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Get Ready for the Rookies

‘Cause they’ll be in Valley Ranch May 2 - 4.  That’s Friday through Sunday.

And remember this — good news travels fast;  bad news travels quietly.  In ‘91 and ‘92 when Jimmy Johnson made his great draft hauls the local papers could barely contain themselves with guarded rumors about how good guys like Erik Williams were.

On To Oxnard!

It’s that time of the year. Draft preps have been fun but not it’s time to think of cool days on the California coast.

Thank you Jerry. After a summer of broiling in San Antonio — yeah, they practiced in a dome, but you still had to go outside into roasting heat — we campers can again look forward to fog rolling in for the morning practices, sweater weather for those sessions and the ability to watch practice just feet away from the players.

And here’s where you come in. I’ve been able to bring you coverage due to your generosity and I’ll need it again this year. One week is a sure thing but a good return will keep me in Oxnard from opening to close.

I’ll gladly sing, or blog for my supper. We were the first to blog from camp, a year before Matt Mosley started his Cowboys Blog. And I think we’re good for it. Here are some reports from ‘05, ‘06 and ‘07. See if we got it right:

– Here’s an ‘05 camp recap;

– Here’s an ‘06 report that shows Tony Romo already had the quickest draw on the team;

– Here’s an ‘07 report on the push to make Demarcus Ware a smarter rusher.

The PayPal links are on the lower left and the snail mail address can also be found there.

Look at the Overall Value of the Roster

Want to judge the draft? Assign it a preliminary grade?

I would recommend two things:

– First, consider the entire offseason as an exercise. Look at free agency gains and losses and the draft.

– Next, simply look at each pick as an asset. Then, consider whether that asset raises or lowers the overall value of the roster.

Let’s put the ‘07 and the ‘08 starters and role players together and see if the overall value of Dallas’ team has gone up or down. Positions of change will be in bold:

• Offense — ‘07 — ‘08
• QB — Romo, Romo
• RB — Barber, Barber
• RB — J. Jones, Felix Jones
• TE — Witten, Witten
• U-back– Fasano, Bennett
• LT — Adams, Adams
• LG — Kosier, Kosier
• C — Gurode, Gurode
• RG — Davis, Davis
• RT — Colombo, Colombo
• WR — Owens, Owens
• WR — Crayton, Crayton
• WR — Hurd, Hurd

Until Terry Glenn shows he can play for an extended period of time I’m not including him in this rotation.
Defense

• LE — Spears, Spears
• NT — Ratliff, Ratliff
• RE — Canty, Canty
• LOLB — Ellis, Ellis
• SILB — James, James
• WILB — Ayodele, Thomas
• ROLB — Ware, Ware
• LCB — Newman, Newman
• SS — Williams, Williams
• FS — Hamlin, Hamlin
• RCB — Henry, Henry
• Nickel — Reeves, A. Jones*
• Dime — N. Jones, Jenkins

There may be some changes at LE, with Spears being on the bubble and facing a challenge from Hatcher. And Pacman Jones has yet to be reinstated, so Jenkins may be the choice at nickel back at this minute. Still, he should be no worse than Jacques Reeves.

Let’s draw some conclusions from this comparison:

1. The Cowboys’ roster is remarkably stable. The only change in the starting 22 comes at inside linebacker, where Zach Thomas replaces Akin Ayodele.

2. Let’s further dispel the idea that Dallas drafted “backups” with its top picks. Was Julius Jones a backup last year? No, he was the bigger half of a running back platoon. Similarly, Felix Jones has to be considered a platoon back also this year. Does anybody think Marion Barber will suddenly get 90% of the carries, as Emmitt Smith did in the days when guys like Derrick Lassic and Sherman Williams were backing him up? Felix wasn’t drafted to get five touches a game.

At nickel or dime back, Mike Jenkins will be a key member of a situational unit. Not an every down starter, but in this day of specialization, he’ll have a major role.

