowboys want to take more of a
– GASP – Green Bay Packers approach to restocking their roster,
rather than look for the best high-priced free agent to poach . . .
only to find they have been stuck with a performance imposter.
Some picks will be great selections and others may be poor
projections. Cowboys Nation – for now – gets to wait and impatiently
watch . . . to see which of these young men really have the
necessary nerve and the pro football touch.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The NFL Draft can help change the course of history for any team . .
. allowing fulfillment of a postseason dream or causing best raised
sail to completely loose its steam. It is what occurs immediately
following the draft becomes a more crucial theme.
Upon seeing the final pick of the evening end with Mr. Irrelevant,
teams then race – by email, fax, phone, text, or tweet – to sign the
biggest draft snubs and fantastic free agent elephants . . . doing
anything they can to collect ‘em all and really compete.
Fans, prognosticators, and team personnel gurus no better than to
ever underestimate the untimely role injuries continue to play in
today’s NFL. Each of 32 teams have more than 90 offseason roster
spots to fill . . . before finishing training camp, reaching the end
of preseason with a 75-man cut, and concluding with the final 53-man
cut . . . with “The Turk” (lovingly) going in for the kill. When
they ring the OTA bell, teams owe it themselves to have their full
allotment of “warm bodies” on hand before best laid plans
potentially (and do) go all to hell.
Will this year’s draft picks and UFA’s combine to improve or
outright solve Dallas’ roster depth issues . . . or will Cowboys
Nation – for the second consecutive season – be waving white flags
of surrender, err, two-ply tissues?
Will the bottom half of this year’s selections become more than raw,
long-term projections?
Will Zeke prove to be as well-rounded in the pros as he was in
college . . . including solid support with pass protections? Or –
when given his chance – will he whiff on a critical block . . .
leaving Tony Romo exposed while defenders mock and dance? Can Dallas
afford to miss even one detail at retail?
Will Dak Prescott show the hunger . . . to make other teams regret
showing him such draft day disrespect – and avoid becoming the
Cowboys’ latest backup QB bungler? Will he succumb to unreasonable
pressure . . . or will he sparkle like a diamond in the rough and
shine like a draft day treasure?
Will Rod Marinelli – once again – be called upon to use otherworldly
methods to draw uncommon skills from a number of uninspired
defensive pills? Or will a masterful mix of veterans and rookies . .
. experience another amazing awakening, thus discouraging Rod from
violently swinging poor performance clubs and dangling playing-time
cookies?
Will the new arrivals take advantage of great opportunities served
to them on a silver-and-blue platter . . . due to a Swiss cheese
depth chart in desperate need of more heart and players who really
want to matter?
- Will the next generation of America’s Team bring plenty of HUSTLE?
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- We shall see. We always do.
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