CowboysBlog.Net

Not much going on this weekend as the owners head to Florida for their annual team/owners meetings. Several topics will be voted upon and discussed. Owners will discuss the Playoff re-seeding. Basically, if approved, the two top division winners would have the bye, but the rest of the field would be seeded by best record. Essentially, this will make the last games of the season more relevant for more teams vying for a spot or at a chance of hosting a wildcard game over a division winner.

Defensive players could have communications in their helmets if approved this time around, this measure to have a designated defensive player communications has been killed the last two votes, but the Patriots spygate scandal will most likely get the league to approve it this time around.

Player hair lengths will be discussed, the proposed measure would require players hair NOT to cover the letter on the back of their jerseys. This could effect Cowboys players like Marion Barber and Bobby Carpenter.

Other issues to be discussed: Eliminating the Force-out rule, Include field goals in instant replay, Option to defer after winning the coin toss, Eliminate 5-yard facemask penalty, Increase the OFFSEASON roster past 80

Check out this clip of the Cowboys Offseason Workout with our conditioning god, Joe Jurasek.

Rivals.com has some interesting picks for us in their latest mock: #22: DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal & #28: Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma….despite projecting DRC slipping past them to the end of the 1st…this mock is way off, there’s no way they let DRC past them with either pick. Bizarre mock draft in my opinion, check it here.

ESPN’s John Clayton makes this interesting point about the much discussed Pacman trade:

The interesting part of the Cowboys position is that they are willing to make a firm offer instead of a conditional one. Once the player — whoever he is — is traded, there is no way the deal would be voided if Pacman remain suspended. Under those conditions, the Titans might be willing to move quickly.

I think if this is the case, we’ll hear about this trade going through sometime this week after the owners meeting has commenced. The Titans are also in the process of acquiring restricted free agent corner Chris Carr from the Raiders. He’s a solid return specialist and cornerback, pretty much Pacman’s replacement if the Raiders do not match the offer, another reason why this deal for Pacman seems imminent.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the Adam Jones talk, aren’t you, seriously? One very interesting tidbit of news that seems to have been overlooked has been the scheduled private workout of USC’s Keith Rivers. Keith Rivers is an explosive linebacker, and would be projected as a middle linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. The interesting thing about this is the “private workout” Typically, when a team is giving you a private workout, you’re in their scope for serious consideration at being drafted.

Some of you may say we’re stacked at LB, and probably don’t need another LB, especially in the first round. For me, I still think there’s a 50% chance of this actually happening; in which, the Cowboys draft CB with #22, and LB with #28. You do have to remember that LBs are gold in a 3-4, and you can never have enough, and this is where Rivers comes into play.

Think about the depth we have…we have the obvious starters, Ware, Ellis, Ayodele, and James. I would say with the exception of Ware, all these guys are upgradeable, but mainly Ayodele. Phillips has stated that Ayodele’s position in his 3-4 usually has more production and impact, Ayodele has not done this, he’s been a solid stop-gap. Akin has become another Al Singleton, he’s good, he’s serviceable, but he’s not remembered, he doesn’t make plays that make you remember he’s even there…its weird.

Yes, we have Zach Thomas, but like I said before, he’s one bad tackle or one bad concussion from an in-season retirement. Plan as though he is not here. Kevin Burnett will not be re-signed, he’s injury prone, we all know this. Greg Ellis has maybe 2-3yrs left in the tank, and he too has some durability issues creeping up on him now. And do we know what to do with Carpenter yet? I would like to see him at MLB instead of Ayodele, but who even knows.

Keith Rivers is a first round talent, and would be a very good addition to the linebackers for sure, but I still think cornerback trumps all positions with our first pick this year. I think a corner late in the first would be scraps, we need a premiere corner to groom at nickel and prep to replace Henry when he gets his yearly nagging ankle injury.