The same is true for Martellus Bennett. He’s gonna get a lot of reps at the U-back spot, which the Cowboys use a lot more than a traditional fullback. Tony Curtis may get a lot more reps early in the season but Bennett will play as much as his blocking permits him to.

3. Look at the five spots where the Cowboys have a new face. Did the Cowboys decline, stay the same or improve at those positions? Will Felix Jones be worse than Julius Jones? Will Martellus Bennett be worse than Anthony Fasano? Will Zach Thomas be worse than Akin Ayodele? Will Pacman Jones be worse than Jacques Reeves? Will Mike Jenkins be worse than Nate Jones?

I think the answer is no to every one of those five questions save Bennett. He might be better or the same as Fasano but also has the chance to be sub-’07 Fasano, if his blocking isn’t up to NFL standard.

4. Finally, was there a 2nd round receiver who could put Patrick Crayton to shame as a rookie? We may find this fall that one will. But look at the guys Dallas considered — the Devin Thomases, the James Hardys and the Limas Sweeds. The pressure is on them to prove that Dallas erred in passing on them. Given that every other team did in the first round, the Cowboys will have lots of company if one of these guys excels.

Self Scouting

Mr. Tuna,Draft somebody already!Please?!

Your team is on the clock. There’s no John Elway-like talent atop this year’s board. Yeah, we’ll hear the Dallas-is-going-to-trade-up rumors a few more times, but let’s get real. You can’t get the team at pick five to jump up because the bonuses are too big and there’s no Reggie-White like talent there either. You can’t hold an auction. And be honest. If the next Elway or Lawrence Taylor was sitting there you would have signed him already.

So make your decision and pick. There’s no need to wait…

– “An Open Letter to Bill Parcells,” The ‘Boys Blog, March 21st

[Martellus] Bennett is another matter. Most mocks put him in the 3rd but the War Room team rates him as the best tight end in this year’s crop, comparing his game to Witten’s. Every service I’ve read rates him as the best blocking tight end of the top tier and he appears to have the most balanced game of any first day tight end candidate.

In other words, don’t rip your hair out if you hear Bennett called with the 61st pick. The Cowboys may be looking for “wow” offensive skill position guys but they’re also looking for another hard hat to replace the Moose. Still.

– “Looking for Mr. Moosebar,” The ‘Boys Blog, April 7th

That last name got my attention. Imagine what a young Tiki Barber would add to the Cowboys’ offense.

The Cowboys are so close they can’t afford to miss with their first round picks, and right now I think Felix Jones is the surest thing at running back where the Cowboys draft.

The mockers can be right for the wrong reasons and I’m beginning to think they’re right.

– Today, I’d take Jones at 28 and hope that Mike Jenkins is available at 22. He’s the CB I want from the top tier…

– Dr. Strangehog, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Felix Jones,” The ‘Boys Blog, April 8th

Like to Have (3)

2. OLB — Dallas has Demarcus Ware, Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer, but Ellis is long in the tooth. If the Cowboys can find a player like Brent Hawkins, a 5th round tweener who has turned into an effective situational rusher for Jacksonville, they’ll add him. You can never have enough pass rushers.

– “How Many Jobs Are Up For Grabs?” The ‘Boys Blog, April 13th

I take shots at picking Dallas’ round 3 and 4 players:

4th — Will Franklin, WR, Missouri — Some good WRs are available — Early Doucet, Earl Bennett, Andre Caldwell, Mario Manningham — but how many of these guys will last till the end of the round?

New 4th round pick — Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech — Even with Felix Jones the Cowboys have only two RBs they can count on. Choice is a Marion Barber type, a banger who does every thing well but lacks great speed.

– “Taking Shots” The ‘Boys Blog, April 26th

Some fancy pants Metroplex blog claimed it would give “unprecedented Cowboys-related draft coverage” but no site got you closer to what the Cowboys actually did than this one. Because no other blog has the community this one does. I set the topics but you put every idea to the test. You folks bring in data, observations, clips and well-honed opinions. No fluff. No filler. Just hard core analysis. You make us show our work. Your high standards make our conventional wisdom stronger.

