Suggested Jersey Numbers for the New Dallas Cowboys

I don’t know that anyone is waiting anxiously for me to resume the Greatest Players by Number Series, but before I continue with that, here’s a look at some possible numbers for these new players.

[I assume that these players have not been assigned a number; if they have, just play along with me that they haven’t…]

Felix Jones, RB: #25

Pat Watkins currently has number 25, but since Watkins wore #22 at Florida State, he ought to consider what he could get from Jones for the number. Jones has a better chance of being a great #25– perhaps the best ever (even if Watkins is leading our poll right now)– so this deal should go through. Watkins could pick up #31 now that Roy Williams is changing to #38.

Mike Jenkins, CB: #44

Jenkins wore #4 in college at Oregon, so he’ll need a new number. I’d suggest #44, which was worn by backup TE Rodney Hannah. With all of the tight end movement lately, I doubt Hannah will be around long to use it.

Martellus Bennett, TE: #87

Bennett wore #13 at Texas A&M, so he’ll also need a new number. Dallas has not had a great #87 in its history, and nobody has worn it since Dedric Ward in 2004.

Tashard Choice, RB: #32

Choice was #22 in college, so that number is out. He is most likely a better prospect than Anthony Thomas, the last player to wear #32.

Orlando Scandrick, CB: #28

Scandrick can’t wear #8, which we wore at Boise State. #38 is out because of Roy Williams, but #28 is available thanks to the departure of Tyson Thompson. Scandrick won’t remind anyone of Darren Woodson, but he offers more at this point than Thompson did last year.

Erik Walden, DE/LB: #95

Walden wore #58 at Middle Tennessee State. Assuming that he plays defensive end in the NFL and not OLB, he’ll need a number in the 70s or 90s. The 90s are pretty full, but he could take #95 now that Jason Ferguson is gone.

2008 Draft Studs and Duds

     As a general rule, an NFL team’s draft class cannot be completely evaluated for a few seasons.  Well, it’s been a few days since this year’s draft ended, which seems like the perfect time to look around the rest of the league. 

      As I mentioned Sunday night, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys just don’t get it.  Of course, they are not the only ones.  Unfortunately, though, other teams do get it…and many of those compete against
Dallas in the NFC.

     With that in mind, here’s a look at other studs and duds from the 2008 NFL Draft:

 

STUDS 


  1. Green Bay Packers

This franchise is entering the biggest era of change since Vince Lombardi quit roaming the sidelines on the Frozen Tundra.  With Brett Favre retiring, the team needed to make a statement and establish a clear direction for the future.  Boy, did they do that.  The Packers acquired two of the top 10 players in the draft—certainly not bad, but all the more remarkable considering that the team got both in the second round. 

 

Jordy Nelson, the third receiver taken, immediately steps in as the team’s third wide out and could be challenging Greg Jennings for an official starting role by Week 8.  Nelson is big, strong, runs excellent routes, and is one of the highest-character guys in the draft.  The man is a football player, plain and simple.  Just a few selections from being a first-round pick (he likely would have been, if the Jets hadn’t needed so desperately to grab Dustin Keller), the Packers got the best receiver in the draft.  Look for 75 catches, 900 yards, and 10-12 touchdowns this year.

 

Just 20 picks after that coup,
Green Bay grabbed Favre’s heir in Brian Brohm.  Had he left school after last season, Brohm would have been the No. 1 overall pick.  However, he stayed in school, got screwed by Bobby Petrino and perhaps the worst defense ever assembled at the Division I level, and instead got selected to replace a Hall of Famer.  If he can stay healthy, finally, he will be starting for the Packers in
Seattle on October 12 (fortuitously, after the Cowboys visit Lambeau).  With great size, talent, and character, Brohm is the steal of the draft, and, surrounded by excellent playmakers on offense and an elite defense, will be a Pro Bowl quarterback for the next decade and a half.

 

The next two selections—Patrick Lee and Jermichael Finley—are guys who won’t be asked to star right away but should develop into solid players at the next level.  The Packers finished Day Two by shoring up both lines, and drafting Matt Flynn allows for solid depth at a critical position.

 

Coming of a 13-win season and conference championship game appearance, the Packers nailed the best draft in the league.  With a soft schedule, another 13- or 14-win season and deep playoff run seems very likely.

