Making a Shopping List -- Defense

Raf:
On the Scott Fujita subject, I want him back, he’s a good, if not great, backup. And wouldn’t break the bank. And the position has to be addressed through the Draft as there’s no real alternative in Free Agency.

About Thomas Johnson, it’s said that he’s undersized for the NT job, well he’s 6-2 and 300 pounds, Jason Ferguson is 6-3 and 310 pounds. Johnson is a rookie that will get stronger with another offseason of work in the NFL, that would make him 310 pound player. An inch is that much of a deal? A woman might say that it’s, but not Football fans, right?

Oh, I want Fujita back too. He’s good for depth and plays special teams. He’s just not good enough to make teams pay if they game plan to neutralize Ware.

Bobby Carpenter would fit nicely and it shouldn’t be as big as an adjustment for him as it was for Ware.

Just wondering, i am in Australia and it’s 10: 26 at night, the clock on here says that the last post was at 2:22 am. What the hell are you doing posting at this hour.
Rafael are you a shift worker?

There is simply no reason to assume burnett will be productive next year. He blew his knee in december. We are thin, almost invisible, at LB.

Prediction: Dallas will predominately fill defense needs from free agency and Offense needs from draft.

I still think they look at OT in the first round. The draft has a lot of depth at OT and they simply cannot rely on Pettiti to possibly play RT again. Also, they are going to have to find a replacement for Flozell in the future who is 30 years old.

As far as OLB, Kalen Thornton will be coming back and while Fujita is a veteran, this was his first year playing in a 3-4. Also remember than despite Carpenter and Greenway being great and all, non-pass rushing linebackers typically fall quite a bit come draft day compared to where mock drafts have them.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at Derrick Johnson where a ton of mocks had him going to Cleveland at #3 spot last year and he fell all the way to #15 to the Chiefs. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Carpenter fall to the second round.

I think the Cowboys best bet is to go after an OT in the first round, LB in round 2, and OG in the third round. That’s unless they don’t get somebody like Chavous or Shulters to play free safety.

YKR,
I agree with your excellent analysis of the linebacker situation.I think carpenter is good but comes with alot of hype.I don’t think BP will draft a OL in the first round he never has. He had a shot to draft Orlando Pace and traded down.

Linus & Yazuka have it right.

FA makes the most sense in filling the gaps and Kalen Thornton/Fujita will battle for the starting positions.

A second round OLB pick is not out of the question, but I really believe that the LB position is set:
Will – Ware
Mike – James
Jack(?) – Burnett
Sam – Thornton

The only way we go D in round 1 is if Huff or A.J. Hawk land in our laps.

Look for WR, OT, or OG to dominate the top of the Boys’ board.

Lets say Huff is off the board, but Lindale White and or Vernon Davis were there providing a top H back possibility and the best player available option, would you take either of these two players ahead of OLB…

Whenever the topic of who everyone thinks we should draft comes up it is helpful to look at it two ways. One is what position or player you personally think should or would like to see the team draft. The other is what you think Parcells will do. He can be a cagey guy to predict, but if you go back and look at what he’s done in the past you do see things that he absolutely doesn’t do. I will be very surprised if he drafts an OL in the 1st round given his history. I realize it defies logic to many people given the problems on the O-Line, but I just can’t see him doing it.

Another point is that with the salary cap it is very important that your 1st round draft pick also be the kind of player you will likely hang the franchise player tag on at a later date. This is in order to prevent other teams from plundering your 1st round studs a few years down the road when they hit the FA market. Roy, T-New, and Ware all are almost sure-fire franchise player designates. It is extremely rare to see any NFL team designate an OL as their franchise player because they usually have a skill position or a defensive stud that they need to protect more. Also, there are a lot better metrics to judge a skill player or a defensive standout, whereas O-Lineman have to be evaluated far more subjectively.

We’ve all been discussing the steep learning curve aspects with rookie OL’s before so I won’t go over it again. Two side issues with that are that even the very best NCAA strength and conditioning programs can’t hold a candle to an NFL team’s, and also the additional adjustment that most OL’s have to make switching from playing the left side in college to the right side in the NFL.

Imagine the difficulty even D’Brickashaw Ferguson as great as he is projected to be will have as a 23 or 24 year old young man stepping in to block a man/beast like Michael Strahan who is a fully grown 30+ year old MAN and a seasoned veteran with strength, speed, and moves unlike Ferguson has ever encountered in his life. Sure, he’ll get better as he matures, learns, and develops his size/strength, but I would put my money on Strahan every single time in that matchup…at least in Ferguson’s first 2 years.