So give yourselves a big pat on the back. We beat the big boys — again.

Mythbusting

It’s far too early to debate how good or how bad Dallas’ draft is. Nobody has even played a mini-camp down yet. But I think it’s early enough to puncture a couple of instant myths about some high draftees.

Myth One — Martellus Bennett is a luxury pick. He’ll be a backup tight end, like Anthony Fasano.

Who’s the team’s fullback? They have one guy with FB by his name. He’s Deon Anderson and he’s coming off rotator cuff surgery, which means his blocking ability isn’t known. Will he be able to lower his repaired shoulder and mash with abandon in Cleveland on opening day? I’m not sure he knows right now.

The Cowboys force fed Fasano into the offense in ’06. He was the starter in Jacksonville, and got a lot more reps than Lousaka Polite, who never cut it as a lead blocker. Fasano wasn’t up to it, which is why the coaches gave Oliver Hoyte a crash course in lead blocking about a month into the season. Fasano blocked much better under John Garrett’s tutelage than he did under Paul Pasqualoni’s the year before, but the Cowboys obviously felt he wasn’t up to their expectations.

There’s nothing luxurious about Martellus Bennett. He’s probably the starting blocking back right now. I wouldn’t be shocked to read a month from now that Bennett is living in Garrett’s guest room while Garrett rushes to get him ready for an NFL season.

He’s going to be counted on a lot this year, which is probably why Jerry had trouble getting war-room support for a trade up to get James Hardy. His guys were trying to keep him from getting cute. He listened.

Myth two: Dallas could have taken Mike Jenkins at 22, Felix Jones at 28 and saved the trade-up picks from the Seattle deal for other players.

Okay, take Jenkins first. Then this would have happened:

23. Pittsburgh — Rashard Mendenhall;
24. Tennessee — Felix Jones;

It’s been said by several sources that the Titans wanted Jones.

Then what at 28?

You trade down with whom? Who traded up from the early 2nd into the 25-30 range? Nobody. The QB in the late 1st market was bull.

And look at the players taken immediately after Jenkins at 25 — Duane Brown, Antoine Cason, Lawrence Jackson, Kentwan Balmer, Dustin Keller, Kenny Phillips, Phillip Merling, Donny Avery, Devin Thomas, Brandon Flowers.

Would you take any of these guys ahead of Jenkins? I wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t take any of these guys ahead of Jones either. Dallas got two guys just before the 1st round dropoff. In recent years, the Cowboys been on the other side of that divide..

You either take Chris Johnson at 28 or you force your WR there, and neither one of them rates with Jones.

What’s more, San Diego was looking for a running back at 27. I don’t know if they had Johnson rated ahead of Antoine Cason but they may have. The only way Dallas could have assured itself a RB at 28 would have meant making the exact same trade with Seattle and taking Johnson at 25.

Then they would have come away with Jenkins and Johnson instead of Jenkins and Jones. And Jerry would be getting crucified for “getting too cute.” He got better value playing it the day he did. Some of the blog regulars love Johnson and would have applauded that scenario, but I have not seen one rating service anywhere that put Chris Johnson ahead of Felix Jones.

The Titans took Chris Johnson and even they had Felix Jones rated higher.

If you think Mendenhall will be a better player than Jones you have a beef. But saying Jenkins could or should have been taken at 22 and Jones at 28 is folly.

Draft ‘08 — Disarm

The Cowboys remember the Giants 42 second TD march just before halftime in their divisional playoff game.

So much so that they acquired three cornerbacks in this year’s draft, getting Mike Jenkins in the 1st, trading a 4th rounder for Pacman Jones and moving up into the early 5th to get Orlando Scandrick. Corner was the biggest concern heading into the draft. Dallas has quality starters but Anthony Henry is injury-prone and Terence Newman is heading into a contract year. The team now has five corner prospects, if Jones is re-instated.