 


  1. Washington Redskins

For a team that hasn’t seemed to give two rats’ behinds about the draft in recent seasons, it wasn’t a shock to see the Redskins trade out of the first round.  However,
Washington turned three second rounder’s and three sixth rounder’s into quite an offensive haul.   

 

Already a playoff team, and having averaged just more than 20 points per game last season, Washington went bonkers, grabbing the fourth- and sixth-best receivers on the board in Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas.  Both guys are big enough to push corners around at the line of scrimmage and will be perfect compliments to speedster Santana Moss.  Fred Davis will learn a great deal from Pro Bowler Chris Cooley; at any given time, the Redskins will have at least three, and as many as five, dangerous weapons on the field…and that’s without counting star running back Clinton Portis. 

 

Justin Tryon was a solid pick in round four, and field position won’t be a problem after getting the best punter in the draft.  Colt Brennan was a very intriguing pick; if he can adjust to the culture change from
Hawaii to D.C., he has the skills to become a solid NFL quarterback (judging him just from that Sugar Bowl is a mistake).  At the very least, he provides a stronger backup option than Todd Collins, and he will be a capable replacement if starter Jason Campbell can’t stay healthy or take the next step in his development.

 

Bolstered by that second-round boon,
Washington carried that momentum into a solid second day.  A playoff offense should be able to average an extra 4-7 points per game this year.  In any other division, the Redskins project as an 11-win team; in the NFC East, 9-10 wins, but still another playoff berth, is reasonable.

 

 

  1. San Diego Chargers/Pittsburgh Steelers (tie)

Despite having only five picks (just one on Saturday), the Chargers put together a very solid draft class.  After leading the league with 30 interceptions last season,
San Diego added the best corner in the draft in Antoine Cason.  Cason started every game during his four—no redshirt—seasons with an underrated

University of
Arizona defense and intercepted 15 passes.  Also a strong kick returner, Cason will more than replace Drayton Florence; it would be a shock if he didn’t challenge Quentin Jammer for the other starting spot with Antonio Cromartie.  It is not going to be fun to throw the football against this team.

 

Jacob Hester is an excellent pick to succeed Michael Turner.  Although he doesn’t have the speed of Darren Sproles, he is a very good runner between the tackles and a much better blocker and receiver out of the backfield.  He will be a high energy leader, dangerous third down receiver, and LaDainian Tomlinson will enjoy running behind him. 

 

Marcus Thomas and DeJuan Tribble were good depth picks at the end.  For this team, a division title should be expected, and Super Bowl appearance wouldn’t be surprising.

 


Pittsburgh did an excellent job of getting value with each of the team’s seven selections.  The Steelers scooped up Rashard Mendenhall in the first round, and he should be an excellent complimentary back to 1,300-yard runner Willie Parker.  If Parker has to miss any time due to injury (likely), Mendenhall has the size and talent to become a feature back.

 

At 53, the Steelers finally got Ben Roethlisberger a huge receiver at whom to throw; without the wrist injury that cost him the last half of his senior year, the perhaps overrated Limas Sweed would have been a first-round pick.  When he’s motivated, Sweed can make spectacular catches.

 

Another Longhorn,

Tony
Hills, will be a solid backup on the offensive line.  Once he’s fully recovered also, he could be an 8-10 year starter at either tackle spot.  Dennis Dixon would have won the Heisman until his knee exploded; if he has any of the speed and mobility he showed during the season after recovery, he will be a dynamic runner/receiver/returner and can even take a few snaps in some trick plays.

 


Pittsburgh is counting on lots of luck as these guys come back from major injuries.  If it pays off, this was a championship-building draft.

 

 

Honorable Mention:
Philadelphia Eagles

In dropping out of the first round, the Eagles got Carolina’s 2009 top pick (which, even with Jonathan Stewart, could be pretty high if Jake Delhomme goes down).  In the second round, the team upgraded both sides of the ball in Trevor Laws and DeSean Jackson.

 

Laws was one of two bright spots (with Tom Zbikowski) on Notre Dame’s defense last year, and he will be an excellent reserve for Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley. 

 


Jackson blazes the turf on his routes, and he won’t have much competition from Hank Baskett for the No. 2 receiver role.  If
Jackson can bulk up just a little without losing speed, he will be very tough for smaller corners (Mike Jenkins) to defend.

 

Quintin Demps was a good value pick in Round Four; the only truly puzzling selection was Jack Ikegwuonu because he is not expected to play this year after getting hurt preparing for the combine.  Other than that pick,
Philadelphia got better and deeper on both sides of the football.

