The Dallas Cowboys are on the Clock
The Cowboys have the 9th pick in this year’s draft. Their biggest needs are safety and offensive line. Unfortunately, there are no safeties or offensive linemen rated that high and you don’t really want to reach for a guy with the 9th pick. So the Cowboys decision this year is tough.
It could be simplified if a few guys fall to them. That would include DT Marcell Dareus, CB Patrick Peterson or probably even DT/DE Nick Fairley. Depending on his health, DT/DE Da'Quan Bowers probably joins this list.
If OLB Von Miller falls he would be interesting, but it’s not a lock to take him. We already have two good outside line backers and as frustrated as I was with Spencer last year; I am far from done with him. Worse, Miller may simply be too small for a 3/4 defense. Sure he can pass rush, but what if they run at him? WR A.J. Green makes no sense at all, even if he falls to 9. Even if we cut Roy Williams there’s just no room for him and won’t be so long as Miles and Dez are around. As talented as Green (or Julio Jones for that matter) may be, you need to do better than a 3rd WR with the #9 pick.
Most mock drafts have the Cowboys taking CB Prince Amukamara. I would be OK with that pick, since Terrence is getting up there. But it doesn’t fill a pressing need and I doubt Prince would start year one.
Some mock drafts have the Cowboys picking DE J.J. Watt. That to me would be more of a business decision than an upgrade. If you resign Spears, you don’t need Watt. I doubt Watt will be as good a run stopper as Spears was or as good a nickel pass rusher as Bowen. So did we improve?
A lot of people talk about trading down to the mid to late first round and getting another 2nd round pick. That makes sense to me. We do have plenty of needs. With a later first round pick we could get the best available tackle from Soldier, Costanzo, Tyron Smith or Carimi. Then with two second round picks we could get a safety and guard. Other needs would be an inside linebacker given Brooking is in his last year and Lee has been injury prone. We could also use a corner to develop under Newman, another DE if we get rid of Spears, another RB if we get rid of Barber and another WR if we get rid of Roy Williams.
Still I wouldn’t trade way the number 9 pick. Call me crazy, but if Cam Newton was sitting there at 9, I would grab him. How often are the Cowboys going to have a top ten pick? Even with the same basic squad as last year, they do better because of an easier schedule. Plus if they can play like they did under Garrett rather than Wade they probably are already back in the playoff hunt. So this pick is a once in a decade thing, unless they don’t have a succession plan for Romo. Just remember what it was like between Troy and Tony. Tony is 30. What are we going to do after him? Cam is not ready to start just yet but in his third under Garrett, he would be pushing Tony for the job. One of the main reasons Green Bay won the super bowl this year was they drafted Rodgers before they needed him and let him develop slowly as opposed to throwing him to the wolves. Let’s do the same with Cam. If you have a good QB, you can win the super bowl. If you don’t, good luck. Drafting Cam gives us a shot at winning a super bowl for the next 12 years. Can you say the same about J.J. Watt?
It could be simplified if a few guys fall to them. That would include DT Marcell Dareus, CB Patrick Peterson or probably even DT/DE Nick Fairley. Depending on his health, DT/DE Da'Quan Bowers probably joins this list.
If OLB Von Miller falls he would be interesting, but it’s not a lock to take him. We already have two good outside line backers and as frustrated as I was with Spencer last year; I am far from done with him. Worse, Miller may simply be too small for a 3/4 defense. Sure he can pass rush, but what if they run at him? WR A.J. Green makes no sense at all, even if he falls to 9. Even if we cut Roy Williams there’s just no room for him and won’t be so long as Miles and Dez are around. As talented as Green (or Julio Jones for that matter) may be, you need to do better than a 3rd WR with the #9 pick.
Most mock drafts have the Cowboys taking CB Prince Amukamara. I would be OK with that pick, since Terrence is getting up there. But it doesn’t fill a pressing need and I doubt Prince would start year one.
Some mock drafts have the Cowboys picking DE J.J. Watt. That to me would be more of a business decision than an upgrade. If you resign Spears, you don’t need Watt. I doubt Watt will be as good a run stopper as Spears was or as good a nickel pass rusher as Bowen. So did we improve?
A lot of people talk about trading down to the mid to late first round and getting another 2nd round pick. That makes sense to me. We do have plenty of needs. With a later first round pick we could get the best available tackle from Soldier, Costanzo, Tyron Smith or Carimi. Then with two second round picks we could get a safety and guard. Other needs would be an inside linebacker given Brooking is in his last year and Lee has been injury prone. We could also use a corner to develop under Newman, another DE if we get rid of Spears, another RB if we get rid of Barber and another WR if we get rid of Roy Williams.
Still I wouldn’t trade way the number 9 pick. Call me crazy, but if Cam Newton was sitting there at 9, I would grab him. How often are the Cowboys going to have a top ten pick? Even with the same basic squad as last year, they do better because of an easier schedule. Plus if they can play like they did under Garrett rather than Wade they probably are already back in the playoff hunt. So this pick is a once in a decade thing, unless they don’t have a succession plan for Romo. Just remember what it was like between Troy and Tony. Tony is 30. What are we going to do after him? Cam is not ready to start just yet but in his third under Garrett, he would be pushing Tony for the job. One of the main reasons Green Bay won the super bowl this year was they drafted Rodgers before they needed him and let him develop slowly as opposed to throwing him to the wolves. Let’s do the same with Cam. If you have a good QB, you can win the super bowl. If you don’t, good luck. Drafting Cam gives us a shot at winning a super bowl for the next 12 years. Can you say the same about J.J. Watt?
Comments
God be with you,
Dan