If Pacman is in uniform at Oxnard, he and Jenkins should represent a huge upgrade over Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones and give Dallas the man-to-man coverage depth to play their corners up on the line and be even more aggressive with the pass rush.

On the other side of the ball, Dallas entered the draft with only Marion Barber under contract at the running back spot. Julius Jones was allowed to leave and Tyson Thompson was an early roster casualty. Felix Jones appears to be an upgrade over Jones and 4th rounder Tashard Choice offers an across the board game the blocking-challenged Thompson couldn’t match.

Whether by design or accident, the Cowboys have been targeting specific spots in recent years. In ‘05, the team built a d-line from scratch, adding Marcus Spears, Chris Canty and Jay Ratliff. Last year offensive line depth was addressed in the middle rounds with the additions of Doug Free and James Marten.

Linebacker has been a constant in recent years with Demarcus Ware (1st in ‘05) Kevin Burnett (2nd in ‘05) Bobby Carpenter (1st in ‘06) and Anthony Spencer (1st in ‘07) all topping the Cowboys’ wish lists.

This year the secondary and backfield got the attention.

The other high pick saw Dallas get a replacement U-back for the departed Anthony Fasano. Martellus Bennett will get a chance to prove he’s more athletic than Fasano and can be a better blocker. John Garrett got the most out of Jason Witten in ‘07. If he can get Bennett to apply his outstanding athletic skills, Dallas will have a find.

Wide receiver was not called and it seemed that aside from a half-hearted attempt to trade up for James Hardy in the 2nd, the Cowboys were not thrilled by this class. To read the Detroit Free Press this morning, Roy Williams was Jerry Jones’ target but he could not get Matt Millen to trade him.

So, while teams like Washington are following New England’s lead and trying to outgun secondaries across the league, the Cowboys took the opposite tack, beefing up their coverage units to try and nullify any passing game they face.

Upside: Depth and talent for the backfield and secondary. Jenkins, Jones and Bennett have unquestioned athleticism.

Caveat: Jenkins and Bennett get dinged for having inconsistent work ethics. Jerry Jones joked at his Saturday press conference that his players could be special if they got good coaching. I’m guessing he wasn’t entirely joking. If Dave Campo and John Garrett can get Jenkins and Bennett to be true professionals, this draft could be special. Otherwise, the Bad Jerry jokes will again creep into the Cowboys’ discourse.

I Love Our Readers

Note: Did the Cowboys just draft a fullback prospect in Erik Walden? He’s listed at 6′2″, 243 lbs. and 4.7 in the 40. That’s on the small side to be an outside linebacker in Dallas’ scheme, unless he’s got some crazy pass rushing skills. That’s way too slow to be a safety. On the other hand, his size and speed are almost identical to Daryl Johnston’s, who was 6′2″, 237 and ran in the 4.65-4.70 range. The colleges just don’t produce fullbacks anymore and the Cowboys had modest success turning Oliver Hoyte into a fullback. Are they trying again?

2:12 –The Cowboys take Erik Walden, a smallish DE from Middle Tennessee. He’s not in the two draft books I own. The last time the Cowboys reached that far, they landed Pat McQuistan.

The Cowboys just moved up to select Boise State CB Orlando Scandrick.

– Props to blogger cormanman, who just claimed that he’s firmly “pro-Choice” after the Cowboys’ picked Tashard Choice.

This site originated Romosexual. We are the birthplace of “Thong” Williams and now we’re sure to have a sizable pro-Choice contingent.

You guys crack me up.

4th Round Live Blogging

12:45 — The Morning News guys are still begging Rashard Mendenhall to take them back, even though he’s in Pittsburgh now.  One of them says Choice would not have been needed had Dallas drafted Super Rashard yesterday.

What ever.  The Cowboys always carry three backs.  Marion Barber was the only back on their roster on Friday. (Alonzo Coleman doesn’t count as an NFL running back.)   They were going to draft another back today even with Felix Jones.  Jerry said they were going to take another back today in his after draft presser yesterday.   It’s on the team web site. (scroll down to short shorts)

Why are those guys acting surprised?