I know it will be important to draft OL’s for the future, but with all the depth in this draft at that position I can’t see Parcells using a 1st round pick on one. It seems counter-intuitive, but his pattern is to draft for defense.

ofcourse it will all depend what happens in free agency, but I can see the Cowboys moving down in this draft, I think someone will want to move up and take Cutler and that will get us some more picks. I agree though, a Tackle if one we coveted falls to 18, we would take him, Carpenter is a guy thats slated for the second round, he’s coming of an injury. I would like Huff if he happened to fall, but I think thats an area we will address with via free agency, I think Chavious is the target and wants to come here.
My dream draft for the first pick would be to trade the pick, pick up a first round next year, a third and fourth this year. And next year, do what ever it takes to get Brady Quinn and Jerry buy out Charlie weiss’s contract and get him here to coach this team.

Has everyone forgot about Al Singleton? You can trace alot of def problems back to when he got hurt. I think he does a very good job. Im not saying we shouldnt address the olb position in the off season, im just saying that it seems everyone here has forgotten how good of a player he really is.

Sterling,

While your premise is sound, you’re logic isn’t. Offensive Left Tackles lead the Franchise designation list with Pace, Ogden, Dude from Jacksonville, Tra Thomas, Walter Jones, etc., etc., led the initial wave during the early parts of FA. These days, the premier guys don’t even get a sniff at FA are are behind only QBs in payscale.

This year is a very, very thin class. There aren’t going to be any studs or ‘gems’ in the mid to late rounds, so we could see a real run on the best of this bad lot late in round 1 and throughout round 2. LB also happens to fit this profile (though not to the extent of OL).

wouldnt you think that are needs are not anything of a skill position, that we could possibly trade down a few spots and pick up another 2nd or third. ol will not be takin in the first round unless theres a show stopper available. BP and JJ will address RT fromn FA. they need a starter not another project. BP wants and needs to win soon not in a couple years, so he’ll sign someone he needs to be on the o-line, draft defense fi

dallas2076,
if im not mistaking singleton has a very unfriendly cap hit this year. i read something on it and hes do a pretty big roster bonus or his cap hit was fairly big. maybe rafeal or someone could help me out with that…

Fighter15:

Other than Pace and Jones, who seem to get the tag on a recurring basis, most of the positions that get tagged with franchise player are either defensive players or running backs. Ogden and Thomas have not been franchise designates, they have been under long term contracts from their teams for many years, so I don’t no where you got that from. Corey Simon and Chris McAlister were those teams’ franchise guys, both defensive players. Also, how often do you get a guy like Ogden or Pace? Those were both top 10 1st round picks.

This year is FAR from thin at O-Line, particularly at OT. You must be thinking of last year, which was thin because a lot of guys stayed for their senior year and are coming out this year. This year there is Ferguson, Jonathan Scott, Marcus McNeill, Winston Justice, Eric Winston, Max Jean-Gilles, Spitz from Louisville, Will Allen from UT, and Rafael has already written extensively about Greg Eslinger and Nick Mangold. This year is a very deep draft at OL, by almost any standard, but particularly compared to last year’s draft. The fact that so many highly coveted underclassmen and stud skill players are coming out this year makes it even more likely that a good O-Lineman can be had in the later rounds, possibly even the second day.

My logic was that Parcells won’t draft an OL in round 1, Fighter15. I stand by that logic based on his draft history and the fact that he can get a free agent O-Lineman that is battle tested in the NFL and game ready to step in and compete next year a lot quicker and easier than he can mold even a 1st round OL in camp and preseason. That’s simply what I believe Parcells will do, not necessarily what he should do or what you would like him to do. I know it sounds unbelievable, but we’ll find out in April.

Mike/Dallas2076-On CBSSPORTSLINE.com it says Singleton’s cap hit is $2.78M this year. I don’t know how much of that is signing bonus but i’m guessing that it is $500k. $2mil signing bonus spread over 4 yrs. I really like Singleton so Dallas2076 and I may be alone on this branch. I said we would miss him when he was placed on IR. I don’t know if I like him to the tune of $2.25mil. He is a guy that does his job but doesn’t make it to the playmaker level. I don’t know that he has many other options so a renegotiated contract is probably in line plus BP likes him.