 

 

DUDS 

3.  
New York Jets

The Jets didn’t have many picks, so it was tough to really get into a flow over the weekend.  Ultimately, though, a team picking in the top 10 is judged by that initial choice. 

 

If
New York gets 5-7 years of the Vernon Gholston who is motivated and wants to play each week, they will be thrilled.  When he wants to be, Gholston is a nightmare to block and will always have the quarterback worrying about him from the time the ball is snapped.  If the Jets can’t get him going, though, he’ll be a bigger flop than Tom Tancredo’s presidential campaign.

 

The team’s other first-rounder, Dustin Keller, doesn’t seem to fill a major need (unless Eric Mangini just needed to tick off starter Chris Baker).  Of course, I don’t fault the team for going and getting the guy they wanted.  It just seems that other needs could have been addressed with the 30th pick.

 

Erik Ainge was a very good pick for
New York.  Given time to develop, while everyone determines for sure that Kellen Clemens isn’t the answer, Ainge should be a quality quarterback on a Jets playoff team.  However, the team followed that choice with a lackluster pick in Marcus Henry, who probably won’t ever be more than a No. 4 receiver.  Mike Hart would have been a much better choice at that spot.

 

The Jets haven’t had much luck in April recently, and they didn’t seem to do much to change that this weekend.  More than anything else, Gholston must become a superstar; I don’t think he will.

 

 


  1. Tennessee Titans

When building a franchise, management must pick a player as the foundation.  The Titans have done that with Vince Young (a great move).  However, that foundation doesn’t work without support.  Vince won 10 games and went to the playoffs essentially by himself last season.  Without quality receivers, though, he won’t be able to carry this team any further.

 

The biggest need for the team is at wide receiver and has been for several years. 
Tennessee hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2004 (heck, they haven’t had an 800-yard receiver since then).  With a perceived very deep class, and two of the first 54 picks, the Titans had opportunities to help Vince out.  Instead, they got him another running back, Chris Johnson.  Sure, he’s fast as all get out, but his size (under 200 pounds) makes him ill-suited to be on the field enough to be a true impact player.  Even when he does see the field, persistent fumbling issues could potentially neglect every big play he makes.  Every receiver on the board was available at 24, and one of the top three—Mario Manningham—was still around at 54.

 

Finally, 126 picks into the draft, the team took Lavelle Hawkins.  He’s small and not terribly quick, but a solid value pick here.  Problem is, the Titans are loaded with “value” No. 4 receivers.  Those guys—Justin Gage and Roydell Williams—had less than 1,500 yards and seven touchdowns combined.  Hawkins could be a good complimentary piece; he just doesn’t have anyone to compliment.

 

The rest of the draft focused on defense (except Craig Stevens), and each of those guys are uninspiring.  Clearly, the front office saw something in William Hayes that nobody else in football did.  Until this team gets Vince some real help, though, the rest of the draft just will not matter.

 

 


  1. Cincinnati Bengals

Oh. My. A God.  This weekend was nothing short of catastrophic for the Bengals.  First of all, the team declined to deal Chad Johnson and so left TWO No. 1 picks on the table.  As childish as Johnson is acting, the team is only hurting itself by holding on to him.  Despite having ten picks (four in the first 100), this team failed to land a single absolute, impact playmaker.  More than the guys they took, though, it was the type of guys they took.

 

The team is still reeling from having 10 players arrested in 14 months, just got Odell Thurman back from suspension, and cut Chris Henry before the draft because he couldn’t stay out of handcuffs.  Yet,
Cincinnati loaded up on guys with, at best, questionable character. 

 

The guy with perhaps the strongest character, top pick Keith Rivers, simply isn’t talented enough to justify going ninth overall.  While he certainly should be a dependable, every down player, he’s not the superstar, home run prospect a team picking that early clearly needs.

 

The next three picks, Jerome Simpson, Pat Sims, and Andre Caldwell, indicate a lack of skill in the team’s talent evaluators.  Simpson has good size, but he’s going to have make a considerable adjustment going from Coastal Carolina to the NFL, especially playing the Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and
Cleveland defenses twice each season.  Sims doesn’t have the stamina to contribute more than 10-15 plays per game, and
Caldwell hasn’t shown the durability necessary to stay on the field for 16 games.