12:00 — The Cowboys select RB Tashard Choice. My 4th rounder comes through.

11:53 — Dallas on deck again. Seattle takes Red Bryant one spot ahead of Dallas’ pick. D’oh!

11:22 — The Cowboys trade again! With the Browns! The Cowboys get Cleveland’s 3rd in ‘09. Not bad. Dallas now has an extra 3rd and 4th next year. Preparing a package for a veteran?

11:19 — The Bears are on the clock. Dallas is on deck - again.

11:02 — The Browns trade up into Dallas’ spot and take ILB Beau Bell. Dallas now picks at 111 and 122.

Dallas gets Cleveland’s 5th, replacing the pick lost in the Mike Jenkins’ deal. Looking for compensation from the Raiders trade down.

10:55 — The Packers are picking at 102. The Cowboys are two spots away.

Third Round Live Blogging

10:50 — The Cowboys trade with the Raiders at pick 104.

10:46 — The Titans take Oneal Cousins at 99. Dallas is up.

10:44 — The Falcons take S Thomas DeCoud. Dallas is on deck.

10:41 — The Bengals take WR Andre Caldwell at pick 97.

10:39 — The Redskins take G Chad Rinehart.

10:36 — The Giants take Mario Manningham at the 95th spot. Four compensatory picks and Dallas is back on the clock.

10:23 — Dallas trades down with the Detroit Lions, who pick 111th The Cowboys get the Lions ‘09 4th rounder for moving down 19 spots.

10:21 — The Packers select Jermichael Finley. Dallas is on the clock.

10:16 — The Bears take DT Marcus Harrison at 90

10:12 — The Texans take Steve Slaton at pick 89. Dallas is just three picks away.

9:54 — The Chiefs take S DaJuan Morgan. Dallas is ten picks away.

9:51 — The Cardinals take Early Doucet with the 81st pick.

9:48 — The Eagles take LB Bryan Smith at pick 80; the Texans take Antwan Molden one pick prior.

The NFL Network just showed Commissioner Roger Goodell hanging out in the gallery, shaking hands and taking photos with fans. Great P.R. move on his part. When has a commissioner ever made himself accessable to fans? It’s a small gesture but this can change his reputation if he does this with regularity.

Note: The teams are averaging about 3 minutes per pick. We’re at pick 75. Dallas picks 92nd and 100th, so we’re about 45-50 minutes away from their next selection. Dallas has only three picks today so I don’t think we’ll see a trade up.

9:34 — Big names flying off the board: Dan Connor goes to Carolina and Reggie Smith to the 49ers.

9:32 — the Chiefs claim Jamaal Charles at 73. Their great draft continues.

And we’re off. Actually the league got off before I got up, but the Cowboys are still around 20 picks away.

Thus far, ten picks in:

9:31 - Charles Godfrey and Earl Bennett are gone.

Taking Shots

I take shots at picking Dallas’ round 3 and 4 players:

3rd — Red Bryant, NT, Texas A&M — He’s been on my list forever. No need to back off now.

4th — Will Franklin, WR, Missouri — Some good WRs are available — Early Doucet, Earl Bennett, Andre Caldwell, Mario Manningham — but how many of these guys will last till the end of the round?

New 4th round pick — Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech — Even with Felix Jones the Cowboys have only two RBs they can count on. Choice is a Marion Barber type, a banger who does every thing well but lacks great speed.

Oh yeah, 4th round — Pacman Jones. Just a guess.

– And the Detroit Free Press takes a shot at the Lions, calling them “stupid” for not trading Roy Williams to Dallas.

Jerry Jones said “I tried” to get a veteran receiver. It appears that he did.

NFC East — Arming vs. Disarming

THe NFL is a copycat league and the dominant blueprint this offseason, despite their Super Bowl loss, belongs to New England.

Let’s look around the division to see how the Pats’ model influenced the teams.