NFL’s Adam Schefter is saying the Titans want a 3rd rounder and the Cowboys are offering a 5th rounder. The deal will probably go between the middle of that and be a conditional 4th rounder. A 3rd rounder, conditional or not, is just way too high for Jones. Lets be real here, the Cowboys have to be smart here. The reality is that Pacman would need to go the rest of his career in Dallas with ZERO altercations, just one altercation and Commissioner Goodell will ban him for life and we’re out a pick.
I’m already tired of all the Pacman coverage, the circus has already arrived before he’s even a Cowboy. Make the trade and be done with it. I’d trade a 5th at the highest.

The speculation continues when it comes to Dallas trying add another impact receiver opposite Terrell Owens. Star-Telegram’s Randy Galloway asked Jerry about our #1 priority this offseason, and Jerry’s response was interesting:

“Without question, creating a threat on the other side of the ball from [Eldorado] Owens,” said Jerry.

Just what I wanted to hear. Many others haven’t agreed, but to me, finding another receiver, or two, topped any list of needs.

“I’ve ruled out nothing when it comes to those options, or possible options,” said Jerry.

That statement is backed by another NFL voice who said Friday, “within the league, you hear the Cowboys are attempting, or will attempt, to work a trade for Chad Johnson, for Roy Williams, for maybe others.”

And will Terry Glenn be on the roster? I would think he would get released in June, but Jerry says:

“I would urge you not to rule out Terry,” he said. “He will be here, he will on the roster, and don’t be surprised if he’s healthy. That’s all I will say. Don’t be surprised.”

One last thing on receivers. Finding one in the draft at the end of the first round, where the Cowboys’ have two picks, has become remote.

“Don’t think so,” was the Jones comment.

So that’s the meat of the article. What’s interesting is that Jerry says WR is the #1 priority, and it doesn’t appear that the Cowboys will be taking a wide receiver in the first round, even at #22. To me #22 must go to defensive back, whether Pacman is traded here or not. I’d be happy with DRC or Kenny Phillips.

The question I know pose is this…Jerry seems to be working some plans to getting someone in here no matter what, and I wonder if that would mean giving up two first round picks for a wide receiver again?

In 2000, Jerry did just that when he grabbed franchised tagged Joey Galloway from the Seattle Seahawks. GMs right now, know this, and they could ask Jerry for the same for one of today’s premiere WRs. Although players like Roy Williams, Chad Johnson, or Anquan Boldin are not franchised tagged, these GMs will see how far they can take the asking price knowing Jerry will pay whatever it takes. We’ll see.

For me though, one name that pops into my head is Texans Andre Johnson. He would be a perfect fit in Dallas, he just got a new deal in 2007 that is not so inflated as Fitzgeralds or Walker’s and he’s young. Andre Johnson has the build, the stats, the workable contract that the Cowboys could make a play for. Roy, Chad, and Anquan will all want huge contracts. Chad and Anquan are represented by Drew Rosenhaus, so for me, I would have to think that there could be some conflict of interest from Terrell Owens point of view, especially if one of these guys comes in here making more than him. That leaves Roy Williams and Andre Johnson. I’d take Andre Johnson all day over Roy Williams.
Here’s where these four receivers are at on their contracts right now:

Chad Johnson: 4/20/2006: Signed a six-year, $35.5 million contract.

Roy Williams: 8/1/2004: Signed a six-year, $27 million

Anquan Boldin: 7/31/2005: Signed a four-year, $22.67 million contract extension through 2010.

Andre Johnson: 3/3/2007: Signed an eight-year, $60 million contract.

Jerry, get with Bob McNair and grab Andre Johnson. If you’re going to make some team an offer they can’t refuse, get a player like Andre Johnson.

Looks like Pacman Jones is coming to Dallas, whether we like it or not…The Cowboys are in talks to acquire Pacman Jones for a late round pick, Its probably going to be our 6th rounder we acquired in the Ferguson trade, we now have the first pick of the 6th round, the Dolphins have our late 6th rounder.. I’m 100% against this. You cannot put Pacmans offield problems in the same category as Keith Davis and Tank Johnson. Jones takes it to a whole new level. The Cowboys had better draft cornerback even with Jones coming to Dallas. He’ll mess up and then we’re out a return man and a cornerback…

DMN Blog:

A source confirmed to Calvin Watkins that the Cowboys are discussing a trade with the Tennessee Titans that would grant Pacman Jones his wish of coming to Dallas.

