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Persons of Interest

Two guys to watch, as I’m sure Dallas is watching them:

B.J. Raji and Ron Brace, defensive tackles, Boston College

The Eagles have the two biggest DTs in this year’s crop.  They’re the only two who top 310 lbs.  Both list at 323 lbs. and either could be a needed fireplug to play on the nose and draw double teams.

The Eagles alternate an over and undershifting 4-3 with a 3-3 package.  Raji is the squattier of the two, at 6′1″, 323, but he always plays the under in the 4-3.  He’s got a massive lower body, with great power and a nifty spin move on his rushes.  He’s rated in the top half of the 2nd round right now and while a wave of early-entry juniors could push him down, defensive tackles rise.  He may be too good for Dallas’ reach.

Brace plays the nose in both B.C. schemes and he “passes the eyeball test,” as the late draft guru Joel Buchsbaum used to say.  Like Raji, he’s got a thick lower body and a low center of gravity.  He’s quick, has a strong punchout and can walk guards back to the quarterback when he’s one-on-one.  He plays in a one-gap scheme but he holds his ground very well when double-teamed.  B.C. calls a lot of zone blitzes and Brace drops into shallow coverage a lot.  Against Notre Dame, he shadowed running backs a couple of times and didn’t look lost in space.

That said, he’s a space eater, and that’s one type of player the Cowboys need.   He’s rated in the 3rd to 4th round in the early mocks I’ve seen.

Watch both of these guys if you get the chance.

I’m Pro [Tashard] Choice

Pro Football Weekly’s Draft Guide says this about 4th rounder Tashard Choice, (whom they rated 5th overall at RB):

“Not as big, fast or strong as teams might like, but he is a banger with a heart of gold and plays with passion. Is the type of competitor who will not go down without a fight and has carried the Yellowjackets offense for two years. A poor man’s Curtis Martin. Choice could earn a starting job if he can stay healthy and could turn out to be a very good pro. Will be even better in the locker room. Would be a terrific value pick if he lasts until the middle rounds. A winner.”

Watch this clip and see if you don’t do the rest of your work with a bit more vigor.

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.

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.

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.

Pre-Draft Open Thread

Today is football Christmas !

Were you naughty or nice?

Update, 12: 23 :  ESPN is claiming that the next three picks will be

• 2. Rams — Chris Long;
• 3.  Falcons — Matt Ryan;
• 4.  Raiders — Darren McFadden

Do they know something or will they have egg on their faces in 90 minutes or so?  I’ve heard all week that Glenn Dorsey is the guy the Rams and Falcons both covet and now he’s going to be on the board at five?

The Chiefs will be very happy in that scenario.

More Black Marks on That Bleak ‘06 Offseason

I see people cringe at any move the Cowboys make these days, and wonder if Dallas will return to the bad old days of Jerry Jones — GM, circa ‘94 through ‘02?

I don’t have to go back very far to show several reasons why we can be glad Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and pro personnel guy Brian Gaine now draw paychecks in Miami. Their trade for Akin Ayodele and Anthony Fasano should help Dallas move beyond their final campaign at the Valley Ranch helm.

Let’s revisit their ‘06 off-season, shall we? All of it, NFL free agents, draft picks and undrafted free agents. Let’s see if Jerry 2.0 really looks that bad by comparison.

Let’s recall that the ‘06 Cowboys entered the offseason frustrated. They had been big free agent spenders in ‘05 adding Anthony Henry, Jason Ferguson and Marco Rivera for tens of millions in signing bonuses. They had a great draft, headed by Demarcus Ware, Chris Canty, Marion Barber and Jay Ratliff. They also made a significant futures pickup in RT Marc Colombo.

But Dallas entered the year short at right tackle and at safety. When Flozell Adams injured a knee and Rivera injured his back the offensive line collapsed. Dallas’ lack of a free safety saw it up big pass plays by the handful.

In ‘06, Dallas went smaller, for the most part. Instead of big deals, it handed out a lot of medium sized ones — with one exception: a malcontent from Philadelphia named Terrell Owens. That one was put on Jerry Jones’ head; here was the player he forced on Parcells. The guy who would destroy the locker room.

The guy who kept that offseason from being a complete failure.

Look at the remaining free agent deals:

1. Kyle Kosier, LG, Detroit;
2. Akin Ayodele, LB, Jacksonville;
3. Jason Fabini, RT, Jets;
4. Mike Vanderjagt, K, Indianapolis;
5. Rocky Boiman, LB, Tennessee;
6. Ryan Hannam, TE, Seattle;
7. Marcus Coleman, S, Houston

A lot of bucks, spread out over seven contracts, but very little bang. Kosier has been a steady Eddie at left guard. Fabini could not beat out Colombo. Hannam languished on the bench before tearing a knee ligament and landing on I.R. Boiman suffered a gruesome finger injury, was cut, and eventually wound up on the champion Colts. Coleman was charged with DUI and was released in December.

The most frustrating signee was Vanderjagt. The socially-challenged kicker spent a lonely camp shanking kicks, blaming a dead leg. He then went through an erratic half season before he was canned.

Ayodele looked like the defensive version of Kosier, a solid if unspectacular player who filled a need. He regressed badly in ‘07, logging only 57 tackles in a scheme that funnels traffic towards the inside backers and strong safety. His trade yesterday means that Dallas has only two starters to show from an eight-deep free agent spree.