Loading Up — offense

The Redskins tried hard to obtain a veteran. They were rebuffed by the Bengals for Chad Johnson and by the Cards for Anquan Boldin.  Washington then traded down and took two big receivers — Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly and one of the better speed tight ends in Fred Davis.  Add these three to Santana Moss and Chris Cooley and you can see the ‘Skins approach — overwhelm the defense with passing weapons and take pressure of Clinton Portis and the young QB Jason Campbell.

Loading Up?

The Eagles made their play for the Lions Roy Williams and failed.  On draft day they watched teams leapfrog them for OL. There were rumor pre-draft that the Eagles wanted Branden Albert but the Chiefs moved up to select him.  Instead they dropped down for the second straight year and took DT Trevor Laws and WR DeSean Jackson.

The Eagles have the personnel to work on disarming big time attacks if they keep Lito Sheppard but the sentiment in Philly is the he’ll be moved at some point in the near future.

Disarming

The Giants succeeded in slowign the Pats down by overwhelming their offensive line in the Super Bowl.  They worked to improve their secondary today, adding S Kenny Phillips to replace Gibril Wilson and corner Terrell Thomas.

The Cowboys added Felix Jones and Martellus Bennett because they felt each represented an upgrade over Julius Jones and Anthony Fasano respectively.

Defensively, they has tried to beef up their coverage, drafting Mike Jenkins and trading for Pacman Jones.  Those two could provide a huge upgrade over Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones — provided Jenkins lives up to his draft position and Jones is reinstated.

If both can play and play well the Cowboys can put four above-average man cover men on the field.  How many other NFL teams can say that?

Round Two Live Blogging

7:46 — The Cowboys select Martellus Bennett. Thank you very much. I’m available for children’s parties and trips to Vegas.

7:42 — The Packers take CB Patrick Lee

The Cowboys are in the on-deck circle.

7:40 — The Colts finally make a pick — C Mike Pollack

7:34 — The Bucs take Dexter Jackson

7:27 — The Dolphins pick Chad Henne

7:24 — The Packers pick Brian Brohm. More proof that Brett Favre will not be coming back.

7:20 — The Ravens pick Ray Rice

7:16 — The Titans pick Jason Jones

7:10 — The Steelers pick Limas Sweed

Notes: Biggest smoke screen of the day — that Chad Henne and Brian Brohm were big time bait. Both are still on the board 52 picks in.

7:06 — Jacksonville trades up and gets Quentin Groves.

Top players available: Chad Henne, Jamaal Charles, Limas Sweed, DeSean Jackson, Brian Brohm, Quentin Groves, Malcolm Kelly, Tyrell Johnson, Fred Davis, Kevin Smith, Martellus Bennett, Dan Connor, Anthony Collins, Justin King, DaJuan Morgan, Marcus Harrison, Oneil Cousins, Bryan Kehl

7:01 — The Redskins pick Malcolm Kelly

6:57 — The Cards take Calais Campbell

6:53 — The Eagles pick DeSean Jackson

6:47 — The Redskins pick TE Fred Davis

6:45 — The Eagles finally make a pick — DT Trevor Laws

6:42 — The Bengals take WR Jerome Simpson. The consensus board has fallen completely apart the last dozen picks.

Top players available: Chad Henne, Jamaal Charles, Limas Sweed, DeSean Jackson, Brian Brohm, Quentin Groves, Malcolm Kelly, Tyrell Johnson, Fred Davis, Kevin Smith, Martellus Bennett,

6:36 — The Lions take Jordan Dizon. Be happy you don’t have to hold Matt Millen’s press conference tonight.

6:29 — The Bears take RB Matt Forte. The Lions misery continues. This is another player Detroit liked.

6:24 — The Vikings move up to pick 43 and take Tyrell Johnson. D’oh squared. What are the Eagles doing? Do they not like any of the players picked so far? Do they think their roster is so set they don’t need a pick in the top 35 two years in a row?

6:23 — The Broncos take Eddie Royal. What does that say about DeSean Jackson that somebody with his game trumps him?