Nothing is imminent. The Cowboys and Titans have discussed a late-round pick as the compensation.

More to come as this story develops.

As I’ve discussed before I’d like to think the Cowboys would take a receiver early in this year’s draft. There’s some solid talent in the first few rounds, and I think Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech is in this same group of potential picks the Cowboys may be looking at. Here’s my interview with Royal:

1. You had a solid workout at the NFL Combine and had a lot of kudos from the NFL Network crew, what did you do to prepare for the Combine?

I worked out in Pensacola Florida At API where I was able to work on my 40 start which really paid off because I had the fastest 10 yard out of the WR’s I was also able to maintain my strength, It was a good place to workout because there were not many distractions and I could focus completely on my training.

2. Do you feel like your stock rose after the combine?

I don’t know if my stock rose I would hope so, not only from the workout but also from the interviews. The combine was a great chance for the coaches to be able to see how much I really knew about coverages and just the game of football.

3. We know you interviewed with a lot of teams, where there any teams that appeared to be the most interested in you at the combine?

To be totally honest every team I met with seemed very interested, there were a lot of different teams that told me they wanted me to be “their guy” so there was really no one team that stood out because they all seemed very interested.

4. How do you think teams will utilize your skills coming into the league this year?

I feel they will get me the ball in space where I can make plays after the catch since that is one of my strengths. Reverses, deep balls maybe even a few throws here and there. Which ever team that drafts me should know that they are getting a play maker, a guy who looks to score every time he touches the ball and is going to be an excellent return man who will also be a very productive receiver.

5. Is there a receiver in the NFL, past or present that you think you compare to stylistically?

I would say I am a mix between Wes Welker and Steve Smith, these two guys both return kicks and are very good top notch wide receivers, Welker is a great return man who is good in the slot and knows how to find the soft spots in the zone, while Steve Smith is going to give you a deep threat and a guy that is big on getting yards after the catch. I have played the slot and also been the outside receiver at tech for 4 years so I feel and team will be getting a mix of those two players.

6. Have you been invited to visit the Cowboys at Valley Ranch yet?

I have not been invited yet but I look to be brought in fairly soon, I would love to come take a visit and get familiar with the area and the coaching staff.

****

Sounds like a solid guy, and if he can come into the NFL and contribute like Smith and Welker have, someone is going to have a pretty good receiver and dangerous weapon.

Thanks to Eddie Royal for conducting this interview for our site. 

“Their first round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for WR Anquan Boldin, The Cardinals are on the clock.” Could this be Goodell this April? The rumor was sparked last week after Larry Fitzgerald signed his mega contract extension. The rumor still lives and this time ESPN’s Matt Mosley gives his two cents with some interesting bits of information, Mosley wrote:

According to sources close to Hashmarks, the Cowboys spent some time talking about Boldin last week at Valley Ranch. It wouldn’t surprise me if they reached out to the Cardinals at some point. Dallas needs someone other than Patrick Crayton to play opposite of Terrell Owens, and Boldin would certainly be worth a No. 1 pick. I’m not saying this is going to happen, but it’s something you should keep an eye on.

Anquan Boldin has already been asked about his current contract with the Cardinals and said he’ll let his agent do all the work:

“I leave that up to my agent (Drew Rosenhaus),” Boldin said Monday after working out at the team’s facility. “They’ll go back and forth. He’ll keep me in the loop for the most part, but I can’t be worried about that. I think when players get involved in that, that starts to affect their play on the field…{snip} “I actually do let my agent take care of it, because if you don’t, you’ll be stressed out about this and that, and things that you have no business stressing over,” he said. “Besides, you can’t do anything about it, anyways.” (The Arizona Republic)

If everyone is still waiting for Jerry’s “WOW” move this offseason, this potential trade for Anquan Boldin will be more than a wow, it would put the NFC East on notice, we’re coming back fully armed and more prolific than last year. Can you imagine trying to gameplan against Romo, Owens, Witten, Barber, and Boldin? That’s what you call a nightmare scenario for defensive coordinators around the league.