Show of hands-Who thinks Larry Allen is worth $7.5 million in cap room?

Sterling,

I haven’t written up the offensive wish list yet, but I also doubt that OT goes in first round, for the simple reason of supply and demand. It’s the Huff situation again — the only guy who looks like real value at 18 is Winston Justice, who will probably go just ahead of Dallas, like Huff and Greenway will probably do.

Marcus McNeill has stenosis, which means I strongly consider removing him from my draft list altogether pending his medical exams and he will get many. What other OT is worth a mid-first round grade?

Maybe the kid from Miami, but will he or Justice be any more prepared to play RT on opening day that Petitti? Probably, they will. But does that mean you don’t have to protect them the way Petitti was protected? The answer there is no, which is why I think that position is filled in free agency.

Still think the top need is linebacker
thats what makes the 3-4 go.There are two solid starters the rest are coming
back from injury.
my list:
1)insidelinebacker
2)ss
3)fs
4)outside linebacker

Rafael:

Exactly, the only true 1st rounders will be gone by #18, and unless we had a top 5/6 pick for Ferguson I think Parcells would defer to a later round anyway. Jonathan Scott is somewhat intriguing, but I can’t see him being on the board at 18 either. I’d like to see how he does in the bowls/combine.

I think you are referring to Eric Winston from Miami. He blew out his knee last year and didn’t look anywhere close to being a 1st rounder by the way he played last season. I think he would be a dicey proposition even for the 2nd round.

I wouldn’t go anywhere near McNeill. That just sounds way too risky with his back at that position. Too bad, poor guy, I am sure some team will go for him though.

It is a position that is relatively inexpensively and effectively addressed through free agency, especially compared to quality LB’s.

OLB has to be the top need.
I remember Alshermond Singleton being tossed away by RT’s in the rare occasions in which he rushed. And I even remember a time in which he was tossed single handed by Robert Gallery of Oakland. BTW, he didn’t recorded a sack in the 7 full games in which he played, that’s a big no-no for a 3-4 OLB.
Fujita might get better with training in the 3-4 but I don’t see him becoming more than just a rotation player, he’s just too inconsistent while reading the Offense.
Burnett is better suited to play inside, as we saw in the last 2 games in which he played, he knows how to fill running gaps.
And then, finally it’s Thornton time, player that has the hopes of some of my fellow bloggers, reality is a matter that you should look at, he’s an undrafted FA that never accomplished in College more than 4 sacks and was known for his injuries. Looking at Ware’s play and his struggles with the transition to OLB and knowing that he’s a 1st Rounder should work in my favor. Don’t expect much out of him, other than beating Fujita for the backup job.

I dont think $2.25mill is that bad for a guy that provides stability and veteran leadership. If he doesnt come back and im sure he will, but that would leave an awful young linebacker group. Asuming of course that Dat is done. That would leave them with Ware, Fujita, James, Thorton, Fowler,& Shanle. Now im sure BP will sign some depth, but i guess im just a fan of Singleton. Hes not a playmaker but he doesnt limit you and he definately doesnt hurt you. Not to mention that we have plenty of cap room. But thats a good question on Larry Allen. I love what he has done over his years but thats a really big number for a guy who seems to slow down with each passing year.

Sterling, I agree with your assessment on not going OT in the first round.

Its not because Dallas doesn’t have a huge need there. But because Parcells is not likely to do it. He never has before.

But if they do, it would have to be because someone like Winston Justice slips down. There is a lot of depth at OT in the draft, and only a couple might represent real value at 18. The other guys mentioned as first rounders, like Scott, McNeill, Winston, etc. have enough warts that they would not likely represent good value at 18. But in the early second round, they might.

And another name to keep an eye on at OT is Andrew Whitworth from LSU. He is a 4 year starter and has reportedly been the best OLineman at the East-West Shrine practices this week. Not glamorous, but very solid.

But as I mentioned, I agree with others that OT does not seem like a probable spot at 18. Parcells does like his defense. And getting a pressure OLB to complement Ware is likely something that appeals to Parcells and is a need. Whether the value is there at this position at 18 is unknown right now. But keep in mind that defensive front seven guys can and do play as rookies. Its an easier transition than many other spots. And the risk of mis-evaluating these players is less than at many other spots (like OT and WR).

Assuming that a suitable partner is available (big assumption), trading down to the late first, early second area might make a lot of sense. There should be a lot better value there at the positions that Dallas is likely to draft.