6:21 — Got Chris Berman muzzled. Ahhhh!

Top players available: Chad Henne, DeSean Jackson, Brian Brohm, Quentin Groves, Malcolm Kelly, Tyrell Johnson.

6:17 — The Bills take James Hardy

6:12 — New Orleans takes Tracy Porter

6:08 — Half a loaf. Jerry Jones is on the NFL Network but the audio in the joint is still with ESPN. One step at a time…

6:07 — Catching up — Seahawks take TE John Carlson; The Saints take OG Chilo Rachal.

6:04 — just asked the manager to switch to the NFL Network. ESPN has gone to their happy talk and has missed two picks. I hate this. I just hate this. Plus, Chris Berman’s voice can make my spine bend. That network’s sell-by date passed a long time ago.

5:54 — Falcons take Curtis Lofton

Note: Drafts I like so far. I’m happy with Dallas’ picks but the top early prize goes to K.C. Glenn Dorsey, Branden Albert and Brandon Flowers is a good start to a draft.

5:51 — The Packers take WR Jordy Nelson. The WR run is turbocharged. This is the first pick that makes me say “D’oh!”

5:47 — The Chiefs take Brandon Flowers. This is fast. This is fun.

5:43 — The Redskins take Devin Thomas. The WR run is officially on.

5:40 — The Rams start the WR run by taking Donnie Avery. Raise your hands if you thought Donnie Avery would be the 1st WR off the board.

5:37 — The Dolphins get it started by taking DE Phillip Merling

Getting What they Wanted

The Cowboys have left the first with a corner they probably never thought they could acquire and they got him with their second pick.

Dallas went with a tactic I was told they would pursue earlier in the week, that they would take a RB at 22 and see what they could get at 28.

It’s clear they liked Felix Jones better than the other backs. And for those who think that Jones would be there at 28, look at the evidence:

1. Pittsburgh took Rashard Mendenhall at 23;
2. Tennessee, who had told the Nashville press for weeks they would take a running back at 24, took Chris Johnson;
3. The Chargers at 27 were said to be looking hard at backs at 27, since LaDainian Tomlinson is getting up in years and wear and tear and Michael Turner left.

Felix Jones was not going to be at 28. If Dallas really liked him, they needed to take him at 22.

You might not like him, but it’s sure they do, and they still got Jenkins.

Put it this way: if Dallas had taken Mike Jenkins at 22 and Jones with their second pick, would you have complained?

And 30 picks in, not a single receiver had been picked. Keep your fingers crossed that the run on the second tier of cornerback begins right now.

Draft Live Blog II

5:35 — The Giants end the 1st by picking S Kenny Phillips. Come on receivers, keep dropping.

5:29 — The Jets trade up to 30 and take TE Justin Keller. Unless the Giants forego a safety and pick a receiver, the wideouts will all be there starting round two. I’ll move to a new thread after New York picks.

Note II: Dallas trades up to pick 25 and takes CB Mike Jenkins. He was the last of the big four corners on their board. The Texans were sitting at pick 26 and were eyeing cornerbacks. The Cowboys must have feared Houston would have snagged him.

Note: It’s been known for some time that Tennessee wanted a running back. The next two picks after 22 show that Felix Jones would not have been around at 28. The Cowboys obviously love him more than the other backs. We’ll see if that love is justified.

4:50 — Tennessee selects Chris Johnson.

4:42 — The Steelers pick Rashard Mendenhall.

4:37 - The Cowboys select Felix Jones.

Note: Dallas is on the board. I heard earlier today they have a possible deal with Detroit at 28. With Jenkins, Mendenhall and the WRs on the board, might we see a trade here?

4:27 — Washington trades with Atlanta who picks Sam Baker.

Note: Mike Jenkins is still on the board, as is Rashard Mendenhall and the WRs. This improves Dallas’ chances of a trade down with 22.

4:19 — The Bucs take Aqib Talib.

4:11 — The Panthers jump way up and take Jeff Otah.

Round One - Live!