Will the #22 pick be enough to snag Boldin from the Cardinals? Boldin was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 draft and is a certified playmaker on offense. The Cardinals would probably ask for the #22 pick at the minimum, but perhaps more. We’ll see if the Cowboys make a move for Boldin.

Discuss it with fans HERE

Michigan Wolverine WR Mario Manningham was a projected first rounder going into the NFL Combine, but his workout did not go well, and he ran 4.6s, not something that is going to get it done in the NFL. As soon as the Combine was over Manningham had fallen out of the 1st round in many mock drafts. Manningham improved his times at the Michigan Pro Day, he ran a 4.43 and 4.51.

So it would appear that Manningham has moved back into the first round with his improved times. The Cowboys probably need to take a receiver early in this draft, and grabbing one in the first round is very probable considering the lack of depth at WR. So is Manningham on the Cowboys radar? In short, the answer is an emphatic no. Manningham’s work ethic has been questioned before, and was brought up again after his dismal combine workout, he improved at his proday, so does he need motivation to really get going? Who knows. What I do is this: Michigan is not a school the Cowboys pull talent from via the draft or otherwise.

The Cowboys have not drafted a player from Michigan since 1991 (17yrs ago) when they drafted Tony Boles in the 11th round. Moreover, the Cowboys have not used a 1st round pick on a Wolverine since 1985 (23yrs ago) when they drafted DE Kevin Brooks, Brooks was traded to the Broncos in 1990. What about Drew Henson, we didn’t draft him, but we did trade a 3rd round pick on him, and we all know how that worked out. Fact is, the Cowboys do not like to draft Wolverines, they have never worked out for us, and that’s why we’ve steered clear. The Cowboys won’t be drafting Mario Manningham.

While I don’t see the Cowboys drafting Mario Manningham, they could take a shot at fellow in-state rival in Devin Thomas from Michigan State. At 6′1 216lbs and 4.40/40, Thomas could be the receiver on the Cowboys radar. Personally though, I’m more inclined to believe that Jason Garrett wants another tall receiver to match up next to T.O. Malcolm Kelly, Limas Sweed, and James Hardy fulfill this need.  Malcolm Kelly is confirmed  as an  invitee to Valley Ranch. Some say his stock has fallen due to his nagging thigh injury, but the Cowboys are bringing him in for a closer look.

Here’s some of the latest projections from a few of the most popular mock draft sites on the web. There’s a few interesting predictions, take a look for yourself.
Draftek.com

#22: CB Aqib Talib, Kansas
#28: RB Jamaal Charles, Texas

Nfldraftdog.com

#22: CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida
#28: RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina

Huddlegeeks.com

#22: WR Early Doucet, LSU
#28: S Marcus Griffin, Texas

DraftDaddy.com

#22: OT Gosder Cherlius, Boston College
#28: CB Antoine Cason, Arizona

DraftSeason.com

#22: CB Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech
#28: WR Early Doucet, LSU

Ourlads.com

#22: RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
#28: CB Reggie Smith, Oklahoma

Draftace.com

#22: RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
#28: CB Reggie Smith, Oklahoma

Condraft.com

#22: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#27: WR Limas Sweed, Texas

Draftstock.com

#22: S Kenny Phillips, Miami
#28: RB Felix Jones, Arkansas

Footballsfuture.com

#22: CB Reggie Smith, Oklahoma
#28: RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina

During the last NFL Draft the Cowboys traded out of the 1st round to the Cleveland Browns, and in doing so, the Cowboys picked up an additional first round pick for this year’s upcoming draft. Jerry and the rest of the braintrust in Dallas were NOT thinking these two picks would enable them to give up the house to draft Darren McFadden. This ridiculous notion is still floating around on the airwaves, and while its entertaining, its not reality.