 

While most defensive tackles break blocks, Jason Shirley breaks the law.  Given his past issues, it’s unlikely he makes it through training camp without getting arrested, suspended, cut, or all three.

 

Corey Lynch, of
Michigan field-goal blocking fame, is a solid player and person; he should end up being the second-best player of this class for the Bengals, after Rivers.  Given that he was the seventh player
Cincinnati selected (the 177th overall), that doesn’t bode well for the Bengals’ future.  This franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since 1990.  With a brutal schedule that includes the NFC East, Indianapolis, Houston, Jacksonville, and
Kansas City, a 4-12, or worse, season looks probable.  More so than any franchise in the league, even Arizona,
Cincinnati just does not get it.  

 

 

 Brian Smith can be reached at BLSmith@mail.utexas.edu

 

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.

Jerry Jones, Street Magician

Jerry Jones

Things are starting to settle down after a hectic draft weekend. Most analysts give the Cowboys around a B for their draft, even though Felix Jones was not the most popular selection among many fans.

We all have to admit that when it comes to trading draft picks for other/more draft picks, few can match Jerry Jones, though.

A summary:

(1) Trade Akin Ayodele and Anthony Fasano to Miami for the 4th rounder (100th overall).

(2) Trade the 92nd pick (3rd round) to the Lions for the 111th pick (4th round) and a 4th rounder in 2009.

(3) Trade the 100th pick (4th round, from Miami) to Oakland for a 4th rounder (104th overall) and a 7th rounder (213th).

(4) Trade the 104th pick (4th round, from Oakland) to Cleveland for the 122nd (4th round) and 155th (5th round).

(5) Trade the 111th pick (from Detroit– see (2)) to Cleveland for a 3rd round pick in 2009.

(6) With the 122nd pick (from Cleveland– see (4)), Dallas took running back Tashard Choice.

(7) Trade 155th pick (5th round, from Cleveland– see (4)) and 213th pick (7th round, from Oakland– see (3)) to Jacksonville for the 143rd pick (5th round).

(8) With the 143rd pick , Dallas took cornerback Orlando Scandrick.

(9) Dallas had previously swapped 6th round picks with Miami (167th for 195th) in the trade for Jason Ferguson. With the 167th pick, Dallas took Erik Walden.

End result: 8 picks (1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7) became 6 picks (1,1,4,5,6), but the team added a third and fourth rounder in 2009.

This all reminded me of a street magician’s act, such as…

But even with all of the trickery, Dallas still didn’t get a receiver! This was from Todd Archer yesterday:

The five trades the Cowboys made Sunday – landing them 2009 third- and fourth-round picks from Detroit and Jacksonville – were made with a receiver in mind.

The Cowboys have six draft picks in the first four rounds next year. Given this team’s proclivity for draft-day trading, they could have enough pieces to move up and take a top-notch receiver.

“We just didn’t want to push it this year with this not being a deep draft for receivers,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “You can’t make something out of what’s not there.”

* * *

My blog has become comment-deprived, which is a pretty good sign of lousy blogging by me. But the comment I received today from Gregg in Boise about Orlando Scandrick was interesting:

Major character issues? I live in Boise, and while I have no idea how Orlando will turn out on the field, the only place I’ve ever heard his name called is on the field. Orlando is a confident guy and will tell you so, but what CB worth anything isn’t confident?

My comment was originally based on the analysis on NFL.com, but I have not seen anything else to support the statement regarding character issues. He may very well have been a high value pick in the 5th.

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:

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

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.

Cowboys Sign Another Player Shortly After Draft

Reports are coming out that Dallas signed DE Marcus Dixon out of Hampton to a three-year, $1.1 mil contract.  The undrafted Dixon is listed at 6′4″, 294 lbs. and a gifted pass rusher.  His character and history are two different pictures, a before and after story that really isn’t too pleasant.  But several teams seemed to have felt the same as the Cowboys by expressing an interest in the young man and his apparent rise from the adversity of his youth.

Evidently Jerry Jones felt somewhat of a weakness at defensive line as opposed to the wide receiver position, where many thought the Cowboys were needful.   The last two players being DE’s along with the two CB’s and three offensive players, I would have to say it was basiclly a balanced plan going in to the draft.  With the draft and the last minute acquisition of Adam “Pacman” Jones, Dallas has made themselves the favorite to repeat as division winners in the NFC East. 

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.

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