3:57 — The Ravens trade back up to pick 18 and take QB Joe Flacco.

3:56 — The Lions select Gosder Cherilus.  The OT run continues.
3:52 — The Cardinals take Dominique Rogers-Cromartie. CB two is now off the board.

Sartorial alert: How about Keyshawn Johnson in a green gingham shirt and pink tie? There’s a man who’s secure in his masculinity.

Note: Three of the last four picks have been offensive linemen. Jeff Otah is the last big target. Will the Cards take him? The Lions? The Texans?

Note II: If K.C. is the early winner, the Lions are the early winners of the Charlie Brown award. They’ve lost out on Harvey and Mayo. They may be looking at Rashard Mendenhall but what if the Cardinals take him at 16?

3:42 — K.C. trades up to 15 and select Branden Albert. The Eagles were trying to move up to this spot but the Chiefs appear to have won the bidding war. The Chiefs have Sedric Ellis and Branden Albert. That’s a good start…

3:36 — Chicago takes OT Chris Williams.

Note: ESPN just mentioned the Ravens are looking for a QB at 26. I heard a rumor this morning that the Cowboys may have a deal worked out at 28 for a team looking for a QB. Might that team now be talking to Dallas about that same deal at 22, with Baltimore at 26 now and Seattle dangling their pick for a trade down?

3:26 — The Panthers take Jonathan Stewart . The RB run has been joined.

3:23 — The Broncos take Ryan Clady. The OT run has also commenced.

3:19 — The Bills take Leodis McKelvin. The DB run has started

3:14 — Matt Millen is hating life right now. The players he wanted starting today were Derrick Harvey and Mayo. We’re only ten picks in and both are gone. I’m guessing the Lions will go for Rashard Mendenhall at 15.

3:13 — The Pats take Jerod Mayo.

Note: we’re at pick ten and only one running back has gone. No cornerbacks have been taken. Let’s hope these trends continues. On the other hand, defensive front seven players are flying off the board. Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey, Sedrick Ellis, Vernon Gholston, Derrick Harvey are all gone.

3:02 — Keith Rivers will go to Cincinnati as soon as the commercial break ends.

3:00 — The Jaguars pick Derrick Harvey. Detroit’s heart is broken. They loved Harvey. New England’s heart may also be broken. I think they dropped back to 10 hoping to get him. I give the Nelson Muntz laugh to the Pats if that’s true. Ha-ha.
2:58 — The Ravens have jumped all the way back to 26 in a deal with Jacksonville. I think the Ravens are positioning themselves for a QB, with Matt Ryan off the board.

2:50 — Trade: The Saints jump to pick 7 and take Sedrick Ellis.

2:41 — Vernon Gholston is ready to take the podium. The Jets get a guy who helps them and they keep him away from the Pats, though I think the Pats will dry their tears and take Sedric Ellis.

Let’s look at the Ryan move at three. This takes Atlanta out of the trade-up-to-28 scenario for Chad Henne or Brian Brohm. Who else might be looking for that type of deal?

2:32 — Glenn Dorsey is on the phone with K.C. They’re my early winners of the day.

2:27 — The Raiders take Darren McFadden

2:17 — The Falcons take Ryan.

2:16 — Matt Ryan is on the phone. He looks like the pick. This is important. Glenn Dorsey, the top player on 12 draft boards according to Rick Gosselin, far more than any other player, could slide to pick five. The Chiefs could take him or start a bidding war.

Tavern Alert - I am not wearing the Marvin the Martian t-shirt if you’re looking for me. I am upstairs.

2:11 — The Rams take Chris Long.

2:05 — This will be the first test of the “experts.” I have heard, through my grapevines that Dorsey will be the Rams guy, until Friday, when I heard Chris Long had also entered the discussion. Today, ESPN claims with certainty that Long will be the pick.

2:03 — and we’re in our 1st commercial break. Pass the chips!

2:03 — What a shock! They take Long!

2:02 — And we’re off. Just a wild guess: the Dolphins will take Jake Long.

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