As an aside, I’d be surprised if Cutler were available at 18. Detroit at 9, Arizona at 10, and Miami at 15 are all spots where I’ve seen multiple mocks having him go.

Quick question, were the Cowboys playing reeves at backup FS during the season? If they were so pleased with his progress why did they not play him at FS for Killer keith. HE is good in coverage and has the size.

Reeves didn’t played FS by my count, when Davis was out of the field the one subbing for him was Pile. Reeves did play lots at corner in the 2nd half of the season.

I dont think Reeves has the size to play FS.

Matt-That is a great question. He weighs 8lbs less than Davis. I don’t know much about Safety coverage VS Corner. I was impressed with Reeves saw the field. He did some good things. I wonder if it would have just been too much to throw at a guy who is just grasping one role.
I was not a Keith Davis fan until this year. I like his style of play(for the most part) and personality. I would like to have him on the D in a reserve or package role and every special teams cover unit. I hate to say it but I was put off with his “grillmaster” smile and gangster look which lead me to believe he was probably a punk. What can I say, he grew on me with his effort and I’m probably being too forgiving on his coverage skills.

Matt,

Reeves played some at RCB but mostly at LCB in the nickel, so Newman could play the slot, where he moved in the healthy nickel package, with Glenn at LCB and Henry at RCB.

I don’t think he played anywhere else.

We certainly are a long way from when we had safeties like Gant, Woodson, Everett, Washington, Brock Marion, and Bill Bates. Now we are talking about converting CB’s into FS and Kiper is projecting taking a CB to play FS. Damn.

sean
i was wondering the same thing about larry allen until i read an article which said, that if we let LA go he would have a cap hit of around 4-4.5 so we would have to find a replacement in the 3 million range that was as good as LA is for it to be equal. 3 million for a lg is not an easy find at all. it would be nice if he would restructure his curent contract that would be the most beneficial for both.

rafeal
how about an offensive wish list as well…

Didn’t Parcells draft Jumbo Elliott in the first round? I think they have such a bigger need at OT than they do at LOLB or even FS that it’s almost imparitive that they draft there in the first round. The good news is that this draft is stacked with Tackles.

Yakuza:

That was also before free agency. Back then the only way to build your team was to draft a player or find one off the street. Now you can pillage other teams’ stables and bring in someone who isn’t a greeny. I think Parcells has had it up to his eyeballs with rookies and young lineman the last 3 years. He’d probably like to focus on playcalling or defense and not have to concern himself with people making blocks that seem automatic for most O-linemen.

I also wouldn’t rule out Parcells doing something big this draft. Obviously the Ellis/Glover trade possibilities are out there, but I can see him rolling the dice on something bigger. Perhaps trading up, or perhaps trading the 2007 1st rounder for another team’s 1st in this draft. He has traded out since he’s been here to build for the future. With the clock ticking fast and expectations building, I wonder if he will go the other way and trade some of the future to win now. We all now JJ is a wheeler dealer, maybe Parcells will be this year too.

My FA needs:
1. RT
2. FS
3. FB

My Draft Needs:
1. OLB
2. OG
3. C
4. WR
5. TE

This is considering Ellis and Glover stays and Campell is let go.

lou c:

Nice list. What about ILB and Kicker?

I would adress ILB by signing a FA, not a big name but a guy who could step in when Burnett or James need a rest. That would leave James, Burnett, FA pickup, Shanle, and Fowler. It isnt spectatular, but I think it could get the job done.

And as for K, you are absolutly right, that is #1 on the FA list. I almost keep thinking the Cowboys will grab a good K like Longwell so quickly that we wont even have to worry about it.

lou c:

So you think Burnett’s going to be the man? I hope so. He was looking more like backup potential to me last year after Dat went down, but maybe it was the being a rookie thing.

Sterling,

I think he is going to get his shot this year. Heres my thinking: BP gives guys 2-3 years to see what they have (Rogers, Peterman, etc). Burnett was a 2nd round pick, a captain at Tenn, but he didnt look like it last year. If you sign a ILB, or draft a ILB high, your basically telling Burnett you dont believe in him. I honestly didnt think anything of Bradie James before this year, all I liked was his size, like Burnett. Now I love James and think he could be a really good player, the kind that leads the D in tackles every year. Hopefully Burnett will realize he has to start showing something, Canty was a 4th round pick as was Marion Barber and they both looked like better players as of right now. Maybe that will give him some motivation.