Go back to the 2004 draft, the Cowboys traded out the first round with Steven Jackson falling into their lap. Instead they trade out, receive the Bills first pick for 2005. The Cowboys had needs on defense, and were going to use BOTH picks on players that could help the Cowboys. We hit on DeMarcus Ware, and missed on Marcus Spears.

Back to the 2007 draft, I see the Cowboys using BOTH their first rounders, because that WAS the purpose of the trade out last year. The purpose was to get two picks that will need to be impact players in our weakest areas. I still stick by CB and WR as the weakest areas, and the  areas with big questions marks with depth.

Let’s break this thing down. I’m going to look at the most likely position combinations we’ll be drafting with our #22 and #28 picks. I’ll assign a percentage reflecting the likelihood of that combination being selected.

First Scenario 80%: #22 - CB, #28 - WR

In my mind, the secondary lost the most depth this offseason, and we’re still looking for a solid unit back there. With this being said, #22 should be CB, and DRC would be a perfect fit in Dallas. After the secondary, the receiving corps have a lot of question marks in my eyes. Yes, there’s Stanback, the experiement we’re hoping pans out, but who REALLY knows, can he stay healthy? I’m not sure Terry Glenn remains on the team. #28 goes to receiver here with James Hardy, his size is what Garrett wants in this offense, and Hardy has the measurables, and fits the bill.

Second Scenario 75%: #22 - WR, #28 - CB

Similar to the first scenario, the only difference here will be predicated on how the Cowboys are valuing this year’s crop of receivers over this year’s cornerbacks. If their tall receiver falls to them at #22, like a Malcom Kelly or Limas Sweed, then they take WR, then with #28, they can still get a solid pick like an Antoine Cason or Justin King.

Third Scenario 65%: #22 - CB, #28 - DE

Basically same logic as the first scenario with CB; however, in this scenario, #28 could goto a defensive end. I’m sold on Canty, as are the Cowboys, but on the other side, you have Marcus Spears, who probably won’t be here once his contract expires. I really like Jason Hatcher, and think he should be the starting DE over Spears for sure. Question is, do the Cowboys think Hatcher is ready? In addition, depth at DE will need to be addressed eventually assuming Spears is gone after this year, and solid depth at DE is an obvious must. This being said, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys take a flyer on a player like Quentin Groves, Lawrence Jackson, or Calais Campbell.

Fourth Scenario 50%: #22 - CB, #28 - LB

Basically same logic as the first scenario with CB; but, the Cowboys could be looking for an upgrade at MLB. Ayodele is serviceable, but upgradeable, Zach Thomas is just old, and one concussion away from an in-season retirement. Kevin Burnett has durability issues. Bobby Carpenter is your mulipurpose LB and who knows what the coaches are doing with him this year. With injuries, and player defections, LB depth could become an issue very fast, and LBs are a premium in an aggressive 3-4. Phillips could go after another LB with the #28 pick.

Sixth Scenario 45%: #22 - CB, #28 - RB
Basically same logic as the first scenario with CB; however, there’s always a possibility of the Cowboys drafting a RB in the first. I’ve been against this idea since the start, and I still think this combination doesn’t make much sense on the surface. Unless there are issues going on behind the scenes that we are not aware of, (ie. Barber extension problems) I doubt we draft a RB, but you never know. At #28, a solid running back can probably be had, like Felix Jones, or Chris Johnson.

Sixth Scenario 40%: #22 - CB, #28 - S

Basically same logic as the first scenario with CB; but, with the possibility of Hamlin being unaffordable or the possibility of Roy Williams being released after this year, safety would become a major concern. Kenny Phillips, DaJuan Morgan, and Reggie Smith could be the players to look at with the #28 pick.

Trading out of the first round does not makes sense to me, because of the whole reasoning for trading out last year was to gain more picks to USE in the first round this year.