That offseason looks worse when you add the draft to it. Eight players and no starters, though 3rd rounder Jason Hatcher may get his shot this year. He was on a tear during camp last year when a hamstring pull set him back several weeks. With Anthony Fasano’s trade, only Hatcher, Bobby Carpenter, Pat Watkins and Pat McQuistan remain. Carpenter and McQuistan may yet show something but Watkins looks lost. Skyler Green, Montavious Stanley and E.J. Whitley were early dropouts.

The most productive rookies besides Hatcher were undrafted free agents Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Oliver Hoyte. Hoyte was the only rookie to start in ‘06 and only after Fasano failed his first audition as the U-back. Hoyte was converted from inside backer to fullback and took Fasano’s spot.

He’s now a Kansas City Chief.

When you sift through this dross, it is not hard to see why the ‘06 Cowboys flailed to another 9-7 record. Aside from Jerry’s Kid Terrell and Kosier, the team got no significant help from the other 14 free agents and draftees.

Compare that to Jerry 2.0’s first offseason, when he scored with Leonard Davis and Ken Hamlin and was able to retain every rookie from the first non-Tuna draft, not to mention pocketing tomorrow’s 22nd pick. It’s not the ‘05 haul, but it smokes that forgettable ‘06.

Can you blame Jerry for trading Ayodele and Fasano and trying to get as far away from that offseason class as possible? To paraphrase Roy Clark and the late Buck Owens, if it weren’t for T.O. the Cowboys would have had no offseason luck at all that year. Gloom, despair and agony indeed.

The Case for Nose Tackle

…there is talk about [Marcus] Spears being moved out of the lineup and possibly off the team via a draft-day trade. The Cowboys are contemplating moving Jason Hatcher into the starting lineup as well as moving nose tackle Jay Ratliff back to end, according to a source.

— Clarence Hill, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, April 25th

If the team does this, who is left to man the nose? Tank Johnson and nobody else. The Cowboys have Ratliff and Stephen Bowen to play inside when the team goes to a four man line on passing downs, but Bowen was pushed around last pre-season when he was tried over center.

We’ve been saying it for weeks — this team needs to get bigger and stronger on the nose. They could also use an upgrade at LE cause the yards per attempt was higher for plays run at Spears last year than it was for plays run at RE Chris Canty.

If Spears does get a new address, and even if he doesn’t, look for guys like Iowa State’s Ahtyba Rubin and Texas A&M’s Red Bryant starting at the end of round three.

– Going With the Devil I Know

I’ll be camping out tomorrow at The Tavern, 12th and Lamar, just a stone’s throw from House Park Stadium, where the football scenes for Friday Night Lights are often taped. I like the menu and the layout. I’ll be upstairs from about 1:30 on. Can’t say I can stay all day but I should be good for the first round. Look for me; I’ll be the guy with the Cowboys cap and the Marvin the Martian t-shirt.

Let’s Go to the Big Board

Rick Gosselin’s Top 100 is out. It’s a composite board made from interviews with honest to goodness NFL personnel folks. It therefore gives us a good look at where teams have guys rated and who the Cowboys can be expected to consider with their picks. Let’s look at Dallas’ positions of interest.

1. At running back, Darren McFadden rates 2nd overall, Rashard Mendenhall 11th, Jonathan Stewart 17th, Felix Jones 21st, Jamaal Charles 36th and Chris Johnson 41st.

So, let’s confirm some stories and dispel a myth. First, it seems that Matt Mosley’s claim that Dallas would pick between Stewart and Jones if they were both at 22nd appears true. Stewart may just fall, given his toe surgery.

And now, let’s once and for all time drop the Felix Jones bashing. He’s a first round back and he’s my favorite to be selected at 22.

2. At cornerback, that mystery board begins to look even more valid. Leodis McKelvin rates 10th, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie 11th, Mike Jenkins 15th and Aqib Talib 22nd. Remember these are rankings, not predictions of where players will be taken. CBs tend to rise, so there’s a very good chance all four of these guys will leave the board just ahead of pick 22, as the top-rated CBs did last year.

There’s then a big drop-off to Brandon Flowers (38th) Antoine Cason (45th) Tracy Porter (50th) Justin King (52nd) Patrick Lee (65th) and Charles Godfrey (68th).

The Cowboys might toy with Talib at 22 if he’s around but if they pass on him for Jones, we can look for a trade down with a team looking for a QB because;

3. Chad Henne rates 25th and Brian Brohm rates 29th overall. Miami, Kansas City, Baltimore and Atlanta are all teams in the early 2nd who will likely pick a QB high this year. The Chiefs and Falcons have multiple picks due to other trades.

4. If Dallas stays at 28, my prediction that safety could be the selection gains merit because Kenny Phillips gets a 33rd composite grade and Tyrell Johnson gets the 35th.

5. I would love to see Atlanta as a trade partner cause if you could do the two-for-two swap I suggested, getting Dallas the 37th and 43rd picks you could see them select from the safeties and corners mentioned and perhaps get a shot at WRs like Brandon Kelly (34th) Limas Sweed (39th) Donnie Avery (43rd) and Jordy Nelson (48th).

Remember, these are composite ratings. All it takes is for one team to rate a player much higher and take him much higher. These numbers should give us the general area where a player will go.

Given the rankings I’m going to offer two three round deep scenarios:

One — no trades

• 22. Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
• 28. Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
• 61. Charles Godfrey, CB, Iowa
• 92. Red Bryant, NT, Texas A&M

No WR, but the secondary is filled. In this case Dallas will shop for a veteran wideout just before camp opens.

Two — Trade down in the Atlanta scenario

• 22. Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
• 37. Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
• 43. Tracy Porter, CB, Indiana
• 92. Red Bryant, NT, Texas A&M

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